Talking of milestones, why do we like them so much? And why do we dread them in equal measure? Except for the most immodest amongst us, we like to pretend that our milestones are just another day, just another accomplishment or just another event – another bridge crossed. Which is good. There is nothing wrong with subdue and understated celebrations. I quite like having one myself.
But there are times when it is nice to blow the trumpet. I have had two occasions in my life when I went haywire in celebrations. The first was the day I received my admission letter to the university for my undergraduate studies. Well, you won’t understand! So, let’s just move on to the second. It was the day I went in the company of my late friend and brother Eghes Eyieyien and his wife to Idowu Taylor, in Victoria Island, Lagos to check my ICAN result. I left that venue walking on air. I can explain. I had invested so much time and energy, so much emotion into passing the exam first time that I couldn’t imagine any other outcome. But, you know, it is one thing to check your exam result alone, and quite another to do so in the company of your friend and his wife. Oh, by the way, ICAN exam is the qualifying exam to become a chartered accountant in Nigeria, my country of birth.
I doubt if I have had to invest my emotion in anything to that degree since. Not even getting married and having children drew as much from me. But that was until I began to actively write the book, “Israel: Out of the Crucible” for publication. You know you can write for your own delight. You can write for your drawer. Many of you have done so. Your manuscripts are probably gathering dust in the locker in your village home or on the floor of your wardrobe.
I have had to joggle getting the words out of the keyboard unto the writing software with wondering why I am putting myself out there for people to critic. While the writing is a joy to undertake, every other thing hasn’t been quite as smooth sailing. Who knows maybe somewhere in the future I will be in a position to guide others through the process! But I am already going ahead of myself.
Right now, my main objective is to tell you that I have reached a major milestone. I begin the countdown to the launch of my first book tomorrow. It has taken years to get here, yet it looks quite frenetic now rushing towards the finish line.
Maybe this will be enough to encourage you to persevere in your own pursuit until you see the travail of your soul. There is a quote from Martin Luther King Jnr. which I posted not long ago. He said,
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
Keep moving! Count every increase as a valuable part of your process, no matter how small or negligible it may appear.
On that note, I will like for you to join me on my adventure. You can do so by subscribing to my occasional newsletter at www.uloyokjob.com. I have a FREE eBook for you which you can get from the website or from https://pages.uloyokjob.com
And you can tell someone. Let them know that Uloyok is cooking something nice. I am sure you know how to tell your friends and family on social media. That will be greatly appreciated.
Warm regards,
Uloyok
