It’s 2017 in Nigeria. Amidst the many challenges Nigerian women have faced this year from economic scarcity to societal pressures, they still look forward to a better 2017.
It is not news that Nigerian women are facing enormous challenges when it comes to truly embracing who they are and living their lives to the full.
To many men in Nigeria, women should be seen and not heard. Their life’s purpose is to cater for the needs of their men and not to pursue their dreams.
A Facebook user Tolulope Esan recently posted an inspiring piece that would spur Nigerian women to be themselves, live their lives and be who they want to be without giving in to unhealthy societal expectations.
”When you embark on a journey of self discovery and begin to detach yourself from societal expectations of who you should be and what your life should be like, you gain absolute freedom and nothing said about your inability to live up to these expectations will make you feel a teeny weeny bit of shame.
Whether these expectation is in choice of career, level of education, decision on marriage, choice of partner, decision to have kids or not, decision to adopt over having biological children, decision to get a divorce or remarry, even decision on whether you want to be cremated or buried in a 6ft grave etc.
Nothing they say will tear you apart when you have decided on your own course instead of that which is expected.
Truth is society will forever be insatiable, you can never perfectly fulfill all these expectations and not sacrifice a portion of yourself which will add up to your happiness.
So, Why try? Why not be you? Why not do you? Why please society at the expense of making yourself happy?
No matter the challenges you face on your journey to success, do what makes you happy.
Achievements and success should be personally defined, not generally defined by society.”
