Fire In My Belly

Growing up the youngest in the family was a blessing.

Despite the difficulties that come with being the lowest on the totem pole, I was able to appreciate one thing : the opportunity to learn from mistakes made by my elder ones

There's an African proverb which states that "Do not tell a child not to touch a hot lamp, the lamp will tell him". Well the major third degree burns and even the minor first degree ones experienced by my siblings, cousins and mentors served as enough warnings for me.

This ability to observe, assimilate and regroup became pretty useful once again in my last year of high school. Graduation, also known as the stage in life where teenagers who have little knowledge of who they are, are forced to choose a career path that may determine the rest of their lives, was fast approaching. I mulled over a crucial part that i noticed most of my peers gloss over - who am I and what do i love?

This was not a very easy question to answer.

I did know one thing though.

I knew that I was not about to begin the next phase of my life , chasing what my parents, friends or society defined as success .

No. I wanted to discover my passion and feel the fire in my belly that would cause me to change the world as we know it.

And find this fire, I did.