Becoming the Person I Never Planned to Be
Let me ask you a question.
What kind of person did you imagine you would become as an adult?
For many of us, the picture was quite clear.
That was the dream.
That was the plan.
But let me ask another question.
What are you really today?
Are you what you dreamed of-and more?
Are you what you dreamed of-but perhaps a little less?
Or have you become something you never even imagined… something far from your mind when you were younger?
So now the question becomes:
Is that good or bad?
Perhaps it is more like asking whether the glass is half full or half empty.
For those watching you from the outside, life may look rosy, happy, and fulfilled.
For those who know you up close, things may still look good-though perhaps not always rosy.
And for some people, your shoes may even seem more comfortable than theirs.
But for you, the one actually wearing the shoes, the story is different.
You know your plans.
You know your purpose.
You know where you really are.
You know what you would rather have.
And sometimes you know what you feel you are simply managing or living with.
So I ask again.
Is it good or bad?
Only you can truly answer that.
As my local people say, it is only the wearer of the shoe who knows where it pinches.
You may be smiling on the outside.
But you know your truth.
But honestly…
Does it really matter?
Who exactly is watching?
Who is counting?
And how is it really anybody else’s business?
We are no longer teenagers where the student who arrives at school in the biggest car becomes the star of the day.
Life’s journey has its ups and downs.
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And as we all know, there are many seasons in life.
Some seasons are smooth.
Some seasons are stretching.
And some seasons surprise us completely.
But time moves quickly.
Life continues to move whether we are ready or not.
And the truth is, nobody’s life is perfect.
Not even the Madam you may be admiring from a distance.
Everyone is carrying something.
Everyone is navigating something.
And truly, people are far less focused on us than we sometimes imagine.
What you planned.
What you became.
And what you may still become.
Much of that is still within your hands.
The truth is that there is still so much more that life can offer.
But only if we let go of regret.
Only if we embrace the life we have instead of mourning the one we imagined.
Because at the end of the day, what truly matters is what gives you joy.
What brings you peace.
What fills your life with laughter.
Those are the things that keep us going.
Some things in life simply are what they are.
But we always have a choice about how we respond.
So perhaps you are not exactly what you once planned to be.
That is alright.
Then simply become the best of what you have become.
As my broken record often says:
Life is meant for the living.
So go and find what works for you.
Pursue that interest.
Follow that curiosity.
And become the best version of yourself that this season allows.
Now let me ask you one final question.
When you look at the life you are living today, does it resemble the one you once planned?
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Keep blooming till I write again.
Titi O
Originally published at https://titilayoogundipe.substack.com.
