The Next Chapter

The common denominator with finishing a particular stage in our lives --- apart from being so excited about leaving that stage of our lives behind 😏 --- is thinking about what lies ahead. I remember feeling so excited about leaving secondary school 4 years ago, 4 years later I don't understand what was making me so excited then 😧. I almost feel silly for being so excited with myself. The next stage wasn't even a tad bit easier or better 😒.

Irrespective of how disappointing the next step turns out to be, sometimes, finding the next step to take is a more disappointing process than actually taking the next step. In school, you know once you finish primary school, you move to secondary school, after that, you either look for a university that your grades can get you into, your parents or guardians can afford, or the one all your friends are going because making new friends is so much work 😅; after university, it becomes an extreme sport.

This is when most of us unlock our inner philosopher 😃. To continue schooling, get a masters and then a PhD? Or to get a job right away and begin struggling to escape the rat race? Or to get on the next means of transportation you can afford and travel as far away from your home as you can 😁? While you're asking these questions, your bank account is casually strolling by to remind you of what is possible; your birthdays are randomly beckoning on you to tell you that you're getting old; friends, family and unwanted visitors are asking you so what are you doing with your life now 😑.

The next step to take gets so frustrating to find when things are no longer set in stone. In school, the next step is easy and OBVIOUS, Hint: it's the next class. Outside school, the next step is confusing the shit outta you and to make matters worse, all your applications for jobs, academic scholarships are returning rejection mails. The next step doesn’t even look like it's there 😢. Well...

Did you know that before 1770, crusts of bread were used to erase marks on paper? 😅. Weird right? Well, one day in 1770, when he invented the pencil eraser, a British engineer named Edward Nairne was so engrossed with his work that he didn't know when he reached for a piece of latex rubber instead of his trusty crust of bread to erase, Nairne found it erased his error, leaving rubberized “crumbs” easily swept away by hand and just like that, bread was restored to the appropriate use again, for just eating 😁 and the pencil eraser was invented.

Like Edward, sometimes we find the next chapter when looking for something else. So maybe looking for a job is what'll connect you to what you'll end up doing for the rest of your life or getting a masters or PhD is what will hook you up with your Larry Page or Bill Gates. So maybe continue with your current hustle or....

Some other times, looking for the next step can be so stressful; sometimes we hit walls of hefty fortified CONCRETE and all we can do is take a step back, take a breath, a walk, sleep, eat, maybe lazy around a bit or just relax. Sometimes, taking a step back is what we need to find the final piece we need to move forward. When moving forward, ironically, moving backward a bit might just help us get a better view of where we are going, what exactly we want and where we want to go.

Sometimes it's all in your head. Premeditating every move, thinking about what could go wrong, what if you don't like where you end up and all the other million what ifs. Sometimes maybe just daring to dive in without thinking is all you need.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you goodluck on figuring out your next step and your next chapter and I hope this piece helped you in some way. Till next time 😊.