Inspirational Story: ”Still I stand” By Sharon Ojong

One day I will tell my success story and I will tell it ALL – the beginning, the pains, the tears, the struggle, the survival and the success, no matter what embarrassment it brings to me.

Sitting in front of my computer, I’m counting the number of times, love has failed me, people have disappointed me and failed my trust for them, how many friends I have lost from meaningless fights and hurtful words, family squabbles and very tough times, the unaccountable times tears have dropped from my eyes in public and many times on my bed alone with my pillow soaked, the one break up that took me almost 3 years to give love a try again and how many times I had thought life would have been if my parents were still together. Yet I am still standing.

I am a very strong, resilient, independent and courageous woman. I don’t mean to blow my own horn but it is how I was taught about life and what I learnt to be growing up with my father and brothers as my mum wasn’t around(separated from dad when I was and my only sister always away in boarding school and university. But my greatest pain and weakness has to be my impatience, my kind and open heart which is always mistaken for stupidity and has landed me in trouble on numerous occasions yet I find strength in the fall to stand up again.

Was it the time I caught my boyfriend cheating? My friend and I put up a dramatic scene, drove off and then we had a ghastly accident that almost cost us our lives, yet I still went back to that same man. Or the day my brother called to tell me my father had stroke? I thought the world had ended; all I did was fall on my knees and tell God it is either him or me and months later he’s keeping us both in good health and I find that prayer selfish.  Or was it recently my cousin kicked me out of his apartment knowing I had nowhere else in Lagos to go and I thought of moving back to Calabar to start all over again?

Still I stand!

One day I will tell my success story and I will tell it all – the beginning, the pains, the tears, the struggle, the survival and the success, no matter what embarrassment it brings to me. But for now, I will keep smiling and working hard because as long as I am alive, my dreams are too. And dreams do come through.

It is not better now. I am not living in a glass house. Honestly, I am still striving to survive daily. But I know there’s definitely someone out there facing worst than I am. If it is you and you are reading this I tell you this. Forget where you came from and what you have been going through. If you woke up this morning, this is your opportunity to rise, pray, grind and prepare to shine! Becoming a somebody requires determination and hard-work. Forget wishful thinking, do what you need to do to get what you want. And do your absolute best at not letting a setback turn into a lifelong drag. Promise yourself to look at the Sunnyside of everything and have more time for the improvement of yourself and less time to criticize others.

If I am standing, you can too.

I stand grateful. Grateful to God for life, good health, good friends and family as well as acquaintances. Grateful that as each day passes I choose to let go of the negative voices, offences and hurts from critical voices. I choose to focus on God and the good plan He has for me.

And this new year, I am turning a new leaf, setting and recreating new priorities, enforcing new and old boundaries, building new walls while minding my own business – D.E.E.V.A.S. with an empire state of mind.

I stand firm waiting because only time will tell what God has in store for me.

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Rekana Sharon Ojong  is a freelance Fashion Stylist and Publicist, a Fashion Journalist as well as a lifestyle blogger, a certified Policy and Administration Analyst, Creative Director/Founder/CEO of D.E.E.V.A.S. Management, ex housemate of Kokomansion and an actress (Tinsel & Nollywood Hustler). Encouraged and fully supported by her family, Sharon has being fascinated with the world of fashion from a tender age growing up. She also works as a key buyer for Sassy&Chic Boutique in Abuja and currently works as Head of PR – Anakle Nig Ltd.

Culled from Ynaija