I don’t think there is a tragedy greater, the never finding the love of your life. (no not Prince Charming or Queen Nefertiti) I mean in terms of the work that gives you satisfaction, a reason to get up every morning and face the day. Unfulfilling toil is so thankless it drains the life out of you literally.
Several factors lead to such an outcome;
Punishment
I think most of us displayed talent over the things that we were gifted in but never managed to pursue because the end goal of education was to get employed and make a truckload of money, look at us now. I know many who got ridiculed for the arts (music, painting, drawing) because there was a time, that did not put food on the table.
How many can attest to getting beaten for drawing in their school books, creating comic strips that never saw the light of day, because they went to school to learn not to do silly things?
Dream Carrying
There are those, who went on to live the dreams of their parents. I mean, your parent always dreamed of being a doctor, but because of various challenges, chief among them poverty they never made it, and so they lived vicariously through you. But perhaps what you wanted was to become better than Da Vinci, I mean just to see how deft those hands are on the operating table, or how well you suture those wounds until scars are barely visible post-healing.
Fear
In Kenya we would say huyu ndiye mama yao, to refer to a major cause of problems. (Kenyan mothers we need to take stock of what makes us so scary yet so loved). This is the force that holds most of us back literally almost all the time. But then some dare to look it in the face and break out. I have rested on this mountain for too long, and now I have broken camp. Come with me, let us move together beyond the unknown, because like the leprous men, we may just die of hunger if we stay any longer. This fear is mostly because we do not want to fail, most of us never knew that it was ok to make mistakes, instead we were trained to never make them, and be ashamed of ourselves when we did.
Comparison
This… in most instances the voice of the critic, (I don’t know who’s voice it is for you), always said… “cant you be more like your sister, brother, friend?” This voice has quietened externally, but internally, it is still very loud. No matter how hard you have tried you simply are never good enough.
But this could also be a heart issue, the ones we call “Kamati ya roho bleck” here in Jamuhuri, (people with black hearts).so, the success of others gives you heartburns and bad vibes.
Lack of Persistence
If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again. I have come to learn this is the least you owe you, and truth is, it is easier said than done. Persistence is the key to most success stories, when that door seems closed keep knocking. Sure you may take a break sometimes to regroup, but get back at it.
