#BN2015Epilogues: After a Lacklustre Year, Winifred Got a New Job with Better Pay

Last year BellaNaija Features put together an inspiring feature series to round off the year. The 2014 Epilogues featured 10 real people who took an introspective look at their year and wrote about it. This year, we decided to make the call public to our readers. {Click here if you missed it} It is our hope and desire that we will have enough entries to have a story up every day from the 1st to the 31st of December. We have received an impressive number of entries and we hope that you will share yours with us.

We kicked off the series and so far we’ve had the following entries: Jennifer G , Morountodun , Victory, Mayowa ,  Harmony ,Dekky , OJ , Busola , Modupe, The Prodigal Daughter , Adetola, Ayomikun , Omami Jojo , Kehinde , Iember ,  Hadiza , Florence , Amaha  and Vanessa.

We have had an overwhelming response to the call for Epilogues and we’re grateful to everyone who has sent in an entry. We will do our best to share every story we received before the deadline (even if it runs into the new year. Because BellaNaijarians are so awesome!)

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You know how most people start the New Year with New Year resolutions? Most of these resolutions are things that will look good on paper. Like: save more, better bank account balance, better job, hustle more, get married, waist train (That was a joke).

I’m not saying any of these things are wrong, but looking back at 2015, I now realize even without a conscious New Year’s resolution, that I am now a better me and it amazes me how I’ve become this different person inside.

There’s a quote I’ve come across several times that goes like this, “if you knew me based on who I was a year ago, you don’t really know me. My growth game strong, allow me to re-introduce myself” and another goes, “If you knew me in the past, please do not think I am the same person you are meeting today. I have experienced more of life, I have experienced new depths in those I love, I have suffered and prayed and I am different”
This has been my story. I have grown so much in self that when I look back, the beauty of it all brings good tears to my eyes.

I started working in a bank in 2014 as a contract staff, with not-so-good pay – even with a master’s degree and work experience. I was losing weight by the second, from a size twelve to a size 6. I believe the stress made me start breaking out seriously on my face that I didn’t think myself beautiful anymore. The mirror was no longer my friend. And I remember the H.O.P of the bank telling me once, “We are going to move you to back office because you no longer have make up on”. I didn’t care anymore; if you like move me to the roof. Like anything could be worse than what I was already going through.

I was still on that job when 2015 came and I remembered down the line, I was so broke once that I have to top up N2.00 (Two Naira) –yes, this was possible using internet banking – to make up what I had on my phone line to send a text to my mum asking for money. God bless family.

The funny thing is, I didn’t know what made me stay longer at this job. It was really unlike me to go through stress of living the hard life. The old me would have rejected the job offer irrespective of the unemployment rate in the country, because I used to love to damn the consequences; but something unexplainable made me stay.

Somewhere in my subconscious, I felt I was going through a process to a better self especially in the area of patience. I had applied to several other jobs at this time but whosai?

Finally, I got a better job with better pay and better working hours sometime in June 2015 and the way I resigned eh, was not fair to the spirit.

Looking back at 2015, I have grown to appreciate plenty because I have had less, to be humble because it’s better than pride. I’ve learned to listen to people; never to judge, because you never know what the other person is going through. I’ve learned to be friendly, because I know what it feels like being around unfriendly people. I have learned to be giving and to appreciate family more, because they will always have your back through thick or thin and will never complain about helping you.
Most of all, I learned to put God above all.

The challenges before, I believe had prepared me for the blessings ahead so I may appreciate it more and not squander them, whether the blessings are in cash or in kind.

I am so grateful for this better me and I am too hopeful for 2016. I hope we all find what we seek in life and in ourselves and I wish us all the best of 2016.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime | Photographerlondon