By Micah Ndackson
You have to love what you do, that’s what people say. But that’s not necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the opportunity—the opportunity to build life, provide for yourself and your family, future, health, success and fortune. For me, selling burkutu (a local alcoholic beverage) in a stinking bar as a barman when I started off, was not something I loved to do, but I loved the opportunity of what might be behind it. Instead of despising the job, I chose to be thankful for the opportunity to grow.
*No, I didn’t like the title of a barman and the stinking environment, but it was my first entry onto the ladder of success.* I am grateful the late Staff Sgt. Benjamin Kura gave me the opportunity to sell burkutu as my first job in Kurmin Gwari, Kakuri Kaduna. I gave it my best shot knowing I won’t be there for long! At that time, my major definite purpose was to go to secondary school.
You can be inspired by just having found something, even though you are making mistakes in the beginning and even though it is not ideal, taking on a new discipline that you haven’t learned yet. *You don’t have to love it; you just have to learn to appreciate the opportunity—and the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself.*
If you embrace the disciplines associated with the new opportunity, you will soon find that your self-confidence starts to grow, that you go from being a skeptic to being a believer. When you start talking to people, you will find it to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world. In my case, I found useful information from just talking to people that later opened the door for me to enroll as a boarding school student in Government College Kaduna. This was huge for me! *Sometimes, in the beginning when we are just getting started on jobs, we belittle, we don’t always see how big they are as steppingstones to our destinies! To the glory of God, I rose through the ranks in Corporate Nigeria to the position of a General Manager and Senior Country Operations Officer in a big bank, retired at age 41 and have been enjoying doing what I really love to do.*
My point is: before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember that all success is based on long-term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few stepping – stones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it’s sure to be one of the stepping-stones that leads to great opportunities in the future. *So, celebrate the effort, trust the process, and know this: every step forward is a step towards greatness!*
● Ndackson, a LifeSuccess Coach and published this, on 15th November, 2025.
PS: A response by a university Professor to Mr. Ndackson’s piece:
Yes, 👍 Sir. As for me, I sold kerosene and kuli-kuli in Kafanchan in the 70s. In fact, at a point there is no nook and cranny of Kaf that even in the night you wake me up from sleep, that I can’t describe the house due to the fact I was a practical salesboy of these items. God used our little beginnings to make us what we are today.
Editor’s note: Do you have your own experience? Please send to us in not more than 150 words to Everydayng67@gmail.com. Thank you.
