Never dwell so much on your weaknesses that You fail to realize your strengths.

Growing up as a child, I have always found my self amongst people who were totally not my equals especially regarding age. Those whom I called my mates were not at all my Mates when it came to age.

As time went on, I found myself being in various positions to lead my "Non-Mates". Its was tough as I have always been taught that with age comes wisdom, for an African proverb says, " What the adult can see sitting down, the child cannot see even when he climbs the tallest tree".

My weakness was age and inexperience... So focused on trying to survive in an adult world I failed to realize my strength.

This was my strength; I discovered that by staying around and leading my so called not equals, I gained experience beyond my age and Wisdom in fact simply because I had to grow older than myself so as to remain relevant.

This growth has proved indispensable to me as I realize that I've been able to figure out the answers to questions I am yet to ask and the solution to problems I was yet to face.

But at sometime ago, I was dwelling so much in my "weakness" (young age and inexperience), that I failed to realize my strength (young age with much experience).

Martin Luther King said;
"
If you can't be tree, be a bush
If you can't be a highway just be a trail
If you can't ne the sun, be a star
It isn't by size that you win or fail,
be the best of what so ever you are
"
I am Utibe-Abasi Emmanuel Akpan
and
I choose to be me and the best that there will ever be. Who have you chosen to be.