10 Hard Truths Young People Need to Discover Early

Dear Young You,

#1: While you have the energy and a healthy body, please preserve it. You will not always be this energetic about conquering the world. Sleep as much as your body needs it.

Sleep is for the strong.

#2: Your enthusiasm about “I can make a difference” will be tested so many times by your ability to survive the downtimes when you’re broke and can barely think of innovating gari and palm oil into a simple meal.

#3: Beyond the accolades, education and global exposure you have, one thing you can never defeat is your mental health. You better pay attention to it when it needs you. It can shutter your dreams overnight.

One thing you can never defeat is your mental health.

#4: People really matter in your success. The betrayals you face now, are just the tip of the iceberg. But finding the people who truly care (friends) will give you the army you need to fight on tough days. So filter as you go. Loners go fast not far.

Loners go fast not far.

#5: Impact is not overrated but money is very very important. Don’t go chasing impact forgetting about what you need to survive. The people you help are not required to reciprocate, so if that’s your backup plan. Wake up and find a stable income source.

Impact is not overrated but money is very very important.

#6: No matter how reasonable and justifiable your actions are, you will never have a 100% fan base. The haters are there to prepare you for the next phase. So acknowledge them too. Your acclaimed fans are temporary, your supposed haters will keep you fighting to be better.

#7: Your temporary success doesn’t warrant you to bend old bridges. So treat people right. Don’t weigh the value of people’s contributions to your success by its face value but the degree to which that help saved you at the time you needed it.

Don’t weigh the value of people’s contributions to your success by its face value but the degree to which that help saved you at the time you needed it.

#8: Let “thank you”, “I am grateful to you”, “I am very sorry”, “How can I help?” “I am here for you” be your favorite phrases. They mean a lot to people than paying back what they gave you.

#9: Be confrontational with wisdom. Don’t bottle up your discomforts. They don’t make the other person feel any worse or better, they are like background applications running, they will kill you slowly. Increase your battery life (mental health) by addressing them on the go.

#10: Always remember you’d not always be young. Count your mistakes as tools for success. They teach you to make the best decisions. Wisdom is the sum total of the lessons learnt from your mistakes and disappointments. Cherish them.

Wisdom is the sum total of the lessons learnt from your mistakes and disappointments.

About The Author:

Foster Awintiti Akugri is a computer scientist and process engineer by education, an entrepreneur by training, and a volunteer by passion. His 8 years of experience spans several fields including technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, innovation and policy design, community building, financial inclusion, business development, marketing, leadership, and more.

In 2015 he founded the Hacklab Foundation, an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Ghana with a focus on preparing the youth for future digital jobs through technology education and skills development. Since 2016, Hacklab has partnered and worked closely with global firms like Twitter, IBM, Vodafone, Standard Bank, University of Johannesburg, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, etc. to host the largest annual Hackathon Africa which convenes over 1000 tech professionals annually. Hacklab has also designed and implemented hackathons across 11 countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa, Cameroon, Madagascar, Uganda, Kenya, Mali, Malawi, and Ethiopia). The Foundation has directly impacted over 12,000 people.

Foster also doubles as Head of Youth Banking & Stanbic Business Incubator, driving financial inclusion for the youth and advising startups and SMEs to become sustainable.

In 2018, Foster was the youngest participant at the World Economic Forum’s 48th Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Connect with me on twitter: @awintiti