Allow yourself to be used.

One of the reasons why I love to listen to successful people is because there’s always something to learn. We live in an age where people, especially young people like myself, believe in quick gratification and immediate reward for their service.

Earlier this year, I sat with one of my big brothers. The discussion that day centered around service and reward from those above you, whether a boss or any other person. Some believed they cannot allow themselves to be used by anyone without immediate reward. My brother said the mistake many young people make is to believe they must be rewarded immediately where they serve. He said that's a common assumption, but in most cases, people are rewarded for their years of service. He reinforced that people are rewarded for their service either by the person they directly serve or by another source but either way there’ll always be a reward. He also emphasized that some people miss their rewards because of the wrong attitude displayed at the verge of reward. Then, he shared his personal story.

According to him, when he was staying with his uncle, he basically served as the driver for the entire household, including driving the children to and from school and to any outings they wanted to go to. Don’t forget, this was his uncle. Anyone would call him a mere driver, and at some point, he wasn’t feeling it anymore. He felt belittled and used by his uncle as the driver when his uncle could have hired one. Don’t forget that he wasn’t getting any pay for this service.

One day, they were supposed to visit someone, and because he felt belittled as the family’s driver , he told his uncle that he wouldn’t drive them. His uncle left him in the house, and when the family returned from the outing, he overheard the children discussing how they all received money as gifts. Apparently, the person they visited was very wealthy and gave generous cash gifts to everyone who came with his uncle that day, but he missed out because of his attitude. He said he was really pained that day and regretted not driving the car. He had been doing it all along, but that day, when he was meant to receive good gifts, his attitude blocked that blessing, reshaping his mindset towards service.

I understood the message he was conveying, but the story made it more understandable and relatable. Today, this man is very successful and still dedicated to servitude.

Allow yourself to be used; allow your skills, brain, knowledge, and talent to be used. Being used isn’t inherently negative, it often means you have something of value to offer. 

Finally, when being used, accompany it with the right attitude. There will always be a reward, it may not be at the time you want it or in Tempe way you have imagined but there will always be a reward. 

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Iyawo Oga