AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.
A retrospective piece of Sidney Quartey, former UPSA SRC President.
I took a few days off to reflect on my life's journey through UPSA (University of Professional Studies, Accra) especially my tenure as SRC President...
I ended up with this piece and I hope you find it inspiring like I did.
Truth be told, no one makes it through life's journey all by himself
Made or marred, a man's destiny is intertwined with a lot others such that whatever we become is influenced greatly by those we come across in our lives
This is one truth I have come to believe.
Indeed our destinies are shaped by our encounters.
Let me start by mentioning the most important encounter of my life:
CHRIST JESUS
That's right!
My encounter with Christ Jesus is by far one i consider most relevant in my life.
When I met Christ, everything changed.
This isn't just a saying as most of our speeches are rather full of popular sayings and quotes.
This, stands out to be a "real" experience,my reality.
I owe all that I have become to God. He started it. He picked me up from the miry clay and in spite of me set me high upon This Rock.
Anyone who knew my beginning well will understand this part of my write up better.
My heart is filled with so much gratitude as I write this. I feel highly favoured and Graced.
Coming to UPSA from where I stand now seems more of a divine orchestration than just a coincidence or choice.
When My dad introduced the idea of studying in UPSA about 5 years ago, I most certainly didn't feel the way I feel now.
I was rather full of uncertainty and wonder at what life had in store for me.
I didn't know then that I'd come to meet some friends who would become family today.
I didn't know that I'd meet people who would inspire me to aspire for greatness and nothing less.
I had absolutely no idea that I'd come to make mistakes that would teach me lessons I'd never have known if not for the very mistakes I wish I didn't make.
I definitely didn't know that I'd come to assume greater responsibilities .
That I'd be heartbroken sometimes so I can learn to be strong.
That I'd come to see moments that I'd wish would stay forever.
That I'd someday be someone that others could look up to.
I really didn't know that I'd become so positive that I will challenge myself and others to do things considered impossible.
That I'd learn to uncover my innate gifts and learn to add meaning to the lives of others.
I didn't know then, that I would start The Impact Team-Ghana.
That I'd become the SRC President of my time.
And I most certainly didn't know that I'd one day write this long article for you to read 😀.
There was so much I didn't know.
But, I believed...
And I was full of energy and hope.
I was determined to live and not just pass through school.
Interestingly, UPSA passed through me as well.
I am so glad it did.
It has been a very meaningful journey so far and I am so thankful to God for how far He's brought us
I write this for the lots of you who may find yourself where I did about 5 years ago and the rest of you who have yet to make any meanings out of your own stories.
I learned today that there are two kinds of people in this world, those who write their own stories and those who only feature in the stories of other people.
Well,I don't know about you but I have a pen in my hand and I'd rather choose to feature others in my story as no one can write ones own story better than himself .
Dare today to be the main character in the story you write.
Life is supposed to be a purposeful journey ,but not all of us realize this early enough.
Some of us live our lives anyhow we have it, anything goes for us and we don't seem to know where we are going or what we want to do.
Some of us are also busy in the rat race of life, chasing after the things that should be chasing us...
Money, fame, assets ,call it anything.
We study programs we think would fetch us money, we associate with people we think we can benefit from.
We don't hesitate to take advantage of any opportunities that promises a much better and comfortable living.
All these might seem purposeful but this is where we miss it.
There are also others who have beautiful dreams and aspirations but are held back by fear and negative thinking.
You'll find them tell you convincingly how difficult life is and how unlikely it is to become what they dream.
Just because you have reasons why you cannot succeed doesn't mean you can't.
There's more to our lives than the little things we have made the big things.
This is one thing I realized during my time in UPSA.
Some of us are still yet to graduate from our fears and former selves.
When I became SRC President, I thought I had prepared myself well enough to lead over 10000 students.
The realization that I wasn't entirely ready hit me hard.
Life changed and it changed very fast
I crossed paths with people who were a lot ahead of me, in age, in class, in status, name them....
The truth is , I initially felt intimidated but that lasted only a while as the very people I thought would intimidate me treated me with respect and reverence. Serving on meetings with Professors with grey hairs who refer you as their colleague was a "morale boost" for me.
No more intimidation ...
But that's not what I want to share with you...
One thing that fascinated me was how in spite of their accomplishments and status they turned out to be so humble and simple.
It was then that I realized that those who have gone far in life are often times the ones who live the simplest lives. They are much more relaxed about life.
What reason did I have to be proud for the little that I thought I'd accomplished?
This had been a lifetime lesson, I learned to keep pride out of my books forever.
I resolved then that I was going to learn ...
Yes, I was going to learn from those who had treaded the path I was trailing.
I decided to embrace humility and treat everyone with respect, not that I didn't do that but I had found a better reason to continue.
At the students level, people expected that I'd show off and live a more distant life as president but I was going to disappoint them.
I lived very simply, I greeted anyone I met , student or staff or cleaners or security men...I wasn't going to wait for anyone to treat me with respect because I was president...I was going to treat everyone with respect because I was their president, they made me what I am.
Those who encountered me can relate. ..
Another very important thing to share is my down times as president and what that taught me.
There's one thing I didn't consider when I decided to do students politics...
Propaganda and diabolic criticisms orchestrated to mar your integrity and destroy what you have worked so hard to build.
Seriously,
I didn't think about it and so didn't see it coming.
And when it did, I was really affected by it....
I allowed myself to be worried by their propaganda.
I guess I couldn't believe people could be that diabolic.
I was too naive to see the world from that point and life was going to teach me the hard way.
I imagine the intensity of pain Christ might have felt when the very people he taught, fed and loved...the same ones who sang "Hosanna" shouted "crucify" him.
I would have been shocked if I were there.
I am fortunate not to have come any close to that but I realised from the little experience I had that the mind of people change and they change everyday.
Lies spread quickly and people believe them easily but no matter how big a lie is a man's integrity as small as a mustard seed will move mountains to shield him.
That's what saved me. Where you can't speak, your integrity will speak for you.
This is for anyone who aspires to be a leader, live a responsible life and start now, not when you become one.
It is the life people have seen you live that will speak for you not the one you will live.
Don't expect praises for the good you do as a leader, that's why you are there, praised or not, do what you went there to do.
It is for God and for country.
Don't be moved by the verbal abuse , they don't matter and they won't change anything.
Just focus on what you have to do.
One challenge every leader faces is getting his team to think like him and believe in his vision, that wasn't so easy but I was too determined to give up on my team.
There were times I wanted to, but how could I? Leaders are not quitters and I couldn't afford to fail.
I learned to make a family out of my team...reason with them...walk along with them and that, was a leap of success for me.
It worked!
We made it and we made it big!
We didn't only accomplish our mission to rebuild and restructure the Students Representative Council but also set a remarkable pace and legacy for our successors and generations after them to follow, accomplished in 6 months what others could not do in 12 , relentlessly battled rising problems our colleagues faced, interceding and pursuing their interest and needs and going beyond all these to create opportunities for them.
At our graduation ceremony last Saturday, I bumped into a colleague I wasn't quite sure where I'd met him, after exchanging pleasantries he introduced me to his family and told them ," this is my SRC president, he is the reason I am able to graduate with my colleagues today"
It took him less than a minute to say that but I bet it would take me a lifetime to forget what fulfilment that statement brought to me.
I feel rather privileged that God used us as instruments to perfect His will in the lives of others..
Its been four years of Grace for me and I am so thankful to everyone who was a part of my journey through UPSA,
Truth be told, .I owe what I am today to the people I had and those I encountered. ...Thank you all for all the blessings you've been to me
Indeed, a person is a person because of other people...
To my colleague graduates, as we go out there into the world, I need you to remember that you all are a part of a Generation that wouldn't fail, a Generation destined for Greatness and each of you have a role to play.. Be positive about life and avoid the temptation of expecting the worse though hoping for the best ... You deserve the best and don't be afraid to go for it.
Don't accept No for anything and if you can ,keep that word out of your vocabulary. If the world doesn't have what you want, go your way and create it because you can...
Remember that you represent the hope of many people and they're earnestly waiting for you, you cannot fail them as their destinies are intertwined with yours
Work hard and do your best and trust God to take care of the rest
Don't forget you are not alone , you didn't graduate alone but along with over 4000 of your colleagues, you may not know everyone but you built a network in your small world , learn how to use that...
And to the younger Generation, you are a few blocks from here as you'll get here anytime soon. It is important that you believe in yourself, you'll need your self confidence to accomplish anything in life, don't let anyone take that from you and don't you take it from yourself.
For one more time, I would like to express my heartfelt Gratitude to UPSA(Management and staff) for all that you thought us and the greatness you've inspired in us in the last four years, to UPSA students for the opportunity given me to serve you, to my team of executives and committee members for your contribution towards all the successes we chalked, to all my colleagues and friends who believed in me and stood by me through thick and thin, you would forever remain in heart , I honestly cannot thank you enough and finally to my wonderful family who have done nothing but loved and supported me....
May the years ahead bring more meaning and Blessings to us than we can count
God bless UPSA
God bless Us all
Yours Truly,Sidney Quartey
Former SRC President, UPSA
#Sidney Wins #TheImpacter
Graduation Date : 12-08-2017
Comments
Post a Comment