@Talon 6 February 2022 more from that month

The Life Series: You First Happy Sunday folks. Hope you went to church and you had a great time. My article is inspired by a song that I was listening to yesterday. The artist name is **Teni** and the music is in Nigerian pidgin. The lyrics goes like this 'I wan talk my mind o For anyone wey fit relate o Ri-di-mah-kool-a-yooo Sometimes it feels like success is a trap And sometimes it feels like people don't understand Cos the pressure e plenty and expectations high Even your day ones wey suppose get your back sometimes day ones dey fight And everybody has an opinion on how you suppose live your life And even people wey suppose to show you the way na the people dey backbite No be pride, no be ego Sometimes I gas change my mind Sometimes I gas dey behind Sometimes I will have to say no Sometimes I gas pour water on top my head Make this pressure no drive me insane o So if you see me outside and I no greet you No vex baba, my head e full o And baba you know the level Na this hustle I dey so (Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah) Na this hustle I dey so (Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah) This hustle can be so overwhelming sometimes No add your own join my own I gat so many things I dey reason No bother me o Wo ni iru pala pala wo gan gan leleyii Ki lo se t'eni kan o se ri o Cos family go call, enemy go call I don't know who is who No be pride, no be ego Sometimes I gas stay away When I have nothing to say Sometimes I will have to say no Sometimes I gas pour water on top my head Make this pressure no drive me insane o So if you see me for show and I no greet you No vex baba, my head e full o And baba you know the level Na this hustle I dey so (Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah) Na this hustle I dey so (Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah) Of course, of course, Them say Teni pompous, yeah Cos I put myself first Whoa, they say Teni pompous, yeah But it's all love, all love, brother, yeah, it's all love Whoa, it's all love, my brother, it's all love And I'm good with it' **Translation (English)** *'I want to say that which bothers me* *For those who can understand* *Sometimes it feels like success is a trap* *And sometimes it feels like people don't understand* *Cos the pressure is quite much and expectations are high* *Even those that are suppose to watch your back, sometimes have their own fight* *And everybody has an opinion on how you are suppose to live your life* *And* *even those that ought to guide you will sometimes backbite you* *It ain't pride, it ain't ego* *Sometimes I have to change my mind* *Sometimes I have to stay behind* *Sometimes I will have to say no* *Sometimes I will have to take a break* *So this pressure doesn't drive me insane* *So if you see me outside and I don't acknowledge you* *Please don't be mad, my head is full* *And you know what I'm saying* *It's the hustling, I'm hustling* *(Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah)* *It's the hustling, I'm hustling* *(Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah)* *This hustle can be so overwhelming sometimes* *Don't add your trouble to mine* *I've got a lot to worry about* *Don't bother me* *Cause family will call, enemies will call* *I don't know who is who* *It ain't pride, it ain't ego* *Sometimes I have to change my mind* *Sometimes I have to stay behind* *Sometimes I will have to say no* *Sometimes I will have to take a break* *So this pressure doesn't drive me insane* *So if you see me outside and I don't acknowledge you* *Please don't be mad, my head is full* *And you know what I'm saying* *It's the hustling, I'm hustling* *(Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah)* *It's the hustling, I'm hustling* *(Aye aye ah, aye aye ah, aye aye ah)* *Of course, of course, They say I'm pompous, yeah* *Cos I put myself first* *Whoa, they say I'm pompous, yeah* *But it's all love, all love, brother, yeah, it's all love* *Whoa, it's all love, my brother, it's all love* *And I'm good with it*' It's really a beautiful song, talking about how we and society puts an immense amount of pressure on ourselves to 'succeed'. Due to this pressure, we hustle and grind every single day at the expense of our physical, psychological and mental health. This pressure weighs down on us and not all of us can take it, some of us crumble and crash underneath all that weight and quite sadly, we are forgotten by the same people who put that pressure on us. The moral lesson of the song is as follows; 1. No one wants to be 'unsuccessful', so no need to put pressure on anyone, they are already doing enough of that themselves, if anything, encourage people. A little encouragement, a pat on the back can go a long way. 2. Do not succumb to societal pressure, you're already doing your best. If you can improve, do so but don't push yourself beyond your limit and over the edge. 3. Hustle wisely. Do not put your mental, psychological, material or physical health on the line unnecessary. Do not ignore your health. The greatest wealth is health. 4. Do not feel entitled to what belongs to another. They have things they want to use it for too. 5. Envy no one. Even the richest men in the world have their own problems, no one is free from the harsh realities of life until death. 6. Suicide is never a good option, for where there's life, there's hope. 7. Be your number one support system, because at times those other people in your supper cycle would have their own battles to fight and won't be in a position to support you. ***I'll find a download link for the song and add it to this article for my Filipino friends who are in love with Nigeria*** **Thanks for reading!**