Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Positive Minds | Positive Quotes | Edition 021

A few days ago, I had an inspiring conversation with a brilliant young woman and single mother. I will call her Djenebou, after my young sister.

Djenebou had a well-paid job in a large, well-known humanitarian organisation. In the beginning, she loved her job and was very proud to see the positive impact of her work on vulnerable people in need. "As long as my work allowed other people to experience some happiness, the rest, including myself, did not matter", Djenebou told me.

But the toxic environment of her workplace withered the vibrant flower that Djenebou was. The team was divided into three distinct classes. The "upper" class comprised mostly white expatriates from the North. The "middle" class: mostly expatriates from the South, especially from Africa. The "lower" class comprised the national staff to which Djenebou belonged.

As is often the case in society and in some organisations, including Djenebou's, the "lower" class is the working class who do all the work, but it is the "middle" and "upper" class who have the "butter, the butter's money, and the milkmaid's smile".

Faced with this injustice and tired of being treated like a nobody, Djenebou slammed the door and resigned with a bang. Unlike many people, she did so without having anything else in hand. "I couldn't take this toxic environment any more because it was starting to affect my mental health," Djenebou told me.

Djenebou has unshakeable confidence in herself. She is proud of her skills and has a solid academic background. She is not one of those who will let herself be walked over. So she decided to take this difficult and painful step towards her destiny. Although she had no clear idea of the future when she took this step into the unknown, with her self-confidence and great faith in God, the rest of her journey can only lead her to more prosperous horizons and a bright future.

Our destiny is like the horizon, it unfolds as we move forward. It is static when we stand still.

Those who are masters of their destiny often take difficult steps into the unknown and discover the possibilities beyond the horizon.

Those who are slaves to their destiny choose inertia and comfort. They are swept away to unknown destinations by the often violent waves of life.