Don't Judge My Hustle Support It!

How hungry are you for this opportunity?, How badly do you want this? These are questions mostly asked when you sitting in an interview room. Now most of us find ourselves rushing to answer it by saying "I'm willing to do anything", willing to do anything? For real? Are we really willing to do anything or we just saying it to buy the interviewers face and time?.

Most young people find themselves in working environments that are draining not only physically but emotionally as well. The lack of "everything" has led us to wanting to do "anything" just so that we can secure the bag but question is are we really securing the bag?.

One of my friends used to say to me I need to get over the "bazothini abantu" syndrome an african proverb that means "what will people say" (basically saying people will always talk whether you do good or bad). He used to say to me I need to work to secure the bag and worry later what people will say. It sounds like a plan right? 

Well I thought the same thing until I had to sit on the side of the road to sell scones while my peers walked past and looked down on me. The discouragement hit me instantly I didn't think the next morning I would make it back to the very same street, I mean how do I go back to the streets to sell while my peers are in heels, makeup, artificial nails and sitting in big offices. I don't think at this point I'm thinking of securing the bag no! I'm honestly thinking about what people will say, I'm thinking about what will happen the next time someone who actually knows me sees me on the side of the road with my little table, my chair and my scones all nicely packed, am I ready for questions and statements like, what happened to you? Why are you on the streets selling? You should get a job...oh my gosh! This is all so overwhelming.

Yes I'm trying to make a living and I'm being judged for it yet again if I don't try I'm still judged for not wanting to make something of myself. What a confusing world we live in, but like millennials would say it's a side hustle that will fuel and fund my main hustle. 

I think we need to change the narrative when it comes to judging how other young people make money. I mean if you actually think about it, me, a whole marketing management student majoring in public relations and human resource management is on the side of the road selling, haven't it occurred to y'all that maybe I'm putting to practice my course? Haven't y'all processed that maybe just maybe I'm learning the fundamentals of marketing my own brand?, even better what if I want to start my own bakery and I'm first testing the waters to be able to identify all the things I need to identify?

What I'm trying to say is millennials need to come together to support each other's hustles without making each other feel bad or out of place. We need to be that generation that backs each other up and brings growth to each others hustles.

So again excuse me but I don't suffer from " bazothini abantu" if you see me on the side of the road selling scones support my hustle and stop making me feel bad for trying to feed myself.