I'm not a hustler, so what?

In this era of big business ideas, start-ups and what-nots, if you are coasting through life on a 9 to 5, you could easily be termed 'ambitionless'.

As I draw nearer (a few more years) to my one score and ten years birthday, I find myself constantly evaluating my life.

I have a relatively good job. People think I am very smart when I tell them where I work (Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not). You'd think that would be satisfactory.

No. Social media and several self-made moguls have taught us that if you have only one stream of income, you are poor.

In these times of online retailing, it seems like everyone is selling something. Land, cars, hair, makeup, every item, every skill is marketable.

The big question is what are you selling?

For real??

I sold makeup during my NYSC days and while I was never really an expert on makeup, I managed to make some pocket money. I lost interest as soon as I got a regular job. It was just too hard to keep up. I was always tired just from enduring the Lagos city traffic.

I love to write but asides from registering on goLance and Upwork I have done nothing to search out writing jobs. I blame this on the corporate slavery I am tied to (I have a love-hate relationship with my job).

The decline in the USD-NGN exchange rate drove the Nigerian economy into a tizzy and promoted the 'side-hustle' craze. Nigerians are typically driven by a keen sense of survival and determination. I have colleagues who manage farms, run clothing stores, sell lunch packs and jewellery whilst maintaining their jobs. Side-hustle, we call it. I marvel at their prowess yet I feel a pang everytime I purchase something from them. Is it that I can't do what they do or I'm just not interested?

I personally believe I don't have the entrepreneurial spirit, that hunger I see in the eyes of hustlers. My gut says for people like me, I may never have it as long as I have my cushy job to fall back on. So what then shall we do? Quit our jobs and chase our dreams?

But what are these dreams? Would it be so terrible to not have any? Do we all have to be daring and assertive?

I have so many questions.

What drives entrepreneurs? Is it the desire to upturn the corporate world, create sustainable positive development or create personal wealth?

What juice do these entrepreneurs drink and how can we buy it?

These days more and more young people are being celebrated for their innovative business ideas and stellar business acumen. What did their parents do right that ours didn't?

Maybe we (non-entrepreneurs) are suffering from a kind of mental laziness. We cannot stress. But we exert ourselves daily at our corporate jobs. Imagine if we put all that energy into our own businesses.

My stance still remains, not all of us are cut out to be entrepreneurs. The sooner we accept that the better. Some of us are blessed with razor-sharp wit and crazy ideas, yet we lack a certain je ne sais quoi that would ideally distinguish us as entrepreneurs. Yes, we may end up working for these acclaimed entrepreneurs. But if you love what you do, would that then be such a bad thing?

So we are not hustlers but does that make us any less go-getters?

Preach!

[This is a topic I'm very passionate about. I'm sure others would love to hear your thoughts. So feel free to drop a comment below]