Foster patience and resilience in our youth

My recent piece in the week’s Sunday Nation about the end of formal employment drew intriguing comments, but one of them stood out (“The era of formal employment is over: Time to adjust sails,” December 3).

“While educated youths are wallowing in poverty and digging tunnels to access money, others ferry it in sacks, while others earn it for merely sitting,” said the reader.

This reminded me of a conversation I had with a group of university students. “What are your expectations by the age of 30?” I asked. To own a palatial home, and drive a big car were the commonest responses. “And how will you attain this feat only five years after leaving campus?” I posed. They looked bewildered.

One said he would achieve that since he studied a prestigious course. Another said he would land a well-paying job and earn enough to achieve those goals.

Yet another said he would start a business and make the money for himself.

GRAND HEIST

The recent story of a grand heist in a bank in Thika brings to the fore the issue of managing expectations and impatience among us, should the allegations against the accused be proved in court.

The dearth of formal employment, let alone highly paying jobs, has left limited options to success. We must now start talking about being builders. We must teach our youth to be builders of enterprise, builders of talent and builders of networks.

In essence, building requires patience and resilience. The glittering towers are a polar opposite of the mud and rocks builders must shift and crack to establish foundations. Old wisdom teaches that buildings that will go high must go deep in foundations.

Yet, we have seen glorification of instant riches and instant success. Those who have hit the jackpot fast come up with surreal explanations.

SUCCEED

We yearn to succeed before trying. We would rather be billionaires before being millionaires. Little wonder that some resort to grand heists so that they can jump the queue of success.

My response to the university students was that no career, or even business, can guarantee a palatial home and a top-of-the-range car within five years, unless it is operated outside the realms of law and morality.

Simply put, the road ahead has no shortcuts. And it has no destination, because there’s no day you stop trying, even after achieving your key goals.

The value of patience teaches us that anything good is worth the wait. In this virtue, any failures become temporary setbacks and not major stumbling blocks.

Patience requires courage; the ability to act deliberately, boldly and persistently.

COPING

To make meaningful livelihood out of a life of hustle, resilience is needed. Resilience is not merely coping. It means being prepared to seek new experiences and opportunities, and take reasonable risks to achieve goals. At the heart of resilience is the ability to bounce back after a rough patch and adapt to difficult circumstances.

What builds resilience is the acquisition of social skills. Youths must strive to make and keep good networks and co-operate and work in teams.

 Dr Karau is a medical doctor, author and education strategist (www.pbkarau.com)