You wake up at 6:00am.
Not because you have anywhere to be.
But because the habit of hope still sets your alarm.
You check your phone—not for messages,
but to make sure your data bundle hasn’t run out—
you need it for job alerts, again.
You wash your face with water that runs slow,
like the responses to your job applications.
You dress up anyway neat shirt, clean jeans
not because you’re going somewhere,
but because you refuse to let despair dress you.
You, a whole graduate
degree in hand, dreams in heart
sit at a small plastic table
with a notebook full of plans,
and a browser full of tabs:
Job Portal – No vacancies.
LinkedIn – “We regret to inform you…”
Still, you update your CV. Again.
Still, you write that cover letter. Again.
Still, you apply. Again.
Your peers call you “chill.”
They don’t see the anxiety under your calm.
They don’t see the battle between motivation and self-doubt
you fight in silence every single morning.
You go for walks—not for fun,
but to clear the cloud of “What am I doing with my life?”
Your neighbor asks, “Still not working?”
You force a smile.
You say, “I’m pushing.”
But they don’t know how hard it is
to push when nothing is moving.
Your inbox is a graveyard of “We’ll keep your CV on file.”
Your heart is a recycling bin of hope and rejection.
But still, you learn.
Free courses. Online workshops. Volunteering.
You read articles, attend webinars
not because they guarantee a job,
but because you refuse to rust.
Some days, the silence feels louder than the world.
Some nights, the ceiling feels closer than the sky.
And yet, you do not stop.
You cry sometimes, but only to water your resilience.
You scream inside, but only to remind yourself you’re still alive.
And when someone says,
“Why don’t you just take any job?”
You want to say, “It’s not pride, it’s purpose.”
You’ve done the internships, the part-times, the side-hustles.
But you still hold on
not because you’re foolish,
but because you believe your seed is not wasted in this soil.
Because one yes can rewrite your whole story.
And one open door
can silence years of knockings.
So here’s the truth:
You are not lazy.
You are not unlucky.
You are not forgotten.
You are waiting with intention,
you are fighting in the quiet,
you are building even in the shadows.
Your success may delay,
but your destiny will not deny you.
So wake up again tomorrow.
Open your laptop.
Polish your dreams.
Pray. Apply. Push.
Even when nothing moves—move anyway.
Because one day, the call will come.
And when it does,
your journey won’t be your shame
it’ll be your story.
And someone else will hold on
because you didn’t let go.
This is a reflection of what myself and others have been through however we never gave up and here we are today. We have a different story to tell now.
So keep pushing and never give up on yourself
