Ngozi had always loved fashion design. But after secondary school, she failed to get admission into university. Twice. Friends started calling her “almost there.” Family advised her to “adjust expectations.” For a while, she felt stuck. But one evening, something changed. She visited a small tailor in her area to fix a dress. While waiting, she watched the tailor work—cutting fabric, adjusting measurements, transforming simple cloth into something beautiful. That moment stayed with her. The next day, she asked the tailor: “Can I learn this?” She didn’t know much. She had no formal training. But she started anyway. Slowly. Quietly. Daily. At first, her stitches were rough. Her lines were uneven. She made mistakes often. But she didn’t stop. Months later, she started making simple outfits for friends. Then neighbors. Then small paying customers. Today, Ngozi runs a growing fashion business that started from rejection—not opportunity. When people ask her how she began, she smiles and says: “I didn’t wait for admission. I created direction.” Sometimes, what looks like failure is just life redirecting you to what you were meant to build. Not every closed door is an end. Some are just the start of a different path. What is one setback in your life that might actually be redirecting you toward something better?
