How I lived in a mud house – Toyin Abraham recounts

  Versatile top nollywood actress Toyin Abraham talked on phases of her life most people never heard of at the Success Story Africa organized by Topnaija.ng. She opened up on her humble background, mistakes, amongst others.

Starting with a note of prayer, the award winning actress revealed, “I always told people they were looking at a star,I always called myself a star”, though she lived in a mud house, and sold plantain chips to commuters and motorists along the road, that did not deter her.
She said “we were not financially buoyant, but were spiritually buoyant”.
Though from a responsible home, she became irresponsible when she got to the industry.
On a lesson learnt from her experience so far she said,” being popular has nothing to do with being successful”. She admitted to making lots of mistakes, especially in the early days of her career, which was championed by the fact that she never had plans or goals , she got tossed and turned by whatever was in vogue in the industry. She said “when a colleague gets a new car, everyone either wants to buy a bigger one or the same thing, we feel we are in a competition”, “though I was making the money , but I could not boast of a million in my account” and it took a while for her to realize this.
The Alakada actress adviced youths to always set goals, have plans, know what they want to do and not what the next person wants, or what the next person is doing.                                       She also advised to be wary of friends around, especially those who won’t tell you the truth as she was greatly affected by this, urging the youths to move with people whose goal were in line with theirs, saying she just effected the change on herself in march.

She emphasized on the time youths waste on the rave of the decade- Social media, and the mirage most people live on it, being one of the mistakes she made earlier.

Still on her mistakes, she said,”accept yourself, love your body, love what you do, work towards your goal”. Urging them to do want they find pleasure in. “failure is part of life, falling down is also part of life” she said. “You can make mistakes, make corrections, and be quick to apologise, you have to start helping yourself, cause no one will help you”, being one of the things she realized a while later in the life. “I let peoples opinion matter too much in my life”, not every one wants what good for you”.

She also opened up on her bad Habit – the drugs, the gossips,smoking, drinking, which she already stopped. One of the reasons she to changed the people around her ,as she adviced the participants earlier. “You only attract who or what you are”
Owning up to a bad habit being the first step to dropping such habit and be ready to change, saying “bad habits enslaves you”.
She also talked about prayers, not responding to negativity, and filling the mind with positivity.
“Don’t allow anyone make you think you can’t do it”.

The actress talked on her change of name saying,while other members of her family had changed to Abraham, she was still using the name Aimakhu which was the name of her great grand father, so she was the only one left.

Rounding up she urged not to stick to the status quo by trying out new things, taking up new responsibilities,motivating people and not forgetting to have a unique personality. “be unique in your way and let people identify with you brand.