ECHT

- November 25, 2021

Everyone has their way of defining what's best. Just like Ella was praised and highly commended few months ago for being ever confident, she was blamed today for being outrageous. She was drowning in thoughts, confused of what path to take until I saved her. Among what I told her were:

°LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF: It's easier to be another's mirror than oneself. Telling what personality you posses could be uneasy but it's the best way to being yourself. One who does not have an idea of what he is could fall into any pith at any time. So, the first thing to take note of is discovering what man you are!

°APPRECIATE YOURSELF!:

No matter how bad you see yourself as, some other person wishes to be like you. Do not deprive yourself of the love you deserve. Love and appreciate what person you are made of.

°BE CONFIDENT!:

Being able to tell the world who you really are is a battle many warriors could not fight. So, fight that battle to win that you may be the greatest warrior ever lived. Be confident about who you are, how you speak and the whole world is at your command, you choose what to do with it.

°LISTEN NOT TO ALL:

Taking advice is one of the best things that helps a lot of successful ones, so take advice but do not be swayed! Some advice are only to be heard and not listened, do not mistaken them. Any advice that compares your personality with others is only to be heard not listened, but advices that promotes you and help you grow are your safe, listen to them.

°LIVE AND NOT DIVE:

Be careful not to dive so that you do not drown in the oceans of people's opinions. Live with everyone but do not dive in every one's ocean. Their ocean could be red while you can only survive in the blue - be vigilant! Opinions are bound to be made on every discourse. The person calling you outrageous made his opinion known to you. You should only accept it if you truly are.

So, Ella think about it and live by one of the two adjectives that befits you. She smiled and gave me a tight warm hug which I accepted. "Thank you so much for coming to my aid, sis", she appreciated as I smiled and patted her on the back.

I am a storyteller, I'd tell this too.

It is not a hearsay that modernization has taken its toll on most people, that they have traded their virtues, values and integrity under the guise of 'following the trend', this unbecoming act would be the bedrock of my story.

I posted recently on my WhatsApp status about my passion for fashion, yes! I'm a Muslimah who does not flaunt her body and yes! I'm truly a fashion lover, but should I shy away from my cultural and religious beliefs of modesty simply because I want to be addressed as 'hot'?

This isn't even a big deal, the hard nut is getting people blatantly criticising my use of adornments when in the end, I'd cover it up. I could have easily bowed to their word(s) and go about ostentatiously parading myself but nay! this is me, what I believe in and the best version of myself, so someone else's validation of me does not matter!

Dear reader, I charge you today, to hold fast to all the things you believe in and raise your head high in all circumstances.