2023 IT IS!

 

If I were paid a dollar each time I thought of what to pen to you after the long months of my writing recess, I'm convinced Uncle Mark would be banging at my door to knock out the lady who is trying to displace him from his position. Lol.

Dear dynamite, how is it going? It's the nineteenth day of a new year, have you drafted your new year resolution? Or like me, do you just wobble to wherever life pendulum tilts?Whichever category you belong, grab your pack of something (say "Munch it") to munch on.

On a phone conversation with the sweet baby girl, M.Y. Alli, on new year eve, I recounted how much growth I felt in 2022, and how proud I am of myself to have survived the hurdles the year unleashed on me. In all honesty, I didn't have a smooth ride in the year- I however trusted ALLAH with the process. 2022 was the year I least showed up on my blog as a lifestyle writer and storyteller, and on the stage as a performance/spoken word poet, I however showed up for myself at my cubicle and also for my people...more than any other year- this is the GROWTH!

All through the year, I found myself removing every modicum of toxicity- I dismissed pessimism off its nocent duty, and embraced optimism and its relatives.

I've always been away from my nuclear family, 2022 was however a blessed year to reconnect with them, and I can't hide how much fulfilment this brings. It is also "mention-worthy" that by the middle of the year, I had invested a great deal into my skills- I signed up for classes, and read a number of books. As a great lover of God , I also rebuilt my relationship with him- I reconnected with Him, conversed with Him in solitude, and of course, I got my peace from Him.

Dear dynamite, did I mention that at the beginnining of 2022, I wrote out a long list of resolution for the year? I frankly highlighted the number of articles I would publish, as well as the number of times I would grace the stage for poetry rendition. Guess what, dear one? None of these I accomplished, I am however grateful for the aforementioned blessings, as well as the ones I hold within. There are times the smoke of our desires blurs our sight that we become ungrateful for the trillion worth of blessings in our life. Do NOT fall a victim of ingratitude!

Dear reader, while I am not... in any way against setting out plans for the new year, I am however opining that you should not exert pressure on yourself, and that you should avoid analysis paralysis-overanalysing your goals that they begin to crumble at onset. Also, you should ensure that your ability compliments your goals- except that we'd be untruthful, each human knows their capability. While some people can read up a 100 pages of book in less than 24 hours, you might be unable to do same even in 100+ hours, why then should you draw out your reading plan based on the other person's capability? Of course, I am totally against mediocrity- there is always room for personal development, I'd just opine that it is better to start organically and growing as opposed to starting from the top and crashing.

Dear dynamite, if you are yet to draw out a plan for the year, don't fret as we are in this together. Here is a piece for you, and for me too: that our goals are not drafted does not depict absence of fire...goals, you and I know the height we want to reach and so, everyday, we would give our all to climb the top- it could be reading certain books, visiting certain places, or reaching out to certain persons- whichever it might be, we also are growing in the year 2023!

Dear dynamite, I can keep writing till my ink vanishes, but it is important to know that YOUR DETERMINATION to grow with me is a crucial recipe to GROW with me. Remember YOU are your own limit. So, this year, we are practicing gratitude, and we won't surmount pressure on ourself while breaking personal limits, and building all-round development'

Till I write to you again, stay healthy and safe!

Ma salam.

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