Journaling has been a way of life for me for as long as I can remember, but I actively and intentionally started to journal in 2018. It helps me unpack my mind, and I find it very therapeutic. I love keeping physical journals as well as e-journals. The last six years of journaling have improved my life in so many ways, some of which include:

1. Helping me reflect, meditate, and gain clarity into situations that are happening or have happened in my life.
2. Helping me to be more conscious of how God shows up for me at every point in my life.
3. It helps me see how a crossroads situation in a certain season of my life became an answered prayer in another season.
4. Journaling helps me understand that even in the darkest seasons of my life, God is always present.
5. It helps me reduce stress, decongest my mind, and feel more relaxed.
6. It helps me deal with negative emotions.
7. Journaling provides a safe haven for me where I can express my thoughts and feelings without feeling judged.
8. It has helped me appreciate my process and track my growth.
9. It reminds me that God loves to answer prayers in grand style.
10. It helps me to be grateful to God and also grateful for the gift on men in my life. 

If you don’t journal, I would strongly encourage you to; it’s a beautiful journey to embark on. In my next blog post, I will share everything you need to know about embarking on a journaling journey.

Do you keep a journal? If not, would you love to start soon? If yes, what has the journey been like for you? Are you an e-journal person (smart devices or a personal blog) , a physical journal person, or both?

Have a great week ahead. 

I changed my phone's security password yesterday. I have used the same password for four years. I Used it on the previous phones I have used and also on the new phone I got in 2022. When I decided to change it, I didn’t realize what I was getting into. It’s been a battle between my conscious and subconscious minds. I have found myself in the last 24 hours inputting my old password unconsciously several times. I only get conscious when I realize that it was the wrong password.

This made me remember a conversation I had with a friend some weeks ago about how 90% of our lives are controlled by our subconscious mind. As Brain Tracy said, "the unconscious data in your head influences 90 to 95% of your behavior". I was tempted to change my password to what it was before because I didn’t like the inconvenience.

I had to reprogram my subconscious mind consciously. I told myself that if I entered the wrong password three consecutive times, my phone would lock permanently. This thought has made me more conscious when I pick up my phone; even though I entered two wrong digits on the third, I had to correct myself.

This reminds me of how powerful our subconscious mind is and how much it fights change initially. For us to experience change, we must intentionally reprogram our subconscious mind through the conscious mind. This would entail telling yourself why the change you are about to embark on is important and what you have to lose if the change does not happen. Over time, the subconscious mind would follow suit.

Have you experienced anything like this? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading and have a great week ahead.

I recall attending a funeral about two years ago. It was the funeral of a mentor figure I respected so much. I recall how everyone had very heartwarming things to say about him. While I sat in my seat, I only wondered if he had heard even half of the things that were being said that day. I never even got to tell him how amazing he was. This experience marked a change in my life. From that day on, I decided to always make it a point of duty to let people know how grateful I am for their impact in my life. I previously used to appreciate people a lot in my mind; I would not voice out in detail to let them know how much their actions had impacted me, but I am learning to consciously appreciate people every day. 

Mary Kay Ash said "Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret" and Dr. Maya Angelou said "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel". So stop overthinking it. Send that text if you need to; slide into that DM if you have to; send that appreciation card if you have to; but all in all, let those who have impacted you in one way or another know how much their action meant to you.

Have a blessed week.

Shoes are one of my favorite things. If I was given an option to pick from a couple of fancy things, I would choose shoes anytime. I came across this particular shoe and I fell in love with it instantly; it was minimal, unique, and it came in a very cool color. I started to paint a mental picture of how I would pair the shoe with the clothes in my closet and how great I would look. Yeah, I love to look good without breaking the bank.

I paused for a moment to ask myself, "Prisca, do you really need this shoe?" Sincerely, I didn't; I had a lot of shoes in my collection that would serve the same purpose. At this point, I gave up the idea of getting this nice pair of shoe.

I am sharing this with you because I want you to know that we have the power to choose and the power to control our desires, not the reverse. No matter how demanding a situation is, we have the power to choose. Often times, we say things like "I don't have a choice," but we actually always have a choice. Before you make that decision, ask yourself how worthwhile it is.

Had any similar experiences? I would love to hear from you in the comment section.

Reflecting on 2022 I didn't do as much as I wanted to, but one thing I loved about this year was that I learned a lot. This year is certainly one of the most significant in my life. It has been the year of so many wins as well as down moments. I experienced a lot of answered prayers as well as a lot of happenings I still don't understand. In all, God has been faithful. 

WALK WITH GOD

My walk with God has not been the smoothest journey. I have experienced very low moments, but Abba has been faithful. He came through for me in 2022 like never before. I saw his reckless love, not because I am perfect, but because his mercy found me. 

MOVED CONTINENTS 

I finally started a funded master's program in the United States in August. I have been on this journey for the longest time. I have applied to various scholarships in the last 5 years, but none pulled through. How I started my application to the United States was very divine. It's been 5 months now, and I would say it's been a journey. The culture shock and adapting to a new environment have been a lot, but all in all, I am thriving and grateful.  

READING AND LEARNING 

I read more articles online and did a lot of learning from YouTube and the Online Academy. I read two books this year, "Success Buttons" and "Redeeming Your Time." I highly recommend this book for everyone who wants to be widely productive and present. One thing I love about the book is how it models biblical principles in productivity. I also took some baby steps towards advancing in my career; I attended a Business Analysis Master Class and also earned a Scrum Fundamentals Certification. I hope to keep going gradually but surely in 2023.

CONSISTENTCY 

If you have read my yearly reviews in the last five years (I will add all links at the end of this post), one thing I have struggled with is consistency. This year has not been so great either, but towards the tail end of the year, I learned a lot about managing my time and becoming more widely productive. I was gifted the book "Redeeming Your Time" by Jordan Raynor. This book has transformed my perspective on inconsistency and productivity. I look forward to sharing all I am learning from this book in a blog post and, more importantly, actively implementing it in my life through 2023.

GRAPHIC DESIGN GIG

I decided to take my graphic design to a higher level. I built a professional portfolio I now send to clients, and yeah, I landed a branding deal with an advertisement company. Check out my professional portfolio here and recommend me to your family and friends. 

I was able to finalize two ebooks I was working on. "About Last Night" and "Entangled" are both amazing stories you should not let go. Grab a copy here. 

Six top things 2022 taught me:

1.  Abba is a reckless lover. He would always come through. 
2. Never assume anything, because assumption is the least form of knowledge. 
3. Be very intentional about your life. Someone said, "They say life is short, but it's the longest thing you would ever do."
4. Don't just wish to do things; go for them. 
5. Approach tasks/projects with the bits perspective because little consistent effort accumulates.
6. The gift of people is part of the best gift in your life journey. Treasure them!

If you stayed until this very moment, you are my real MVP. Thank you, and I would love to know what 2022 was like for you. Cheers to 2023 😊

See my 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 yearly review.

Just sitting in front of my laptop. I have a lot to share, but I don’t even know how to start.

Today is my birthday, and I am super excited.

It’s been a while since I showed up here, and I must say a lot has happened. Adulthood is crazy! This is my reality, and I am making conscious efforts to enjoy this season of my life. It never gets easier; we only grow stronger.

Today, I turn 27 (I legit feel old) and, looking back at the last 365 days, I am grateful to God because he has been faithful.

Firstly, in the last one year, I have experienced God’s help, direction, and intervention. Abba held me in his hands (I call him Abba because he is my father and I rest in his love). I had so many delicate life decisions to make, and being a person of faith, I knew I needed his direction, and how he came through at all my crossroads just makes me want to do life with him every day. Now I sound like I have a perfect walk with Abba and have it all figured out, right? The truth remains that it has not been a perfect walk in the last year. I had times when I struggled spiritually. Praying was hard, word study was difficult, and I didn’t even feel like attending services. One thing that has remained true to me is that you might fall, but make efforts to rise again. One thing that really helped me in my low moments was listening to worship songs and chants. I will be sharing some here with you, and I am certain it will come in handy.

Secondly, I resigned from a very amazing job. If you have been around for a while, you would know how much I enjoyed my job, especially because it entailed a lot of traveling and meeting new clients. You would also recall how I got the job after 10 months of waiting (click here to read). It took three years and more to learn and grow. My job was a learning curve. I undertook a lot of challenging tasks and added value to the company. I am grateful for the time I spent there, and I look forward to what the future holds. I know I just sounded like a hard-core; trust me, it was a very emotional decision.

Thirdly, I recently relocated to the United States of America for my Masters degree. It’s been a dream come true after about four years of trying. I am going to try to write an entire blog post on this journey. It was a very draining process. It entailed a roller coaster of emotions. As I embark on this new phase of my life, I am excitedly looking forward to what God has in store for me during my time here.

Lastly, I published a book, "About Last Night," sometime in March 2022, and today I will be launching another book titled "Entangled." So, I am deciding to give away all my books for free between today, the 7th, and Friday, the 9^th. What is a birthday celebration without gifting? This is my way of saying thank you for coming with me on my journey and celebrating all my little wins. Don’t forget to share my giveaways with your friends and family. Get your copies here

Thank you for reading and say a word of prayer for me today in the comment 😊

A long overdue post!

I almost didn’t want to write this review because I felt I didn’t do so much in 2021, even though it was a very busy year, but I am reminded that it’s not about perfection but progression. 2021 was an eventful year. It may seem as though I went off social media for a while, but that is what actually happened. I got so consumed with my 9 – 5 job and some personal things I was working on. I could not manage all my activities at once because it became so draining. Enough of the generalizations; let’s get right into the details.

E-books Published

In 2021, I published 2 e-books. One is a self-help ebook, while the other is a planner for 2022. You can download the Sanity ebook here and Cathy’s Productivity Planner (2022) here. Sanity ebooks talk about maintaining your sanity in the digital age we are in and dealing with comparison. It’s a 7-minute read. I recommend you try it. It still feels weird calling myself an author, don't ask why LOL.

Books

I read only one book from start to finish in 2021, and it was life-changing. Who Moved My Cheese is a book everyone should read as we move into the New Year. The book talks about embracing changes and not just being okay with the normal. It talks about not getting too comfortable in your comfort zone, and to add to that, it’s a fun book to read. I will share a review of the book, and you can download a copy here.

Designing

I do a bit of graphic designing for those who don't know this part of me. In 2021, I was able to make some cool cash off this skill. I worked with 3 brands. I created a tutorial video for an Adtech company based in Nigeria and Ghana, designed advert flyers for a fast-food company and also designed the complimentary card, logo and packet of a perfume brand. I also delved a bit into social media management. Brawn Shop which is my T-shirt brand was not left out as we got quite a number of amazing designs and landed our first cooperate client who made T-shirts in bulk. Click here to view our catalogue. Also, follow the Instagram page here. I am open to working with more brands in 2022.

Body Shaming

In 2020, I gained obvious weight, lost some, and added again toward the middle of 2021. I would not attribute this completely to what I ate, but also that my physical activities were drastically reduced. I got comments like; "You are now fat, your cheeks look so big, e.t. c. Sincerely, these comments made me feel bad, but I'm glad they didn't make me feel less of myself. Anytime I posted a picture on my social media status, I kept getting these comments. So I stopped posting!

I used to think body-shaming was overrated, but I had a fair share of it. I have learned to be more constructive with my comments about how people look because people are going through different things that can impact their physical appearance. I am taking my weight more seriously this year.

Movies

I saw quite a number of movies this year compared to the previous years. I noticed it was a way for me to unwind from the stress of work. I saw the following movies;

1. King of Boys

2. Castle and Castle

3. Two weeks in Lagos

4. Kambili; the whole 30 yards.

5. A Naija Christmas

6. This Lady Called life

7. Your Excellency

8. During Ever After by Laju Iren

9. Legion a Mount Zion movie

10. And many more which I can’t even recall.

Walk with God.

My walk with God had its high and low moments. I have learnt to continually treasure my walk with God because it’s the centre of everything. Life will always keep getting busy, and if not careful, one will be swept away from having a personal fellowship with God. In 2021, the YouVersion app came in handy for me. The app is available for download from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

A Glimpse of 2022

On the eve of 2022, I felt so confused. I felt like I had not done much in 2021, and it was making me feel a bit out of place. Social media didn’t help either; it felt like everyone had smashed their 2021 goals and already had 2022 figured out. I had to remind myself that I am not in a competition with anyone and that staying true to myself is everything.

In 2022, I am going to trust God for what he has in store for me. I am going to publish more write-ups here no more writing and storing on my phone notepads alone. 

Cheers to an amazing 2022 🍾🍾🥂🥂

PS: You can read 2020 and 2019 review 

What was 2021 like for you in a sentence?

Hello, Lovelies,

It’s been a while here. Life got really busy but I still haven’t forgotten my first love (Blogging). It’s the 6th day of the new year and I guess it is not too late to wish you a Happy New Year.

The most anticipated year.

2020 was a year I looked forward to. It was a much anticipated year. I remember having a conversation with some group of friends in 2016 in the season of graduation from the University that 2020 we would be married and have a lot of our ambition already in place (smiles). Looking back right now, all I can do is smile, though everything didn't go how I wanted it, I am super grateful for the accomplishments thus far. I judge God faithful and 2020 was also the best year for me (2021 will be greater).

Growth

There was so much self-development and personal growth, though I didn’t do so much as I wanted to I am glad I did a little. I was able to put out more content on my Instagram page @prisci_catheyo. I rebranded Afro Wearz now Brawn Shop, which officially kicked off on the 22nd of August 2020. Later in the year, I hope to share lessons learned from our first 6 months in business after rebranding.

Sometime in April, I shared 15 lessons COVID-19 taught me. You can check it out here. Also in November, I and a friend started a fitness accountability group to help young ladies look and stay fit and it has been an amazing journey. I also started a prayer platform "Praying With Prisci" which God laid in my heart. This platform allows you to share your burden in form of prayer points and keeps you anonymous. Click here to drop your request. 

What I am saying to myself in 2021

Going throw my review of 2019 here, I talked so much about being consistent in 2020 but life happened again. I was not consistent as I wanted to be but I was glad, I focused more on self-development and personal growth. In 2021, I am not promising to be super consistent but I am promising to be better, stay true to myself, and keep showing up.

NGO

Catheyo Initiative couldn't organize any programs and I would not blame COVID-19. The truth is that there was no serious plan and life got so busy. I am glad I was able to volunteer with HUG Foundation for community outreach. In 2021, we would be collaborating with other NGOs and have more people involved in our activities.

Books

I read more articles in 2020. I also read Crushing it by Gary Vaynerchuk. it's a must-read for everyone. I am currently reading The Millionaire Fastlane by J. DeMarco. It talks about creating sustainable wealth and the goal is to be wealthy and not to look wealthy. When I am done reading I will put up a review here. I also intend to read the Atomic Habit by James clear. 

Movies

The only movie I can remember I saw in 2020 was Citation. I love how relatable the story was "Sex for Grade". This is what has become the norm in our society. I hope that movie will inspire a lot of ladies to speak up against sex for jobs, sex for investment, sex for promotion, sex for grade, and sex for anything.

Adventure

I didn't explore so much in 2020. I visited Osogbo which I didn't find so interesting maybe because I didn't know the right places to visit. I visited Ilaji Resort in Ibadan and Trans-Amusement Park too. I had fun visiting both places in Ibadan. In 2021 I look forward to visiting Agodi Garden, Mapo Hall, and IITA in Ibadan by God's grace. If you have useful tips for me kindly drop them in the comment section.

In summary 2020 wasn't really a backlash, though COVID-19 happened, I am still grateful to God because the year ended in praise. I would love to also hear from you. What stood out for you in 2020 and what are you choosing to do differently in 2021?

1. Using Elevators scares the hell out of me (I practically close my eyes when in the elevator)
2. I speak English and Pidgin
3. I love moms jean/boyfriend jean
4. The tight cloth thing is not for me, it itches my body
5. I love Red (mild) and nude coloured lipstick
6. My best colors are; white, black and ash
7. I am a minimalist
8. I have visited only 12 states in Nigeria
9. I love cute portable cars
10. I am a 2-4 inch heel lover
11. I love mules
12. I don’t have a favorite food
13. I hate slimy soups
14. I hate beef because of the rope-like strands that get stuck in my teeth.
15. I love taking pictures.
16. I understand Yoruba and Igbo language.
17. I hate dogs
18. I love cool music
19. I love working out (laziness is fighting me but I am fighting back)
20. I prefer hard copy books
21. I love to underline “deep” sentences when reading
22. I don’t like sleeveless cloths
23. I prefer trousers to skirt
24. I am not a fan of Pizza and Shawarma
25. The smell of cigarette puts me off
26. I don’t like having contact with life chicken.
27. I enjoy the shower
28. I can’t swim
29. I enjoy groundnut in my Golden Morn and Cornflakes
30. I love seeing worship videos
31. I am not freaked about sneakers maybe sometimes in the future.
32. I enjoy drinking Garri and Groundnut
33. I enjoy my noodles with a lot of veggies and egg (boiled)
34. I have freckles on my face
35. I am a bit shy
36. I am 80% introverted and 20% extroverted
37. Heavy make-up is not a thing for me but I love my eyebrows to be on fleek
38. My face turns red when I am angry
39. My both ears move upward and downward whenever I want them too
40. Traveling and seeing new places is a thing for me

•   To keep growing and keep building capacity.
• Get more consistent with my blog and vlog. 
• Have a more intimate personal relationship with God.
• Smile more, laugh more and live more. 
• Hit the gym. I am gaining a lot of weight and more sadly mummy’s arm.
• Learn and practice more picture possess because I am running out of ideas oh.
• Eat more fruit and take more smoothies.