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.

There is really no reason why you shouldn't start now. Every book you have once read began with a letter, and every beautiful painting you have once admired started with a brush stroke.

Sometimes this week, I was randomly scrolling through my blog. I recalled how I started this blog in 2018. I just wanted to document my process and have people learn through my journey. Reading some of my old blog posts brought back old memories. I realized how much I have evolved through the years and how much my writing has improved and still does. I recall the opportunities this blog has opened for me: getting contracted by a guest house to write for them, getting contacted by an AdTech company to write for them, landing my very first job because of this blog, and many more. I thought to myself, "What if I never started?". 

Often, we have very great ideas and a compelling passion to start something, but it never sees the light of day because of the "what-ifs" and the numerable reasons we give ourselves for not being able to start. I don’t know what that thing is that you've always wanted to do, but one thing I can assure you of is that you can start today. Only by doing, you learn what works and what doesn’t. It doesn't have to be a perfect start.

One very big realization that hit me this week from a conversation with a friend is that for every reason you give yourself for not attaining a certain goal, there is someone in the world who was once faced with a similar challenge and still succeeded at the same goal. According to the book titled, Think and Grow Rich, "it is better to spend time analyzing your weaknesses than building up excuses to cover them". 

I will love to read your thoughts in the comment.

Do have a great weekend 💌

My experience lately has taught me that guiding your mind is a very conscious and intentional daily decision. Life had thrown so much at me that I hit rock bottom. I became very pessimistic, and all I wanted to do was accept the norm, which felt like my only option.

I am learning that having a positive mindset is never old-fashioned. You are only defeated when you allow your mind to be defeated. Whatever your mind can see, that is what your life will become. A positive mind propels you to put in the work and do all that is required to achieve the goals your heart has conceived.

Protecting and guiding your mind would imply you speaking out to yourself sometimes; it would imply you looking in the mirror and giving yourself a pep talk. It would involve you speaking out to counter a negative thought. As a person of faith, my Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he". Muhammad Ali also said, "If your mind can conceive it and your heart can believe it, then you can achieve it".  The mind is very important, and anything you are or would become starts right there.

Have a great weekend. 

She said, "Someone told me she wanted to start an MBA, but she thinks she is too old to start." My friend told her "You have a choice to make; you would be a year or two older from today with an MBA or you would be a year or two older from today without an MBA, but all the same, the time keeps ticking and you should never give up on yourself".

It was a timely reminder to start whatever we always wanted to and to put in all the effort required. The guest speaker, Betty Montgomery, who happened to be an alumna from the 70s, said "Even if the world tries to define you, put you in a box, and give up on you, you must never give up on yourself". The best thing you can ever do for yourself is never give up on yourself. Keep thriving and keep putting in the efforts required; it will surely pay off.

Cheers to a great weekend!

I was recently feeling overwhelmed by the things I had lined up for the next couple of weeks. If you don't already know, I am a master’s degree student here in the United States, and the spring semester is gradually rolling out. There are a lot of projects to be completed, assignments to be done, preparation for final exams and more. Looking at all of these, I started to feel really overwhelmed.

I recalled a technique I had learned a while ago: "approaching things in bits" rather than holistically. So here is what I mean: imagine you want to start a course, but the course requires you to complete an 8-hour-long video. Rather than thinking of the whole 8-hour video, how about thinking about it as spending 30 minutes every day for 4 days in a week? This will mean that in a week you spend 2 hours, and in a month the course is completed. This approach helps you take away anxiety and makes you feel less overwhelmed.

Laurell K. Hamilton said, "It all adds up; never discount your efforts, because small efforts build big things. One word doesn't make a novel, but one word does begin a novel, and from that small beginning, everything else follows. Even if it's just writing something on that blank page".

As a person who approaches things holistically, it's sometimes a bit daunting and discouraging. Taking things in bits is something I am consciously imbibing into my daily life. I am reminded that success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Do you already practice the bit perspective, or are you team-holistic like me? Also, what are your thoughts? I would love to read about them in the comments.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend.

Sometimes in life, you experience phases where nothing makes sense. It feels like everything is against you. It gets worse when you feel like God is even silent. Could it just be that everything is actually working together for your good and you didn't know it?

One thing the last few months of my life have taught me is that God never goes back on his word. I went through a tough season, and all God was saying was trust me. It was very hard to trust, but the moment I brought myself to trust despite the situation around me, he replaced my fears with his peace.

When it doesn't make sense, trust that God is working behind the scenes and that everything is working for your good. 

I would love to read your thoughts. 

Thanks for reading & have a great week ahead.