Live, Laugh, Love.
December, the last month of the year is here again.
The rainy season is rounding off and I’m already anticipating the dryness and dustiness that would usher in the northeastern Harmattan wind from the Sahara. I look around, admiring the elegant red and green wreaths hung on the doors of buildings as well as the high Christmas trees adorned with colorful lights. Traders selling live chickens, turkeys and rams have come out of hibernation to mount their stalls by the roadside. The markets are busier these days as people usually prefer to buy foodstuffs ahead of the festivities when prices will skyrocket. Traffic has worsened, though I’m not surprised for the city where I live. Business owners and organizations are already putting finishing touches to their plans for the year. Dates for music shows and concerts have been fixed and people are getting ready to enjoy the thrill of the festive period. With so much going on, this season definitely feels like a movie. What a time to be alive.
As the year is wrapping up, I’ve decided to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life both mentally and physically. We can often times get absorbed in the roller-coaster of life as society dictates, in the unending cycle of trying to plan and achieve big goals. The year is barely ending and many people are already drawing up vision boards for the new year. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to plan ahead and be proactive. I try to do that to be productive and monitor my progress too. But I’ve realized that we often lose sight of the simple things that make life beautiful and truly worth living. Not just the money, fame or accolades. Sometimes, it’s okay to just breathe.
Pause. Take it all in. Recalibrate.
So I’m deciding to do things differently starting from now. I don’t want to wait till the new year. I want to reset my priorities. Open my eyes to new perspectives. I want to remind myself of what truly matters: Living, Laughing and Loving.
I want to live a day at a time, taking pleasure in the little things like the chirping of birds by my window every morning and the warm smile from the elderly woman that lives across my street. I want to wake up everyday with gratitude; for breath in my lungs, being able to eat stir-fry Spaghetti as well as amala and ewedu, clothes on my back and a place I can call home. I want to enjoy the solitude, meditate and journal more.
I want to live with no fear of the future, only focusing on how to make the present count. I want to intentionally create new experiences everyday by myself and with the people I love.
I want to define success on my terms rather than by the achievement of others. I want to work hard yet still take breaks as often as I can to reward myself. I want to embrace my uniqueness and creativity and also give myself grace whenever I feel unworthy. I want to focus on the core of my existence, not the superficial things that mask the real me. I want to ask more questions and discover as many answers as I can.
I want to embrace the good, the bad and the ugly experiences life will throw at me, facing them head on like the badass that I am. I want to explore the world while I can, remembering that my time here is only temporary. I want to embrace myself in its entirety, exploring my potential to the fullest so I can be remembered for the legacy I lived while on the face of the earth.
I want to laugh a lot more; that deep, wholesome laughter that emanates from the core of my belly. The one that brings tears to my eyes and I can’t seem to turn off even if I tried. I want to laugh at myself, at my awkwardness and my mistakes. I want to laugh even when I’m confused or angry. I want to laugh at my dry jokes even if no one else finds it funny. I want to watch more comedy shows with my family and friends because it makes me forget the worries of adulting for a moment.
I want to laugh more because I’ve been told it makes my eyes light up and makes my face look more beautiful and young. I want to laugh because life is already too serious and unnecessarily deep and the world is gradually becoming a sad place.
I want to love; that pure, selfless love like the one I have received from my Heavenly Father. The one that has no boundaries or limits. The one that sees, listens and understands. The one that gives without expecting anything in return. The one that forgives and truly lets go. The one that is not judgmental and sees good always. The one that is sacrificial, going above and beyond. The one that acknowledges those neglected by the society. The one that not only affirms but acts to back it up. The one that celebrates and also mourns. The one that suppresses my pride and ego so a common ground can be reached. The one that is expresses itself from a distance when it is taken for granted.
I want to experience and give love. In all its forms. From the love of family that is unconditional and self-sacrificing. To love of friends that stretches and heals. To love between lovers that is passionate and protective.
I recognize that love is much more than the butterflies in my belly but a decision I will make everyday even when the feeling fades.
In the words of Bessie Anderson Stanley from the 1904 poem “Success”, He achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.
You know, I resonate with these words so much. Success is actually what you define it to be and I’m on the journey of defining mine. It is the culmination of the seemingly mundane things of life, perfectly curated into a rich and wholesome experience. An experience that will break and mold you into the best version of yourself. And then you’ll finally live with no regrets, at peace and content. That’s what truly matters.
