2022 is the year I’ll blow
I’ll start off by barbing my four-year-old afro-hair or probably straightening it out. Something different. Something new.
Then, by the time I’m done reading the twenty-four books I’ve projected to read this year, mere mortals would find it very difficult to hold conversations with me as I would be speaking more with celestial beings.
This new year, new me lady has decided to observe an early-in-the-year-fasting period. From food and social media, reclining to peace and quiet like the monks do, to get a better insight of certain things and foresight for the twelve new chapters that lay pregnant before her. Never done this before, so this is me doing things differently to get a different result.
In that same vein, I have decided to submit myself to the tutelage of some spiritual thought leaders at the West African Faith Believers’ Convention- WAFBEC.
I’ve always known of this conference as a teenager, known persons who travel from outside Nigeria to attend but would often tell myself, wetyn concern me, after all, I’m still a small girl. But now I know that being a small girl is a thing of the mind and I can’t be doing small girl things, year in, year out. It’s time to level up!
And yes, I’ll find a local church and sit my big ass down and get serious! You see, towards the end of last year, I was such a church prostitute. I mean? Being an Abuja newbie, Which church didn’t I attend? I collected first timer packages and went out for prayers ear and dear and observed every first-timer-shenanigans. I even attended a church and didn’t know its name until I was asked by a friend on a chat, and had to quickly check the church’ brochure in my hand to confirm where I was. This was after I had confidently given the wrong answer to the question, “which church are you at?”
I need to identify myself with a Christian community — A small community of persons who emphasize prayers and bible study. Persons who care truly about an individual’s life and not about their large membership status nor about playing religion.
I even told my friend to help ensure I go to church every Sunday this year because, since the lockdown of 2020, listening from home became my new normal and dressing up to attend one became herculean!
This year, I want to nurture a faith like my mother’s. Very consistent and true. The kind that quietly prays every morning and night and tells God about every single detail including her family’s Christmas meal. That’s my 2022 faith-craving.
I must make money o. That one is vision 2022! Sapa shall be far from me this year. Like, very far! I desire to take calculated steps at it, but all roads must sha lead to money. To cut my cloak according to my cloth and avoid unnecessary debts, show offs and acts of pretense to be who I’m not.
To save and invest and save and buy myself quality stuff. I must look good, whether the devil likes it or not. Eat well, feed my mind, soul and spirit. So you see? the Federal Government’s Allowee will not be enough and even the corper version of Dangote would agree with me. So, I want to work for money and have money work for me.
That’s how I saw a woman hawking okpa in the hot sun, the other day. Only God knows how much I admired her. Why? She was engaged in meaningful work and she was making her money, controlling her money and being her own boss through it all!
Gone are those days I used to feel ashamed of persons doing menial jobs in the bid to make ends meet. Not me anymore. I respect labour and believe in the dignity of labour. But on a lighter note, thank God nobody knows me in Abuja o, cause I’ll jejely hustle anonymously and shamelessly😂 After all, I’m young and energetic, and what are we not talking about?
I banned myself from nurturing any romantic relationships in 2022. I’m not sure if it’s the wrong or right thing to do but I know my young heart needs to rest. Besides, money, ego, business is calling my name! I want to stay single for ONE full year. No entanglements. No natin. Just a young lady trying to take care of herself.
I want to write — Journalling o, Personal statement o, scholarship essays, legal drafts, rants, articles, as far as words will touch paper, na that one I won dey do now. I want to seal the thoughts that flow through my head by capturing them on paper. Talk less and write more, my new goal. To observe more periods of silence and sharpen my critical-thinking abilities. To give expressions to my creative juices and stay disciplined enough to follow through.
I’ll love to leave my mark in my community even as a Corp member. I’ve got nine months left and within the twinkling of an eye, I’ll be done. I desire to take the community development service programme (CDS ) while volunteering at Support Sickle Cell Nigeria, more seriously. Develop the ideas that float in my head, run with them, until the lives of humans around are touched.
Ahh! I must change my phone and get a laptop. If it’s a curse to stay stuck with 6s, I shall break free this year. It’s my jubilee year! Can the church say amen?
I want to catch cruise this year while being serious with life, can that be possible?
It’s my desire to do things differently. ‘Cause I hear that to get a different result, one has to do things differently. No matter the number of prophecies that has been pronounced on a person’s head, if that individual continues with the old, bad habit, then no tangible change will be recorded. This is because God the creator, respects a man’s free will and has delegated authority to men to rule, via words and actions, on the earth.
But back to our gist.
Towards the end of last year, I became the mistress at procrastinating. Like, a mega procrastinator! I guess I was burnt-out-tired and very lazy towards the end. But thank God for January and indeed every new day and month which presents a new cycle for recalibration, recalculations etc. Thank God for the end of year holidays, no matter how brief. Starting our daily routines after a period of rest fills us with renewed energy — and that’s what a good night rest does.
So, this new year offers me a new cycle for doing things better because life sometimes feels like a rehearsal ground, divided into sets of 24hours, meant for practice. so I’ll keep practicing each day at being the best version of myself. I take this opportunity to be and to do and I’m excited at this second chance to be a master of my time ‘cause time is money. To avoid idleness and endless scrolling on social media especially WhatsApp and IG status updates.
To be loyal to a few number of persons, stay close to the father God gave me and to my only sister who loves me through my search for independence and identity. To be near despite distance and to show up for those friends who are interested in the bond we share. To speak the truth, not tell lies nor pretend, to hold difficult conversations with persons who disagree with me rather than block off the contacts of those persons who annoy me, leaving them ignorant of the fact that I had used my scissors to cut them off. (This was my attitude last year and almost ended up blocking the whole world!)
To genuinely nurture goodwill towards the persons I stopped being close to and love like my creator would have loved me to, especially the persons who are unable to reciprocate.
I desire to wake early and observe rituals, do routine exercises to keep my body in shape. To sleep at a certain hour at night, preferably write or read before sleeping, rather than sleep off with some random, unread WhatsApp message before me. To have healthy morning and late night routines, for the quality of the year rises and falls on the quality of each day.
May I explore and experience other parts of life that exist rather than stay stuck with normalcy bias or let past experiences discourage my ability to launch into new grounds and cultures. I should visit an Asian or Chinese restaurant and try out their dish then dislike it than not trying it out at all. I should try out sushi, not every time rice with chicken, or pizza or shawarma.
May I allow myself experience arts in its many forms — live bands, paintings etc. And may I modify and discover the arts I carry inside of me and give expressions to it. May I dance more in church and in my private quarters, sing more, no matter how badly these acts may turn out.
May I embrace my youthful spirits and dress more like a sweet lady and less like a formal woman. May I wear brighter colors that compliment my skin tone and not those black gowns my profession forces on me and my poor wardrobe.
I desire to speak better even during a very normal conversation. I mean, I want the act of pronouncing my words properly become a part of me and not something I wear when I’m about to give a formal speech or hold a mic. I desire to flush my tenses of some exclamations like ‘dah’ and ‘omo’. You know, like I said earlier on, I’m on my way to blowing and celebrities are never to be caught unfresh, remember?
I have resolved to live out every level of my life beautifully, healthily and intentionally. To derive pure joy from the simple moments of life. To feel the breeze and enjoy nature’s kindness. To live in my present. To awake at certain hour to do the things I’m to do, buy and eat more fruits and treat persons with kindness.
And while I had a very unusual first day of the year. One I didn’t get to do the traditional pounded yam nor eat a special rice meal — I even drank garri at night before going to bed. Lol. Had serious menstrual cramps and silently writhed away in pain on the day most persons are so agile to kick start their year’s goal scoring activities. But that’s life for you, disappointment hits, routine and traditions turn around, plans change and threatens to diminish your energy and drive but no, you don’t fall with your back to the ground. You may stagger but should rise after.
I narrated that to say this; while I may stay ignorant of what may come my way tomorrow, I’ll try to keep walking after a failed plan. I’ll keep writing, keep praying. I’ll try to be a verb and less of a noun. I’ll live and not merely exist. And when I make mistakes, I’ll not stall in effecting corrections. It’s 365 days right? when I flop in day one, we go again in day two.
They don’t have to restart the year, with the mistakes and achievements, we’ll keep moving. In between all these, I’ll strive to rest because even God rested! So who am I not to?
And while I strive to observe all these, I’ll practice being patient with my trying self. To applaud my efforts and little, wobbly steps and give myself the credit I deserve. And when I look back at these decisions, I hope I stay pleased to have made them and happier that I designed a life I love and wrote the story of my year just the way my God would have wanted me to.
I pray my eyes be opened to dub my story from the One who’s already written about me, I pray my steps follow the script every single day. And may the year 2022 be better than 2021 and others past with noticeable growth and changes.
And maybe, just maybe, when I’m done trying out all these, I blow — Not like Davido but in my own little way.
P.S: Made some mistakes in the year past and began nurturing some regrets, shame and sadness. I’m so pleased to be commencing this year with renewed hope, energy and enthusiasm. I see this year as a chance to do better and for that chance, I’m elated and grateful.
I’m happy to be hopeful as hope is one powerful tool and light every individual should have inside and carry around. I only pray that the light of the hope you carry inside you never burn out. I pray you find the courage to live out your desires every single day of this year and the energy to keep trying despite the balls thrown at you.
Happy New Year my very lovely reader🎉🎉
