2018 started out with no fairy tale dreams or resolution, it started with a made up mind to act on deliberation and accountability. I wish we all could put an end to this year, so I can take a peep into 2019, and see what the new year has for me.
Before then, I need to settle some scores this year, congratulate myself, rebuke myself, and finally take myself on a treat, because I really deserve a VIP ticket to a world-class concert, or see a blockbuster movie. Perhaps, you are thinking my year is perfect – no one’s year is perfect, not mine, not yours, not your parents’ or teachers. We all tried our best, we tried to do the little we could, enjoy each day and face challenges the best way we could, but we all could have done better if we had seen how 2018 would be in 2017, or perhaps heard from 2017 how tough this year would be.
This post is meant to keep you in a self-reflective mode; at least by doing that, you will know how perfect or almost perfect your year could have been. Like I mentioned, I missed some shots this year, and at some points, I was overjoyed that I made some flaws, but above all, I remained consistent and made consistency my watchword.
You will be reading lessons from every step I took this year.
1. Be Positioned to be Mentored
I am grateful for the changes I have seen in myself this year and I am also happy that I can trust myself enough to tell people around me what I am going through. In January, I chatted up with a fellow who happens to be a thought leader; the truth is, I didn’t know him to be one until I met him. We graduated from the same school, where he used to be the drama coordinator in my fellowship. I wanted to carve a niche for myself but I needed someone to lead me right and give me the light. He was recommended by another friend in my fellowship and that was how mentorship started.
I believe I was positioned in the right place for him to mentor me. You don’t stand afar and expect someone to mentor you. You can like an individual, desire his eloquence and charisma, you even imagine being a mentor to such individual. If you are not in the right place, you will never get to be mentored by such a person.
In 2019, make up your mind to stay in the right place, ask questions, be coachable.
2. Don’t Get Carried Away by People’s Thought About You
It is good to listen to what people think about you, but never be carried away by what they say about you.
Shortly after I opened my Facebook page, several people suggested that I moved to a group as that was the best place to build a brand. Remember you read about my mentor; I told him and he told me I wasn’t growing others, I was growing myself.
That moment, that word sank into my brain. I realized that the more I grew myself, I would find it easy to teach others how to grow.
3. Respect Buys a Place For You in Your Role Model’s Heart
What do I mean by this?
Disrespect is no longer a thing to reckon with on social media. On social media, everyone is just like you. As much as people have reasons to back up their opinions, I feel social media is a place where several realities change. When I mean respect, I don’t mean the use of “sir” or “ma” or fooling around. I mean to be responsible enough to respect people for who they are.
It is absurd to address everyone as a fool because you both don’t agree at the same point.
4. Don’t Be Scared to Do the Unusual
Most times, I don’t call myself a writer. I just feel writing is not my thing, I am lagging behind, I can’t write a fiction, etc. I loved to find my failure rather than my success. I took a very unusual step in August this year, I applied as an intern at a publishing company to manage their social media account. It was a volunteering job and I didn’t consider it a way to give me something better, I just had to go for it. Last week, I was called that my contract got renewed and I would be paid for the job I volunteered to do a few months ago.
5. Find God
I prefer to use the word ‘find God’ rather than ‘develop a relationship with God’. The truth is, everyone who is a Christian has a relationship with God. Everyone who has a father, in as much as he is alive, has a relationship with the father, but there are always differences in the relationship.
Some individuals do not care to know if their father is well enough if he feels a headache or struggles with his life. They only walk up to him when they need money. While some are very caring. They want to know why their father looked dull at the dinner table, why he sold his car, etc.
Finding God is easy, but it is not as easy as you may think, because you need to be obedient, consistent and ready to pay sacrifices. Finding God entails studying the scriptures daily, praying, going to church regularly. Finding God means you want to be where God is. Remember Tasha Cobbs song, “I want to be where you are”.
6. Be open minded
5 years ago, I was a very secretive person. Today, I am as open as a book on the table. I have realized that a burdened heart does not find life easy. A burdened soul struggles to achieve any kind of success. I still struggle and fight burdens within, but I never let it weigh me down. I quickly share it with a friend, in my secret place or tell my parents
7. Reward yourself
Whenever I write an article, I reward myself. Sometimes, I drink a bottle of coke or snap enough selfies. I just try to make myself happy, and I blow my horn to my families. My mentor once said, “rewarding yourself boosts your creativity”. Just like sleeping is my hobby, I will like to acknowledge that “rewarding one’s self should be a hobby” because I will do that more often in 2019.
If I have to tell you the stories of each day this year, I may develop back pain. The truth is, I love this year, and I am tired of it already. 2019 will be better and all you need to do these few days is to write a review of how you spent the year, so you know how to spend the next year.
I hope you enjoyed reading through this? If you will like us to publish a review of your year, simply mail to teensmeetonline@gmail.com and we’ll share.
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