How well did you enjoy your Christmas holidays? I hope it wasn’t anything like mine where I travelled to another country, but my luggage never arrived… for the 11 days I was there. It was a nightmare as I had to keep trekking to the airport – for three days, including Christmas and Boxing Days – in the hope of finding my luggage.
Once I was told by the airline that it seemed certain luggage never left Ghana, to begin with, I accepted my fate that all the plans I had made – photoshoot with the family, travelling within the country I had visited and the valuable presents I had bought and brought along for my family and friends – had come to nought.
I had to draw a shopping list of basic essentials I will need to survive – toiletries, clothing, underwear, footwear, etc. Shopping for such items at Christmas time is not my idea of a Christmas break with my children in a land that’s not my home. But ‘c’est la vie’, as they say in French, so I just carried along and made the best of the holidays.
The one thing about this Christmas experience of mine was that I spent a lot of ‘alone time’ mainly because I didn’t have fancy clothes to go out often. So I lived vicariously through my friends via their social media statuses; some were just pure torture as decadent food I couldn’t have flooded my timelines while others were simply hilarious and had me doubled over in stitches. Then, I stumbled upon my friend in South Africa’s, Thabisile Phumo, post on Facebook that stopped me suddenly in my tracks. I loved everything about it and thought to share with you so here goes;
- Difficulties – while they can strengthen you – do break people, so stop glorifying them.
- It is okay to give in sometimes; we overload ourselves beyond our capabilities every so often.
- Consider everything you hear and be discerning about what you do with that information.
- Groups/friendships can be overrated; stay only where you are wanted or find another circle altogether.
- Your body does get tired and overworked, constantly processing the many foods you eat into chaff – on the one hand, and energy – on the other; pay close attention to any ache, pain or discomfort you notice within your body. They usually are tell-tale signs of something amiss.
- School can be full of miserable and spiteful people; avoid such people if you can, otherwise, totally block them out until it gets out of hand, where you need to involve an adult.
- Those who need you will always come back, always out of selfish reasons; be careful that you don’t reopen a door of pain, disguised as forgiveness.
- You’re too young to be certain of what your true calling – career – will be. Don’t confuse your skill with your calling. Just because you can write or sing, doesn’t mean you are destined to be a writer or a musician. Enjoy whatever it is you do now and explore all your potential.
- Accept the fact that ‘bad’ people will succeed as much as ‘good’ people do, no matter how much you wish or pray it not to be so. Focus on being always ‘good’ and keep ‘bad’ people as far away from you as you can – they are a drain on your mental well-being, anyway.
- Giving and being helpful will never go out of style – just know whom to give help to and when.
I found these tips so relatable for just about everyone, won’t you say? May 2023 bring you the best there is out there, and more importantly, may you be ready for it.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
