Posted on 22nd January 2018 0

Last week was eventful in a good and bad way. I won’t go into all the details, but like the Life Lessons series my friends have shared, I learnt a lot about myself this week.

I AM INVALUABLE

My friend, Portia touched on this in her life lessons in 2017. This week I took the time to defend my worth when it was challenged. It was pretty spirited, but the other parties respected and understood where I was coming from. It emboldened me to keep reminding myself how gifted I am and how much more I deserve from the marketplace, and how much more I have to offer.

 

UNDERSTAND CONTEXTS

This week, I faced an ugly dispute with people close to me; however much I felt angered or betrayed I realized one key thing. I need to really understand where my friends are coming from, to fully make a sober decision. It is ugly it is uncomfortable, but it does need to be done. This is teaching me patience and grace, traits I am steadily building.

 

I NEED TO BUILD MY WRITING MUSCLE

Boy! This isn’t the easiest, but it is feasible. I did it for 18 months straight from 2014-2015 and got my blog nominated for a BAKE award in the process. I would wake up and write every day straight out of bed in my pyjamas for 20 minutes every day. This is how I started with my flash fiction series.

I know I can do it, and I know I need to fight to ensure, “no exceptions” I need to write. There is no special treatment, every day ends with an article just before a shower and bed.

 

REVIVE DREAMS

I bumped into a friend of mine who had spent about 2 hours searching for age-appropriate children’s books in two bookstores for her son. She was frustrated and I felt a strong sense of guilt. In 2016, when my nieces and nephews were visiting from the States, I was angered that I had to buy African storybooks from a bookstore. I didn’t have authored stories of my own to gift them with. I said I would write; 19 months later…crickets. I started to write kids books last year and left the project hanging.

I have been sharing flash fiction again on my blog, but I know several people want more, they want to read books. I even said I would turn some of my best flash fiction into a short stories series, I never did. I need to get started and just do it.

This ties into the earlier point, I just need to write more and GET.IT.DONE!

NATURE, HEALS THE SOUL

I spent my morning with Elephant calves rescued and cared for at the David Sheldrick Trust. Being in their midst with random warthogs and gazelles hovering around me gave me calm and a peace I savour. I realise with my current mission, seeking silence and calm, this experience transcended everything I could imagine.

I forgot to carry my camera, and I didn’t feel like using my phone, I just wanted to enjoy the moment without the gadgets. I will definitely be back and I promise to share more images. I can’t thank my best Friend, Mwikali Ndambo, for a phenomenal early birthday treat.

 

ACCOUNTABILITY: WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT IT?

Finally, this week, I realized I still had the push to see the fruition of two simple goals I set for my year. And now, with deliberate accountability, I now feel I can do it. I am more focused and as long as I stick to my weekly tasks I ensure I am held accountable to; my dreams will materialise.