Happy New Month! :)
As started last week, with the recent rediscovery of my old blog, I've taken the liberty to share a handful of the posts I put up then, about 7 years ago. Somehow, they're still relevant - mostly. With this one, only a segment has been taken out seeing as that aspect of my life changed rather drastically, so - maybe for a later post. Enter 2015 June ...
Being intentional requires understanding that our attitudes, feelings, thoughts and actions (conscious and unconscious) directly impact every single one of our experiences. Intentional living involves taking responsibility for our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being and freeing ourselves from self-limiting conditioning.
So I’m back on my homeland. Why not home? Because home is the people for me; not the place/locale. Deep In the heart of Birmingham, with my fam, that was home, at an AIESEC meeting that’s home why? Because of the people.
I had this idea that my next post would be about being Anglobound, and the angolessons I came back home with but for some reason, I think this will be more relevant and applicable.
So as I shared in my earlier post Vision2015 I did sit down, think out my life and write. Somewhere along the way I realized my quote for the year is Be intentional. (It's Ease for 2022 - because I think we overromanticze suffering and me I'm a BBG - post for another day)
Most of the facets of what I was aiming at had an element of me doing something in order to get something out of it.
Friendships
This is a specific group I feel I have really neglected, so part of 2015 is for them. I initially started by planning out my free days and booking lunch dates with friends until on the first Saturday, a day before our lunch date a friend (after I asked to confirm) let me down and to think I was going bearing gifts. Was I mad, livid and super disappointed? Hell yeah! Then again, at around 2000 hours West African time a friend randomly called just to ask me June how are you doing? How’s your family? Just cause! No he didn’t owe me a call or I asked, he just called to check in (You anonymous person you’re my mboyz for life, love you to bits JJ)
Nugget : What I’ve learnt so far is you’re only liable for your actions. You can’t hold anyone to theirs, play your part and do it well.
2022 - JJ and I still talk, he's doing great, still a solid friend I don't even remember who this was who'd stood me up in 2015 lol. Friends still remain at my core ...
Spiritual Growth
I’m Christian, I believe in God and that Christ is His only son and the only way. Does that mean I’m intolerant? Heck no.
I’ll quote Elizabeth Gilbert on this... My idea is, you listen to everything this man say about God. Never argue about God with him. Best thing to say is, ‘I agree with you.’ Then you go home, pray what you want. This is my idea for people to have peace about religion.” – Eat,Pray Love
Personally, I need to work hard to study the word, to grow as a spiritual being, different aspects of my spiritual life are wanting and need to grow.
2022 - I struggled with whether to leave this in or take it out as this aspect of my life shifted a bit but I do love the Elizabeth Gilbert quote, so I'mma keep it in and say no more :)
Personal Brand
Two aspects inform this part. One, For the longest time ever I would never understand why people would dress up for class, a regular weekday girls would be dressed up and looking too nice and I was the exact opposite. Zero effort! But what I have come to realize is you never know who’s watching you. We shouldn’t judge people by first impressions right? But we do! Other than the outside in perspective since I began taking the extra 10 minutes to get my Calvin Klein lipstick or Revlon foundation I feel amazing. I leave the house feeling like a million bucks and that reflects all over. In my work, my results and my interaction with people.
Secondly, Caroline Mutoko (Love her or hate she is doing great and her heights only get higher.) She says, look good, feel good, do good.
2022: While I continue to work on building my personal brand, 2022 me is pretty happy and impressed with the brand I've managed to build. Also, after that self care Sunday lineup I just had, when you do look good, you feel good and it makes it much much easier to do good.
Self love
I've been telling my friends I’ve been mean. Mean to myself especially. I’m not a big shopper, I’m a foodie so Tusky’s queen cakes and blueberry ice-cream was my definition of a treat. (Man! Those 22 bob queen cakes microwaved for 18 seconds and Nakumatt's Blueberry swirl were it!)
But I’ve come to learn I am the star of my show. I am the most important person and 2015 is all about me. Self love and raise those bars high. Be it spending Xxx pounds when you go makeup shopping, getting yourself an amazing new phone, or going to a fancy restaurant just cause. Do it and don’t feel guilty for doing it.
Self nurturing is not selfish – Dr. Phil McGraw
2022 - Self care Sunday has since become a thing in my life, that I take very seriously. I've also become more aware of what brings me joy and what drains it. I used to do take myself on a date and eat out Thursdays when outside was open, now I have sushi Wednesdays and I rather like it here. (Sad that two of my faves don't exist anymore :()
Career choices
Feels like I’m in between things at the moment. I have to go the extra mile to study and research on my practice areas. I really do, guess nothing comes easy.
You must put in work to get what you want.
2022 - Work anchors me so this still, remains absolutely important. I do have a number of transitions coming up soon and while I still am experiencing the paradox of choice, it's much smoother know because I realize that I've been there before. Done that before. And we were just fine. What I know for sure, is that I got this.
Academia
I am in law school. Ha-ha hopefully at the end of my undergrad I should ideally be Okal, June LL.B lol.. Law school is a wonderful experience they said. Well it has been in some aspects, friendships learning and challenges. But it has also been an intellectual roller coaster for a number of people myself included. I’m past halfway done and I still haven’t figured the gist of law school out yet.
Nugget: Keep calm and study law
2022 - Again - I am back to law school - lol. I am past halfway done. I still haven't figured it all out. But you know what, I'm doing pretty well I must say.
Family
My community has a proverb that says Wat en Wat, What this means is your family is your family. We don’t get to pick our family well except who you choose to marry but generally family is family. I’ve been blessed with an amazing one. Being intentional in this sense means, dedicating more of my time to family. Just to sit down and catch up because when all is said and done, fam is all you have.
Family is not an important thing. It’s everything. – Michael J. Fox 2022 - Family still remains extremely important to me. My social circle has several layers to it and my handful of people are all my family. 2021
5 days into my being intentional campaign I’ve discovered it’s easy to say but the most difficult thing to do.
But I’m trying and I’m a work in progress towards this goal, will you?
This week's Me I love is on CTA - Cleaning the Airwaves. The YouTube channel hosted and owned by Richard 'A - Star' Njau has brought me so much joy over the past few years. Part of the reason is that I believe there is nothing new in the world and that everyone has their story to tell. It's also great to see how impactful it is to connect the dots backwards and how all of our experiences come full circle. That nothing is wasted. Highly recommend the channel.
We are memory factories, every minute we are turning our existence into good and bad memories. - Sam Gichuru
Happy New Month y'all from 30 Degrees.
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