Happy New Year Guys!!! I hope 2017 has been nothing but wonderful to you. I’m currently writing this post from my childhood home in SC. It’s gloomy and raining outside, which makes me want to stay huddled up indoors, but I have to leave for NC in a few hours. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know that I kept pushing back when I’d leave, but I can’t push it back anymore. I’ve got to get back to the business of full-time dissertating (is that really a word) and job-hunting. To be honest, I’m not quite sure how to feel about it all. I’m sad to be leaving, but I’m also excited about what the end of this coming semester will bring, and nervous about what it’s going to take on my part to get there.
One thing is for certain though, as I reflect on 2016 I’m incredibly proud of what I was able to accomplish. I saw my first solo-authored publication in print, I defended my dissertation proposal, I re-launched my blog with a new name and website, and I finally got my professional website up with testimonials from some of my former supervisors. For someone who did not at all consider herself to be tech or computer savvy, these last two were a big deal to me.
I feel like I killed it in 2016. It was truly an awesome year. Maybe that’s why I have an aversion to the “New Year, New You” mantra that inevitably makes the rounds come January. Some may call it arrogance, but I’m at a point in my life where I truly believe (and feel comfortable saying) that I’m awesome. I don’t need to put any qualifiers in front of it, or play it down. I’m owning my awesomeness.
I have a much better sense of direction about the purpose God has for my life, I’m learning to not be so critical of myself, and I’m becoming more comfortable with putting myself out there.
Quite frankly, I’m not interested in becoming someone new because I’ve worked really hard to get to this space. Also, the idea of becoming someone new makes it seem as if there are no qualities we currently possess that are worth preserving. While I’m sure we all have things about ourselves that we’d like to improve, I also think we all have many qualities that make us pretty kick ass. This could be having a great sense of humor, having a great taste in music, living an active lifestyle, not being afraid to try new things, or being someone who is encouraging. I wouldn’t want to sacrifice any of these qualities in the pursuit of newness.
So rather than focusing on becoming “a new me” in 2017, I’m interested in continuing to grow as a human being, a Nigerian-American, a woman, and a believer. With that being said, I think my motto for 2017 will be to continue on this path of Killin’ it.
Let’s go on this killin’ it together journey together, shall we?! Wishing you all a great week and an insanely amazing year!
**Pics taken by my awesome big sister, Amara:)**
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