It's that time of the year when we say goodbye...

Compliments of the season, great people of The Olise Blog. Thank you for sticking with me through last year till now; even through my inconsistency.

This year was one that tested me so much, especially academically and emotionally. I learnt a lot this year and I am still in the process of learning. I've done the first half of my penultimate year in university and I must say, it's really not easy. Just like an elastic band, I was stretched so much this year. I know for sure that I haven't reached my limit.

I know everyone has something spectacular to say about this year; both good and bad. Somehow, you think the bad overshadows the good. However, I want you to look towards the brighter side. Life happens but what keeps us thriving is how we are able to manage situations. This year has been a mixture of tears and laughter for me. I cried when I needed to and I smiled and gave thanks to God when things went the way I wanted them to. Altogether, I'm happy I'm at a better place than I was last year and even at the beginning of this year.

Dwelling on the things that put smiles on my face is one thing that I learnt this year. Creating your own happiness in spite of whatever hurdles you face; putting in more effort to achieve what you want. 

Even in the clouds, there is always a silver lining. Let the moments of happiness in your life stand out over those moments that make you sad. Don't let those sad moments define you. Things you couldn't control have happened to you, now it's your turn to choose how you handle the situation. Would you rather brood everyday your life or snap out of that mood and make lemonade from your lemons?

Towards the end of each year, we try to reconcile with people we fell out with. We try to keep a clean slate. While you try to do these reconciliations, remember the reasons for which you fell out. Don't reconnect with toxic people simply because the year is ending. It is really just another day, another week and another month. Forgiveness doesn't require reconnection and I hope you learn this as soon as possible and avoid letting people who did you evil back into your life.

As you go into the new year with so much hope and resolutions, remember to not overburden yourself. I know you are trying to be better than the previous year, but you don't need to place too much pressure on yourself than you can handle. Don't try to cut corners when doing anything because it fails most times. Listen to your gut feeling, it is usually right. Sometimes, we want to do something but there's this still small voice that tells us that doing such a thing is dangerous. Many of us call it the voice of discouragement, I call it the gut feeling. 

Learn to focus more on yourself. You cannot give what you don't have. Therefore, you must learn to show yourself as much love as you expect from others. When you love yourself first, you're able to access situations and know when to leave. This is not being selfish, this is self care.

Make conscious efforts to let go of things and people that hurt you. Make up your mind to let things go because you want peace. Leave that environment. Dispose of those clothes. Delete those pictures. Delete those contacts. Delete those chats. 

Go into the new year with a daring spirit. Dare to be different. Dare to achieve a milestone. Make efforts towards achieving whatever milestone you have in mind. Quit procrastination (self sub, lmao). Be time conscious. Stay away from people that prevent you from achieving as much as you should. Don't dwell on how much you have lost. Keep your eyes on how much more you have achieved because a broken egg can never be gotten back, so you can choose to either fry it or boil it in a cup or just throw it away.

As the year 2021 rolls away, I want you to love yourself more than you ever have, spread as much love as you can to people around you, have your eyes on your goals and never lose focus. Do away with the bad memories and focus on what is ahead. You cannot change the past, what you have some power over is how you handle the present. Carpe Diem.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Advance cupcakes. I love you billions❤️