END OF THE YEAR MESSAGE - WHAT 2021 TAUGHT ME.☺️☺️

Hello everyone! 

It's been a while. Like, a long while. 

I didn't think I'd wait until now to come up with another update but, well, that's what we have. 

2021 has been an amazing year for me. Yes, I had my ups and downs but God has been faithful. Really faithful. My family has been wonderful. I met a lot of cool people - I won't mention them here, 'cause the list is too long - and I don't regret meeting them at all. The other people I met before are also wonderful. 

I had a lot of challenges this year that moulded and rebuilt me and that's why, in this post, I'm gonna list some of the stuff that I learned this year.

WHAT 2021 TAUGHT ME:

>I learned how to apply the scriptures of the bible to my daily life: This year, my siblings and I talked a lot about the bible. After church, we would sit down and talk about the sermon that the Pastor preached that day and try to see it from different angles. From there, I'd check out those things and try to live them out daily and God has really helped me. And I think it's safe to add that, as christians, in as much as we hear the word of God, we should also learn to live it. Honestly, it makes life easier. 

>I learned how to connect everything I read - fiction or not - back to God: Seems surreal but I'm for real. Read Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Everything is f*cked this year and I was able to place God at the center of it all. Let me explain 😂: In Harry Potter, when Vernon and Petunia Dursley tried to hide his Hogwarts Letter(s), somehow, it still got to him. Despite all their efforts to keep it from him. In the same way, once God has decided to bless you, no matter how the enemy tries to stop you from getting that blessing, it still gets to you! Think about it. 

In the Percy Jackson series, the greek gods are very proud and annoying 😑 imagine a ruler like Zeus controlling the entire world? Terrible! In short, Percy Jackson made to hold on to the true truth I know which is Jesus Christ. Because those greek gods which in another sense, are other stuff that we tend to depend on, will definitely mess you up and disappoint you.

In Everything is f*cked, Mark Manson talked about the thinking Brain and the feeling brain. The feeling brain is what humans use the most. It's true. Most decisions we take are based on our emotions. But I learned to merge my thinking and feeling brain together with the voice of the Holy Spirit. You could try that too and see that it you'd make better decisions.

>I learned to be constant with positive thinking: The harm that negative voices cause in a person's life can't be overemphasized. I'm a living witness of that fact. This year, it felt like I was gonna have that experience again but God took control. Re-reading some parts in Joel  Osteen's book - Become A Better You - and also the scriptures in the Bible, I got delivered and I've continued thinking positively. So whatever happens, never let negative thoughts in. They can be very harmful.

>I learned to love better and Sacrifice too: You all know that we can't talk about love without sacrifice. God sent His son to die for us. That is the biggest sacrifice man has ever heard of. From that example, I learned how to give some things up for the people I love. I'm not perfect yet but I know I'll learn how to sacrifice better. I also learned to love people no matter their race or gender because Jesus would do that anyway.

>I learned to relate better with people and understand them: I'm normally a shy person. Y'all might find it hard to believe 😂 but it's true. If you ever meet me in person, then you'll know. Anyway, this year, I met a lot of people, most of them online and they've been really awesome. I'd mention their names but that'll be a long list. I was shocked at how easily I clicked with them. I was able to relate with them and we conversed easily. Having good relationships with people is something we all should learn because we'll still need then to move up in life, good or bad. I'm grateful to God for helping me achieve that.

>Last but not the least, I learned about the importance of mental health: I never really looked deep into mental health stuff until I read Rihanna Adedeji's book, Perfectly Imperfect. Where she used one of the characters in that book to open my eyes. I found myself surfing the net for different kinds of mental illnesses and it broadened my horizon. She let us know that mental health is very important and we need to help those who have issues. Also, if you are reading this and you're one of them, don't be afraid to speak up. There're a lot of people willing to help you. As we go into the new year, let's make our mental health a priority.

P.S. Link for her book on wattpadPerfectly Imperfect by Rihanna Adedeji y'all should please read it🥺

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I could go on and on about things I've learned this year but I'd like to stop here because I don't want this post to be too long🌚😂

But, I won't leave here without thanking you guys for encouraging me. For supporting my writing. My family, friends - Rachel, Amarachi, Reedah, Precious Adeife - my readers on wattpad and everyone reading this. I'm so grateful. Thanks for making 2021 an amazing year. 

Gracias et Merci!

See y'all in 2022!