Tenacity to Purpose

I love being there for the people that I love. I find so much joy and fulfillment in being available when my friends and family need me. Whether it be a phone call, or a pizza date. If you want me there, consider it done. It dawned on me a while ago that I do this because I would want that kind of treatment from them. On days when I need someone to vent to or just share good news, I would want to know that it brings them joy to make time for me. Over the past two months, I have had to spend more time with myself for the purpose of recharging my batteries. Being around people and interacting with them, is kind of what my job is all about. I love that about my job, but it can also be taxing. I don't know if you've ever heard of social exhaustion before. In an article on Psych Central, Sarah Newman writes about how introverts can burn out from too much social interaction. In the article she shares how she experienced burnout when family members came to stay with them. Hosting pe...

Transitions can be very tricky to navigate. Change is an inevitable thing that none of us can escape. Transitions can be scary, but I believe that they can be a catalyst for growth. If I had chosen to stay the same person I was 10 years ago, I would be doing an injustice to the people around me and to myself. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines transition as a “passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another: CHANGE” It gives a second definition that describes transition as “a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another.” It would great if every transition in our lives was a smooth one, unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Sometimes change can leave us with lots of anxiety due to the uncertainty of the outcome. When we transition, we move from one stage of our lives to the other. Oftentimes we cannot predict how things will pan out. That is what freaks us out the most, the lack of control we have over the transition. I went ...

In July I shared with my Instagram followers that 2018 was, and still is, my year of isolation. I think that for anybody graduating from varsity and moving to a new place, starting a new job, it requires a lot of adjusting. Whether you are moving to a rural area, or a big city, you have to find new people. New people that you can rely and depend on. As the age old saying goes, no man is an island. This year, however, has taught me that every now and again, isolation is needed. Some sort of separation from your normal routine, normal environment, normal crowd. This separation does not promise comfort. It does not promise a smooth sail. But it does promise growth, it does promise a lot of learning and unlearning, and it does promise adventure. A year ago around this time, I had just finished my final exams of my undergraduate studies. I was trying to catch up on all the sleep that I had missed out on, while trying to come to grips with the reality that I was now done with varsity. The...

It’s Saturday morning. I’m sitting in bed, reading a book while drinking coffee (because what’s a morning without coffee, right?). I live in a block of flats and outside my window, my neighbour’s kids are playing. I listen on as another neighbour hangs her laundry (the washing line also happens to be outside my window), and talks about how hot it is today. I stop reading my book for a minute to do two things. First, I wish that I could mute the sounds outside so that I can focus on my book. I quickly realise that I can’t, so I let that thought go. Second, I realise how awesome it is that I am in a season in my life where I can justify sitting in my bed at 9:30 on a Saturday morning, reading a book. I mean, sure, I also have laundry to do. I could probably also be outside playing, because you’re never too old to play. But on this Saturday morning I could choose to stay in bed and read a book. Choice is a powerful thing, very powerful. Every choice writes a story about your priorit...