2023 for me started in July 2022, I got a 5x job, quit my then current job and lost the new job 2 days before my last day at work. Hmm, that really felt like a new beginning.

The feeling was a totally foreign one, I mean, rejection is one thing but getting fired after a month of a life-changing job is something else, a single tear literally dropped from my eye as I told my brother.

I'm very open with my finances to him and he was going to “feel” the impact of the pay raise, in fact, everyone at home was going to feel it, because the most joy in having money comes from spending it on/with loved ones.

The reason why I was sacked was partly due to inadequate soft skills from my end – especially communication, and partly due to some Nigerian factors that I couldn't help. But I take full responsibility for everything sha, just because sey no be my fault no mean sey no be my responsibility.

Soft skills are as important, if not more important than hard skills gan sef, buy a course on Udemy if you have to.

What followed were several months of swallowing rejection mails like a doctor's prescription, one in the morning and one at night. However through all this, I was doing very well — financially, mentally, I wan wound myself with pressure. AlhamduliLlāh for everything.

I have a very supportive family, zero pressure from them. I have wonderful friends, zero pressure from them too. Such an understanding group of people I've been blessed with. Some names stand out, but I can't mention, fo fear of leaving out some really important people due to forgetfulness, but friendships won for me, big time.

One highlight of the past year and half for me is a whole lot of friends getting married and a whole lot of child births :)

Emmm…

I started going to the gym on the first day of the month and was consistent for three straight months, only missing one day when a heavy rain fell. I travelled for a few weeks and by the time I returned, the gym had relocated, I never bothered to check out the new location.

Actually, I did bother, I once saw a lady that used to go to the same gym, I tried to ask her about the new location, but she looked at me like I was doing a terrible job of attempting to woo her :(

Currently…

Currently, I'm “living the life of my dreams”, grateful to get by everyday and trying to reduce the mental pressure I put on myself, one thing I've learned is that you do not owe your folks mansions, cars and all the luxuries of life, what you owe them is what you are capable of at the moment.

So don't delay giving them gifts and showing love to them in every way you can, there are a million ways to die at every moment, being alive is a miracle in it's own right.