One thing Nigerians (and almost every other country) do is wait for a new year to hit them before they get their sh1t together (i had to use the word shit because that’s the best word to describe the point i was trying to make). Why wait and postpone important life decisions, why not start now.
If you’re a youth in your 20s then you should make these life decisions and not be the cliche Nigerian who waits till January 1st before making(and quitting) important life decisions.
1. Stop settling for toxic social environments. If you’re invited to a dinner outing with a group of gossipy and judgmental people, politely decline. If you have to go because it’s a work thing or because you need to support your partner, go for an hour and leave. Don’t ever give more of yourself and your energy than you need to.
2. Stop settling for being an ‘okay’ friend yourself. If a friend is going through a bad breakup, show up to their apartment with beer and cake and don’t leave until they’re ready for you to leave. If a friend is the one in the wrong and they’re lashing out at you, tell them you’ll speak to them again when they apologize, and forgive them when they do. Remember that most of the ways your friends have screwed you over, you’ve also done to others.
3. Stop settling for wasting away your days off. Everybody needs some downtime every once in a while, and you absolutely deserve to relax and do nothing sometimes. But spending every single Saturday and every single Sunday of your life bingewatching shows that you’ve already seen a dozen times isn’t going to make you happy. It’s just going to make you feel empty.
4. Stop settling for the idea that fear is always something that should be avoided. In the right context, fear is actually our way of clueing us in when we really, secretly want to do something, but we’re just afraid of what people will say or how we will be perceived. If your heart starts pounding when you think about applying for that job or signing up for that acting class or trying to make amends with that one friend, listen to it. Embrace the fear.
5. Stop settling for excess. This doesn’t mean you need to feel bad for treating yourself to a massage or finally purchasing that dress you’ve been eyeing for months. But free yourself from buying more clothes you don’t need, or a phone upgrade you don’t really care about, or too much food at the grocery store that you’re going to end up throwing away and feeling awful about. Try living even just a little more simply this year than you did last year, and see if it has a positive effect. If you’re like every other person who has tried this, it will.
6. Stop settling for a body that feels bad all the time. If you’re unhealthy, change it. Eat less jollof . Not no jollof, just less. And substitute in some vegetables once in a while. Remind yourself that sometimes, one drink is enough. Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Walk when you can.
7. Stop settling for a life of sitting still, of watching other people go after what they want while you sit back because you’re too afraid to try.
8. Stop settling for a job you hate, because you’re convinced that this is as good as it’s going to get.
No comments:
Post a Comment