2023 in Review: Against all odds

At the stroke of 12:00a.m on January 1st, 2023 it was the new year! Goodwill messages poured out. The knockouts in the air were almost deafening. There were loud greetings of Happy New Year all around. We all love new beginnings, don't we? It was the dawn of a new beginning. I entered the new year with expectations hoping they would all be met. This New Year's Day was spent indoors. I prepared a sumptuous meal to mark the New Year celebration and made a toast to a glorious year.

January is a very special month for me given that it's my birthday month. I did a photoshoot and spent the rest of the day in church. This month I got a feature online that was putting in the spotlight women-owned businesses. I almost clinched a deal as a blogger but it didn't go as I wanted because of some data analysis problems.

February came with its own opportunities. It was going to be a great month. I usually dread Valentine's Day being a single lady for the time being but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. As a church girl, the day was spent in the house of my father. I didn't feel alone rather I felt loved. 

In March, I got nominated for the Nigeria Magazine International Women's  Day Award 2023. I couldn't attend because of the distance barrier but was glad for the nomination. I also got featured as African Women in Technology's Woman Crush. These were big wins for me. 

April started on a bright note. I attended the Ladies Breaking Boundaries meet-up. It was a great opportunity to serve as a mentor to Secondary School students. The meet-up provided a platform to network with like-minded ladies. I also got an invitation to cover the Catholic Youths of Nigeria event. I also got an invitation to cover Charis School, Magodo's graduation ceremony. I met Joe Praize and was happy to 'famz' with him there. In between June and September, no solid activity, I seemed to be existing with nothing to show. Things were moving too fast yet so slow. I have been silent this year even on social media, very unlike me. Lest I forget, I started a coaching program in April that lasted for three months courtesy my coach, Ikeoluwa Akano. The experience was about personal development and self-discovery. At the end of the coaching session, I realised it was not a destination but a continuous journey to a better me.

The year started on a bright note but somewhere along the line, I appeared to be lost in between. I do know that in October I got scammed of a huge amount of money and I am still recovering. How it happened is still leaving me in shock. Contentment and hard work were the lessons I picked up from that encounter. 

In November, one goal got ticked off my list. I finally got my international passport after months of procrastination- thanks to my sister. I am so happy about that. I can start planning to travel as it is one of my hobbies. December had me attend the Black Tie Christmas concert. What could be better sitting in an ambience of good classical music and good food?

This year tested my faith in God. My trust in Him had been shaky as the year was winding down. However, the year ended on a brighter note. There was a particular scripture of the bible I kept noting that says: The Lord crowned my year with a bountiful harvest and hard pathways overflow with abundance. In all honesty, the year 2023 has been a trying year for me, though some goals were not achieved, I refuse to be held down knowing that it can only improve. Here is to a prosperous and glorious 2024...Happy New Year in advance!