My Unexpected Journey Of Growth This Year

about 1 month ago

We have gone halfway into 2025 and it has not been easy for me. Waking up each day feels like a mix of hustle for me. We keep hoping for a brighter future.

I must say, this year I have had my share of highs and lows, but there is one experience that stands out for me. Not because the experience was loud or exciting, but this experience is what quite shaped my life.

It wasn't just, it was more than just a betrayal or a heartbreak. It was more than just a promotion that I'd be chasing after my bank job. It was something more softer, yet more enlightening. It was just a moment of recognition from where I came from. And this taught me the power of gratitude and thanksgiving.

Let me share a story. A few months ago, I went to my village. I went to see my family.
And I was expected to be at my village for a family wedding. I know I hadn't been back, or I haven't gone to my village for years because I was always busy doing my work in the city. I have to grind to support myself and my family back. Staying in the village.

I was expected to just make a quick visit to the village. But what I got as a wake-up call was that the moment I arrived, I was hit by the moment of home. You can see the dusty road. The smell of firewood, the laughter of people around, I suppose that I've not seen for years and they are all grown up, although they are not looking that quite good.

During the wedding preparation I decided to join the band cooking in the backyard. We started by peeling the Yam first and after, then we went on to prepare the Egusi soup,
then after we prepared the jollof rice. And while we were doing all these things there was a tale of story that has been told by the old women around, you hear days of struggle faith and small victories and what that has been happening in the village.

My Aunt also was a widow who has raised more than five kids on her own and she was a farmer. Also she had to share her life as a mule and she was a mother of three. She was well raised and well educated. What I learned was that she never let bitterness steal her joy. She said life will bring you all or sort of challenges but you are the one to choose how to dance to it.

I must say this, all the things I have seen in my village hit very hard in me. I've had to count up some chasing deadlines and promotions. They are forgetting that what truly mattered. I was just stressed out. I always compare myself to those who are better than me, who seem to have it all together. But when I listen to my aunt, I know life isn't just about those who are better than you, But there are also people you are better than when you hear their story, you feel so compassionate for them.

When I listen to my aunt's story, I'm surrounded by a family who found joy in the little things they have achieved. They don't mind sharing a plate of food or just dancing to the old music in the community. Then I realize that I've just been missing the point.

Life is not just about the big wins. It's about those small connections with your family and your loved ones and being contented and grateful for where you are in life.

So what is the lesson?
The lesson is that when you slow down in life, you will not be able to do what you want to do in life and lean into a community. Whether it is neighbors checking in or family just smiling during tough times, we just remember that we are never truly alone.
I didn't get betrayed this year or neither was I heartbroken. But I was reminded that you also can blind you to what is real.

Right now, I'm starting calling family and friends all the time and when I hear their wins, their small wins, I appreciate them and encourage them to keep going. Like a quiet evening, no power outage in my home from a co-worker.

This experience wasn't just glamorous but it was a special gift that I did this year that taught me a lot of lessons and it taught me how to find joy in the ordinary and to
hold tight with people who have made life worth living.

My friends as we navigate through the rest of 2025 let's keep our eyes open for those moments. Those quiet moments are the ones that shapes us, ground us and remind us that we should keep dancing no matter what happens.

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