rounding up 2019 – highlights & lessons

It is the last day of 2019 and what a year it has been!

For me, the year had a blurry start as I had what seemed like a disappointing 2018. My pessimism was often at the fore and Kayode had to do the job of providing me with doses of optimism for the longest time. Today, it feels blissful ending the year with more clarity and enthusiasm than I had starting it.

This year has not been without its own challenges but I have learnt to consistently be in a state of gratitude and with this, I have experienced peace – the kind of peace that surpasses human understanding :-). I definitely still find myself worrying, but I am quick to remind myself of the need to be grateful. As humans, we are sometimes blinded by what we don’t have and forget to be grateful for what we do have and it is necessary to always remember that ” what we have now was once among the things we hoped for”.

It is important to stay grateful each day as we are blessed to be experiencing life as we know it and I am hoping we will all take a moment today not to ask for anything but just to express gratitude.

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Overall, I had an eventful year:

WE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE: This started as a dream/vision depending on how you see it ; I doubted the possibility a number of times but living with someone whose optimism is always through the roof, I learnt daily the act of identifying what needed to be done and working towards it versus thinking of all the things that could go wrong. I’ll probably write more about this in another post as it taught me the power of a dream and unity of purpose.

If you have this aspiration and have questions around it, feel free to drop me a message via https://nifemiodeyinde.com/contact-me/ and I will either provide the answers or direct them to Kayode, who is the financial expert in our home, to answer.

I STARTED WRITING:I had always wanted to write but always found reasons to procrastinate, towards the end of this year I decided to start and it has been very rewarding so far. When I decided to start writing , as a ‘worrier’ that I can be, I had fears like will anyone read (people hardly read these days) , will I be able to express my thoughts etc.. and then I decided to start and speak my truth which is what this blog is about – My truth, views, and journey. It’s surreal when I see people not only read but share their experiences. It has helped me expand my thought process and I am grateful I started. If there is something you have always wanted to do, regardless of how scary it may seem, just START!

SUMMER VACATION: I had an amazing summer holiday. The last time Kayode and I went on vacation was our honeymoon in 2016. After the wedding , we decided to prioritize our spend and going on vacation became secondary. This year, driven by expiring visas 🙂 and a need to ‘take a break’ we decided to go on vacation. We had a full three-week itinerary from London – Paris – Belgium – Atlanta. If you need holiday tips or have questions on planning your vacation, you can contact me via this link https://nifemiodeyinde.com/contact-me/ I’ll be happy to help.

Major highlight of the trip was attending services at Hillsong church, the first service we attended coincided with Kayode’s 30th birthday and it was a perfect way to celebrate with him. He had always wanted to worship at a hillsong church and it was the perfect birthday gift/dream come true. It was such a surreal experience and I look forward to worshiping at a Hillsong church again. The holiday was a great time to connect with friends, family, learn different cultures and make new memories. We had the best hosts in London & Atlanta where we stayed with friends. Thanks to the Koyeladeles and Oshos – you guys are amazing !

The year also came with some low points, I had health challenges and scary diagnosis and found myself having to be at the hospital more frequently than ever, this was in between settling into a fairly new job and trying to make impact at work as always. I understood better this year, the importance of sound mental health as I struggled with mine a few times this year. In those low moments, I had the best support system in my family, friends and most importantly my anchor, God.

As always, I go back to my gratitude corner and remember that so much I want, yet, so much I have.

I am very excited about the new year and all it has to offer. I am looking forward to sharing my lessons, successes and journey with you all. I definitely have a lot of enthusiasm starting the new year this time around. I have a clear picture of some of my goals for the year and have started putting together the building blocks to achieve them. For the ones I don’t have clarity on, I am hoping to figure them out as I go.

Tomorrow is the start of a new year and decade and whilst it is just another day, it is also an opportunity to re-calibrate, to identify the big goals and take the small steps towards achieving them, to commit to being better versions of ourselves in the new calendar year. We all are on a journey and this can be an opportunity for a new chapter in that journey.

Here is wishing you and your loved ones a happy new year; I pray you have a year filled with pleasant memories and most importantly a grateful heart. Have a great 2020!

In other news – 2020 is the year I turn the big 30 🙂