2022 - A year indeed!
Personal Reflection
What a year 2022 has been! There were super intense and hard times in 2022, but mixed in it all were some beautiful times too. For instance, even though the year started badly persoanlly, I celebrated my 33rd birthday mid January with some of my closest ladies, and also in that stunning L’Aviye Dress. I wasn’t able to travel to Ghana in 2021 for my Uncle’s funeral but I was able to go in May for the 1 year anniversary and see my cousins that I haven't seen in person for 10+ years - which was a blessing. It was also the last time I got to spend with my Dad before he passed two weeks after I got back to England and therefore I have memories I will forever cherish. In the midst of the grief I saw the love of God through people in the care and different ways of provision, visits from friends near and far, and being reunitied in Ghana in August with more family (in particular siblings) for the first time in a long time for Dad’s funeral. For some 3 years, others 8 years.
There were also weddings, my bestie getting engaged, Christian festivals like Wildfires and the 24-7 Prayer Global Gathering, spending time with family in the UK, extended times with my niece, FINALLY watching Wakanda Forever with one of my sisters and much more. So in summary it’s been an emotionally and mentally heavy year - probably the worst I’ve ever had personally - but with perservering in my relationship with God, trying my best to embrace all the good things, taking times away for myself and therapy, it hasn’t been all bad.
There were also a lot of world events that were hard to process for many - the war between Ukraine & Russia, protests in Iran, the misuse of power by the Met Police in situations including with Chris Kaba’s death, the passing of the Queen, etc. In the same breath, people on the internet spreading good news and warming the hearts of many, such as Good News Movement, The Happy News, and Some Good News. Boy, have we needed good news in the midst of all the sorrow!
Pursue:Inspire Reflections
Now when it comes to Pursue:Inspire, I am defintely not where I wanted to be and as much as I have defintely set goals for 2023, I’m not gonna rush or condemn myself if I don’t reach them for one reason or another. I’ll start small and see how it goes from there. However I am going to celebrate the small wins of 2022 and what I have done on the blog, Instagram and TikTok.
As of 12:30pm 31/12/22:
Website: 3 Blog Posts (with a few still in drafts)!
Instagram: 32 posts!
TikTok: 24 videos! (Some are crossovers on Instagram and vice versa)
This may not seem like a lot, especially when you average it down to 2 posts on TikTok & Instagram a month, and 1 blog post per quarter, but that’s what I managed in the circumstances! Well done to me!
So what does 2023 look like for Pursue:Inspire?
I’m not 100% sure, because I can’t be. A lesson I have learnt well this year. However I plan to finish the Motivation series (see part 1 here and part 2 here) and also have a bit more fun on here like I used to by sharing fashion, style, beauty, hair and music posts in the midst of all the other help / advice type posts. I would like to go back to minimum 2 posts on here a month and get back into YouTube with P:I talks. I give these plans to God and see what He does with them.
A note of thanks
For everyone who has continued to access my blog posts from different places like:
United Kingdom, United States, China, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Ghana, Russia, Antigua and Barbuda, Spain, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and Turkey…
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU! For everyone who has enjoyed the content on Instagram and TikTok, it’s been a pleasure to inspire you, as well as make you smile and laugh. It’s also been a joy to interact with some of you. Thank you for your support, your prayers and your kind words over the year. Looking forward to what God has in store in 2023.
My prayer for you going into 2023
I pray that in the name of Jesus, 2023 would be filled with more joy than 2022, even for those who are bringing the unresolved sorrows of the last year into this new one. I pray for God-given wisdom, knowledge and strength in the areas you need it most. I ask that the Lord Almighty would increase your boldness to pursue your created (who He made you to be) & that there would be many opportunities for fun.
For those struggling financially, would there be some kind of monetary relief for you in 2023. For those who are sturggling with mental health, I pray for the right people to surround you - friends and family members who will listen and therapists that will work through troubles with you. For those grieving, I pray for more space to process your emotions and for people to hold / support you. For those burnt out this last year, more rest. And for those who had an amazing 2022, more and more amazement for 2023!
In Jesus. precious and mighty name I pray, Amen. So be it.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV
