I don’t know if ya’ll knew, but New Year’s officially begins on my birthday (January 12). If you’d like to tell me otherwise, baaaaaaaa.
With that being said, HAPPYYYYY NEW YEARS!!!! And God bless my parents for bringing me to this sketchy a** world on this auspicious day that is my birth.
I don’t know where 2021 went, but I know it was a year of many struggles and strengths for me, as every year of adulting has come to be. From returning to China in February, many family deaths, beginning my therapy journey, my first Dash of Gold commissioned artwork in China, recreating Boundless Mind of Mind, and so much more y’all don’t need to worry about. It was a rough year with many life lessons captured. Alhamdulillah.
To celebrate my resilience, here are 27 words of wisdom I’ve learned leading to this moment. May every year grant you and me grace, peace, fulfillment, and an abundance of faith regardless of what hardship is thrown at us. Ameen.
Bismillah.
1. Friend groups are nice for a good time, but spending time with the few people you can deeply connect with will always be my favorite.
2. You don’t have to do it all – learn to set aside your ego and ask for help.
3. Vulnerability teaches and tests your humility.
4. “I don’t need that bad juju” a constant reminder that helped me keep my sanity and move on.
5. I am indeed that one crazy aunty in the family.
6. I am an artist.
7. Your Creator will forever know you best.
8. Patience bears beautiful and lasting appreciation.
9. The more you learn, the more you’ve yet to learn.
10. If you’ve never been through it, don’t try to speak on it. Just listen.
11. The people who hold you accountable and continue to show up and love you wherever you’re at, they are your people.
12. Guard your heart.
13. Don’t ever let a man limit or question your ambition just to cater to his wants. Emphasize on “wants”.
14. It’s normal to be multifaceted and multidimensional. Humans weren’t created to be one-dimensional.
15. You must learn to escape from your own limiting thoughts.
16. Give lots of grace to the people who raised you. They did the best they knew.
17. Sometimes we think we know, but we don’t. That’s when we must give it to God.
18. Everything takes practice.
19. If it doesn’t sit right with your soul, it probably isn’t right for you.
20. Learn to accept that the healing process is endless.
21. You learn to choose what battles you’re willing to take, and some are just made for you to overcome.
22. Take care of yourself, and show others how you need to be taken care of.
23. Learn to fear less of the unknown, then will you learn to find strength in your ability to move forward.
24. Preservation over presentation.
25. If you live to follow and be the standard, you will be nothing but a societal slave.
26. Do, because you deeply want to.
27. Allow life to guide you and know that there is no one way to live.
Happy New Years lovelies!
