Merry New Year, 2023!

Hands up if you agree that the year 2022 flew by really quickly? In a flash, we have just arrived in 2023. It feels surreal to me, but then again, such is life.

I lowkey find it special when a month, let alone a year, starts on a Sunday. I don’t know why. I guess I could say it feels kind of spiritual, as though things will work out as they should. Also, side note: any month that begins on a Sunday, means that the 13th of that month will fall on a Friday, that also gets the kid inside me excited :). So January will be one of those special months, whereby I am choosing to believe will be a great kick-start to the year 2023.

2022 was a year of self-discovery and continued growth. I needed to discover what type of teacher I wanted to be. I needed to discover how I handle workplace stress. I needed to discover my own version of worklife balance. I discovered that I grew pretty quickly because now I’m the adult in the room most of the time. I discovered the adulting independent lifestyle, and I’ve became stronger and in some cases smarter for it.

I hope 2023 is about greater discoveries but also consistency and stability in my personal and professional life. I’ve been told that I need to keep my finger on all the pulses and not drop one when I feel it is temporarily no longer a priority. I guess we have to see what that means right. I hope 2023 is more fun and filled with excitement and surprises (ones that put a smile on my face, and not a shock to my system).

New year’s resolutions? Let’s try to thrive instead of just survive. I guess that’s as simple as it gets. It’s my final year as a Jakes Gerwel Fellowship Fellow, before I become an alumni. It is my second and final year serving on the board as a Candidate Fellow Representative. I’m hoping to grab a few opportunities that I put myself out there for (awaiting results, fingers crossed).

I hope that everyone finds peace, happiness, and fulfilment in 2023. We have had a rough few years, from a pandemic in 2020/21, to horrible floods in various parts of the country and most recently truck explosions. Worldwide, people are fighting in wars, people are fighting for their rights; rights to safe abortions, body autonomy etc. It is a wild world we are living in. Every day doesn’t necessarily bring a new challenge, but actually, it exposes already existing societal issues that we cannot ignore anymore.

May 2023 be better and provide light for us all. Much love and appreciation. Stay blessed.