Well, glad I know now…

My lovely folks,

This one is a tribute to my friends. The ones I laugh with, the ones I have heartfelt conversations with, and the ones who prove me daily it’s okay to be vulnerable. Those friends with which I don’t have to fill the silence, nor walk on eggshells. And finally, the friends I continuously learn from. You, my friends, I appreciate you!

Last month, one of my dearest friends celebrated another year of life and I was blessed enough to be able to sit down with her and have a heart to heart conversation. She shared with me not only her hopes for the future, but also what she wishes she knew when she was younger. Quite frankly, I think these principles are just as valuable to anyone right now. Therefore, I’m going to drop those gems on here believing they will bless you as much as they blessed me.

1. “LET YOUR NO BE A NO, AND YOUR YES BE A YES”. Sometimes in life you want to say “NO” to something or someone but because of peer pressure, you end up saying or doing the opposite of what you really wanted. It might be easy for some people, but when you’re younger it’s not always so clear. The most important lesson she told me she learnt from this, is that she now knows that you can care for others without compromising your core values.

2. This next one showered my entire existence with life and success loll. “It’s not worth it if takes your peace away.” We spend so much time worrying even crying about things that won’t matter in a month or two, let alone in a year. She advised that this energy that we invest in worrying should be redirected into finding our peace and serenity back, by appreciating instead all the other things that are going right. “Let’s aim to be at peace even in the midst of chaos.”

3. “It’s not wise to build your life around someone else’s, things change and so do people and feelings.” some might think it’s a negative way of viewing life, but it’s just reality. worded differently, we shouldn’t neglect other relationships in our lives for just one person (a family member, a significant other, or a friend). It’s important to create a balance in our relationships and to always remember that we need more than one person in life. At the end of the day, Umuntu agirwa n’uwundi.

4. “Any conflict you run from, is just going to grow bigger.” Some of us still struggle with things we struggled with as kids just because we never had the courage to confront them. As years went by, it became more difficult to face our issues/insecurities; therefore, it became even more complex to conquer them. Confrontation is uncomfortable, but absolutely necessary for personal growth.

My God! Gigi, can you be my therapist already??

5. The last thing she shared with me was quoted best by the Bible “Above all these things, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We all know we only guard worthy things and for a lot of us, the condition of our hearts determines the quality of the decisions we take; and that’s why we should always make it a priority to protect our hearts. One way of protecting your heart and energy is to only entertain things and people that make us truly happy.

I want to end this by truly thanking my gyal Axelle, best known as @geegeemad Za Fashionista for sharing with me and my readers these life key points. My birthday wishes to you are continued growth and wisdom so I can hear your annoying trademark saying “That’s not wise!” even more. Cheers to an abundant life in all the ways you can and can’t imagine.

To all of you, thank you again for stopping by once more. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did. If there is anything you would add to this list, please share with us and let’s grow together!

With love and kindness,

Gaëlla Ariella.