My 2023 Reviewed.
Recounting loses and gains as the year comes to an end. Reflecting on life lessons, personal and professional growth. Revisiting old questions and visions for the future. Daring to dream!
It's funny how time flies. Scary actually. I can vividly recall last year’s New Year’s Eve like it was yesterday. It feels like I blinked and it was December. Nevertheless, we’re at the end, hence we look back and review.
Seeing it is Christmas day, I wish not to hold you for too long from your Christmas meal or momentary enjoyment. While a lot happened this year, the Christmas message I always got even from a very young age, was to be grateful that I made it this far. Regardless of whatever happened, around me or in the world, despite the suffering that may be, there’s always something to be grateful for. If there’s anything to take away from this Christmas newsletter, be grateful that God keeps giving that gift of life. Because, it’s often easy to question things and why they’re not some other way but we fail when we don’t take a second to step back, take it all in, the smallest of it all, and just give thanks. If you didn't have a better reason to celebrate Christmas, that's a better one.
Of journaling.
The best thing I did this year was start a daily journal. While my consistency is still shaky, I have spoken to my journal more this year than I ever did in my life. My approach: write what you feel and what you’re thinking. Looking for journaling prompts and ways to journal overwhelmed me and I found that the less pressure I tried to do it the ‘right’ way the easier and more enjoyable it became.
In my journal lies my deepest mental predicaments. I didn’t have to solve most of the things I was going through and writing about. Sometimes, writing it down just decluttered my mind and I'd realize at that moment that it was probably all I needed.
I guess the message here is that keeping a journal could be one of the best things you can do for your mental health in 2024.
Of The Zim-migrant Perspective.
This newsletter was launched six months ago this year. Whilst I have been writing for a long time, in bits and parts, recalling back here, to my young primary school years when I used to love writing compositions that got me a star from my teacher, it was only this year that I intentionally began building an audience. This space has allowed me to freely express myself and further my attempts at growing a community that is interested in connecting the dots of their past, present and future through stories. The growth is slow and steady. That’s okay. I’m playing the long game here. And, in the words of Austin Kleon, “Share what you love and the people who love the same things will follow.” Suffice it to say, as I close the year, thank you to my 33 subscribers. Thank you to those who liked and shared any of the posts. Above all, I hope there’s value for the 33 and even those who read but didn’t subscribe. (PS: A lot of y'all read and don’t leave likes or comments. Sad!)
Of The Book
When I was in Zimbabwe thinking about the day I would finally fly to America, I had the idea of writing a book about my life in Zimbabwe and having my mother read it as a way to catch up on my life all the years apart. Like all my ideas, it was just random inspiration that would come back to me in different forms. When I got to America, I told my mom about the idea following my first-ever blog post in the US which she read and loved. She was into the idea and said she’d really read the book. Fast forward five months after we reunited, we lost her to stage four cancer. The book idea eventually transformed into a possible letter to my mom even though she was no longer with us. I tiptoed around starting the book. I didn’t know the first thing about writing a book. I had feared my book idea wasn’t even good enough for a book. The excuses are a plethora.
By reading books like We Need New Names by Noviolet Bulawayo and Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner, I found my book necessary to exist. You know that saying, “Write the book you want to read.” Yes, it became a need for me to write my story. I entered my first chapter— a section of my first blog post in the US — to a Writing Contest at my college, the University of Rhode Island. The article titled: Crossing Over, won third place in the English Department Writing Contest. The promise I had made to myself was that if I did win anything in the Contest then I’d start the book. But even after winning I had a lot of doubts. Actually, I still have doubts and I question what I’m doing every day as I sit down to write. The difference, however, is that I’m now on Chapter Eleven rowing against the tides of my writing fears and insecurities.
Working on this book has grown me. I’ve found the need for building a solid routine. Revisiting the past unveils to me things about myself I overlooked or never understood but now see through a different lens. It became an extension of therapy and whatever happens, I’m happy to say, it’s already fun doing it. And believe me, I still don’t know what I’m doing. But, in the grand scheme of life, who actually knows what they are doing? My advice, to you and myself, is to go for it. Whatever it is that interests you just keep at it. Somewhere in there is a part of you that’s not yet revealed to you.
Miscellaneous
If I was stuck on an island and had to listen to one podcast it’d probably be the Diary of A CEO. I believe I have found a home there and the heartfelt conversations are always a great reflection and introspection for my own life.
Updates about what’s going on in Zimbabwe came from a dose of the YouTube show, Propaganda with Kandoro. A comical social and political commentary that I always looked forward to.
Sjava, Kelvin Momo and Nutty O did not disappoint with new music to feed my soul.
My best read from the year is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. This book changed my world view on how I viewed success and I’m glad I picked it up.
My best read from the year is
Redefining Luck
“Biologists often talk about the “ecology” of an organism: the tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked its sunlight, the soil around it was deep and rich, no rabbit chewed through its bark as a sapling, and no lumberjack cut it down before it matured. We all know that successful people come from hardy seeds. But do we know enough about the sunlight that warmed them, then the soil in which they put down the roots, and the rabbits and lumberjacks they were lucky enough to avoid?”
Before I forget, your boy graduated with a Bachelor's in Computer Science and started serving capitalism as a consequence of his milestone achievement. I welcomed the latter as a necessary means to where my dreams will take me. Where? You ask. Well, more is yet to come.
To sum it all up, there has been a more direct attempt to live this life. I may not be where I want to be, but I’ve seen growth towards where I want to be. And I’d wish that for all of us, to be intentional with life yet take ourselves lightly. It’s not the elixir of life, but it adds some bearability seasoning to it.
From Phiwe Mhlope, I would like to wish everyone who reads this free publication a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Spread love and peace during this festive season and hope that tomorrow will be better than yesterday. Aim, to be a little better than yesterday.
Next year is another year to dare to dream. Just another day to live. That's it. You can go on now, and indulge in the Christmas festivities. I hereby release you.