Growing Avocadoes

Original photo by oyinloladami

I am a lover of fruits which means I love avocados a lot. 

My parents and I are based in different cities and whenever I am at their place, eating avocados isn’t a problem because the tree is just behind the house. So I could eat it just like that, or spread it on my bread or melt it into my rice. 

A time came when my mum came to visit and as usual, she brought avocados. These particular avocados were very nice, so because of that, I kept the seeds. I figured it wasn’t going to be a bad idea to have the tree at my place.

I took the seed to my compound. I dug the soil, planted the seed in it and covered it up. I also used stones to make a circle around it. 

I went there every morning, watering it, praying that my seed would grow into a beautiful tree, flourish and bear forth sweet fruits.

I was eager to see it grow but there was nothing, no growth at all, nothing. I felt bad and just forgot about it. I thought it was one of those bad seeds or maybe I just didn’t plant it well. 

My friend, Blessing, came around one time and I told her about how sweet the last avocado was, how I planted it and how disappointed I was that it didn’t grow. She laughed and told me how her little cousins just throw away the seeds without any intention of planting and they still grow, talk more of me who’s been putting in all the effort.

Immediately after she said this, we both decided to check it out, and there it was, looking so small and cute, it had forced its way out of the ground. It was growing already. I was filled with so much excitement. I told anyone that cared to listen about my little avocado tree growing in the compound. It was such a proud moment for me. 

Photo by oyinloladami

I was back to watering it every morning and night, praying for it and just watching in awe how it bloomed. It was a sight to behold. While I was consistent with that ritual, there were times I forgot I had a growing tree. Sometimes, my mum would ask me if I had watered it and ask how I expected it to grow if I didn’t stay committed and consistent with it. 

The rainy season came, so I didn’t have to do much with the watering (isn’t this the part you say kairos moment 😁). I was having a shower one day and the window blinds were up and something caught my attention. My avocado had grown so much and I didn’t notice. There was a time I thought it was just stagnant but all of a sudden, it was growing with broader leaves and increasing in height. 

It was a beautiful sight from my bathroom. I felt like a proud mom- that feeling when you birth and nurture something and then see it grow into something beautiful. 

I know this is just a plant that will grow into a tree and bear forth fruits but isn’t that how growth is? 

We birth an idea and begin to put in the hard work, the commitment and consistency but it feels like nothing is working, nothing to show for and then, the next moment you are gaining balance, you are seeing growth, you are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. 

There is a moment of confusion and then clarity. Don’t give up, be diligent and stay true to the chronos. Before you know it, you will have a kairos moment and you will see that it was all worth it in the end. 

Chronos: It refers to the time that can be measured (seconds, minutes, hours, years).  Kairos: measures moments. It refers to the right moment, the opportune moment.  

A Guide to Another Phase

Photo by Tim Hüfner on Unsplash

I know I’m not the only one who feels like time is going by and I’m making little or no progress. Who feels like everything is on a halt? I’m not alone, right?

Sometimes, you really can’t help but ask if you are on the right path or if there’s a need for redirection. While sometimes it occurs as just a feeling, a large number of times it’s the reality. We just may be doing so little to expect great results or we’re simply too lazy to move out of our comfort zone and have become scared to explore.

When that feeling comes, what do you do? Check within you. Why? Because that’s where the truth lies. Are you doing enough? Are you putting in so much effort? Do you need to change your routine? Is there a need to re-strategize? 

A few weeks back, I saw a WhatsApp status of someone recounting how she wanted to get the attention of someone else. She had sent a LinkedIn request so she could connect with the person. However, when she realised there was no mutual connection, she decided to register and attend a conference that the person she wanted to connect with was going to attend. Your guess is as good as mine. She was able to finally meet and connect with the person. 

There is always a way around things. The question is are you willing to go out of your way? Are you willing to do more? Something that could help is for you to use the get-to-know (where you are) guide for a reset. Ask yourself these questions and give a sincere reply. What are my:

1. Like
2. Dislikes
3. Passions
4. Plan
5. Motivators
6. Downers
7. Dreams

How does your current phase fit into it? This guide could help you fix the missing puzzle. It fixed mine to a large extent and I’m urging you to try it as well. You can let me know if it works/worked for you.

I trust you found this post helpful.❤

Lessons learnt so far

Months ago, I started a business and it has not been as easy as I thought. No business is as easy as it looks, no matter how little or simple. It’s the first lesson I’ve learnt since venturing into entrepreneurship.

Let’s take it back a bit 😁. There was a time I was broke, I couldn’t do much because I didn’t have enough and I am sure I am not the only one who gets frustrated when everywhere is dry. So I thought to myself, if only you had something doing on the side, you won’t be in such a situation. Even if I wanted to start, I didn’t have enough capital to start, so I thought and I just moved on.

Then months later, I was back to my baby girl lifestyle, but I also needed to have something extra on the side and so I thought of the easiest and less expensive business to start with. My main motivation for starting this business was to make money.
So, to my next lesson learnt, money isn’t always enough motivation to start a business and it’s inappropriate to venture into a business without proper research.

I thought I had it all figured out only to discover it’s a different ball game entirely. I have a friend who is a brand strategist and I remember seeking his advice concerning the business I started and the first question he asked was, “what was it about the business that made me start it” and how has it been since I started? I poured out my thoughts to him, told him my struggles and all and It was at that point he began to put me through. He told me what I needed to do and improve on and I have seen much progress.

This brings me to another lesson learnt- talk to someone who is an expert in that field you’re venturing into. It makes things much easier. I am not there yet and I know it’s not going to be easy but still, I move.

Are you a startup business owner? Are you facing any challenges in your business or career? If yes, you could drop a comment in the comment section or send a mail and I could link you up with an expert.

The wait – what to do while waiting

We all know what it feels like to wait. We have all experienced it either at a bus station or in front of the elevator or at the reception waiting to be called in for an interview or even for a date.

Waiting can be fun, purposeful, frustrating…depending on what you choose to make out of it. The big question is what do you do when waiting?

I had a chat with a friend and I wanted to know what waiting was like for him. In his words “there were times I got frustrated, scared, other times I saw it as a means of ease, a time of preparation”.

So yeah, you can use your waiting time to a very good effect. While waiting you prepare and get yourself ready for opportunities. You don’t want to be unprepared when your chance comes.

Here is a list of the things I do while I wait:

1. Read a little, it could be a book, a blog, an article or anything.
2. Go through my mail and clear my inbox.
3. Brainstorm a list of creative ideas.
4. Say a prayer.
5. Return a call.

I would like to know what you do while waiting, let me know in the comment section 😉

UNDESERVING

There were times I questioned my worth, my values, myself. Times I questioned if I was worthy of the kind of love I received and if I should be treated as such.

Oh yes, a time of ignorance it was, a time I didn’t know who I was and how much potential I had. I knew I had an identity, I just didn’t know what identity it was and so I couldn’t boast about it.

Now I know better, I know who I am and I know what I carry isn’t something ordinary, my worth and my values, I stand for them. It doesn’t matter through what lens the world sees me, something greater covers that.

Now I know I am deserving, deserving of all the love I get and I wear it like a crown. You should too.

Ever felt undeserving? How were you able to change that perspective, let me know in the comment section.

Old but Gold

Years have passed by, but this beautiful day brings back memories…
Sitting across the table, looking through the window and just listening to the sound of rain brings this nostalgic feeling.

It took me back to the time when all I had to worry about was nothing and all I had to do was to sing ” Rain, rain go away,
come again another day
Little children want to play”

It took me back to days in secondary school and I was reminded of the mornings of most exam days when it would rain heavily and all that crossed my mind at that moment was for exams to be cancelled.

But now I am all grown, and I have a lot on my mind and all that ever crosses my mind at a time like this is to sleep and feel the peace that comes with the rain because the struggle is real and we continue when we are awake…

THE JOURNEY

Just like yesterday, I remember that day so well, the anger and the disappointment I felt knowing I didn’t make myself proud. I had imagined smiles on their faces when I handed it over to them but that wasn’t the case and it made me bitter and living with a regret I knew could have been avoided.

I remember not getting the same reaction I had imagined in my head and I thought I would get better if they were to lash out at me, but here they were, just calm and collected and all that came out of their mouth was “it is well”. In their eyes, I could see how much they were hopeful that all was going to be well. I could see how much they tried to hide the pain even though it was so glaring. 

Well, years have passed by and I couldn’t help but think of how broken I was at that moment, how I felt I saw my life crash before my very eyes, how I felt I couldn’t move on and I was going to be stuck for a very long time and how I had to come to the realisation that life happens, the deed has been done and I had to move on.

Then the process began, I began making conscious efforts to be intentional. I knew I had no choice other than to be better and to do better. I wanted to put that smile on their faces again, I wanted to know and see how proud they were of me. I am not completely there yet but I am on that journey…

23 and Grateful 🥳🎉

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As human beings, we may lose count of our many blessings, we may end up forgetting all those little things we have been blessed with, we may think we haven’t gotten what we really desire, we may think nothing out of the extraordinary has happened to us.

However, the truth is, there is always something to be grateful for no matter how little it may be. If we can count our blessings and name them one by one, then we will realize it’s a whole lot to be thankful for.

So today, I’m grateful for the love I get to experience from the Father. I’m grateful for how intentional He is about me and how He draws me to himself even when I go far. It’s indeed a beautiful experience.

I’m grateful for family, grateful for how it continues to display the relationship between Christ and the church, grateful for the lovely siblings he has blessed me with.

I’m grateful for my friends, grateful for the amazing people he has placed in my life, grateful that I have to go on this friendship journey with each and every one of them. I’m grateful for work too. While it’s not what I desire, I’m still thankful that I have this at hand

I’m grateful for my local church, grateful that I get to experience progress and joy in the faith, grateful for the joy I have.

I’m grateful for the victories and battles won, grateful for the so many rejections, grateful for how far I’ve come, grateful for the little and big wins.

I’m grateful for a lot and I can’t even name them all. A friend of mine got a journal where she writes all she is thankful for daily. That’s her way of developing an attitude of gratitude.

Are you grateful? What are you grateful for? How are you expressing your gratitude today?

Angry at God?

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Growing up as a little child, I was made to believe that God is always good because at the end of every devotion, my dad would always say “God is good all the time” and our response would be, “all the time, God is good”.

I believed this for a very long time and even when things weren’t going on well, I still believed; not because I had experienced it or known it for myself, it was just what I was fed with.

Then it came rushing, all of the fear, anger and loneliness. I couldn’t take it any longer. I had felt alone for a while and I thought He was angry with me. I had no strength left within me and even when I knew that He is good, I thought it was to others and not me. He probably tried letting me know how wrong I was but I was adamant.

Then, I had an experience, a life-changing one. I realized that truly, I was lost without him. I had exhausted all options I had and was now very desperate for God. So, the search for God began. I was tired of fixing myself each time as I needed something absolute. Fortunately, I got that gift this year and it has been the best part of my life. Having Him as not just a father, but as a friend, a lover and many more. All that He did this year and everyone He placed in my life was timely. To be candid, It’s the intentionality for me.

The truth is God was never mad at me. It was just the devil making me think that way after all. I’ve realized that God is good all the time and He is always willing to help. The question is, are you willing to let him?

Almost Time

Most of the time, I forget I am advancing in age because I am too small to be turning this age 😂 (but it still feels good nonetheless). However, this year, in particular, is quite different. I’m very conscious of that fact now and I guess that’s the part growth plays.

I remember starting this year on an intentional note. I had to write down the things I wanted to see happen in my life. I felt this year was more like my second chance. Yeah, I’ve had many “second chances” but I wanted this one to count. I started the year with so much energy. I mean, isn’t that what every other person does and then it gets harder with time? To be honest, there were times I was intentional about not being intentional.

Looking back at all of it, I had so many wins and also, a lot of losses plus I messed up a lot of the time. Nevertheless, I am still grateful for the wins and losses.

It will be a new year for me in few days and I feel super excited about this one in particular, possibly because I feel proud of myself and I am tired of trying to deny how far I have come, tired of saying oh no, I haven’t done much, tired of feeling little.

🥂 this is to a more exciting year.