Half year
Omooo!! We're halfway gone already. How are we already in June? I know that's the question most of us are muttering right now. Was it not just yesterday that people churned out their New Year resolutions😳.
I’m now indifferent about resolutions, to be honest. I used to have a list years back, but for a while now, I have stuck to having special prayer requests and themes for my year. My annual theme is akin to a personalized affirmation for the year, crafted from my prayer requests. It might sound unconventional, but it resonates deeply with me and proves effective in guiding my focus and growth.
This is a safe space, and I’ll be honest with you. I have a few things I thought would have happened by now, but here we are! The truth is I’m not sad about it, although sometimes it hurts, and if peradventure the “sometimes” happens to be during that time of the month, I’ll weep😂, cry my eyes out before realizing it’s my hormones messing with me and that’s fine (Women eyes dey see sha).
Regardless of how I feel, I’m at a place where I’ve cast my burden on God and my own is to do the work and hold on to my faith. I’m just 3 months and a few days away from clocking 29 and if anything at all, I’m aware that God's ways are not our ways and His timing is perfect regardless of how I/we feel about it. So yeah, it will happen if God will and at His time.
Life as a PM
It’s been such an interesting year for my career, maybe the most interesting of my years as a professional. Being a Product Manager will test your patience and sanity (all join🥴). I've always been unsure about the most stressful part of the role, but right now, I'm convinced that it's managing stakeholders! My goodness! Having to explain yourself/ vision to people who have entirely different job roles from yours, especially those who know nothing about methodologies (Agile/SCRUM, etc) has to be the most challenging thing I’ve done in my entire adult life😂. The fact that you can't even scold them when you're frustrated and have to ensure you keep your words professional stresses me (Likee! I want to shout Alaye can’t you see and understand what I’m saying). Anyway, that's one of the things that make us professionals, being able to keep calm regardless of the storm, being open-minded, and capability of diplomatically managing them to achieve a compromise is what makes a fantastic PM. I don’t know it all, but my willingness to learn and unlearn helps.
It's almost 6 months on my current job and I won't be “capping” if I say that I’m phenomenal at my job😉.
Truthfully, I enjoy being a “corporate baddie” because yeah work dignifies your life, lately sha I’ve been considering what life as a full housewife will look like o, I’ll be in my husband’s mansion and be controlling billion$! Shukky Billion$😂 (All work na work o🥴).
The little things…
It’s all about the little things. Having 75 people key into my dream and be kind enough to donate a sum of 7 figures for a project in less than one month is bizarre and remarkable to me. Last month, I mentioned that I was organizing a Children's Day party funded through a crowdfunding campaign for children in low-income communities. To the glory of God and these 75 amazing people, it was such a heartwarming event. You can catch a glimpse of how it went down here.
Being kind costs nothing, and lately, I discovered I’m drawn to genuinely kind individuals. In a world filled with wickedness and chaos, making a positive difference begins with the small acts of kindness we choose to embrace. At least once a week, try to put a smile on someone’s face especially one that can't repay your favor.
Sibling Friendship
The difference in Family dynamics is intriguing and the culture shock we all get when we see/experience things that don’t exist in ours is proof.
I am the first of two children and there's just a 3-year gap between my younger brother and me (Although he’s Gen Z and I’m a millennial🌝 I promise you, it matters!). Technically, I’ve known my brother all his life and likewise. We attended the same primary and secondary schools, we were each other's playmates as per omo get inside. Although some people say that doesn't determine sibling friendship, Maybe. However, I strongly believe all these formed the basis of our relationship. Aside from being siblings, we are friends, like he is my guy! regardless of our differences. I don't mind sharing my most vulnerable moment with him. We’re present in each other’s life and have always been a cheerleader or comforter for ourselves as the case may be.
I encourage people that it's never too late to cultivate a wholesome relationship with their sibling(s). If we can meet random strangers and develop deep connections with them in just a matter of weeks or months, why not invest in nurturing our relationships with our siblings?
This is your cue to reach out, amend, build, and nurture the relationship with yours. You never know how much change this can bring to your life and theirs.
Bonus….
Bonus because I must share the beauty of my attire for Eid-il-Adha, a cherished celebration for Muslims worldwide. I always look forward to that time of the year, It’s called the Muslim Met Gala with its stunning display of show-stopping, modest attire. A fun fact about me is that I consistently outdo myself with my looks 🥰 . This year, I drew inspiration from my roots as a proud Egba girl, creating a look that resonates deeply with our culture, with a sprinkle of my affirmation. See for yourself.
Who would have thought Iro and Buba would bang this hard!!
How was the 1st half of the year for you? How's the combination of Adulthood and Capitalism treating you?
Cheers!
Shukky (Chief storyteller LWS)
Shukky Billions
President General among all nations. I salute you
Siblings relationship, hmmm
Truthfully, it’s not something I used to think mattered until I relocated and became lonely.
Recently I started appreciating and building a more intentional relationship with my siblings because I saw firsthand that nobody has your back or tells you the absolute truth like your siblings. We even have a group chat now apart from the family own where we dissect gists especially about our parents and relatives 🤣🤣.
But siblings can be annoying tho, everytime sef.