It’s been two years since I last updated my journal, I stopped writing for a couple of months and that grew into a couple more and then two years. I’ve had a lot to say but couldn’t put it into words, so much has happened. This feels like a “Hey stranger” text to an ex or crush you haven’t spoken to in forever, where do I begin?

While becoming the Jameson Ambassador and allegedly having a fiancé (which I’m still trying to find), a huge part of the last 730 days have been about growing in my mental, emotional and spiritual environments.

As I look back, the first 25 years of my life were the hardest. Things were changing at such a fast pace and I barely could keep up with everything that was happening around me. Apart from thinking I’d be married at 25, living in a mansion with a model wife and kids that look like they’d need a YouTube channel, I was winging a lot of things. I mean this worked well, look at where we are now? but eventually you hit a plateau and the things you were doing without much intention or focus suddenly aren’t giving you any results.

Before I knew it, I was in a phase of my life that felt like it was ending and needed to grow into a new phase and identity that I perceive for myself. The beauty and the curse of growth is that you can’t hold onto everything that you believe makes you happy, it will hurtfully teach you to let go of things and people, irrespective of how much you believed in them… see, you can’t experience growth by holding onto things that have found space in your life and has created a pool of comfortability, for one to truly grow, they have to be able to make space and room for what’s to come.

As weird and uncomfortable growth feels.. these are the lessons it has shared with me and I hope they help you as you experience your journey…

Don’t rush life: You’re your only competition, as short as life may be, it can also be moderately long. You can only truly remember the moments you are present in. Enjoy the things you can only do in the current phase of your life, take that road trip, stay up late drinking with the humans that matter, go skydiving or climb the highest mountain.Do the things that make your soul happy and intentionally choose yourself each day. Don’t skip up on too many experiences simply because you’re focused on your next moves… you’ll grow bitter of everyone that still seems to squeeze in so much fun while chasing their dreams so pace yourself, some experiences are only available now.

Celebrate the little steps: They may seem insignificant but I’d like for you to take a breather right now and look back at how far you’ve come, how many times you had to do the little things that seemed like they werent taking you anywhere, look at you now? If you put together enough little steps they eventually turn into one big step so pat yourself on the back for having come this far.

Do something new, not comfortable: Ever heard of the saying “everything you want is on the other side of fear” as daunting as that may sound, there’s so much truth to it. I’ve promised myself to do something challenging and extremely radical for each year of my life. It’s so easy for a year to go by without it being memorable and unique… I want to have a lot of “that was the best year of my life stories” – you should too.

Write you soon.