Moments 2023

2023 is putting on its pyjamas, yawning, ready to go to bed and 2024 is just waking up and everyone is wondering what kind of a year it will be. Will it come with good tidings, or after it’s done with us, will we be left with nothing but dust on our faces?

If 2023 is anything to go by 2024 will be a mixed bag. But let us leave the future to the prophets, kick back, and look back on the year that was. Mine was packed with curve balls, good days and days that seemed to slog on forever. Here are some things that shaped it.

Fitness

If you are a reader of this blog you know that I run. I do it thrice a week. Mo Farah, watch out. This year I took it a step further and bought a bicycle. And I cycled all around Nairobi. You see those cyclists who crisscross through traffic, I am among them. It has done wonders for my fitness, and networks and helped me get out of my head. In 2024 I plan to join a gym. Frankie Just Gym It, don’t hold your breath I just want to be well-toned. Haha

Books

I got a Kindle this year, which means I have been reading anywhere and everywhere. I might have looked like every other Kenyan on their phone in matatu’s, restaurants, and queues, but I was deep in the words of John Fante, Catherine Gildiner, and Nicola Sanders. The book of the year has to go to Yann Martel’s Life Of Pi. It took me on a roller coaster of emotion and education like no other book did.

Courage

This year I went towards my fears and I found myself at a pitch presentation at the Ole Sereni consulting for one of the biggest brands in the country. It brought me to terms with the tremendous work I have done over the years and I realized if I could do that, I could do a lot more: Hold masterclasses around the country, become a keynote speaker, or campaign for the highest office in the land. Okay, let’s not get carried away but Jay Mclnerney is right when he says, ‘The difference between what we want and what we fear is just about the width of an eyelash.’

Learning

We were taught a lot growing up. We were taught that when we did what society wanted, we were celebrated, so we grew up holding these things on a pedestal so much so that when we fall short we’re discouraged from continuing with our journey. This year I have been learning what we were not taught, like holding space for myself, keeping my head up regardless of the season I am in. Realizing that rain doesn’t make you gloomy as much as the sun doesn’t make you cheerful, it is a state of being you choose.

Relationships

Love? Hold that thought, okay don’t hold it, and don’t let it go either. We talk a lot about love but we don’t pay attention to what builds it. Learning to hold space for myself has taught me to hold space for others. Allowing them to be themselves, without finding fault or areas to improve, and for the first time I don’t hold grudges or resentment toward people who do things differently from how I think they should be done.

And I find myself enjoying spending time with my family, a stranger, or… I told you to let go of that thought, okay, okay. I also told you to hold on to it.

Projects

I have been writing. My novel Kesho and Malkia should be dropping next year alongside my short story collection. You also might have noticed that I have been writing Katana on Trial throughout the year. It is set to be my first high fantasy novel.

I also have plans for this blog. I want to renovate it so that it holds my books and upcoming masterclasses. There are plans to turn it into a subscription model. Nothing extravagant, just enough to push it to the next level.

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That has been my year. I would like to hear the things that shaped yours. Here is to a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let’s meet back here in the second week of January. Adieu!

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