My Phoenix Journey (Rising from the ashes)

New beginnings, resolutions, goals, and plans marked the start of the new year. It was for some a continuation of what they left unfinished in the previous year, while for others, it was a chance to start over and pivot their aspirations and dreams.

 At the start of 2022, I made a promise that I want to share with you. For years, I was scared to 'put myself out there. All I wanted to do was write, share content, work on clients’ jobs, and withdraw into my shell. The start of the new year was a self-promise to stop hiding behind the scenes, and relieve me of the huge weight of my anxieties.

 It was a promise! I was ready! There was no stopping me. There were no excuses this time. I was going to crush this. But alas, my plan took a different turn.

Highs, Lows, and In-Betweens

 It's funny how life sometimes works out in unexpected ways: when the year started, it seemed like everything was going my way—and then… nothing happened. And while some things went wrong along the way (like losing my job), some things went right (like getting full-ride certification scholarships)

 The lows that happened this year halted whatever plans I had of crushing the new year. I withdrew back into my shell and embraced my anxiety. The constant echo of being a failure rang in my head. I lost it. I was unsure of what to do. Why was this happening to me? I have paid my dues over the years. Why did the universe choose this period to turn its back on me? So many unanswered questions.

 I let myself go, and it affected my work rate and output. I had let myself sink into an abyss of self-pity. I no longer care about anything except feeling sorry for myself. For a long time, it seemed like there was no breaking free from this dark, hopeless place.

In my darkest moments, I could feel myself slipping away. I was losing my grip on reality, and even as I tried to fight back against the tide, my mind kept drifting further away from me. It felt like time was standing still for me—like everything around me was moving so fast that it wasn't even real anymore. But in that lowest and darkest moment, I found hope. It started as a shimmer of light, but it became bright enough to illuminate my entire being.

A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

 After a few months of trying to climb out of my personal dark hole, I finally realized that there was no way to escape it. The only way to move forward is to have faith in your ability to improve and change. Without that, you're stuck in the same rut.

 I enrolled in advanced online courses to tutor myself and increase my knowledge. This first step was the realization that if you want something better in life; take action and do it with all your heart and follow through on those actions until you get the results you want. So that's what I did when nothing seemed to work out for me.

 I completed these courses, and this time around, I took stock of where I am and where I want to go. This process helped me see my strengths and weaknesses, and it helped me focus on what I can do rather than what I can’t do or who is going to make it easier or harder for me.

During this period, I worked on Marketing On Lock, my copywriting agency. I’m proud to announce that as you are reading this newsletter, the website is live. Working on this website gave me renewed hope. It was time to stop hiding behind the scenes and take charge of the reins of my destiny. Drop a like and follow my business page on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

What does the future hold for me?

 After a long, tiring half of the year, I have made a new start for myself. It is time to change my life and I am ready to take on the challenges of the rest of the year with full confidence.

 I want to live my life in a way that makes me happy, and I know that means getting out there and experiencing the world around me. So instead of focusing on how much money I make or whatnot, I'm going to focus on making sure that the rest of the year doing things I love and is full of adventure as possible.

 By putting myself out there with the launch of my agency, I know it’s time to put behind the impostor and perfectionist syndrome that plagued me for years. I am not afraid to fail. I am ready to face my fears and take a step at a time while achieving milestones along the way. I am ready to stay motivated even when things seem difficult or challenging because those challenges are going to be a part of my journey towards success.

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