Thoughts About Life Shifts.
Life is all about seasons and knowing how to swim through the monsoons.
Dear readers, friends, and acquaintances –
Thank you for continuously showing up every Wednesday.
When I began writing this thing, I had no idea where it would lead me.
When I first gave into the idea of writing about whatever popped up in my brain in the form of a newsletter, I didn’t believe I could keep writing consistently and respect a schedule, week after week, month after month.
I may sound like a broken record, but pursuing personal projects has always come as a great struggle.
While I am incredibly skilled at helping others thrive, I am quite unsupportive towards myself.
The root of the cause is a mystery I have yet to unearth, but thanks to this weekly exercise, I have made gargantuan improvements in the field of believing in Naomi. Therefore, before I delve into today’s topic, I wanted to extend my gratitude to all of you that are on this journey with me.
It’s been some challenging (the good type of challenge, the kind to motivate you to keep going) weeks, but nonetheless, it’s a pleasure to continue writing for an audience.
The month of April was pretty busy. Between flying to New York, completing projects on the go, coming back to Europe, and traveling with my mom, I had very little time for myself.
This rarely happens.
Usually, I like to start my day by reflecting. Reflecting on life, reflecting on where I am versus where I’d like to be, reflecting on my friends and the people I surround myself with.
They say we are what we eat, but I think it’s more realistic to say we are who we surround ourselves with. Relationships are vital elements of our existence, but they can be extremely detrimental if not vetted correctly.
My extended network of acquaintances has always been fairly large, but I keep my circle tight as they say.
Yet, for the past few months, I have been feeling the need to rethink the way I spend my time. Both privately and professionally.
I discussed this in one of my past essays, but the process of evaluation has continued to take place since.
I feel like I am going through a second Spring of life.
The first one happened when I came of age and emancipated myself from the care of my parents, moved to Los Angeles to pursue my college studies, and somewhat flourished as an adult (not free from mistakes and silly behaviors).
What I am experiencing now is what I thought would happen on my 30th birthday, only it’s happening a couple of years later.
It’s an odd shift – subtle, unwarranted, almost spiritual.
I didn’t set out to “change”, even though I did take some measures to placate my insatiable anxiety and inner turmoil.
The new year brought a slow, yet steady, improved stream of consciousness characterized by an unprecedented peace of mind, so powerful that I barely have the words to describe it.
It’s like I had been living like the depleted NBA players in Space Jam for a couple of years. Striving to do, but unable to act. Finally, my own Spaulding arrived and whatever weight that was on my shoulders was lifted. I feel invincible again. So much so that for the first time in my life, I have thought of a project and taken the steps to make it happen without an inch of doomsday thinking.
I let go of the fear of muddy waters; conversely, I am now ready to hop on a boat and face the storm even if it’s impossible to spot the land on the other side.
For a long time, I had been fixated on reaching my goals without seeing how wanting to get to the finish line as fast as possible burned me out and stopped me from enjoying the journey.
I was getting in my own way, as if I tied the laces of my shoes together but claimed it was the hurdles on the road that hindered my progression.
I don’t mean to go all introspective on you, but I think I finally learned what it means to be grounded. Not so much in the sense of establishing a solid base somewhere, more like taking events as they happen, analyzing them, and then discarding whatever isn’t self-serving.
I guess Marie Kondo’d my life? If it doesn’t spark joy, let it go.
All jokes aside – I think that’s a quite superficial approach – I began processing my wants and needs differently; more objectively I would say.
A new season has started. An era characterized by positivity and optimism, action and agency over my desires.
To officialize it, I decided to dust off my endless list of “things I want to do” and took the necessary steps to get the ball rolling on three of them (I’ve never been an underachiever).
This is to say, the format of this newsletter may change in the future as its purpose was served.
I proved to myself I could start a personal project and also finish it all on my own. Hooray! I overcame the idea that nobody wanted to read my stuff. Hooray, pt.2! And I proved to myself that, after all, I am a writer!
I may reduce the number of personal thoughts I send out monthly to make room for My Father’s Project as my schedule fills up with the rest of the stuff I am pushing the gas on.
The reason being the fact that I have not dedicated as much time as I would like to it and I definitely need to spend more hours researching about his life, interviewing relatives, and unearthing my family’s dirty secrets.
NEWS FLASH! It turns out, writing a book is not as easy as it seems when you are reading great literature.
So, as I figure out what the future of Things I Thought About looks like, please bear with me.
If you are a free subscriber, well..thanks for reading my rants. If you are a paying subscriber, thanks for paying for the coffee I need to stay awake when I am writing. You won’t regret supporting my endeavors, I promise.
To everybody, thanks again for making me believe in myself again and again and again, week after week since December 2021.
Things I think people should be aware of:
Creative Block, Temi Coker’s newsletter.
Fifty Essays for a Brighter Future, The Monocle Companion.
Climate Change, Season Zine’s latest issue.
Saint Eido, a great football inspired brand from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mirchi, a delicious rum brand based in London.
Man I just turned 30 last December so I 100% feel you on all this. There this confidence I have now that whatever I want to do I just have to do it. Whether I fail or succeed it's all about that journey. Excited to have found this newsletter when I did because your writing and words have been so refreshing. Wishing you the best on all your endeavours! & Thanks so much for the shout out!
I really enjoyed this one, Naomi.
It's great to hear that you've accomplished your goals and are now ready to focus on writing your book, sending lots of energy your way. We'll be here cheering from the sidelines as you share your Father's story and thoughts with us :)