The worst thing anyone can do to themselves from my perspective is not appreciate who they have become. Especially when they have put a lot of effort into their growth. There is proof, be it tangible or intangible, of their consistent grind and loyalty to their work but…they fail to acknowledge it for one reason or the other. There are so many reasons why a human being would devalue their efforts and fall into the endless loop of comparison. However, I cannot begin to mention them one after the other given that human interpretation varies by experience and belief systems.

It is Workers’/Labor Day and every country has their own way of celebrating this holiday. My mother was telling me that in her time, there was always a parade for the workers and the governor of the state she resided in then as a student would attend this parade. A mini fair where every man or woman with an expertise in a field would display what he or she have become so far. From the description and the movie that played in my head, I was certain that I would have loved to be a part of that fair or experience it someway.

There is always something to learn or experience from being in the midst of people or seeing new sights. I keep emphasizing on the habit of learning even if it sounds cheesy and generic mostly because I am nothing but a student in this big wheel of life and there are days that I wish I could wake up a fool for the sole purpose of learning all over again. It is physically impossible to discard knowledge totally but it is possible to forget and that is what I tend to do often; forget. I know that going back to who I used to be is not possible and I don’t even want to. What I want is to wake up every single day like a child who knows nothing and wants to learn something new. I crave it so much.

However, whatever the cycle and discipline, it does not matter when I fail to acknowledge how much I have accomplished. I, like every other young girl in my shoes, have a habit of measuring my success by what I see around me. I always have to remind myself of where I am coming from and how large the difference is between my peers and I. Easier said than done though. Which is why today, being Workers’ Day, I took some time to appreciate myself for how far I have come. I will tell you now that it was not easy at all telling myself ‘You have tried’. Nope.

Which is another thing that has gone into the box of my learning mind. No matter how much we shout self-love and self-care, it does not count until we actually take steps towards this and believe that we are worthy of our own time and effort. It sounds so bizarre even as I type this that there are people (like me) who do not believe that they are worth their time and as such, put every other thing above themselves which eventually would lead to a crash and burn.

I will not go into details of how to love yourself. Everyone must embark on that journey alone. They must find the answers with no ones’ help. Which is the scary part of it all. I am not the type that waits for people to get things done especially when it is something I have conviction of but the thought that I have to face this season of my life alone because there is absolutely nothing anyone else can do for me apart from giving moral support is quite alarming. This also means that the moment that defines what my future would look like has been set in motion and the choices I make moving forward is as critical as a baby’s butt covered in red rash.

With all this said, I summarize by saying that our lives and selves should come forward when necessary because relationship with ourselves is the key factor to finding out who we are, what we want and what we are called to be.

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All Images are mine