A glimpse into me.: A Month of Reflection

A glimpse into me.: A Month of Reflection: Day 1 Today is the second day of December. I initially intended to start writing this on the first day but as with most things school/ w...

A Month of Reflection

Day 1

Today is the second day of December. I initially intended to start writing this on the first day but as with most things school/ work got in the way. I will try to put two posts up today. For the month of December which happens to be my birth month, I will post something I am grateful for each day or important lessons that I have learnt. As well as thoughts that sum up my year. I do not live the most interesting life. Its actually decidedly boring because there are no great adventures to recount but I hope that the stories that have touched my life and shaped my view point will speak to you. 

Today I am thankful for the gift of life. The events of the past month or so have reminded me that waking up each morning is not a given. In the last few weeks, young, energetic, healthy people all within my age bracket have died suddenly. Here one minute, gone the next. This got me thinking. I am not better than any of those people in anyway and there is definitely no reason why I am here and they are not. I am not entitled to be sitting here writing this. The world does not owe me anything. That I am here writing this is a blessing and one that I must not take lightly. It is amazing how we all make plans and talk of things to happen in a week, months or years time, often without realising that none of us is guaranteed that will be alive in the next minute. I started to ask myself what the gift of life each day meant to me. This is what I came up with. 

Each new day I get to be here is a new opportunity to be better in every way. For me, that means a new opportunity to be kinder, more compassionate, less judgemental, more understanding and more loving. To be a better person and a better friend to the people in my life. Some days, I do better than other days but each day I am here is a chance to be better. And I intend to take that chance and run with it. This I believe is the most important calling in life. There is nothing better than being a good human being with emphasis on human. Your faith or riches or education or possessions mean nothing if you are not capable of, nay willing to be human. It just is irrelevant.

Its a new opportunity to be better in my career. To think deeper about my research. This year has been a very challenging year in terms of my work. I have learnt several lessons that I will happily share in detail in the coming days. But I guess all my lessons can be summarised into this one sentence: 80% of winning is showing up everyday and refusing to quit. Intellectually, I have always known this but practically living it and seeing the results have been a most interesting ride. So come walk with me through 2015. I pray that like me, you will discover that God's grace has kept you, is keeping you and will continue to keep you.

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 2

So yesterday, I spoke about how this year has taught me to strive to be a kinder, more compassionate, more understanding person. I have simply come to realise that people respond to you more when you treat them like you would want to be treated. More than anything we can give to another person, kindness and compassion happen to be the cheapest and simultaneously the most valuable gift. Think about it. When you think most about the people who have shaped your life, its almost never about who gave you the biggest gift but who was kindest to you when you needed it most. The stranger who smiled at you when you were having a horrible day and instantly brightened up your day. The friend who is always there with a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. That teacher that never gave up on you or called you names when you kept making the same mistake over and over again. The kind senior who always came to your aid when other kids picked on you. These are the people who are often etched in our hearts and memories.

Fact is, as a people collectively we have forgotten how to love each other. Look at the average family these days. No one spends time with anyone. We all feel its enough to throw money at our kids, friends and family. How often do we use the excuse of I'm busy when a friend needs our help? How often do we just ignore people because our reasoning is that it is not our problem? We all complain about the deplorable state of the world right now. We all want change but none of us wants to change.

We cannot be bothered to be each others keeper. But the truth is the only way things are going to change is if we change the way we care about each other. When you are kind to someone, you lift their spirits up and they are more likely to be kind to the next person they meet. By being kind we start a chain reaction that changes the life of so many people. The beautiful thing about life is that whatever we put out into the world always comes back to us.

So today I am challenging myself to be the change I want to see and won't it be awesome if you could also be the change you want to see. Can you imagine a world where we teach love, understanding, tolerance, kindness and compassion? Can you imagine the peace and joy we will all experience? Smile at a stranger today. Take time to remind some one you haven't spoken to in a while that they mean a lot to you. Help someone with a problem. Be a listening ear. You never know whose life you may be changing or saving. Let an encounter with you cause people to believe in the goodness of the human race once again.

I will leave you with this. The first few chapters have suggested that its an easy thing to do. This is not the case. There are people who will not appreciate your efforts. People who will ridicule you and people who will just be jerks and go out of their way to make it difficult for you to be kind. Be kind anyway; especially to them. Remember that each gives what they have. Don't change because of some jerk or be mean to someone and justify it by saying "my character is who I am but my attitude depends on who you are". Do not give anyone the ability to decide the way you behave because once you do this, you inadvertently relinquish the power over your life and happiness to someone else. I pray that like me, you will discover that I pray that like me, you will discover that God's grace has kept you, is keeping you and will continue to keep you. And His grace does not change based on pour actions. The way we treat others should thus be based on us and not anything they do. The true character of a person is determined by how they treat people especially those less fortunate than them.

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 3

"4.5 Grams of Pain: Message from the Morning Man.

First, find a sheet of paper. Any odd A4 sheet will do. Now, I want you to write the name of the person who hurt you on the sheet of paper. Just their name, nothing more. Done? Good. Now, hold the sheet of paper at arm's length. Stretch your hand out as far out as it will go. If you're not alone, and you're worried that it makes you look a bit silly, it's alright. This won't take long, and I promise it will make you feel better.

Now, the average A4 sheet weighs 4.5 grams. Pretty light, isn't it? I bet it feels like you're not holding anything in your hand. But, what would happen if you held that paper out in that position for one minute? Your arm would ache a little, wouldn't it? How about five minutes? How about an hour? I bet that would be unbearable. It would feel like your arm was about to fall off. The same 4.5 gram A4 sheet o! The weight doesn't change, but the longer you hold it out, the more your arm hurts.

How about holding it out for a whole day? How about a week? A month? A year? How long have you been holding on to that pain caused by the person who hurt you? How long have you relived the horrifying moment when your trust was betrayed, when your peace was violated, when your heart was broken? How long have you used that terrible incident as the reason why your life is the way it is today? Yes, I know it hurts, but it only hurts because you are holding on to it.

So what are you supposed to do? How are you supposed to get past the pain? Ok, put the paper down and I'll tell you.

That's it. You just did it. You just did the one simple thing necessary to get past the pain. Just let it go. All this time you have been turning this thing round in your head, trying to analyse it. Asking yourself all manner of questions; Why did he do that to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? She's my own mother, why doesn't she love me? It is time to embrace the fact that the answers to these questions do not matter, but the future does. Let go and move on.

Let go because there's no reason to remain in pain. Let go because those who hurt you are not worth your tears. But most importantly, let go because life is short, and you definitely don't want even one more minute of what's left of yours to be occupied by thoughts of someone who doesn't care about you. Let go and move on.

by Kojo Yankson"

Today, I want to talk about forgiveness. Fact is people are going to hurt you, annoy you, offend you and betray you. And yes, that includes even the people you most love and those you least expect to. The real issue is how you're going to deal with it. Often times we find we are so hurt that we feel we cannot bring ourselves to forgive those who hurt us. We feel a righteous indignation. I mean, they hurt us; we are entitled to be angry and no one has the right to tell us otherwise. 

The thing is, all that is true. But I have just one question; who does our anger hurt most? Who carries around the bitterness and hurt of this? The answer is you. Because like it or not, most people who hurt you usually go about their lives without a care in the world. Very very few of them feel any guilt or remorse. But you are left unable to move on, to live fully and direct your energies into maximising your potential because you're diverting so much energy into being angry at someone who could care less about how you feel.

The story above I feel summarizes everything I have learned about being hurt. Let go and forgive. It is not the easiest thing in the world. In fact you're going to struggle in the beginning but your life will be so much better than you could ever imagine. Sometimes, the world views people who easily forgive as "fools" or "pushovers". But the fact that you forgive someone does not mean you always allow them to continue to hurt you. You can forgive a person and move on without bearing a grudge but also not allowing yourself to be hurt in that manner ever again. The liberation from not carrying the baggage of past hurts and failures is more liberating than you would ever imagine and opens up avenues to truly live.

Whilst we are busy talking about forgiving others, it is important to forgive ourselves us well. There are many times we will fall short of our own expectations and become disappointed in ourselves. But a big part of letting go is giving ourselves permission to make mistakes. We must learn to forgive ourselves and move on. To hold ourselves to a higher standard and always try to be better. But on those days when things just don't work out, it helps no one for us to hold on to past disappointments and mistakes. All they achieve is holding us back and preventing us from realising our full potential.

So forgive yourself and forgive the people who hurt you; life is too brief and precious to walk through the earth miserable because you could not forgive. Like most things that are worth acquiring, the ability to forgive and move on will take time to cultivate and will be challenging to say the very least. But if you keep trying and stay the course, it gets easier and gets better.

I pray we each are able to cultivate the habit of forgiving people who hurt us. More importantly, I pray we find the peace that comes with forgiving and revel in it. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 4

Today I want to talk about counting our blessings. There are many times we feel like nothing is going right in our lives; we spend a lot of time praying and hoping for miracles. But I wonder if often times we miss the greatest miracles of all. The opportunity to be alive one more day. Think about the number of people who started the day with you but died before it was over. Or those whom you saw before going to sleep but somehow they did not wake up the next day? I am sure you will have a deeper appreciation for your life if you consider those that were actually healthy people, not just the old or sick ones.

How about the fact that you can see? or speak? or hear. What about the fact that you have full use of your limbs? How about the fact that you have access to food and water? Something millions of people do not have. You are not better and to be very honest, you haven't particularly done anything to deserve this. What you are is blessed. Little blessings and miracles we are often too busy complaining about what we lack or want to see.

So I challenge you today. See the miracles in the normal. See how extraordinary what is mainstream for you actually is. It truly puts everything into perspective and life is all about perspective. Count you blessings. Name your miracles. It would surprise you how blessed and full of miracles your life is.  May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 5

Based on yesterday's theme of counting our blessings, I want to talk today about gratitude. An attitude of gratitude. Counting your blessings has the added effect of making you grateful for everything you have. Yesterday, I said perspective is everything. This is true because when you realise how blessed you are, you develop an attitude of gratitude.

Having an attitude of gratitude can change you life in one major way; You stop focusing on what you don't have and concentrate on what you do have. This paradigm shift frees up the time and energy as well as cognitive space you devote to complaining. You suddenly have more resources to direct towards achieving your goals. You stop seeing yourself as a victim of your circumstances and start to realise that you have so much and if people can succeed with less, then you can definitely succeed with whatever you have.

An attitude of gratitude also makes us happier and less stressed. Really in the same way that it makes us more successful. Being grateful brings a sort of contentment and peace that ensures that we're not running around like headless chickens trying to amass everything. That our focus is not on what others have and how to get more than they do. Nothing in this life is worth more than peace of mind and to think all it costs us is to be happier. The health benefits of reduced stress is well known and is just like the icing on the cake.

So challenge yourself to have an attitude of gratitude every day. When things get crazy and you find you're spinning out of control. When you catch yourself comparing yourself with others and complaining about all the things you don't have, count your blessings and be grateful. There are millions and millions of people all over the world who will give all they have to have what you take for granted. An attitude of gratitude makes our lives so much fulfilling. Try it!!! I guarantee your life will be better. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 6

Today I want to talk about asking for help. I was watching some kids few days back and realised how simple it was (for a majority of them) to ask for help when they need it.. and even when they don't. Problem is as we grow, so much emphasis is placed on standing on our own two feet that we begin to feel ashamed to ask for help because we tend to equate asking for help with being helpless. And this is just for physical help. There is this feeling that we should be on top of everything we d. Go at it alone and prove we are capable. I have deep seated problems with this. 

When it comes to needing emotional or psychological help, well that's a can of worms many people just won't open. It is hard to admit you are not okay; It leave you vulnerable and exposes your weakness to others who may take advantage of it. Truth though, is that no one is always okay. Everyone has bad days and days they truly need help. Being able to recognise this moment is in itself a huge accomplishment. The real challenge though lies is asking for help.

There are always people looking to take advantage of you especially when you are at your lowest. However, there will always be those in your circle who have always got your back. It could be your mum, dad, sibling or friend. You may think what you need help for sounds trivial and be afraid you will be made fun off. But no one knows everything. Life in itself is a life long journey. And we only learn when we ask. I realise that especially for emotional and psychological needs, asking for help is much much more difficult but I promise you there are always people around you who need you and love you and are concerned about you. So please reach out and ask. Please talk to someone. Please ask for help. There is no shame in needing help. We all do at some point. That is a part of our humanity and it is a very important part. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 7

Today I want to think about the kind of people we are. Yesterday I talked about asking for help when you need it. Truth remains though, that in order for someone to ask for help, they need to trust and be comfortable with the person they are asking help from. They need to feel safe. How many of us can truly say that when others confide their deepest fears in us, we are not condescending or flippant. That we are kind and compassionate and understanding about whatever their concerns and fears are even if we do not understand it? Truth is we usually are not and tend to treat fears and concerns we don't understand as trivial.

A large part of 2014 and 2015 helped me realise how important empathy and not necessarily sympathy was. How important our response to a request for help was. And how often we make time to help the people who ask for our help. As a species, we tend to forget that we will also need help sometime and so why not help someone if you have the ability to? Chances are someone has helped you when you needed it and you are going to need help again in the future.

My point is, make the effort to help people when they need help. And when you cannot help at the very least do not patronise or make fun of them. When you do not understand why someone needs help with something that is routine in your estimation, remember it was not always routine to you. You needed help to learn and someone helped you. Encouraging people to ask for help when they need it means we must provide a safe environment so people can ask for help. We must be the kind of people we would like to seek help from. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 8

Life gets in the way as we grow up. Work, school, we start our own 

and it gets so busy that we no longer keep in touch with family and friends. People live in the same house yet have no idea how the other person is doing because we are always busy. Today the message is simple. Check on the people around you. 

"I am doing well" or "I am great" are the standard answers to the question how are you doing? Somehow no one responds with "Not too good" or "Not feeling too good" even if this in fact is the truth. This makes it imperative that we pay attention to the people around us. We need to pay attention to the way the sound and act and other little idiosyncrasies they have. That's really the only way we will know when they are not okay.

You know that friend who always calls you at least every fortnight to just chat? Check on them if they miss a call. Chances are, things have been hectic with them. But sometimes, every once in a while, it turns out that they are not okay and they don't know what to do. So be patient and listen. Problems become easier when you can talk through them. That feeling you get when you feel you matter to someone is a magical feeling that always stays with you. When you feel you matter, that people care about you and are there for you, whatever problem you have doesn't look so scary any more.

So check on the people around you, the people in your circle, your neighbours. Make time to listen, Be empathetic and understanding. You could literally be saving a life. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 9

Someone once said, "Friends are the family we choose". That is one of the single most profound statements ever made and today, I am thankful for my friends. No long prose, no beating about the bush. I have met some wonderful people who have made life easier to handle and go through. I am talking especially about the people who always have your back. Who make you feel safe. Who you can be vulnerable with and it is still okay. No need to pretend. These people know the best possible version of me. They also know the worst. Yet still, the love is unconditional no matter which end of the spectrum I am on, I know a lot of people, but I don't have a whole lot of friends who know me this well.

"True friends see the song in your heart and sing it back to you, when you have forgotten the words". In what has been a very topsy turvy year for me, I am blessed and grateful to have friends who have sung my song back to me on many occasions. My life is more beautiful because of all of these people and I am indebted to them

I could honestly write for days and days because I am truly blessed with wonderful people in my life. Reality is that, no matter how much I write, there are simply not enough words to fully convey exactly how much my friends mean to me. I don't have a whole lot of friends but I am grateful for the people who have refused to give up on me at my worst. The late nights and the simple are you okay? The we can do this now or not but if you need to talk, I am here. Best part is I didn't even need to make sense. I could blabber on for hours and they still listened. They were still there every time and I am grateful.

I remember saying no long prose and yet, look at me still typing. "Thank you" seems so inadequate yet so apt and truly the only thing I can say right now. What a year we have had. I pray 2016 is a better year than this one was. I pray that the grace of God continues to keep us. That no matter where we go or what happens to us. That no matter the storms and curve balls life throws at us you will always remember, I am here when you need to talk or when you just need someone to be quiet with. I am here when you need someone to be silly with or just someone to be serious with. No matter what you need or when you need it I am here. Most importantly, I am thankful, that you have been there for me in all these times. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 10

"Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, you are right" 

- Author unknown

I have learnt this year that my limits are what I believe them to be. What I can achieve depends on what I think I am capable of achieving. What I can endure depends on what I think I can endure. In the end, you have to want something bad enough to be willing to go all out for it.Nothing worth having comes easy. It always requires tremendous effort and sacrifices and a will and tenacity to keep going. 

Fact: Life is full of ups and downs, highs and lows. Sometimes you question why you're trying so hard. Reality: Giving up is easy and we are all tempted to throw in the towel at multiple times. We think to ourselves "nothing should be this hard". Wrong. It's hard. Always. But the difference between achievers and everyone else is dogged determination and an unshakable belief that they can. Achievers see the road blocks and think of how to go through it or plan a detour; either way, the net result is a move forward.

In 2016, the aim is to move forward. To look at my dreams and decide that as lofty and impossible as they look, I can achieve them because I believe I can. Because why not? Even the word impossible says I'm possible. And of course, my belief translates into me working as hard as I can to achieve my dream. After all, faith without works is dead. 

I pray like me, 2016 is a year where you believe you can. Where each day, you take actions that bring you closer to your dreams. Where you believe nothing is impossible, and because of this aim for the sun. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 11

Your circle matters. The people you choose to keep around you matters. 

Your circle refers to the people closest to you. you know, those people who know you best (sometimes better than you know yourself!). Could be friends, could be family, could be a weird combination of both; doesn't matter. You love them and they love you right back (at least you hope so). Truth though? People surprise you and everyone you know will disappoint you at a point. Most likely at multiple times. They are human just like you. This makes them flawed and if they really love you, it will not be an intentional plot to hurt you. But it will happen anyway. 

However in a world that is in constant turmoil and is as unpredictable as ours is, the best gift you can give yourself is to surround yourself with positive people. People that encourage you. People whose lives motivate you to be the best you can be. People who are kind and loving and compassionate. people who make you better. 

But often times we pick our circles based on what someone told us about a person or prevailing stereotypes of people we know. Get to know people. talk to them. Be kind and compassionate and all those other things you want in friends. Pay attention to how people act; the things they say and the things they do. You might realise that people aren't what they seem on the surface. That much like how you cannot know how good a book is just by the cover, who people are on the inside is much more important than what they look like on the surface. 

Choose people not because of class or religion or race or nationality or any such artificial classification. Choose people because they are kind and compassionate and empathetic and they encourage and motivate you to be better. Who you choose to keep in your circle matters so pick wisely. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 12

Accepting who we are. We all need to accept who we are. Understand that there is no such thing as perfection. We have flaws, and accepting and admitting this is often very difficult. I know for me it has been a loong loooong journey and I now understand one simple thing and this is my truth: I am far from perfect. And this applies to both physical appearance and especially character. And this okay... because no one is. As long as I am not hurting anyone or myself, that's all that matters. 

I am a sum total of complex characteristics, beliefs and values. Standing alone, they are good or bad and of themselves but together they make me who I am and determine whether I am good or bad. No one is all good or all bad. Just check even the prophets. They all had their flaws. What matters is this. After we add everything up are you a good person?  Do you strive each day to be a better person? Yes? Then you are alright and you're doing fine. you won't always be on top of your game. God knows you will mess up royally but if you stay the course and always try to be better than you were, keeping in mind that you are not perfect, then it will all be okay. And we all need to remember that.  May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 13

Accepting when we are wrong. Lets be honest; We all know when we are wrong but often times pride keeps us from accepting and more importantly admitting we are wrong. Admitting we are wrong means approaching the person whom we wronged, admitting it to their face and asking for forgiveness. Now this is risky and this makes it scary. It involves being honest with ourselves and then baring our soul to someone else all the while praying to God they choose to forgive us and not humiliate us. So its easier to take the easier way out. Don't say anything or don't admit anything and it will go away. Especially when we are sure the ones we offended will never know it was us if we don't confess.

But see here is the thing. If you have a conscience (and I sincerely hope you do), then it eats at you gradually and feeds your paranoia. It decimates your spirit and soul because you know you hurt someone. Here is the thing. There is a measure of peace and relief that comes with coming clean. Even when the other party does not forgive you or chooses to humiliate you, there is a peace that come with coming clean and apologising truthfully. Not apologising because someone asked us to but apologising because we are truly sorry for everything. 

So for the sake of our souls I sincerely hope and pray we work at learning to accept our mistakes, admitting our mistakes to ourselves and the people we hurt and then apologising sincerely for the trouble. If for nothing else, then for the peace of mind that comes with it. Trust me when I say its difficult but worth it. Ir is soo worth it. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 14

Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love, is to let them figure stuff out for themselves. When we love someone, we want with all our might to protect them and fight their battles for them. We want to make things easier for them and we want to give them the world. We wish we could take their pain and hurt and replace it with joy and happiness. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to do that but we only grow as people during difficult times. Adversity breeds character. And sometimes just stepping away for a moment to allow others to figure their own stuff out is the best thing we can do for them is to step back so they figure things out for themselves.

I learnt that sometimes constantly trying to do everything for people you care about harms them more than it helps them. They question their ability to accomplish even the most menial tasks because smothering them with all that help prevents them from exploring, knowing and pushing their limits. Which is the opposite of what you want to do. You want to make them independent, Teach them to push their limits daily and grow as people and be better people than they were yesterday.

So sometimes the best thing to do is to just be there. When the people we love know we believe in them to handle their own issues whist at the same time knowing we are always here for whenever they need us, then we are all stronger together. And we know that no matter what happens, they will always be okay. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us.

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 15

"Failure is a part of success and those that avoid failure also avoid success"

-Aurthor Unknown

Look at the most successful people in the world. The people who had nothing but a dream but find themselves today being successful what they do. Admittedly, success means different things to different people and it is never exclusively about money. So whatever your definition of success and whomever your role model(s) is  (are) based on that definition, look carefully at their journeys and there is a theme: They learnt how to fail. Often spectacularly. And it made all the difference.

They learnt that what we call failure is not really failure. It's more like temporary setbacks. No matter what you set out to achieve, be it a degree, a career, a business, even building what is your ideal relationship, there will always be obstacles in the way. And you are bound to take several hits before you achieve your aims. The operational words here being "several hits". There is never a straight, problem-free route to achieving our goals.

Successful people know this and they know that being successful depends on our ability to keep going even when times are hard. To take a minute and analyse our situation and re-map a new route if needed. Because taking a hit is never failure until we refuse to try again. Until we give up, we have not failed. Not at all. Setbacks mean that you tried and that makes you better off than anyone who didn't. So it's okay to have a few setbacks, take a few hits and need a minute to regroup. Just don't stop and don't give up. As long as you don't give up, you don't fail. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

  

Day 16

"Nothing lasts forever....not even your troubles

-Author unknown

Often times when things aren't going well, it's easy to lose steam and become disappointed and disillusioned. It's easy to lose hope. Especially when no matter how hard you try, you simply cannot understand why in heaven's name things are as bad as they are. It seems like its never going to get better.

The same applies to when things are going well. We get complacent and think the rosy phase is going to last forever. It's not. An argument with a friend or loved one, death of a friend, a car accident. Let's face it; Horrible things happen all the time to different degrees. 

So I cherish the good times and power through the not so good times. Most importantly, I strive to remember that i must not ask, "why me" during tough times. Until I begin to ask why me with the same intent during good times, it is unwarranted. No one has it easy all the time. Faith teaches me that it is going to be alright. As long as I don't stop trying and I keep pushing I am going to be okay. So i will remember that nothing lasts forever; not even my troubles and make the best of each day. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 17

Tell the people you love just how much they mean to you, every single day. No one is promised or guaranteed the next minute, talk less of tomorrow. i realise I tend to do this a lot and I know I am not alone. I assume the people I care about know I care about them. And because of this, I fail to remind them as much as I should that I do indeed care very much about them.

This year I have watched young, energetic people die just all of a sudden, out of the blue. It got me thinking about whether their loved ones got to see them to say goodbye before they died. Were they able to tell them they loved them? Were they able to say sorry for offending them or to accept an apology from them? If they did, good for them. But if they didn't, if for some reason that didn't happen, they will never get a chance to again. And it will haunt them. 

Sometimes we let pride get in the way of relationships. I know I do but I am working at it and those instances are becoming less and less. I am not guaranteed the next minute. So I know I am not guaranteed tomorrow. So I will love deeply and tell those whom I love just how much I do love them and what they mean to me. If I died today, that is what I would want them to remember; How much they mean to me. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 18

Loving someone means wanting the best for them but also for you. Sometimes this means waling away for the relationship. I am all for trying and fighting for love. Believe me, I am. But sometimes, just sometimes, you have to realise that all the fighting is doing is making both parties unhappy. If you love each other, you can walk away from the romantic relationship, no hard feelings because you know its for the best. You may even be able to stay friends. 

So fight as hard as you can and stay for as long as you have to or want to but when there are "irreconcilable differences", acknowledge them and know when you must walk away. In my opinion, walking away and getting some space may actually allow you to see the situation clearer and understand better. Who knows, you might just get back together and spend eternity together. If not you know walking away was good for both of you. It brought closer and you both leave with minimal wounds now than a whole bunch of them later.  That's my two cents anyway. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

  

Day 19

Distance yourself from people who make you feel less than. 

We all know people like that. You know, the people who seem happiest when they are tearing others. Two things worth remembering here; First, no one can can make you feel less than without you allowing them. What I mean is when people try to put you down, it only works if and when you believe the things they are saying about you. 

Secondly, people who make you feel small should have no place in your life. Not even for a minute. So treat it much like a spring cleaning. Anyone who derives enjoyment from putting you down and making you feel small should be taken out of your life. In fact since it's the end of the year, leave those people in 2015. And don't look back.

Don't get me wrong, people should be able to tell you when you are wrong; But it should be done with love and in a way that doesn't make you feel small an irrelevant. In the midst of all this spring cleaning take a close look at your interaction with other people. Do you knowingly or unknowingly make other people feel less than? If you do, now will be a good time to change. A very very good time. Remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. 

Get rid of toxic people; At the same time, make sure you aren't toxic to other people. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 20

Children Learn What They Live

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves

If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy

If children live with jealousy, they learn what envy is

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty

If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient

If children live with encouragement, they learn to be confident

If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate

If children live approval, they learn ti like themselves

If children live with acceptance, they learn to find love in the world

If children live with recognition, they learn to have a goal

If children live with sharing, they learn to be generous

If children live with honesty and fairness, they learn what truth and justice are

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those around them

If children live with friendliness, they learn that the world is a nice place to live

If children live with serenity, they learn to have peace of mind

With what are your children living

-Author unknown

Children learn what they live. Fortunately, or unfortunately, so do adults. We learn even as adults because learning is a life long affair. So live with things that make you learn positive values.  May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 21

A Creed For Those Who Have Suffered

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey
I asked for health, that I might do great things;  I was given infirmity that I might do better things
I asked for riches, that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all things
I got nothing I asked for; but everything I had hoped for
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered
i am, among men, most richly blessed

-Author unknown

I first came across this some ten or so years ago and wrote it down because it spoke to me on so many levels. Sometime this year, I came across it again and the message was still so relevant. Take home message we don't always get what we want. And that is not always a bad thing. It may take a while for somethings to make sense or for you to understand how important they are in making you who you are meant to be. But someday you will understand and you just might be grateful for the trials that got you there.  May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 22

I know I have already written about how thankful I am and how important gratitude is. But I was going through an old book and came across the following poem and just wanted to share. I hope you like it and it speaks to you like it did me

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire;

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something;

For it gives you the opportunity to learn

Be thankful for the difficult times; 

During those times you grow

Be thankful for your limitations; 

Because they give you opportunities for improvement

Be thankful for each new challenge;

Because it will build your strength and character

Be thankful for your mistakes;

They will teach you valuable lessons

Be thankful when you are tired and weary;

Because it means you've made a difference

It's easy to be thankful for the good things;

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings

May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 23

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives

-Jackie Robinson

At the end of the day when all is said and done what people will remember is the impression you made on them. How you impacted their lives and how you made them feel. So when you breath you last how will people remember you?

Will they remember a kind and compassionate person? A loving person? An understanding person? Will the thought that you are gone forever equally break their hearts because they will miss you and gladden their hearts because they are certain you are at peace in a better place?

Or will everyone be relieved they no longer have to deal with a difficult, narcissistic, hateful and mean person whose source of joy was hurting others? 

When it's all said and done, people will remember how you made them feel. Strive to make a positive impact. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

  

Day 24

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled,

or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

-Theodore Roosevelt

It matters less whether we win or loose. What matters more is that we tried and keep trying. If we win, then it's all good. If we don't then we learn valuable lessons that will help us in our next attempt. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 25

Be kind to one another

-Ellen Degeneres

Such a simple yet profound statement. Kindness a self propagating action. People who receive kindness tend to be kind to other people. And those who are kind to others invoke kindness to themselves. Be kind to the people you come across. The world will be better for it. And there is very little that will give your spirit more joy than the feeling you get from kindness. Try it. i guarantee you will agree with me. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 26

Don't miss the boat

Don't forget we're all in the same boat.

Plan ahead—it wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

Stay fit-when you're 600 years old someone might ask you to do something really big.

Don't listen to critics, just get on with what has to be done.

For safety's sake travel in pairs.

Two heads are better than one.

Build your future on high ground.

Speed isn't always an advantage, after all, the, snails were on the, same ark with the cheetahs.

When you are stressed, float a while.

Remember the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic was built by professionals.


Remember that the woodpeckers inside are a larger threat than the storm outside.

-Author unknown

Isn't it amazing how a simple Bible story we all heard as a child could have so many lessons to get through life? Simple and profound. I was reminded of this today and it totally brought me peace. i pray it does the same for you. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 27

When you are at the end of the cliff and everything seems difficult, trust God fully. 

Because one of two things will happen;

Either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly. 

Either which way, you're going to be okay.

-Author unknown

God's always got us. A fact we must never ever forget. Not even when things seem difficult, May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other. 

Day 28

When the birds learn to fly without perching, they forget that the hunter has learned to shoot without missing

-Author unknown

It is always important to remember that as we strive to be better, the curve balls life throws at us do not get easier. If anything, the better we get and harder we try, the faster the curve balls come. As long as we remember this, we can never be taken unawares. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 29

Be yourself; everyone else is taken

-Oscar Wilde

Or put a little differently, 

Who you are is enough, it will always be enough - it's more than enough

-Portia de Rossi

We must be proud of who we are. There is no need to pretend to be who we are not. Who we are is perfectly okay and we do not need to pretend to be someone else. Or change for someone else. Well, unless you are mean or hurt people in which case you should definitely change. Other than that, you are enough. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Day 30

Learning is a lifelong activity. Unlike school, life gives the test first and then teaches the lesson later. I have realised there is a lesson to be learned from every single thing that happens to us. And life will keep repeating the same situations until we learn the required lesson

Does the same thing keep happening to you all the time? Chances are that there is a lesson you need to learn that you are just not learning. There might be a need to take a step back and re-evaluate the situation. Ask yourself what am I failing to to learn from the situation? Everything that happens to you is designed to teach you a lesson; Your job is to make sure you learn that lesson and learn it well. That is what sets successful people apart. They learn life's lessons quickly and apply it. And it makes all the difference. May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.  

Day 31

My GOD has listened to me and answered me

it may not always have been the answer I wanted but it was always what I needed

for he said yes and gave me what I asked,

wait and gave me what I asked when I needed it most and when it would be of the greatest use to me and

HE said no and gave me something else, the best

2015 has been such a roller coaster of a year. I could swear school/ work was conniving to break me...or at the very least drive me crazy. I wrote the above quote 4 years ago to the day; It has never been more relevant. I have dedicated the last 30 days to talking about lessons I have learned this year and the things I am grateful for. Forgive me if I am sounding like a broken record; But grace has kept me and I am grateful. This post may become a little eclectic with my thoughts running all over the place. Also, might be a little long. I apologize in advance for the craziness.

I am in a better space today than I was when the year started. What a topsy-turvy turbulent time that was. It felt like every possible thing that could go wrong, did.....and then some. So many things happened that made me question everything I believed about myself. I doubted my talents, my path, my strengths, I began to think I wasn't good enough. And I am usually a very positive, optimistic person. So you can only imagine how bad things got. The thought of giving up moved from almost never being on my mind to constantly being there.

But no matter how tough it got, I stayed the course purely from habit. I like a challenge and simply have no practice with giving up. But more than my inability to give up, I was reminded every day of God's grace by my mother. My mother who calls me from across the world everyday to listen to me blab on and on about some rats who are not behaving. My mother who probably doesn't understand a word of what I am saying but listens anyway. My mother who remembers what experiment I told her I had to do ages ago and asks how it went. My mother is my very own chearleeding team and giving a thousand lives, I will still pick her. It's been a long road and she has always believed in me so much I cannot help but believe I can. So today is for both of us. Its  birthday celebration. I am her first child so I was basically the guinea pig for parenting. The guinea pig is doing great. She couldn't be more blessed. Thank you ma. There will never be enough words, nor actions I can take to show my gratitude. You are the best and I love you so much. Thank you.

I learn't this year that God has got me, When things start to get crazy and messy and I cannot see my way, I remind myself to "Let go...and let God". I remind myself of two of my favorite Psalms; 46 and 27. But more importantly, I remind myself that it has gotten crazy before and God never let me down. Somehow he put the right people in my life at the right time to hold me down and pull me up. Aside my mother, I've got some very amazing people who keep me grounded and who have been just heaven-sent  this year. I am grateful to them for everything, I usually don't do names in my posts because I like to tell them to their faces and they know how special they are. But for Nana Ako and Akshaya I will make an exception. Thank you so very much. My life is a song because you are in it. I am grateful I get to share life's roller coaster with you. So although I don't know how to give up, I have learnt to let go and Let God. Like I said earlier, one of two things always happen; Sometimes He gives me wings to fly; Other times He catches me when I fall. What is important though, is that no matter what, He always keeps me safe; He's always got me.

If this year has taught me one thing, it has taught me patience. It has reminded me of exactly what the quote says; that I will not always get what  want, but i will always get what I need. This seems to be my life's running theme. And so I am grateful for how far I have come. That I am still here. Still alive. That I have an opportunity to be better than I was even a minute ago. There are no words. There are truly no words. All I can do is give it my all. To push myself to the limit...and then push some more. I am more blessed than I have ever thought possible and I could not be more in awe of how far I have come. So my Psalm of thanksgiving (Psalm103) will have to do the honors.

So here's to another year and another turn around the sun. May grace and mercy be our constant guard and guide. And may every prayer receive an answer that will serve as well. God has been good to me. I cannot possibly ask for more. My life is beautiful because of all the craziness and not in spite of it. I am thankful for my blessings and i count them each day. And it makes all the difference. I am thankful to you for staying the journey with me,May the grace of God that has kept us, and is keeping us, continue to keep us.

p.s. As you may have noticed, I tend to like Psalms. Which is a little odd for a Muslim I know but they are so beautifully written and it is so easy to connect. 12 years of education on Christian schools and my takeaway was the book of Psalms. Stay blessed and much love to you all

Selah,

Mira

May grace, mercy and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.  

Conrad Sewell - Start Again (Lyric Video)

Eddie Floyd - Knock On Wood

Labrinth - Beneath Your Beautiful ft. Emeli Sandé

Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love [Official Video]

Ronan Keating - Scars

Colbie Caillat - Bubbly

Collin Raye - If You Get There Before I Do

Collin Raye - One Boy, One Girl

Go the Distance - Michael Bolton

lean on me

Jamie Lawson - I Wasn't Expecting That - Up

Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss - Whiskey Lullaby (Official Video)

Garth Brooks - Unanswered Prayers Lyrics

Chris Nguyen & Em Alves - "Aftermath" (CUPSI 2015)

Hilda Davis - "Springtime" (CUPSI 2015)

Sleeping at Last - Saturn (Lyric Video)

Jozer Guerrero - "Whoopings" (IWPS 2014)

Darius Simpson - "Genocide" (CUPSI 2015)

Stephen Meads - "The Tang Nebula" (IWPS 2014)

Shavontae Patrick - "Nothingness" (CUPSI 2015)

Sam Gordon - "A Mother's Hate" (TGS 2014)

Jovan Mays - "Black Like" (TGS 2014)

In The Embers - Sleeping At Last

Desireé Dallagiacomo - "Factory Defects" (TGS 2014)

"Maybe it's not supposed to be easy for you,

Maybe you're one of the rare few who can handle tough times and still choose to be a loving person.

Maybe it's going how it's going because you are built for it.

Maybe you still have time to choose to be different and God would rather slow it all down and frustrate you than to let it keep going the way it is and fail you

Maybe it's just your time to refine

Maybe the pieces are being put in position and 

Maybe it's not a test at all,

Maybe it's all being prepared for your good and rushing it could ruin it...

Maybe you're as different as you feel and 

Maybe you'll stay strong long enough to teach other people to feel the same about themselves.

Maybe we'll call it love.

Maybe this is just the way your growth looks and it's okay to accept that.

As long as you know you're giving it your all, and the very best of you, keep going!

Don't stress a thing.

It's going to work out because you're not going to stop putting the work in."

-@ROBHILLSR 

I found this posted on Jordin Sparks' instagram account today and it was such a lovely and timely message because I needed to hear it. On the off chance that someone else needs to hear this too, I'm posting it and hoping it blesses you and speaks to you too. Have a blessed day and week and may you be a blessing to someone today.

Selah, 

Mira

May grace and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

Desireé Dallagiacomo - "Break Like a Fever"

Arati Warrier & Jasmine Bell - "Resurrection" (CUPSI 2015)

Saidu Tejan-Thomas - "Play" (CUPSI 2015 Finals)

At an airport I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's departure and standing near the door, she said to her daughter, "I love you, I wish you enough."
She said, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."

They kissed good-bye and she left.

She walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his
privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "

Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Mom had done for me.
Recognizing that her days were limited, I took the time to tell her face to face how much she meant to me.

So I knew what this woman was experiencing.
"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?" I asked.

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral, " she said.

"When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?" She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."

She paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, she smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were
wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them," she continued and then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye..

I found the above post on facebook years ago and it touched me so much. If you have read my previous posts (I forget which one), I have mentioned "I wish you enough" and left it at that mainly because I could not remember the exact thing. Here it is in its entirety. To everyone reading this, I wish you enough. I wish you enough to make you a blessing and your life a blessing to others. God bless you. 

Selah,

Mira

May grace and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

"Crazy Youngsters" - Pitch Perfect 2 Official Music Video

"Don't confuse my character with my attitude. My character is who I am; My attitude depends on who you are".

So the above post is a very popular one on social media and I myself have shared it so many times I have lost count. But then I got to thinking one day and I realised I don't agree with the statement in its entirety. Why should my attitude depend on someone else?Its all me. By saying that aren't we justifying the people who respond to everything with violence? I mean if the above quote is to be believed, its okay to be violent in response to you if you annoy me.

At no point should I allow another persons garbage to ruin my day. I mean, isn't it a bit childish to say "but he did it first"? I'm not saying we should morph into saints who do not feel frustration or anger. I am asking that we teach ourselves the art of walking away. There are some people who just want to push you till you react negatively so they can proceed to tell the world what a horrible person you are. Don't give them the satisfaction.

I have come to realise that my character and  attitude does not depend on other people. I choose to treat everyone with the same respect, kindness, compassion and love, no matter who they are. For me personally, that is what humanity is all about. I pray that we are all able to learn to walk away. That very soon the quote will change and become " My character and attitude are the same thing and define who I am. You are not significant enough to cause me to change the essence of who I am".
May grace, mercy and abundance be for all of us. Amen and God bless.

Selah,
Mira.

May grace and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.

p.s. I came across this and I thought it was a beautiful quote whose message is similar to one I have shared before:
" Surrender to what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be".

I hope it blesses you like it did me.

Joseph Capehart - "Wolves"

Zedeka Poindexter - "Healthy"

Joseph Capehart - "Fire Escape"

Javon Johnson - "Building"

Happy Birthday Laila

Today marks 19 years for you on this earth and I could not help but look back. I still remember the day I first saw you in the hospital. I remember my first thought was why are her cheeks so big I can barely see her nose or lips. I remember how pissed of I was when you came home and everyone was fussing over you. I mean, I had been an only child for almost 8 years and I was used to being the centre of attention. All of a sudden, I was not. And I was mad. Maybe that's why we had a quite rocky relationship for a while. Never could get along, always fighting. But it is more than that. It is because we were so different in age that by the time you were growing up and probably wanted to bond, I was battling the psychological mess that is adolescence.

Enough about that. I think of today. I think of the beauty of the relationship we have today. I thank God for the fact that we talk more and yell less. That we are old enough to have disagreements and move on. That unlike some 5 or so years ago, we can hang and talk and just be. I don't want to sound like your mother (even though mama is amazing), nut I have learnt a few lessons along the way. And I would like to share.

1. Gratitude. Be grateful for life each and everyday. When you find yourself complaining about your life, count your blessings and start with the fact that you are alive and because of that simple fact, there is an opportunity to make it better and change the course of things. Be thankful for sight, hearing, hands, feet.  Those very simple things we take for granted and yet so many people do not have. Be Thankful. Being thankful for the blessings you have, both big and small, It puts life in perspective. It helps you see all your blessings. It helps you realise you can overcome whatever it is.

2. Forgiveness. Unforgiveness is like a cancer. It festers and it grows. It consumes you and makes you bitter and it hurts you. Fun fact: Unforgiveness only hurts you. See most times people who hurt you and never come back to apologise either are not aware they have hurt you or really just don't care. Forgive them anyway. Simply because not doing so means you carry anger, pain, frustration and so much unhappiness whilst they move on happily with their lives without a care in the world. Life is too short to remain unhappy because of anyone. Refuse to let anyone or any situation make you bitter. Do not allow anyone to live rent free in you head. Forgiving does not mean forgetting. Neither does it mean what the person did was right. It simply means deciding to choose yourself, your sanity and your happiness above all else. It means refusing to give anyone the power to control your happiness. Life is a beautiful journey you cannot fully appreciate and love if you are bitter

3. Love. Love openly and completely. Strength (not the physical kind) is imbibed by those who love openly, completely and unconditionally. Many people do not understand this because logically speaking, loving this way makes you vulnerable and makes it easier for people to hurt you. What they forget is that it also makes it easier for people to love you and because you understand what vulnerability is, you never intentionally hurt anyone even if that is the easiest rode to take. This is true strength.

4. Kindness and Compassion. These two I find go together. They together with love make the world go round. It is truly very difficult to practice kindness and compassion when you do not have unconditional love and once you have kindness and compassion, you begin to treat people better. You treat them with respect and you treat them how you would want others to treat you (Note that treating others with kindness and compassion and respect does not guarantee that they will treat you the same way. Do it anyway. It is never about them. It is about you). There is a joy and satisfaction associated with treating people with kindness because it brightens up their day which makes you feel good inside. It also starts a chain reaction because if they are happy, they are more likely to treat other people better and something you did, puts a smile on so many other faces. It is an amazing feeling. Try it. Be kind to everyone. Be kind to one another. Be a blessing in the lives of the people you meet

5. Faith and Determination. Another two things I find go together. Have faith that things will work out. Know that you serve a merciful God. Who does not give you more than you can bear. And just like the highest diamond has been formed from the greatest pressure, so all the difficult things that happen to you are designed to mould you into a better person. There are days that you will feel overwhelmed by everything. Be grateful for them and keep fighting for the dream  you keep in your heart (I hope you do have a dream. A vision you want to see happen. A picture of your future). The difficult times will teach you important lessons. Learn them. Life will keep repeating the lessons until you learn them. When something happens to you, take a minute to figure out what lesson you are supposed to learn and never forget it. When things are going well, enjoy it and be grateful that your prayers are being answered. Share the joy with those around you.

6. Friends. A friend is a person who understands your silence without you explaining yourself. You see, A FRIEND understands your tears and your smiles. Knows when to talk and when to listen. Tells you the truth to your face and defends you behind your back. Your friends understand you. They celebrate with you in the good times. But most importantly, they will never CONSIDER walking away in times a trouble. These people are only a few in your life. Treasure and treat them right. They are those that walk in when everyone walks out. You will have a lot of people around you who say they are your friends, that's okay. Have fun with them but learn those that are true friends quickly. Know whom to tell what. Your true friends are those people you know you can trust. Let yourself be your best friend too. Treat yourself right. Be as kind to yourself as you are to others. When it is time for you to make a choice about a soul mate, pick someone who is a friend in every sense of the word and who loves you and accepts you for you are. No one is perfect and take it from me, you can't change anyone so don't start thinking. " I will change him later". It won't work. Decide which flaws you can live with. Love him with all your heart but please, take your brain along with it. Love is not all about money. It is about love.

7. Believe. Believe in yourself and know your worth. And never settle for less. Do not let anyone diminish you based on your gender or anything else. I am not saying be arrogant or proud. I am asking you to carry yourself with the grace and dignity of someone who knows her worth, knows how hard she has worked to get here and is not apologising for being a success. Believe in yourself. No one is going to do that. The sky is not the limit, its the staring point. You have a whole universe before you. The storms will come. When they do, hunker down and don't give up. This too shall pass. They say winners never quit and quitters never win but you will find that there are things that are toxic so you have to let them go. Do not be afraid to do so. Never give up on yourself or your dreams. And in pursuing you dreams, enjoy the journey. It is infinitely more rewarding than the destination. Relax and know you can be whatever you want. And you can be excellent at it. Be excellent

8. Patience. Be patient when things do not go your way. It's okay. Patience is not waiting for something to happen. It is how you behave whilst you wait. Learn to smile through whatever it is. Thank God and keep the faith. It gets better. It always gets better. Again, Giving up on yourself and your dreams is never an option. Know that the things that happen to you today will lead you to the place you are meant to be. When you feel all doors are closed, Praise God and be thankful. Do your best and work as hard as you can. More importantly work as smart as possible. Your breakthrough will come.

9. Humility. A lot of people think humility is allowing people to walk all over you. It is not. It is actually recognising that everyone is important irrespective of their social standing. It is treating people with kindness and respect. It is treating people like they are human because your having more than someone does not make them less than. Being humble is recognising that all that you are and have is because you are blessed and not because you are better than others.

10. Integrity. Integrity is doing what is right even if it is not favourable for you. It is honesty and truth. Be a person of integrity that stands up for the truth. Be bold to stand up for what you believe in but never stop learning. Be open to learn new things everyday. You may find that the truth is not what you thought it was. Stand up for the truth even if you are the only one. The only thing necessary for wickedness to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

My life is perfect even when it is not. Because when I apply all these things, I realise that I am more blessed than I could ever have hoped for. My life is perfect even when it is not. I pray that you can get to the point where you can smile through your tears and say I am blessed for it is a truly great place to be. I don't always say this but I will say this today. I love you and I don't ever want you to forget it. Even when I am mad at you, I love you. I wish you enough. I wish you enough sorrow, joy, strength, weakness, trials, love, pain and good times to make and mould you into the best possible version of yourself. May God continue to bless and guard and guide you in everything and may the coming year be better than the past year in every way. I pray God answers all your prayers in according to His will for your life. I pray you have enough. I wish you enough. Happy Birthday Little sis.

P.S. Tell the people you love that you love them. Life is short and fleeting. It is worth more to them now than writing a long tribute after they die. Make the people you love know and feel it now.

Selah,
Mira

May grace and blessings never be far from you. And may love, kindness and compassion be the language with which we speak to each other.