Hey Sisturr!
Welcome to November!
But, just before I go on to bluff about how November is gonna be, let's talk a bit about October!
It was indeed one hell of a month!
Remember the things I told you I wanted to achieve in October, right?
Put myself out the more - grow my personal brand and School of Digipreneurs.
Be very committed to content marketing for my job at Ohmstech.
Be intentional about my LinkedIn presence for all weekdays in October… nonstop!
Get three clients for my social media management business.
Hold four live sessions with the Badass SMM Academy (BADSMMA) and make them badass social media managers.
So yeah, in October, I was able to successfully:
Post every work day on LinkedIn (but none of my posts went viral 🥲)
Host 3 live sessions with about 8 aspiring social media managers every Friday at 8 pm. I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions.
Unfortunately, I couldn't land the international clients I wanted for social media management gigs… but somehow, I was able to prepare myself by:
Revamping my CV
Working on my portfolio site (using Canva)
Optimize my Instagram page.
Set up my Selar storefront.
I've still not been able to land that dream job that would pay me $500 or more. But somehow, October presented a good lead. I interviewed with a recruiter looking to hire a professional writer for a $600-2000 gig.
Let's pray it falls through.
I bought a new phone
Something I'm really grateful about in October was that I was able to buy myself a Redmi A10 smartphone.
Yeah, baby!
70,000 NGN well spent!
How did I get money to buy the phone?
Remember the UK company I told you I worked for in August that laid me off without compensation in September, somehow, the Marketing Manager reached out to me towards the end of September to work on a 30-day content calendar for a certain brand.
She reassured me her company was going to pay my half-month salary.
Thankfully, after I completed the task she needed my help with, she made our agreed fee and also transferred my half-month salary.
I couldn't believe it 🥺
Changing my phone has always been something I've wanted to do.
As a social media manager, having a very good smartphone is a necessity, not a luxury.
My previous phone was bought by my ex-boyfriend (Afam). He bought it as a valentine's present on the 12th of February, 2021.
It was a Tecno Pop 2F. Nothing too fancy. But I used it for Everything!
Guys, it hits very differently when you buy stuff for yourself and someone else buys it for you.
This phone is the most expensive thing I've ever bought for myself, and I'm so, so grateful to God.
My Onku sent me 10K 🙈
So after buying my new phone, I had to fix a screen guard (1,000 NGN) as well as do some security set-up on the phone (that cost another 1,000NGN). I bought a phone pouch, and everything shot up to 5,000NGN.
After buying the phone, all the money I had was exhausted. But somehow, my dad's twin brother sent me 10,000NGN for the very first time in my life.
I couldn't help but be grateful 🥺
Although some needs came up and took the money almost as soon as it came, I was still grateful.
My roommate fell ill
Another event October presented was the ill health of my roommate.
This made me spend a night at the hospital, and plying the road to and fro for 3 days from Choba all the way to Stadium road (Save-A-Life Hospital).
Visiting that hospital and seeing people experiencing different forms of sickness made me grateful for my health.
Most times, we get so disturbed about our lack of finances and almost forget that we have the most important thing (good health).
She got discharged 3 days later and feels a lot better.
On Wedding Bells and Babies
October was one month with lots of news about people really close to me getting married and having babies.
First, it was my best friend from secondary school Divine Favour who announced her engagement on Facebook.
The traditional and church marriage will be happening on the 26th of November and the 3rd of December, respectively.
Seeing pictures of her and her fiance bought me really close to tears!
It reminded me of our childhood, all our moments together, and how many heartbreaks she experienced from previous relationships before she finally found “The One”.
As much as I was really happy Divy Favy (as I fondly call her) was getting married, there was a tiny voice in my head that said “Damn! You’re such a big failure, girl!”
Divy and I are agemates. We are exactly one month apart - she was born on the 22nd of October and I was born 22nd of November.
Divy and I left secondary school on the same day.
Somehow, Divy is already a graduate of Abia State University (ABSU); and somehow, I’m not a graduate yet.
Divy is engaged and would be getting married in a couple of weeks, and I’m not even in a relationship at the moment. (My relationship of almost 2 years ended in May).
But somehow, I had to snap myself back!
Comparison is a thief of joy!
Even though Divy and I might share a lot in common, we are not the same, and our paths are different too.
As if Divy’s engagement was not enough….
One of my best girls from Secondary School too, Chika Kalu by name, who got married sometime in April, welcomed her first child - a bouncing baby boy.
I was honestly, so happy for her too!
Again, my younger cousin from my maternal side also got traditionally hitched to her boyfriend of a while now.
Girl is only 21, but somehow, she seemed to have found the one for her.
Although I couldn’t attend, seeing their beautiful pictures gave me goosebumps.
Another very exciting piece of news October presented was talking with Remitta after a really long while, and hearing she put to bed about a month ago.
I was honestly happy for her too!
Remitta was one of our Figure-8 Sisters! She was the first lady that invited us to her marriage and now, she had given us our first “Figure-8 Baby”.
What turning 23 means to me
As I already mentioned, this month, I’d be celebrating my 23rd birthday.
Like for real… Where exactly did the time go?
Just yesterday I was 5 and 10, and now I’m a whole 2 and 3…… wow!
Life hasn’t gone exactly the way I was told it would.
16-year-old me would have thought that at 23, I would have:
Graduated from the university with an MBBS, on my way to becoming a Psychiatrist.
Been in a serious romantic relationship with intentions of getting married in a year or two.
Been richer than I am now.
Unfortunately…
Life always has bigger surprises for us!
As I turn 23 in a couple of days, I’m grateful for life, for health, and for all the beautiful things God has planned out for me.
I know 23 will usher in a new season of my life!
Please on the 22nd of November, I want you to send me love notes. If I haven’t your life in any way, I’d love to hear!
Will you do that for me? I’m sure you will.
Do I have a birthday wishlist? Of course, I do!
I need a job that pays me between $500 to 5,000 monthly.
I need a brand new HP Laptop.
I need a complete overhaul of my wardrobes (Jumpsuits, Trousers, PJs, lovely gowns, shoes…. I want!)
As I’m turning 23, I need to remind myself that I’m in no competition with nobody. The only person I’m in competition with is who I was yesterday.
I’d love myself more. I’d forgive myself more. I’d give myself rest, and be the best I can be to myself.
In spite of how old you are, or how much you think you haven’t achieved, you too should!
Cheers to a super-productive and jollification NOVEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!
Love and Light,