2018; THE LESSONS.

Life's full of lessons, a lot of them. 2018 was a year that didn't require me to pay a fee or get a uniform and an ID card before it schooled me. Of course, there was a lot of drama, there were breakthroughs, some limits were passed, and many dreams were fulfilled. I repeated some mistakes, recorded further failures at some aspects of life, and I'm still struggling hard to balance in some other aspects too. This blend of bitter-sweet ended up teaching me a lot of lessons, many of which I would still apply till I breathe my last.
Maybe someday, if I live long enough, I would tell a story about 2018 in a bigger picture, but as at this moment, all I want to do is share some of the lessons I learnt in 2018 in the simplest and shortest way I could possibly do. So, till you finish reading this, just give me your heart like I'm your partner, and consume what I've written like it's your best food and do your best in allowing your brain to digest it -- you're almost done, don't worry...

It's good to have dreams and sets goals, because that is how we grow. After all, you don't arrive if you never had a place in mind to reach. The trick about having dreams however, is that the mind is easily distracted. So, it is very important to always check oneself to see if one is still in line with their goals and if they're still following their dreams. Just keep your dreams original, as success has different definitions, and as long as you are real to yourself, and you work towards your dreams, the universe has its ways of helping you get what you truly desire. Just do your part and be careful about what you dream, what you wish for, and what you work towards.

Fam, life also taught me that the day you get all you ever wanted is the day you realise that it wasn't really all you ever wanted; you've always wanted more, just that you never realised it. This world is a journey and never a destination, and man can always be greater than how great he is at the moment. So no matter how much you achieve, you would always want to go for greater, and you should.

Life also made me realise that our failure isn't the end of us. You could fail so much and still make impacts as much as, or even more than someone who didn't fail. The society is good at letting us realise how much a failure we are, but it doesn't really show us how much success we can still be. It's then left to us to see with our teary eyes, the opportunities that are around us. Remember that you are an artist, and you can make beautiful art even with your broken crayons.

Again, one thing I learnt was that success requires even more hard work to maintain it. It feels good being on top and achieving what you've always wanted to, but the truth is that you can only remain at the top if you never stop putting in more work.

I also realised more, that the people you move with affect you more than you could ever know. For a good result, it's important to surround yourself with people who have the same mission as you. You should not keep someone who's addicted to an addiction you want to free yourself from, as your best friend. You should not pick a partner that doesn't grow when all you're about is growth... And yes, books are really good for the mind. Travel without moving, learn lot of things and feed your mind -- read books! It is very true that the people you move with and the books you read are the surest things to change you...

Life also showed the importance of family and friends. We need these people someway, somehow. Do your best in maintaining ties that do not threaten your life or development, and offer as much help as you can.

Life is always hard, and that's why I feel it wants to screw us always. We do not have the power to run from it, but we have the ability to always recover...

A thousand more lessons, but these are some of the lessons from 2018.

I hope you live a better life and achieve more in 2019.

Gun for greatness, mind your business, don't be unfortunate, don't give up, and stay awesome.

Koyum Kolade AFOLABI.
KK AWESOME.