My Christmas message for you: zoom out

Today is Christmas, arriving with all its feels and festivities.

I woke up, worked on some documents, stepped out to gather ingredients, and cooked one of the best jollof rice I've ever made. Arguably the best—loads of fried chicken too.

You know the usual ritual: eat till you're immobile, drink so much that it feels like it’s coming out of your nostrils.

Maybe a little music here and there, a few dances, just the usual stuff.

The outdoor junkies will step out, as it always has been, always is, and always will be.

But this year, things were different for me. Really different.

It started off in the usual way, following all those rituals I mentioned, but then things took a more soulful turn.

I reconnected with an old friend, and it brought an inexplicable feeling. I can’t quite put it into words. Was it the rush of memories? A really good friend from secondary school. That contact took me on a nostalgic journey down memory lane. Shout out to Snap Inc. (Snapchat) for being the catalyst for this experience. Memories from so long ago.

I watched and smiled until my cheeks ached, laughed until I had a headache, smiled again—those deep, warm smiles that make your eyes watery.

Life. Is. Incredibly. Somehow.

And there's nothing you can do about it. Life moves in stages. No matter how much a stage means to you, it will end. But that also means that the bad stages will end too. That’s how we know we’re growing. Of course, it depends on the individual. But even if you desire to stay stagnant, at some point, life screams at you to move on, in a way that even the deaf can't miss.

The motion can be sad, or it can be good, depending on what the stage is, but ultimately, it’s necessary.

So today, instead of being intoxicated with wine, I was intoxicated with memories. There were so many that I could almost feel my brain overheating.

Once I regained a shred of sanity, I muttered to myself, “Isn’t this what makes life worth living?”

We lose perspective sometimes, always caught up in the hustle and bustle of the now. But once in a while, zoom out. Pay attention to the things that matter too. Life can get lonely, robotic, even chaotic, but relationships and connections are what keep us grounded in this confusing existence. (Not going into philosophy—today isn’t the day).

When you zoom out, sometimes it means looking back. Journeying to the past gives you clarity on what truly matters. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re some Nietzsche reincarnate who doesn’t need relationships or connections. Shut up. Go get a medical diagnosis and come back for a discussion. Nobody on their deathbed asks to be surrounded by plaques, materials, or achievements. They ask to be surrounded by people.

In the midst of all the hustle and the scary pace at which life moves, my Christmas message to you is simple:

Zoom out.

Look around. Cherish the people in your life. Reconnect with those who’ve mattered to you, even if it’s just for a moment. Share this message with someone who needs to hear it today.

?#merrychristmas #merrychristmas2024