January lessons captured in 11 quotes and illustrations

As we wrap up the first month of the year, I look back at the things that piqued my interest. There are certain things that will capture your attention when you see them - either opening your eyes to a new concept or reminding you of what you may have forgotten.

Whilst scrolling through social media during January, these are quotes and illustrations that caught my eye and made me stop for a minute and think. I'm sharing them in the order I saw them - take note as to how they tell a story...

This was my first screenshot of the year - saw it on the second of January. And by all means, I felt I’d seen this at such a perfect time. When I look at the last couple of years, life has truly been a rollercoaster: I’ve questioned whether I’m on the right track, when the big break would come. Tears during times when it seemed like God was not with me in the valley. Hopes and dreams deferred because timing and resources don’t allow. But seeing this reminded me of the story of 7 years of famine followed by good years of plenty. It reminded me that as I toiled, and planted, some of the seeds have fallen on fertile ground and it’s only a matter of time before they start blooming. Seeing this restored my sense of hope to the harvest I will witness in this new year.

I’ve seen evidence of consistency yielding desired results in my own life. This quote reminded me of the importance of being consistent in pursuing things that my heart desires. Developing consistent habits is important here, in addition to the spirit of determination. I believe that determination fuels one’s consistency. So I had to stop and ask myself “Refilwe, how determined are you to reach your goals?” You can ask yourself the same question and reflect deeply on it.

This quote by Aristotle echoes a similar message to Peter Moser’s quote above. Our habits define the kind of people we turn out to be, the kind of life we lead, and paints a picture of what our future may look like. To excel in all facets of life, we should practice the habit of excellence even in the simplest of things that we engage in.

I picked this one up from LinkedIn because it echoed the sentiment of one of my January reads which focused on Leadership. A reminder that we should treat people in ways that impact their lives positively and not negatively. A reminder before the world of work started, I must be mindful of how I treat ALL people I come across.

I agree with Socrates when he said, “to know thyself is the beginning of wisdom. I continuously “preach” the importance of working on oneself. It is only through this personal work that you will get to meet who you really are. Continuous  Personal development is vital in this regard. By not knowing who you are, you relinquish control over to others to define who you are. Work on yourself to regain control.

NB: Don’t let everybody else tell you who you are!

Out with the old, in with the new! It’s easy to say these words but putting them into practice requires some stretching - a not-so-fun process but very rewarding. Over the years, we develop good and unhelpful habits, beliefs, ideologies, etc. These things hoard too much of our soul space, leading us to live unfulfilling lives. We need to get into the habit of decluttering our spaces - physical, emotional and spiritual, so we are able to step into the light we carry (have you read Michelle Obama’s book yet? I still need to get it).

At first glance, this tongue in cheek made me chuckle a bit. Firstly, because this is my kinda weekend but mainly because of how often I’ve use my own frame of reference to respond to things only to find out that I’m wrong 😅. I know I’m not alone in this. I’m learning and practising curiosity - so I try to ask more questions and and question my assumptions. The point of conversations is to hear each other and probe more. This does not only broaden our worldview but equally builds intimacy in relationships. So let’s stop being assumptious and practice curiosity by asking more.

Hehehe 🤭 sometimes we really do sweat the wrong stuff. In the spirit of moving forward swiftly, working smarter and being effective, we need to continually assess if the efforts and tools we are using will yield our desired results. It’s like praying for years for something that’s misaligned to God’s will for your life. The energy, time, resources you invest need to take you to the next level, otherwise, you will toil and grow weary unnecessarily. Make an assessment today to determine if there’s

alignment or congruence in your processes, systems or personal journey.

I absolutely love Liz’s illustrations! This one reminded me about how I tend to feel when I’m faced with hard seasons. There are some seasons that just feel heavy and weigh on us like they won’t pass. Truth is they do pass and when they do, we feel lighter and refreshed, even inspired to tackle the next tough season with renewed vigour. This illustration is a true reminder that not all that’s burdening us will do so forever. Step forth in the new month with HOPE ✨

Every time I read this, obedience kept screaming back at me. When inspired to do something, do not put it off! How many times has an amazing idea or thing come up for you and instead of either writing it down or doing it, you think “oh, I’ll remember that or I’ll do it later!”? Of course on many occasions the remembering doesn’t happen, it perishes right into the ether with all those amazing things and thoughts. Procrastination tends to drive us to put things off unnecessarily. What have you been procrastinating on that now seems to have past it’s expiration date? Going back to obedience, I was reminded to act on the things that God plants inside of me and not delay in actioning them to when there’s clarity or better understanding (or when I’m more convinced of the plan. Guilty 🙈).

This last one summed up the journey I’ve embarked upon. Although at times things aren’t as clear cut, I need to remember that the ebbs and flows of life present great opportunities for growth. The “I’m on the path” reiterates that although it may feel like I’m not moving, healing, progressing, etc. quick enough, I’m actually enroute and should not discredit the journey thus far. The journey to finding me is ongoing, therefore, I need to trust the process by allowing myself to be guided without resistance.

Which of these quotes and illustrations do you relate to? What is your interpretation of them? How will you apply them to your life in this new month? Keen to hear your thoughts ✨