It’s amazing how fast time flies yet also interesting how some things never change. I am old school….and I accept. I was born in an era where nothing got thrown out and was always repurposed. That is how I ended up keeping combs and hairbrushes in the first can of formula that I bought for my baby (she is all grown up now LOL). Despite the passage of time and the many things we have better and faster versions of, this one container escaped my attention for almost two and a half decades until today. I quickly reminded myself that it is because of how my late mother brought me up. She must be the reason why I still have this can … I mean, she taught me never to throw things out if they can still be used for something now or in the future. This is even though my own kids have beautiful brush holders that I bought for them, but no….my brushes squeeze into a quarter-century milk can.
Why did I notice it? I don’t really know, but perhaps because I was conscious and aware of myself, my surroundings, and the passage of time.
Yeah…. It’s been one of those immersive weekends. One where I took an inward journey to the little girl within and had many loving talks with her. I watched her, held her, loved her, and sat with her as she processed the raw emotions and brought up many skeletons she had locked away in the closet of her heart. She was vulnerable, but at the same time strong and beautiful in her element. It is in that awareness that I discovered how long I had kept a can of formula and wondered what (or who) else was no longer needed but was taking up space in my heart and life.
One may ask what triggered this. It is a book. Not just any book but one that speaks to the very essence of who we are. While I am not an advocate of brain-rotting on social media, I sometimes pop into IG to ‘just see’ what’s new. One of the pages I follow has book recommendations, and recently, they recommended David Deida’s “The Way of the Superior Man”. At first, I scrolled past because anyway….I am not a man and do not need to become a superior one at that, but something tagged at my heart. I decided to look up the book and liked what I saw in the reviews. I decided, man or no man, I wanted to read it. I am not even halfway, but my world is upside down. I have walked down paths of my life I never knew existed and caught up with parts of me I had long neglected. Irrespective of gender, this book is a must-read if you want to grow in self-awareness and soar to the highest and best versions of yourself.
One of the greatest lessons so far is the need to stop giving excuses. Who and what I am today is a sum of all the choices I have made in life so far. No matter the circumstances I went through, I am fully responsible for every choice I made (or failed to make). This was very liberating because now I could face myself, assess what led me to those choices, embrace the ones I do not regret making, and plan on making better ones in the case of the ones I chose wrong. I was not angry or in regret: I just observed, learned, and planned to do better. My heart is lighter, happier, and more peaceful. This exercise also called out the lazy me who was blaming instead of acting.
As I write this, I recall instances where my opinion was sought in one matter or the other, only to be blamed when things went wrong. I also do that sometimes…I mean, it’s easier to ask for advice then proceed to blame the one who helps if their advice fails, isn’t it? I now know that doing this is a weakness. If I receive guidance from others, then make a choice based on that guidance, the outcome of that choice is my responsibility. Ouch! I know! I also wish it wasn’t true, but it is. So yes…my dear, late mum is not to blame for the can of milk holding combs in my room. I choose to keep it.
As I journey through this book, it is apparent that my life will no longer be the same again. It will be better; I will be wiser, with a deep awareness of self and life. I am on my way to becoming a superior woman and am loving it! I am also eager to see what other outdated things, beliefs, or people I am holding on to rather than letting go, in addition to the formula can and I will be happy to finally let them go!
Here’s to a new, lighter 2026!
