Can I start by saying Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mothers out there. A couple of days late, I know. To all the women reading this, you are the foundation of our homes, your sacrifices are the reason we are who are today and we love you. I am thankful I got to see and spend time with my mum a few weeks ago when she came to visit. The older I get, the more I realize how much of a mummy's baby I am and my mum and I look insanely alike now that I'm older.

Your girl graduated !!! Mama I made it, class of 2018 was gooood? It just occurred to me that one of the biggest moments of my life should have been blog worthy or better yet, vlog worth. Truth is, prepping to that final day was an emotional and physical rollercoster that blogging was the last thing on my mind. There are some things people never tell you about that last push. Its exhausting, its exciting, its feelings of fear, hope and anticipation of a bright future bundled into one. Again, its good to remember that everyone is different but I can't begin to explain how anxious I was about everything coming together. 

Looking back, I could write a book about everything I've learnt about myself and the world around me in the last couple of years. One verse that resonated with me during my tough times was Ecclesiastes 3 v 1 

"to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" 

and I learnt to trust in God's timing. Which leads me to my topic of this blog post.   

With Uni finally behind me, the future holds so many possibilities for me. I'm excited about the rest of the year because I have so much I have planned in terms of my blog, my personal brand, my career and personal growth. 

I still need to figure out how to fix my comment section but your girl isnt tech savvy so if you can help, please drop me an email : slimthickdiva@gmail.com or dm me on IG: @that_slimthickdiva.

Birthday month, was good??*Nicki Minaj voice

I can never contain my excitement during this time of the year and this year is a huge milestone for me. Its like having a new year's celebration all over again, only that this time it's dedicated to my personal growth.I'm filled with hope for whats in store for me as I know the plans I have for this year and I cant wait to share and make them a reality by the end of the year, but don't worry, you will be a part of the process and I'll keep you in the loop.

Goal planning is my key to stepping into my new age with a vision. I know I can't do it all by myself so I am greatly dependent on Jehovah's guidance. Up to this point, a lot of my progress in life seemed slower than I would have wanted, but that statement "trust God's timing" is true. This year is about becoming and coming into my own. Last year I struggled to accept myself, and was dimming my own light so that it wouldn't shine brightly in other people's eyes that by the end of the year, I couldn't recognize who I was in the mirror. It has taken some soul searching, prayer and determination to get myself back on my feet and fight for what I want, regardless of what anyone thinks. 

ABOUT MY OUTFIT- I love skater skirts like a fat kid loves cake. Give me these anyday, anywhere and best believe I'll rock the life out of them. I've been so drawn to bright colors lately and this skirt is no different. I paired it with a poloneck top to bring to life a chic and classy look completed with a pair of pointy pumps from Zara. I'm sure you can agree that this month is starting off on the right note. Don't worry, I didn't break the bank. Both the top and skirt were thrifty finds so I spent less $15 for the whole look, minus the shoes of course. 

STOP DOUBTING MYSELF: This is where all negativity stems from. The moment you start thinking you are less than, or entertaining any thoughts that aren't building you, the journey to the black hole  starts. Its amazing that whatever you feed your mind manifests and determines how you lead life and can affect the decisions you make. Before you start doubting yourself, ask yourself "if not me, then who"

GOOD VIBES ONLY: say no to negativity. The more I think like this, I can testify that good things have been happening in my life. Even when negative situations arise, they seem smaller than I am and positive vibes attract positive results. TRUST ME on this one.

SAY WHAT YOU MEAN: Words maketh a man. I just came up with that one but nothing holds more weight than what you say to people. If you are unhappy in a situation and want out, speak out. If you want to say no, don't say yes so that people think of you as "nice". Be firm when you say the things closest to your heart and watch your life become less complicated. Never be afraid to speak up for yourself because at the end of the day, its YOURSELF you come back to.

COMPARING MYSELF: If you've been following me for a while you will know I always talk about how toxic a habit this is. My mum always reminds me that the sun and stars are different and shine at their own time. Just because someone else is making moves in their life, it doesn't take away from the progress you are making in yours, nor does it stop you from succeeding when you are destined to. So take a moment to appreciate where you are in life, water your own grass and grow.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: In everything you do, always be thankful. I couldn't help but think of how blessed I am to have woken up this morning, with my family still intact and I have food and shelter. Its the small things that really matter and sometimes because you are focusing your energy on secondary things and making them take first place in your life, you miss out on attaining your inner peace.

ABOUT MY OUTFIT:
I found it difficult to shop when I traveled this past holiday. My lack of patience and constantly being on the move left me unmotivated to do any form of shopping but my mum came through with this banger of a dress. She brought it home from a Zimbabwean boutique, whose name I ended up not getting due to my excitement. I literally grabbed the dress from her squealing with joy and safe to say, it was love at first sight. I paired it with my all time favorite Aldo shoes that were gifted to me a while back. 

My year officially starts in February, the month of love and celebrating black lives. Its never planned really, but lets be honest, January is only ever kind to a few of us. I hope your year is going great so far and you are heading in a positive direction. 

1. Plan, plan, plan- this helps you stay in line with your vision for the year, your resolutions and to stay focused.

2. Pray-  Have you ever been in such a binding situation where you have no clue how you'll make it through and Jehovah comes through for you? Be a woman with a plan and prayer. always.We are in constant battle with so many situations in life, internally and externally and prayer always paves the way for me.

3.Start your day early- This was a huge challenge for me last year because I'm not a morning person..at all!! However, beginning of this year, I decided to challenge myself to do better and be better. Let me tell you, Waking up early is the best possible way to start your day. No matter how tired you may be feeling, by the time your get your day going,you are energetic, do a lot more and can actually squeeze in time to have breakfast

4.Stop procrastinating- Simple as that. Do what you need to do when it should be done. Truth is, the moment you write off a task for "later" chances are later won't come so don't play yourself.

5. Get healthy- I was at the crossroads last year as I was adulting. Binge eating was my go to coping mechanism because food..The results of this habit were not what I wanted. I gained weight in all the unwanted areas, which in turn affected my confidence levels and none of my clothes fit right. The icing to the cake was how tired I always was, having to drag myself out of bed for literally everything. Since I've started working out and eating healthier, I'm more energetic, find it easier to focus and feel way more confident.

6. LOVE MORE- show yourself the love you want others to give you and spread the love around. When you feel good inside, everything else around you aligns itself to your energy. Don't get me wrong, you may still have some bad days here and there but for the most part, good vibes bring positivity. 

I hope this year is fruitful for you all and you can achieve the plans you've set in motion

xox

This is not a pessimist post, if anything I’ve learned the beauty of experiencing things to build character. I’ve learned that I’m strong enough to withstand anything that comes my way, that I have enough strength to fight even when I feel down and most importantly having a strong support system to always help me get back up when I can’t do it myself. I’ve learned to trust in God’s Timing because at the end of the day he knows the plans that he has for you, never to forsake or leave you but to lead you in the direction of your destination. It’s very easy to get lost in the pool of comparing yourself, think lowly of yourself and undeserving of good things. But who are you to think lowly of yourself or unworthy when Jehovah says trust in me and he always comes through. My spiritual life has been tested and I have to say I’ve never felt closer to Jehovah than I do in this year. I wouldn’t trade anything that I’ve experienced because truth is had many good moments too: a stronger bond than I’ve ever had with my best friend [yes I believe in best friends], traveled, started learning how to drive and tried out a lot of foods ( the foodie in me was satisfied as I challenged myself to eating foods I’ve never tried before).