I have been a Boxer This Year

It’s very befitting that I am writing my end-of-year review in 2024. This narrative encapsulates the essence of what 2023 meant to me. At the onset of the year, I declared it as a season of stretching and expansion. However, one often underestimates the depth of such proclamations until they unfold. But 2023 was such a formative year for my life in the sense that I began to understand that there is capacity within me to do more than I thought I could do. There is strength within me to achieve more, to stretch myself, and to do even more than I thought I could.

For me, 2023 was the year that I stretched, and I began this piece by referring to it as the year that I was a boxer—not in a negative sense. I am grateful for all the experiences that I had in 2023. I’m grateful for how I’ve been able to stretch to see that the limit to whatever I can do is in my mind and I can achieve everything that I want to achieve in the year. I learned a lot about business, love, trust, and putting myself out there and asking for opportunities in 2023. There were some failures, some successes, and some stagnation, but there was movement and we could see growth, and I am especially grateful for growth in 2023.

There are a few things I wish I could have done better in 2023, but I am grateful because I know that I stretched. I was stretched to the limit and felt like I was boxing from one thing to the next, but I am grateful to be standing here and able to say, "Yes!, this was that year." Again, be careful what you wish for, because when I was writing this review in 2022, I said that 2023 would be my year of stretching, and I was stretched. Again, I am excited to be able to excel and move forward into what 2024 will look like for me.

What am I grateful for?

I am grateful for my faith. I wouldn’t know how much I needed my faith until I had to fight. Life came at me at such an amazing speed that my faith had to be the only solid thing that kept me together. There were times when I struggled with thoughts in my head, and months when I struggled with various thoughts from the enemy, but my faith was the strongest thing that kept me going, and God stood by me the entire time.

Sometimes I tell my friends that I feel sometimes God looks at me and says “yes, that boy beat that. Nifemi beat that” and that’s how my faith was very important to me.

Beyond my faith, the community of believers and simply being able to study the scriptures, listen to sermons and go to church, someone encouraging you, someone calling and saying they received a word for you are all important. I’m grateful for that because it helped me, sustained me, and kept me going when I couldn’t go on or fight back. I know I would not be here without my faith, and I thank God for that.

I am grateful to my biological family. They stood by me and sustained me in so many ways. They helped me, stretched their hands around me, and carried me. I mean it when I say I am blessed with the best family. We have been able to turn lemons into lemonade as a family, and I am grateful to God for that amazing family as well as my friends who have turned family, people I could run to and ask if they were praying for me. And I’m grateful because I could experience that passion with them. I could experience the entirety of life. I’m grateful for purpose and passion. Regardless of what it is, despite working, despite doing this, just being able to have this burning desire to see things created. This year, I released the Brag book, worked on Motley Inspires, spoke in multiple locations, and had The Salt and Light Experience, among other things.

We are grateful because I had the opportunity to do amazing work. This year, I launched a social media consulting firm, and we are grateful to all of the clients who came and all of the people who trusted us to deliver. There have been many other experiences this year that we are grateful for because having a sense of passion and purpose is an amazing feeling. It’s something that drives you and keeps you awake, and I am thankful for each one of them. It can appear daunting and demanding, but I am grateful that these things have kept me going. I’m grateful to be able to write as well. Writing, whether in my journal or on Substack, seems to be an outlet for my emotions. This year, being able to put words on paper has been beneficial to me, and I am thankful for that as well.

I am thankful for all the ministries I have been able to serve in, from founding the LifePointe church in Yaba to Surge ministries and various conferences I have attended. I am grateful because you rekindled my passion, gave me purpose, and showed me that anything is possible. 2023 was a high point for me, and you kept me going. I am grateful for the new experiences we have had, and I am grateful for the strengthening of our faith that has resulted from the birth of these ministries.

2023 was an amazing year for me, and I am grateful because I was able to propose, it was the year that I saw God's fulfilment in my life come together. I am grateful for my babe, the pillar of support that God has given me, and I thank her specifically because she has helped me figure things out even on days when nothing makes sense.

I’m grateful for new beginnings and exciting times. I’m grateful for growth and starting over. I am appreciative of this wonderful experience, 2023 has taught me a lot, and I am looking forward to what lies ahead.

So, 2024.

As I contemplate the theme for my journey through 2024 — “Better” and the profound imagery of being carried on Eagle’s Wings—I'm reminded of a declaration I made in the dawn of January. It was a simple yet profound choice: “I and God in 2024, or God and I in 2024.” The essence lies in the acknowledgement that, in this new year, I desire not to navigate it alone but to surrender, allowing God to carry me on His majestic wings.

The imagery of being carried on Eagle’s Wings encapsulates more than a mere metaphor; it’s a profound spiritual stance. As we soar together, especially through the thick skies, I find reassurance in knowing that God’s Spirit supports me. In 2024, my pursuit is not just for personal growth, but for a deeper alignment with divine purpose.

The core of my aspirations for this year lies in obedience — a commitment to heed God’s voice, to listen intently, and to be guided by His divine will and instructions. In this journey, I seek improvement, not necessarily in launching new ventures, but in enriching the existing ones. My businesses, careers, and personal growth are yearning for a depth and structure that can be conduits for blessing more lives.

Beyond the external pursuits, I yearn for a transformation within. Character refinement takes center stage as I embark on the mission to become a better version of myself. Shedding the weight of past pains, I aim for a renewal, a rebirth that transcends the temporal and embraces the eternal.

The anticipation for 2024 is not rooted in a mere hope for personal success; it’s anchored in a deep dependence on a strength surpassing all I know. I am excited because I’ve chosen to place my dependence on God, trusting that, if centered in His will, this will indeed be a year of extraordinary manifestations.

So, here’s to the journey ahead — an exhilarating adventure into the unknowns of 2024. Here’s to the partnership of me and God, where His wings cradle my aspirations, dreams, and endeavors. 2024, it’s not just a year; it’s a covenant between a willing soul and the divine orchestrator of destiny.

Let’s go