Lessons from a binge watcher!

So here we are at the end, after binging the series, I have cleaned my room to get rid of that stale stench of laziness and unproductivity… you know the one that wreaks of someone who hasn’t left the house and has been in bed all day watching a series. I have also showered, oiled my scalp with peppermint oil diluted with coconut oil, and although I have a slight headache, blame it on the peppermint oil, I am ready to write…

 

Jane the virgin will forever be a classic for me, each episode brought up so many feelings, memories and led me to ask some very thought-provoking questions. Not to talk about the several social justice issues, and other socio-cultural norms that were challenged while the series aired. I meannnnn I saw myself in so many characters, especially the Villanueva women ha-ha… from Alba, a first generation immigrant who moved to a new country in search of greener pastures, to Xiomara who is her 40’s and still struggling to find her passion, sorry I meant her purpose, you know…what she was born for. And finally, friends to Jane who was raised in a traditional Christian home, and therefore is extremely “judgey”, highly opinionated, having the strongest moral principles and yet still constantly driven by guilt. Okay that was a bit harsh, lol Jane is also talkative like me, loves “love” like me, enjoys reading, writing, and researching, and last but not the least was saving herself for marriage. Oh my Goddddd, did I mention she lovessssss planning and making listsss…so me lol

 

So dearest friends, here are some lessons I learned…

 

1.     Envy is the result of such narrow-minded and limited thinking. Believe it or not, I know you like what you see in others, and it sucks that you don’t get to be that person, or have that thing, or live that life, but trust me when I say you have not seen the full picture. As unfair as life can seem, we all have those great equalizers that sort of level the playing field for everyone, for some its material things like money, for others its immaterial things like trauma. This means you are not completely disadvantaged, or a bundle of unfortunate events. Trust me chances are, you have something that person doesn’t, and who knows they may even be envious of you too. Sidenote: I talk and write about envy a lot, because I have struggled with it for a very long time, God is helping me though so I’m getting so much better.

 

2.     You are the most beautiful when you are just yourself, your pure, complete, and undiluted self. So, if you’re cheesy embrace it! If you’ve been told you’ve been awkward all your life, embrace it! If you’re quirky embrace it! Someone will laugh at that dry joke, and enjoy hearing you ramble for hours. Someone will love you fully and completely, especially all those parts the world has told you to hide. Remember you can never be less than yourself, and we never really change, we just grow. So grow! Evolve if you must, but please never ever change who you are, the world has too many copies.

 

3.  Competing with others is like running 100 steps backwards, it’s a pointless, draining, and unkind thing. Please as often as you’re tempted to compete, restrain yourself, and engage in more fruitful pursuits.

 

4.     Good things will happen to people you don’t like, to people who have hurt you, to people who have done terrible things. Remember Matthew 5:45 “for God makes his sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers alike. And listen, as unfair as that sounds that’s okay!

 

5.     Sometimes good does not always win, and this is the price of integrity. When you do good things, do it because you want to, because you choose to, not as a means to an end. The world is unfair and unjust, and sadly good may not always prevail. In other words, control your motives, lose those expectations. 

 

6.    Like Boitumelo added, tell the truth the first time, so you don’t have to remember the lie. It is so tiring to keep up with dishonesty…

 

7.  You are allowed to have big and great dreams just don’t find your identity, and ultimate happiness in its fulfillment. Permit yourself to be happy during the process, enjoy the journey even though it may lead you elsewhere. You see that’s the thing with life, it has a funny way of leading you elsewhere ha-ha!!!

 

8.  Be solid in character, let your values anchor you in safe and turbulent times, don’t be a hypocrite, and definitely don’t be double-minded.

 

9.     Learn the difference between things that matter, things that don’t, things you think matter that truly don’t, and things you don’t think matters but truly does. Life will test you frequently on this, and if you don’t discover this early, you will wind up bankrupt.

 

10.  People aren’t pawns, don’t use them! 

 

11.  Sometimes you will feel behind, less than, lost, stagnant, late and although these feelings and the circumstances that led you there are valid, they are not forever. Things will get better and clearer, you just have to keep going, infact you must, perseverance is key! 

 

12.  Remember Luke 12:15 “for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” 

 

13.  And lastly, life is not a telenovela, if you find someone that you love who also happens to love you deeply, choose them! Love them! Pick them! And when you love, dare to love like Christ, let your love be unwavering, unconditional, selfless, reliable, and secure.

 

Be brave always, 

Kuku