Peace is the Priority in 2022

Well – hello, hello! It definitely feels like I haven’t been on this blog in quite some time… Because I actually haven’t been on this blog for quite some time (November 2021 to be exact).

While I have been away, I’ve settled into a new Marketing role, adapting to a new phase of my relationship with my partner, and working on the Imposter Syndrome I’ve been dealing with (which lead to me getting a tattoo… there’s a YouTube video on that).

As 2021 was coming to a close, I had such an odd but strong desire to get away from the Cape Town city centre on New Years Eve. Perhaps it’s because I’ve done the ‘stay up until the clock strikes midnight’ scenario, with friends and family and booze and a good time. However, this time around, I had the powerful urge to put myself in a space that was going to be as peaceful as I could afford. I wanted to be far away from the city and in a place where I would be surrounded by nature, listen to the stillness of my inner being, and step into the New Year with the most serene feeling I’ve ever felt.

So, I did a quick search on Booking.com, found a lovely hotel in Durbanvilled called Meerendal Wine Estate, and booked two nights for my partner and I to cross over into 2022.

This all happened a week before the 1st of January.

I don’t have the exact words for the bliss I experienced on New Years Eve, but my goodness, watching The Fate of the Furious while in a comfortable bed and eating some of my favourite snacks felt like a dream for me. Some might consider that as a boring way to spend New Years Eve. I call that ‘doing whatever makes me happy and not feeling guilty about it.’

New Years Day was as equally blissful, because it rained for most of the day, which gave me an opportunity to rest in the silence of nature (and welcome the blessings that were surely raining down on me; symbolic, isn’t it?). I felt so at ease that day, so content with my life, and proud of myself for choosing to do what I wanted to do – which was find the peace that I wanted to experience. And I did, but once I returned home the following day, I realised that there was more to my initial yearning to find peace at Meerendal on 31 December 2021.

You see, it was my soul – the inner depths of my being – that so gently, but loudly, said that ‘peace’ is what I need more of in 2022. I need to start being at peace with myself, the experiences I have and the circumstances I find myself in. I need to start finding my sweet spot inside of myself, that nirvana, that I can always go home to when life hands me a few lemons.

This reminds me of a pivotal moment in my life. During my final year of varsity, I remember making a decision that many would have called ‘madness’ – I stepped down as SRC President of my college during the first term. I mean, who would want to give up such a title? It looks good on your CV, and surely gets you a few brownie points in life. However, I still chose to step down and away from that role. Why?

Because I was aiming for top marks to get into Honours at the University of Cape Town the following year, I was working a part-time job, I was building my personal brand, and discovering myself in new ways (not to mention, I also wanted to get better at photographer). So much demanded my attention at the time, and something just had to give in order for me to stay sane. There was just too much on my plate, and I was at a point where my body would choose to shut down for me if I couldn’t stop and slow down.

After a heartfelt conversation with my mother that year, she gave me the best advice that a mom could give. “Make peace your priority. Make decisions for yourself that will always give you the most peace, even if that means letting other people down.”

I’ll never forget her words, nor the sweet peace that filled me as soon as I made the internal decision to step down as SRC President. I could feel the delicious air fill my lungs again, I could feel the sweet beating of my heart, and I could feel that this decision was the right thing for me to do.

Mom was right back then, and she’s still right today. As I step into 2022, I realised that feeling the peace that I did at Meerendal was the physical manifestation of what I want to feel throughout this entire year. I truly want so much peace for myself, and to be at peace with everything that I do. I want to embody and embrace peace in every facet of my life. Career. Friendships. Relationships. Personal Life. And more. 

So, I’m making peace my priority this year, and working on living my best life holistically. I’m going to be a healthier person, I’ll take care of my mind and learn to enjoy more experiences that life has to offer. Above all, though, I’m going to be the most peaceful person I know, and I hope you have something that you will prioritise for yourself in 2022.