I did a fun birthday shoot with Chichi of TwoTwenty Photography and I recently decided to share a few images with my readers (at the risk of seeming narcissistic – yikes). No “birthday post” is not complete without some reflections, right? So y’all are gonna have to put up with the words accompanying this post, ha!
My mum likes to say that I was her easiest delivery, and I believe that has translated into my easy-going life. For the most part of 25 years I’ve been that girl to “let it go” simply because I never really learned to stress. But there are countless times that I did panic and stress, and those times brought me some of the most important lessons. Just hang with me for a second, I’m going somewhere with this.
I was stressed out when I started my blog, and when I transitioned to a website. I couldn’t understand why, because I was extremely organized at these moments and I had a game plan for every situation. I was meeting my personal deadlines and most of my goals (gotta admit this is not a very frequent occurrence with me, lol). So why could I not be calm? It was months later that I came to realize that it was because pursuing these goals had woken something in me. When you discover a passion – especially when you aren’t expecting it – you become restless. Your physical and mental being is woken up to a new ability of yours that you also enjoy, and the feeling is electric.
The first time that I met the students that were being helped by a non-profit I co-founded – Imagine Ghana – I panicked. I couldn’t think of why I thought my small group of people could take on a big problem in Ghana. Who did we think we were? And how far were we even going to get? My chill was out the window so fast. I asked one very young girl what she wanted to be in the future, and she said me. In my head I was like “girrrl take that back – I literally am still a child myself”, but I asked her why. And she told me it was because “I was helping”. She didn’t know me or who I was or the fact that I snooze my alarm more than regular people every morning, all she knew that I was helping. Then it dawned on me that I panicked because I wanted so badly to effect mass change, but all that really matters was that I helped. If that’s not a good life lesson then I don’t know what is!
On the morning of my birthday today, I woke up stressed. I was stressed because I had forgotten important lessons like the ones above, and instead I was feeling unaccomplished. So I decided to take stock and count my blessing and this post was birthed out of that. I hope my mini-reflections are at the very least, thought-provoking to you.
Fear and stress go away, but the lessons they teach you don’t. Take these, and remember them, and arm yourself with them. And as you live (what I hope is) your easygoing/occasionally stressful life I hope you never forget to also live everyday as if it is summer. Happy 25th birthday to me and thank you all for sticking around for my randomness!
xo,
Essie
Photography: Chichi Agbim
Makeup: Evelyn Garcia
Styling + Props: Essie Does Summer