New Week, Three Realizations

It's day 83 of documenting 2025.

It's Monday. 

(Duhh 🙄....you know that already!)

I just wanted to start this post with something.

Truth is, I had a slight headache at the time of typing this....

Maybe it's because I think too much....or I just need to rest.

I don't really know 🤷🏼

What I know is, I won't need pills.

Yesterday, I went on the usual evening walk with my friend...

And I listened more than I spoke.

He was talking about how he felt he was being treated at home.

As well as the attitude of his younger brother and his parents.

It made me realize two things.

One, 

The co-ordination of a family differs from one family to another.

And the most important factor is the foundation, which is usually the main man of the house.

And most times, when problems or conflicts arise, the root cause is usually how the man chooses to run the family.

Two,

Whatever people do to you, you allow them to.

Consciously or unconsciously.

That's how I want to put it 😌

Let me see if I can explain....

If I say my sister disrespects me and I'm mad about it, it's because I have allowed her to do so.

She does certain things, I overlook them.

Until a certain day when she does something extremely unacceptable to me...then I explode!

That's the time I speak out....in anger.

Why? Because I'm hurt.

Okay, let me rephrase what I said earlier.

Whatever you're currently facing in the hands of people, you have been allowing it to happen.

Then the day it gets out of hand, you lose control.

Hmm 🤔 

I think that sounds better.

Something else happened yesterday between me, my dad and my sister.

They were discussing something about her upcoming exam and somehow, my own suggestion was the opposite.

I believed I was right at that point....and even got pissed off when they didn't agree with me.

I just walked away.

But then, I sat down to think about what had happened.

A thought came up.

The unconventional path.

My sister isn't taking the usual path in terms of her education.

And I have to respect that.

Besides, I'm all about being unconventional.

Why can't she?

My friend, sometimes our emotions can play tricks on us.

Yesterday made me realize that.

I got a little mad for no reason...

Not enraged...but still 

It's a good thing I thought about it...

About why I was feeling that way.

I made peace with what I couldn't control and I'm going to focus on what I can ✌🏼 

Speaking of what I can control.....

I have a confession to make 😐

It's nothing serious tho...

Just me saying that I don't want to do book highlights anymore.

I want to just focus on the usual read.

I admit, I read the other books mainly because of the content I wanted to make out of them.

You know....the quotes from them, as well as what I think about the quotes.

It's been great so far.

Until yesterday.

I didn't seem to understand anything what I was reading yesterday.

From Monday's read, I moved to Tuesday's read...

And I just gave up.

I realized (for the third time yesterday) that I was reading those books the wrong way.

I haven't been actually learning from them...I've just been using them for quotes.

Which will not help in the long run of I keep doing it that way.

So, from now on, highlights will be mainly from the writing companion for this blog.

None other than 365 Days With Self-discipline by Martin Meadows.

I may include quotes from other books from time to time...

Without further ado, let's get into it!

365 Days With Self-discipline 

📌 Day 83: On Changing Your Identity 

"Every time you make a decision to stick with your principles instead of

indulging your weaknesses, you get stronger spiritually. 

And eventually this spiritual strength becomes a part of your identity. I don’t think of myself as a nonsmoker or “ex-” anything, because smoking and other vices are things I would never do in a million years."

Quote by Frank McKinney 

"The only way to instill a permanent change is to change your identity. As long as you define yourself by a behavior you want to eliminate, your efforts to change will be in vain because subconsciously, you’ll treat your changes as a temporary situation."

"Embrace the present and develop a different, positive definition of yourself that will explain who you are and what you do today, not what you’re no longer about or what you’re no longer doing."

"Your decision to be self-disciplined has to be equally firm. 

Don’t define yourself as a person who used to be lazy or lacking discipline. Define yourself as a person who’s doing his or her best to ensure the best future possible. 

No matter how enticing the temptations are, your self-definition will ensure that you’ll stay away from them."

I that's why affirmations are so important.

The more you say to yourself what you want to be, the more likely you are to act in that direction.

Something happened to me before I came to this conclusion.

Sometime last year, I wrote out certain biblical affirmations in my notebook.

Then, I started repeating them to myself every night.

Before the year ended, I stopped saying them due to excuses of no time...and all that.

But I noticed that I started acting contrary to my usual behavior.

Sometimes I would just freak out, other times I would get moody and just start crying 😭 

Then, I took prayer very seriously.

And resumed affirmations.

You might have guessed....

Things changed.

I crossed over into 2025, dancing and praising God in my room.

And I've had many reasons to thank God since this year began....so many, I tell you.

What you say concerning yourself is powerful, my friend.

Don't joke with your words.

Repeating positive words to yourself over a period of time can change how you see yourself.

My friend, I encourage you to start positive affirmations today.

Start right now 😌

As you read this, say to yourself:

✅ I am blessed to be a blessing to others 

✅ I am a light in a world of darkness 

✅ I am strong, courageous and not afraid because God is with me.

Smile as you say them.

Say them out loud.

Repeat, repeat.

It's things like this that most people consider absurd.

Things like this that are "secrets" of super successful.

Things like this that most people don't do.

Let me end the post here ✍🏼 

This post was definitely a mash-up, wasn't it?

I like it like that.

I'm probably the only writer in the world documenting the year in the most unusual way.

I may sound cocky, but I believe so.

I may be wrong tho....

If there's anyone else you know that has a blog as unusual as mine, kindly let me know in the comments.

(You can be anonymous...)

Thanks for reading, my friend 😊 

Thanks for spending a bit of your Monday here.

I don't promise perfection...because my life is far from perfect.

I keep writing, whether you read or not, because I have to.

I thank you once again.

I'm Duon Ada.

I'm documenting 2025.

And I'll see you tomorrow 

Ciao 💕