16 Conclusions — February 2022
February 2022 will be remembered as the exam month. Despite having just 28 days, it was long and arduous.
- One of the key thought takeaways was this, “the mind always finds something to worry about.” — Reminds me in a way about Newton’s first law of motion. That’s how the mind is. Except you’re deliberate about not worrying, you will find something to worry about. No matter how great you feel things are going. And worrying doesn’t solve or help anything. It’s not the same as making a plan or taking action. It’s just that, worry.
- I didn’t do a lot of “work” in February as I was on leave prepping for exams for two weeks. But the general vibe was mostly chilled. I spent the first week working intensely on some portfolio reports but once that was done, there was the general understanding that I had an exam coming so new tasks just sort of dried up. I also got affirmation that I’m actually quite decent at this work I do. I know the Nigerian stock market. I can pick stocks for you — short and long term. My line manager didn’t quite believe and by the end of the month, he was looking quite foolish.
- Preparing for exams was a hell of an experience. I actually feel like I was better prepared in the 3rd of February than the following week when I actually wrote the exam. I felt sharp, I had momentum, and I wasn’t tired from the preparations. I did 4 official mocks (twice), and 6 mocks from my study provider. The scores from the study provider weren’t so great, but Omoh, I’m confident that in terms of preparations, I gave the best I could muster. In the final week, on one of the nights when I was still up by 2 a.m, I got the revelation/understanding that passing this kind of exam is all about courage. Definitely, it’s about the technical knowledge, time management, managing your temperament on exam day and all that good stuff, but I think more than anything, it’s a test of courage.
Are you brave enough to solve more questions even when you missed the last one (and you thought it was easy and you shouldn’t have missed it). Do you believe in yourself enough to not give up and memorize formulars for financial instruments that you’ve never dealt with and may never deal with? Do you believe that if you solve enough questions, you’ll actually get good at it? Are you brave enough to believe? That even if after everything, you still don’t pass the exam, you’re good enough to go again and pass it? That’s the courage that’s been tested. And I found myself answering Yes every time. - The actual exam experience was fascinating. The organizers did a tremendous job in terms of the location and facilities provided. There were zero technical issues and everything was done promptly and precisely. I know from writing level 1 that the time on the actual exam is almost never enough, no matter how much time you think you’ve learnt how to save from solving practice questions and Mocks. It was also liberating to be done with the anticipation and let go of all the restrictions I had put on myself.
- I had been off social media (completely deleted IG, logged out of Twitter and Snapchat, my phone was on DND for whole days and when people texted or called, I never really felt like talking. I really felt alone in February. And I still dunno how I feel about that.
- On a positive note, one of my friends got answered prayers and started a new job in February. It’s maybe not the best place in terms of work culture, but it’s also not a bad place to have a 12–18 month stint. That’s the advice I gave her when she asked and I hope she absolutely thrives there. I really enjoy seeing God answer prayers in the lives of my friends and family members. It encourages me to keep praying for them.
- Personal finance this month was something else! It was tough! Bruh! I haven’t had it this tight in a long long time. But I was actually also determined to live within what had been provided and just embrace and learn from the experience. Now that I have small money again, I’m definitely putting a lot of the things I learnt in those weeks into practice. I’ve started pricing stuff artisans quote as costs to me, I’ve stopped dashing out money for no reason and I now give reasonably, within my means. It just seemed like I needed a reminder that money is actually valuable. As always, God always provided.
- Some of the financial tension was caused by the “Living in Lagos” syndrome. You see, the power supply where I live is terrible. There were days this month when there was no power for 5 consecutive days. When there’s power, it’s sometimes just there for 4–5 hours per day. When you add this type of a situation to a fuel scarcity, initially brought on by the NNPC importing bad petrol into the country, then further exacerbated by regional tensions in Europe and the NNPC’s inability to pay for imported petrol using crude oil, you have a situation where my household demand for petrol is high. I was spending a lot on just having enough power to work and study and sleep well. We also had to buy a new generator — 2nd new Gen since moving to this place. Even as I type this, the rush for petrol is manic out there.
- As mentioned briefly in Point 8, there are currently ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. “Ongoing tensions” is actually putting it lightly to be honest. Those countries are at war. And some say it is the beginning of WWIII. I don’t think so. I genuinely hope for a resolution in the near future but I am going to keep a lot of the negative news out of what I feed my mind and my heart. It already seems like there’s a lot to worry about. Linked to all of this, and certainly not as important as the fact that there is war ongoing, is the fact that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has decided to put the club up for sale. The British parliament and media have seized on the fact that he has ties to the Russian government and have thus applied pressure on him. It’ll be sad to see him leave as the owner of the club, but hey, life, real life, goes on.
10. Spirituality — This month, I focused on praying for three things. Grace for speed, grace for wisdom, and grace for favor. This became the theme, in addition to praying about my exams, after listening to a couple of podcast episodes from Apostle Selman’s teachings. I also commenced having daily devotions. I finally have a hard copy Bible again!
Besides these though, I felt like there were some moments when the spiritual barometer was low. Maybe it was cos I was off my regular routines, or I was off some of the mediums where I found encouragement, or wasn’t interacting with people who fanned the flames of faith, but I felt some type of void.
11. In terms of what I put in my body as food and drink, I was badly behaved in February, especially after my exams. There was lots of junk food, energy drinks, coffee pre-exam, and lots of alcohol (lool.. you know with me, it can actually never be a lot anymore), but yeah, I drank a bit once exams were done.
12. In Feb, I also started reading “The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ”. It’s a book that supposedly gives more details about the life of Jesus Christ and seeks to close some of the gaps not explicitly revealed in the Bible. The book is quite interesting as it explains how Jesus (& John the Baptist) was homeschooled, how he performed miracles before that wedding at Cana, how he travelled around the world learning from scholars and teachers. I’m still not done with it and hope to complete it in March.
13. I spent most of the month listening to TY Bello’s new album and of course, Dunsin Oyekan’s album is still a fave. I often tried to watch an episode of Seinfeld a day to calm the nerves (as I wasn’t playing FIFA anymore). I also listened to a playlist a friend made after his mum passed on. The playlist helped me empathize with his loss even more. For me, that’s one of the more tangible uses of music. Applying it and using it to express how you truly feel, and being able to share those feelings with other people.
14. I got an Apple badge for working out this month. They say exercise is good for learning so I tried to ensure I worked out every other day, no matter how late I went to bed. Those runs also gave me the chance to decompress and just take in the Lagos chaos.
Also, running outside in Lagos is an extreme sport. There are so many vehicles discharging ozone layer depleting fumes. It’s only God that is protecting someone’s lungs *drags blunt*
15. As my exams wound up, I started reaching out to former colleagues and friends who I intend to catch up with in March. While the exams have kept me occupied for a few weeks now, the race for the rest of the year has begun. I also think that with many of my friends having relocated, I possibly have to plug into new networks, or rejig my circle a bit. Some people will move out from top 5 to top 15, and new people will come in. I am excited to experience these changes and just watch how things unfold, trusting God that the best will happen for me.
16. Final Conclusion! Phew!
I’m curious as to how March will go. I have a feeling it’ll be busy, but I’m also in this mental place where I’m tired from studying and placing limitations and restrictions on myself for a few weeks. I want to flex small.
