If you are reading this, it means that I have been a blogger/digital creator for 10 years.
2023 marks exactly 10 years since I started blogging.
Existing so honestly and so publicly is one of the most difficult yet most rewarding things I get to do in this life.
Coming into 2023, this was a huge area of reflection for me – what and why I share on social (/digital) media. Mostly because digital media is harmful to many – I have to consciously choose to continue to exist in these platforms. I constantly have to weigh the light vs the darkness, both re the energy I pour out into the world, and the energy that is poured my way.
Part of the journey has been finding the balance between being vulnerable and being strong. I have learnt to be blunt and perfectly honest, while at the same time remaining kind. I have learnt to balance putting myself out there to motivate and inspire some people, while also protecting what is most sacred and holy to me.
The past year was (thanks to your endless messages full of love) a reminder of the light I bring. Truth be told, I have been a shell of myself since I became a fulltime entrepreneur. The past 2/3 years of my life have been such a pivotal shift in my existence.
In 2020, I set out to train young Malawians in digital content creation. I felt I knew a bit, and I was looking to expand my operations. To be able to do that, I needed an army of digital content creators, and I set out to teach. I set up the Ntha Foundation, and we launched the first cohort of the Nyenyezi Fellowship.
The launch of my foundation coincided with an international NGO also investing in digitising Malawi. My business was awarded $250,000 to operationalise a project and scale up our operations in digital and entrepreneurial skills. My team and I were able to achieve so much and grow together.
Building a business takes so much from you. As my life continues to pivot for greater, I kept feeling like I am losing myself.
This small blog created a foundation (NGO) that has trained over 500 people how to create and use digital media platforms, and ideally how to “blog”.
The idea that I established a digital media company that has grown beyond me is still surreal on many fronts. I am so much more than just a blogger now, as I have diversified my digital skills over the years. I specialise more in personal branding and basic web creation now.
And though the money and financial freedom has been great, what fills my heart the most is the impact. The idea that my story shows some girl/boy that they can believe in and execute their dreams is everything to my heart.
The past 5 months in particular, navigating a new life without my mother, have felt like I’ve been floating.
In many ways, it has been your love that has continued to carry me through, and I am hoping I can continue to pour into you, as you pour into me.
I think by now you’re realising writer Ntha is back. I am deeply excited for the new year ahead. I am healing, and it feels so good to be back.
You know the saying that it takes 10 years to have an overnight success? My life feels a lot like that saying.
For the first time in my existence, I feel like I am exactly who I am supposed to be. I have never felt more centred as a human being – mentally, spiritually, physically, professionally, and all else. For the first time, I do not feel like I am forcing my existence or the things I do. Everything flows. I also however realise that I am able to flow now because of the ‘force’ I put in prior to now.
2023 will be a year of reflection for me on many fronts. I will be writing and creating more media in this year. I hope to share all I have learnt in the ways that I am able to in this year. I am looking forward to our mutual growth in this year.
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