2024: A Year of Renewed Hope

Hi friend,

The new year is fast approaching - and it's also my birthday 🎉 

My birthday has always felt like a blessing and a curse.

I was born in London, on January 1st, 1983, the exact day the UK changed its citizenship law.

I left the UK as a baby and never returned - not by choice.

Without citizenship, I needed a visa to visit the UK.

I desperately wanted to go there - visit, to study, honeymoon and live there too.

The problem was, my visa application was rejected multiple times.

Every visa rejection was like a knife in my belly.

I watched as my friends visited the UK.

Even my sister who was not British-born got a visa and lived in the UK for two years.

I felt like I had lost part of my identity.

Every birthday was a reminder of the missed opportunities.

Fast forward to 2022, I became a Canadian citizen.

I no longer need a visa to visit the UK.

In 2024, I will ‘step’ on British soil for the first time (God willing).

It has taken me 41 years to get here.

I know how it feels:

❌ To be rejected…

❌ To watch others live my dream…

❌ The disappointment of why can't it be me…

❌ The pain I carried with me all those years….

❌ Thinking ‘if only I had’, ….things would be different….

❌ The desperation of knowing I had done all I could…

❌ The despair of thinking it was never going to happen…

❌ The pain of wanting something so bad but it was out of reach…..

My story is a reminder that rejection is not the end.

Despite the disappointments and the seemingly dead end, there’s always a path forward that will lead you to exactly where you are meant to be.

My social media timeline has been flooded with ‘goal setting’ and year in review posts.

I have nothing against it - I think they are important exercises.

However, I wanted my new year's message to be from my heart. 

I hope my message is one that gives you:

☑ Renewed hope.

☑ A promise of new beginnings.

☑ A reminder that rejection is redirection.

☑ The encouragement to dream again.

As you navigate your own journey, whether its job search, career transitions, or entrepreneurship, remember:

☑ Your path may not be linear.

☑ Twists and turns are part of the journey.

☑ Rejection can pave the way for redirection.

☑ Keep dreaming and striving, because your breakthrough is near.

2024 is a canvas for new stories, new dreams, and new successes.

Wishing you a year filled with renewed hope, resilience, and fulfillment.

Happy New Year!

Zainab 

Remember, you are just one step away…