I remember a time when I was hopelessly addicted to Marks & Spencer’s vanilla cheesecake.
My fridge was never without one.
Every evening after supper, I would treat myself to a slice. That smooth, creamy, velvety cheesecake was simply to die for.
And yet, I couldn’t tell you when I stopped buying it.
There was no decision. No dramatic moment when I said, That’s it, no more cheesecake.
I just went off it.
It makes me smile now, but it also reminds me of something: change doesn’t always announce itself.
Sometimes it happens so quietly that we only notice when we look back and realise that something we once loved, needed, feared or believed no longer has the same hold on us.
We are always changing.
We are not exactly the same people we were a year ago, a month ago, or perhaps even a week ago.
Some changes happen naturally. Others require us to make a choice. And those are often the difficult ones.
Choosing to leave what is familiar can be frightening. Even when we know something needs to change, the uncertainty of what comes next can make us stay where we are simply because we know it.
And, of course, not every change works out the way we hoped.
But I still believe there are times when we have to give ourselves permission to move, to try something different and to discover what might be waiting beyond what has become comfortable.
Sometimes that means doing something new.
Going somewhere we have never been.
Spending time differently.
Changing an old habit.
Or simply allowing ourselves to admit that what suited us once may not suit us anymore.
We may not be able to make every day beautiful, meaningful, fun or fulfilling. Life doesn’t always give us that luxury.
But perhaps, every now and then, even in the midst of difficult seasons, we can choose a day, an afternoon or even an hour and make something of it.
Do something that makes us feel alive.
Something that reminds us there is still more to experience, enjoy and discover.
For me, self-care is not always about pampering ourselves.
Sometimes it is having the courage to make a choice.
To take a chance.
To make a much-needed change.
And sometimes, we may even discover that something we thought we could never live without has quietly stopped mattering at all.
Just like my vanilla cheesecake.
Thank you for reading,
Ama Serwaa x
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