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Oyella Friday

@itsoyella

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Therapist in training 🧠
The little, but big things of everyday life 🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏽‍♀️🧘🏾‍♀️🧘🏿‍♀️
Founder of @lion.voices 🦁

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Over a year of eating clean, being more intentional with my choices, and cutting back on meat ✌🏿 by @itsoyella

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2 days ago

@shuoflifecic Although it was a few Mondays ago, I thoroughly enjoyed your breathwork session. So grounding and beautifully done - well done, sis 😘 by @itsoyella

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7 days ago

Working full-time, studying, running projects, supporting clients… life is definitely full at the moment.

What made me laugh recently was reading through my journal from last year. I remember feeling so busy then too.

Looking back now, I wasn’t carrying anywhere near what I am today. But it felt like a lot at the time because that was my capacity then.

I think steady progress does that. You don’t necessarily notice yourself becoming more capable; you just keep moving, learning, adjusting, and then one day you realise you’re handling things that would have completely overwhelmed an earlier version of you.

A lot of what I do is rooted in service, community and supporting people without needing to be at the centre of it. Sometimes you help, share what you know, make a connection and leave it there. The story doesn’t always need your name attached to it.
But journaling is different. It’s where I get to sit with myself for a minute and make sense of everything.

And reading last year’s pages made me realise something quite simple: I thought I was busy then too.

Maybe I’ll read this entry next year and laugh at this version of “busy” as well. 🤎 by @itsoyella

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10 days ago

Obsessed with health, because you only get one body, mind and one life to live in it ✌🏿 by @itsoyella

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14 days ago

I’ve always come from a place of community; of moving together, looking out for each other and not seeing life as just about the individual.

But if I’m being reflective, I think there were times when I took that so far that I ended up abandoning myself. I was so used to showing up for everyone else, moving with the collective and putting community first, that I didn’t always know how to make space for myself within that.

Over time, I’ve realised that pouring into yourself doesn’t mean you care any less about community. If anything, it helps you show up for it better.

When you’re grounded in yourself, you’re able to recognise the people who feel like your community, build healthier relationships and be there for the people you love without losing yourself along the way.

I still believe deeply in community. I just don’t think being part of one should mean disappearing inside it.

Pouring into yourself isn’t selfish. Sometimes it’s what allows the love, care and energy you give to others to come from a fuller place.

And that has a ripple effect. by @itsoyella

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17 days ago

Besides achieving goals and ticking things off my list, one thing I’ve always wanted was to surround myself with women from all walks of life. Women I could genuinely connect with, learn from, laugh with, grow with and eventually call sisters.

Because as much as the goals and milestones matter, it’s really the people in life that make everything that little bit more beautiful. The ones who show up. The ones who check in. The ones who are just there.
And today, I just want to celebrate you.

Lordddd, thank you for being a part of my life and for allowing me into yours too. I’m so grateful for the friendship, the sisterhood and all the little moments in between. Life really is better with good people in it, and I’m glad you’re one of mine. 🤍 by @itsoyella

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20 days ago

Consistency is doing the things you don’t love… until you grow to love them. by @itsoyella

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22 days ago

The slower you walk, the more you notice 🍃 by @itsoyella

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24 days ago

Over a year of eating clean now.

I think the biggest thing for me was just going back to basics and actually paying attention to what makes me feel good.

Not what looks good, not what everyone online says I should be eating… just what works for me.

I started noticing that when I ate less meat, I had more energy, felt less bloated and could focus better. And weirdly, it made me realise I was kind of going back to how I grew up eating anyway: more veg, simple food, and meat every now and then.

But this wasn’t an overnight change at all.
It’s probably taken me around 5 years of slowly changing little things. Whenever I tried to completely change my diet in one go, it never lasted. I’d be “good” for a bit and then end up eating everything in sight 😂

Doing it slowly has worked so much better for me. It doesn’t feel forced and it actually feels sustainable.

So if you’re trying to change your eating habits, don’t feel like you need to do everything at once. Start with one small thing, get used to it, then add another.

That’s honestly what worked for me.

Much love 💛💛 by @itsoyella

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a month ago

And just like that… another year older ✌🏿

To my younger self, thank you for never settling, even when it would’ve been easier to. Thank you for trusting yourself and sticking to what felt right.

Turns out being a little stubborn really does go a long way 💛💛 by @itsoyella

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a month ago

Age is just a number… birthday week ✌🏿

Always good to slow down every now and then and just enjoy it all 💛💛 by @itsoyella

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a month ago

Birthday week

Every birthday month for the past 7 years, I’ve found myself doing a lot of reflecting. Looking all the way back to my roots, reminding myself how far I’ve come, how far the people I love have come, and just appreciating the privileges I’m fortunate enough to have today.

Life has definitely thrown a few challenges my way too, but somehow I’ve always found a way to rise to them.

This birthday feels a little different though.
This year I went back into education and became a student again, studying therapy. The people who know me outside of social media know I’ve always been that person who loves listening, talking things through and giving life advice 😂

And then I thought… hmm, if something comes quite naturally to you, why not actually study it?

It’s funny because sometimes we do things so naturally that we don’t even realise it’s a skill… or that what comes easily to us could actually be useful to someone else.

Which brings me to my next thought…
Should I start doing talking videos on here? 👀

There are so many things I’d love to talk about; especially things that are sometimes frowned upon or not really discussed openly in my community back home, and maybe even challenging some of the Western ideals we’ve come to accept as “normal”.

A few people have already told me YES 😂
So… maybe it’s time? 👀 by @itsoyella

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a month ago