New Year, New Me

Here we are, a year passed with all its ups and downs and all the things we once thought they would never end, and we are welcoming a new year with a new set of ups and downs waiting for us to test us and teach us valuable lessons. A new year always means new beginnings, new goals, new dreams and opportunities; it simply means starting new and letting the past behind us.

I have thought clearly before starting this year. I didn’t want it to pass by without understanding what happened throughout it and not running after time to save what can be saved from it. I don’t want to only save it, I want to control it. Last year was one of the best and worst years for me. The major thing that happened to me last year was moving alone to France to start my graduate studies in Environmental policy after a long period of waiting and rejections.

Every year, I would spend so much time thinking about the goals I hope to achieve but I stopped for a second this time and I remembered the only goal that should be my priority. It was me. The person who is going to achieve whatever goals I set for myself year after year was me and I didn’t think about it. My number one goal for 2019 is to work on myself physically and mentally. This year, I will work on keeping a positive mindset and remove any source of stress and negativity out of my life.

To every woman out there, take care of yourself because you deserve the best. When you take care of yourself; it will automatically reflect on your actions and you will achieve more and feel utter satisfaction. You can start reading if it is one of the things that make you feel in peace. Moreover, you can start doing your favorite exercise, for example, running, dancing, yoga, or even boxing. You can start doing more of what you love, maybe you are passionate about healthy food and you can start helping other women with meal plans on social media. And the list of examples go on and no. This year, you matter.

Malak Altaeb is an Environmental Policy Masters student at Sciences Po University in Paris, France. She has a bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Tripoli in Libya. She has participated in two exchange programs in the United States of America: the first being Space Camp 2010, and then the Middle East Partnership Initiative MEPI 2015. She has participated in civic society projects in different fields like youth and women empowerment, climate change, and art. She is now a member of the Libyan Youth Climate Movement (LYCM). She is a blogger who has written for different domains and magazines, including sister-hood magazine, Ascends Magazine, Climate Tracker, Libya’s Herald, Libyan Express, and Libya Investment. She is an advocate for women empowerment, youth, education, and climate change.