Musings

Knock, Knock!?

Anybody home?

Whew!. I have not come to this space in sooooo long.

To be honest, I got lazy and had a lot going on.

I have been journaling though😊

Anyway, how have you been?...hope life has treated you well.

A lot has happened since the last time I posted here. I have changed jobs, attended a few parties, acquired a few clothing items, made new friends, traveled locally and internationally. Visited Barbados for the first time (went for a wedding), Visited Bahamas for the first time (cruise stop), Visited Nigeria twice in one year (2023)!

I think my outlook to life has shifted too. I am understanding myself better.  Let me tell you a little bit more about that:

1. Waiting is not fun at all:

I used to think I have a lot of patience, but now I know I do not. I am as restless as anybody out there.

You know like when you have the inner assurance , or even written/verbal assurance, that something is coming your way, like waiting for a package to arrive, but it is taking "forever" to arrive! ...But I know that those that wait for/on the Lord, will experience divine strength (Isaiah 40;31)

 2.  Conquer the fear of rejection and FOMO (fear of missing out) :

This is a work-in-progress for me. For the longest time I did not realize that some of my actions and reactions stemmed from these fears especially if you are sensitive person. For example, shying away from relationships , putting people at arms length because I was already anticipating not belonging, not good enough and being rejected. So, I consciously and intentionally affirm myself with words like " I doing my best, I am a work-in-progress, I am enough, I am beautiful". 

3. Manage your expectations:

  

This is a lifelong lesson acquired skill. I'm sure you have heard that phrase before, but like me, it doesn't really stick until you actually experience personally that expectations . I mean expectations from people , especially.  We all change and our expectations change too. So, for example, I am learning not to expect to be reciprocated or appreciated the way I invested my time or substance into something that is not work related. 

4.Failure or having to redo something is actually blessing in disguise:

   It shows that we have been given another chance to learn, to adjust , to re-evaluate! I realized that it is our response or how we respond that matters in these circumstances. It's okay to be upset and be sad, initially, but don't allow yourself to stay in the "pity party" mode.

5. Invest in your relationship with God:

 I cannot emphasis this enough. You see, after all is said and done, you need a safe place (where you are yourself, no pretense) a deeper connection and sense of peace, and the only guaranteed place of experiencing these is in God. Even when/if I feel God is silent or things are not going as expected , there is a "knowing" that He is present. Even when life seems uncertain, God has a good plan for you.(It might not be your plan)

I hope someone out there finds this helpful.

Will be back soon💓.

xoxoxo

2020-The-Phenomenal-Year

Hello!!!!

If you are reading this, Congratulations!!

 You are a survivor of 2020 and all the events that came with it, folks. That calls for celebration, I tell ya!

We have all been affected one way or the other by the Covid-19 pandemic and every month in 2020 seemed to come with one drama or the other. 

For prosperity sake, the following are notable events I want to remember. 

What events do you want to remember in 2020?

January 2020:  Iranian General Qasem Soleimani killed in US drone strike.

                        Hashtag "world war III looming" was all over the internet.

                        Donald Trump impeached.

                        prince Harry and Megan quit the Royal family.

                        Kobe Bryant died.😢

                        

February 2020: First death from coronavirus virus recorded in the US.

                         Donald Trump acquitted.

                        The movie Parasite won Oscars

March 2020: Air attack in Turkey

                    Coronavirus worsens in Italy

April 2020:  The world pretty much shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

                    Knife attack in France

                    Conspiracy theory about 5G causing coronavirus

May 2020: George Floyd was killed and sparked protest worldwide

                   BLM protests

                   Murder hornets spotted in the U.S

June 2020: Lockdown eased up

                   Black lives matter protests continued

                   Locust swarm India

                  Ibidun Ajayi-Ighodalo died.😢

July 2020: Conspiracy about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine combo.

                 Suspected bubonic plague

August 2020: Beirut Explosive

                      Chadwick Boseman died

                      West coast wildfires

                      Storms in the Caribbean and Southern US

September 2020: Ruth Bader Ginsburg died

                            BLM protests enters 100th night

                            Concerns about second wave of coronavirus 

                            Schools adopted hybrid and virtual learning models

                             Amy Coney Barrett appointed as Supreme Judge

October 2020: ENDSARS protests in Nigeria 

                        Lekki Massacre 

                        Early voting/Mailing-in ballot

                        H1-B visa restrictions imposed

                        Shooting and riot in the city of Philadelphia

November 2020: U.S Elections

                           Joe Biden became president-elect

                           Kamala Harris became the first woman vice-president elect.

                          CNN released videos of the Lekki massacre

December 2020: 2 Covid-19 vaccines approved by the FDA👏

                           

I'm Back!!!!

Hello, world!
I have missed this space!!
So glad to be back.
You see,after Google plus shut down last April, I couldn't access my blog because I connected it to Google plus.
However, a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to access it. Yay!!

So, what have I been up to?

 Well, before the Covid-19 pandemic, I started a new job last summer, went back to school last fall, traveled to Puerto Rico for the first time, and "checked off" sending one of our children to Nigeria to school for one term. ..AND..Looking forward to life after the pandemic...

I hope you are all well and safe.

It is an understatement to say that it has been a challenging few months globally because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But you know what? We will get through this together...stronger. * hugs *

Sunflowers 🌻🌻🌻🌻

Here is another motivational piece for the months ahead.
This is more about helping each other.

Sunflowers turn according to the position of the sun, in other words, they “chase the light.” You might already know this, but there is another fact that you probably do not know!

Have you ever wondered what happens on cloudy, rainy days when the sun is completely covered by clouds?

This is an interesting question, isn’t it?

Perhaps you think the sunflower withers or turns its head towards the ground. Is this what crossed your mind? 

Well, that’s incorrect!

This is what happens?

They turn towards each other to share their energy.

Nature’s perfection is amazing! 

Now let’s apply this reflection to our lives.

We all want this light and seek it in different ways: in our family, friends, religion, work and so on. But there are always going to be cloudy days, gloomy days, because there is no escaping them!

When this happens, most people become overwhelmed, low-spirited, and the most vulnerable ones, some-times, become depressed.

How about following the example of the beautiful sunflowers supporting and em-powering each other. 

Nature has so much to teach us.

Wishing everyone a “Sun flower" year of turning towards each other on their cloudy and gloomy days.

*copied* 

Don't do life alone.....* hugs*

Get Rid of That Cow!

 Happy 2019!

It's been a minute, folks!

The past 6 months have been a roller coaster for me and my family. We had a lot of travel, family events AND a move.

I am grateful to be able to do this again.

I am looking forward to overcoming new challenges, learning, growing and reaching greater heights this new year.

Here is an old story that spoke to me, I hope it speaks to you too.

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there lived a Chinese wise man and his disciple. One day in their travels, they saw a hut in the distance. As they approached they realized that it was occupied in spite of its extremely poor appearance.

In that desolate place where there were no crops and no trees,

a man lived with his wife, three young children and a thin, tired cow. Since they were hungry and thirsty, the wise man and his disciple stopped for a few hours and were well received. At one point, the wise man asked:

“This is a very poor place, far away from anything. How do you survive?”

“You see that cow? That’s what keeps us going,” said the head

of the family. “She gives us milk, some of it we drink and some we make into cheese. When there is extra, we go into the city and exchange the milk and cheese for other types of food.

That’s how we survive.”

The wise man thanked them for their hospitality and left. When he reached the first bend in the road, he said to his disciple:

“Go back, get the cow, take her to the cliff in front of us, and push her off.”

The disciple could not believe what he was hearing. “I cannot do that, master! How can you be so ungrateful? The cow is all they have. If I throw it off the cliff, they’ll have no way to survive. Without the cow, they’ll all die!” The wise man, an elderly Chinese man, took a deep breath and repeated the order: “Go ahead. Push the cow off the cliff.” 

Though outraged at what he was being asked to do, the disciple was resigned to obey his master.

He returned to the hut and quietly led the animal to the edge

of the cliff and pushed. The cow fell down the cliff and died.

As the years passed by, remorse for what he had done never left the disciple. One spring day, the guilt became too much to bear and he left the wise man and returned to that little shack. He wanted to find out what had happened to that family, to help them out, apologize, or somehow make amends.

Upon rounding a turn in the road, he could not believe what his eyes were showing him. In place of the poor shack there was a beautiful house with trees all around, a swimming pool, several cars in the garage, a satellite dish, and on and on. Three

good-looking teenagers and their parents were celebrating their first million dollars. The heart of the disciple froze. What could have happened to the family? Without a doubt, they must have been starving to death and forced to sell their land and leave. 

At that moment, the disciple thought they must all be begging on the street corners of some city. He approached the house and asked a man that was passing by about the whereabouts of the family that had lived there several years before. “You’re looking at them" said the man, pointing to the people gathered around the barbecue. Unable to believe what he was hearing, the disciple walked through the gate and took a few steps closer to the pool where he recognized the man from several years before, only now he was strong and confident, the woman was happy, and the children were now nice-looking teenagers. He was dumbfounded, and went over to the man and asked: “What happened? I was here with my master a few years ago and this was a miserable place. There was nothing. What did you do to improve your lives in such a short time?”

The man looked at the disciple, and replied with a smile:

“We had a cow that kept us alive. She was all we had. But one

day she fell down the cliff and died. To survive, we had to start doing other things, develop skills we didn’t even know we had.

And so, because we were forced to come up with new ways of

doing things, we are now much better off than before.”

*copied*

 Sometimes our dependency on something small and limited is the biggest obstacle to our growth. 

Perhaps the best thing that could happen to you is to push your *“cow” off the cliff.

 Once you free yourself of the thought *“it’s little but it’s certain,”* or of that idea *“I am not doing great but there are people who are much worse than me”* — then your life will really change.

May you have the wisdom to recognize your "COW" this new year, and the COURAGE to push her off the CLIFF.

Have an awesome 2019!

For Your Present and Future Reference.

Wow, It's fall already! 

It is my best time of the year, the weather is just perfect- not too hot, not too cold. 

For me, fall is the time for reflection about the year that is about to end and the new year that is just weeks away.

That is why I am sharing these nuggets with you now. They might seem to be for parents only, because of the few references to children, however, I think they are applicable and beneficial to all and sundry. Enjoy!

• Spend the money that should be spent, enjoy what should be enjoyed, donate what you are able to donate, but don't leave all of your hard earned wealth to your children or grandchildren, for you don't want them to become parasites who are waiting for the day you will die.

• DON'T WORRY about what will happen after you are gone, because when you return to dust, you will feel nothing about, social praises, acceptances  or criticisms. The time to enjoy the worldly life and your hard earned wealth will be over and soon like all other famous and non-famous beings, NOBODY will be bothered about you!

• DON'T WORRY too much about your children, for children will have their own destiny and should find their own way. Don't be your children's slave. Care for them, love them, give them gifts but also enjoy your money while you can. Life should have more to it than working from the cradle to the grave!!

• DON'T EXPECT too much from your children. Ask yourself how much you care about your own parents... Caring children, though caring, would be busy with their jobs and commitments to render only * additional* help.

• Uncaring children may fight over your assets even when you are still alive, and wish for your early demise so they can inherit your properties and wealth.

• Your children take for granted that they are rightful heirs to your wealth; but that you have ABSOLUTELY NO claims to their money.

• When to stop making money, and how much MONEY IS enough?...A hundred,  thousand, One million, ten million, one billion... ? Out  of thousands of hectares of good farm land, you can consume only 1/4 kg of rice daily; Out of 10  mansions, you only need 8 square meters of  space to rest at night. 

• So, as long as you have enough food and enough money to spend, that is good enough. You should live happily. Every family has its own problems.-don't trade in - your health for wealth, by working yourself to an early grave anymore. Because your money may not be able to buy your health. 

• Just DO NOT COMPETE with others for fame and social status and see whose children are doing better etc., but challenge others for happiness, health, enjoyment, quality of  life and longevity. 

• You have to create your own well-being and find your own place of happiness.As long  as you are in good mood and good health, think about happy things, do happy things daily and have fun in doing these things...  then you will pass your time happily every day.

• IF One day passes WITHOUT happiness, you will lose one day.IF One day passes WITH happiness, then you WILL gain an additional day. DON'T WORRY about things that you can't change... age, height, weight, color.....  because it doesn't help and it will additional  spoil your health to an early GRAVE. 

• In good spirit, sickness will be cured;In a happy spirit, sickness will be cured faster; in high and happy spirits, sickness will never come to you

• With good mood and  suitable amount of exercise, always out in the sun, eating a variety of foods, reasonable amounts of vitamins and minerals intake, hopefully you will live another additional 20 to 30 years of a  healthy life of fun and pleasure.

             *Author Unknown*

  *ABOVE ALL*

Learn to cherish the goodness around you.. and  the good FRIENDS you have...... They all make you feel young and "wanted"... without them you will surely feel lost!

Wishing you all the best for the years to come.

  

Hey!!!!!

Hello Beautiful Peoples!

Anybody home?!.....* Clearing virtual cobweb and dust*

It's been a while, I know....Apologies. * blowing kisses*.

The past few months have been very busy and challenging- Lost my mum, Traveled to Nigeria for the funeral, Moved to another city, Back to new schools for the children....whew! I'm just catching my breath, literally.

...But hey, I am grateful to God for everything-There is always something to be grateful for, you know. I see every opportunity as a learning curve, growth and blessing opportunities. These past few months have helped me see life, family, friends in a new and different/better light.

My life is but a weaving between my God and me

I do not choose the colors; He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper-, and I the under-side.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reasons why

The dark threads are as needful in a skillful weaver’s hand

As the threads of gold and silver, in the pattern he has planned.- Grant Tuller

If today is the best day of your life, it might not last. Tonight might be an inch short of hopeless; it won’t last either. Whatever has brought you to this moment is only part of the story of your life and relationship. The rest is yet to come. Put all of it—dark thorns and shining threads—into God’s hands, and he will sustain you.

—Wayne Brouwer