THE NEW YEAR STARTER

Happy New Year!!! Sorry it’s coming late. It’s the beginning of a great year ahead. Barely a month in and it’s been beautiful. I thought to share a few things I have picked up over the years. They may come in handy when you least expect. It’s the start line of 2016 and the Green light means go, don’t make your aim to overtake others, it’s not about how far you have gone, it’s about how well you are doing with each passing day. Alright here it goes...........

Heart Speak: A voice to the questions in our Hearts

Credit:Stevewright.info

Our senses are overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of our ever evolving world. Never a dull moment and it’s very easy to get caught in the draft and gone with the wind. So much is happening all at once that the important things seem fleeting and we are soon to find that we are drifting away all alone from what is significant.

Life as we know it has been altered forever? A question we ask in the hush of our minds and spirit. Our bewilderment sometimes gives our question a voice. ”What happened to the simple things?” The little things that once made our lives worth living and gave our lives meaning have been consciously swapped with hassle and stress, hurt and disappointment, a great emptiness, a hollow we try to fill.

Do we care anymore? Do our emotions run deep or hover? Are we slowly becoming numb to the pain of others? Have we pierced ourselves through with sorrow trying to become citizens of the land of self-sufficiency; persistently driven to quench a hunger that is ravenous? Do we regret when a loved one dies for having not been there or do we bask in the memories we had and treasure them in our heart?

In our voyage through life, we cannot resign from being our brother’s keeper; we cannot lose respect for the red in our veins or the beating heart. We owe to the younger a tale of our experiences so they are not trapped by the weights that so easily beset us. We need a new view; to cherish every moment life gives us and to love and be there for the ones we love as much as we can now that we have the time. Let go of offenses against you and forgive: Love is forgiveness breathing. Catch yourself before you fall, it’s so easy to feel like “I’m all that”. Conquer pride and let humility, we don’t always have to prove a point

Technology brings us so close together yet we are so far apart, Business builds bridges yet we are still stranded. Education opens our minds but we are blind to reality. In the end it boils down to you and me who are we going to be?

When all is said and done, did we make a difference, did our lives count for anything? We can support a dream no matter how little, help someone take a load off and find peace with our words, did we say “I am sorry”, “I love You”, “I am here for you”, ”I have faith in You”. The little things; our words of kindness, a little prayer, being a point of light, a simple hug , a listening ear, a phone call, a hand out, a compliment, a shoulder to lean on are the things that make the world go round. Lives demands can be consuming but we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard than what is obtainable. We are Gods hands to meet People’s needs. Let the God in You be seen.

Always Remember, we are sparks,” we rise by lifting others “– Robert Ingersoll. “we can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone”- Ronald Reagan

What do you see?

What do you see?

 

                                                     Credit: www.psyche-care.com

What do you see when you look at the person in the mirror? Is it the reflection of a Victor or the vanquished, an ugly duckling or a beautiful swan in the figurative sense of speaking, are you self-confident or insecure, clever or clumsy, a prototype or a clone. It’s all in our minds and born from how we see ourselves, what we think of ourselves.  We sometimes doubt ourselves and find ourselves asking the mirror and other sources for validation, ergo the world famous question “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the greatest of us all?” Your perception of yourself goes a long way to affect the outcome or quality of your life. The mental picture you paint of yourself transcends into how you carry yourself and present yourself to the world.

Your self – image is very important as it can make you or inhibit you. It can get you that job.it can help you stand out for all the right reasons. It can launch you to great achievements and even bring you before royalty.  It can also make you live in fear, cry at night, loose sleep and live an unfulfilled life. I know there are some downer days or moments that just make you feel inadequate, yup!!! That’s life. Mama always said there’d be days like this where negativity washes over every part of you.

Different things contribute to the way we see ourselves: experiences growing up, our backgrounds, the kind of people we have around us, what people say about us, where we come from and so much more, should this blur our vision and destinies which is ultimately to become better, to be great? It is of necessity that we continue to build, work on and correct our self-image, it should be guarded diligently. Below are some pick me up tips for those days when it’s misty and cloudy with a chance of self doubt, if you get my drift.

Take time to reflect on and assess yourself; know thyself. We never stop learning about ourselves. We very often find out facts about ourselves that we were blind to from others which often are true. This gives us an insight on why we need to better understand ourselves to know where we are coming up short and what you need to do and work on.

For Your Mind

A little motivation to spice up your day.

Let it go!!!: Ease Away the Stress

                                          Photo Credit:http://allaboutyoga.com    
                                           
I live in Lagos and it can be crazy and can get under your skin and begin to manifest, it comes with the terrain. Don't get me wrong, Lagos is a city of possibilities a land of adventure and interesting tales. But amidst the noise, the sweat the rush, how do you center yourself, relieve the stress relax and refresh.

Stress has become a part of life, it’s something that everyone faces daily whether you ask for it or not, and it’s everywhere in the world (not just in Lagos), it can start from within you or from around you. You can either stress yourself out or be stressed out by others or things around you. From the ever changing terrain of our work place, the nature of our jobs, a crazy work load or standing in a queue to the kind of stress that life itself brings and we have no control over; Death of a loved one, Sickness, Natural disaster, crime, or losing a job, or even stress peculiar to us as individuals; bringing up our kids, increasing financial obligations, our fears, uncertainty, our expectations, change or figuring out the next big move is. It can get really overwhelming and weight us down.

Bringing all these things together can really take its toll on our minds and bodies and in extreme cases can lead to illness and distress which would cost you money and a whole lot of other things, but do we hold on to the things that cause an imbalance in our lives or LET IT GO!!!! And set sail to the stress boat. You cannot get rid of stress but you can ease out of stress and into a healthier and happier life by coping with it.

Ron Kenolly a popular gospel artiste once said in a song “if you catch Hell don’t hold it, if you’re going through hell don’t stop”. If you have stress breathing down your neck, don’t give it a foot hold, do what is important for your peace of mind and keep at it, never throw in the towel till you have achieved your goal.

Just to put this out there, there are wrong ways of dealing with stress that are very temporary and eventually compound the stress situation. A few are: Drinking in excess, an unhealthy affair with junk or comfort food,getting caught up for hours in front of a TV or computer, Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities,Using drugs to relax , Sleeping too much, Procrastinating, Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems, Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence). I must say. Don’t stress out, ease out of it. LET IT GO!!!!

There are some things you need to unlearn and some your lifestyle changes you need to imbibe.

Positive Self talks, you need to talk to yourself , say uplifting words in your head, you can say them out loud too. Words like “I can do this”, “I will make it”, and “everything will be fine”. Take some time and practice this, it really does work and it beats talking yourself down.

Express yourself; don’t bottle up your feelings, always communicate your concerns in an open and respectful manner.

Take some time to breathe, calm down your mind. Don’t rush; don’t burden yourself with over thinking. Putting yourself under pressure is a sure way to a stressful day

Recreation; Do something you love something that lifts your spirits; singing, painting, dancing, taking a stroll, and hiking. Whatever makes your world go round.

Emotional Intelligence; understanding and learning how to manage your emotions and that of others. It helps you to relieve stress and communicate with others to prevent stress or reduce it to the barest minimum.

Relax your mind and body. Have a shower: hot or cold, turn off the lights and sleep like a baby. This will rejuvenate and refresh you.

Exercise body and mind. It gets your blood pumping, it energizes you and boosts your immunity, and it also keeps you alert. It also helps you relax and sleep better too. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by also eating right.

Take advantage of nature, a natural stress reliever. Take in beautiful scenery. Wet your feet at the beach. Listen to the wind rushing through the trees. Walk on the grass bare foot.

Stop worrying and start living, take your mind off of what should have been done or what you can’t do and do what you actually need to do and what is important. Worrying stagnates you, it puts your life on pause.

Don’t bite more than you can chew. There is only so much that your mind and body can handle, learn to know your limits. Be realistic with the goals you set for yourself or the tasks you intend to achieve within a time period.

Preserve good boundaries and learn to say no especially when it cuts into your time, activities or resources. Avoid people who stress you out. Don’t get me wrong help out every time you can, but remember boundaries can be over stepped or even shifted if not preserved.  

Laugh at your mistakes; don’t beat yourself over the head. We are only but human and to err is human. Mistakes and challenges actually bring out the best in you.

Learn to pick your battles, learn to say “I’m sorry” and apologize when you know you are wrong, also learn to forgive you would be doing yourself a great good. Getting a sorry out gets a whole lot off your chest.

Devise newer and simpler methods of doing everyday activities things; choose online banking instead of joining a long queue, Do your registrations on time to avoid the rush or additional charges.

Take control of your environment; create the kind of ambiance that helps you relax. Make your home or room a safe haven. Let your home be some where you long to go to after a hectic day.
 
Listen to music, Personally i love music because it’s soothing and therapeutic. Get caught up in the melody; take your mood up several notches, relax your mind. 

Don’t ever lose your sense of humour. You need all the joy and laughter you can get in life. you can also help others ease their stress with your humour and get relieved as well.

Relate; Get together with friends often, have fun and ease your mind. Relationships are valuable and are nurturing. You can talk about what you are going through, get encouragement and support. A listening ear splits the fear, just thought of this now.

Prayer and meditation life can get terribly hectic and it seems nothing can calm your day. For me prayer works a great deal and meditating on the bible does great wonders

Life can get real heavy sometimes, and when it does know that you are stronger than you think and wiser than you give yourself credit for. Take a deep breath and live a stress free life. Hope this post helps

WorthyMama: The Photocopy Syndrome (2)

WorthyMama: The Photocopy Syndrome (2) by Ene Faith Agbo: Photo Credit: ytimg.com Great esteemed reader of worthymama blog,it is another great week with most of us heading to our offices,schoo...

The road to self-discovery and success

The road to success is one less traveled and perceived to be shrouded in mystery and uncertainty making for a lot of preparation, mistakes, learning and growing, yet embarking on this all important journey like exercise makes you come alive, unraveling the possibilities and potentials that can be expressed through your life. It’s like the yellow brick road of sorts, following and going the distance with hope and believe for the best.

Self-discovery and improvement is a constant in life, it never stops. Just like your every breathe and thought, when it stops that is the end of life, so to speak. People often know what they are good at and have a minuscule or sometimes a grand picture of what they want to achieve, but allow fear cripple the ideas and action. Just so you know, you can be anything you dream of being.

There are road maps and signposts that you should take note of on your quest to finding your way or achieving your dreams. These are a few things I have tried. which may help you.

Sometimes it is hard to figure out exactly what you want to do, this shouldn’t get you down. Take time to reflect on the things you like, the things that you are passionate about. The things that make you come alive, that strike a beautiful chord within you. Such things bring out your unique offering and work on perfecting that Nothing being beats having the privilege of loving what you do and doing what you love. If you are clueless like I’ve been before, try your hands on different things till you find what resonates with you. Turn your passion into profit.

Build your character and personal skills. The world is dynamic, just when you think you have got all bases covered on your path to success, a newer and better way of doing things comes up. Be updated and stay relevant in your field. Also learn new skills, they will at some point come in handy.
Never use another person’s milestones to measure your growth or worth. Everyone has their own special niche or problem to provide their own unique solution to. You have a purpose and destiny to fulfill. Also keep in mind the grass always looks greener on the other side.

Build relationships with like-minded people. The iron sharpens iron approach. Interact with individuals who share the same passion to fuel your drive and keep you on your toes. Adding to other and growing with them is great encouragement and inspires others to live out their dreams fully.
Standing on the shoulders of giants by the way of Mentorship.it helps so see farther than you would on your own. It also helps you learn the ropes and avoid the mistakes that molded your mentors into who they are in their spheres of influence. Ask them questions, seek to learn from them.

Pay negativity no mind. I know it’s hard, being that both internal and external factors can take your attention off of what is important and needed in your life through distractions that also deplete your energy and drive. You have will power and you can make use of it to your advantage. Decide to have a positive outlook on life. Take every day as a new opportunity to seize and remember
Never give up, sometimes failure is inevitable. But the true test of the human spirit is the ability to get back up again and go with gusto to achieve even more, even better. Stretch with challenges, don’t shrink with them. It’s easier said than done, but it’s so worth it

Most Important, Take time to commit your plans to God, He always works out things for your good. God’s grace is sufficient and His Faithfulness is sure.

Success is not a destination, it’s a journey filled with possibilities and you are packed with potential. Live your dream let the world feel your expressions