Fan those embers
for the flame of passion
to stay kindled.
Don’t use a roaring flame
to roast your yam in Summers heat
just the embers will do
©
Jacqueline
Author: jacquelineobyikocha
A wordsmith with a vivid imagination, an eager mind and a burning desire to carve out tales. As I journey with my muse to that land of all possibilities and self discovery, I hope my personal evolution will serve as a beacon of inspiration for anyone who chooses to stop by.
Micro-Moments – Wordless Wednesday
Micro-moments of life through my lens
My Thinking Corner…
Life offers us two choices, to sit and laugh with it or to sit and be the butt of its jokes. Jacqueline
One characteristic that I would recommend for anyone to cultivate is a decent sense of humour and I am not referring to the surge in finding fun in sick, derogatory and hurtful jokes made at the expense of others.
I talk about learning to laugh at yourself and the things that life toss at you.
From personal experience, I know how easy it is to get caught up in bitterness at the hard punches thrown at you, and how we could find ourselves walking the path of unforgiveness without even knowing that we are doing so.
Like a revolving door, holding on to the door of bitterness and unforgiveness only keeps you going round in circles and often times, it might hit you in the face or the back side.
A daily example that comes easily to mind is my husband’s idiosyncratic attitudes that used to drive me up the wall. As long as I kept my eyes’ on them, they simply became more magnified and drowned out other sides that were far better.
It took the conscious effort of cultivating an attitude of changing my perspective and searching for reasons to laugh over it and not stew in annoyance – it took me years of sweating the small stuff – I found very good reasons not to throw shoes at him 😉
Jacqueline
Featured Posts – Share Your Post Links
‘PLEASE SEND IN YOUR LINKS.’
Today’s featured blogs are:
This is a lovely blog that I am getting to know. In the writer’s words below:
It’s about life’s curve balls… Its sweet, sweet aromas & everything else between.
To a young man that I will always love
Some posts just hit you that you find yourself grappling for the right words to say what you want to say. Here’s what I had to say:
Gosh! This is sad and hard.
Mental ill-health – the unseen ailment – is often treated with kid’s gloves and people tend to look down on those who struggle. We live in a society where everyone is expected to be A-okay and that’s even more pressure on those who are not.
Suicide is no joke and that goes to show how frustrating it can be for those who are struggling with mental health issues, it’s not so easy to tell the person to snap out of it.
I am so sorry for your family’s loss. This is devastating experience that only time will soothe such pain.
Wonderful tribute and do stay well.
Some mistake meekness for lack of confidence and being a fool, but having read the Bible and watched the movie of Esther there’s a lot to learn from humility and boldness in faith.
A smart twist of simple words. Brief and deep.
Filled with humour and almost sexy. Now I see yoga as a tall, handsome gentleman with that deep signature baritone of Barry White 😉
Do step in, explore these blogs and show some love.
Do you want more eyes on your words?’
Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.
Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.
Thank you for your understanding and regards.
‘Remember, we create a cohesive community when we come together.
DON’T SABOTAGE YOUR WRITING CAREER BEFORE IT TAKES OFF – PART 2
That Single Title Won’t Make You Rich
You did it. Finally, you’ve published that book. Your sweat, blood, and gore went into it. Now it’s time to sit before the fireplace with a glass of wine and rub your palm in anticipation of counting all the dough that will roll in.
This is somewhat embarrassing, but most times our first book and I daresay several titles after hardly causes the Richters scale to shift in our bank balance.1
I have to admit that after I published my first poetry book I had high expectations in my bubbly dream world, but soon enough, reality slapped me awake.1 Quitting one’s hustle and day job was not going to happen quickly.
Anticipating that you’ll be paying bills with your book advance and ROI from your book may not happen by the end of the year or even many years to come.
You might even strike gold and have an agent sign you on, but the challenge of successfully shopping it around and selling it is still a huge probability.
In some cases, when the agent is unsuccessful, they drop you, which is devastating to any writer. As a matter of fact after such unpalatable news, some writers hibernate from writing another word for several years.
Slogging away on a book and revising it for months on end is hard work and the rejections simply make the process discouraging and leaves you with the feeling that you are just wasting your time.
Here’s the thing…read more
Transient
The early morning Sun breaches the sky, cutting the blanket of last night as it heralds a new day.
Taking a walk at 6 a.m this morning and at 39 degrees I know that before 7.30 am The Sun will be blazing with such blinding intensity that will hit the upper 40’s before it’s mid-day.
As we simmer and stew in the heat, I am comforted with the thought that this season of infernal heat is just for a season of several months and that as each night comes, we’ll breathe in respite in the cooler darkness.
Now, she has been shorn of all her leaf, her bare branches stand bare like a dry ghoulish skeleton stripped of its fat.
A few months ago, she stood rich and burgeoning with greenery but cycling through life, this is the lean time, soon she will experience the new birth of more leafs.
We are they going? I have no idea, but they are certainly on their way.
Everything in life is in a transient state
Getting To Know George
Once I go to visit George’s corner, I wear my thinking cap. His articles make me think beyond the literal words expressed and imparts new knowledge and perceptions on my mind.
A Bit About Me
I spent my core years in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, England and at the age of 13 immigrated to the United States and have been living in New York City ever since.
At the tender age of 17 during the final year of high school, I joined the New York State National Guard. During my years in the National Guard, it took me to places all over New York State, the United States Mid-West, the Deep South, Kuwait, Germany and Iraq.
The tour in Kuwait and Iraq was in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
I retired from the National Guard after 24 years of service. Sadly I had to end the love affair with the Guard because I found that I could no longer keep pace with the physical demands the way I used to. It was better to retire before I hurt myself.
I’m currently employed as a civil servant for NYC’s social service agency where I supervise a team of workers. I guess you may call me a supervising bureaucrat. I am also the Union Delegate for my location.
On weekends I work as a Counsellor at a supportive housing facility where people with mental health disorders live I make sure that they take their medication.
I practice martial arts during the week. I do that at least 3 days a week or more.
I like to look at things from a win- win point of view. You may call me an optimistic person. If I should happen to experience some type negativity I find it to be small and trivial. It’s an outlook that I developed because I deal with people who are on the verge of hopelessness and the mentally ill and my negative experiences or perceived problems are very small compared to the problems people with little hope and the mentally ill face.
I am a father of one. He is now a grown young man.
A Bit About My Blog
I used to own a chat group called Mind Focus in Yahoo Groups. The group was up and running for a couple of years with discussions on some of the same topics that I now feature on my blog. Then one day out of the blue Yahoo shut down the group without any type of warning and Yahoo customer service was no help. So I decided to start the blog, True George.
The original intention was to write personal articles about my experience with the paranormal and entries from my dream journal. It has somewhat evolved to include short stories, and occasional a view on a political issue. I included the Psych Ward chronicles; it is based on real events that took place in one of NYC’s Psychiatric facilities where I did an internship. Even though one of my original intents was to blog the contents of my dream journal I did not do it until recently.
The blogging phenomenon is awesome; if I was aware of it I would have done it sooner. When I had the mind focus group I used to search around looking for somebody else’s article to support or start a discussion. Now I write my own stuff.
My blogging experience has been great. I have connected with other bloggers who helped me improve the way my blog looks. I get ideas reading other blogs.
My Simple Motivational Approach
I motivate myself by understanding that no one will know what is on my mind if I do not put it out there. I would be a happy camper if I know that someone got some type of benefit from the information I provided.
The Challenges So Far
The most challenging moment I have at times is deciding what to write about. I could have a head full of ideas but when it comes time for me to sit and write I sometimes draw a blank and can’t think of anything to write. Maybe I need to walk around with a notebook and take notes as the ideas arise.
My Words To Newbies
Keep blogging. What is the use of writing ideas in a book or even a personal manifesto and putting what you have written on a shelf? Nobody will ever know you had ideas and something. At least when you blog someone will get to read what is on your mind and perhaps take a position comment on it.
A Typical Day in My Life
Well I’m just the average working stiff. Wake up move the car, get ready for work do my eight and hit the gate. When I get through the gate I go to the Dojo and practice martial arts. Come back home and relax. Sometimes after work I would attend a Union meeting and after the meeting hang out with Union officials; we go to a restaurant have a meal and couple of drinks. Other times after work spend some time with my girlfriend. On weekends I may run some errands then go to the weekend job. Sometimes I call out from working if there is an event like a family get together or sporting event I’d like to attend.
Future Outlook
I have the idea to do more creative writing and perhaps publish a book or novel.
Flying Free – Written for a dear friend – Bernadette – who lost her beloved son.
Dear Bernadette thoughts of you and your family have been on my mind and I offer prayers for you to stay strong.
I can only imagine how deep your hurt and loss feels and I woke up this morning thinking of your son. I never knew him but through your words I did.
Remain blessed and comforted.
For Andrew – May perpetual light shine on you.
Thoughts of you infuse my heart
with bittersweet memories that leave me reeling
my silent tears seep through eyes
that beheld you through the years
my tongue yearns to tell you once more
that I love you again and again
Unspoken, my thoughts stretch
to ask the Heavens why?
I open my hands to hold the butterfly
briefly, he perched on the dandelion and now
I watch him soar into the skies
free to be, he goes beyond my eyes.
My love for you will never end
for you decorated our lives
in ways that words can’t explain
I know that you fly free and
twinkle as part of the stars.
Jacqueline
Just a Thought
If all parents claim to be great and the best parents, just where do their children learn all the ugly attitudes?
This recent video below left this thought on my mind. As a parent, I know that children may still end up doing what they want and exhibiting certain individual traits that would probably drive their parents crazy, I however strongly believe that nurture greatly shapes a child.
This lady is shaping her son to grow up as a racist. Apparently, his health is the least of her priorities since she chose racism over that.
Midnight Musings and Motivations
For sure, achieving success is glamorous but remember that its road is neither shiny nor paved in a hurry.
The want to succeed is often expressed and held in the heart of many, but the need to succeed is expressed by few.
We are all free to want, but our zeal to succeed must be fueled by our driving need. Remember that a need is something that is vital for your survival (such as food and shelter), whereas your want is simply something that you would like to have.
Success takes the whole nine yards and more. Always ask yourself, why do I need to succeed in this? Is it vital to my well-being?
Will failure in this pursuit be detrimental to you or is your wish to do this just one of the notches to add to your list of achievements?
Holding on to that hungry need serves to drive you, that even when you fall down today, you’ll get up tomorrow and keep going.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
a cooking pot and twisted tales 