That Thing That Niggles Me…

September 27, 2015September 27, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha39 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Must Not Fail.”

The fear of failure when it comes to the aspects of life’s material wants has ceased to bother me, because I have really come to realize that we can exist on far less than we tend to surround ourselves with.

I literately and completely believe in the word of God in Ezekiel 34 v 26: that says: I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send showers in season; showers of blessing.

I have seen this proven true time and time again in my life even when I neither earned it nor deserved it.

I know that as long as life exists that hope exists. That faith and perseverance will sustain me.

It is always wise to keep in mind that failure is only a setback and not the end of the street. It is an invitation to learn from, to grow from and an opportunity to start again.

However, as a mother blessed with lovely children, there is a fear that niggles my heart each day and that is the fear in my ability to do a good job in raising my children.

With the amount of corrosive erosion in human ethics and values, I am concerned and wonder if I am doing enough to raise upright children who will be blessings to their generation. Therefore, I must continue to try.

On a personal note, I live with the fear of failing as a Christian in the true sense of the word. Not the picture of me that the World sees through the acts of Earthly Godliness but the intrinsic me that no one else is privy to.

I however remind myself that it is only by the Grace of God that I am redeemed and not by the arm of my flesh.

These two thoughts drive me everyday and if I do not fail in these two things, then I must count myself as extremely successful.

Let us not fail to remember that success is relative. What count’s as success for me, may be viewed as idiosyncratic nonsense to another.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Inspiration - Motivation · The Daily Post

Keep it Moving Forward…

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Pay It Forward.”

Splendid prompt! Splendid timing!

I like this prompt because paying it forward just happened to me today, out of the blues. Whilst going through posts on my reader, a little note popped up and I saw this comment:

Congratulations to JACQUELINE who is the Giveaway Friday winner!!!!!! 😀 😀 😀

With the most comments on alocovivavoce.com, Jacqueline has emerged the winner of Giveaway Friday for the month of September 2015. Congratulations Jacqueline!

As a special prize, Jacqueline gets one of the following:

A 2000 (two thousand) naira recharge card of any network of your choice.

Or

A promotion of anything of your choice on alocovivavoce.com. Whether a product, service, idea or writeup, just let me know whatever you choose to promote and I would be at your service.

So once again, congratulations Jacqueline for being the top commenter for September 2015.

Sincerely speaking, I was quite surprised. I thought it was spam. Then I saw the name of the blog that it came from, so I gingerly clicked on it, reminding myself that April fools day had come and gone.

Anyways, I decided to play along and Viola! It is real. Now that certainly put a very big smile on my face 🙂

My initial thought was to ask her to promote my blog, but a little voice whispered to me: “you have received some pleasure and delight from this warm gesture, so why not put a smile on the face of another unsuspecting person” and I decided to go with the voice, so I responded to A Loco Viva Voce:

Goodness gracious me! This is a very pleasant and warming surprise. Not expected in the least and that is what makes it extremely lovely and appreciated.

My dear lady, thank you from the depth of me. This is such a heartwarming gesture. How I wish I could claim the recharge card, but since I am not in Nigeria it’s okay.

Better still, I can pay it forward and bless someone else over there with the recharge card.

Please let me know what you think and once again, thank you. God Bless

She came back with the response that it’s fine to send the gift of the recharge card forward to another recipient 🙂

So there you have it! Easily done and all in a days job 🙂

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · The Daily Post

When its Over, its Done With…

September 24, 2015September 24, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Out of Reach.”

Frankly speaking, as the days go by; which by the way is turning out to be one of my favourite statements, I have no regrets about Ex’s that have been left behind!

They came into my life at the point in time that they should have and we moved on at the juncture when the show was over and their time was up to move on. Not all relationships are meant to last forever even when they were absolutely delicious. Nothing in life has permanence!

In my opinion, no place is out of reach to travel to if you want to and set your mind to. It is all in one’s perspective! One place that I visited and stayed for a while and wanted to stay longer than I was entitled to was Geneva – Switzerland. I fell in love with that city; its mix of ancient and modern. No Swiss gentleman was forthcoming to sweep me off my feet and other things in life were beckoning to me, so I had to journey forth 🙂

I don’t believe in dwelling on a past that is out of reach and done with. Thus, I don’t bother looking back at things that are not in my ability to resolve. Minor skirmishes with loved ones, where I need to apologize and make amends, I do that as swiftly as possible and try to mend fences.

I would rather continue my transformation by expending positive energy in creating better moments in the NOW. Moments that would translate to a better tomorrow when it arrives!

Yesterday is gone!

Today is now!

Tomorrow does not lie in my hands and will take care of itself!

Live within the moment and live it in full!

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Blog Awards · Inspiration - Motivation

Triple Rays of Sunshine…

September 22, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha48 Comments

Its an honor to be nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by three different blogger friends Honestme363, hallenterprises132 and Inspiring Max.

This award is in recognition of blogs that share positivity in the blogging community.

As the saying ”three times a charm goes,” in that spirit, I humbly accept all three nominations and merge the rays so that I can leave some fingers of some Sun shine for other friends of mine 🙂

In my native land, when a person wishes that the Sun will shine on you, they project Life, Prosperity and Brightness in your life. The spoken word bears a lot of weight on our lives even when we fail to realize it. In deed, the power of life and death lies in our tongues. When you lift up your face to the rising Sun, may the shadows fall behind.

A big thank you to my nominator blog-some friends. Do take a little while and visit their virtual corners.

The Rules:

Thank the person/people who nominated you
Answer the eleven questions from your nominator(s), in this case 32 questions.
Nominate eleven other bloggers and give them eleven questions to answer

The merged questions: 30 in all

Where is your favourite place you have lived?

Ans: I have lived in so many places, briefly and lengthy. From the Eastern part of Nigeria to the Middle Belt, North and West in my growing up years. Stints in Europe and migrating to the US. I presently live in Dubai – United Arab Emirates, but in the innermost part of my heart, my favorite place is the place of my childhood. A small University community known as The University of Nigeria Nsukka. It was a childhood of dreams; a place, where it took a community to raise a child.

If you could change one thing what would it be?

Ans: The fact that I didn’t start writing seriously earlier than now!

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Ans: Christmas in the village 🙂

What is your dream job?

Ans: My aspirations have changed over time and snowballed back to my passion and first love which is writing. It’s time to take it to higher grounds.

What was your best subject at school?

Ans: English, History and Literature.

Do you prefer to live in the country or the city?

Ans: I love both places and since I am living right now in a major city, it is better to be in love with it.

If you were stranded on a desert island which celebrity would you take with you?

Ans: I am not so much into celebrities but I could live with Oprah. I love the wisdom that she shares.

Everyone has a song that makes them want to dance, what is yours?

Ans: It is almost common knowledge that I will dance to anything called music apart from the cat’s noise.

Favourite colour?

Ans: I love them in splashes. Not fair to make me choose but there is something about orange and white.

Do you prefer camping, caravaning or staying in motels?

Ans: The thought of marauding snakes has made me not to enjoy camping; even when I was in the girls guide. Now, I would settle for the comfort of a decent motel. There must be a writing table in the corner.

How many different careers have you had?

Ans: Five

Name one aspect of yourself that you would consider quirky/odd/amusing/weird.

Ans: I cry over silly things.

What do you do to relax/unwind.

Ans: Reading, writing, dancing or lounging by the poolside, playing with my kids, people watching…..

Name one thing that is vital to your daily routine.

Ans: Writing things down and praying.

How many posts do you have in your drafts?

Ans: Fourteen posts.

Regarding blogging: are you…a) obsessed – you would be embarrassed to add up the hours you spend reading, writing, commenting etc. You also sneak a peek at WordPress while you are at work.
b) intermediate – there are moments when you can’t leave the screen, but there are also times when you don’t look at it for days.
c) you write your post and leave.

Ans: I think I am a B. I have been able to have a successful one week without looking at it.

The blogosphere is most often read through:

Ans: On my laptop.

Name one possession you covet – something that if your children/friends/family wish to touch, you hover over them protectively, watching them to make sure they handle it delicately, if you allow them to handle it all.

Ans: Nothing. My wedding rings, maybe? Oh yes! My laptop too! 😉

Name something that you read, or do, that you feel enhances your personal growth.

Ans: Asides from my Bible, lots of motivational books from different authors.

Since I enjoyed answering this question…If you could channel your soul into an animal, what would it be and why?Ans: An Eagle or a Panther

Ans: An Eagle. I would soar high and free. I would visit so many places and see so many things.

Who are your favorite published authors?

Ans: There are loads of them and more are joining the list. I am currently enjoying Marian Keyes.

What did you want to grow up to accomplish in your life?

Ans: Sincerely speaking, I am still growing up and learning new things. However, leaving my footprints in the sands of life through my writing, mentoring and life coaching would be my greatest accomplishments.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

Ans: A holiday at Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi combined with Burj Al Arab in Dubai. It was pure decadence.

If you got to choose your last meal in life, what would it be?

Ans: A very large greasy steak, with mashed potatoes and a glass of Veuve Cliquot, to send me off.

What is your favorite temperature? Mine is negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ans: 30 degrees sounds fine to me.

Introvert or Extrovert?

Ans: I am a blend of the two. An introverted extrovert 🙂

What about yourself would you change if you could?

Ans: Stop eating too many sweet things.

What scares you the most? Claustrophobic, myself. That and I hate needles.

Ans: Snakes. I don’t mind being cooped in as long as I have a good supply of good reads and a jotter + Food

Why do you blog?

Ans: So that I can meet people like you. So that I can share my thoughts

Who is your favorite musician?

Ans: Women of Faith, Dido, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Nigerian Musicians: It is a very long list.

Here comes the Sun nominees…:

Anand’s Parodies & Caricatures

Christian Mihai

The Motivational Team

MLou Photography Blog

A Good Blog is Hard to Find

Lynz real cooking

Destination Enlightenment

Eloquentparadise

Tlizzy – My little bit of serenity

Haddons Musings

SabahBatul

Tasha

Just 11 questions..:

Do you have unusual hobbies?
Do you volunteer with any charity?
What is something that you tried but will never do again?
What quirky habit do you have?
Any best friends?
What is your biggest fear?
Where is that one place in the World you wish you lived in?
Who has most influenced your life?
Who is your favorite author?
What is the one career you would love to enter?
What is that thing you used to do as a child that you wish you could still do?

Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the reflections the opportunity to answer the questions gave me.

Regards.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Family · Inspiration - Motivation · Writing

When the Brain Cells are Fried…

September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha65 Comments

At some point or the other, we all experience some fatigue from writing and we need those little breaks to reflect, rejuvenate and calibrate.

As a mother with school age kids and a full daily to-do list, some days can be more daunting than the others, but I have learnt over time, to fit in some little pick me ups which helps to maintain my sanity and refresh my writing juice.

Here are some of the things that I get up to:

Sleeping it off when the luxury to indulge in a power snooze presents itself. Those power snoozes does wonders for the thinking cells of a writing she or he.

Murk about in nature. A jaunt around the park, in a garden, by the sea side, in the wilds or any nature that can be found around. The nature is such a natural healer that you might even find yourself waxing poetic at the end of it all.

Picking the brains of the young ones. Sometimes, my children serve as a bouncing board for silly ideas. We could spend time reciting old rhymes and twisting it as we go along. The wonderful, fresh outlook through the eyes of a child can be refreshing to the jaded eyes of a writer.

Sweating it out: I could turbo charge with a quick round of lazy press-ups, jumping jacks, skipping or whatever gets the adrenaline pumping.

Dancing without inhibitions like a happy, roaming gypsy, or singing out loudly like a tipsy bard – in the bathroom preferably 😉

Curling up in bed or on a favorite couch with a new interest inside the reams of a book and a chamomile tea can help calm some tired nerves. Sometimes, lighting a nice, cheap and cheerful candle can even set the tone for good times 😉

Going to the cinema or going to people watch, works magic too! I find a vantage point in a busy place that teems with humans and people watch shamelessly. You will be surprised at the burst of ideas that can come through such exercise. I always attach an imaginary character to a passer-by, visualizing a lifestyle for them, based on their dressing or the little mannerisms that they express.

Running a hot tub with a dash of jasmine or eucalyptus oil. Hot water does its good work in loosening some kinks. Sit in the tub and let your mind roam free. There is no crime tag attached to just being and not doing.

When I can afford a little pampering, I go for spa treatment and just soak it all in. It does help to have a professional iron out the kinks. Otherwise, I settle for a cheap and cheerful tweaking home treatment from my children and they get to paint my toes.

Attending an open seminar/workshop and meeting new faces.

There’s an endless list of opportunities and new ventures to be explored.

So tell me, please, what works for you?

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

In fulfillment of Writing 101

Devotions · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life

Let us PRAY…

September 20, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

We thank you Lord for days and times such as these ones;

For your constant shield through life’s challenges.

You raise us, from deep places of despair, doubt and regret;

To higher grounds of Faith, Grace and Hope.

From places of discontentment;

To the overflow of fulfillment.

May our tedious tests become uplifting testimonies.

May the meditation of our hearts and mouths;

Be acceptable before you Lord.

May your blessings that come from the Deep and the Four winds;

Be ours today and always.

Amen.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · The Daily Post

At a point it was sinking sand…

September 18, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha25 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Mountaintops and Valleys.”

Describe a time when you quickly switched from feeling at the top of the world to sinking all the way down (or vice versa). Did you learn anything about yourself in the process?

Despite conscious efforts not to be a depressing wet blanket, to maintain a sunny and optimistic outlook in life, there are times when life throws you sucker punches that leaves you gasping for breath and almost asphyxiated. You are left grappling at anything that will keep you from sinking down the bog that is eager and willing to swallow you whole greedily.

I can think of personal events that hit me in the solar plexus and dragged me from high to rock bottom.

I hate to pull out the tissue box, but I have also learnt that talking about these things, helps to heal gaping wounds.

The loss of my preemie baby.
2 consecutive miscarriages.
The loss of my dad.
A car accident that took the life of a young man. I was the driver!

Without expending a lot of adjectives and flowery prose, losing a baby or even a pregnancy plunges one from the delight of expectancy to nothing… to the pits of despair, hopelessness, anger, sadness, and a multitude of emotions that I can barely define. I leave the rest for you to imagine.

Hearing placating words during such occurrence was barely sufficient if not upsetting. I remember when I suddenly lost my 28 week old baby, and a friend said to me “don’t worry, another baby will come” all I asked was whether a child is a replaceable item like furniture?

My dad’s passing was not a sudden event. It was a painful, grueling battle with cancer and it was not the best of times. Watching the strong man whom I loved so much bowed down by a vicious ailment which left him the ‘sufferer’ and those around him stricken beyond words is not something that I would wish anyone.

We fought like Tigers, but we were left beaten, bruised, bloodied and we lost. Knowing that he was ill did not make the pain any less. My sole joy is that I can honestly testify that my late dad was a good, gentle and upright soul. I will always miss him.

Another event that struck like a bolt of lightning out of the blues was a car accident that I was involved in. You might want to read this A letter to the young man that died. That saying, that a split second can change everything about someone’s life remains true.

I did not come away from these experiences empty handed. I have learnt and still learning to live in the moment and appreciate it. That I can be strong when there is no other choice and not to take anyone or anything for granted.

My biggest lesson so far has been a spiritual journey in Trusting, Believing, and having Faith in God. He has been my source of strength, sanity and boundless peace during these stormy times.

If per chance sharing my experience (that it is possible for someone to rise from the shadowy doldrums to face the light) serves as a source of inspiration and hope for anyone, then something positive would have been achieved.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

P.S. No more soppy prompts please. I am out of tissue box. Thank you 😉

Image credit: Sayquotable.com

Inspiration - Motivation · Poetry/Poems · Writing

I put it to you….

September 15, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha68 Comments

I have learnt that your happiness is that which you seek diligently. That you should grab it with both hands and guard it like chosen treasure.

That the state of happiness can be a cultivated state of mind, by applying simple but life changing attitudes.

A forgiving heart and a generous spirit.
Learning to turn mistakes into lessons.
Always revert within and seek your inner peace.
Leave the sweating of the small stuff behind.
Be grateful and thankful always.
Learn to love yourself and cascade it to others.
Build relationships.
Drop the mental slavery and stop dwelling on the past. It will never come back.
Spend your time on meaningful ways of looking forward to the future.
Rough it through even though it might start out difficult, that situation too shall pass.

Let me share with you a little article I wrote a while ago:

Your real home lies within you.
Not the bricks and mortar house of glamor that you reside in.

All painted and glossy with every top of the range appliance that money can buy.

That my friend, is just your physical abode.

Your real home lies within you,

Yet the home within you is neglected, in shambles and in quandary,

That even a stray pet would not want to live in there,

Take care of the real home that lies within you;

Fill it with good things,

A large portion of love,

A fresh harvest of thanksgiving

A handful of forgiveness,

Some tablespoons of honesty,

A jug of faith,

A dash of loyalty,

An ounce of friendship,

Three tablespoons of tenderness,

A whole shake of patience,

One big barrel of laughter

And a large dose of prayer.

Blend it all together, and bake it in the oven of your heart with a pan of Hope until it is well done.

Serve your guests daily with generous portions,
And your real home will definitely gleam with splendor.

In response to: Writing 101 – Day 7: Hook ’em with a quote

Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation · Writing

A shove in the right direction….

September 14, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

Isn’t it peachy and very ambitious of me to lump in doing Writing 101 and Blogging 201 along with the busy-ness of my life hmm!

Truly, the bargaining chick in me saw the offer as a BOGOF (buy one get one free) and couldn’t resist biting the bait.

Well, sometimes, I guess we need these extra push to step out of our comfort zone and push our limits just a bit harder. Well, lets see how far I fare with the heat under my butt 😉

I love blogging because I have so many tales to tell and it would be selfish to keep them all to myself, what do you think?

I decided to start blogging because writing stuff down on notebooks no longer satisfied me. Writing gives clarity to my thinking process and helps me focus on the goals ahead.

If by chance of passing through this corridor, I gain notoriety as a leader in my field, that would be absolutely delightful.

If per chance I continue to connect with more fantastic bloggers; like I am doing right now, then I would be very glad and enriched with the presence of beautiful souls.

If per chance I am able to succeed in snagging a book contract or self-publish, then that would be a complete circle of success.

At each point in time, it is worthwhile to review one’s goals, fine tune them where necessary and ramp them up as well if need be and in that spirit, I want to keep my goals simple and feasible.

Double my social media network by the end of 2015.
Add a bi-monthly series feature to my blog on or before September 30th.
Visit and socialize a bit more with my followers and discover new blogs each week.
Keep my nose on the grind and get the draft of one of my novel’s completed by 31st November.

Now let me not get too ambitious and just leave it at that.

Let me know what you think, please?

Thank you and regards.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

In response to Blogging 201: Day One: Set Three Goals

Blogging · Creative Writing · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Success · Weave that Dream

A refreshing Toast….

September 8, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha43 Comments

I am 100 today. Not in age 😉 but in blog posts. In my place, there is an old saying that “you celebrate the small things, in order to pave way for the bigger ones” and this is precisely what I am doing. I am celebrating my 100 posts, my 192 blogger friends, my 4,247 followers and my 5,220 stats on this blog.

Vividly, I recall the trepidation that I felt on May 6th when I made my first post on this blog.

I felt like an amateur fisherman who was sitting in a boat that gently rocked on a calm lake, with an occasional ripple of the water, croaks and chirps from the surrounding shrub to interrupt his concentration. He hooks a wriggly, skinny worm as bait and simply casts his line into the water, in hopeful hope to catch a fry.

His minutes turn to a slow time of humming, sipping his beer and holding his bated breath; then SNAG, the pull of a first bite tugged at the end of the pole and he nearly topples over into the water out of elation and excitement of his first catch.

Now, that was precisely my reaction when I sent out my initial 2 posts and 3 bloggers Stuart M. Perkins – Story Shucker, E. I. Wong and gpicone liked my feeble attempt at getting my toes wet in the choppy bloggy waters.

To say the least, it gave me such a buzz, that the thrill nearly jolted me out of my seat. Thus, my expedition in blogosphere began. Almost each day, like an adrenaline junkie, I return for more jolts; to write, to read, to listen and to learn. I have met lovely blogging souls on this path and I thank you all for staying with me.

Need I say more about this blogging milestone? If truth be told, the warm reception at WordPress exceeds my expectations.

I am going to go off on a festive tangent as a way of celebrating my little drops by re-blogging old posts of mine as well as posts of others that catch my eyes each day for at least a week.

Let’s keeping writing and sharing.

Regards,

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha