Category: Lifestyle

Devotions · Family · Gratitude · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · Poetry/Poems

Be They Little…

jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

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Mummy, I want to let you know what you mean to me.

You are like an Angel in the sky

Even at night you shine as bright as a star.

I want you to know, I love you mummy.

Why do I do these gratitude challenges every week? So that I don’t forget to pay mind to the little things that I would have probably taken for granted in the bigger scheme of life’s rat race.

It’s done as an open confession of little positive affirmations in my life, both online and real time. Of course it can be done through private journals *I still do that*, but then an opportunity would be missed to inspire even one person to embrace the attitude of gratitude.

The private journal practice becomes easy to forget or set aside at times when life gets hectic and we continue to roll along until it is completely left unsaid.

This way, I am compelled to pause and appreciate these things openly. It’s like unwrapping a present.

The attitude of gratitude has expanded the coast of my mind and it keeps growing in very positive ways. I find that more and more, I dwell barely on negativity because it’s almost as if my mind is on training on how to swat negative thoughts.

Ordinarily, I would probably have taken for granted the small hands that helped me push my shopping cart, weigh my fruits and tick off my shopping list *making me buy one or two extra tidbits, with a grumble and secret delight.

How will I take for granted how you all supported my blog party over the weekend?

Try cooking a large array of dishes (in this case, blogging hard for days) and inviting people to eat and they don’t turn up. You will be sorely disappointed and upset.

The essence of Valentine might have become subsumed in the cheesy commercial aspect of things, but there is absolutely nothing cheesy about the extra doses of love and attention that I received from my family, from hand-made cards to shop bought rose and chocolate with their pocket money, coupled with lots of pampering 🙂

There are so many little things to be grateful and thankful for. What are the things that decorate your life, be they little or large?

You can join Colline’s  or Maria Jansson gratitude challenge platforms.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · Midnight motivation and musings · Quotes For You · Self Help

Midnight Motivations and Musings #9….

jacquelineobyikocha14 Comments

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In so many ways, a lot of us have been hurt and the hurt that we carry inside now serves as a parameter to determine a whole lot that goes on in our lives.

Our hurts become a cloak that we use to cover ourselves, dampening the true person hidden beneath the bushel of pain.

Even though bad experiences cannot be easily chucked out of the window, these past hurts should not be the ruling yardstick over our lives.

Not only do they cut short our expectations, but we remain victims to the pain.

To heal, we have to and we must find a way to channel our painful tests into positive testimonies.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Five Sentence Inspiration · Five Sentences · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Lifestyle · My Thinking Corner · Quotes For You · Self Help

Tuesdays Trickle…My Thinking Corner

jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

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Aspire to great things, so that even if you don’t land on the mark, you will not be far behind.

When every little issue looks like a big problem in your eye, it becomes a mountain in your mind

Worry has never been known to solve a problem. It only doubles it: The problem and worry. View problems with the mindset of ‘what is the possible solution?’

A talent used is a talent surely multiplied. Find yours, use it and it appreciates.

To change is definitely not easy, but to stay on the wrong path is riddled with heartache and only elongates the journey back to the right track.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Last weeks Thinkers Thoughts came in from 

Your life is a gift from Stella of Giggles & Tales

What does your time mean to you from Oba of Kingsoracle

Beautiful nuggets from Deb of Bookyglover

What does Death remind us of from Rosema of the Reading Writer.

**Do share your thoughts. We love to hear and learn.**

 

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · Midnight motivation and musings · Self Help · Tips for the day · Weave that Dream

Midnight Motivations and Musings #8…

jacquelineobyikocha16 Comments

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The story of humanity is riddled with everyday people whose lives become testimonies and inspirations for others to arise from their pits of trouble to sit in victory atop the rubble.

It’s up to you to make your story the beauty around your neck and use it as a propelling force that will bring light into your life and the lives of those around you.

Regards,

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

 

Blogging · Life · Lifestyle · Self Help · The Daily Post · Writing

Money, Money, Money….

jacquelineobyikocha30 Comments

I think I have mentioned it before in this space that my dear friend WordPress is quite telepathic enough to know my thoughts and need, thus providing prompts that echoes my thoughts, even if he is stingy in meeting those needs.1455545985148[1]

I spent a good number of my years before now, racing along the corporate corridor in search of the big corner office.

It was without doubt a worthwhile growth experience. I enjoyed my corporate ladder years with all it’s attendant stress and perks, but my life is turning several new and beautiful bends and there are some nuts in the fire of my writing life, which hopefully should yield ample dividends.

I love to keep a positive outlook and frame of mind because it is always better.

I got into blogging for several reasons asides the obvious reason that I am passionate about writing.

One of the reasons that I would like to explore henceforth, is how to turn my passion into my pay master, that way it’s a beautiful win-win situation.

I know that writers write because they love to write, but they equally have to live and what better way than to earn from the sweat of your passion.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post Money For Nothing.

If you’re like most of us, you need to earn money by working for a living. Describe your ultimate job. If you’re in your dream job, tell us all about it — what is it that you love? What fulfills you? If you’re not in your dream job, describe for us what your ultimate job would be.

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · Midnight motivation and musings · Quotes For You · Self Help · Tips for the day

Midnight Motivations and Musings #7

jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

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A good number of us tend to search for all the excuses under the Sun to justify why we failed in something and to credit other peoples success with so many favourable conditions, which they supposedly didn’t earn.

That’s telling one’s self a lie, which is like eating comfort food to feel better about something.

Where there is a will, in there lies your way. Find it.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

 

Family · Lifestyle · Little rants · The Daily Post

I have a little quirk, but so do you…

jacquelineobyikocha37 Comments

Quirks are idiosyncratic habits that distinguishes us as individuals.1455205959464[1]

It may not necessarily be peculiar to us, but those close to us identify us with these little quirks which can be sometimes amusing or annoying.

It may or not be found attractive by your close ones, but they live with it out of love for you 😉

Please, there is a huge difference between bad manners and quirkiness. They are not interchangeable.

Some people behave badly and bad manners is not cute, period! I just had a little rant post, about such here.

For instance back home, we have something they call ‘African time’ it totally gets on my nerves.

You invite people for a ‘do’ that is scheduled to start at 2pm and they turn at 5pm and it’s viewed as normal.

I respect people’s time, so, whenever we are invited out back home, I will want to go on time, but my husband, will drag his feet until two hours later before we leave and truth be told, he is usually right, because others start arriving at that time and we are not left coming too early and possibly catching the hostess still in her hair net and night gown.

Personally, I had a habit of eating out of my husbands plate and feeding him tidbits of the day’s events. I wonder why his food always looked tastier – meanwhile, I am the one that prepared it.

The poor guy was askance and it took a while for him to get used to my dipping into his plate.

Funny enough, I have let go of this habit, which I got to realize that I picked up from my mother who used to do exactly the same thing with my dad all through their lives together. I was becoming my mother.

I let it go because my husband tends to eat late and it wasn’t helping my weight matters, now, he is the one trying to coax me to join him – looking for a partner in crime of eating late, though on some days he succeeds in persuading me 😉

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post Quirk of habit.

Which quirky habit annoys you the most, and what quirky habit do you love — in yourself, or others.

 

 

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · Midnight motivation and musings · Self Help

Midnight Motivation and Musings…

jacquelineobyikocha26 Comments

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The ups and downs of life are guaranteed. It’s full of uncertainties and can never be perfect.

However, how we handle these uncertainties that life throws at us is what perfects our moments.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

 

Challenges · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Lifestyle · Little rants · Social critic

You Are Banished! Go To Your Room 101!…Ranting

jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

What a delightful way to cast my baleful eyes and vent at some poorly behaved humans while having fun doing it as well.room-101-blog-award

Thank you my dear Amanpan for your generous  invitation.

Now, I don’t have to feel bad for using my imperial power of thinking to banish some people 😉

Here are my nominees:

Sabiscuit

Fun simplicity

Azul

Edwina

Element healing

I have a tidy list of offenders that I would like to banish to their room, but I will just stick to five as specified.

  • That ungentlemanly behaved fellow that traveled up the 43rd floor with me, on a lift that stopped on every floor. He was ‘Chewing gum so loudly’ and blowing the bubbles like a total ass. I love to chew gum but not in a clackety clack manner, right in someone’s face. I felt like taking the gum and sealing his lips for just a few seconds, but only managed to give him a malevolent look 😉
  • Loud phone calls in public. I love people watching quite alright and eavesdropping occasionally, but for the life of me, I don’t want to know everything about your life that you must have your entire conversation right in my ears in your loud voice. Save the quarrel for when you get home or wherever it is. I sat in the bus beside a lady and my bus ride which was taken as a pleasure to Deira market turned into a cacophony of hisses and heated argument of a lady and whoever it was at the other end for a whole 45 minutes and unfortunately, I did not have my headphones with me.
  • Can you make up your mind? Keeping everyone else waiting while you dash off to get the tomatoes, then the milk, then the stick of butter, then a loaf of bread. Geez! Make a shopping list please.
  • The man blocking the plane aisle with his over-sized carry on which cannot fit and we all have to queue behind him whilst he tries to squash it in by force, with all the extras that he has as well. What happened to checking it in?
  • I know it seems the in-thing these days, but for the love of heaven, can that lady with the need to show some extra cleavage cover up a bit more of those mammary glands and young man, by the way, I don’t think I want to see your butt-crack either. Thank you very much.

I would have loved to continue, but I have to stop now. That guy that leaves his sweat all over the machines in the gym drives me crazy 😉

Here are the rules:

  1. Thank the blogger that nominated you.
  2. Award 5 bloggers who fascinate, intrigue or tickle your curiosity with the Room 101 (award) badge logo on their About pages and linking to them in your post.
  3. Tell us the 5 things you would banish to Room 101!
  4. Attach these rules to your post.
  5. Grab your badge above and enjoy adding it to your trophy case, but please be respectful of the creator of the award by never altering the logo and never changing the rules.

Enjoy the rant.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

 

Inspiration - Motivation · Lifestyle · Musings · My Thinking Corner · Quotes For You · Self Help · Weave that Dream

Tuesday Trickles…My Thinking Corner.

jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

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When we sow little seeds of good, we have no idea the depth of roots that we plant.

We can actually retrain the battle fields of our minds to think the way that we want it to.

It’s never too late to try to get it right. Except the person reading this post is no longer on this side of the great divide.

Happiness is truly at home with you. It lives and breaths within you and not in someone else’s abode.

Sometimes, in the bid to hide so many secrets, we bury ourselves alive and forget to live.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Noirfifre’s beautiful message is an advise that would suit a lot of people.

Stella’s simple, beautiful thoughts can take us very far.

Oba’s inspiring post on paying it forward speaks for itself.

I would encourage you to take a quick peek at these thoughts. Maybe, they mirror yours.

So, when can we get a sneak peek at yours?

My regards,

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha