Midnight Motivation And Musings # 16…

February 24, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

Sometimes, it does seem that once you are on a set path to achieving certain goals, that is when life picks up extra ideas to set all manners of distractions along your way.

It’s however up to you on how you choose to handle the scenarios.

Sometimes, these distractions are those ones that we cannot help and are regarded as ‘life happens.’ In such cases, I always repeat this mantra in my head ‘and this too shall pass,‘ while trying to stay focused and above the water not to get carried away with the current.

Then sometimes, these distractions come by way of other unreliable and pessimistic humans whom we allow into our lives.

I don’t believe in playing nice with anyone whose primary ambition and pleasure is to circumvent my growth. I simply find a corner on my shelf that is dusty and disused and place the person there.

There is simply no time to waste with such wet dampening blankets around you.

Remember, you can choose those who dine on your table and send them forth quickly, but you’ve got to be very mindful about those whom you allow to dine in the inner courts of your heart.

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Midnight Motivations And Musings #15 …..

February 22, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

All the time spent worrying or nit-picking over issues that don’t add any value to our lives, but rather increases our headaches and gray hairs are unnecessary baggage that we should strive to let go of as much as possible.

Some have become experts in sweating the small stuff, in finding logs in other people’s eyes and generally nosey-poking into affairs that is none of their business, while they leave their own lives to flounder.

On the other hand, some are weighed down with so much that it seems as if the weight of the World is resting on their shoulders.

Isn’t it high time you started tossing away some of that ridiculous load that you are lugging around?

Isn’t it high time you started making your journey lighter and more peaceful?

Think on it. There are some excesses not worth taking along.

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Midnight Motivations and Musings #14…

February 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

A lot of times, people spend far too much time dwelling on those places where they took a tumble and failed, that sometimes, they even fail to see the silver lining streaking past their very nose in the dark cloud.

Then there are those who are far too concerned with how others will view and judge them for a short-coming that they deny themselves the opportunity to grow from a lesson that life presented.

It’s for others to spend their energy judging, if they so choose to, that’s not your business what they think.

Your business is to pick up your life, dust your scraped knees and make something beautiful out of a situation that wanted to get the better of you.

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Midnight Motivations and Musings #13…

February 20, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

I have been talking to people about ‘thoughts’ for days and I keep reiterating this thought process because a whole lot that we are and become lies within our thoughts.

Our thinking mind is our power house and like a fine machine that when it is properly oiled, serviced and tuned, it brings out the best that it has to give and will even yield outstanding results beyond what you thought was possible.

Keep servicing your mind in the right manner and you will find yourself not only pushing the boundaries of your goals, but exceeding your own expectations.

It’s all in the mind.

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Midnight Motivations And Musings 12….

February 19, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

Have you ever noticed how negative things propagate so fast and how bad news travels like wild fire?

That is equally how bad thoughts try to take root in our minds and multiply like Hairy panic tumbleweed of Australia.

Before you can even grasp what is going on, it’s dug in and developed a tap root that uprooting it becomes a major upheaval.

This is why we must remain consciously vigilant of the thoughts that takes up the space in our minds.

We must consistently nourish our minds carefully as we hopefully nourish our bodies, so, that there is little room for tumbleweeds to proliferate.

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Your Harvest Comes In Heaps And Spades…

February 19, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

‘Icho ime ife, ime e ya ofuma.’

These wise words echoes in my ears as I write this post and it translates to mean ‘ anything worth doing, is what doing well.’

I remember growing up and having to go to our farm with my parents to till the ground for planting maize, cassava, potatoes, pumpkin and any other crop that was due to be planted. Back then we grew most of our food.

With my hoe, I would make what I considered a nice mound of red earth and when my dad comes round for inspection, he would call me by his pet name for me and in his gentle way, he would say: ‘you’ve done well, but it would be better if the mound was just a little higher’ and would complete his correction with that sentence up above.

This was repeatedly applied in so many ordinary things that we did, from our house chores of sweeping with the broom, washing plates, clothes, weeding the compound to our studies.

Thus it became embedded in my mind, that if you choose to do something, give it your best shot.

If you choose to love someone, love them without placing the conditions that they must fulfill to become worthy of your love.

If you are working for someone, do it wholeheartedly because some day, someone will probably turn around to work for you. As my people would say ‘when you respect the King, Kingship will also come to you.’

In everything that one does, they should do it to the best of their ability. Not for the sake of eye service, but for the sake of self-service.

Sow and Water and leave the bountiful harvest to providence. It always pays in heaps and spades.

Let me leave these three extra farming proverbs for you to mull over with your cup of coffee:

‘Good gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.’

‘As the farm grows, so does the farmer.’

‘If you tickle your earth hard enough, she will laugh for you with bountiful harvest.’

I would like to thank Maria Jansson for her generous invitation to participate in the quotes challenge and would like to extend the invitation to these lovely bloggers.

Melinda

Kay Morris

Sarah C

P.S. No hard rules to participate.

Challenges · Lifestyle · Parenting · The Great Book Of Lists · This Is My Life

Hang Your Bag…The big book of list.

February 19, 2016February 19, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

When La Duchesse Derat started this challenge my thoughts wavered on whether I could cope with adding it to my list , now it’s become a feature I look forward to weekly and this also goes to prove that you can go the extra mile and further if need be.

This week’s TGBOL prompt asking us to make a list of the ‘the words that matter to me‘ is what we refer back home as ‘buying market‘ or ‘inviting the insect infected log,‘ because yours faithfully Jacqueline has a lot to say, but I shall restrict my enthusiasm to 10 quotes.

1. ‘Hang your bag where your hands can reach.’

My parents used this phrase so much *in Igbo language * to teach us how to be contented with what we have and never be greedy for that which belongs to someone else.

They taught us that if you worked hard and with integrity, that yours will come and this is so true.

I can truthfully say that I have never owed for a day in my life because at every point in time even when it requires living the life of minimalism, what I have at that point in time is always enough and I even strive to create surplus from the little bit.

I endeavour never to buy that which I cannot afford to pay for, no matter how beautiful it is and for that, I have peace.

2. ‘For my Grace is sufficient unto the day.

The grace of God is free and belongs to all who seek for it. We all live by grace.’

3.’ As a man thinks in his heart so is he.’

Those things that you dwell on consistently, gradually erodes your mind and heart and becomes you, in the sense that you exhibit them and they control you.

4. ‘Never give up on yourself.’

Even if the World fails you, it’s only over when you fail yourself and stop believing in yourself that’s when it’s really over.

5. ‘For I have not given you the spirit of fear but of love, of power and of sound mind.’ 2 Tim 1:7

6. ‘Dare to dream big for the journey of a thousand miles started with a step, but you need to take that step and keep moving.’

Let your dreams be large. Then take them on. Even if you don’t arrive at that precise goal, you will have a heck of a good time getting there.

7. ‘Be appreciative of the simple things of life and be contented, for there in lies your sense of peace.’

The love from my family and the time spent with them is beyond priceless.

8. ‘Give. Be happy to share out of your bounty as well as your scarcity and you will see even more.’

Giving is not only when you have money in your pocket to hand out. If you do, all the better, but giving starts from the mind. Give of yourself and of the little that you have. Your resources well up and brim over.

9. ‘Be the light that you would like to see shining in others and do unto them as you would like them to do to you.’

10. ‘Be bold and be strong (courageous) for the Lord your God is with you.’ Deut 31:6

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Midnight Motivations and Musings # 11..

February 18, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

I deliberately did not use the word ‘Suicide,’ just in case you are wondering. I chose murder, for those who take steps to snuff out the essence of who they are in an attempt to replace themselves with who they are not.

It’s a shame to see people suffering setbacks and deep insecure troubled lives due to lack of sense of self and identity crisis and it seems this situation is getting worse in recent times.

They have lost all sense of belonging and have forgotten that they are not mistakes, but are unique, wonderfully made individuals with purpose and a lot to offer.

Some spend their entire lives apologizing for being themselves, the colour of their skin, their background, physique, financial state, religious inclination, gender or physical disabilities and a whole lot of unmentioned issues.

Due to these things, they feel pressured to please and change and fit in until they are totally confused, depressed, oppressed and demoralized.

You owe no one apologies for who you are.

You must own who you are and cease trying to be every woman or man, thus developing confused multiple personality syndrome and having deeper issues.

It’s okay not to be liked by everybody, but the most important person that should like you is you!

You are a hero within yourself and all you need is to surround yourself with the people who love and accept you as you are, and rise to the person that you are meant to be.

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Splashes…

February 18, 2016February 18, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

Life is not lived

On a black and white palette

For there are lots of shades

As well as tints of gray

Life is not a mad dash

Done in a big rush

For with such quick flash

You’ll combust into ash

Life is a sweet saunter with swag

Of swinging Calypso in beautiful sashes

And making bold, colourful splashes.

The Daily Post prompt Mad Libs.

I was parked behind the big bus when this prompt came in an hour ago, so we chose the word ‘Splash.’

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Midnight Motivations and Musings #10

February 17, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

Sometimes, we get so consumed in the daily automated actions of getting through our days with minimal reflections given to the things that we are doing and the things that we need to do.

It’s far easier being on cruise control, than to pause and think.

Yet, we have dueling desires in our heart to live our dreams, to aspire to greatness.

Aspiring to greatness means leaving mediocrity behind.

Aspiring to be better requires conscious and dedicated efforts coupled with lots of deeper reflections.

Are you willing to go the extra mile?