The state of gratefulness…

June 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha5 Comments

With the ups and downs of life, sometimes, it’s difficult for your minds to clinch into a constant state of grace because most times our reflections are on auto drive on picking out the things that may not be going as we wish as against the other blessings that are pebble stones on our path and act as GPS to help us navigate back when we stray down the road of doubt and ingratitude.

Making a conscious decision to express gratefulness has made me more conscious and appreciative of the little things that I ordinarily took as a given and with this comes a greater sense of contentment and peace.

I’m totally grateful for the kindness received from those around me. To Tasha of Hit below the belt hard, I appreciate the slice of carrot cake you bought for me 😉

I’m grateful for the fact that though sometimes I fall short in my responsibilities as a parent and wife, my husband has been doing his best to remain my supportive backbone.

I don’t take these things for granted and I always encourage anyone to practice the state of gratitude not so much for the present state that you are in, but for the journey of the wonderful sense of contentment that it builds in you.

There’s always something to be grateful for and you will probably find so many when you look.

Love and light.

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

From the very first poem, “Dreams,” this book captivates with passionate and perceptive words. Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha captures a broad expanse of the human experience in this book of richly layered poems.

Out of the silent breath

Life · My Thinking Corner · Self Help

Tuesdays Trickles…My Thinking Corner # 18

April 19, 2016April 20, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha25 Comments

Every Tuesday, I share snippets of thoughts that I call ‘My Thinking Corner.’

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Each Tuesday, share your very short snippets of positive, inspiring, motivating, health, spiritual, writing advice, clips, posts etc, that can serve as a prop to motivate others and simply add my link to your post.

I call it my thinking corner because, I actually take out a bit of time just to think through things, encapsulate my thoughts as much as possible and detoxify my mind. It helps give me clarity of vision and might help you too.

It might work for you in a different way, but the idea is to get the positive thoughts flowing.

Please send in your little thoughts. You never know whose life you might inspire.

Rome was built, burnt down and rebuilt. Great things you seek to achieve, sometimes fall apart before the rise again.

When you let yourself go, always remember where you did so, that way you can pick yourself up again.

If we fail to learn from past mistakes, our lives become an epistle of errors.

If you go to sleep with Mr. bad mood, you wake up with the wrong companions.

None has a perfect life, nor perfect days, but we can take some of our moments and make them sublime.

Thoughts for this week came in from:

Dollops of heedful ramblings – Determination How determined are you to succeed? What steps do you take in your process? Do you stand by your decisions? Ask yourself

Annette’s place Annette shares million dollar worth quotes and they resonate very well with me.

For some reason, this week I haven’t received any pingbacks from people. I guess there’s still pingback issue. It’s all good.

Regards,

Jacqueline

Challenges · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · My Thinking Corner · Success

Tuesday Trickles #7…My Thinking Corner.

February 2, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

Every Tuesday, I share snippets of thoughts that I call ‘My Thinking Corner.’

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

I call it my thinking corner because, I actually take out a bit of time just to think through things, encapsulate my thoughts as much as possible and detoxify my mind.

It might work for you in a different way, but the idea is to get the positive thoughts flowing.

Please send in your little thoughts. You never know whose life you might inspire.

Affirm positive words over your life each day. They are little pebbles that helps you find your way.

If we spend our lives worrying about being judged, then we will simply do no living, because either sides of the coin, You will be judged!

You have to live in the present, to get the best from it. There is no better time for your best life other than now. Tomorrow, will arrive at it’s appointed time and you will deal with it equally.

On those rainy days and dark days of our lives, we must keep a flicker of light and an umbrella to shelter ourselves during such periods. The flicker of light and umbrella can be kept in the storehouse within you.

Peace is not going to run and grasp you by the hands. You run to peace and hold on to it with your tentacles as a consciously cultivated effort. Sometimes, having peace might involve letting go of some people who are simply not good for you.

Very wise thoughts sent in from Deb of Bookyglover

When you are not so sure, you could try doing this from Rosema of the Reading writer.

Can we hear you think aloud? Please do tell and join in with your little snippets.

Regards,

A link to my neighbours/Community · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Quotes For You · Success · Weave that Dream

The Rolling Train Of Thoughts…

December 2, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha2 Comments

It is very easy to sit down and dreamily wish for the niceties that life has to offer, but the bare truth is that those niceties come at a certain price. That price entails working smart and being less slothful.

Achieving most of our life’s goals emanates from our minds, which now transforms itself into the required energy.

So in essence, how we treat this powerhouse (our minds) that controls virtually everything that we are or we aspire to become really matters.

We have to choose daily, the seeds that we plant in our minds very wisely.

A weevil eaten seed is already faulty and is likely not to germinate into anything, much less giving any yield.

Our actions or in-actions emanates from our thoughts or lack of thoughts.

When we change our thinking, we change our lives.

If our thoughts are not working for us, it is time to switch into a better route of thinking.

As my people will ask with a proverb, “If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building or do you change the nail?”

As we plant the seeds of our thoughts wisely, may we hold onto belief, hope and grace to bring about increase and a bountiful yield.

This is applicable to everyone, irrespective of our religious or non-religious incline.

Thank you Vincent Wambua for inviting me to partake in the 3 quote challenge. Let me extend the invitation to other inspiring bloggers in the house.

Here are the rules:

Post 3 quotes on 3 consecutive days
Thank the person who nominated you
Nominate 5 new bloggers each single day of the challenge.

Blogging · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Inspiration - Motivation · Musings · Success · The Daily Post · Writing

Yippee! It’s Over Now…singing a song

November 30, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha63 Comments

Tra la la la! Yippee!

I did it, Oh yes I did it!

I am doing a jig and a boogie-woogie at the same time 😉

I managed to finish the NaBloPoMo with a flourish.

Not a prompt missed.

Honestly, there were some mornings that I woke up and wanted to play truant, but the little effervescent encouraging voice in me kept prodding me to try, and this was in fierce contest with the little imp of discouragement that kept saying ”come on, just a day’s kicking back won’t hurt.”

It seriously, wasn’t easy trying to do this, coupled with other posts that I usually make, in essence, each day, I was posting 3 to 4 original articles per day.

Some of the prompts were fly by the seat of your pants prompt like The Daily Post; I love participating in The Daily Post because you just never know what the prompt is going to be all about, so it helps my thinking quickly on my feet.

Somethings did suffer a bit with all these writing and the very first one was my butt. This is my little ditty about a writers flat butt.

The second thing that took the flake was my book. Instead of a thousand words a day, I was limping in at 500 words.

Each night, by the time I read two paragraphs of the John Grisham that I am currently reading, I am out cold and I bet I was snoring too – mind you we ladies don’t snore, we just make delicate noises.

My hubby is too nice to tell me that I am snoring. He knows the side that his bread is buttered on *wink* if he wants his nice hot meals 🙂

Now to celebrate, I am just going to kick back for a couple of days; I will still post each day as usual; but not with the rabid intention of the past few days.

Where is my Irish cream and some deep tissue massage?

Hmm! I feel the relaxation coming on before the next upheaval.

Thank you for staying with me my dear friends and for all your beautiful support.

To persevere and to finish is really a good feeling 🙂

NaBloPoMo prompt – Monday, November 30

What do you like to do to celebrate an accomplishment?

Creative Writing · Monday Motivations · Poetry/Poems

Monday’s Child

November 30, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha28 Comments

Monday’s child is fair of face.

Are you fair of face today?

Arise and Shine! Be thankful for each day.

Soon enough, soon enough,

It will be another Friday.

Make the most of the moments.

For each moment is a precious gift.

Quick Facts:

Did you know that more lifeforms live on your skin, than there are people on the planet.?

It’s lovely to start the week and each day as much as we can with positive outlook. I find Leannenz Monday memes interesting.

Do have a fruitful and blessed week awesome people.

Creative Writing · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Musings · Poetry/Poems · Success · Weave that Dream

Moon Talk…

November 27, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments


It was a dark night in her life!

The twinkles of the sky beckoned from afar;

And the big glowing orb looked down at her.

In his sage, timeless understanding, he winked;

Old man moon she called, so softly.

How do I reach for the stars?

Old man moon laughed a jolly good laugh.

In timeless ways of an old sage, he said:

Little girl!

Dare to dream!

Asleep and Awake!

Close your eyes and stretch!

And reach for the skies!

She listened and she paused to listen again!

Then she closed her eyes;

She Dared to Dream;

Asleep and Awake!

She stretched!

When she opened her eyes;

She had caught some golden orbs of the brilliant Sun!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blog Awards · Blogging · Gratitude · Inspiration - Motivation

Awesome Commendations…

November 8, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha51 Comments

Sometimes, saying thank you may sound so trite and flippant in the face of such warmth and fellowship.

It may sound surprising, but I always feel humbled when I see the hands of fellowship extended, the encouragement received and the respect accorded within this commendable, intelligent community of humans.

Inherently, a lot of people are wonderful and if half the positive fellowship, vibes, hugs, motivation and care that are expressed within the blogging space are experienced in the real World, it would be less acrimonious as it is currently.

This week and several weeks in a row, so many of you put smiles on my face in different manners, some went out of their ways to nominate me for an award, to do a blog review for my blog and to extend their warmth.

I say thank you, ‘dalu, imela’ in my native language because it strikes a deep cord inside me.

Thank you for the generosity of your hearts. Thank you for the gift of your time. Thank you for your outstretched arms of fellowship. Thank you for supporting me in this space. It is heartwarming.

Jason, The opinionated man at Harsh Reality , I thank you for a delightful review that tickled me pink 🙂

Maria Holm, I thank you for the lovely synopsis and celebration in your post.

Ngobesing Romanus of Success Inspirer, a big thank for the invitation to the interview challenge.

Joanne Bretzer at Velissima, I appreciate your nomination for Blogger Recognition Award.

Sunesiss of Atomic Words , Joan of Marlton Trainer, Voyager of Freedom and Diana of Toast and Tea together, thank you all for the Sunshine Blogger Award.

Thank you to Vibrant of Blabberwockying , Stephanie Cardozo, Vincent Wambua , Smiling away allergies,Obscurasomnia, and Keeping up appearances for, The Liebster Award. You guys are great 🙂

Africa Bohemian at Tribe 53 thank you for the Infinity Dreams Award.

A big thank you for One Lovely Blog Award and The Versatile Blogger Awards to Anand of Blabberwockying

For the beautiful Respect Award, I thank you Anand with all humility. A lovely new bling for my blog 🙂

Susan, I appreciate the double nominations of One Lovely Blog Award and Blogger Recognition Award.

Kay Morris and Psychochromatic Inception, thank you for the nomination for One Lovely Blog Award. You guys rock 🙂

“You all, are huge sources of inspiration, encouragement and beautiful souls.” I appreciate the affiliation.

To quickly answer a few of the questions picked from the different bloggers:

Do I aspire to be published. I respond with a big affirmative YES! One day soon 🙂

What do I enjoy most about blogging. The networking and warmth makes it worthwhile.

Do I believe in miracles? Very much so! Why do I believe in it? I see myself as a miracle each day.

A great writer is a great reader, do I agree? Yes of course! You have to nourish your mind through the words of other great artists.

How do I cope with the writers block. I dance. I sleep. I relax and read. I brainstorm it out.

If someone had to think about something that reminds them of you what would it be? That she is one lovely soul.

What language would I like to learn? Spanish and Arabic.

Cats or Dogs? Dogs any day.

Hardest sin to avoid? The unwitting spirit of envy that sometimes steals in when unwatched.

Love is? Love is a committed choice, day after day.

Knowing the amount of hours that goes into doing these posts I am truly at loss at who to nominate.

Kind regards and blessed love.

The Beautiful Commendations

Blogging · Family · Life · Personal story

Growing Gains or should I say Pains?…Personal story

November 2, 2015November 3, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha50 Comments

Delving into my brain and trying to excavate a remembrance of a toy that my parents deprived me of in my archive of childhood memory bank, I come up a bit short.

Though I recollect begging off some Goody-Goody rubbery chocolate bite and Bazooka Joe chewing gum, from a childhood mate and wishing that I had my own kobo to purchase some. Those things were sweet!

It turned out that she had pinched some kobo’s from her mothers purse and the butt-cracking whoop she got sobered my aspirations in my head. You could hear her mothers paddling and querulous voice as well as my friends wailing in the entire neighbourhood.

Back then, your parents would discipline you openly and the auntie next door would probably chip in her own reprimand, to spice up matters. The fear and shame kept you on the straight and narrow for quite a long time. It was just the way things were.

My life was shaped with love, laughter, rebuke and encouragement and maybe I didn’t know better, but we hardly took much notice of material things that seemed lacking.

As a child, I was raised in a community where everyone was virtually at par in wealth. A decent home, a utility car to get you around, a university staff school for the children, a common playground and other haunts where we got up to all sorts of mischief.

In my minds eye, our parents pockets never overflowed with golden pennies but they provided the best of the basics and the little treats now and again, meant a whole lot.

Shopping malls did not dot the landscape as is obtainable these days and going to the few that existed then, was a treat in itself. Today’s digital gadgets were non-existent, even our television was a Black and White Grundig that came on only in the evenings after the National anthem and watching those cartoons was a privilege.

Most times, we amused ourselves creating our own kites, building cars from discarded tires, crocheting, skipping ropes, playing hopscotch, making pat-a-cakes from sand mounds, scrambling up mango or cashew trees and a myriad of things that children did.

Now and again, a friend would acquire a new toy doll or toy car and we shared in playing with it; of course with a promise to her/him that when he got ours, we would share with them as well.

Christmas and birthdays were beautiful and magical times spent with family and friends and then came the presents, usually something that was in vogue at that point in time. It seemed every little girl owned a rubber doll with sets of combs and what have you or a Raleigh bicycle with a little basket it front.

Now that I think of it, maybe the parents used to converge for a meeting to decide on the present theme for the year.

It was really a simpler life.

In response to NaBloPoMo November 2015 Prompts

Monday 2 November – What was the one toy that a friend had that you wished you had when you were little?

Image credit: Pinterest.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blog Awards · Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation

These Blings Of Mine…

October 11, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha47 Comments

The Laurels are multiplying by the day and it is really time that I attend to them.

My sincere apologies to my dear good blogging neighbours who have nominated me for these 15 awards for my delay in responding.

I appreciate each of you individually and collectively as a community of encouraging, motivating, inspiring, fun loving and wise people.

I may not have met any of you in the flesh, but to a large extent, your words do speak for who you are and I would like to refer to y’all as those that I call ”FINE GENTRY.”

Due to the fact that it would be inundating to take these nominations one by one and my desire not to drive my friends batty with spurious award posts, I will have to break so many rules and merge these laurels of mine into one fine post.

Please stay seated whilst I give my speech 😉

First and foremost, I would like to thank the following awesome bloggers who nominated me for:

Blogger Recognition Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

 Cathy Lynn Brooks, Carol of Designing Life,KAT BLOGS Spontaneous Whimsy, Pancake Bunnykins

Creative Blogger Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

I care, U care, Velissima, Theshivasponder

Versatile Blogger

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

Sunshine Blogger Award

For this nomination, I thank:Anand of Blabberwockying

Infinity Dreams Award

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

Leibster Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

Wife who writes, EttaD Keeping up appearances,

Premio Dardos Award

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

The Rules of Engagement:

Select other blogs you want to give the award to.
You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give a piece of advice or two to new bloggers.
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Attach the award to the post (right click and save, then upload).
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them.
Provide a link to the award post you created.

Questions:

A brief about my blog.

Answer: I started my blog precisely on the 6th of May, 2015. My synopsis for starting this blog are: to meet other people who can enrich my mind through their stories and posts. An avenue to share my stories and thoughts and also as a medium of honing my writing skills, whilst developing the discipline of writing everyday.

A piece of advise to new bloggers.

Answer: My advise to new bloggers (I am still one by the way) is to write from within; from their hearts and not an attempt to be a copy of another blogger. That is unsustainable and would probably end up being disappointing. Keep your eyes away from the statistics at the onset. It is worse than watching paint dry. Write your post, then go out and engage with other bloggers. Visit other blogs and generally mingle. Attend as many blogging courses as time permits you. Don’t be a stranger!

Five facts about myself:

Answer:

I speak French and I love children’s coloured books (yes I said it! I think I am still a child at heart.
This may not make sense, but I sincerely believe that all things work together for my own good – even the bad experiences, even when I don’t see the sense in them. I know that God knows!
I am not yet a published author, but hope to be one in the near future.
I love to dance and yes, I am probably one of those that you have to peel off the dance floor of a party. As long as the DJ is playing the right tunes, I am hopping to it 😉
I used to model as a teenager and in my early twenties and sometimes, I wonder how different or the same my life would have been if I had continued modelling.

What do you like most about the present situation?

Answer: The fact that I am writing consistently these days. That I am at peace with myself.

Which is your best memory?

Answer: I hardly ever think of things as the best, because I always feel that something better might turn around the corner, but I think so far, my childhood days are my best memories.

Do you feel you are at peace with yourself?

Answer: I think I answered in the first question before getting here. Yes indeed, I am at peace with myself.

Who is your guide, guru or counselor?

Answer: I have no human that fills that category. My Bible serves as my spiritual guide. My mother and husband serve as my human counselors and then I read a ton of books written by renowned motivators and counselors.

What makes you feel very good?

Answer: I try not to base my feeling good on the conditions of anything because life as we know it can get very sporadic, but I feel good when I set out to achieve something and succeed in doing so, even if they are menial, daily tasks.

Which quality or habit in your life do you like the most about yourself?

Answer: For quality I would say my empathetic and resilient spirit and for habit, I think my reading habits.

Who are your source of inspiration?

Answer: The word of God and my mother again. This is because she is one of the most generous humans I have ever met. Her faith in God always appears as solid as a rock in my eyes (maybe, she might have her doubts, but she never voices them). I don’t know if it means that I am not ambitious enough, but other people’s wealth does not really inspire me. What inspires me is how much they have positively impacted the lives of those around them.

What is the role of gratitude in your life?

Answer: In everything, I always try to give thanks. Gratitude turns what we have into enough and more. A grateful heart knows a lot of happiness.

Has blogging enriched your life? How?

Answer: Yes, in so many ways it has enriched my life. My blogging path has crossed those of other people who I may never have been opportune to meet. It serves as a personal source of accountability because it has kept my mind focused on writing.