a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
Loving yourself is the best gift that you can give to yourself.
Finding happiness, fulfillment, success and the best version of you comes with the understanding that unconditional self-love is a critical determinant to achieving these things.
Take a listen to my video on ‘loving myself’ below and do subscribe.
It’s my birthday today, now I’m off to eat some cake 🙂
We were just singing Auld Lang Syne a few days ago and here we are in February getting ready to share boxes of chocolates, roses, cards and all what not for the love of Valentine.
Two things this brings to mind are; the shortness and speed of time as well as how we must harness our time optimally.
Some of us probably set out major goals and may be taking a look at how far they’ve gone with it. While some didn’t bother with it. Whichever spectrum you are in, it’s all good.
Remember that the most important thing is that when you set major goals, always appreciate the minor accomplishments that brought you to your goal even when you are falling behind your set goal.
Celebrating those minor accomplishments boosts and motivates your drive to keep pushing forward. Castigating oneself over failures most times has a reverse effect.
Today, as I took my brisk morning walk, I did a mental account of all that I’ve been doing with my time and I am thankful for the consistency in keeping with my plans. I am thankful for the zeal to wake up each day with peace and a positive frame of mind.
There are mornings that the joy I feel inside literally flows like a river. What my experiences keep teaching me is that the greatest success we can achieve in our lives is contentment, peace, and joy.
Since I came to the understanding that my happiness is my responsibility and doesn’t lie in anyone’s hands, or in material gains, I’ve found that happiness easier to hold on to.
There’s always something to be grateful for, all you have to do is to look inside. Be kind to yourself and others.
Jacqueline
If you wish to participate in a gratitude challenge, there are several gratitude/thankful platforms in the blogosphere that you can tune into and get your ithankful going on. I can’t express in words the enormity of Joy and fulfillment that comes from having a heart of gratitude. Please check out Maria’s blog, Colline’s blog and Bernadette’s for thankful/gratitude challenges.
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I woke up this morning with a heart filled with gladness and gratitude. I have no particular reason for feeling this full, but simply ‘Just Because.’
Thankful just because that’s the best way to feel. I haven’t forgotten the things that are wrong, need to be fixed and all that, but my philosophy is that those things I can’t change in the immediate, I offer them up to God and for those I can deal with, I worry about them and seek solutions for them during my appointed/scheduled worry time early in the morning and thereby freeing my heart to enjoy the joy of living in the present.
I am thankful just because the children are on holiday after a rigorous school session. Yes there are lots of squabble time on their hands but there’s also a lot of laughter, fun and love caught in-between.
I am thankful just because of this medium of expression that I have. A medium that offers me the opportunity to interact with great and beautiful souls who enrich my thoughts every day.
I am thankful just because I am alive to live a new day, to write a new story, to make a difference in my own little way and just to be me.
I am thankful Just Because you are there and the thought of you makes me glad. Be Happy ♥
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
P.S: There are several gratitude/thankful platforms in the blogosphere that you can tune into and get your ithankful going on. I can’t express in words the enormity of Joy and fulfillment that comes from having a heart of gratitude. Please check out Maria’s blog, Colline’s blog and Bernadette’s for thankful/gratitude challenges.
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.
Jacqueline writes from her heart on passion, pain, suffering, loss and LIFE. I have been incredibly moved by her poetry and I know I will return to “Out of the Silent Breath” again and again.
If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee
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. You can check this link for more details.
♦ Your creativity can be a catalyst to your happiness, don’t undermine it.
♦ Be your own best friend and encourage yourself even when no one else is doing so, because most times everyone else is trying to get a grip on their lives.
The satisfaction that you derive from doing those things that you are passionate about is priceless. It increases your sense of well-being, self-worth, and inner peace. Sometimes, in pursuance of our creative passion, we may not be opportune to have cheerleaders and we must then be our own cheerleaders and encourage ourselves even when we are feeling low in spirit and think we are unable to carry on. The tide always ebbs and flows and the low feeling passes soon enough with self-driving encouragement.
Find more snippets of wisdom from awesome bloggers below and do take a moment to read.
Words of wisdom: are your words measured? Is your communication clear and unambiguous? This brief and dramatic dialogue said enough.
Equilibrium in life: these words speak to everyone of us. Honest, short and true wisdom.
Today’s nuggets: oodles of lovely nuggets of wisdom tucked in here. Indeed, as a man thinks…
Magical layers of flowers and five quotes for your creative soul: Petra’s words tells us to take away your protective layers and open your heart to reveal your beautiful soul… and it’s until you remove all those layers that you find you.
I hope that you find these little drops useful now and again and it would be lovely if you can share your thoughts with us.
Thanks and blessed be.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
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.
Wonderful, evocative poetry by a talented writer. Left me hungry for more. Jacqueline can write! Linda Bethea
If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee
Each awakening moment of our lives offers us two main choices.
A choice on how to treat and relate to others and a choice on how to treat ourselves.
Think about it for a moment and you will realise that everything we do is centred on these two main player’s; ourselves and others.
I’ve found that a bid to make a positive impact on other people’s lives never leaves the giver empty handed. In caring for others, we inadvertently care for ourselves.
The rewards are life changing and sometimes beyond your expectations.
May the lamp that you carry not only cast light on your path. Let its flickers offer some brightness to those you encounter on your way.
Shalom!
Jacqueline
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.
“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda
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‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’
Today’s featured blogs posts are:
Do step in and show some love.
The pain collector: a captivating short read that leaves you with strong images and emotions running through your mind. Sobering, sad, painful, intense…we know people like this or we might even be living like this. Worth the read.
Hope: how does one hold on to hope while wading through PTSD, D.I.D and the confusion that surrounds us? A thoughtful read.
Purpose: Stella’s words are certainly a good pick me up to start your day with following the quote below. Take a peek.
Struggle through honest channels to achieve satisfying success.
Let your purpose in life be one that includes you, making yourself happy. Let your purpose be to touch lives in a positive manner even if it means giving a warm sweet smile to those who cross your path.
‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’
Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.
P.S. 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.
‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’
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.
“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda
Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. Dalai Lama
Cover your eyes and touch me
with the sight of your heart,
cover your eyes and caress me
with the fingers of your soul,
cover your eyes and hear me
through the pulse of your being,
for when you look with eyes jaundiced and jaded
with cynicism and age worn perceptions,
you can only see what your physical eyes permit
and miss seeing the finer qualities of me,
for when you look
through the sight of your heart,
and when you hear
through the ears of your soul,
you are happier
and you are free,
for you’ll find that I am you
and you are me,
and together
we are nature.
This week’s prompt for WQWWC ‘happiness‘ is a thought that has occupied my mind in a large way and I wrote an earlier post today focusing on happiness.
I’m also working on my inspirational book that centre’s on ‘happiness and you,’ which is a strong feature in our lives.
Our state of happiness comes from within. Material things may ease our daily living but it’s no guarantee of happiness or a good life.
When we are not at peace with ourselves, when we lack the love and care for others we can never truly be happy because our minds are burdened with negativity, with bias and limitations.
‘The depth of your happiness is the consequence of your own personal effort and it’s worth the relentless pursuit.’ Jacqueline
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.
“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda
![Dates_of_thanks[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/dates_of_thanks1.jpg)
The past week has been a tough struggle to get to my inner place of happiness.
I struggled to isolate my thoughts as I would normally do in order to reach my state of sanctuary because I was troubled by World events.
I may not be able to isolate myself from the goings on because I also have an interest in life around me after all, no man is an Island, but for self-preservation, one has to separate themselves from time to time so as not to get lost in the deluge of happenings that cascades all over us.
My husband always says that I am too sensitive and possibly naive to an extent that things still manage to shock me.
I would have thought that having personally been through several valleys and shadows of death in my life, that I would have come up toughened, but I realise that the deepness of my scars actually makes me more vulnerable, more sensitive to others, more empathetic and possibly more naive at my wonder at life.
Our happiness should never be hinged on anything temporal because our truest form of peace comes from within.
At moments like this when I search inside me or through the Bible for words of courage, love and understanding, I am surprised how old knowledge takes on new meaning.
“We are told that in everything, we should give thanks to God.” for example 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20
It’s a hard sell to give thanks when it’s easier to be grumpy.
It’s a hard sell to a grieving soul.
It’s a hard sell to someone fighting for their lives.
It’s a hard sell for so many reasons….
…but as I continued to reflect on this in my mind, the Truth of giving thanks and being grateful expanded.
We give thanks not because we feel obliged to do so and not because of what we may have, but because it actually uplifts our minds.
We give thanks not because our lives are great, but because it could be worse and it expands the little we have to more.
Our thankful heart is less grumpy and experiences better health in that state.
Our state of gratitude inadvertently acts as a pep up for our spirit as it insulates our mind with happy hormones and refreshes it.
Truly, the struggle is real in the battlefield of the mind and one must not discount it, but it could be worse when we throw our sense of gratitude to the winds.
Yes, we must continue to advocate for peace, love and understanding. We may continue to remain baffled at the unfolding of events around us and wonder how selfishness has gained such toe-hold that it has become a blinding driver that the conscience of society dies one more inch each day.
However, in all these nerve-wracking things going on, we must never forget to uplift ourselves with thanks. We must never forget our sense of inner self-preservation for our true strength does not lie with the guns since we did not come to Earth bearing pistols in our hands.
A heart mired in ingratitude is indeed a bitter place to be. No matter how little, find something positive to be thankful for. Let it all end in praise.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
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.
“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda
An apt prompt for this week ‘birth and cheer.’ It was Ronovan’s birthday yesterday, though because of the time difference between US and UAE, I don’t get to see the prompt until the following day because we are ahead by at least 9 hours or more depending on which state, so I’ll still say ‘Happy birthday, to you Ronovan.’
I also celebrate with a dear friend of mine who has tried for going on 17 years now to have a child. At long last they are blessed with two beautiful boys on Sunday 🙂
Let’s pop a bottle of fizzy drink,
to wish some birthday cheers
to Ronovan, our own charming Haiku General.
♥
To the cheer of her loved ones,
she gave birth to twins
after seventeen years of waiting and wanting.
***
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
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.
‘A Richly Layered and Passionate Read.’ Jan Cliff
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. You can check this link for more details.
![1466494415983[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/14664944159831.jpg)
♣ A problem can actually become a blessing if we are wise enough to use them to grow stronger.
♣ Wisdom that will bear fruits should never be cast on loose soil that’s lost its fertility.
The thought above came to me when I reflected on the fact that what we are reaping in today’s World, are all the seeds that were sown in the past and as we continue to cast our seeds, may we choose our soil wisely, otherwise we will never have any worthwhile harvest.
Below are more snippets of wisdom from awesome bloggers. Take a moment to read.
Today’s nuggets: great quotes to guide daily living from Stella’s post.
A bouquet for your thoughts: Vaayadi offers us a delightful bouquet and thoughts to make you smile.
15 beautiful thoughts about her: Dehan’s words gets me revving with confidence. You won’t come away empty-handed.
Lessons from a Rose: a beautiful lesson that we all need to learn, relearn and keep learning each day. Thank you, Laura for your words.
I hope that you find these little drops useful now and again. Do check them out and please share snippets of your thoughts with us.
Thanks and blessed be.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
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.
‘A Richly Layered and Passionate Read.’ Jan Cliff
![Card_with_love[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/card_with_love1.jpg?w=663)
a cooking pot and twisted tales 