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

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

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.

Dubai · Echos Of My Neighbourhood · Photographs · This Is My Life · Travel

– 6 degrees! The First Sub-Zero Lounge in the Middle East. Echoes Of My Neighbourhood #10

February 18, 2016February 18, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha56 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share a picture about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

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

Every Thursday, share a photo of bits and pieces of wherever you are at any point in time. It could be houses, backgrounds of your neighbourhood, activities and so forth and you can tag it Echos of my Neighbourhood, add my link to your post so that I will get the ping from your post.

Every other Thursday, I will publish a post with the links of all those who participated the previous week.

This is just a fun way of getting to see more of the World around us through your eyes, since we cannot all be at those places, we can at least see them through you.

Some are praying for the blistering cold weather in their area to cease, while some of us have to pay some money to get a bit of the real Winter chill. Several cups of steaming hot chocolate and I was glad to leave, which is the good side about Chill-Out Lounge, you can leave when you want to.

The temperature is maintained at – 6° no matter how hot it gets outside, so you better cover up well, though they give you thermal jacket and gloves.

Last Week Echoes harvested quite some peeks of different neighbourhoods, so board the flight with me and let’s go have a look see 🙂

This is good way to spend a calm Sunday from Writing in North Norfolk. Relaxing

How many of you have seen this lady bag-piper before? My first time thanks to Dancing Palm Trees. You can learn how, maybe.

Sarah’s Planes, do you want to hop aboard. Come along.

Lovely photos from Malmo, Sweden by Giggles and Tales. You will like it.

Pretty and Serene. From Dollops of Heedful Ramblings. Take a peek

A good hideaway for lovers and fairy tales presented by Kat. Inspires the weaver to spin some yarn.

Some good pick me ups on a Tired Thursday from Mandibelle. Are you tired? A cuppa always perks you up.

I would be Sleepless in Seattle as well. I have something going for this city. Thank you Paula You should find out.

This is some of my Lagos and Oba’s Lagos. We love Lasgidi! There is no place like Lagos.

Open Sesame! Peeks of NY and Brooklyn from Jazzy Tower.

I am loving these views, aren’t you?

So, when can we get a peek at yours? Pllllleeeeeaaasssseee with a cherry on top 😉

Regards,

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

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?

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

Be They Little…

February 17, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

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.

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Photographs

Her Look Though!…Wordless Wednesday

February 17, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha19 Comments

I enjoyed walking slowly behind the demonstrative couple and the lady casting looks of consternation 😉

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

Midnight Motivations and Musings #9….

February 16, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha14 Comments

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.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blogging · Quotes For You

Lessons Learnt And Feedback To My Committee Of Friends…

February 16, 2016February 16, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha40 Comments

Honestly, I don’t know where to start from on this post, but I will take it from the middle and make it brief.

The outpouring of support that I received from my fellow bloggers over the weekend was what I would call ‘Fantabulous’ a word coined from fantastic and fabulous.

The turnout was way beyond my expectations and the ripples of the party still bounces off my walls.

As blog parties go, this was totally off the hook to my surprise.

‘There is no greater honour than the giving of your time and you guy’s gave it full time.’

When the seed of the idea was planted in my heart and I sent out little feelers, I must confess that I had trepidation and indeed, I received a couple of hints that the timing I chose may not be right because it was a Valentine weekend, but a good number of voices that were keen to see how it would all turn out boosted me.

You know how the negative sometimes does it’s super-best to overshadow the positive, the feedback that didn’t quite support kept ringing in my head and reminding me that I am a small blogger, but the little voice of encouragement within me kept reminding me that Valentine was even the more reason to have a party ‘because it’s a love thing and love is everything.’

Love is not meant to be restricted nor kept covered only to be exposed in one day. It should be a lifestyle. So, I dug in my heels and got to work on the hurdle that I had set for myself.

I didn’t want to leave the taunting voice of regret to hound me with the fact that I failed to try.

I also try to practice what I preach ‘do it, even if you are afraid,’ so we did it, and boy, oh boy, was it a sweet interlude.

A blog party attended by over 105 awesome bloggers with over 1,060+ comment thread is one big party.

We had live music, good food, drinks, dessert, stories, poems, pillow fights and talks, slumber parties, dancing on tables, auctions, smooching in corners, our very own Cupid, super company and lots of blogs falling in love with each other. Now tell me that wasn’t sweet.

I made a good number of new friends, had a swell time and hope that everyone else did.

The last few words I would like to say, I will say them in a quote:

‘There is strength in unity and love.’ Unknown

‘Stand your ground, for today’s mighty Iroko tree was yesterday’s nut that held it’s ground.’ African proverb

‘When you have a dream, hold on to it, work it out and never let anyone talk you out of it.’ Jacqueline.

Thank you all for keeping me company, for supporting me and for being my friend in this place.

With all pleasure, I say, let’s do it again sometime soon.

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

Tuesdays Trickle…My Thinking Corner

February 16, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

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.

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.**

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

Money, Money, Money….

February 15, 2016February 15, 2016 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.

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.

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.