Positive Affirmation Challenge

What About You? Affirmation Challenge.

I am a gifted woman. I walk tall. I’m taking the odds that life has given me and making them even. I walk the path of success. I’m a champion. What about you? Jacqueline

#positiveaffirmations, #walktall, #findingyou, #be.at.peace, #findinggreaterjoy

P.S. If you wish to join this positive affirmation challenge running for 90 days, please add your quote to the comments and each day, I’ll share everyone’s quote with their links.

Being Happy, Self-worth, Quotes

Inspiration - Motivation

Positivity From Adversity

In the toughest of times, it can be difficult to draw upon positivity and inspiration. But, with a change of perspective, these issues can become a well-spring of not only creativity but also happiness!

Happiness, Women, Adversity, Life, Water, Laughter, Friendship, Perspective

Happiness in adversity! Source.

The first change of perspective is:

Plan Accordingly!

Once you fall upon hard times, it can be easy to become lost in a mire of misery and simply think it is inescapable. This isn’t true! If you’re experiencing money troubles, then working alongside a financial planner can help pull you back into the black, and get you back on your feet. Helpful resources exist for advice on how to choose a financial planner – this will not only help you in the short-term but can set you on your way for future success.

Planning doesn’t just apply to monetary issues though. It may be that the adversity you face is the disability of a loved one, maybe even your own child. This can seem overwhelmingly bleak, but if you plan thoroughly you can not only guarantee your own security but secure your loved one’s future and quality of life. Investing in a special needs trust is a neat and secure way of guaranteeing them a stable life, be they young or old, and will free you mentally to enjoy the best of times with them. Life isn’t all about finances, but securing them financially can safeguard future treatments, allowing you to nurture them with love with a reduced weight upon your shoulders.

This leads to the second shift in perspective:

Creatively Document Your Struggles and Successes!

Change can be a good thing! Change can help shift your perspectives and bring you back in touch with the things that really matter. Disabled people aren’t here to inspire us, but still, we can draw inspiration from the experiences of anyone who experiences and overcomes difficult times. If you yourself have difficulties you can channel them into creative outlets such as poetry, or even running an inspirational blog! People all over the world channel difficulty into uplifting stories of how they overcome setback after setback, and you too could join them!

Alongside a properly thought-out and implemented plan for recovery, documenting your journey can bring light in moments of darkness, and can itself become that which best drags you back into the good times! Studies exist as to the value of adversity in the creative mind, and this shows that – even if you’ve gotten into a dark spot of writer’s block (or the equivalent for your pursuit!) – you can haul yourself out with a fresh new perspective to boot.

You can channel yourself into a new hobby, with the little successes you win yourself pursuing those hobbies helping build towards overall wins in your wider life! Perhaps you’ll even take up cooking? Cooking yourself hearty meals can do absolute wonders for your state of mind, and as you get more confident in your abilities you’ll soon be making all sorts of fantastic meals! You’ll have gained yourself new skills, brought some positivity into your life and can even save yourself a little money – all whilst bringing you closer to your loved ones! After all, everyone loves a packed family table and a home-cooked meal! (Of course, you can always channel your efforts elsewhere – hand-knitted gifts go down a treat!)

Hearty soup, Fresh meals, healthy, nutritious, meal plan

A hearty meal does wonders for the frazzled mind. Source.

This is a collaborative post.
Photo 101 · Photographs

Through The Glass…

Perspective is what transforms a photo that would otherwise look ordinary, to an image interesting enough to spare several looks.

Sometimes, it’s just playing around with angles and lighting that does the trick.

Photograph, Illumination, Perspective, Through The Glass

Glass of Water, Photograph, Perspective

For little tips on photography, you can check out my blog, The Art of Beautiful Expressions. 

Hope · Life · Writing

A letter to the young man that died…

The crossDear Sir,

I killed you and I am truly so sorry!

A dash into a six lane highway in pursuit of something that no one could tell, cost both of us so much.

They called it an accident, yet my spirit has grieved for long and the incident replays itself over and over in slow motion in my head. The screech and skid of the tires, the spinning and the abyss of blackness…

You died! How I came out of that vehicle with just a few scrapes was by the Mercy of God. I felt that I should have been more hurt than I was. The months that followed were extremely hard and it has taken a lot of Grace to forgive myself.

I always ask myself these rhetorical questions:

  • What was pursuing you or what were you pursuing?
  • What if I had left a tad earlier that day, would that have made a difference or would someone else be saddled with this burden of guilt?
  • Should I blame the Local Government for not installing pedestrian crossings on a highway; where it shouldn’t be?
  • Should I blame your foolhardy self for dashing into a six lane express by 10:30 in the morning?
  • Should I blame fate for putting me in your path and reconcile that it was meant to be?

I don’t drink, neither do I do drugs, so blaming intoxication is even out of the question!

My heart bleeds every moment that I think of this.

Every time that I wonder if you are okay where you are? If you ever had the chance to make peace with your God?

You were in your late 20’s and I wonder what dreams you had for the future; if any at all?

You have forever changed my perspective about life.

I guess I will never know the answers to my questions, but this I know for sure;

I will always offer a prayer for you.

Jacqueline

Inspiration - Motivation · Musings

Just listen.. your little tip for today

calmnessKeep calm and just listen.

If you keep talking,

You can only repeat what you know,

But when you listen, with an open mind,

Chances are you will learn something,

That you did not know before,

Because we do not know it all.

So, can you try?

And just keep quiet a little while?

And just listen, to that point of view,

Though disagreeable it might be,

So that you might renew,

And gain better perspective,

Even when you don’t agree.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha