a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
I am able, open and willing to grow. Even as my soul prospers, so will every aspect of my existence.
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.
#LawofAttraction, #Manifestation, #Believe #Thepowerofpositivethinking, #positiveaffirmations, #abundancementality, #findinggreaterjoy, #BodyMindSpirit, #ShiftingPerspectives, #FulfilledLife #PurposeDriven
The ring tone of the mobile cut into my reflection. I was just coming to the end of my evening walk. Answering the unknown number, her sweet Indian accented voice carried through and in a voice that I will place at 26 years, she chirpily informed me, Ms. Jacqueline, blah, blah, yadda, yadda… unfortunately, due to our employment policy, we can’t offer you the coveted position of events Manager since you are above 35 and too antiquated in my 4o’s (okay, I added this bit about antiquated).
Well, that gave me pause for mere minutes as I trudged up the bridge in front of me but the greatest emotion that I realized was that of relief that flooded me. An odd emotion I must say. I’ll analyze it later.
Let me give you a brief background. This is the latest venture in my attempt to find full-time gainful employment. One of the greatest challenges of being an accompanying spouse or should I say spice is the ‘not having a defined career and dependency on your spouse for periods of time that might cause discomfort.’
You could spend the better part of the time/if not all the time spent abroad searching for something suitable in the form of employment and yes, you learn frugality to the last letter y.
Except when one is up and pushing like I have to do each day – searching for freelance opportunities that come far and few in-between or occupying myself with things that enlarge my scope in the pursuit of my dreams to be a successful writer – one would probably end up a frustrated, emotional bag of chocolate cookie eating monster.
Over the years I’ve learnt to manage on what we can afford and sometimes squeeze out a bit for some side attractions but not having a strong earning power (yet) has stunted some things that I seek to do for myself.
If truth be told, my major interest for seeking this job is to earn in order to fund some self-development life-coaching programs that I want to attend and to save up to return to school next year without burdening my husband whose plate is full right now.
In my head, I was already trying to see how I would fit the job around my life that’s surprisingly full without a 9-5 job and was feeling somewhat stressed at the thought. Now, this explains my odd sense of relief when they informed me that they would rather seek a person with perkier body parts than mine, irrespective of the wealth of experience that I have to bring on board.
As a matter of fact, instead of feeling disappointed or upset about the rejection, last night I felt a deep sense of inexplicable peace and understanding. A quiet voice came to me with the verse of Jeremiah 29:11 saying:
‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’
By the time I went to sleep last night, I was all excited and grateful. I have no idea what lies before me, but I know deep inside me that God’s plans over my life are exceedingly bountiful.
I woke up this morning and quickly checked my emails. A notification I saw simply made me burst into tears and laughter. Tears at my foolishness and human sense of worry. Laughter at the beautiful surprise.
A voice said to me, go back to the work that you are doing. Go back and finish the book that has been dropped in your heart to write. It’s a book on ‘finding wisdom and purpose.’
The interesting thing is that I never had a plan to write such a book. I have novels that I am working on, but ever since the instruction to write this book came to me late last year, it has not allowed me much sleep and has taken precedence over the novels. I am several days behind due to neglecting it during my trip, but all things being equal, it will be ready by March.
All that I can say is that even when things are not looking the way we want them in our human eyes, keep your eye’s looking up. Be grateful for the much that you’ve been given, for out of it shall abundance flow.
To the sister who gave me this surprising gift, may your circle of blessings never run dry. May laughter fill your mouth and may praise remain your portion.
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.
In these season of glad tidings, may we find it in the generosity of our hearts to extend our kindness to others who least expect it from us.
A lot of times, we may have far more than we really need to eat and drink, while so many people are suffering and hungry.
If we share the little that we have with someone who doesn’t have, it might even be better than we think.
It may not be our duty to give to these people, but we should also remember that no one wants to be in a beggaring position and that an act of kindness no matter how small, is never a wasted effort.
I will crave your indulgence in sharing a personal story. I hesitate, because in my frame of mind, good deeds done towards others are between me, the recipient and God.
These gestures are not things that I wish to publicize, but I just want to share one of the times when I have reaped unprecedented fruits which I believe were the result of kindness.
Several years ago in Lagos, I had a catering outfit which had started out small just to test the waters.
I pursued and got contracts to service some corporate bodies with hot meals, finger foods etc, and I would always join my staff to attend to these customers, sharing a word, smiles and general chit-chat.
At the end of each day that we worked, left over food was shared to those who could not afford to buy these meals. Many of them were total strangers on the streets who were destitute.
This went on consistently for a while and though one or two people thought that it was being wasteful (because they felt that we could still serve some of the leftover the following day) but I never saw it that way and as a matter of principle, we shared everything to the last spoon.
I recall that on one of the days, a poor man came up to my vehicle to thank us for all the food that he had been receiving and he was almost in tears.
I was a bit embarrassed to see a grown man scrounging for food and I told him that it was not a problem and that so long as I was catering in the vicinity, we would give him something to eat.
Anyway to cut a long story short, we continued giving as much as we could.
Not too long after, my small scale business exploded.
It became inundated with so much demand that we could hardly keep up and I had to turn down some jobs at the onset of the deluge.
I had contracts crawling out of the woodwork’s and falling all over my company, that the only way to go was to expand fast in other to manage the demand.
I quickly employed more hands, bought a second delivery bus, and within the space of four months thereafter, I saw myself entertaining the idea of building my own structure which had not been in my plan because the rented space that I was using got too small.
Nothing had prepared me for such breakthrough.
In a quick wave, I had realized sufficient capital to build and equip a modern medium-scaled bakery and a kitchen.
This project ran into millions of Naira (Nigerian currency) without a single loan from anybody, but gains realized from the overflow of business that rained on me.
Some might call it coincidence and hard work, but I called it divine intervention. I called it spiritual uplifting. I called it OPEN HEAVENS!
Whatever part of the World you might be in; from London to Tokyo, US to Zimbabwe, Japan to Ottawa, Venezuela to Nigeria, Cambodia to Paris, Russia to the moon, these principles remain the same!
I am not advising that your giving should be tied with expecting something in return, but that the law of nature works that way.
Gratitude makes what we have enough and more, while generosity opens up the store house of harvest for us.
The wise words of the Bible says that, ”when you open your hands to give, you equally open your hands to receive.”
”We must give in other to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest” – Orison Swett Marden.
”Generosity consists not of the sum given, but the manner in which it is bestowed” – Mahatma Gandhi
”We can do no great things, only small things with great love” – Mother Theresa
Thank you izzyasabee for your invitation to participate in the 3 quote challenge.
I would like to invite these 3 lovely bloggers to participate in the 3 quote challenge.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
You know,
Empty dreams,
Don’t make beautiful Worlds!
The consistent actions of you and I, do!
So tell me, what do you propagate around you?
Are you engaged sowing seeds of accord or discord?
Would you just take a moment and check your circle of influence!
Plant that seed that you want to reap! It will grow into a tree of bounty!
Cease wasting time on wishful thinking!
We can be the World that we wish to see!
Shalom!
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Images: Pinterest
Its an honor to be nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by three different blogger friends Honestme363, hallenterprises132 and Inspiring Max.
This award is in recognition of blogs that share positivity in the blogging community.
As the saying ”three times a charm goes,” in that spirit, I humbly accept all three nominations and merge the rays so that I can leave some fingers of some Sun shine for other friends of mine 🙂
In my native land, when a person wishes that the Sun will shine on you, they project Life, Prosperity and Brightness in your life. The spoken word bears a lot of weight on our lives even when we fail to realize it. In deed, the power of life and death lies in our tongues. When you lift up your face to the rising Sun, may the shadows fall behind.
A big thank you to my nominator blog-some friends. Do take a little while and visit their virtual corners.
The Rules:
The merged questions: 30 in all
Ans: I have lived in so many places, briefly and lengthy. From the Eastern part of Nigeria to the Middle Belt, North and West in my growing up years. Stints in Europe and migrating to the US. I presently live in Dubai – United Arab Emirates, but in the innermost part of my heart, my favorite place is the place of my childhood. A small University community known as The University of Nigeria Nsukka. It was a childhood of dreams; a place, where it took a community to raise a child.
Ans: The fact that I didn’t start writing seriously earlier than now!
Ans: Christmas in the village 🙂
Ans: My aspirations have changed over time and snowballed back to my passion and first love which is writing. It’s time to take it to higher grounds.
Ans: English, History and Literature.
Ans: I love both places and since I am living right now in a major city, it is better to be in love with it.
Ans: I am not so much into celebrities but I could live with Oprah. I love the wisdom that she shares.
Ans: It is almost common knowledge that I will dance to anything called music apart from the cat’s noise.
Ans: I love them in splashes. Not fair to make me choose but there is something about orange and white.
Ans: The thought of marauding snakes has made me not to enjoy camping; even when I was in the girls guide. Now, I would settle for the comfort of a decent motel. There must be a writing table in the corner.
Ans: Five
Ans: I cry over silly things.
Ans: Reading, writing, dancing or lounging by the poolside, playing with my kids, people watching…..
Ans: Writing things down and praying.
Ans: Fourteen posts.
Ans: I think I am a B. I have been able to have a successful one week without looking at it.
Ans: On my laptop.
Ans: Nothing. My wedding rings, maybe? Oh yes! My laptop too! 😉
Ans: Asides from my Bible, lots of motivational books from different authors.
Ans: An Eagle. I would soar high and free. I would visit so many places and see so many things.
Ans: There are loads of them and more are joining the list. I am currently enjoying Marian Keyes.
Ans: Sincerely speaking, I am still growing up and learning new things. However, leaving my footprints in the sands of life through my writing, mentoring and life coaching would be my greatest accomplishments.
Ans: A holiday at Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi combined with Burj Al Arab in Dubai. It was pure decadence.
Ans: A very large greasy steak, with mashed potatoes and a glass of Veuve Cliquot, to send me off.
Ans: 30 degrees sounds fine to me.
Ans: I am a blend of the two. An introverted extrovert 🙂
Ans: Stop eating too many sweet things.
Ans: Snakes. I don’t mind being cooped in as long as I have a good supply of good reads and a jotter + Food
Ans: So that I can meet people like you. So that I can share my thoughts
Ans: Women of Faith, Dido, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Nigerian Musicians: It is a very long list.
Here comes the Sun nominees…:
Anand’s Parodies & Caricatures
Tlizzy – My little bit of serenity
Just 11 questions..:
Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the reflections the opportunity to answer the questions gave me.
Regards.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
He strutted and postured,
His fists pounding the podium from time to time,
In a bid to pontificate his points,
To give breadth to his enunciation’s.
His oily words rolled off his tongue,
Slick, cajoling and compelling,
To a crowd captivated by his glittering Italian shoes, which served in disguising his hideous clay feet,
His expensive shiny suit strained to contain his well rounded tub; fed fat by the grease of other hands,
His bugled eyes, beady, shrewd and greedy,
Stood out in his plump and shiny face,
With his wobbly rich jowls,
Bouncing with every step,
Amen; Shout Alleluia he bellowed,
Taking note of each and everyone of them,
Those whose envelopes bulged,
Those with the slimmer ones and those with none at all
He blessed the thieves, the roguery politicians,
And the lying tongue,
Nary a word of love or repentance was uttered at all,
Prosperity, Prosperity, Gain and more gain,
As his oily basket grew bigger by the second,
But the poor in their cast-offs,
A pity to behold, at odds with the glitterati,
Hardly a seat could they find in the pews nor warmth to enfold,
Whatever on Earth is happening to the Salt of the Earth?
What manner of pervasive erosion is leeching our hearts and our minds?
Robbing us blindly of our timeless essence and values;
And replacing them with decrepit morals,
Lack of conscience and loss of empathy,
Is it a wonder that the World is what it is today?
I guess not….,
The statement that says “you reap what you sow”, must indeed be true.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
A new day and renewed hope.
Hope, that little voice that says maybe,
Even when everything says maybe not.
Work with hopeful passion and you will gain momentum.
Work only for money, you gain tedium and you wear thin.
As you step into another new week,
Search out for the silver linings even in the dark clouds,
The hope that burgeons in your heart,
is your beacon that points you to your prosperity.
Remember that prosperity has a different meaning,
From one person to the other,
Prosperity is not only dependent on how much you made,
But equally measured by the satisfaction that you gained.
Be at peace.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
a cooking pot and twisted tales 