a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
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A good number of us tend to search for all the excuses under the Sun to justify why we failed in something and to credit other peoples success with so many favourable conditions, which they supposedly didn’t earn.
That’s telling one’s self a lie, which is like eating comfort food to feel better about something.
Where there is a will, in there lies your way. Find it.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
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A saying in my place goes, ‘that success refuses to go to the house of those who fail to appreciate the success of others around them, because success feels that when she arrives, you will equally fail to appreciate her presence.’
Positive energy attracts positive things, we should therefore always try to appreciate the humble beginnings while we plan and wait for the bigger ones.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
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When we sow little seeds of good, we have no idea the depth of roots that we plant.
We can actually retrain the battle fields of our minds to think the way that we want it to.
It’s never too late to try to get it right. Except the person reading this post is no longer on this side of the great divide.
Happiness is truly at home with you. It lives and breaths within you and not in someone else’s abode.
Sometimes, in the bid to hide so many secrets, we bury ourselves alive and forget to live.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Noirfifre’s beautiful message is an advise that would suit a lot of people.
Stella’s simple, beautiful thoughts can take us very far.
Oba’s inspiring post on paying it forward speaks for itself.
I would encourage you to take a quick peek at these thoughts. Maybe, they mirror yours.
So, when can we get a sneak peek at yours?
My regards,
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
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Winning our individual battle fields in our minds emanates from what we plant in there daily.
We can choose to find ourselves beautiful instead of relying on others to dictate if we are beautiful.
We can choose to plant courage instead of fear. Love instead of hatred. A can do and willing to try attitude instead of I can’t.
A constant repetition brings belief, a change of mind and confidence.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In my place, there is a saying which states that ‘when you agree, your God agrees with you.‘![1453474975377[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/14534749753771.jpg)
A blogversation that I had recently with an awesome blogger brought back this saying that my dad used ever so often back to my mind and I spent a little time dwelling on the thought of it’s meaning.
As a child whose parents used lots of proverbs to buttress a point, I never quite understood some of what they were trying to say to me then, but as time went on, these kernels of words planted have been germinating profusely and I find wisdom tucked inside them.
It is a common belief back in my place that each person has their own little ‘Chi’ or ‘God’, also perceived as a guardian Angel and that whatever limitations the person sets for themselves, that is equally where their God will set himself.
If you buy into the myopic view of a misguided person that you are not good enough, then you will remain so.
If you set limitations for yourself with all the usual excuses: because I am poor, black, brown, fe/male, tall, short, etc, you will not grow past your limitations. To grow past them you have to stop agreeing to the negative feedback of ‘You Can’t.’
‘What are you agreeing to?’
There is no disputing the fact that there are socio-economic challenges, gender limitations, race boundaries and all the conceivable ceilings out there that hinders us from breaking through the invisible barriers to our perceived success, but wait a minute.
What of the glass ceiling that you have placed on your own mind? No one else will break through it and free you other than yourself.
In as much as there are things we are unable to stop from happening, we have the will power to choose how we react to these things.
Do we remain victims of our own minds, or do we break free from the bounds of mind enslavement of whatever it is that we are agreeing to and become victors?
The choice is yours. What are you agreeing to? What ever it is, is what your God will agree to as well.
I shall leave these little quotes here for you to dwell on.
‘It is not what you are called, but what you answer to.’ African proverb
‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.‘ Proverbs: 23.7
‘Be careful how you are talking to yourself, because you are listening.‘ Lisa M. Hayes
For the quotes challenge invitation, I thank Kaushal of Expressive Human for the invitation, and would like to invite the following awesome bloggers to participate in the 3 days, 3 quotes challenge.
No pressures at all to do so.
The rules are:
Life is a constant flux of change and naturally as all humans are prone to, mine has evolved in little and huge ways.
My cycles have gone through mountain peaks and deep valleys, through Tropics and Savannah and each evolution has contributed to my story; to my growth in personality and maturity of mind; to the pathway of better understanding of myself as a complete entity.
Some changes have been premeditated while some, were thrust on me by Providence, but the most important aspect of these changes has been the strengthening of my inner mental core, resilience and spiritual walk.
For close to two decades, I have gone from a care-free single, all career guns blazing young lady to become a wife and proud mother. From formal employment, to part-time/voluntary service and self-employment/entrepreneurship.
In this space of time, I have migrated within 3 different Continents and when you are talking about leaving; I just left Texas to United Arab Emirates a couple of moons ago!
It has been a major shift especially in culture mentality. I am still in the bid of catching my breath even though I know that my sojourn in this place will not tarry for too long.
The challenges that such changes predisposes you to, which goes beyond leaving your comfort zone and familiar grounds to places of new beginnings are numerous, that the experience alone can constitute a book.
However, the trick in handling these things, is to keep a very broad and positive mind. Make a concerted effort to have a positively motivated outlook and become a sponge that soaks in all the good vibes around you.
That way, you will acquire the best experience that your life is teaching you at that point in time.
I am presently focusing on self-development and as I continue to transform, my hope is to cascade my support outwards to others and also to persevere in my efforts as a writer.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In response to The Daily Post prompt If You Leave
Life is a series of beginnings and endings. We leave one job to start another; we quit cities, countries, or continents for a fresh start; we leave lovers and begin new relationships. What was the last thing you contemplated leaving? What were the pros and cons? Have you made up your mind? What will you choose?
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Lazy Learners.”
I fretted to get good grades, but that was when I was very young.
Now I fret to do my best because that is what pleases me to do.
However I am not going to fret myself to death;
For those things that I want to learn but haven’t gotten round to doing them for various reasons that are unavoidable,
Learning process is ad infinitum. We learn till the day we die.
I have a long list of things that I would like to learn, because it pleases me to know them.
What I do each day, is to learn something new, no matter how minutiae,
God willing even in my dotage, I shall trudge on to those martial arts classes,
I shall probably learn a bit of Japanese along the way;
Basket weaving for the fun of it,
Taking better pictures through practicing;
It’s a long list of things to learn…..
It just never ends..
a cooking pot and twisted tales 
