Waiting to Exhale.

There are lots of things that inspire me: poetry, music, human faces, pencil shavings (Joke!), but what’s the use of breathing in if you can’t exhale? Being fresh from University ( I call it “The assembly line”), I’m largely expected to follow in the ruts of my forbears- a job, marriage, retirement, regrets… . Doing this will only serve to perpetuate the norm (ugh!). Whatever happened to dreams, risk taking and adventure?

      When I look around me, I see a lot of conformity to the styles and fashions of the now, and very faint gasps of “why?” and “how?”. I recently was diagnosed as having asthma ( imagine picking that up at 23!), so I know firsthand how uncomfortable it is to be unable to exhale. Sadly, the bulk of us don’t seem to mind this discomfort but prefer to live(?) quietly, gasping and wheezing for that which makes life worth living- the fulfillment of our dreams.

Here’s a poem I wrote. Hope it blesses you.

Dreams.

A litle boy once had a dream

That was impossible- or so it seemed.

At first light of dawn he told his mum:

She shut him up with a quart of cream.

He had no one with whom to share

This dream of his as not one cared

But through the cold nights after the storm

The flame of his dream kept him warm.

The little boy grew into a man

And had quite forgotten how his dream began.

Once he warmed himself by its flame,

Now a blanket of norm covers his unique frame.

One night after the year threescore and ten,

An old man lay to sleep and he dreamed again.

Only it was a nightmare of what could have been

If he had let a litttle boy fulfil his dream.

                                                           Hi Emeka (Spitta X)!

Tense?

The one charm of the past is that it is past.

folly of war

This picture made me laugh. A closer look however, shows that it’s all too real and not so funny.

Motherland.

       We are Nigeria.

Our hardworking backs will not bow to tyranny nor will our lips speak the language of mediocrity. With our fingers we will mix the many colors of our culture, painting a masterpiece whose uniqueness lies in its many shades. Our unblinking eyes will stare oppression defiantly in the face. It will avert its eyes; we will take our place. We will live to see our children fill- not our shoes, God forbid, but every vacuum created by a wholesome and honest need. Our minds will ever be employed in the remedy of wrong. Aisha is pregnant: mother and child will live long. We will laugh- with our enemies and at our friends.When evening comes we will dream dreams that mend.

     Naija ni wa!

A sMILE is the shortest distance.

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter
and good-humour.”

                                - Charles Dickens (A Christmas carol)

Mr.

           I had often looked at him while passing the busy part of a road that lay down long and hard under sun, rain and a million marching feet. He had always been there- he will always be there. Today however,

I saw him for the first time.

           He had a strong face that would serve well as a hand-me-down to some young lad needing confidence.He however had regret in his eyes, and his clothes were not his size. His face was folded into many pages, on which life had written its very frank lines. I couldn’t read them all.

           The world for him is seen through the legs of passersby. One of them, wearing razor-sharp clothes, dropped a half-smoked cigarette next to his smoke-colored knees. I noticed that not even a glance was wasted on it: he was too poor to afford such sins. He called to me in a language I didn’t (want to) understand. I couldn’t just pass so I paid for my soul with one note of Obasanjo’s money. I didn’t ask for change. He smiled his thanks and I smiled back my regrets. After walking a while, I wondered if my soul was worth so little. He is behind me now (I hope).

Wait! On second thoughts, don’t wait!!

        There is nothing proactive about procrastination. Rather, it acts as a prophylactic against progress. Think of it. Putting off a task or a promise eventually puts off everything -and everyone- worthwhile. Lets be practical about this; put off taking your bath or eating for a while and sooner or later you will feel (or smell) my point.
         Why would anyone postpone doing something worthwhile? The answer simply lies in one word- fear. The fear of change, the fear of discomfort, the fear of challenges. The irony of this is that procrastination does hold its own brand of change, discomfort, and challenges.
        Someone once said that the end of our lives, the only regrets we would have is not about the things we did (we paid these regrets to broken hearts, reposessors, and embarassments) but about the things we did not do.I totally agree with him. A definition I have for procrastination is this: fear that takes time. Since our lives are measured- in quantity and quality- by time, it can be said that procrastination is fear that robs us of our very lives.
        Are you as mad about this as i am?

Time is Mine.

When I was small, I  never considered the importance of time. I would just laze around, watch TV, lie in bed, and play videogames. As I grew older, I thought about the things that I had achieved. To my surprise, I hadn’t accomplished a lot. I resolved to myself that I will do things that will contribute to the benefit of mankind. I studied very hard and learned a lot of lessons from my experience. I lacked self-confidence before, so I want to help other people overcome this predicament.

      “TIME CANNOT BE ‘MANAGED.’ THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT IS A BIT OBSCURE. THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BE MANAGED IS YOUR ACTIVITIES WITHIN THAT TIME. “Work smarter, not harder” is a cliché that has darted in and out of the workplace for years. But it’s still as true as ever. And it’s often overlooked advice that truly works. “Working smarter” means think strategically about how to improve your productivity. For starters, think about how you spend a typical day. Then eliminate the time robbers. How? Like this…1. Discourage excessive visitors. Move the plate of food. Put it far away from your desk. Why? Because food is a friend when you’re trying to attract or meet your peers but it’s also a foe that cuts into your time. If 12 people stop by your desk for sweets and initiate a five minute chat each, you’ve lost an hour of your day.2. Train your family. Set limits on personal calls.

      There are a lot of benefits to being a good time manager, especially in a rushed and frenetically paced culture. The goal of mastering your time is to live better, to savor your time. Which is just another word for your Life. If you accept that your time is non-renewable, precious, then it makes sense to take time management seriously, and devote to it the attention it deserves. So, hat are you waiting for? Take charge of your time TODAY!!

Our Future.

Hello Nigerians,

               This is to intimate you on the importance of voting in the upcoming elections (you however have to register first, so if you have not registered, please do so!). Throughout history, the fate of nations have been decided by PEOPLE. Have faith in the system, play your part- and see results!!

I’m tired of not participating in the determination of my future. How about You?

Please feel free to comment on anything you see on this site. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Overcoming Limitations

Title: Overcoming Limitations
 
 
Author: Angela Wickenberg
  



 
"Put seeds and cover them. Blades will sprout where you do your
work." -Rumi
  


"New seed is faithful. Its roots deepest in the places that are
most empty." -Clarissa Pinkola Estes
  


Have you ever heard the saying: "thoughts are things"? It is a
simple statement and seemingly widely accepted and well known
that everything achieved is first mentally conceived.
  


Take a look around you. All of the things that we live in and
use, houses, cars, food in supermarkets, space stations, the
Internet, are all things and were first ideas in the minds of
people who dared to think outside of what was the normally
accepted boundaries for what was possible.
  


Breaking through our imaginary roof and releasing all sorts of
inadequacies and even fantasies takes courage and dynamic
action. Otherwise, your imagined limitations will keep you from
being focused and completing what you need to get done. When we
are "trying" to concentrate, we go to the toilet, we eat a lot,
we put a load of clothes in the washer, we call someone... the
list goes on and on. We must not only learn to control our
minds, but also our bodily movements.
  


You can create whatever you can imagine and impress onto your
consciousness. If you imagine big things, you must practice or
exercise your imagination. Just as a baby needs to learn to take
small steps before it can walk and then run, we need practice at
concentrating and imagining things. A concentrated mind pays
attention to his or her self and their environment.
  


Some of our best and most innovative ideas often come from our
darkest challenges and difficulties. These can be life's
greatest gifts, for they urge us to think differently and
greatly, if we are willing to look for the possibilities.
  


Start with smaller desires that you can believe and expect and
you will either slowly or more quickly learn to have faith in
creating greater things. Even if you do not know what you want,
you can pretend that you know. The simple act of deciding on one
thing and concentrating on will help you in getting the clarity
you desire. Start by honouring your own special skills and
abilities. Everyone has something special about them. Make a
list and choose one thing from this list.
  


Create possibilities with your imagination. Dream up a situation
where your desire became possible for you.
  


Create distance to whatever challenge or difficulty your mind
presents to you, whether real or imagined. Push the problem or
problems away from you as if you are watching a movie and
imagine the desired solutions, or imagine that it is someone
else with the problems and they have asked you for help. Know
that you are worthy of these possibilities. Say to yourself:
"The things I create are even better than I imagine them to be."
Break through your limitations and see them for what they are:
thoughts that we have formed in our own minds. If you are
experiencing an ebb, with more money going out than coming in,
don't panic. Do not lose confidence in yourself or think that
somehow you have failed. The challenge here is to believe in
your future prosperity, for all phases are temporary. Focus on
what you are learning from the experience and move on. As you
become better at recognizing these cycles, you will be more
prepared and better able to create what you need, when you need
it.
  


Angela Wickenberg
  


About the author:
Author, Angela Wickenberg, is a multi-tasking queen with an MBA
in Strategy and International Business. She will passionately
help you find the tools you need to succeed. She can be found at
http://www.e-bizsecretsexposed.com/blog