Let Me Ramble Away!

Let Me Ramble Away!

 

You see, my search for a picture for my next post is giving  me issues. So permit me to ramble a bit. I love writing (ok, you know that already) and reading anything that ranges from the Bible, novels, magazines to blogs (hehehe...yes, blogs o. I don't want the law of karma!). Another thing is, er, wait, I wish I could speak Hausa fluently (can't explain my love for the language sef!). Infact, it was one of my subjects in school, yet, I don't know beyond Mai Nene?, Nagode and Yaya Aiki?

My people, just in case you don't know, the hustle in Nigeria is real o! I've been wondering why  the Nigerian meaning for the word "hustle" can't be re-framed to mean anything that  highlights positive attributes such as hard work and diligence? So basically, I'll be upping my game in terms of quality, educative and interesting contents because I don’t want to be termed a hustler o. I appreciate and celebrate the hard work most young Nigerians put into legitimate creative collaborations, their studies, and business strategies - all of the nitty gritty factors that are far from glamorous, but actually very productive.  That is our cue my friends, as long as it is not against God's word, doesn’t kill us, demean us, or illegitimate, by all means, let's do it!.

Don't Feel Bad. Feel Glad!

 Don't Feel Bad. Feel Glad!

 

I don’t know about you, but lately, all I hear is about MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE! Ofcourse, I enjoy hearing other people's success stories and I don't mean just in financial terms. I love it when people are able to impact lives positively or even correct a wrong in the society. 

We hear it all the time – if you can see it, then you'd have it! So it becomes increasingly frustrating when your dreams don't come true. Take me for instance, I have always known that in the long run, sitting in an office working on someone else’s dream wasn’t going to suit me .But until I'm able to add small actions to that desire, I might as well be day-dreaming :)

So, I would like to share with you some things I have learnt from some successful people I have come across and read about:

WHAT IS TRUE FRIENDSHIP?

WHAT IS TRUE FRIENDSHIP?

A true friend is  someone who will stand by you, no matter what. Someone who you’d eventually consider almost family. And by friendship, I don't mean random people you bump into on Facebook, Twitter or BB and tag on your photos. Those aren't your friends, those are just people you happen to know. If you have people around you who you can share honest conversations with, people who will love you with no judgments, people who encourage you to do better in life and make you feel safe---then you have true FRIENDS.

 

I believe in the power of friends who stick together. I have  a group of friends I had since school days, some, I grew up with and I know they have my back and I have theirs. It's not about the number of friends you have, it's about the quality of friendships you're able to keep...these are the kind of friends you choose to grow old with! Time and distance do nothing to diminish the bond we have with these kinds of friends.

Little Things That Make Me Happy!

Little Things That Make Me Happy!
I'm grateful to God for a new day, my family, a roof over my head, food and an opportunity to better myself.Yes, I know we can't  be happy all the time but it's nice to think about the little things that lift our spirits on somewhat regular basis, isn't it?

Here are some little things that make me happy  :)

- A really good song on a nice day

- Fresh sheets on my bed

- Hot Cakes!

- Reading a good book in bed

- When my dad calls or texts just to see how things are

- Cute babies!

- Simple compliments

- I love that smell after rain (don't know what it's called though!)

- A cup of chilled water on a hot day

- Seeing other people happy.

So, what are those commonplace things that make you a little happy inside?

Photo Credit: shutterstock.com

MY DAD, MY HERO

MY DAD, MY HERO!

Myself, my dad & my sister

I'm often too shy to open up about my family. And it's such a shame that I started my blog after Father's Day. You see, my father is not the expressive-mushy kind of dad, in fact he texts me like a telegram: IBE, HOW ARE YOU?

He consistently prays for his daughters and he believes in our natural talents and intellect and knows that success would find its way to us. I'd like to believe that our relatives should be sensible and considerate and completely understand us.My dad epitomizes this. He always shows us unconditional love, it was something I’d taken for granted until I realized from talking with some of my friends that they had no similar view of their dads.

My sisters and I are so blessed to have him.So bear with me folks as I gush about my dad, hopefully you'll be able to find my ramblings useful as you plan to appreciate those special people in your life.

Routinely Break Routines!

Routinely Break Routines!

 

For those of  us who work, have you ever had that feeling of being stuck in a rut? Maybe, your daily routine, year in, year out is: shower, breakfast (optional), work, lunch, work, dinner, TV, sleep.I remember when I was working somewhere, I had to work on Saturdays too, and then by Sunday, I was already thinking about work again. There didn't seem to be any  break in that routine. 

 While it's easier to coast through a familiar routine, straying off a well-worn path can bring more colour and spirit to your life.

What does it take to shake up your life? Try these:

Good Morning Lovely Readers

Good Morning Lovely Readers

Do you like Mondays? Monday mornings always symbolize a fresh start for me. It’s an opportunity to hit the refresh button and start all over again.To take one small step toward something important. To believe that my dreams are possible. To visualize myself moving forward. To be positive and have faith in God.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a happiness freak. I'm not going to throw a party inside a collapsing building and say "Hey, let's forget about our sorrows!". That would be foolish. You also have to deal with your challenges head on and be accountable for your actions.

This is exactly what I am working on personally, living my life each day, with a sense of accountability   because at the end of the day we're not only accountable to ourselves or to society but to God.

Have yourself a wonderful week. Take a moment and think of this as being the first day of the rest of your life

P.S. Special thanks to my faithful friends who prayed for and encouraged me last week.

Can you share with me how your typical day goes? 

Much love,

Ibe

Weekend Teaser!

Weekend Teaser!

 

How Old Would You Be If You Didn't Know?

I know everyone wants to ask off-the-wall questions but when you get in the habit of teasing your brain, you’ll be amazed at what you end up seeing that you didn’t see before.

Someone asked me this question some time ago. Let me start with myself, hehehe... I would say 20? Forever young! 

So, let's have some fun, how old would you be if you didn't know?

BOOK REVIEW 1

BOOK REVIEW 1

“Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter.”

― Paxton Hood

Gideon’s Gift by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingbury is one Christian fiction Writer I love.Gideon's Gift is one awesome story off her  Red Gloves Series. It was even better than awesome, it was extraordinary! I fell in love with Gideon. 

The book is about a seven-year -old Leukemia patient called Gideon (isn’t that quite an exotic name for a girl?) and Earl Gibson, who lost his wife and only daughter in a car accident.

Though sick, little Gideon was determined to reach out to the lonely, angry and heartbroken Earl. Earl ungraciously rejected her gestures. He however became the answer to Gideon’s Christmas wish after truly comprehending the true meaning of Christmas. The book has a feel-good vibe to it but the message of Gideon‘s strong faith in the God of miracles gives us all the strength to fight.
 
I have to mention the cover... the cover is delectable!
 
I believe everyone from as young as Gideon to as old as Earl would enjoy it. It’s not Christmas yet but I’d already got one for my 11-year-old sister.

Share your thoughts
Photo Credit: karenkingsbury.com

For The Love Of Books

For The Love Of Books

By Ibe

I walked into a friend's library last year. Her collection of books and dazzling materials gave me a flurry of emotions: awe, wonder and joy. Books are a passion of mine. Whether you hardly ever read, or have an entire library of classic novels in your home, books have lots to offer us.
 

It's a common belief that Nigerians do not like reading. I however disagree; we have not mentally stabilized in terms of infrastructures and so we are only concerned about basic necessities. Only a few of us are book lovers despite this.

Personally, right now, e-books  are just it for me because of their convenience.You could as well be speaking Swahili, if you asked the average person about e-readers. You can get free e-books on www.feedbooks.com and www.manybooks.com

Okay, So I've been doing a lot of thinking on how to make my blog more interesting. Subsequently, I'll be reviewing books I have read. If anyone would like me to review a book, you can email me here: ibenath@gmail.com

Share Your Thoughts

What If You Knew Failure Was Impossible

What If You Knew Failure Was Impossible

By Ibe

Imagine you've always wanted to be a Music Star but the only little problem is that you couldn't sing to save your life. And all you had going for you was a strong drive and passion. If you could afford it, wouldn't you do all it took; voice coaching, the best producers, radical publicity and even auto tunes (yes, that's all we hear now) to make it happen?

 Then again imagine, you didn't even need to do all that because failure was not possible. Wouldn't your songs (awful or not) be on every lip?

For me, if I knew I could never fail, hmmn ... I would start getting ready to pick a candidacy form for the presidency by 2015. Of course that's after I've had dinner with America's President Obama and had that long awaited trip to the Seychelles. And yes, visiting the moon (what's there anyway?)

Here's my point, for all of you who have real talents, skills or abilities, add real passion to it, do something about it. Afterall, it's in really trying that you'll discover if it's possible or not, right? Think back on a time when you had to succeed because the stakes were so high and somehow you achieved, what, at the beginning, seemed impossible.

So when next you are asked to be more realistic, ask yourself if there's any truth to it but better still, ask - what if failure was impossible?

Share your thoughts

Photo Credit: istockphoto.com

Happiness, My Journey There!

Happiness, My Journey There!

By Ibe

One of my favourite refrains off one of Nigerian Gospel Singer Buchi's songs is I only wanted to be happy. Isn't that what we all want? Just to be happy?

Happiness has always been understood as being synonymous with living the good life.TV Commercials, Movies and hearsay have fueled this belief. That assumption that once you become richer, slimmer, prettier or better, you will be happier. I am slowly but surely deviating from that belief. It’s a journey I’m determined to undertake.

Life is not all about finally 'making it' or being utterly comfortable. Until recently, my mood would go south if I didn't have enough money, if NEPA took light (Yes, that’s  how we say it here), when someone reprimanded me, when my plans didn't go as expected, when … the list is endless. So I was perpetually an unhappy person. But hey, Happiness is a choice, not an elusive state of euphoria.

I'm not saying that aspiring to be better is wrong. Infact, I crave for excellence but the concept of growth, in my opinion, is the purpose of living. Realizing that Happiness is not a state I would attain once all my needs are met and all my goals achieved, has made life worth living.

What is happiness to you? Share your thoughts.

Photo Credit: masterfile.com

My Own Very First Post

My Own Very First Post

I have always loved writing and I've been thinking about starting my own blog for some time, but never knew what I should write about, and actually I still don't. You know that kind where you read what you wrote, decided it was silly, just wasn’t good enough. And you hid it back somewhere so no one would see how inadequate you were?

So, even with all of this indecision  going on, I decided to give it a go. And one thing I do know  for sure is that, on my blog, words will matter and quality will count.

Either way, I think my  main reason for starting this blog is not just to find a place where I can express myself, talk about the things on my mind, but to be entirely honest.

Well, there's still much to come, and I'm sure this will be quite an interesting experience. I look forward to  learning a lot with it, and perhaps you'll learn something by reading my blog too. 

Let's have some fun!

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