Routines Are Profitable!

I had this roommate who after a quick intro with some English, only spoke Igala with me. And by the way, in Igala, we “sh” up our ch’s and “j” up our z’s. My people will understand this :). Okay, back to my story. At first I was surprised she couldn’t communicate fluently in English but somehow I continued and found it incredibly hard to get out of that routine with her for the whole stay. Even when I speak to her in English, I didn’t get answered back in English!

Did I mention she was an English Language Undergraduate? By today, I must’ve smiled at that memory at least a thousand times because what ensued in that room was pure awesomeness:).

Before then, I spoke some smattering Igala with my Dad but almost never with my Mum and always never with my siblings. With this roommate, I spoke not so good Igala from the start and slightly less terrible Igala after a few months, but within months I had improved drastically. This proves that consistency is good and it is incredibly hard to break a routine once you have set it. I’m really glad that I got into this one routine. It helped me speak my language better!

That period of my life is one of the many reasons I‘ve come to believe in consistency. One important lesson that really needs to be emphasized is that it is very hard to change things you are used to. As shown in my example above, I am as prone to this as anyone else, and I’m glad I didn’t  restrict  myself to the use of English!

The secret is to start and keep up the flow. With time you’ll be making dramatic progress towards your goals!

PS: I understand this may be an unconventional example to the topic of consistency considering the disposition of the object of this illustration but I hope I got my point across! :)

Lazy Weekend!

I had the best week in a good long while. I was at a Shoe Store last weekend and I got these amazing books from this nice store owner, Uche. Yeah, I know I promised myself I won't be begging for books from random people anymore. But trust me, these books called me! Well...I almost heard them call my name!

 

To tell the truth, they were my only companions at night after work. And now that I'm done reading all three of them, I'm doing a whole lot of nothing! I’ve been thinking about something a friend mentioned about my reading anxiety. It’s weird that it does seem to happen all the time. I’m totally fine with reading without eating or sleeping! And I think part of the reason is that books provide me with a place to go when I have nowhere else to go (and even when I do have somewhere to go!) :) To see the world through another person's eyes, it is quite breathtaking and overwhelming. Reading the right books have made me a better person and helped me grow.

Does anyone else have some kind of obsession? What gives you the kicks?

Numb, That's How I've Felt

I was just a numb empty shell. I didn't know what to think. I knew it was better to let it all out but somehow there was nothing to let out! Yes, my heart was not ready to feel any more pain. No, I was tired.

You see, I had lost a good friend a couple of months ago. And I lost my mojo! Yes, I did. Like most people, I erroneously keep thinking relationships should last forever. I had not seen her in 3 years. Infact, we've only spoken once in this period. But her passing gave me panic and anxiety attacks especially at night because of the stress. It brought back tucked-in memories of every loved one I had lost. I couldn't just understand anything anymore.

Sadly, there's no ''right'' way to respond to losing a friend or relative - it's an extremely personal response that is unique to just you. It still hurts when I think about it but aknowledging my feelings and remembering the good times we had has made me grateful. 

Here's the conclusion I came to - God is infinitely wise and kind, and He has the power to welcome whomever He wants home. And that I should be grateful for every family member and friend He has blessed me with and enjoy as much time as I have with them.

If you're reading this, Daddy, Ugbe, Tumo, Oji, Tina , Ugwa, Comfort, Yebe, Bekky, Uyo, Esther, Susan, Olive, Juliet, Favour, Ebere, Eze, Oshuwa, Monday, Mary, Joy, Simeon.... hmnn, the list so long, I would never be able to mention you all. This is just to let you all know that I love you and cherish your presence in my life. Rest in peace Charity Imaji-Silas.