Dear Martha!

Helloooooooooooooo,

Sorry for being MIA :( 

Life  happened and I became so caught up in it.....

Heaven knows I procrastinated a lot and became unnecessarily lazy....but my heart was always here...

Back now! and will try to be in your face once in a while :))

How I've Missed 'Bloggie'!

Source: Google Images

Today's post is titled 'DEAR MARTHA' ....Wrote this letter to my beautiful friend Martha and I hope it inspires you :)

Dear Martha,

This is just a thank you note beautiful one.

Thank you for your grace to me. You are a light, a song, a word, a force, a brave being.

Thank you for gracing me with your friendship.

Thank you for accompanying me to school. I love leaving work at 4:45 PM with you, you strong woman.

I always wondered how you did it, where you got the strength to do all of this. You were always the first to ignore and cast all our fears, ‘It’s nothing’, ‘I am Ok’, ‘My husband is there’. ‘I am fine’. You taught me resilience and strength. Thank you Girl.

Thanks for always making me smile…everyone actually, you always made us smile. You were you and you taught me to be me.

I loved how you went about your life, being sunshine, and not being apologetic.

You were fierce, a force, smart, intelligent and just an amazing being.

When I needed someone to listen to my usual babble on relationships, you listened…sharing life stories with me, giving me beautiful tips, encouraging me in my walk with God and being present. You listened to me and reiterated the importance of never settling.

Our talk did not finish right…we were supposed to continue as you promised in that T-Junction in school…But you left…But I am thankful for secrets shared.

I remember my birthday…I remember the beautiful woman in black and orange who serenaded me.

Dear Martha, thank you for loving your baby so fiercely. Thanks for letting me feel your little you, will never forget that kick. I remember the sound of your laughter when he moved.

Sweetheart, thanks for teaching me about being serious in life. Thanks for teaching me sacrifice, love is a lot of responsibility and you did that effortlessly.

Your friends miss you and it is never the same without you.

It’s hard that we won’t see you again for now. That was not the agreement.

They said tomorrow, you will be laid 6 feet under…and I don’t want to see that.

My consolation- that you are having a ball in heaven…that you live in all of our heart and your legacy speaks amazingly well of you.

Like you always say-it is well, and I repeat that often when life tries to knock me down again.

I think God gained a good one,

And Martha….I am sorry if you never knew half of what I’ve written here…I am so sorry for words left unsaid.

I am grateful for the gift of your friendship, 

You lived well great girl

You will always be celebrated.

******************************************

Death is cruel. It snatches us so fast. Martha, one of my very best friends, fell into his clutches and the tears and heartbreak isn’t enough to reduce the pain.

But sad thing is…It is inevitable. Sad thing is we don’t know when or how or the situation that might cause it…

We all have a Martha in our lives.

She represents the young man on the street that got knocked down on his way to somewhere. One hit and he’s lost forever. She represents the woman who died due to a bomb blast in the north. She represents the father of 3 who lost all his kids in an air-crash or the rich multimillionaire who died from a heart attack.

One thing is common, everyone dies, and with it, their dreams, talents and maybe purpose.

One profound statement a friend taught me is - the best ideas are found in the grave.

In light of this, I think of the popular phrase- Carpe Diem, meaning seize the day.

Right now, we are alive to make our dreams come true. We are alive to inspire and innovate and do great things. We are alive to encourage and be the best version of ourselves, to be somebody for this moment than a nobody for a lifetime, to put some responsibilities to our abilities. So why aren’t we seizing this day?

I believe that everyone is born with a talent. The bible says so- It says that some were given the gift of apostle, prophets, teachers, etc. It doesn’t stop there, many people seated here have amazing gifts…Some are writers, singers, motivators, techies, organizers etc

So, why aren’t seizing this day to innovate, to make good use of our gifts?

Maybe like Erma Bombeck, we should think: “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.”
Because Mr. Death, he’s such a meanie, and may not give us time to live our best life now.

So right now, be inspired to do something with your life, you are alive. Like Martha reminded me often, never settle for a mediocre life, live each day with gratitude. Be resilient. Have guts. Trust yourself and God, and aspire to live life beyond now.

So that one day, when death comes, and your life story ends, people will laugh because you laughed, people will believe because you believed. People will live because you lived life to the fullest.

Let your legacy be one that inspires. Remember that, the things you do today will be spoken of in the future, so what will be said of you after today?

If you were to receive a letter of you, like Martha’s, what will be said of you?

In the words of the late president Abraham Lincoln, ‘In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years’.

Go above and beyond.

...and CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE. LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

***********************************************************

Yayyyyy!!! You read it to the end (Tot it was pretty long)...

Thanks a million,

Hugs!!!

*Disclaimer: Martha is not her real name......and I miss my dear friend everyday. Grateful for the gift of her :)

HIM AND HER (2)

NOV 25TH-INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE 

ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST 

WOMEN

Hey Everyone,

I am so happy that the world is not silent on domestic violence, and a day is set aside to raise awareness on this.

Here’s why, I think:

·         Government figures show that an estimated 1.2 million women and 800,000 men are victims of domestic violence each year.

·         Worldwide, 40-70% of all female murder victims are killed by an intimate partner.

·         In no country in the world are women safe from this type of violence. 

·         Around the world at least one woman in every three has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Most often the abuser is a member of her own family.

 (Sources: UNIFEM, Amnesty USA, Stopvaw.org, findcounseling.com)
·         More than 40% of domestic violence victims are male.

Crazy right?

Honduran beauty queen, Maria Jose Alvarado, and her sister were recently murdered by her sister’s boyfriend.

My friend Tolu (not her real name) recently RAN out of her matrimonial home ‘cos her husband beats her. A friends friend opened up about how her husband dragged her out of the bathroom once, hitting her all the way.

The men aren’t left out. My boss told us this story of a neighbour who gets some thrashing from his wife. I still cringe at the thought of men actually being beaten by their wives or girlfriend.

But it’s real..so real 

I wonder though about the effects on kids. You know, seeing mom and dad fight every time and hit each other.

I also wonder as a single woman, if there are tell tale signs that someone you really like would one day become a monster or would cause your death. Dear God, please help.

Back in Uni, a girl who was being violated by a boyfriend actually made excuses for him, ‘I made him angry, that’s why he did it’, 'He said it wont happen again', ‘He loves me’...and I wonder, ‘If he loved you, would he hit you?’

Oh well...

I am of the opinion too that, domestic violence goes beyond the physical, it can be emotional too, where you get insulted and messed up inside...

My advice, if you notice it...Run..Pray, tell God.....Run for your dear life.

Not worth it at all... Don’t die emotionally or 

otherwise. You have your best life yet...

Will like your feedback...

Thanks for reading!!!!

Hugs.

(Note: all images used above are from google image. Thanks to all the contributing sites)

Source- UN website

WHEN THE STORY ENDS....

............

One day I will be no more,

Sad...Really Sad...but it's true.

One day, that inevitable reality will catch up with me...
and give me no chance to do all I want to do...

I wish it will..I wish it'd give me one second to say I love you, or see that face or wipe that tear or feel missed...

But Mr. Death, mean as He comes, I don't know....

All I know is ...Now..right Now...I am alive...

I am alive to say I love you, and see that face, and wipe that tear, and miss in return.

I am alive to say kind words, and walk the talk, and be a rainbow.

I am alive to feel new love, and heal broken hearts, and say thank you.
I am alive to play, stand  in the sun and dance in the rain.

I am alive to think again, and create again, and breathe again.
I am alive to make someone live because I am living
I am alive to create memories, one that summarizes my legacy,

So when death comes and life's story ends..
People will laugh 'cos I laughed, 
People will believe 'cos I believed, 
People will live 'cos I lived...
lived life to the fullest.
.........................................................................

Reflection: How do you want to remembered? What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

#Fulfilling #NoRegrets #Love

Source: Google Image


Thanks for reading...

Great Day!

Hugs :)

Who Are You?

Hello :D

Feel like it's been forever since I've blogged, and I'm so sorry. Life happened and I kind of let it carry me wherever it went. 

Anyway, I hope to keep writing...Hopefully...

One of my new worries (Don't we all have that sometimes) is finding myself. A lot of us use that phrase,'Find yourself', and while I agree that finding yourself or being  yourself will help you make good & wise decisions in life, still, the question of how to find oneself crops up.

If you were to define you, what would say?

If you were to define your values, what will they be?

Had a conversation with my dearest friend JP on that....

Me: I need to find myself. I feel like I am a 'human shifter' who picks up various characteristics from different people. I feel like I wear a mask for different occasions and for different people. (Deep sigh)

JP: Truth is more than 50% of our values/characteristics are from the environment. Our environment influences us. But then, as you grow older, you chose what works for you. However, in finding yourself, always shift to the best part of life, and enjoy the world while you can. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, but learn from them quickly. The best plans are those lost in the grave. Do what makes you happy. When you are at a crossroad, count your blessings and look for those that represent a rock in your life and get feedback. Liberate yourself and have an energy drink :D

Don't mean to sound cliched, but maybe we need that reminder sometimes...maybe we should be encouraged not to beat ourselves as we journey through the road of self discovery and enjoy life, trusting that somehow we would know....

Source: Google Images

I wish I have the classic definition of who am I, like I can give you a bullet point of everything I am, but one thing I am sure of is I am Gods girl, and that defines me...I love, I am happy, I am imperfect and I will keep growing.


I love how it was said in this movie- Mom's night out (go check it out), 'I am a mess, but I am a beautiful mess, I am His masterpiece, and that's enough...'


We are enough and we have purpose...


Your thought? Do you have your #life figured? #Whoareyou?


So remember that time I told you about the amazing opportunity I had to give a ted talk in this post Dear Akure.


Well, here's the video...*Drum Roll*

Down the tunnel

Source: youtube


Yayyyy...heheheehe (I hope it makes a lot of sense)


Need your feedback for improvement too...


Thank you so much for reading...


You rock!!!


Hugs :)

THE LIFE IN YOUR YEARS

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.  It’s the life in your years.
-Abraham Lincoln

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

How are you doing?

Just read this post written by my favorite inspirational blog in the whole world, Marc and Angel hack life.

It makes plenty sense, so I thought I’d share it.

Hope you enjoy...

Eighty years is currently the average life span in the West.  Here’s how to make them happy and fulfilling:

1.  Travel often.

Do yourself this favor before it’s too late.  Without thinking too much about it, pack a pillow and a blanket at least once a year and go see a part of the world you've never seen before.  You will not regret it.

Travelling has less to do with seeing things, as it does with experiencing them.  It has less to do with discovering something, as it does with discovering yourself.  In your travels you won’t find all the answers, you will find lots of questions you would otherwise have never thought to ask.

The thing about travelling to new places is that you run into your insecurities and fears around every twist and turn.  You run into all the good things and bad things about yourself on a daily basis, and are provided the opportunity to grow far beyond your years.

2.  Work on something every day that moves you.

When you strike that fine balance between the challenge of an activity and your skill at performing it, when the rhythm of your work feels in sync with your purpose, when you know that what you’re doing makes a difference, you become absorbed in the task at hand to the point where time ceases to exist.  This is what true passion and happiness feels like.

So is there anything you do on a regular basis that makes you forget what time it is?

3.  Spend time with friends who improve you.

You can go through life and make new friends every year – every month practically – but there is no substitute for the few who truly improve you.

These aren't the people who are simply nice to you; they’re the ones who help you uncover the things that are holding you back.  In subtle ways, they bring ideas to your attention that change your life.  These friends don’t just sit beside you unknowingly; they shake your world up, reveal your obstacles and weaknesses, and remain beside you because they care.

Friends like this are the most important people you will ever meet because they tear down the invisible walls you have built in your mind.  In other words, they come into your life and reveal new, valuable layers of yourself that you would never have discovered without them.

4.  Accept the risks that feel right.

Security is mostly an illusion.  There are no sure things in this world.  The nature of the world is constantly evolving.  Reserving yourself with numerous safety measures is usually no safer in the long-run than indulging in constant exposure.

It is far more fulfilling to dare yourself to the mighty experiences life has to offer – enjoying great successes and enduring occasional failures – than to hide forever in safety, only to leave the majority of your life unlived.

5.  Work hard and conquer great challenges.

The road to greatness is far from smooth.  You can be absolutely certain that when you feel you are growing weak from struggle, you are in fact growing stronger than you ever have been before.

The more difficulties you encounter and overcome on your lifelong journey, internal or peripheral, the more significant and inspiring your life story will be. 

6.  Make the very best of every situation.

One of the great secrets of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is doing the best you can with what is done to you.  It’s all about how you choose to respond to the sometimes unpredictable deliveries life ships.  This simple choice makes a world of difference.

You are honestly free now and always, no matter what circumstances surround you.  If you find your circumstances tolerable, by all means tolerate them; if you find them too confining, break through them – stretch yourself.  Ultimately you are free because you alone are responsible for your thoughts and how you use them to empower your growth.

Image Source: nature0wonderama.wordpress.com

7.  Provide great value to the world.

The best way to get ahead in this world is not to compete with others, but to serve them.  If you want to score a raise at work, be of service to your boss.  If you want to build a profitable business, be of service to your potential customers.  Provide unmistakable value.

At any age, in any situation, for every possible life path, there is value you can provide.  Look closely and you will see opportunities everywhere.  

8.  Spread your light.

As the Buddha once said, “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared.”  Spread your light through love and kindness to the people around you, and let the ‘giving spirit’ you initiate spread like a virus, infinitely touching the lives of people you may never meet, across boundaries you may never cross, in ways you may never have thought possible.

That is the power of your love and kindness, and it’s your ticket to making the world a happier place.

- Marc and Angel Hack Life

One word: WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs :)

Thanks a billion for reading...........

Random Acts of Kindness

Hello Dear,

How are you doing?

I’m a big believer of being KIND. You?

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~Aesop
It’s important and it doesn’t have to be big and costly and all. Love should guide us in whatever we are doing and one small act of kindness can go a long way in helping someone.

At times, I run out of ideas though on how to help (You?). I’ve been ‘kindness’ scoting the internet for help and here are some tips I saw…

Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless. ~Mother Teresa

Remember, let love guide you in whatever you do. Hugs J

Big thank you to helpothers.org and daretobeanangel.caom for many of these ideas :)

prepare a meal for a homeless person
 smile :)
3.    call your mother to tell her you love her
4.    write a handwritten note
5.    knit a beanie or blanket for a homeless person
6.    put change in the washer/dryer for the next person
7.    plant a tree
8.    send your favorite grade school teacher flowers
9.    write a thank you letter to your parents
10.                      pay the toll for the person behind you
11.                      tape a nice saying or thought to a bus window
12.                      instead of just thinking it, compliment someone
13.                      give a sad looking stranger a happy music cd
14.                      ask someone “how are you?” mean it. and listen.
15.                      make some baked goods for your neighbor(s)
16.                      hug your loved ones for no particular reason
17.                      make breakfast for your partner or housemate
18.                      call someone you haven’t talked to in a while
19.                      give someone a flower …or a dozen
20.                      offer someone else your seat on the bus/train
21.                      visit a senior center or nursing home
22.                      say “thank you” for the otherwise routine, mundane
23.                      pick up trash
24.                      donate one of your favorite possessions
25.                      give someone a fruit basket
26.                      collect clothes to take to a local shelter
27.                      stop to have a conversation with a homeless person
28.                      give an inspiring book to a struggling friend
29.                      leave your favorite book in a public place with a note
30.                      donate books to your local library
31.                      visit an animal shelter
32.                      volunteer at a soup kitchen
33.                      build a home with Habitat for Humanity
34.                      mentor local youth
35.                      pay for the person behind you at the drive-thru
36.                      buy dessert for someone eating out alone
37.                      pick up the tab for a random table at a restaurant
38.                      put $10 on a random gas pump
39.                      buy flowers for the cashier at the grocery store
40.                      visit an orphanage with some goodies
41.                      prepare a “to-go” breakfast for the morning mailman
42.                      mail a friend some cupcakes
43.                      send anonymous flowers to your office receptionist
44.                      buy an extra umbrella on a rainy day
45.                      give your waiter or waitress a huge tip
46.                      tape an anonymous joke to your boss’ monitor
47.                      send a nice card to a family member, just because
48.                      don’t lose any opportunity to say: i love you
49.                      leave a funny or kind note in an unexpected place
50.                      invite a non-local friend over for dinner with your family
51.                      read to a child
52.                      rake someone’s yard
53.                      be a courteous driver
54.                      hold the elevator
55.                      visit a lemonade stand
56.                      recycle
57.                      offer someone an unexpected tip
58.                      set up a free lemonade stand on a hot day
59.                      take some soup or hot chocolate to a homeless person
60.                      leave a collection of positive news clippings in a waiting room
61.                      practice patience
62.                      refrain from gossiping; speak well of others
63.                      act as if the glass were half full
64.                      turn off a leaky faucet
65.                      let someone get ahead of you in line
66.                      listen intently
67.                      prepare a nutritious sack lunch for a homeless person
68.                      babysit for a single parent
69.                      wave a “honk if you like to smile” poster at a street intersection
70.                      be bold in your appreciation of life around you
71.                      create an inspired piece of art and gift it to someone
72.                      give a lottery ticket to a stranger
73.                      compliment a stranger sincerely
74.                      run an errand for someone
75.                      send a friend an old photo and recall that time
76.                      send a random person in the phone book a small gift
77.                      send your sibling a small gift anonymously
78.                      donate an hour of your professional services
79.                      invite someone who is alone over for dinner
80.                      leave chocolate for your co-worker
81.                      spend time with the elderly
82.                      share your secret recipe with a friend
83.                      write a letter of appreciation
84.                      introduce yourself to someone you always see around
85.                      anonymously send a friend in need some cash
86.                      throw kids in your neighborhood a pizza party
87.                      tape some change to a payphone
88.                      put up anonymous, lovely post-it notes for strangers to find
89.                      donate blood
90.                      cook dinner for a busy parent
91.                      give a little one a lollipop
92.                      make time
93.                      speak gently
94.                      laugh heartily
95.                      share your last bit
96.                      one time, stop everything to help someone else

1. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama

Got this tips from lifehack.org. Amazing!!!!!

1.     Send someone a hand written note of thanks.

2.    Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason.

3.    Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.

4.    Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter.

5.    Walk your friend’s dog.

6.    Give a compliment about your waiter / waitress to his / her manager.

7.    Send someone a small gift anonymously.

8.    Stop and help someone replace their flat tyre.

9.    Let someone jump the queue at the bank.

10.          Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café.

11.          Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.

12.          Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.

13. Talk to that kid in school that no one wants to talk to

14.          Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.

15.          Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.

16.          Talk to a homeless person and have a “normal” conversation.

17.          Pick up some rubbish in the road which would otherwise be lying around.

18.          Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.

19.          Recommend a competitor to a potential client.

20.          Give another driver your parking spot.

21.          Give a piece of fruit to a delivery person.

22.          Help an elderly neighbour carry the rubbish out.

23.          Tell all your family members how much your appreciate them.

24.          Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train / bus.

25.          Buy an inspirational book for a friend.

26.          Send a thank you note to a person who has helped you in the past.

27.          Smile a lot.

Image Source:Motivational Memo

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. ~Scott Adams

Big hugs to http://www.bukisa.com/articles/247610_top-70-random-acts-of-kindness-ideas for more ideas

 1. Pay for someones gasoline bill anonimously the next time you are filling up your car

2. Make it a point to smile at everyone you see and pass

3.Drive safely and be courteous. When another driver makes a minor driving error, instead of showing anger or aggression, give them a smile or a wave gesture letting them know you understand.

4. When visiting a patient at the hospital, take some time and stop into someones room who does not have any visitors at the time.

5. Drop off a plant or some home-made baked goods to your local police or fire department

9. Say something nice to everyone you meet today

10. Leave a kind note for a family member or friend

11. Smile and say "Hello" to people you don't know.

12. Wash a neighbors vehicle.

13. Give your pocket change to someone who is needing it.

14. If you're a boss of a company - allow your employees to leave a half hour early

15. Do as many things as you can by being anonymous. It's a wonderful feeling.

16. Take a parent out to dinner to their favorite restaurant.

17. Call a parent just to say you love them.

18. Take a meal to a family you know.

19. Drop off books and magazines to hospitals, nursing homes and doctors offices.

20. Sponsor an eye surgery for someone who is blind in an underdeveloped country.

What goes around is sure to come around – happy helping :-)

Brighten someone’s day!!!!

Thanks a lot for reading….Love you!!!

Hugs J

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~Leo Buscaglia