THANK GOD FOR LITERARY WORKS

Am reading 'Q; The autobiography of Quincy Jones'. It’s such a great read and every once in a while I read an anecdote, or a great saying from deep within the recesses of the great man. I read how much sorrow and plight brought out the capacity of a man whom the world has come to know today as one of the most formidable men of history especially in music history.

Often, you hear something from earth’s ‘human resource’ a substance in words that recounts the place of bad experience in the making of success. It baffles me that we only relate to those negatives in a joyful way only after the success has been accrued. How many of us truly see defeats, pain and suffering as earnestly what they are?...a passage to the lounge of happiness. Why is it that we easily identify the joyous, long after the pains have gone?

How I wish my mum taught me how to meet with failure. How I wish I was taught in graduate school the ways to deal with the offshoots of real hard-work and hustling. Perhaps if we were taught that as a course or got the full emphasis of it at the footstools of our parents, it would be easy to deal with the reality of them but Lo……No!

No one teaches you that. And just like life is full of surprises, we have to deal with all of these just the same way. But thank God for autobiographies and stories of success and pains that help us realize that. They keep us grounded with the understanding of others pertaining the scores of life. Thank God for literatures and books. At least what we never learn at kitchens and schools we get to learn from sheer human sharing through literary works.  

EVERYTHING IS AN ART

I have come to understand that in this life, everything is an art. Whether speaking, eating, walking or even putting oneself together. Knowing the intricacies of the proper way will always serve you when you want to do things well.

On every turn however, is someone who knows how to do well, some of the things you may find yourself inefficient and it will often pay off  better in living well if we could learn to do those things we have lesser finesse in doing.

I met a man who ate so badly and noticed how everyone shuddered silently around him, yet would not speak a word of it to him and it made me wonder.

I asked myself questions:

when did he loose it? Wasn’t there someone to notice and correct when he was much younger?... and even now isn’t there someone close who can help?

It’s obvious that much of what we do seem to be taught is passing. As such it becomes a normal trend to have an average knowledge of most things until we find the need to perfect the ability or raise our capability to do them more effectively.

I feel that one should not be shy about asking someone else to teach him/her the better way of doing any of life’s activity. Be it corporate or casual. As one of my friends quoted out recently in a conversation: “humility is not weakness” and I dare add that ‘asking to learn is neither a weakness too rather strength’.

After studying and readying about success at any point in time, it stands clear that often successful people did master the art of that specific activity, field or environment they are leading on.

So go all out to learn the most proper way of doing stuff. If you must yawn, yawn sweetly, if you must dance, be the best dancer. If you are a poor dresser, check out some of your friends that are good to go on appearance and hit that target.

It’s actually a fun place-this world. And everything is an art.

Give it to 'em!!!!!!!

TRAPPED IN THE WINDOW PANE

IT'S A SUNNY SATURDAY MORNING.ALMOST CLOSE TO NOON AND RIGHT IN MY VERY ROOM I GET TO LEARN SOME BIT OF LESSONS.

AS I WRITE,I LOOK DIRECTLY TO A BEAUTIFUL BEE  THAT SOMEWAY GOT HIM OR HERSELF TRAPPED IN MY WINDOW PANE.IT KIND OF GIVES ME PLEASURE TO EVEN CONSIDER THE GENDER OF THE BEE.IT BRINGS SOME GRIN TO MY TENDER LIPS...

MY BEE BUDDY SOMEHOW SEEMS TO BE TIRING HERSELF (AS I CONSIDER IT) FROM THE EFFORT AT TRYING TO LET HERSELF OUT;BUT WHAT SHE DOESN'T GET INTO HER SMALL BUSY BRAIN IS THE FACT THAT SHE IS BEATING AGAINST A GLASS AND MUCH AS SHE  SHE SEEMS TO SEE OUTSIDE  AND THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL SCENERY,SHE REALLY CANNOT GET OUT.

AS I KEEP LOOKING,AM WONDERING...WHY CAN'T SHE SEE THAT THERE IS A BLOCKADE  BETWEEN HERSELF AND WHAT SHE SEES?WHY CAN'T SHE JUST GET IT THAT SHE'S WASTING A LOT OF EFFORT AGAINST SOMETHING THAT ISN'T BUDGING AT ALL?

AFTER A WHILE,IT REALLY GETS TO ME HOW MUCH WE CAN BE  SO SIMILAR TO  THIS BEE....MY BEE BUDDY THAT JUST DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHEN TO TRY ANOTHER OPTION.
...IT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE SITUATION;IN LOVE RELATIONS;IN BUSINESS SITUATIONS ;THAT WHILE WE KEEP TURNING  THE KNOB OF A CLOSED DOOR,WE COULD CHECK OUT OTHER OPTIONS OF EXIT OR ENTRANCE WHATEVER THE CASE MAYBE.HOW MUCH FAMILIAR WE CAN GET BANGING AT AN EMPTY LOCKED AND BOLTED DOOR FROM BEHIND.

LO AND BEHOLD,SHE DID NOT REALIZE THAT SHE IS THE ONE GIVING HERSELF THE ILLUSION OF BEING TRAPPED BEHIND THE WINDOW PANE BECAUSE EVEN I ,EVEN I, COULD SEE THAT INCHES FROM HER STRUGGLES LIES THE OTHER HALF OF THE CLOSED WINDOW.WIDE OPEN WITH THE STREAMING BRIGHTNESS OF THE WARM SUNLIGHT AMIDST THE COOL BREEZE OF THE NORTHERN  HARMATTAN WEATHER.

JUST WATCHING HER EMPTY STRUGGLES AND THE QUIET TIRED RESTS SHE TAKES IN-BETWEEN EACH EXHAUSTIVE EFFORT MADE ME GASP "WOW" IN SUCH AN EXASPERATED AUDIBLE VOLUME THAT JOLTED ME TO THE REALISATION OF HOW INTENSELY INVOLVED  I HAD GOTTEN IN MY MIND,PUTTING MYSELF BESIDE HER AND WISHING I COULD TEACH HER TO MOVE THE OTHER WAY.

IN A MOMENT,SHE CAME REAL CLOSE TO THE OUTLET.SEPARATED FROM THE GREAT OUTSIDE   BY JUST AN INCH.AND JUST WHEN I THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE OUT THIS TIME,SHE GETS RIGHT ON TO THE OTHER SIDE WHERE SHE COULD NEVER GET OUT...WHAT A SHAME!

AND THEN, I THINK:HOW MANY TIMES  HAVE I ACTED JUST LIKE  MY BEE BUDDY?..BEING ADAMANT AT BEING SILLY,EVEN STUPID IN MY LIFE'S QUEST?...HOW MANY TIMES DID I CHOOSE NOT TO SEE THE CLEAR PICTURE THAT BEHIND ONE ROUTE OF IMPOSSIBILITY,A POSSIBILITY LIES SOMEWHERE THAT I HAD CHOSEN NOT TO SEE BECAUSE I WAS BLIND BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES?HOW MANY TIMES DID I FORGO THE FACT THAT"I CAN GO THROUGH IT WITHOUT LETTING IT GET THROUGH ME" AS T.D JAKES RIGHTLY SAID?

YES, SOMETIMES AS HUMANS WE CAN GET TRAPPED IN THE WINDOW PANE OF OUR LIFES WITHOUT KNOWING WE WERE THE MICHEAL ANGELO OF OUR REALITY...THAT IT IS IN REAL SENSE A DELUSION THAT WE CREATED FOR OURSELVES AND THAT THE FREE WORLD IS BARELY INCHES  AWAY FROM OUR TIRED EFFORTS.

IT DID MAKE ME LOOK FORTH INTO THE CLEAR BLUE SKY AND THE LIMITLESS HORIZON BEYOND.A HORIZON THAT WE CAN ENJOY WHEN WE RIP OURSELVES  OF THE CAGEY MENTALITY OF SMALL ENTRAPMENT AND LEAP INTO THE SWEETNESS THAT THE UNIVERSE ACCORDS;TO SEE THE FULL PICTURE.

AND AS SOON AS THIS THOUGHT BROUGHT ME ANOTHER SMILE I LOOKED JUST IN TIME  TO SEE MY BEE BUDDY FINALLY DISCOVER ,INCHES AWAY THE  WAY TO FREEDOM.

...YES!,I SHOUTED.

FINALLY FREE,SHE FLEW WITH SPEED AND A NEW LIFE INTO THE SILENT COOL AFTERNOON BREEZE.
 
...WHILE I KEPT MEDITATING ON THE LESSONS FROM MY BEE BUDDY'S EXPERIENCE I KNEW I COULD BE FREE ANYTIME IN LIFE ,REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES IF I COULD OPEN MY EYES WELL ENOUGH TO TAKE IN THE BIG PICTURE.I REALIZE THAT IT IS WITHIN ME TO DISCOVER THE OUTLET ALREADY WAITING FOR MY EXIT AND A BRAND NEW ENTRANCE.BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING,NOT GIVING UP AND PERSEVERING COULD BE THE KEY.YES IT COULD BE THE WRONG  DOOR BUT  JUST DON'T SIT THERE DOING NOTHING AND IF YOU DO SOMETHING,DON'T STOP THINKING AND CHECKING OUT IF WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS THE RIGHT STUFF.


YOU AND I MAY NOT BE A BEE BUT  NOT ACTING OUT MY BEE BUDDY'S PLACE SHOULD BE THE "HOME RUN" AS LONG AS WE USE OUR INITIATIVE, STOP ASKING: 'WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING?' AND START ASKING 'WHAT CAN I DO NEXT?'.

                      ...IT'S A WORLD OF LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITIES...I KNOW I CAN
                                                        CREATE MY REALITY.

                                                            AND SO CAN
                                                                      YOU!



AFTERS:Gush! i really believed and thought today is a Saturday until i got a call a few minutes back from a friend who told me  today isn't Saturday but Friday.Wow...just traded place with my bee buddy.

DAMN! Laugh out loud.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD

A friend on Facebook shared this on Tyler Perry's page and it so touched me i thought to share.i used a picture i photographed at my living quarter in Kaduna Nigeria.It spelt tranquility and reflects beauty and calm.Enjoy and let your faith leap afresh!.......

:One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm. The young lady asked her father what should she do, he said "keep driving".

Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse. What should I do the young lady asked,
"keep driving" her father replied.

On up a few feet she noticed eighteen wheelers were pulling over also. She told her dad, I must pull over I can barely see ahead. It is terrible out here everyone is pulling over. Her father told her not to
give up just keep driving.

Now the storm was terrible but she never stopped driving and soon she could see a little clearer. After a couple of miles she was on dry land and the sun was out.

Her father said now pull over and get out. She said "but why now?" He said "get out look back, at all the people that gave up and is still in the storm".

You never gave up and now your storm is over.


I thought this was a testimony for anyone of you that is going through something.

Just because everyone else, even the ones that appear to be the largest and strongest, gives up, you don't have to. If you keep going on up ahead, your storm will soon be over and the sun will shine upon your face again.

360 DEGREE AND THE G-FACTOR

LIFE IS A 360 DEGREE STUFF.IT'S ALWAYS A CYCLE SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.IF IT IS NOT A DAY DAY COMPLETING NIGHT AND  DAY,IT WOULD BE A YEAR  COMPLETING A 365 DAYS CYCLE.IF ITS IS NOT THAT,IT COULD BE  A MAN OR WOMAN GOING FROM  CHILDHOOD TO AN ADULT AND NOW COMPLETING THE DOWNTREND OF REVERTING TO CHILDLIKE WAYS IN THE NAME OF OLD AGE.


ITS A 360 DEGREE STUFF THAT BECOMES MORE INTERESTING IF YOU HAVE FOUND  THE FACTOR THAT MAKES IT ALL KEEP FROM BEING A LONELY EXPERIENCE WITH LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND SOMETIMES, NIGHTS OF 
WAKING UP AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO WITH THE 'YOU' THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR HANDS AT THAT TIME.


IN A WAY,HUMANS HAVE FOUND  FULFILLMENT IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER POWER IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL.IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE,THE CONCEPT OF THE G-FACTOR(GOD FACTOR) REMAINS A  MYSTERY THAT MOST CAN NOT ELUDE.NO ONE  PERSON HAS PUT TO REST THE NATURAL GRAVITATION  TO BELIEVE IN THE SUPERNATURAL AND GETTING ATTUNED TO THE POWER THAT SURGES FROM WITHIN.


EVEN THOSE WHO COINED THE WORD 'ATHEISM'  BELIEVE STRONGLY IN THEIR DISBELIEF OF  THE EXISTENCE OF A 'god' OR 'gods',YET USING THE 'NOUN FORM' ,'ATHEIST' TO EMPOWER THE 'GOD' WITHIN THEMSELVES...IN THIS MANNER,THEY BELIEVE IN 'THEMSELVES' AND THEIR CAPABILITIES  AND GIVE POWER TO THE G-FACTOR WITHOUT GIVING VERBAL CREDIT TO HIM.


TRUTH BE TOLD,EVEN WHEN WE DON'T SEE GOD,OUR NATURAL DESIRES TO BELIEVE IN A FORCE THAT SUPERCEDES OUR  CIRCUMSTANCES AND BAD EXPERIENCES CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY.THIS IS BECAUSE IN THE TALE END, NO MATTER HOW HORRIFYING YOUR EXPERIENCES,YOU JUST  HAVE TO HAVE 'FAITH'.YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE THAT 'BELIEVE'...IN THE LONG RUN,THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON TO KEEP YOU ON COURSE WHILE THE CLOCK TICKS ITS SECONDS,MINUTES AND HOURS.EVENTUALLY IT BECOMES  DAYS WHICH TURNS TO WEEKS ;ADDS UP TO MONTHS AND GETS TO BE COUNTED AS YEARS.


NOW ,IF YOU HAVE NOTED THE PROJECTION,YOU WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT ALL THE TRENDS ABOVE TOOK A  DIRECTION...IT STARTS FROM ONE POINT,TOWS THROUGH SOME MILE,THEN MAKES A DOWNTREND TOWARDS THE STARTING POINT.



SO YEAH,ITS A 360 DEGREE STUFF AND WHILE YOU ARE AT IT YOU'VE GOT TO REALIZE IT HAS TO BE ONE STEP AT A TIME,ONE MOVE AT A TIME,ONE NIGHT BEFORE THE DAY AND SO ON.ON THE MOTION, JUST REMEMBER TO TAP INTO YOUR SPIRITUAL RESERVE WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH AND WHEN YOU CAN'T SEEM TO GET OUT OF THE FEELING OF BEING OUT OF PLACE.IN A WAY,KNOWING HOW TO GET ATTUNED TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD  MAKES IT EASIER TO GET ROUND YOUR OWN PERSONAL CYCLES,WITHOUT FEELING 'TOO OVERWHELMED' OR EVEN JUST  'OVERWHELMED'.  BY THE NATURAL UNFAIR FACTORS OF OUR HUMAN EXISTENCE.



MOST PROBABLY,I MAY NOT KNOW WHICH PART OF YOUR CYCLE HAS BEEN DONE ALREADY OR IF YOU HAVE BY NOW,GONE THROUGH THE  180 DEGREE OF YOUR 360 DEGREE.ON ANOTHER SCALE,YOU MIGHT BE ON YOUR 90 DEGREE  BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MATTERS MORE AS MUCH AS BEING "HAPPY" GOING IT AND MAKING SURE NOT TO LET THE PATH YOU TREAD DICTATE YOUR STATE OF MIND WHICH I HAVE FOUND TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST REWARDS OF OUR LIVING.



IF YOU ASK ME AGAIN,I WOULD SAY THAT THE VERY REWARD THAT WE ACCRUE FROM EVERY COMPLETE SEQUENCE OF CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE  PHENOMENAL EVENTS OF LIFE ARE TIED TO OUR STATES OF MIND.



...THE QUESTION  THEN BECOMES 'WHETHER WE ARE HAPPY OR NOT?'
OWING TO THIS,HOWEVER WAY YOU  CHOOSE TO INDULGE AMIDST THE PHASES OF YOUR LIFE AND THE CHANGING MIDPOINTS OF YOUR CYCLES ;ONLY TRUE "HAPPINESS" CAN GIVE MEANING TO YOUR EXPERIENCES REGARDLESS OF THE DOWNTRENDS.

                 ...IT IS A 360 DEGREE STUFF AND IT MATTERS WHEN YOU'VE 

FOUND YOUR RYTHM!

NATURAL MEAL?...WHY THAT 'BUKA' MAY BE BETTER THAN THAT 'FASTFOOD' HANGOUT!

It's meal time and without much ado,everyone would be glad to get into  the nearest  drive way of a stomach affair place.In Nigeria when you consider this option,there are two significant places that jump into your mind:A 'Fast food Hangout'(eatery) or the local 'Buka'.


In  this sense,a 'Fast food hangout' would mean any eatery with the glitz and touch up of exclusive fancy topped with spotlight chairs and perhaps little or more grandeur.On the other hand,the 'Buka' being a term coined from the the street jargon of the  regular Nigerian,would mean an ordinary eating joint that caters to your hunger  concerns without necessarily the 'all-out' effort for too much prettiness.


Now here's the real deal.Chances are that you would naturally want to gravitate to the prettier place of grandeur but you do that the next time,consider  the latest trend in recent times that is beginning to popular among the fancy places.


Have you ever had to take away food and eventually, one way or another had to let it end up in the refrigerator?...if you have,you will have noticed  the unnatural artificial colouring in that food while warming up.
Certainly if you are like me,it will get you wondering what else grossly artificial needed to get in there to get you to buy.


Reading up on food additives,will make you painfully aware of the fact that most of these colourings are't exactly

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beneficial to your health.However,with experience,if you have been to the 'Buka' too you will have sen that most of food prepared there are often tasty and straight from the African pot without the business of artificial sprucing up the meal to look good.


This bring me to my second reason or point you have to take note of  while on your  stomach venture...."Preservatives".Preservatives are substances used to preserve food from getting spoilt easily.Hence,if the natural shelf life of a food item is one day,you could still have it another day,even yet another.


Now,this also make me wonder..."why should i preserve  a food to have it another day when i can have a fresh one?"...if the word 'boring' doesn't bear to mind then maybe you are a wee bit carefree about your  dining table adventures.And this is another point that is noticeably different at the  little 'Buka' places where food is made in quantums and gets to finish at the end of a sales day.


While it's easy to gulp down the closest meals ,may be you should start noticing these things at your favourite food places so that you can get the healthiest,freshest and most natural  of food when dining out.It really doesn't take too much to know who offers the most real stuffs,if you care to check out little details.


Since i have come to  know how much i love to have an extension of well prepared home made look-a-likes in food places,the choice to stay stuck to my ground for the closest natural offering has come to stay too.So  if you ask me, i would say:"make it as natural as possible,because the healthier the better".


In the end,it's a choice worth your careful observation.And i guess looking out for the places where chefs stay true to 'healthier' is Best.Your favourite 'Fast food' hangout might be staying true to natural but it is up to you to find out.


When next you get on your scout for the  nearest 'belly filler',if it's not  the case of 'when the desireable is not available,the available becomes desireable',....then you need to take your time and find the real deal.Not the cheaters:whether its the small fancy 'Buka' or the grand Looking 'Fast food' eatery.


                                   ITS YOUR FOOD...ENJOY!

WHY YOU NEED TO KEEP GOOD PEOPLE AROUND YOU!

I KNOW THIS CAN COME OFF AS USUAL,BUT HOW MANY OF US ACTUALLY WATCH TO VERIFY IF WE ARE LANDING THE VERY BEST OF PEOPLE WHILE MAKING FRIENDS?
ITS IRONIC THAT WE WILL READILY WANT TO ADVICE THE CLOSEST YOUNGEST PERSON AROUND US ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE GOOD FRIENDS ,BUT AS ADULTS WE TEND TO FORGET THE ONE RULE THAT SHOULD SEE US BECOME BETTER PEOPLE.

ITS QUITE A SHORT HAUL FROM BEING AT THE LEAST OF OUR GAMES,.. YOU KNOW?....I SAY THIS BECAUSE 'OUR FRIENDS',WHO ARE REITRATIVELY THE PEOPLE WE HAVE AROUND US CAN HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EFFECT ON HOW WE TURN OUT.A TRUTH WHICH A LOT   OF US DO NOT WANTTO  THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT SINCE WE ASSUME THAT AS ADULT,WE HAVE  MADE MOST OF THE DECISIONS IN OUR LIVES AND CONTINUE TO MAKE .BUT I TELL YOU...THIS IS JUST  THE "PING POINT"..........YOU ARE STILL VULNERABLE TO PEER PRESSURE NO MATTER YOUR AGE.

OK...IF YOU DISPUTE THIS, TELL ME.."WHY DOES IT MATTER WHEN A CLOSE PAL SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT YOU AND YOU WANT TO REACT TO CORRECT THE IMPRESSION?"

.....BECAUSE THEY MATTER,AND WHAT THEY SAY AND THINK ABOUT YOU IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.SO YOU REALISE  THAT EVEN THEIR IDEALS GETS TO SHAPE YOUR IDEALS TOO.
AND THESE IDEALS ARE WHAT MAKES YOU EVOLVE AND DETERMINE HOW STRONG YOUR CONVICTIONS WILL BE FOR YOU TO SUCCEED.

SO NEXT TIME SOMEONE SAYS THEY WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER,THINK TWICE AND VERIFY IF THEY ACTUALLY REPRESENT WH]AT YOU WANT TO BE OR NOT.THIS MIGHT SOUND  IMAGINARILY TACKY  BUT IF YOU THINK OF THE DAMAGE OF ANOTHER  BAD RELATIONSHIP,IT WILL BE WORTH THE TRY IN EFFORTS...

SO WATCH IT.AND ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR FRIEND LIST HAS A 'CHECKER IN MILES' ON WHAT YOU TURN OUT TO BE!