FIVE REASONS NOT TO ACCEPT MEDIOCRITY

….Moderate ability, moderate value, moderate quality, those words best describe mediocre according to the dictionary. With life becoming easier as the day goes by, thanks to technological advancements, we are bound to become lazier, taking every day as it goes while leaving all the hardwork for a selected few. If you have lost every cause to wake up, do your best and be your best, here are some incentives to spur you up.

1.       You can do better:  

“I can do all through Christ that strengthens me” (Phil 4:13)

The reason most people settle for just anything is because they have mentally placed themselves in a box, set limits for themselves in their head. “ I can’t do this”, “I’m not smart enough”……  When it comes to what we can achieve, there’s always room for improvement. In dealing with my physical challenge, I have always had to recite this scripture to myself “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Why settle for less when you can do so much more. Maximize your potentials, stretch your limits, do your very best, aim for the very best.

2.       It ruins all your hardwork

“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom” (Songs of Solomon 2:15)

A friend of mine received a beautiful wedding gown she ordered . I forgot to mention that the gown was also very expensive. On putting it on, she discovered thread hanging loosely from the hem of the dress and concluded that the dress was below the standard she ordered for. That was it. All the effort I put into convincing her that it was equally beautiful, we just needed to cut off the thread was in vain. Who would blame her? Some people set standards for themselves and anything below that is unacceptable. Everyone should endeavour to do same. That little thread , the haphazard finishing ruined the beauty of that wedding gown, it ruined all the effort the dress maker must have put into creating that nice piece.

Whenever you have a task to accomplish, a goal to achieve, not putting in your best from the start to the very finish, not aiming for the finest quality ruins all the effort you must have put in and leaves your work mediocre at best.

3.       You might never get another chance to get it right

“Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Like it or not, there is an end to life, there is an end to everything ever started, there is also an end to every opportunity. Imagine you are awarded a contract and you present an inferior job, imagine you need a scholarship and you grades come up as average, imagine you are to meet with an important personality and you come five minutes late……

No doubts, you have done something, how well you did it is what matters most. Time and opportunities meet in sacred places and when you don’t embrace what they both have to offer, and make the most of it, you may not be privileged to attend their next meeting. Do it right while you can, you may never get a chance for renovations.

4.       Your reward for excellence is greater

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the lord, not for human masters. Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24)

No one gets a reward for average or poor performance.  Exceptional achievers have always been recognized all through history. While many aim just to pass through, always aim to excel in all you do.  There’s plenty of room at the top because few people care to travel beyond the average route, and so most of us seem satisfied to remain within the confines of mediocrity (Nnamdi Azikiwe).

Doing so much more than the crowd does sets you apart, it separates you from the rest of the world. Success is gained by pursuing excellence. The difference between mediocrity and excellence is the effort you put into your work.

5.       Your purpose is far greater

"Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect" (Matt 5:48)

We  are made in the image and likeness of God, God who is perfect. We are called to a life of perfection. Don’t get it wrong, it doesn’t mean we are allowed no mistakes, grace meets you halfway through you pursuit of excellence and makes all the difference. It is God’s will for us to excel in all that we do (see 3 John 1:2). We don’t just accidentally meet up with excellence, hardwork is accompanied by excellence.

The pursuit for excellence is far more rewarding than settling for mediocrity. One good thing about striving for excellence is that it becomes less stressful when you make a habit of it. Yes, that is because while people are scrambling for positions within the mediocre level, you have already distinguished yourself from the rest of them. Why the scurry to be noticed, your opinion has become indispensible in your field of excellence. Always remember “ There are no traffic Jams along the extra mile”

Orji Uchechi 

HAVE A ONE NIGHT STAND- Toke was right afterall

I was 17 going on 30 when they came by our house One sunny Sunday to see my parents , the woman scribbled some scriptures on a piece of paper and practically begged me to find time to read it

 What prompted her to reach out to me in that manner ? was pain written on my forehead? were fine lines of life drawn on my innocent face? could it be that my eyes were wrinkled, were the marks of aging hidden in my heart that visible. I can't say.

It was as if she could see through me, she could see me dance to the tunes that life played for me. Sometimes life beats the drums and strikes the chord, not minding how skilled you are in the art of dancing, not caring whether you preferred blues or the 'Terry G' kind, it goes as far as playing surugede, and still leaves you with no option but to dance.  Maybe she could really see through me, or she was God's messenger to me, the answers remain unknown but that day marked a turning point in my life.

"Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do, and follow your heart's desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do". Ecclesiastes 11 vs 9

I pondered on this scripture for days, what bothered me more was why she chose to give me not just any word of knowledge,  but this particular scripture.

In this verse, the summation of your life as a youth is spelt out. I thought about everything I could do, all that my heart wished for and my body craved, while thinking about them, I remembered that there was a price - God's judgement.

So go ahead and have a one night stand if you so crave for it, kiss a toad if you care to. For every action you take says Newton, "there is an equal and opposite reaction "

waiting for God's judgement may seem too far, but the consequences of your action starts here on earth, while you still live and breathe. Before you make any thoughtless move, or take a careless decision, think about the repercussions it will bring, can you deal with it? How much of it can you take.

I won't go ahead to criticize the words of Toke because clearly what matters most to her differs from what matters to me and you  but I will tell you this "Make peace with every decision you make."

Lots of love

With love from the 'OTHER ROOM'

For many days now, I have watched the social media devour and criticize Buhari over his comments, men and women alike,  everyone is expressing their displeasure and putting up beautiful posts and pictures about how their wives are not made for the kitchen, living room and the infamously famous 'other room.'

Let us hear word biko, it's not by talking, in Nse's voice "5,6,what's difference!"

Is it because it's Buhari? leave the old man alone, he is thinking like his generation, what about you and me, who are in the computer age and use our computers only to chat on Facebook.

How many of us women, attach that much value to ourselves? How many of us confine ourselves to watching Telemundo all day long? When you sit idle in the sitting room all day long, not being productive, sucking up oxygen while your fellow women are out there changing the world, my dear, you are part of the furniture,  YOU BELONG TO THE LIVING ROOM.

How many of us are so useless that the only skill they have is kama sutra. When others are being recognized in various capacities, the only award we can bag is from the council in the 'other room '. You meet a man today and he shows you little love,your back is on the floor. How many of you in those pseudo relationships cry wolf when he doesn't give you money for 'work well done'. Are you not being unnecessarily hard on Mr.President? My dear, you belong to the 'other room' and to think of it, no one placed you there, you chose that space. When we devalue ourselves that much, reduce ourselves to sex toys and objects of satisfaction to the male folk including married men, what do we expect?

Some of us don't even have position in any of the rooms, because we no sabi  cook, afterall, we are wives not cooks, Rejoice! Your position is still unknown,  you are the 'X' that my maths teacher kept asking me to find.

And for the men, he who has no sin should cast the first stone. Are you better than Buhari, you who won't allow your wife to work because of the small small change you feel you are getting. You who won't give her the opportunity to pursue her dreams because you are afraid of letting her out of your sight, lest she meet men who will treat her better. You who will not help her in house work because you feel it's a woman's duty to cook, clean and take care of your children, while as a mAN that you is nau, you will be reading newspaper and watching television. You who won't allow her to express her views or give her voting rights in the decisions around the home because you don't want her to challenge your authority as a mAN, you are no better than Buhari. He who is able to relinquish absolute power other than wield it forcefully has the ultimate power. Learn from Jesus, who even though he was God, he did not cling to that authority  he still chose to come to poor parents,  and die like a criminal (see Philippians 2:6-11). Many men limit their women to their thoughts all in the name of acting like a MAN, when clearly she reasons better, don't be ashamed to let her help you grow, don't be too proud to accept her wise counsel, it benefits the family.

We are the light of the world, let us shine, let us not hide our light under bushels of makeup and laziness. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see you good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. In reality, men are able to see your worth, it reflects in the way you carry yourself, and they treat you accordingly, when  you place yourself higher than these buharified rooms, real men place you high, while the weak ones get intimidated by you.

Mr.Man, please let her shine, allow your woman to shine, all those other women you meet out there and admire the good in them were allowed to shine by the men in their lives. Even if she refuses to shine, Please polish her to shine, inspire her to be all she can be, and guess who will be proud of her? You!!! Don't limit her to the rooms that the society has tagged her with. Adorn her, and love her as you love yourself, as you aim high, inspire her to aspire higher (see Ephesians 5:28-30)

Let us all live and let live, while we are at it, let's leave our marks on earth. be the change you want to see.
With love from the 'other room '

Orji Uchechi 

14.09.14- RIGHT AT MY DOORSTEP

Every year, I look forward to the beginning of 'my new year'- 14.09. This particular year, I was prepared to celebrate against all odds. The previous day, I insisted that Dr. Prasad remove my wires, splint and bandages as I wanted to groove as usual and take my beautiful snapshots, the bandages wouldn't do my pictures justice.
Attribute 1: I love taking pictures, I could have only one smile, one outfit and one pose- I will still take 20 snapshots
Against his wish and medical intelligence, he indulged me because I wouldn't take no for an answer
Attribute 2: Uche is a go-getter,  what she wants, she gets.
Sunday came, my triad -church- orphanage- home. That's as far as my birthdays go. Armed with Google map, a constant friend in a distant land, we set out to find an orphanage within the environs of Mulund, eventually, I and my P.A (aka travel companion) decided on one, we hopped on a rickshaw  (keke) and cruised a distance of about 38 kilometers till we arrived at our choice place. We didn't forget our cake,biscuits, drinks and sweets. That was all we could afford, nothing was too little or too big for the children we wanted to share the day with (or so we thought), I really looked forward to cutting the cake with them. We were received albeit poorly, we were also not allowed to go near the residents of the home cos we were strangers (and Nigerians). There was no going back, we had already dropped our packages with them. I hung my head in disappointment,  my day was ruined as far as I know.

As a jolly good fellow he always is, my travel buddy urged me to cheer up as and jolly with him, we had an extra cake and a bottle of wine tucked up in our room. The rickshaw came to a halt, the lights flashed on their faces, there they were, the little children begging on the streets of Mumbai, their homeless mothers who groomed them to the life they knew, they were there all along, I saw them everyday, I passed them by as I searched for a fancy orphanage. They were right at my doorstep all along, yet I didn't deem them worthy to celebrate with. I had felt enough disappointment for one birthday, all I could feel was shame. Why did I overlook them? As they scampered around us with their hands open, tears rolled down my face, I held as many as I could in a hug, we emptied our pockets, shared the sweets we kept for ourselves with them. The smile on their faces made my day. I couldn't have wished for a better birthday, this was it. The highlight of my day.

Often times, we wait for big breaks to do big things, but it doesn't have to be so. Glenn Campbell says we should "Try a little kindness" the little you have is enough to get you across the "narrow minded streets". Charity begins at home. I learnt this lesson 2 years ago, and since then, I move about shining my light so brightly for all to see.

Happy Birthday to me
Many happy returns to QUEEN IVORY

….For a bag of rice

The issue of suitability and unsuitability of leaders has gone on since the history of man, even David with all the love and admiration, with the massive votes that got him into power( 1 Sam 18:7), he wasn’t immune to hate speeches by his followers (1 Sam 30:6), no be today the matter start. But unlike then, today we have democracy, we have the social media, we have the ‘people power’……..

In the right situation of things, every individual is represented in the Government, yes you are, Democracy- Government of the people, for the people, by the people, was structured in a way that everyone has a mouth to speak, or rather a mouthpiece, we have been given our birthright, our views ought to be aired in the upper chambers. That is why we have people speaking for us.

Our prophets and high priests before our leaders are our representatives- House of Assembly, House of Representatives. These people were chosen by us to speak our minds. Government doesn’t start from the top, it starts from the grassroots and works its way up. It shouldn’t be a top-down process, but a bottom- up process. That is why our representatives are chosen from amongst us, not from elsewhere. The people still have the power, or do they?

What happened to this power? like Esau- has it been sold? Where was the mistake made, where did we go wrong? Right in every action or inaction. Choosing of people who should represent us isn’t taken as serious as it is, I don’t know how people decide on who to vote, but I will rather sit down and eat my Jollof rice with a bottle of coke on election day than go to cast a vote that will hunt me for the next 4 years. That is why the complaints of many Imolites fail to get to me as it ought to. I am the proud daughter of a farmer, so I am yet to lack food. Back to the point. If a leader isn’t like me, then I’ll rather not vote (just kidding). If he can’t stand up for himself, if he lacks integrity, if he is greedy and insatiable, if he isn’t selfless, if he hasn’t been seen tending to the lowliest of people among his grassroots, then he has no business on the corridors of power. He will only scramble for the national cake, while he is at it, he won’t be able to stand up to say the mind of his people. My point – every position is important, choose wisely.

Our representatives are yet to know the power they wield. They should control how it goes. If Mr. Governor isn’t doing well, they should shake him till he does well, if Mr. President is sleeping, they ought to shake him till he wakes up. They should be the ones shaking things, the Reps have more power. I am led to believe that they are afraid of losing monetary benefit, but who cares. The fear of impeachment should be the beginning of wisdom.

Who says we have to endure hardship and bullying for the next four years. It is true that a tenure can last up to 4 years, but that isn’t the minimum. It can as well be one month if need be. What happened to our impeachment rights?  Have we given them out for food during the elections in order to starve at times like this?, Our representatives should wake up to the aroma of the coffee. The People Power still exists and it should be used accordingly.

It is our choice to suffer for the next 4 years or stand up to our rights. Till then, Like Bobby Ngwu will rightly say “ I am left with no option than to take up my back position as a wailing wailer.”

WIFE NOT COOK

Long time no write

 For those who don't know me, I am the one Pastor Adeboye talked about, the hardworking prayer warrior that cooks till you bite your fingers, the most expensive wife material. 

Lemme clarify this cooking issue for those who are yet to understand it. 

The Noble Igwes who argue that they married 'wives not cooks '

The Banky Ws who claim that they can cook so she needn't know how 

The Adeboye fans who have started looking for 'cooks not wives '

The Adeboye critics who believe that cooking shouldn't be a criteria for marriage  

And people like Uchechi Orji that laugh at everyone's point of view humorously 

Cooking is a skill , a necessary skill, it should be packed in everyone's survival kit, I will tell you why 

It's not like money cannot buy good food, money can, but can it buy the quality of food you need? Maybe yes, maybe no because quality and need varies amongst individuals. 

A mother of her husband and children has to know what they eat, I don't know about you, but I care about what my parents, siblings and adopted children put Into their digestive system, it has to be what they need, not what they want.
 It is essential to monitor what your family eats so that you know how and when they pick up strange diseases and illnesses. When it comes to people handling some chores, I have trust issues. I know that it is done right only when I do it.  When we were kids, coughing automatically told my mother that we ate something from another kid and she was always right.

She SHOULD  know how to cook, doesn't mean she MUST always cook, you guys should note the difference . While learning how to drive, everyone insisted that I use a manual car, I refused because I definitely won't go shopping for one, but here's what my Biggest brother asked me " if there's a medical emergency, and someone needs to be rushed to the hospital, there's only a manual car around, will you let the person die rather than drive ? That question reset my thinking.  Knowledge isn't a waste, it can be a life saver, you mustn't be a medical doctor, but your knowledge enables you to know if the treatment is right for you. I hate ironing, but I do it when necessary.

For those who know how to cook hence their spouses shouldn't, you are her husband not her bodyguard, one day you will travel out of town and dear wifey will feed your children with unhealthy junk.  Someday you will be invalid and Mrs wife will get your meals from Iyaba sira. Husband and wife should know how to cook, so that they can fill in for each other when necessary.
As we all know, it's only my age that keeps coming down while everyone else's keeps going up. There are age related diseases and there are 'junk-acquired ' disorders. The doctors will always tell you that eating healthy can help you manage them.  Before you go screaming "God forbid, it's not my portion," many people have had them and many more will still have them, you won't be the last.  When these creep in, you will realise that there is a difference between 'custom made' food and 'pre-fabricated' food, when it dawns on you that food can be made according your specification, wifey has been too pampered to learn at old age.  Who wants to spoil cute manicure?

There is a difference between love and duty.  When your spouse cooks, love is added amongst other ingredients, that is the best recipe ever, you are nourished inside out.  When the cook  cooks out of duty, bouillion cubes (Maggi, knorr, royco,) replace the love.  I wonder how many people read those wraps before using. The cook cares about giving you tasty meals, while your spouse cares about you living longer than his / her wahala.
I definitely won't spend my expensive time talking about the economic importance of cooking at home as opposed to eating out, some people's pockets never run dry. Some newly weds still have their PEA hormones in quantum supply so anything wife does is lovely, with time and age comes the craving for comfort and homeliness, sleeping in and eating in, we are observing them.

For those who have found lovely women who lack in the kitchen department, look out for willingness to learn and compromise, you can teach her or enroll her in classes (my services can be rendered ) she should at least learn the basics, enough not to poison anyone.
I know that after reading this, some people will still want to get rid of all their cooking appliances and get a cook, whichever be the case, Yours truly is at your service. I welcome donations and I can offer cooking services. Reach me and you won't regret.
I hope I didn't bore you with my long opinion. Remain loved till I finish pounding this fufu.

MOTIVE AND INTENT: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY

How many times have you ended up in an argument with a loved one and they came up with this statement that leaves you weak on your knees “ I didn’t mean it that way, I didn’t mean to hurt you”

Yesterday I shared a bone with a very close friend of mine, and he told me some bitter truths about myself, very very bitter, things I knew but didn’t want to hear from someone else, It left me uptight and angry till the statement above came into play- “ I never intended to hurt you, only someone who loves you will tell you the truth.” Oops! That really really got to me.

When someone conceives a thought, he expresses it to another, who understands it, and when required to reproduce it, he/she does so according to how he understands and in the course of reproduction, he gives it out in his own expression, and this goes on and on. In the course of this, there is bound to be a misunderstanding, and this is because we all differ in our approaches to life, way of reasoning and of course temperaments.

Sometimes people care about us and genuinely want to help us or do something for us. But at the end of the day, it culminates into an argument. I’ve seen kind gestures gone awry.  Yea, that didn’t come out right. I feel that if we weigh the motive behind people’s actions, then consider whether it was intended to hurt us or not, then some arguments will be forestalled and relationships will be saved. I don’t mean to excuse those deliberate actions, that very well may not be intended to hurt us but are definitely executed in our disfavor- a cheating partner, a bitter betrayal, hurtful lashings etc. I am talking about honest mistakes like – too much salt in the food, clothes burnt during ironing,  a mother’s corrective measure, words that came out wrong during arguments. etc

So next time, before you react to those words that didn’t come out right, think about the motive behind it. I have been caught up in this mistake severally. Here’s to every opinion giver that I have misunderstood, you are well loved by me, with a promise to assume you innocent until proven guilty

Where art thou, my love

Sitting beside the fire 

Gazing at the sky 

The clouds are going home 

Where art thou, my fair prince 

The corn pops loudly 

With the rhythm of my heart 

My soul calls for you 

Where art thou, my dearest one 

My song can be heard 

It echoes far beyond 

I sit alone, waiting for you 

Where art thou, my soul mate 

I know you exist 

For my heart feels the ache 

The tightness in my chest 

Where art thou, my beloved 

I look far ahead 

Beyond what I see 

Deep into the future 

My love is coming home

For the sake of my Children.......

“The purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation-that away, men are but glided loam, or painted clay”

William Shakespeare

A governor of Imo State once wrote on the walls of state that “ Politicians think of the next election, while leaders think of the next generation.”

Every time I passed the govt house roundabout, I read that quote with smiles on my face and said to myself, “how thoughtful this person could be”. 

How easily people swallow their words and choke on their promises while others look away.

Where exactly can the line be drawn between the current generation and the next generation? What thoughts do our leaders have for the next generation?  The biblical thoughts of Good not of evil as our heavenly Father has for us, or the proverbial thoughts of doom that King lion had for the animals as he lured them into his den?

The situation of our country leaves me with a lot to wonder and I must add, pray about. I have always found myself in leadership positions wherever I dared show my face, and something I always had, not at the back of my mind, but boldly written in my heart is POSTERITY. Are we humans really made of the same stuff or are others more “stuffier” than others? I believe true loyalty is not seen in the bag carrying respect that future ‘polithiefians’ have for you while you occupy a position they hope to benefit from, true loyalty is written in the hearts of the people, who after you are long gone and dead, will still be able to pick up their sWORDS  in defense of everything that concerns you, even your shortcomings.

Wherein lies posterity in the hearts of our leaders? Selfish interests have drowned the hopes and wails of the people

Greed has dwindled the light into the future of generations to come; our expectations have indeed been cut short

Who is a true leader?

One who dares to say ‘Nay’ when others roar ‘Aye’

One who speaks the mind of the people and lives their pain

One who at all times and all places resists the temptation of turning white into a desirable black.

One who thinks of building castles of riches only when the masses become the inhabitants of those mansions.

One who preaches EQUITY and EQUALITY

A faithful leader, Who can find!

Good morning NIGERIA

My people perish for lack of KNOWLEDGE- Hosea 4:6

I am a proud catholic, I remain one till I die despite the fact that marriage may prompt me to follow my husband to his church because “where he goes, I go”.

I have seen countless people say many things about the catholic church including those born in the catholic church but were ‘Sunday Sunday’ church goers , till they saw “the light”. Those people were never devoted to the church, so they can’t do not know in-depth what happens in the church. No offense meant though.

We do not worship Mary, I repeat  “we do not worship Mary,” we honor her. The use of images remind us of what they stand for, like when you have the picture of a loved one. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit who reveals all truth to give you understanding about this (see 2 Kings 3:20-21,Numbers 21:8-9,Exodus 25:17-22) you can inbox me for clarifications.

Whatever your conscience is against, has become a sin for you ( see Romans 14:22-23), so if your conscience doesn’t permit you to use them, then don’t.

Talking about idols, what greater idolatry is there than idolizing a man. Protestant churches are beginning to get with the program too. People place pictures of a man everywhere calling him papa and falling on his feet. God knows I revere every true man of God. People dress to church every Sunday to watch TV, there’s no point, watch it at home. About 10 years ago, Holy Communion wasn’t widely accepted by Protestants (except Anglicans) but today, everybody is breaking bread. Our sacramentals are frowned at, but these days, the kind of respect being given to mantles fear me (mantles are biblical)

I still ask, what is the war? Aren’t we all supposed to be interested in the work of salvation, isn’t it the same race? Is the enmity not between us and the devil? are we not all for the kingdom of God? Learn from Jesus!!!

“A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand” Mark 3:24

When the disciples complained about the non-members of their group working miracles, what did Jesus say?

“Do not try to stop him, because no one who performs a miracle in my name will say evil things about me later, for whoever is not against us, is for us.(see mark 9:38-40)

In the early church, there was division, some said they were for Paul, others Apollos, others Christ, but Paul rebuked them and made them understand that he (their papa Paul) did not die on the cross for him

Many people say, those are old testament practices, but I hope they search themselves well to see if they still “tithe”, or if they cling to the promises in the book of Isaiah, do they confess that “they shall not die,  but live”. Chai hypocrisy abounds in the church

Stop the criticisms and seek the kingdom of God. If you like preach against the Catholic Church till yesterday, we will still have members, and guess what! We will still tell you when to go for Easter, and you will still observe it. You have no choice.

Lay down your swords, or better still, take it up and fight the devil.

Many people won’t be happy I said this, and guess again? ORJI UCHECHI don talk im own oooooo.

YES YOU CAN: LIMITLESS

The Lord said, “Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing they have a mind to do will be impossible for them.” Genesis  11:6

Man was made by God in His image and likeness, the Omnipotent God structured man to be just like Him (Genesis 1: 27). I don’t think we truly get the Infinity of God’s attributes and powers, we may not be able to fully comprehend it no matter how hard we tried (Romans 11 : 33) and this is more reason why we shouldn’t try to comprehend the extent of our strengths, we should just believe that “WE CAN”. Our maker has been described as Wise, Infinite, sovereign, Holy, Faithful, Omniscient, Omnipresent and OMNIPOTENT.  If God who is able to do all things had in mind during the creation of man to mould someone who shares the same characteristics as Him, then the apple shouldn’t fall far from the tree. Most times the chains that bind us, the powers that limit us come from within, they live in our heads and speak in our hearts. We set the boundaries of our achievements.

I am a firm believer that whatever you set your heart out on, you will definitely achieve it. It has played out in every experience of my life. God gave man almost a limitless power by making us a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8 : 5)

He also acknowledged this with his own words as played out in the opening scriptures

If God himself believes this much in your abilities then why should you doubt your capabilities

A word of encouragement goes out to everyone who is facing one problem or the other

Struggling with an addiction

Stuck up with a project

Dealing with a loss

Living with a disability

Tired of living etc

“YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU”(Philippians 4: 13) – this very quotation has formed an indispensible part of my boost, it has been my mantra through dealing with my struggles and believe me, they have been many.

No apologies for going so biblical,

Being Christian is my way of life

Living His words is what I do

ORJI UCHECHI

WHO WOULD YOU BE

If you were given a blank slate- What would you write on it?

If you were given a penny for all your thoughts - How rich would you be?

If “WHAT DO YOU DRIVE?” were to be replaced by  “WHAT DRIVES YOU?” - Which course would you be steering?

If you could be all you wanted to be- Who would you be?

What exactly is your MOTIVATION?

What inspires YOU?

What gives you the will to carry on against all odds?

If you had all the money in the world- What would you do with it?

I would write LOVE

I would be the wealthiest person alive

I would preach PEACE

I would be that person remembered by the world, the one who makes God proud

Money doesn’t move me

Faith gives me the will to carry on

If I had all the money in the world, I would be me, remembering HUMANITY, touching LIVES, SPEAKING for the voiceless, HELPING the helpless

If I had all the money in the world, my pockets would be empty, but my heart would be full, full of joy in knowing that souls are being saved, the hungry are being fed, the limbless can walk again.

I would have joy knowing that HUMANITY is RESTORED

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY

HELP A SOUL TODAY

ORJI UCHECHI

MEMOIRS by Anonymous

I was dripping wet, apparently from the rain falling unending, I hurriedly entered the hall where other participants were seated for the job interview. There he was, my partner of 3 years twice removed- now a stranger. He handed over a paper to me “Mimidoo, here are the questions you should expect when its your turn” I closed my eyes to prevent the tears from flowing, my makeup was already half ruined by the rain. Segun, has always been my knight in shining armour, coming to my rescue whenever I didn’t need it.

Tom, tom tom.. my wide open mouth received droplets of water from the leaking roof, I jolted up from the make shift bed. Oh! So it was all a dream. For the fourth time in one week, images of Segun haunted my dreams, and his thoughts made my waking moments miserable. We met as students, became friends before taking our friendship a little lower than the highest level. Segun was the fantasy of all the female students, but I was privileged to have him to myself, the lady of his manor. As an undergraduate, I was quite a sight to behold, whenever I made an entrance, everyone else faded into oblivion. Was it the beauty? Maybe it was the charisma, I couldn’t tell which but I was aware that the aura that oozed had both males and females wishing and a handful of ladies hating. I and Segun couldn’t have been better matched. Thanks to Blaze who invited me to his departmental freshers’ night.

Sage was the name I made for him. A meaningful derivative of the bivalved form of Segun. He was way beyond my reach now. We broke up in a friendly bitter manner and it was entirely my fault. The cravings couldn’t seem to stop, I wanted more and more. The attention I was getting  from eligible males latched onto my eyes like blinders, I became unable to separate the wheat from the chaff. It continued that way until I couldn’t bear it any more, I stormed out from Sage’s house over a minor resolvable issue and never looked back, and he didn’t bother to draw me back, not that I cared at that moment.

Years later I met  Tunde , Tunde was a native of one of the major tribes in the country, the same as Segun, I was from a lesser tribe, migrants from the present day Congo.  Tunde was a man to be yoked with anytime of the day if you loved them unserious, for some reason , the “good girl- bad boy” phenomenon possessed me and I found myself in his deceitful arms. After series of abortions and 2 years in a drug rehabilitation facility, I needed to break free from my self -imposed bondage, I had to heal from the damages inflicted on me by that disastrous relationship. I was ready to go clean and start afresh, I lost contact with most of my friends and I wasn’t even sure of who will be true to me as a friend. Trust had become priceless. My mind went back to Segun

Segun- the man of my dreams, Segun- my unattainable fantansies,  he was beyond my reach now. Sage had become my Forbidden obsession. Far away, yet so near.

Life’s lessons- PLAN NOT TO FAIL

Yesterday being mothers’ day, I made a huge pot of fried rice using a recipe I had perfected over the years from experience, I looked back and realized how far I had come and most importantly the falls, bruises, ascents and scars that have been significant in my process of accretion.

I recalled one experience that has never left my memory. I was about 6 years younger than I am now and the youth in my parish were organizing a cooking competition, I was selected to represent my group alongside another member of our all- winning group. All necessary preparations were done, armed with money in our pockets, we went to the market and bought the necessities for the big day. I come from a family where purchases especially kitchen supplies are often made in large quantities because of large number of mouths to feed and also because of my economic principle of buying more to save more which not everyone will understand. I bought accordingly.

On the big day, we presented our ingredients and set off cooking, we cooked deliciously of course but we ended up with the second position. The judges did not only buttress our strengths and successes, they also told us where we went wrong. Ours was in buying and presenting more than we needed for the competition at hand, ours was in not applying simple planning strategies, we failed to plan accordingly for the project, we had excesses, it was outright waste.

Knowledge isn’t always enough for success, having the wisdom to apply knowledge appropriately is an indispensable key. In every project and every activity, proper planning, budgeting and allocation of available resources not only ensure success, they leave us with a feeling of satisfaction. Why do it anyhow when you can do it the right way.

I take every failure and loss I encounter very seriously, not because I lack the spirit of sportsmanship but because I usually have a hard time getting over the feeling of inadequacy and unpreparedness. I always beat up myself for not having done better when I clearly could have. It comes with great prices of sleepless nights but at the end of it all, the experience equips me with lessons and a decision to do better next time. When such opportunities present themselves again, knowing where I had failed earlier, I come out better because experience taught me so.

SAPIOSEXUAL

She always walked with her head bowed low and her specs hanging on her nose. I always wondered, could it be that she was looking for something, or was she counting the pebbles that lined the way to her classroom. Thinking about the later option always made me laugh. It reminded me of how the 'seniors' would always ask a junior to 'pick a pin on the lawn', I made up my mind to carry pins around, just incase a senior needed one. It will save me the stress of having to search so long for the right pin to pick.

Hard tiny lumps that took the semblance of 'bon bon' sweets had begun to take shape on our chests, the boys had started making hissing sounds as we passed. Visiting days were no longer the same because it became a taboo to wear black bras, the prints of our pink bras must be made visible against our immaculate white outing shirts- that was the normal for us.

Everyone had dreams, places we hoped to be in the near future. Some doctors, lawyers, engineers, historians, economists etc, but never teachers, there were two other professions- PERPETUAL READERS and PERPETUAL BEAUTY QUEENS. The perpetual beauty queens are the professional instamodels we have today, some never made it to the toplist of ladies who were serial neck- twisters- life took over, and age tarried along, wowo even became a recognized word in the Nigerian dictionary. The perpetual readers became all they ever wanted to be, they became the FUTURE.

The lady from the first paragraph has a name, she was called 'CUNCJBRK', that's like an acronymn for the names of all the bookworms and nerds that existed in those days. As the boys took notice of us, some old he-goats couldn't resist the lure of lusting for their daughters, they bleated too. But these girls sha, the first lady's look alike, they didn't want to flow with the game. Hideous dressings were their style, there's this hairstyle called 'Low cut' which had a longer version called 'all back', they were known for that too. While we were becoming conversant with the names of the boys that were separated from us by a huge wall, those girls were making out with Ababio, they mastered the sequence of names in the periodic table, we no fit hear word for them H, He, Li, Be..... dem over sabi sha!!!. The teachers liked them, as if no be the same school fees we pay. To us- they didn't belong, they struggled too-we didn't know their names, but they secretly wanted to be recognised, so they never hesitated when we asked them to do our assignments for us- that was the only way their names could be remembered. Users sha!!!

I saw her today- yea, the 'First lady'. Remember how I told you that she became the future, the future eventually came, she toushed up. Her make-up was wow, in all my years of experience, I never could maintain that style. Her cloth clung tightly to her skin, the specs were gone, she later told me she traded them for contacts. One fine bobo,the types that ran after us and licked our feet, yes, that type married her. Do you know that she doesn't struggle to leave her name anymore, me sef, I proudly tell people she is my friend. She became a medical doctor, the one who had beauty and brains woven together.
I won't tell you what we became, but I will tell you that we hanker to be like her.

There is truly time for everything. Most times we pursue shadows and forget that that to get to the roof, a foundation has to be laid. Humble beginings should never be forgotten or underestimated, they should never be jumped over. When the chips are down, and what really matters is taken into account, we will know that there is dignity in labour, there is dignity in doing the right things at the right time.

Lest I forget, "that FAST car crashed.........."

HEART PRINTS

“This would have been a vacation like no other” lamented Kunle who was on all expense trip to London city. Kunle’s boss was travelling to see his family members who were resident in the United Kingdom and this was to last for two weeks.

The London trip was Kunle’s 2nd visit abroad, the first one was with his school academic club back in the secondary school. They were conveyed with the school bus just across the Seme border of the republic of Benin. This trip to London afforded him the opportunity to see a new environment, learn new things and if possible make new friends. The all expense trip turned out to be ‘not- so- all’ expense after all, Kunle’s boss Mr. Dimeji  paid for the travel costs, feeding and accommodation, all other frivolities were to bore their hole in Kunle’s pocket.

The boss stayed back at home to spend quality time with his  family while Kunle was left to his own devices to explore the city of London. Everyday Kunle set out, visiting parks, and historical places, but one problem remained- not enough pictures to show for his exploits. Everyone was in groups and packs, Kunle was easily the only one spotted alone, no friends, no family. Even the ‘Selfie stick’ didn’t prove much of a companion. Yea it helped him take amazing ‘Selfies’ but that was nothing compared to the full pictures that someone else would have captured. Wandering around the city, sometimes it was difficult to locate some places as he had no access to internet outside the hotel room, so ‘Google map’ wasn’t much of a friend. How better else to get lost than with a companion. Then it hit him, pangs of loneliness, twists in his tummy and painful homes in his heart. Moments like this, place like this are supposed to be shared with loved ones. Strings of beautiful moments would have been knitted into lasting memories but here he was. Alone and lonely.

In life, one way or the other we need people, we need each other. No matter how accomplished we are, it doesn’t matter the amount of affluence we live in. life is incomplete without people to share it with. Live an amazing life, get close to people, network. Live to leave ‘HEARTPRINTS’.