Uplifting

I'm tripped. She sang the songs so well! Enjoy.

Having a Dream

I have just stepped out of a life of the ordinary. For too long, I have had the usual life ambitions. You know - finish school, go to university, get a good job, get married. That's all fine and I can tick all those boxes. But I never really had a dream a passion for something more than myself. I do now. I have come to realise that I cannot live a life without a dream. It would mean I will just drift anywhere the wind blows me. I certainly don't want that. So I have set myself some goals, and my dream is to fulfil those goals. So that is what I will invest my time into achieving. I'll be something more than ordinary. Be who I want to be. I now have a dream. Now I realise:

A dream makes life worth living
A dream gives you purpose
A dream gives you focus
A dream gives you ideas
A dream gives you inspiration
A dream gives you determination
A dream gives you tenacity
A dream gives you passion
A dream gives you vision
A dream makes you see possibilities
A dream helps you overcome challenges
A dream broadens your horizons
A dream gives you fulfilment
A dream gives you abilities
A dream gives you ambitions


Some notable quotes:

"To me, there is only one form of human depravity - the man without a purpose." --Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it." --Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"It's never too late to be who you might have been." --George Elliot

"The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach." --Benjamin Mays

"By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands — your own." --Mark Victor Hansen

Finish this Sentence

It's been a while since I did a meme and I am feeling too lazy to write a proper post at the moment. So I stole this off my cousin's page. Here goes...

Finish This Sentence

I am...: excited about starting my new career
My ex-boyfriend was...: a twat
Maybe I should....: try out Pilates, I hear it's good
I love....: strawberry cheesecake
I don't understand....: why I don't float in the pool
I lost my....: earings at a wedding
My current boyfriend is....: now my husband
People say I'm...: quiet and always smiling
Love is....: more than a feeling, it's a verb
Somewhere, someone is....: getting over a broken heart
I will always...: remember my first time
Forever is....: a very long time
I never want to...: have regrets
I think the current President is....: yet to prove himself
When I wake up in the morning, I....: turn off my alarm, thank God and greet hubby
Life is full of...: ups and downs
My past is incredibly...: interesting
I get annoyed when...: I want something to happen but it is outside my control
Parties are for...: eating, dancing, flirting and having a laugh with friends
I wish...: I was on holiday right now
Tommorrow I'm going to...: start training the girl replacing me at work!
I really want some....: more money!
I have low tolerance for people who....: are brash, slow and stupid
If I had a million dollars...: I would support a charity, sponsor a child and invest the rest in property.

Guess what? You've been tagged! Have a good week.

Reflections and Weekend gist

I'm awake at 3.00am in the morning and I can't go to sleep. What should I do? Blog of course! By nature, I'm a real night-owl. I've been forced to adapt to society that dictates I should be awake during the day, and asleep at night. Blah. This suits me better. Back in senior secondary school days, night time was the best time to stay awake. I used to go to sleep at 10pm and then wake up at 1am. Sometimes it was fun when everyone is awake at night and we could get up to all kinds of mischief. But most times I enjoyed the tranquility of having a quiet night to myself. I liked having my friends around me and stuff, but I also loved spending time alone, still do. I could write in my diary without being disturbed. I could read a novel I had been too busy to read during the day. I could just chill and reflect my life and the things that were important to me at the time. At some point I used to write lots of my thoughts down and tear them up afterwards. One time I wrote pages and pages of stuff and some of my friends found it. They thought I was weird, (like who writes about things that they are going through), and they were teasing me. I was mortified at the time and I guess they didn't understand me. Looking back now I think it was a form of release for me, and that was the way I dealt with all those confusing teenage years. I still have three of my personal diaries from 1998 to 2000. I looked at them last month and smiled to myself. It was interesting to see how I saw the world as a teenager.

In primary school I used to make up stories and write them down. Once I remember showing my dad a story I had written, complete with little cartoons I had drawn to go with the story. He had been pleased to see them and I remember him asking me if I wanted to keep writing, and I had said yes. But one day I was writing some stories in class and some kids saw my notebook, read what I had written and ridiculed it. That was it really, I lost interest in writing then, because my friends thought I was crazy. Looking back now, I realise that I have always been a writer. It is something that I have been born with. I buried it a long time ago because it wasn't "cool" enough and my friends thought I was weird. Later on, I knew I was good with subjects like English and Literature but never took it seriously enough to consider it as a career back in school and uni days. I'm glad I started blogging because I've realised that the writer within me is still there. I need to rediscover my talents and do something with it, whether it is cool or not. That's the way I can really express myself. So I'm taking the plunge soon. Here's to discovering where my gifts will take me.

On to other gist. I had a good weekend. On Saturday, I attended the Nigerian Carnival with my friends. There were four of us: two guys, me and my other girl friend. I was supposed to meet up with Mimi there as well, but she came down with a cold and couldn't make it, bless her. I still had a great time though. My friends and I had no expectations when we were going there. We had decided that we would turn up and see, and if it was boring, we would find another way to spend our afternoon. So it was nice to see that it was rocking when we got there and we stayed till the evening. It was more like a "party in the park" than a carnival but it was still fun. The weather was good so that helped too. There was a big stage and there were lots of different performances from singers, dancers, MCs and other artistes. There was a fashion show as well, which was really good. The turn-out was good considering that I had only heard about it by chance through a friend, and lots of people wore green and white stuff. BEN TV had a tv crew there filming the whole event. My friends and I tried to avoid that camera as much as possible, lol. Around the park there were lots of food and suya stands there, as well as snacks so there was a good variety of Nigerian food on offer. The dj was good, so there was a good flow of music to keep the party vibes going all day - the usual 2Face, D'banj and other Nigerian grooves. I met some more friends there and was introduced to some nice cool people so I had a great time. My friends and I took part in a draw and we won t-shirts! All in all we had a great time so kudos to the organisers. My feet ache now cos I was standing and dancing all day! Didn't attend on Sunday, but some of my friends did and from what they told me, Sunday was cool too, and there was an after-party at a club. I think it's a nice idea and I'll probably attend it again if they decide to do it next year.
Hubby and I taught sunday school today and the topic was about friendships. It was just amusing to hear the what the adorable 6 - 8 year olds were saying about their friends. After church we visited a family and spend the afternoon chilling with them. So that's how my weekend went. Gosh it's almost 4.00am now, so I guess I need to log off now and go and prepare for another week. Have a good one!

Health and Blogville

Thanks to everyone who wished me well on my previous post. I feel much better now! Got my test results back yesterday. I had been so nervous, I didn't know what to think. Thankfully, the GP said I'm not diabetic or anaemic! I'm so relieved. Still no explanation for why I was feeling drained the other week though. So I guess I just need to rest more. Stress less. Eat my greens. Do more exercise. The normal stuff.

Funny thing about blogging. I used to think I was anonymous and only a few known people read my blog. Imagine my surprise the other day. I was talking on the phone to one of my friends who I hadn't kept in touch with for a long time. Somehow he seemed to be pretty clued up on what was going on in my life. I was still wondering how, when he told me he regularly reads my blogs! He even told me about some of the things I wrote last month. I was like what, how did you know I had a blog, how did you find my blog address and how did you know it was me? Well that was easy. Apparently, my little sis had given him the link to my blog! Imagine that. I will deal with that girl when I catch her. (I know both of them will read this, so they know who they are).

I was watching TV yesterday evening when they showed the Orange Prize for Fiction Awards. I had been closely following the awards because I knew Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was nominated for her book "Half of a Yellow Sun" (read more about it here) . I was so delighted when they announced the winner and she won! I was excited like it was me that won. I'm really glad for her that her writing talent is being recognised and she has achieved success. I'm so inspired, I hope to follow her footsteps one day.

I've been away from blogville for a few days and so much is going on! I'm being updated by Mimi on what's going on. Blogville is having its very own Blogville Idols thanks to Pink-Satin and 9ja-opeke . Visit http://blogvillepopidols.blogspot.com/ for more details. I think it is all very exciting. Unfortunately I can sing as well as a frog so I won't bore you all to tears. I'll just be in the "audience" to cheer for the contestants!

Meawhile I've got the voice thing on my page now so feel free to leave me voice comments!

Life, Health and Privacy

It's been a good week, thank God. Hubby came back from his trip -yay!! So I'm not bored anymore. He said he had lots of fun, saw his friends and family but he missed me terribly. I missed him too. Awwww...

Didn't go to work today again. I had to go and have some tests done at the clinic. I'll ring up the clinic to get the results on Wednesday. I'm sure there's no cause for alarm. Got me thinking though. As far as I know, I'm in good health and I should live to be a 100. But we don't know these things for sure. I should live life live everyday is my last. I should make the most of the time I have right now.

I came across some articles that talk about the increasing use of social networking sites by employers to snoop on their staff. Most employers monitor the use of their employees' internet access and email while they are in the office. This is quite fair, I think. What I find uncomfortable though, is an employer checking out what the employees get up to outside of work. Some employers even use sites such as Facebook and MySpace to check up on potential employees. So before you have even joined the company, the interviewer already knows a lot of information about you. I find this quite creepy. Imagine, someone that appears to be a promising candidate for the job from their CV is googled or checked out on Facebook and never gets called back because the employer has seen something they didn't like on their profile.

Now recruitment consultants are advising job hunters to reduce the amount of information they display on their profiles, or change their privacy settings. (For more on this story click here and here ) There's also the story of the secretary who was sacked for talking about her workplace on her blog. She later took the employer to court and won the case (read here and here ). I'm really glad she won, they have to draw the line somewhere. I wonder what my work colleagues would think if they discovered my blogs?

Nothing much is happening this weekend. My sister has finished her exams now so she'll drop by for a visit (and she wants me to meet her boyfriend!) so that should be fun. I just want to rest and get better. I'm not liking the way I feel right now. Summer's approaching so I want to feel my best. Wish you all a wonderful weekend!

My Little Sis

I faintly remember that day, many years ago when I was just a tot myself. Someone came to my house to tell me that my mum had just had a baby. And she was my little sister. I was excited and I said I wanted to see her. They took me to the hospital and I looked into the cot to see the tiny baby. She looked like a doll to me. I asked if I could carry her. The nurse told me to sit down and stretch out my arms. They placed her carefully in my arms and I looked into her small, trusting face. She looked back at me. From then on, the bond of sisterly love was formed.
I've watched her grow up. We've had our disagreements. I've been so protective of her. Afterall, I'm her big sister! I might have bullied her a bit when we were little. But we've got lots in common. We even share the same month. People say we look alike. And she'll always have a special spot in my heart. And boy does she know it. And does she take full advantage! I know she loves me right back though. She has no choice.

It's her birthday today. Gosh she's becoming such a woman already. Little sis aint so little anymore. I called her a few minutes ago to say happy birthday. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to get me to promise her a new outfit. Men, the things we do for our little sisters....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my darling!

The Nigerian Proclamation

IN RECENT HISTORY, NIGERIANS HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY BETRAYED BY THOSE CHARGED WITH ADDRESSING THEIR NEEDS. INSTEAD OF SERVING THE PEOPLE, PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE SERVED THEMSELVES TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE MASSES. THE RESULT IS A NATION LACKING ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, ORGANIZATION AND SECURITY.

THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF NIGERIAN LEADERS INDICATES A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CONSTITUENTS. NIGERIANS ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT TO THE LEADERS, THUS, LEADERS DO NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE TO THEM.

THE RECENT FAILURE TO CONDUCT A FREE AND FAIR ELECTORAL PROCESS WAS YET ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION THAT THE NEEDS OF THE MANY ARE SECONDARY TO THE WANTS OF THE IMPORTANT FEW.

FROM THIS DAY, ALL NIGERIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT & POWERFUL COUNTRY.

CONSEQUENTLY, ALL NIGERIANS MUST COMMIT THEMSELVES TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. WE MUST DEMAND THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND IN-ACTIONS.

2. WE MUST EXPECT DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES TO BE HONORED, RESPECTED AND MAINTAINED.

3. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT ALL NIGERIANS ARE EQUAL UNDER THE LAW AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.

4. WE MUST APPLY OURSELVES TO IMPROVING THE LOT OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL NIGERIAN REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RELIGION, TRIBE OR SOCIAL STATUS.

5. WE MUST STRIVE TO MAINTAIN A UNITED REPUBLIC DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES.ONLY UPON ACHIEVING THESE PRINCIPLES CAN WE AS A PEOPLE FULLY LIVE UP TO OUR POTENTIAL AS A LAND OF GREATNESS. FOR OURS IS A COUNTRY RENOWNED FOR ITS ILLUSTRIOUS PEOPLE, AMPLE RESOURCES AND SHEER PHYSICAL BEAUTY.

This has been put up as part of Solomonsydelle's movement to show that Nigerian and other interested bloggers are unified in our disappointment with recent and ongoing political events. By using the same document with the same title on May 29th, we hope to attract some attention by making The Nigerian Proclamation 'rise' to attention on Google and various other search engines when anyone uses 'Nigeria' as a search term. Let the world know that Nigeria's people too are far from impressed.

Now Saner

Okay I wrote that previous post in a moment of intense frustration. Although I am dealing with different emotions right now.
I had been having a good weekend. On Friday I took the day off from work. I had to go and see the doctor to check all was well. He said a few things - nothing too alarming- and said I should come back next week for a blood test and a scan. So that went well. After that I went for a spot of retail therapy, there's nothing like a pair of shoes to make you feel better! Met up with hubby when he finished from work. We went to see Spiderman 3 in the evening. It was alright, not bad at all though not as cool as Spiderman 2.
Yesterday, we woke up early as hubby was travelling to Lagos in the evening. He was looking forward to this trip because he hasn't been back to Nigeria for more than 10 years! When he told me he wanted to go, I was pleased. In fact I was alright throughout the day, even seeing him off to the airport happily. Only when it was 5 minutes before he had to leave that I started feeling sad and I almost cried. He's only going for 5 days but I'm going to miss him so much. But as I left hubby at the airport, my dad called me to say he was around for a week. I told him I'll call him later. Got home and didn't go to bed until 3.00am. My bed was half empty :(
I was woken up this morning with a call from hubby to say he had arrived safely and already having fun. I wanted to tell him I was missing him but decided not to. Didn't want to spoil his mood. Later called my dad and we spoke for over an hour, just talking about different things. I told him I was fed up with my career as an accountant and I wasn't cut out to work in an office for the rest of my life. Surprisingly, he seemed fine with it! He even said I should start writing my book right away, that he wants to read the first two chapters before he leaves next week! He said he would be happy to help me if I needed anything. Thanks for your support dad - that means so much to me.

I just spoke to one of my best friends now. He has been having a rough time lately with his relationship. Now he told me that he and the girl had broken up during the week. I had known they were having problems, but I never really thought they would break up after all this time. I feel so bad now, even though it's not my fault. I just feel bad for them.

The weather is rather grey and gloomy, matching my mood. I'm going to find something to do to cheer myself up. Maybe I'll listen to my old Destiny's Child tunes, they always used to cheer me up before!

Today's Rant

Today I'm dealing with a cocktail of different emotions. I am very happy. But I'm also upset because I feel I still have limitations on my life. Who can feel happy when you are placed under restrictions? Why is there no way out? I need to let go of the ridiculous weight of expectations around me. Why should I be labelled? I am a unique person, why should I fit into another person's mould? When will I be free to express myself as I am designed to? Why do I have to succumb to cultural demands? Why should I act as "normal" as everyone around me? Who defines what is normal anyway? Who is really in control of my life and my circumstances? Who sees into the innermost corridors of my heart? Who should be predicting what I should do next? Who should understand my deepest desires? What about what I want? When will I really really be FREE...

I'll be right back.