A keg of gunpowder
History will always repeat itself but woe to those who do not learn from history. Year's back when Boko haram started, they started as an innocent group of people asking for peaceful dialogue with the Nigerian government. Even though I don't agree with what they ask for but the best approach a sensible human being should do is to engage them in a dialogue. But what did the government do?
They sent the military against them, to date they're still fighting and innocent soldiers and civilians losing their lives in the hands of boko haram insurgency
When niger delta boys agitated for the injustice against them, the Nigeria government also sent soldiers against them, we all know how it played out, if not for the wisdom of a good man late Umar Musa Yar'adua who called for a peaceful dialogue with the boys and met some of their demands, we would have still been in that right now
When IPOB asked for a referendum, the Nigerian government sent the military to kill them and went ahead to declare them terrorists, to date they have not rested. The same thing happened when Elzakzakky's group asked for the release of their leader who has been in custody for years without trial, Nigeria government sent the military to kill them
The most recent one is the #endsars protest that took place in 2020 when Nigerian youths united for the first time irrespective of tribe, religion, or class to ask for the disbandment of the notorious police unit sars and police reform. What did the government do?
They sent the military to kill the innocent youths
It's no longer news that the third most dangerous terror group in the world Fulani herdsmen have been killing innocent Nigerians in their numbers since 2015 and the government refused to make any move to stop them.
Owing to the deafening silence of the government, the different regions in Nigeria decided to form their regional security outfit to protect their people against the terrorism of Fulani herdsmen.
The southeast governors refused to meet to discuss security challenges in their region which other regions are doing, giving room for IPOB to form a security network which calls Eastern Security Network. Since the inception of that group, the government have been looking for a way to confront them
Now an opportunity presented itself as military officers were sent to fish out ESN members in the southeast, rather than do what they went for, they went into the streets and started harassing g, innocent civilians, leaving ESN members
Does it mean that the Nigerian government does not hear the sound of war that is blaring all over the country?
How can you be fighting the war on different fronts against your citizens with a military that has fewer than 200,000 soldiers?
Nigeria's military has become the riskiest job in the world because every little issue that dialogue can solve, the government will send the soldiers and they keep losing their lives. If they don't take caution, Nigerian soldiers will deplete to the extend that Nigeria as a country will be overrun by insurgents, it's just simple psychology that even the blind can see
There are a lot of angry groups, worse than boko haram and Fulani herdsmen waiting for an opportunity to swing into action and if this irresponsible government don't do the needful now, it might be too late then Nigeria will become ungovernable like one man once said before an election
Some issues are better settled with peaceful dialogue and diplomacy, you don't fight over every little thing. The military is fast losing it's might and number while insurgency is on the rise. Let the government go back to the drawing board now and stop being violent, they'll soon get exhausted and this gun powder waiting to explode will go up.
A word is enough for the wise
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/KNyMcBcDEBU
The state of Nigeria
It's been almost six years of hell in Nigeria since the current regime of general Muhammad Buhari rigged itself into power and took over the mantle of leadership in 2015, from a peaceful and civilized President Goodluck Jonathan
Before the 2015 presidential election that brought Buhari into power, he had contested three times and lost, after the last one he lost in 2011, we saw how he instigated his kinsmen against innocent citizens of Nigeria especially in the north. They killed thousands of innocent Nigerians while protesting the election result. To date, no one has questioned the death of those Nigerians, the perpetrators are still moving about freely
Recall, the first time that Nigerians got familiar with the word "austerity" was in 1984 during the regime of the same man general Muhammad Bihari, his regime was characterized by blood baths, sorrow, tears, and hardship all over the country, he travelled all over the world telling everyone that cared to listen that Nigerians are senseless, corrupt and disciplined that the late afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti had to sing a song with it
The most recent one, before the 2015 general election, general Buhari threatened to soak "monkeys and baboons" in blood if he lost the election to Goodluck Jonathan, the people he referred to as monkeys and baboons are Nigerian citizens. To date, no one has ever dared to question that statement
The same Bihari was reported to be a Boko haram sympathizer by CNN. Buhari once said that "an attack against Boko haram is an attack against the north" he also said during his presidential campaign in the north that he was not going to rest until sharia is spread and practiced in every state of Nigeria. For a man to have such a portfolio and still got elected into an office as important and delicate as the presidency of a nation still baffles me
A government that promised to end the Boko haram insurgency within six months, but today Boko haram is gaining more ground by the day, kidnapping and killing people every day. And to make the matter worse, Fulani herdsmen suddenly became so powerful that even mere mention of them sends fear to everybody
How on earth will a herder get an ak47 rifle and use it to kill people every day and none of them has either be charged apprehended, charged, or sentenced since 2015. Not even one
Fulani herdsmen invade people's villages, rape their women, kill the people and take over their land by force, and the government does nothing, soldiers and police will look away as if nothing is happening. How did we get here?
What annoys me most is the fact that Nigerians are still looking up to the government to act when it's obvious that they don't care about the lives of the citizens, the killings that took place at lekki toll gate during the #endsars protest is a clear evidence
The ideal thing to do now is for each region to provide security for its people because even our national security has been compromised. Every day we wake up to the news of attacks, killings, and so on and these killings are carried out by the same people Fulani herdsmen. They are rated the third most dangerous terror group in the world yet their hist country doesn't even see them as a threat, they are even being protected by the government
Orlu is under attack right now by the Nigerian military for no other reason but because the southeast formed a security network to protect their land against Fulani herdsmen terrorism because the government has failed to protect them.
Now everybody is saying "pray for orlu, pray for or" that's what we have been saying sin e 2015 that Fulani herdsmen have been killing people in Nigeria. Pray for agatu, pray for udi, pray for Kaduna, pray for this, pray for that... Since we have been praying, what has happened?
It's time the people identified their common enemy and problem and fight them head-on with one voice. Let all the regions come together and agree that there are a problem and a common enemy. Let the people set politics aside. Forget about tribe and religion this time and face the common enemy
Until we unite as a nation and fight our common enemy, they will continue to divide and kill us till they take over the entire nation. A word is enough for the wise. Let's stop praying and start acting now. Nigeria must be better
Lead image source
Never a borrower or lender be
Lack is not something anybody wishes, there comes a time when you find yourself in a situation where you don't have enough to solve the immediate problem
What do you do when you find yourself in such a condition where you need money but you're broke?
The way everything is going in the world now it is difficult and almost impossible to borrow from someone especially someone who doesn't know you well enough to trust you with their money
Everybody goes broke at some point in their life so it's normal to be broke. Needing money is one thing, what you want to use the money for is another thing and that's what should determine whether you lend or borrow at any time
I remember a quote by William Shakespeare about borrowing and lending:
neither a lender nor a borrower is.
He made the quote because it's always very easy to borrow but paying back is not as easy. After the borrower borrows from the lender, both of them will be in trouble. The lender will be under pressure while the borrower in distress
Therefore, he advises one never to borrow or lend. Looking at it more critically, the reason why people find it hard to pay the money they owe most times is because of what the money was used for
If you want to borrow money, let it be for something that will bring more money, if not you might as well be wasting your money and putting yourself in unnecessary debt, and betraying the lender's trust in you
If you want to borrow for a business or to save a life, it is worth it. You. Can't believe that some people borrow money to do things that have no value. People borrow money to marry, some people borrow to enjoy and for pleasure
As a lender, what should motivate you to lend to somebody is what they want to use the money to do, it is irresponsible of anyone to borrow money just to live a luxurious life of partying around and other frivolous things.
I've seen people that borrowed huge amounts of money from banks and other institutions even with collateral and give interests, but today they are millionaires and billionaires of this world. The richest men of this world have borrowed at some time when they were starting. So you see, borrowing in itself is not bad but what you borrow for makes it either good or bad
As a lender, also consider what the borrower wants to use the money for before agreeing to lend them. Even banks and other legal institutions ask before giving loans to people
So, do not rely completely on that quote "never a lender or borrower be", the statement is conditional, think well before you lend or borrow so you don't betray a trust or make yourself an enemy
Do what you want
Some things just start trending all of a sudden and we are somehow under pressure to do it because every other person is doing it and if we don't do it the way others do it and how they do it, people will begin to see us as aliens who don't follow the time
At one time or the other in our lives, we see people do one thing or the other before you know it becomes a standard of doing things and starts trending, at that point when it is generally accepted everybody will start doing it
Do we ever pause to wonder why everybody does some things in a certain exact way; did everybody suddenly start doing things in a particular way? The answer is a capital NO!
Then why do we suddenly do some things in a certain way?
Everything that is en vogue today started somewhere and started with someone, just one person. People don't just start doing things because everybody is not the same and don't behave alike, not even identical twins. Before someone starts doing something in a certain unique or new way, they must have thought about it and desired to do it, people continue to yearn for something and once they do it, they feel fulfilled and satisfied
Alas when we see what other people do uniquely and keep doing it, those that like it will commend and admire it while those that don't like it will criticize and condemn it. But if the person continues doing it against all odds, with time people will come to accept it and some people that like it will start doing it, as time goes on it becomes a standard then no one will question the origin or how it started
We ought to be more concerned about what we desire to do, what we want to do than what we have to do, note the difference!
When there's a generally accepted standard of doing things, people expect you to do it that way so you have to do it. Whether you're okay with it or not but you just have to do it because people avoid being seen differently. You may or may not derive joy in doing things you have to do, nobody cares, they just want you to do it
However, there are other things you desire earnestly to do in your unique new way, often we're scared to do it because nobody has done it before, we are scared of being rejected by people for doing things different from "normal" but we are convinced that we love to do it and it will make us happy doing it
That is how we end up living the life of pretense just to please other people. Take a bold step and do what you want to do, not what you have to do. When you take that bold step to do what you want, people might reject it for a while but as time goes on, they'll come to accept it too.
Don't be scared to do what you want, that's how new things are invented, rule your world, do what you want
Withdrawal method
The withdrawal method can be very difficult, a lot of people who have tried it have testified how difficult it is to use this method. The fact that you have to pull out in the middle of the exercise, the pleasure, at the climax of the whole thing, that's a pain to do!
Some other people complain that they don't even know what the withdrawal method is and they don't know how to practice it. That's why I'm here today, I'm going to share some basic steps in how you can achieve huge success within the shortest possible period.
Withdrawal must be achieved!
The first thing to consider here is if "the patient" recognizes that they have a problem and want it solved, because if they don't know that they have a problem they won't take the healing process seriously
Addiction is a very serious disease that almost every human being on earth suffers from; everyone is addicted to one thing or the other but some people are so comfortable with their addiction that they don't see it as a problem therefore they don't see any need to **withdraw**
Below are some basic steps to take if you want to withdraw from something you're addicted to especially drugs and other harmful substance:
1. Knowing you're addicted:
the first and most important step towards a successful withdrawal is knowing you're addicted. When you know you're addicted it will become easier to move to the next step, which is
2. Seeing it as a problem:
No matter how bad or strong the addiction is if the victim doesn't see it as a problem, they can never be open to withdrawal. One has to know what they are addicted to and also know that it's a problem that needs to be solved
3. Getting uncomfortable:
once the first and second steps are achieved, the third step follows automatically. When the addict knows they are addicted to a bad thing, they'll always feel bad after indulging in it. They'll feel shy to do it in the presence of their friends who are not addicted to the same thing for fear of stigma
4. Withdraw from fellow addicts:
by the time the victim begins to get uncomfortable around their "normal" friends, the way they live their lives freely without fear or shame they too would want to feel free. The only thing that can draw them back is their fellow addicts who, rather than criticize them, will even hail them because they're all in the same game together. Withdraw gradually from those who support the addiction
5. Move and stay more with none addicts:
both withdrawing from fellow addicts and staying more with none addicts are very difficult because both makes the addict uncomfortable because they get "temporal" joy and sense of belonging when they stay with fellow addicts, they feel more at home and comfortable so withdrawing from them is difficult
on the other hand, non addicts will make the addict feel uncomfortable because they can't operate freely around them, they sometimes feel they don't being there because they don't understand. A lot of strange and unacceptable feelings will go on in their mind but they have to endure and stay. The process of withdrawal is not easy, it comes with a lot of sacrifices...
to be continued...
Kush
How does the word "kush" make you feel?
It's not a regular word so I won't even be surprised if you haven't heard it before. In this article, I'm going to be talking briefly about some kinds of kush and the main kush that I have in mind
The most popular and original kush is the ancient Nubia kingdom located along the Nile valley which is now the north of Sudan and southern Egypt. Kush became very popular because it was among the first kingdom to be civilized
Kush is also a name given to a strain of cannabis indica, which are mostly found from landrace plants in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.
Nowadays, kush means an entirely different thing in the part of the world where I am, and this kind of kush is what I want to discuss here, it will shock you to know that some young men and women of this generation do not feel among until they are "kush"
Still, wondering what that means?
It's not the usual "kush" you know; it jas become normal and fashionable for people to be "kush", kush guys and ladies are considered smart while none kush are called dumb
Sometimes I just wonder what some of our youths gain from cultism, it's obvious that cultism, or kush as they call it has absolutely nothing to offer but people keep joining cults every day just to belong, very unfortunate
One of the reasons why young people join cult is peer pressure when they see that their friends belong to one confraternity or the other, they too are motivated to join just to feel among too. the kush guys always have their ways in school and other places, they go out with the biggest guys and date any girl they want
It appears as if the can't guys are invincible and they never get into problems, if they manage to find themselves in any trouble, of her members of the same cult are always there to fight for them, so it seems
As they say, the sound of bitter kola is different from its taste. Those inside a cult pretend as of everything is alright just to intimidate none members and those outside think that everything runs smoothly for cultists so some youths become desperate to join any cult
Cultists always boast of protection inside kush, but the opposite is the truth. Joining a cult makes one vulnerable than ever, there's no protection in cultism instead you're exposed to more danger from rival cults who automatically become your enemies
Just yesterday, one vibrant young man was gunned down on our street by a rival cult. The unsuspecting young man came out in the street just like every other person not knowing that he was being monitored before he could notice the strange movements and faces he was already down in the pool of his blood. Concerned neighbors rushed him to the hospital but he lost a lot of blood on the way and died before getting to the hospital.
Is that the protection?
Now he is dead, life goes on
There's no gain in cultism, only loss upon loss. No human being in their right senses will even contemplate joining a cult. They might promise heaven on earth but none of their promises hold water.
Their only trademark is blood, sorrow, pain, and death. Say no to cultism it does no good to anybody
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/9KJEYAkgyUQ
Your mistakes are correct
How you react to mistakes goes a long way to determine what you can make out of them. Mistakes Ire part of humans because no one is perfect so we must make mistakes as long as we live and try out new things
If you have a positive e and determined mind to be successful, you will always see sense in everything even the ones other people consider non-sense
I watched a video on social media, recently were a popular Nigerian comedian, Chukwuemeka Ohanemere also known as the lion was being mocked by some people for his inability to communicate in good English language
The lion replied by saying that the English language is not his native language so he should not be mocked if he makes mistakes, he went further to say that any mistake he makes in English is correct because the English language is not his native
He kept repeating that any mistake he makes is correct that the people around him burst into laughter. I also laughed out loud the first time I watched the video, I kept watching the video for some comic
Suddenly, while watching the video I was able to make sense out of it. Think about it; mistakes are not "useless" as some people think it is. When you make a mistake two things are likely to happen. It's either you learn to do it in a better way or you learn never to do it the wrong way again, you could still learn both ways
Another way to look at mistakes is that some people might choose to do things in a particular way that others consider a wrong way and still achieve their desired results, which is the most important thing. No one cares to know how you achieved your result, once the result is okay, you're good to
What you consider as your mistake sometimes serves as a lesson to another person. Invariably your mistake is being used by another to correct themselves which means your mistakes are correct. Make no mistake saying that mistakes are useless because they always happen for good reasons. Mistakes are correct
Sometimes we expect people to do things the way we would have done it, if they do it another way we say they've made a mistake and criticize them, but that's not true. We mustn't all do things the same way that's why we're all different with our different idiosyncrasies.
What you consider a mistake is correct to another person and what you do as the correct thing is a mistake to another person. So, do your thing the way it best suits you and let others do theirs because
Your mistake is correct!
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/PKhnVoU4otY
Donald Trump makes history
Finally, the long-awaited day and the event has come and gone, it's been a hell of a journey since the united states presidential elections. Before today, a lot of people have been holding their hearts in their hands because no one was sure how peaceful the inauguration ceremony was going to be.
From the world go, Donald Trump refused to concede defeat after Joe Biden beat him to a landslide victory in the presidential election which was said to be very fair and peaceful, he has always declared openly that he wasn't going to accept the results.
Donald Trump while contesting the results of the election made a lot of comments which incited some of his loyalists to protest which turned violent along the line claiming the lives of some people.
Recall that Donald Trump had been impeached before, after the elections he was impeached again making him the first American president to be impeached two times
Donald Trump during his tenure in office never hid his intolerance for people of other religions especially Muslims, it was also during his administration that most race-related crimes were committed including the George Floyd murder which prompted the black lives matter protest that attracted sympathy from blacks all over the world.
A lot of unpopular actions and policies were taken by Trump's administration, most of which contradicted Obama's. Also unfortunate is the fact that the coronavirus happened during his tenure giving Joe Biden more point to campaign against Trump
After several attempts by Donald Trump to retain power proved abortive, he threw in the towel reluctantly and today, he made another history by becoming the first president in the history of the united states to be absent from the handover ceremony since 1869
The United States will never forget Donald Trump in a hurry for all the infamous history he made in America, for bad reasons though
Today united states begins another journey with a new president under a different political party, I hope Joe Biden delivers and keeps to his promises
Congratulations to Americans, congratulations to Joe Biden, I hope he reconciles with the countries that have become enemies with America under Trump. It's not going to be easy for Biden to mend fences. Good luck to him
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/qRaEf5jnYyc
Que será será
Could it ever be possible to find someone on earth who has never used or at least heard this popular Italian phrase "Que será, será" which is transliterated in English as "what will be will be"
The phrase was further popularized by a song by Doris Day and Frank Vol titled Que sera sera, what will be will be. The phrase is used most times to encourage someone in despair.
Sometimes in our lives, we lose hope and need someone or something to reassure us that everything will be alright. At that moment of our life, we need words of encouragement and assurance and we often get it
One funny but unbelievable thing about words of encouragement is that it works more and makes more sense when another person says it, the person saying it doesn't believe it as much as the one hearing
But the truth is, whether we believe it or not, Que sera, sera, what is meant to be must eventually be no matter what happens. It might delay but it must come to pass if it's meant to happen
Last year was a unique one with lots of strange things happening almost at the same time. Just before the year 2020 came to an end, people were happy that the "abnormal year" was finally ending. Everybody hoped for a better and normal 2021, but another phenomenal thing happened before the end of 2020
Harmattan is one of the seasons we have in Africa which usually starts around mid-November and continues until late December and into the beginning of January
Surprisingly we didn't see any sign of harmattan season last year after the dry season and it got everybody worried. Instead of the harmattan, we experienced more rain on December 25th and even January 10th, that was when we zeroed our minds that there won won't be harmattan season this
Unexpectedly we woke up this morning to the breeze of hamartin, very strange. Just when all hope was lost, when we thought the harmattan season is gone, here it is!
As insignificant as it sounds, I learned a lesson from it, I've learned never to say over until it's over. Anything that is meant to be must eventually be, nothing can stop it. Obstacles may come here and there, there might be delays now and then but after everything, Que será, será
Let this story be a lesson to you, destiny can be delayed but can never be denied. Never give up on that dream even if no other person believes in you because your dream is taking time to materialize. Sometimes when it takes long to come, it only gets better
Just wait for it!
If it's meant to be, then it will come to pass because what will be, will be. Que será, será
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/cVAgCNS2MTg
When kids were kids
One of the things that make children exceptional and sometimes vulnerable is their pure heart and innocence; children are so free-minded and naive that they can be easily deceived and they won't know they're being deceived because they believe that everybody is just like them
They don't worry about too much, even if they worry they easily forget and continue with their life with joy and laughter. I remember the late reggae legend, Lucky Dube, in one of his songs he said there are neither problems no worries in the world of children, they only care about biscuits and candies. As funny as it sounds it's true!
Last December, I was speaking with my sister on phone, one thing led to another. She told me a story about her first daughter that got me laughing out so loud. When Chidimma was still a little child, she used to place her fallen tooth under her pillow at night, by morning, she'd wake up and find out that the "tooth fairy" had replaced her tooth with a one-dollar bill
She kept doing the same thing whenever she lost a tooth until one day, one of her teeth fell off and she couldn't find it. She became so frustrated looking for her tooth everywhere. She kept crying while looking for her tooth. Her mum, my sister tried all she could to stop her from crying but she refused, she wouldn't even eat or do any other thing
Her dad came back in the evening and met her crying and asked why. Chidimma told him she lost her tooth that could have fetched her one dollar from the tooth fairy. After several attempts to talk her out of her misery proved abortive, the dad opened up and told her there's nothing as "tooth fairy", he told her he had been the one replacing all her teeth with a dollar bill all the while
Chidimma could not believe her ears, it took her some time and more conviction to believe the new reality. She agreed never to reveal the secret to her younger ones. One day, one of her younger sisters lost a tooth also and was busy searching for it. Chidimma, who now knows the truth, went to her mum and whispered " mum, she is busy crying over a lost tooth, she does t know that tooth fairies don't exist. Her mum burst into laughter.
I remember when I was a kid, I used to protect my fallen tooth so jealousy as if my life depended on it. If the top tooth fell, I would throw it to the rooftop and if it was the down one, I would just throw it on the floor, we believed that if we didn't do that our teeth won't grow again.
It sounds funny to me now but when I was a kid, I believed it with everything in me and could defend it with my life. I also believed that if you mistakenly swallow a fruit seed, the fruit will grow on your head
I remember swallowing an orange seed one day by mistake. It was one of my worse days as a child. I thought I was already dead, I cried and cried. Even when people tried to convince me that nothing like that would happen, I didn't listen to them. I continued crying until I got tired and slept off before I woke up, I had already forgotten about it. The innocence of a child!
There are lots of other things we believed as children that never really existed. Some of the stories we were told as children were just to scare us from doing some things. Some girls' mothers would tell them that if they allowed a boy to touch them, they'd get pregnant. Hahaha. Ridiculous!
Now that I'm an old man I remember those things and laugh out loud, but when I was a kid, I believed them with all my heart and even defended some.
This morning I was thinking about it, the only reason why those tricks worked on us is that we were just kids, innocent and open-minded. I think those tricks helped our childhood, they made our childhood fun and also helped us to discipline ourselves es in some areas.
I don't know if such things still exist now, even some kids know more than their parents because they have access to the whole world through the internet. Sometimes I wish I can go back to those days when children were children and adults were adults
Were you told any lie by your parents as a child?
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section. See you there!
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/AEaTUnvneik
My favourite childhood sports
Man naturally is a lover of sports, every human being loves one sport or the other. Some people love one particular kind of sport and hate the other because people have their various preferences and choices.
Particular sports can become so loved to the point that you become addicted and also want to participate in it by all means possible, I experienced it as a child
As a guy, I'm sure everyone can easily guess my favorite sport...,
Yes, you're right! Football!
I love football so much and the love didn't start today; I grew up seeing that every male around me loved football, I had no choice than to join the love train. Hahaha
As a kid then, whenever Nigeria national team had a football match I would leave my house and go to one of our neighbor's house to watch the match, not because I couldn't watch the match in my house but it seemed as though watching the match with other people would help my favorite team to win, in my neighbor's house where everyone is a coach, everyone is a commentator and spectators all at the same time. Hahaha
The atmosphere was always supercharged whenever there's a football match involving the super eagles of Nigeria. The room where we watched the match was always filled to the brim with people, so stuffy due to the crowd of people who also left their boring houses to watch the match together with other people, sometimes the room would ooze with different body odors but we didn't care, football is more important than comfort. Hahaha
After watching the football match on television we always go out on the streets to practice what we learned, any rounded object can serve as a ball; orange fruit, cricket ball, sometimes even milk tins were not spared
As I grew older, I began to graduate from playing any rounded object to playing real football. There was a particular type of ball made of plastic called kpokirikpo, it was always so hard and painful to play because we played on bare feet but we didn't mind, we must play football!
I also played feléèlè or flying carpet, another type of football made of rubber. Feléèlè was not the best but it was much better than kpokirikpo. Feléèlè is soft unlike kpokirikpo but the only problem with feléèlè was that it can't be enjoyed when the weather is windy.
Whenever we're playing "monkey post" or "nkwatankwa" on the streets with the rubber football, it was always frustrating when you play the ball in one direction and the wind would blow it in another direction, that never stopped us from playing our favorite sport, football is life
Oh! I forgot to mention another advantage of feléèlè football, you could deflate a bit to increase the weight against the wind, you could also "patch" it when it gets punctured using a hot knife and a piece of rubber material or slippers.
For durability, sometimes we put feléèlè inside a health size 4 bladder and inflate it. I continued to play street football and matches until secondary school, I still played in secondary school, especially during our school inter-house sports. Football was a lot of fun to me as a child and I dedicated a lot to it
As I grew older, my parents were not allowing me to go out freely to play football with my friends so I started losing interest in it until I became an adult. I still love football now but I only watch others play
Football has always been my favorite sport and will remain so forever. Long live football
This is a contest about my favorite childhood sport by @Adelan O for 1,500 1up in uptrennd You can join the contest **here** https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/my-favourite-childhood-sports~ODUwNDE0
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/mY2ZHBU6GRk
Covid-19 vaccine
Last year ended in joy because after all the crises and deaths from the corona virus pandemic, and all the lockdown imposed all over the world by different governments, Pfizer pharmaceutical company finally came up with a vaccine which was said to have been tested and was about 90 percent ready
A lot of people have been anticipating the final tests and eventual distribution of the vaccines, some countries were already projecting when the vaccine will be administered to citizens, the atmosphere was getting normal again and people were beginning to go back to their normal lives and businesses
suddenly, we started hearing different strange stories about the vaccine and its side effects. At first, it was dismissed with a wave of the hand but as It persists, things got more serious and people became scared once more
We saw a video that went viral on social media of a patient who started convulsing immediately after the vaccine was administered. People started getting apprehensive as the second wave of the virus looms and the second wave is said to be even worse and deadlier than the first. What are we going to do?
Just this morning, I saw another breaking news that a man died 17 days after he received the vaccine, the vaccine congealed his blood and when the blood couldn't flow well, he had more complications and died, that's another side effect of the long-awaited vaccine that people have been hoping on. Is all hope lost now?
What does this mean for us, what does it portend for the world?
It seems the fight against covid is far from being over, against our thoughts and wish, it seems the fight has barely even started. If the complications continue in more people, the vaccine might just be banned and that will bring us back to square one
We all have to be more careful at this time, obey the simple hygiene and covid rules.
The rules are simple but some people find it very difficult to observe, we have to observe them because they're for our safety. Even some people that observed them before are relaxing to the old ways again, that's not proper.
It is even more shocking to know that some people still don't believe that the virus exists
We have to wake up once more and fight this monster virus out of our world once and for all
In case we have forgotten, let's remind ourselves of the rules again:
1. Wash your hands regularly with soap and clean running water for at least 30 seconds:
Whenever you make use of your hands or touch anything you're not sure of, make sure you wash your hands immediately, wash your hands often, wash your hands for no reason
**Source** https://unsplash.com/photos/X_tEarX6svc
Wear a mask:
Get yourself a clinically approved mask and wear it always to protect both yourself and others
always cover your nose and mouth with a mask because the virus is easily transmitted through fluids that are emitted through the nose and mouth, they can also enter through your mouth and nose if they're exposed.
Source https://unsplash.com/photos/EJWaKVPB6iI
Wearing a mask can be inconvenient but it's worth it, you don't want to sacrifice your life on the altar of "self convenience". It's better to suffer discomfort for a while and stay alive than to be comfortable for a while and die afterward. Wear a mask to save your life and that of your loved ones
3. Maintain social distance, avoid crowded places:
Sometimes people are asymptomatic when they have the virus, which means they don't exhibit the symptoms and they might not even know they're carriers,
**source** https://unsplash.com/photos/kuaKOUEjpaA
stay at least 3 meters away from people, and don't mix up with random people in a crowd. Try as much as possible to be alone but if you must meet people, meet them from a distance
4. Don't cough or sneeze into your hands:
whenever you want to sneeze or cough don't cover your mouth or nose with your palm or the back of your hand, use a clean tissue and dispose of it immediately in designated trash. But if you don't have a clean tissue at the moment, you can curve an elbow and cough into it
Source https://unsplash.com/photos/iHYs3h94MNE
5. See a doctor:
if you don't feel well or you notice any of the symptoms of covid or any other sickness don't hesitate to see a doctor, early detection and isolation will prevent further spread of the virus
6. Eat healthily:
eat a complete balanced diet every day with a lot of fruits and vegetables that will help boost your immune system to fight against the virus and other sicknesses
7. Avoid touching your face:
as much as you can, avoid touching your face especially your mouth, eyes, and nose because those are easy passages for the virus into your body.
8. Use hand sanitizers:
Get yourself alcoholic based hand sanitizers. Apply it on your palm and rub it all over your hands both front, back and in between your fingers, do this often especially after making use of your hands. This does not eliminate the use of clean running water and soap to wash your hands.
**Source**
9. Stay at home: if you don't need to go out, please stay at home. Staying at home with your loved ones is the best way to keep the virus away forever. If you're home you will have nothing to fear, no reason to worry. You're not going to stay at home forever so don't complain of loneliness even if you stay alone, it's worth it.
source https://unsplash.com/photos/NDw-WCFk1fo
There will be time enough to go out and socialize when the virus is gone
Information is power, but it can only be truly powerful if you make use of it.
Help fight against the spread of covid-19, that hydra-headed monster ravaging the world
Stay safe!
**Lead image source** https://unsplash.com/photos/niBllet7sTw
**** https://unsplash.com/photos/niBllet7sTw
Who travels at night?
Who travels at night?
Some people embark on overnight travel easily and even feel more comfortable than day travelers despite the risks associated with night journeys. Though they try to give reasons for traveling at night.
Some people say they travel overnight because they don't want to miss their daily engagements, some say they travel to meet up with their important businesses or other appointments the following day, some say they can't waste their time traveling during the day when they can sacrifice their sleep at night and use the day for "more important things" as if sleep is not as much important
This post is not meant to indict anybody or discourage anyone from overnight journeys, but this is just to expose you to some of the important things worthy of not which are often neglected but which should always be put into consideration before we travel even during the day
Almost everything we do in this life is risky, even life itself is risky and what Is destined to happen will happen no matter how much you try to be careful or how much you try to prevent them; those are some of the words people use to justify some bad decisions they make in life which include, of course, night journeys
I don't know how many people embark on night journeys here, this post Is specifically for them. The majority of them embark on night journeys from month to month and year to year without having any problems while some who have never embarked on it before fall victims on their first experience
Night journey is very risky especially here in Nigeria where numerous factors endanger lives and properties even in broad daylight, embarking on a night journey increases the risks by over 100 percent. Things you can barely avoid during the day becomes more severe and uncontrollable at night because whether we believe it or not, every night traveler is vulnerable to "anything" at night. They have very limited options!
The fact that you travel severally at night safely doesn't make you invincible, night travel is not something you should do often, the risk involved in it is quite high though sometimes habitual night travelers close their eyes to those risks in order not to be demoralized. But it's better to know the risks and prepare the mind towards them than to be oblivion, that's even a higher risk
Don't make it a habit to travel at night. You could get attacked by armed robbers or kidnappers and no security agents will be around to rescue you, security agents in this part of the world close work and go home at night, even if they're on duty, so. e of them still sleep normally on duty
Night journey predisposes the travelers to a lot of avoidable dangers, do we talk about the bad roads which the drivers can't see due to blackouts that cover the roads at night or is it about the drivers themselves who fall asleep severally behind the steering wheels, some of the drivers are heavy and chronic alcohol drinkers and can't stay awake to drive for long unless they're heavily drunk
Travelers themselves are fatigued before and after the journey and most times can't do any other thing during the day after the journey, so why rush and take the unnecessary risk when you can travel safely the following day and have your full rest at night?
Some of the drivers drive so recklessly at night because there are no road safety officials or police to caution or sanction them for reckless driving
Overnight journeys are so risky that if anything goes wrong with your vehicle at night no mechanics will be available to help fix it, you could remain on the road several hours and sometimes into the morning of the next day before you can get help
Apart from the mechanical and human factors, the weather also plays a very important role; the weather is always hazy at night and the driver always struggles to see through
Normally, most drivers struggle to see well during the day, seeing clearly at night due to unavoidable weather will pose a very big challenge to them, the passengers don't know this, they just relax in the vehicle and even sleep most times leaving their lives in the hands of a stranger because he's a driver
They say heaven helps those who help themselves, help yourself by avoiding obvious risks and danger. Overnight risk is one of those avoidable dangers, avoid it, say no to it!
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/IzXTR79nph0
FOMO versus FUD
Greetings fellow crypto traders and enthusiasts. It has been hell of a week in the world of crypto especially bitcoin and ethereum. The market has not been so favourable to so many people because the bulls took people by surprise!
Over the past few days or weeks, we experienced an astronomical increase in the price of bitcoin and ethereum which also directly or indirectly affects other altcoins positively, most traders smiled to the banks wishing it would continue that way. But the truth is, nothing is 100% certain in crypto world
One thing is certain, however, what goes up must come down. People should have thought of that when they invested all their money in crypto currency especially the newbies, that's why you're always advised to invest what you can afford to lose. You shouldn't go investing all your money in crypto, that's a no no
I believe by now, a lot of investors who got affected by the deep dip that took place are gradually getting relieved though things are not back to moral but the green flags are visible
During the red season that encapsulated the entire market, I saw people panicking, rushing to sell everything in their wallet not minding the loss as if crypto market would cease to exist after the corrections, this is the worst that can happen to any trader.
How can you sell below cost price?
You should know that it's normal for currencies to fluctuate and we know a number of factors that can affect goods, services and currencies, learn the basic principles of economics before venturing into a business as volatile as crypto
Don't allow fear to affect your decisions, be resolute and strong willed!
The major fear that grabbed people during the redt season is FUD, Fear of Uncertainty and Doubts, and FUD usually occurs when an investor investor invests much money than he can lose or when he invests money that he wants to use for another thing soon or borrowed money. When this happens, the investor becomes scared because he doesn't know what will happen if he leaves the money in the market for a longer time, he eventually resort to pull out his money not minding the loss
On the other hand, FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out occurs when a coin or token which an investor didn't invest in suddenly starts increasing in value, the investor becomes afraid that if he does not invest at that time, the commodity will continue to increase and he doesn't want to miss out, he will rush and buy at a high rate, out of fear!
Which ever way, the bottom line is that fear is the controller of both conditions and the best way to get rid of fear is by
**Do a thorough and detailed research before investing in a crypto:**
If you do a thorough and detailed research about a crypto you want to invest in, it will help you to know when to buy and sell, it will also boost your confidence so you won't be unnecessarily moved by your emotions when the markets go crazy, you'll always stand your ground
2. Invest what you can afford to lose:
Every business has some element of risk and crypto is not an exception. No matter how much research you make there will always be some percentage of uncertainty, your research will only minimize the risk percentage. Do not invest so much money at the same time that you can't insure if you eventually run at a loss
3. Be patient with the market:
Every business has an up time and a down time, if you really want to make profit, don't panic sell when the market is experiencing a down time or dip as is the case with crypto. The aim of every business man is to make gain, let that ring in your head always, no matter what happens do not give in to the temptation of selling below what you bought. If you can be patient enough to weather the storm of the down time, better days will come when you will smile with your profit
**Don't get too emotional:**
Do not make the mistake of always following the crowd. Sometimes people say things they're not sure of, if you listen and believe everything that people say, you are bound to make mistakes. Also market influencers and some big influencers have a way of using people to create fake value and panic sometimes to their advantage. Always be at alert and on a look out, keep your emotions in check and remain resolute and strong willed. Be disciplined!
Above all and once again, say no to fear of any kind, avoid panic buying and selling, it is very bad for crypto trading
The market will once more return to normal and will favour every investor, I wish every investor a profit filled month. I hope this helps. Bye for
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/1Td1EZy5SZQ
Cross over to Where?
It has now become a tradition in Nigeria and many other countries in the world; every 31st December, people gather in church and pray till the next day which is new year. The tradition has been going on and on for so many years
But something happened last year which everybody knows, there were lots of prophesies by different men of god about 2020. They prophesied without seeing the doom that took the world by surprise and people were excited about the new year 2020
After everything that happened this year, church goers are still insisting that there must be cross over service as if their lives depend on it even after the government has warned that the second phase of the pandemic and the corresponding lock down will be more than the first
Everybody is kicking and wailing against the government warning an directive. Now, my problem is not whether the government is right or whether they should be obeyed or not. After all Nigeria government has never been honest for once and they're unworthy of trust
My problem is with the people that call themselves believers. It is shameful to know that people are just religious but majority are not spiritual, they don't have personal relationship with God
If the people were spiritual even one bit, they wouldn't make a big deal out of the whole thing, the church or mosque is just a building, God lives in people's hearts and not in ordinary buildings made with hands, filthy
People should learn to have personal relationship with their God and not attach themselves so much to a building and service. Do not forget in a hurry that people were locked down for many months earlier this year and heavens did not fall. The men of god that are clamoring for cross over service now, none of them was able to heal even one person from the corona virus
Remember that there's life after the cross over service, a word is enough for the wise
Lead image source
https://unsplash.com/photos/dcyHW8EVCpA
Originally published https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/cross-over-to-where~ODQxNzQw
What are your regrets?
What are your regrets?
We're some hours to the new year now and everyone is getting ready to cross over. Some people are very excited about the re year, some are anxious and some are indifferent like me. Lol
Some people do not really see any difference, they think it's a normal thing. Why the excitement and celebrations?
Well, no matter what we think or how we feel about the new year and the previous one, there's always one thing or the other that we wanted to do or achieve in a year that we end up not doing. Most times thinking about it makes us sad and ruins our mood
As for me, I had a hand full of things I hoped to achieve this year that I couldn't even get close to achieving them. One of those things is charity; during my last year resolutions I said I was going to do a lot of charity work this year. I was really excited about it and couldn't wait for the year to start
Some how I found myself doing different things far from the things I said I would do. I don't want to blame covid and the lockdown for not achieving this very aim because if I really wanted to do it, the lockdown wouldn't have stopped me, so i regret not keeping to that resolve
I also said I was going to explore widely in music, made a lot of plans and even contacted some people to that effect, here I am. I did absolutely nothing about it and the year is already over!
There are loads of other things I wanted to do which I didn't. When I think about them I almost feel like crying, but I console myself with the fact that I still have more time and chances of doing them; I regretted not achieving my aims this year but then I realized it's a waste of time. I'd rather restrategize on how to make them a reality in the coming year rather that regret
Were you able to achieve all your plans for the year; and do you regret the ones you missed?
Let's know about it in the comment section
lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/BUkU-VhzW-s
Originally published https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/what-are-your-regrets~ODQxMjI0
Let the light shine
***I looked to you***
***Like quick sand the troubles and uncertainties of life tried to sink me into the world beyond***
***I looked to You, you wasted no time to rescue me***
***Your light appeared and now I'm free!***
***Like a dear that pants for water, my tongue dried up like a dead leaf in the harmattan season; no sign of water in sight***
***I looked to you, your light appeared and you quenched my thirst***
***surrounded by mountains and great obstacles, I couldn't even see beyond the obstacles. No hope, no light, no sign of making it out alive***
***Then I looked to You, you showed up and set me free***
***Darkness hovered all around, negativities and thick sinister clouds became a strong wall around.***
***I looked to you; your light appeared, darkness could not comprehend it***
***Your light shines and darkness is dispersed forever because darkness and light have nothing in common***
***Let the light shine to the ends of the earth***
***Just a few hours to the new year, still no sign of victory, no sign of positive change***
***Let the light appear and make all the difference for the whole world to see and know.***
***Your light is all that we need***
***The world is in need of your divine light to dispel all the darkness***
***let the light shine to the ends of the earth forever***
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/hzm6VHGrVPo
But mercy said no!
But mercy said no!
I was to go, I had been tied hands and legs to be offered as the ultimate sacrifice
But mercy said no!
I lost my way, lost in the wilderness and didn't know where I was going but mercy found me
Mercy said no!
I wallowed in sin and ignorance, didn't know what I was doing
Then mercy appeared
Mercy said no!
Hopelessness and despair stare at me everywhere I turn, depression became my only option
But mercy said No!
Everywhere I go, in everything I do I see mercy all around ready to help me
Even when every strategy failed me and the little option I ha e was not good enough, mercy showed up
Mercy said No!
I owe it all to mercy; The divine mercy of God which is always available and ever ready to lift me up
Even when others say there's a casting down, mercy said No!
I say there's a lifting up!
All in all, it is not my doing because by strength shall no man prevail, only by mercy
I am what I am today, I am happy and living a fulfilled life all because his mercy said so
His grace and mercy abound always. I rely on his mercy always
That mercy that always say No!
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/5D8PcedAKag
How to keep resolutions
Today is 29th December and as it's the normal tradition people will soon start making resolutions for the new year, some people are already counting their losses and cursing the year for being so unfavourable to them. Hahaha. What an archaic superstition
When will people begin to know and understand that no year has anything to do with their good fortune or misfortunes; the way you make your bad is the way you lay on it, do not blame the innocent year
Funny enough, people will always curse the previous year and rejoice over the incoming year as if the previous is the cause of their problems and the incoming is coming to correct all the wrongs and make everything perfect; some get so carried away that they even don't any positivity in the outgoing year! This mind set is part of the problem.
Even if their superstitions are right, seeing that people deny the good things that the previous year brought and seeing how the same people hailed and rejoiced when the year newly started, how do you think the new year will react? Hahaha
You're silent?
I'm going to introduce some simple steps we can follow to have a fulfilled year, I hope they'll help
**1. Own up:**
People should learn to own up when they don't do things right, it's the first step towards correcting it, don't blame your problems and misfortunes on anyone or anything, else you might never find a solution to the problem. I understand that people don't like feeling bad or guilty, they tend to feel bad when they're responsible for a problem so they push it to something or someone else just to feel good. Take your time to analyse your problems and own up if you're the cause of the problem. You'll only feel bad for a while but believe me that feeling will even fuel your passion to work harder to correct the mistakes so you'll feel better
**2. Count the blessings of the previous year:**
No matter how bad you think the year is, there must be one or two good things that happened in that year. If there's no other thing, be happy for your dear life, which is even the most important thing. The dead do not celebrate a new year, neither do they make new year resolutions
Count every good you experienced during the course of the outgoing year, count every little even the least of them. This will boost your confidence and give you hope that you can achieve even more in the coming year
**3. What do you want to achieve?:**
Now, go deep inside You, in your silent meditation; ask yourself what you want to achieve for the year. Don't allow sentiments and emotions to influence your resolutions. Be as honest as you can be to yourself and tell yourself the things you *****need***** to achieve for the year. You don't have to be emotional about it, you just have to be honest and realistic about it!
****4. Make a wish list:****
Get a pen and paper and make a list of all the things you wish to achieve in their order of priority. After making the list, keep them in your heart, memorize them, repeat them to yourself, be conscious and let them be your driving force
****5. The bitter truth!****
One of the things that kill resolutions is not being realistic with them. Being realistic here means knowing and being conscious of the fact that all the wishes on your list might not all be achievable. You will achieve some, while you won't achieve some, that's the truth!
Resolutions are more like a guide to help you focus, there's a 50-50 chance of achieving or not achieving them all. So zero your mind that you might not achieve some so that when you miss any of your targets you don't get demorilized to work on the remaining
**6. Let go of negative energies**
There are going to be people who won't believe in your dreams. They will keep on discouraging you by words and actions, even their thoughts sometimes can have negative effects on you and your goals. Such people will do you no good. Cut them off your dreams!
It might not be so easy to let go of your close friends or family members like that but you have to consider the reason for which you have to. Cutting them off doesn't mean you become enemies with them. No!
Cutting them means, not discussing your dreams with them, spend lesser time with them else they kill your passion
****7. Connect more with like minds****
There are people in your world who understand you and understand your dreams, they also have similar aspirations and resolitions; those are the kind of people you need around you.
You don't have to be sentimental or emotional about this, cut the negative energies irrespective of you relationship with them, even if they're your biological brother's or your pastor, cut the m off and connect more with like minds even if the like minds are not related to you in any way!
****8. Make audits****
I believe every business person knows how important it is to make audit after each phase in a business, you have to apply the same in your resolution if you want to be successful.
You can go through your list after every phase, you can do it once in four months, once in 3 months or any way you feel will be good for you but make sure you do it always to see how much progress you're making
you've made so far. This will help you improve if you aren't doing well; it will also boost your confidence and give e you more hope if you're achieving them
**9. Prepare for the worst:**
No matter how well you plan and how optimistic you are towards a hievimg them, always plan for the rainy days, prepare your mind that a ything can happen and affect your resolutions.
You have to prepare your mind for the worst so that when they do happen, they don't kno k you off balance. If people had anticipated something as bad as corona virus, it wouldn't have hit them so bad
**10******. Pray!:****
In everything you do, make sure you pray, prayer will help you to believe more and be more confident and God will direct you and perfect the whole thing
A man without religion is like a shop without a rudder
Bob Marley
You have to pray earnestly to God to help you achieve your aims
Prayer is the key that opens the door in the morning and the bolt that locks it in the evening
Mahatma Gandhi
Before you make your resolutions, you have to pray for God's guidance and direction, you have to pray while executing them and also pray to thank God after completing each phase whether successful or not
I hope these tips will help make good resolutions for the coming year
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/9pTR4tiqkvs
When mistake becomes style
Mistakes are part of our everyday life, we are bound to make mistakes especially when we're on a strange or new venture in life.
Sometimes we even make mistakes when we do things we're very familiar with. That goes to show that mistakes are inevitable in our daily activities
Mistakes give us awkward feelings, sometimes we feel disappointed and downcast when we make mistakes, that is normal and expected as human beings.
It's normal to make mistakes, it's also normal and expected to feel bad when mistakes occur. But what we make out of the mistakes we encounter each time goes a long way to determine our fate, positive or negative. It all depends on our reaction to the mistakes
Mistake can be a great tool to success if we pay attention. Some people get so upset when they make mistakes that they miss the tool and instrumental part of mistakes
Great men and women of the world are men and women who turned their mistakes into something else. Sometimes when we hear or make quotes like:
When life offers you lemon, make lemonade out of it
we don't always get the meaning of some of these sayings
What the above quote simply means is that you should turn your mistakes into something favourable. Lemon is not sweet and you didn't ask for it, but if you're offered lemon you don't have to throw it away because its bitter, just add sugar to it and turn it to a sweet juice and drink away your sorrow
I remember one of my teachers back in the days when i was in nursery school. She was sleeping in class one day when the education minister paid an uninformed visit to the school for inspection, I guess her instinct woke her up and she sighted the inspection team, then she immediately shouted "children what am I doing?^
We the innocent children responded "You are sleeping"
Again, she jumped up and asked again "what am i doing?"
We echoed again
"You are jumping"
She continued doing different things and asked us the same questions.
The inspection team were so impressed, they said our teacher was extremely good at what she does that she even teaches the children with practical demonstrations and that earned her a promotion
If she had panicked on sighting the team, she would jave been issued a query or even sacked for sleeping on duty, but she turned her mistake into strength and still got rewarded for it
We lose so many opportunities everyday because of the way we react to mistakes and our shortcomings. Every mistake that occurs has a lesson or new invention to be derived
We have to always be focused and pay attention to details so we can easily convert oir mistakes, because mistakes can also become new way or style of doing things
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/_Yc7OtfFn-0
Whose Santa are You?
Whose Santa are You?
What comes to your mind when you're asked the above question?
Are you surprised or shocked?
Oh! You're thinking of Santa as one old man with white hair and heavy beards, wearing red coat and boot sharing gifts here and there and laughing heavily hohoho!
Is that what you think of Santa?
Do you think Santa as one Angel from heaven whose duty is to throw down gifts to people through chimneys?
Santa, no doubt, has become one of the most popular names we hear during Christmas, not because he's the reason for the season but because of the role he plays he has even become more popular and mentioned more than the reason- Jesus Christ
Who is this Santa?
Why is Santa so popular?
The answers are simple
Santa did simple things in an extra ordinary way. Saint Nicholas was a monk born in Turkey, he gave a better part of his life to charity.
He never hesitated to give or to help people in need irrespective of their religion or relationship with him. He was just a giver who have everything at any given time.
St Nicholas continued to give and help the poor and needy in the society that people began to associate that name with giving even after his death
Till date, he is remembered and honoured every 6th December, his death day and he is also celebrated every Christmas, the only major thing he did was to give and help people
Nowadays, people always expect gifts and help from others and if they don't get it, they begin to feel bad. Some people keep waiting for Santa to give to them even when they can be the Santa
There are a lot of people around us who are in need of one thing or the other that we can afford, why not be their Santa?
It's all about love and sharing, go out there today and be a Santa to someone; Give to people that are in need, restore people's joy and hope.
You never know how much and how far a single act of kindness shown towards your neighbour can go.
Be someone's Santa today
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/9r-_2gzP37k
Losing is also winning
**losing also means winning**
The world is a battlefield while life itself is a battle. Everyday we're faced with different fight different levels. Sometimes we're prepared, some other times we're caught unaware!
Every time we're faced with a new battle, we fight with the experiences we gathered from the previous battle with the intention and hope to conquer, having gathered enough experience
We always wish to win each battle that comes our way because it's in our nature as human beings to always win and never to lose. People always believe in winning all the time without losing
But it is in losing that we even win more because when we lose, we get more serious and gather more experience to fight the next battle. Life is not a game of win-win. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose
When we lose, we don't lose to lose out but we lose to get better and stronger to face tougher challenges ahead. Unfortunately people always see failure as the end; it only becomes the end if we give up the entire battle. But if we give up on that particular battle in order to fight back stronger and better, then victory is inevitable
The best and only way to win some battles is to give up and lose because life is not a win-win game; you win some and lose some and stay stronger to fight other battles
Chinedu Mbamalu
We have to understand that losing is also part of winning. It is only then that we can accept each experience as they come and fight harder to conquer
What matters in the end is not how many times you lost on the way but how you were able to rise up after each fall
Chinedu Mbamalu
Stay strong no matter what happens, victory will definitely come if we persist! Losing is also winning
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/ZOTkKCx_DAc
If I'm to grant one wish as Santa
Everybody has a wish or the other that they want to happen in their lifetime. Some wishes come through while some seem impossible so they are born and die in the mind of the wishes
Some of the greatest ideas and wishes died in the mind of the wishers because there were no means of actualizing them because the mind always conceive great things that always seem very hard or even impossible to materialize
This season of Christmas, Sancta Claus is believed to grant people's wishes even those that seem hard amd impossible
Sancta Claus also known as Father Christmas is said to bring gifts of toys, candies and other materials to well behaved children on Christmas eve but brings coal or nothing to naughty children.
St Nicholas, continued doing that to encourage good behaviour and motivate naughty children to change for good. Over time, because the children never saw him when he dropped the gifts, they began to think Sancta Claus is invisible and could do anything, he could grant just any wish
So, if I'm Sancta and asked to grant a wish by one person, I would grant the wish of no other person but that of our birthday celebrant because his wish is not a selfish one
He wished "that we may be one". He wants everybody to love one another and see each other as brother's and sisters.
Come to think of this, if we all love one another, there will be no hate, no violence. If we all love one another, there'll be no need for wars and disputes, everybody will see their neighbour as themselves.
This wish will benefit everybody in the world. The world will definitely be a much better place if true love exists and in the world. This is the wish I will grant as Sancta
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/r6r8JxhTWIk
Originally published https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/let-the-end-decide~ODI4ODA5
Osondi owendi
Osondi Owendi is a phrase in Igbo, Nigeria popularized by the late high life legend, chief Osita Steven Osadebe which means that one man's pleasure is another man's sorrow; one man's food is another mans poison.
There are two ways and two similar meanings to that; some things happen to a man in life that makes them happy but some enemies seeing how happy the man is, get angry for the success of their enemy. In this case, what makes a man happy makes his enemy sad and what makes him sad makes his enemy happy. Osondi Owendi
On the other hand, something can happen generally which affects everybody at the same time. But no matter how bad the effect, there must be some people that benefit from the ugly situation; just like a few people are benefiting from the pandemic while the rest of the people are suffering. Osondi owendi
No matter what we see in life, no matter what happens, there are always those that benefit and those that suffer, so don't feel like the world has come to an end when you find yourself in "not so bright" side of life, the globe continues to spin around, so if you cry Today, you might have reasons to laugh tomorrow, just be patient and hopeful while working hard to achieve your goals
But when you find yourself in the bright side of life, never look down on the "down siders" because nothing lasts forever both the good and the bad
Take your time to observe and help the needy when you're privileged to do so, don't say it's their fate and leave them to suffer while you enjoy all the good fortunes. Be your brother's keeper because nothing is ever permanent in life. Osondi owendi
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/tAkvZgRYE9U
Today is sunday
Now, I don't know about other countries, but in Nigeria where I am, once it's 20th December, days are no longer called by their names but by dates. People suddenly forget the days we are unless they sit down and start calculating from 20th if they know the day
For instance, if you meet anyone in Nigeria now and ask them what today is, they're most likely to tell you that today is 27th, they might not even remember that today is Sunday unless they're very committed in church activities and they went to church today. Try It!
It's just the opposite of what happens in ordinary time before December and Christmas; people always know the days of the week but they hardly know the dates unless they're committed office workers who deal on dates everyday or students
Now the tables have turned and it's going to remain like that till around mid January
I was thinking about the whole thing today and I said to myself, "there is time for everything" everything and everyone has their times and seasons and when the time comes for anything it must happen
People do not care much about days now because it's time for dates, wry soon it will be time for days too. That's just life is, everything has their times and seasons
If only we knew and believe these things, people will not need to worry themselves over little things especially those that even go to the extend of taking their own lives. Tough times don't last forever, when the time is over it will give way for better days to come. Such is life
May I remind you once again. Today is Sunday, the 27th day of December, 2020
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/M4lve6jR26E
Boxing day
I always believed as a child that boxing day is boxing day, until recently after I've become an adult that I realized that boxing day is a day of boxing an not for boxing. Do you understand?... Hahaha... Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you, I'm just trying to unravel a mystery
It has become a long age tradition and official that every December 26th is boxing day; this day always annoyed me as a child because I thought it was a day to box. And coincidentally, boxing matches were always televised in television channels those days so I believed the day was for those who engaged in boxing
In the part of the world where I grew up, even adults still believe that today is meant for boxing or exchange of blows. I believe that after reading this article, old folks and the young who thought that boxing day is a day to exchange blows will learn a new thing
You see, I've always wondered why or how the Christmas season which is known to be a season of love and sharing would accommodate such a thing as a boxing day. I felt "disappointed" as a child because I hate violence with passion even as a child and people kept talking about blows, during the Christmas season, I thought to myself
Boxing day started as far back as in the 1830s. It was a day of charity when masters boxed up gifts and give to their servants, and the servants were always off duty on boxing days.
The practice continued and started gaining admiration and approval from the public, as time passed by, the rich people also adopted the practice. They put gifts inside boxes and give to the poor in the society, it was just a happy day for both the poor and the rich, the servants and the masters
Since Christmas is known to be a season of joy and love sharing , a season of giving, it is only ideal to also have an official day of giving gifts to people wrapped in boxes around the Christmas season. Since Christmas is a big feast and boxing day or gifting day can not be celebrated the same day, boxing day was shifted to a day after Christmas which is December 26th
There are basically to ways to celebrate boxing day or gifting day
Firstly, some days before Christmas and on Christmas day proper, people wrap gifts in boxes and give to their friends and family who drop the boxes under the Christmas tree. After 25th December which is Christmas day, the boxes are opened on the 26th thus the name "boxing day"
Secondly, some people choose to give and also receive their own gifts on the 26th day of December; the gifts are of course, wrapped in boxes most times to celebrate boxing day
So, whichever way you look at it, boxing day has nothing to do with violence or exchange of blows, its rather a day of giving and love because its still done in the spirit of the Christmas season. In case you missed my previous article on the topic Christmas Spirit , kindly click on the link to read about **The Christmas Spirit.** A lot of people have a wrong notion and impression about boxing day. https://read.cash/@Chrismariae/christmas-spirit-86fac531
I saw a lot of people on social media posting pictures of people fighting and they tagged "happy boxing day". Let's take correction now, it's not boxing day to exchange blows but boxing day to exchange gifts and open boxes of gifts
Now you know what boxing day is all about, bless someone with a gift because we're still in Christmas season.
Merry Christmas!
lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/qbf59TU077Q
Street code
*A code is a unique system of signals or symbols which aid communication in a particular environment*
*Just like language, code is also a form of identity to a particular place or people. Every country and people has their unique language for which they are known and with which they communicate and operate easily among themselves*
*The language of the street is in codes; street codes. This is a reality that a lot of people shy away from, especially some people that see themselves as the elites*
*Some people believe that the streets and the street codes are meant for the poor and the less privileged, they believe that the streets are meant for the "never do wells" so they neither associate with the streets nor allow their children be part of the streets*
*There are lots of benefits one can get from the streets; if you know the streets codes, no one can cheat or intimidate you because every street has unique codes and if you don't know the codes, you'll be a stranger even in your own street where you live*
*Now, I'm sure a some people are still trying to wrap their heads around what I'm saying,*
*The truth is, no matter how rich or educated you claim to be, if you don't identify with the streets, there are certain rights and privileges that you can never get from the neighborhood*
*Some people keep their children away from the streets saying that they don't want them to mingle with other children on the streets and get corrupt. I laugh at such naive mentality*
*If you keep your children away from your streets you're causing them more harm because you'll end up raising naive children and cowards who can never stand shoulders high with their peers*
*They can read all the books in the world and speak all the grammar in the dictionary, if they're not street wise, they know nothing!*
*Expose your children to their environment and to the world, let them have a normal childhood like every other children, allow them to know "what's up"*
*At this point, if you still don't understand where I'm headed, then you don't know the streets codes and you need help. Hahahaha*
*I'm going to be dropping some streets codes here, check out my subsequent codes on "streets codes"...*
*or now, it's bye*
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/NEeFNX_rUEo
** https://unsplash.com/photos/NEeFNX_rUEo
Originally published https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/the-street-code-101~ODI0NDE4
Where is the money?
Many years ago, in the days of our great great grand fathers, wealth was measured by the quantity of livestock or the amount of yams one has in their farm. If you had a vast land full of yams and an "exquisite" yam barn, that's all you need and the society would respect you and people would sing your praise as a very wealthy man. To achieve that, of course, one has to work extremely hard
It was so those days because there was no money then, people had to exchange what they had to get what they needed, which is called trade by barter. Trade by barter is a practice used before the invention of money which involves one giving what they had to another person that needs it in order to get what they need in return
Trade by barter had a lot of disadvantages then so the people needed a better way of exchange. Measuring the exact amount of a commodity that would commensurate what they were exchanging it for posed a big challenge to them, one party always felt cheated
Getting to know who needs what was also a major challenge to them, one has to go round seeking and asking before they'd find someone to exchange with, and sometimes one might have something that no other person needs. These and many other shortcomings with trade by barter necessitated the need for a generally acceptable and valuable tender
As time passed by, they came up with the first money known as cowry or cowrie. Cowrie is a small sea snail with a very beautiful and hard shell. It became a generally accepted/ acceptable means of exchange over time
Cowries took care of many shortcomings that the people faced during the era of trade by barter. However, some challenges were also encountered with the use of cowries; carrying the bulk of it around, it was so heavy and tiring to count especially when purchasing a highly valued commodity
Money continued to evolve until coins were invented, coins made it possible for commodities to be purchased at their exact price or value as different values were engraved on the coins. Coins were heavy among other shortcomings, notes were invented to be used alongside the coins.
Money has continued to evolve even as human beings and technology advance. The next big evolution to hit the world now is what I tag "air money", cryprocurrency
If anybody talks about trade by barter or cowries beside you how would you react?
That's exactly how people will react in the nearest future when bank notes are mentioned because crypto is gradually taking over!
Money has left the farms, money has left commodities and cowries, money is gradually finding its way into the air as cryptocurrency and only the wise and clairvoyant of today would utilize the opportunity and gather enough money flying in the air
Money is free right now! Its in the air, all over the place. Money is being distributed for free!
There are different channels and platforms through which one can make money, absolutely free! FOC
Failure to grab the opportunity now will leave one regretting in future, because a time shall come in the future when one will have to work really hard to acquire the money we're getting for free now. If you've not started storing up money for the rainy days, this is the time!
Uptrennd is one of such platforms; 1up looks unrealistic and valueless to some people now so they treat it as such. If you've not joined uptrennd now or you're already registered but you're unserious, you really do not know what you're missing. Mark today's date, uptrennd and 1up token is going to be among the greatest blogging site and token in the nearest future.
If you haven't joined uptrennd yet, here is the link: uptrennd.com. When you register using the above link, you get 50 points instantly for registering. Your engagement on the platform determines how much you make. The more quality posts and articles you make, the better chances of earning more points which you can convert to dollars or any other money or cryptocurrency of your choice. The ball is completely in your court right now https://www.uptrennd.com/signup/MTA5ODky
Another, very interesting site now is readcash . If you're already registered, good for you, bit if you haven't, today is your lucky day. Jut click on the link readcash and follow the instructions, scroll down and click on register to comment and you're on your way to financial freedom. Feel free to ask questions if you find it difficult. You can click on any of the links in blue above to register and start earning in bitcoin cash by just writing short posts and articles, just like in uptrennd https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/when-trust-is-broken~ODIyNDI5
Live in the now, money is gradually leaving the banks and the hands of people, money is now in the air for us to grab, free of charge
There are many other sites and platforms where you can perform one or two simple tasks and make your money in hard currency, cryptocurrency. Grab the opportunity now because money is in the
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/SAYzxuS1O3M
Christmas spirit
I feel so happy today
Do you know why?
This Christmas is not short of what I expected it would be
This year as we all know has been characterized with hardships, lockdown and death amidst other things
Despite all that, I've always looked forward to this day hoping that the spirit of Christmas would give people one reason to be happy and hopeful once again. And it happend!
Christmas season is a season of celebrations and sharing of gifts and love; a lot of activities take place during this season among people of different religions, not just Christians alone
No matter what we do this season, if the spirit of the season is absent, the season is incomplete. But as I hoped and expected, the spirit has been there so far.
And what's the spirit of Christmas?
LOVE
Love has been flying in the air, people have been sharing gifts with lots of love, that's the spirit of the season!
The joy is massive, Christians and non Christians embrace each other and celebrate, no one is talking about religion now, everyone is speaking one language now, the christmas language, everyone is talking about love, that's the spirit!
To wrap up the day, one incident occurred today which has got so many people talking on social media.
While a lot of ladies were complaining that their boyfriends couldn't get expensive gifts for them, some were complaining that their lovers didn't get straight bone hairs for them, one woman broke rhe internet today when she raised praises on her husband for buying chicken for Christmas
The woman, who introduced herself as a teacher showered praises on her husband for buying Christmas chicken for their Christmas celebrations. That's the Christmas spirit!
People showered praises on the woman for appreciating the "little gift" she received, that's the spirit of Christmas.
Remember, the greatest gift ever received by mankind came in a manger, joy to the world! The Christmas spirit!
The woman saw the spirit behind the chicken her husband bought, the love and sacrifice made by her husband
What happened after that even marvelled me the more... People from different tribes and religions showered gifts on the woman for appreciating the little gift her husband was able to afford for the Christmas. That's the Christmas spirit!
It's all about love
Love is the reason for the season
Merry Christmas
Lead image source https://unsplash.com/photos/SJ9LXHONNv4
Reason for the season
It's amazing how everywhere is lit with joy and celebrations. The streets are busy with people and activities, hotels and bars are filled to the brim. Recreation centers are bubbling with kids and their parents
What are they celebrating?
The whole world is celebrating. Christmas trees and lights are seen in all the major streets. Every 25th December is a public holiday all over the world.
Why is it a public holiday?
It has become an official universal day of happiness and love sharing. Exchange of gifts and other things
But it is even more shocking that most people do not even know the reason for the season; which is why some people try to emphasize that "Christ is the reason for the season"
People are carried away by the euphoria and different activities that accompany the season. Everybody likes Christmas season because of the "gift(s) but only few people remember the giver of the gift(s)
It is in the nature of human beings to appreciate the gift more than the giver of the gifts; they seem to forget that the gift can expire at any time, the gifts can be used up within a short time but the giver remains!
All around the world today, you see and hear about Sancta Claus, Christmas tree, Christmas lights and so on. Hardly do you hear about the main reason for the season, Jesus Christ the new born king. He is the reason for the season
It will surprise you to know that a lot of people celebrating do not even know what they're celebrating especially none christians; some people think we're celebrating Sancta Claus, some think it's the tree, others think it's just a season to be happy once in a year
No! Jesus Christ the new born king is the reason for the season and no one else, nothing else
Educate your children about this, tell your neigbours neighbours and everyone who cares to to know that Christ is born today and he is the reason for the season.
Celebrate Christ the new born king, do not allow anything to distract you from the reason for the season.
Merry Christmas!
Lead image source
https://unsplash.com/photos/eeFMC1UG_k8
@Chrismariae
