What would you do if you had $590k?
Wow, this is quite the sum wouldn't you agree. I noticed everyone has been on this prompt both on noise.cash and read.cash so I decided to join in.
"To whom much is given, more is expected"
Just thinking about having such a sum is unbelievably mind-blowing. A lot of things one could do with such a sum. When converted to my countries National currency that is about **325 Billion Naira**.
*I would finally earn the title of being a Billionaire*.
**Here are a few of the ones that come to mind. I will organize them in Phases**
I would first secure the capital, it is important to always have a source of income to replace the money leaving or one would continue to advance towards being poor.
**Phase 1 - Invest in Real Estate**
Real Estate is a lucrative business wouldn't you agree? I would buy a couple of hectares of land with about **10 Billion Naira.**
I will immediately get the property surveyed and get all the documents needed to secure the land with about **1 billion** to speed up the process.
The next step of this plan would be to start development at once on about 5 hectares of land. I will commence the building of a luxurious Estate using all the latest designs as well as facilities to meet the needs of every occupant of the property and this will cost me about **90 Billion Naira.**
Rents can serve as a good source of passive income and eventually I will break even on the initial capital incurred in starting the business.
**Phase 2- start my commuting agency**
It's going to be my Estate and I'm sure there will be a need for occupants to commute to other sectors of the Estate, so it's only wise that I provide this means of transport. Of course, it would also be able to work even beyond the Estate but its primary function would be to see to the satisfaction of the occupants. **3 Billion Naira** should be able to get these vehicles running.
**Phase 3- Build Recreational Facilities in the Estate**
Once I have provided a means of access to and from the Estate, I will begin to establish recreational facilities right in the Estate. It would cost Design beautiful parks, Shopping malls, movies and games centers, and many more. This is sure to attract even more members to the Estate. In addition to the initial 90 Billion incurred in the building construction, another **50 billion Naira** will be required approximately to get these businesses running.
**Plan 4- Addressing Taxes.**
The major problem of being wealthy is the tax payment policies. Somehow you have to pay the government for being rich. To address this issue, I will have to cut a good deal with the government. A good portion of about I will generate yearly from rents will be given back to the government. That way I will not have to take it from my pocket and business will run as usual.
**Plan 5 - Health and Security**
I have always had this dream of starting my own task force. Every development needs good security. A special security unit will be trained for the sole purpose of protecting and maintaining order in this facility. It will also be important to establish a clinic in this massive Estate to handle emergency services in case of accidents as well as Stand-by ambulances to meet these needs. To get this settled, I will require about **10 billion Naira**
You are probably wondering, how will all these people get paid. As much as I would like to make it a free clinic a small token will still have to be paid for its maintenance. Also with my initial Establishment and passive income flows I will never encounter any problem that will arise as a result of having unpaid workers.
**Plan 6 - Introducing Bitcoin Cash**
I will reserve **100 billion Naira** worth of BCH as savings in my wallet before proceeding with this plan. Crypto ATMs will be installed in various areas of the Estate and BCH will be the major means of performing transactions. I might incur a total cost of about **1 Billion Naira** to get this running. This will reduce the major issues of theft as well as ensure Transparency and Accountability. To promote the use of BCH, a special discount would be given to its users in this community. The massive usage of this coin and application will directly lead to the increase in the value of BCH
*More money for me*
*So far, here is an account of the money spent*
**Initial Capital -N325,000,000,000**
**Cost of land - N10,000,000,000**
**Documentation - N1,000,000,000**
**Cost of building construction - N90,000,000,000**
**Commuting agency - N3,000,000,000**
**Health and Security - N10,000,000,000**
**BCH hodlings - N100,000,000,000**
**Crypto ATM's- N1,000,000,000**
**I still have N111,000,000,000.**
**Phase 7 - Charity**
*"Freely you have received, freely give"*
Aside from the fact that the Estate will serve as a means of employment for a lot of people I will donate **11 Billion Naira** to Charity foundations.
*"The devil finds work for idle hands"-* the more people we have off the street begging for alms, the better a community would be as well as lowering the crime rate.
A lot of orphans and homeless people living in the street, under bridges, cold corners, uncompleted buildings out there need financial aid to live a comfortable life and a job to serve as a means of livelihood. Having a charity foundation to meet these needs will go a long way in making the world a better place.
**Phase 8 - Running cost**
Every establishment needs funds for running the business. For this reason, I will have **50 Billion Naira** on hold. I'm pretty sure I won't require the need of the whole funds but you never know what to expect and there will be a need to have backups for emergencies.
**Phase 9 - My other fantasies.**
I wrote an article about the places I would love to visit, Paris - the city of love remains number 1 on that list. Managing such businesses would require a lot of managerial functions especially supervision. There will be a need to take breaks with my family to just have fun and relax. I should have my own Private Jet at this point, 10 Billion should be enough to serve this purpose.
**Phase 10 - Balance**
I am left with **40 Billion Naira** to do with as I please. I have always wanted to eat whatever I want and whenever I please, so I might visit Italy more often to enjoy their Pizza. Don't judge me, I will also eat a healthy diet to maintain my good health.
The balance would be used to meet my personal needs without interfering with the business, children's school fees as well as Wife's needs.
By my rough Estimate, **annually** I should be able to generate a profit of about **50 Billion Naira** - and that is after paying taxes as well as worker's dues.
At that rate in about 7 years, I would have made 350 Billion Naira - give or take.
**A brilliant plan I must say, one would be set for life with that amount.**
**What would you do if you had $590k?**
**I had a really nice time writing this article, for a while, I got caught up in my dream.**
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Old scars
*"I'm* ***sorry****"*
That is what you should say when you hurt someone. Yesterday, I tried writing this article but I just couldn't. So many voices in my head as I tried to pill off an old scar.
They say time heals but I guess they lied because every time I think of you, my heart bleeds.
Do you remember "*Always and Forever"*, I guess forever isn't very long looking at how things turned out.
*"I need a break"* became an anthem for us, one minute we are together, and the next we are not. You needed space for no reason. It makes **No sense** no matter how hard I tried to be the understanding boyfriend I thought I was.
**What do you mean** when one minute you say yes and a second later you say no, you say you want to be with me and later I'm the worst person on the planet.
Remember all the long talks about how we would spend our lives together, fighting and settling every time. Do you remember our imaginary **Children**, 2 girls, and a boy?
**Where are U now**? I hope you are happy. I haven't seen you in years yet the very thoughts of you rip me apart when I think of what we could be.
You gave me **purpose** when I had none, you helped me become a better version of myself and I believe I did the same to you
So where did it all go wrong? Was I no longer a good **Company** to you? How did the love die? - these questions plague my weary mind all through the night when I can't fall asleep.
Nothing could destroy **the Feeling** we had for each other, we were the dream couples. It has always been you through it all, the one I could rely on, share my troubles with as well as my tales of triumphs.
Then it started, the one thing responsible for the end of a lot of relationships - "**Trust**". I thought we had that but the seeds of doubt had been planted deep in your mind and everything I did suddenly felt supervised, the constant feeling of being watched and interrogated.
**We are** who we are not by what people say about us but by how we define ourselves. I am no cheater hence the reason for the shock when I was accused of such. How did you get that idea implanted in their tricky mind? I often wondered.
I was **all in it** but I guess you just weren't ready. This is understandable of course, we were both young, filled with a lot of life goals and ambitions. With a heavy heart, I had to let it go.
It's true, it hurts sometimes but I will **get used to it.** I did move on as I'm sure you would have guessed, in the end, **Life is worth living.**
I have comes to the point in my life where my life goals are now a priority. **Mark my words** when I say this, even though these scars refuse to heal, I will overcome them.
"**I will show you** what you are missing" - is what a young naive boy would have said years ago, not this young man. I have finally realized that growing up comes with responsibilities, the type that would often affect the whole trajectory of your life.
Goodbye to old scars, you can go and **love yourself** if that would make you feel better. **No pressure**, It's time to leave the past in the past and I hope I have done just that. I had to get this off my chest.
Writing is therapy for me, I have been burdened with these thoughts for a while now and I felt it was time to let it go.
I had to be creative with this one after reading the beautifully composed article by @HappyBoy one of my amazing sponsors...click here to view the article https://read.cash/@HappyBoy/apollo-dml-0dc02487
I chose **Justin Beiber** as the artiste of this article featuring all his songs from his Album- Purpose which was released in 2015. I could relate to most of his lyrics since I was dealing with something similar at the time.
*Love is pain, love hurts, you can't want one without expecting the other, it is no mystery that the one you love the most is the same person who is capable of hurting you the most. I often hear people say time heals everything, I can't say they are correct but it does get better. Though the battle may leave scars, it is not a bad thing. These scars remind us of the lessons we have had and how best to forge ahead. Take those lessons to heart, it is all part of the growth process.*
*Although not every relationship works out at first and some might leave you with scars that could take longer than most to heal, do not be scared to love again. Love is a beautiful thing, the greatest force of all. Cherish what you have while you still can, not when it is gone.*
`If you have read this beautiful article and you want to even read more, it is just a click away.`
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A Writer's Block
I never knew this was a thing until today. All through the day I've been trying to post a new article, I have a lot saved in my draft but none completed yet because I don't seem to be able to write anything.
I feel like my thoughts are lost in limbo just floating endlessly unable to evolve into words that I can put down. I'm sure most of the writers here can relate.
So, I came up with an idea inspired by **Frederick Taylor** who used **Science** to solve Management problems over the decade. My head is like a production factory and I do not like the rate at which it is currently working, I really need to get my production flow back on. Writing about my difficulties has helped me in the past such as my article on heartbreaks and last paper syndrome.
Step 1- Identify the problem
Writer's block according to Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer%27s_block
**Writer's block** is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. This creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or the lack of writing skills. The condition ranges from difficulty in coming up with original ideas to being unable to produce a work for years. Writer's block is not solely measured by time passing without writing. It is measured by time passing without productivity in the task at hand.
As a scientist, the first step in finding a solution to a problem is first **understanding the problem**. I have taken my time to check Wikipedia on a thought on the matter. I sure hope I get my creative juice flowing again as soon as possible.
*What do you think are the likely causes of this problem?*
Step 2 - Identify the probable causes
The second stage is a key aspect to solving this problem, once you can identify the cause of a problem you will be able to mitigate the problem and proffer a long-lasting solution.
`Woah, what just happened, I'm actually applying principles of risk management to a real-life problem. For those who didn't get the joke, it was a topic from courses I did last semester.`
Cause Number 1-Distraction
This is the number one cause of this problem. I find it very difficult to write when I'm being disturbed or in a noisy environment. I would often lock my room's door just to get the privacy I need but somehow my assistance is always needed for the most absurd of things.
*Imagine getting called out of your room to look for a remote that is right there on the table. Very annoying isn't it?*
Cause Number 2- Lack of Ideas or Inspiration.
Lack of Ideas isn't what is causing the block for me, I have a lot of ideas just floating around. Unless of course having a lot of ideas at once prevents the free flow of fresh ideas. Maybe that is it.
BCH is my major inspiration for writing, I want to earn more, and to do that I need to be ready to put in the needed effort. I don't think this is the reason behind this writer's block I'm currently dealing with
Cause Number 3- Depression
Emotions trigger creative responses, they inspire people to genuinely express themselves in the most unexpected of ways. Writers in love would be able to write about such feelings easily. Writers going through emotional roller coasters are also good with expressing their thoughts...and there is me.
I'm currently experiencing a phase of complete confusion. There is something I have been trying to write about all day but can't seem to express myself well enough. I'm holding on to something I shouldn't. I thought the past was the past yet it continues to haunt me.
*Okay, this is definitely what is causing this block.*
`Do forgive me if I don't point all the causes out, this is just regarding myself for now`
Step 3- Finding solutions
The solution you apply has to relate to the problem at hand although some solutions are just universal.
*After identifying the problem and finding the probable causes, it is time to find solutions.*
Solution 1 - Writing
*Is it not ironic solving writer's block by writing even more?*
That's the trick, it might not make sense at first and maybe even feel forced but if you are writing about an issue you are facing as though you are writing to yourself, it helps break down some of the tensions built up.
Writing seems to solve most of my problems, it creates this sense of clarity if that makes any sense to you. I was having an issue with writer's block, I decided to write about it and now I'm feeling my creative juices flowing again
Solution 2 - Taking a break
Too much of anything is not good, the body can only handle so much before it needs to rest. An off-screen time can help. Take a walk with your dog down the street, visit a friend, sleep. There are many things you can do to take the much-needed break.
I hate going out, I find social interactions exhausting, I feel a lot satisfied being alone talking to myself. This is a problem since I need to be able to get out of my shell once in a while and relate with other people.
Taking breaks doesn't necessarily mean resting, it simply means performing an activity you are currently not practicing.
Anything to break the cycle you have currently found yourself is healthy and should be able to get those ideas flowing again.
Solution 3 - Reduce the load
This isn't a common solution and I'm no therapist but this I do know, we often carry loads that aren't ours to bear, holding on to things that aren't ours anymore.
You may call this selfish but before you can be of help to anyone, you have to help yourself.
A man who is blind can not lead another blind man, it is common sense.
When you hold on to unnecessary things, you find yourself in an emotional mess worrying over things that aren't your cross to bear. You need to let it go.
Solution 4 - Go to a quiet or peaceful environment
If you are like me and find it extremely difficult to focus in a noisy environment, then I suggest you get a quiet place to write. How can you not express yourself if the environment you have found yourself in is quite peaceful and quiet eh?
I didn't plan to make this article long, I was only seeking to solve a problem and just like that I have produces something helpful, not only to me but also to fellow writers out there experiencing something similar.
Step 4 - Review
I hope this has been as helpful to you as it has to me. I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight, I want to complete the articles that are saved in my draft now that the flow is back on.
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Thank you so much for this opportunity as well as the motivation.
Save Mother Earth
A cry for help
*We have been forced to live underground, the surface is no longer safe. Going out during the day can be quite dangerous due to the poisonous rays from the sun, we can only come out at night even then the cold is often unbearable.*
*I need to buy some protective wears but I don't have any money to do that since it's hard to find work. I can not believe we once thought the unemployment rate was bad, I can only imagine what I would have said if I had been warned of what we have today.*
*The world we once knew is no more, everything has changed. It hasn't rained in a while-which is good news because the last one killed off more livestock due to its acidic nature.*
*We now buy oxygen to survive, the air is no longer clean to breathe. There was a time we had that for free. If I don't get a job soon I might just run out of air.*
*I can not believe I have forgotten what clean air smells like, I miss the cool breeze from sitting under the tree and having a nice time reading the newspaper.*
*The sound of birds in the morning singing beautiful tunes, the thoughts of having a white Christmas and building a snowman.*
*If only we had done something about this when we could, if only we had saved the planet when we could.*
*I am but a farmer but I cannot grow any more crops, the ground is not fertile anymore.*
*My wife has just given birth to a beautiful girl, she would grow up to accept this new world as the new normal without even getting a feel of what Earth used to be.*
*I hope you are getting this message early, do not let this become a reality, do something about it before it is too late.*
*If only I could do something I would but I'm afraid it is too late for me and my virtual world but it is not too late for you to do something.*
*Save her, Save Earth.*
*Yours sincerely,*
*Your fellow human*
**UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not**
**_Dr. Seuss**
There has been a lot of books, songs, and articles on the concept of how to make the world a better place but nothing has changed.
We keep waiting for things to magically turn out positively on their own without doing anything.
**If you really want to make a change you have to start with the man in the Mirror**
**_Micheal Jackson**
We have to treat mother Earth well if we expect the same.
Climate change is already a global problem, yet no one is taking it seriously. We all see the world falling apart yet we do nothing but observe.
Instead of looking for a solution to make this world a better place we have decided to look for another habitable planet, is that a solution? Who is to say the same thing that is slowly destroying Earth won't destroy the new planet?
Pollution from factories slowly releasing poisonous gas which is about to completely deplete the Ozone Layer.
The **Ozone layer** is more or less a jacket that protects the Earth from the poisonous ultraviolet rays from the sun. These rays can cause Cancer among other negative impacts.
Climate change is going to change the world as we know it. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, imagine if we had no more Winter, no more snow.
**Here is my analysis of this situation, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.**
*The continuous depletion of the ozone layer will continually increase the Earth's temperature which will lead to the melting of ice in polar regions like Antarctica.*
*The continuous melting of ice will lead to an increase in the water level in the seas and oceans.*
*When the water level rises, it will overflow and forcefully occupy places on land, when this happens we will hear cases of floods destroying lives and properties.*
*To solve this issue, new buildings will have to be constructed for rehabilitation processes. Trees will get cut down for wood. Even if these trees getting cut down are planted again it would take years before they can grow back to serve their primary purpose of supplying air.*
*When trees are unable to supply clean air through the process of photosynthesis, slowly living things will start to die off.*
*The Seasons will know will start to change, we start to experience irregularities in seasons, too early or too late.*
*Imagine a world where you have to pay to breathe air, what we once had for free.*
*Imagine a world where the little kids have no idea what a tree is.*
*Imagine a world where Lions, Bears, and other wildlife no longer exist because we killed them off.*
*"****Daddy, what is a Lion?****"*
*Imagine a world where you can not go out without having a protective coat or sunblock due to the poisonous rays from the sun.*
*A world where the days are extremely hot and the nights are extremely cold.*
*A world where the thought of rainfall is referred to as a dangerous event due to the fact that it's going to be acidic.*
*This is what will happen if we do not change what we are doing right now.*
*Think about the future, save mother Earth, save the plants, save the animals, save a life.*
*Let us avoid stories of "What ifs" or "If I had knowns".*
*Change begins with you and me.*
*Remember, if we stand by and do nothing, the world we live in will slowly die. Let us preserve what we have for future generations.*
*One step at a time, one activity at a time, one seed at a time.*
*What say you?*
It's another day with more inspiration, this article was inspired by an animated movie, **"Lorax".**
Funny how we tend the find the truth about life in the most unexpected of places, I hope this article meets you well, together we can make this world a better place to live in.
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When we were soldiers
*Lay me doon In the caul caul groon*
*Whaur afore monie mair huv gun*
*When they come I will stand my groon*
*Staun ma groon al nae be afraid*
*Thoughts awe home tak awa ma fear*
*Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears*
*Ains a year say a prayer faur me*
*Close yir een an remember me*
*Nair mair shall a see the sun*
*For I fell to a German's gun*
*Lay me doon in the caul caul groon*
*Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun*
*Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun*
*This is written in the original Scottish version of the song, the source in both English and Scottish version is* *here* https://youtu.be/BB2Ad04mukI
I first heard this song in the movie"**We were soldiers**" featuring Mel Gibson giving audiences a view of what the battlefield was like during the Vietnam War.
One could argue that the Vietnam War was one of the greatest wars which cost the lives of so many Americans, a big loss. I did some further research and then I understood why, a topic for another article.
My roommate think me weird for even listening to the song, there is a certain "vibe" that you get when you listen to those lyrics, it's more of a goodbye song from a soldier to his family.
It tells the story of a soldier going into battle and his final wish for when he fails to return.
So many wars have been fought, we can't begin to count how many lives have been claimed during these wars for peace.
"**War for peace**"- what an irony wouldn't you agree.
I once posted an article on noise.cash about how it would have felt to be alive during the dark ages, going to war with only a slight hope of ever returning alive.
This is a salute to thank the great Men and Women who give their lives on the line to defend their nations. I can only hope their sacrifices are worth it.
So many lives have been lost over the past century to ensure that we have what we have now but instead of us appreciating this sacrifice, we only add more to the bloodshed all in the name of what, Peace?
What great cause is there that requires you to take your brother's life, your sister's life?
Even Animals do such with decency and are still better than Humans in that regard. I'm sorry for saying this, it can be a hard pill to swallow but the fact remains **man is man's greatest enemy.**
*World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, Cold War, Civil Wars, Inter-Tribal Wars even Chemical Wars all for what?*
Is there even such thing as Peace in the world of today or is it just compromise?
With pain in my heart, I write this article, no more bloodshed. My heart goes out to those on the frontline giving their lives for the cause, they are the true heroes.
I always wanted to be a soldier growing up. I remember how I cried to my mom to allow me to take the NDA exams, just as I was about to succeed in my quest my cousin who took the exams and went for the interview came home with his experience and so I lost the battle.
I was a lot younger then and was probably chasing a childish dream, seeing men in uniform marching fascinated me I guess.
Now I'm older and I see things a lot better than I did, I can only begin to fathom the thoughts on a husband, wife, son, and daughter as they bid farewell to their loved one going into battle who might never return.
I put myself in their shoes, I have never been good at saying goodbyes but then you can't disobey a command to fight for your country and to defend her honor.
You march into battle with comrades but you know deep down not everyone would come back home. Everyone had to tell someone goodbye to be there.
The first battle gun is fired and soon it's time for war, bullets flying through the sky, each one capable of claiming your life but still you fight on, For your honor, for your country, and for your loved ones in hope that you will return home the victor and see them once again.
You watch men fall, you see them scream in pain or anger, battle cries all over the place. Sweat and blood hide the veil of tears on your face.
By some good grace and good strategy you win the battle and can return home. Some memories stick with you
***"No one came back" -*** Thomas Shelby (From Peaky Blinders movie)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common issue most battle returnees face upon their return. The illusion the battle is still on, the need for a therapist.
You left the war but it didn't leave you. The pain and loss of the battlegrounds take their toll.
That is a great burden for anyone to carry. You would think that would be the end of the war only for another one to rise again and you might be required to return. Every minute might be your last but you still fight on.
So, I want to use this opportunity to thank these great heroes for their services to our nation. Nothing can be more devastating like the times of war.
**My heart also goes out to the people of Afghanistan**, I can only imagine how it must feel to have your whole life and home stripped away from you. I am but a voice but my prayers will go a long way.
To the lives lost, the soldiers who died in service over the years for their good cause, may their souls rest in peace.
**I salute you!**
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Lies - good or bad?
***Lying is wrong, always say the truth at all times"*** - we were told while growing up. We did listen until we discovered that sometimes telling the truth would get us punished so we lied.
Kids are not really good liars, they often get caught in the act. Adults on the other hand are very good at it, a skill well-honed over the years as they matured in life.
***"Mummy, where do babies come from?"*** *What was your answer to this when your baby asked you for the first time?*
But You see, **not all lies are bad and not all lies are good.** We often lie to protect something or someone we love (which could also be ourselves). The intention behind every lie is what qualifies it as being bad or good.
***"If saying the truth wouldn't make anyone feel better, don't say it"*** - I heard this while watching a movie a whole back- **"The good doctor",** you should check it out, a lot of lessons to be learned.
It made me question myself
*"Would it be wide to wise to keep the truth hidden even though it will come out eventually?"*
**"Three things that can not be long hidden, the Sun, the Moon, the Truth"-** `I got this from the movie, Teen Wolf, it was a mantra recited by members of Scott's pack to help keep their werewolf side at bay during the full moon.`
Why do we lie then?
There are a couple of reasons I can think of as to why people lie
To save you
This is what I often refer to as "**Selfish lie**" and it is the most common type of lie. We lie to save our heads from problems or to keep problems out.
*Is it wrong to want to save yourself?* - **No**, as long as you are not hurting anyone whilst trying to do so.
To save someone
This is the self-sacrificial sort or the **"Selfless lie"**. To me, it feels a bit hypocritical and most people who do this do it to either attain for a wrong they have caused or in the hope that they find favor in the eyes of the punisher. My uncle always says *"listen up little man, no one does anything without expecting something in return, it is a question of what"*
**Would you lie to save someone without expecting anything in return? - I know most Moms would for their child, that is the purest form of love if you ask me which leads me to the next reason.**
For love
Lying for love is one of the **purest types of lies.** Though the truth might end up coming out again in the future but at that moment you just want the person you love to be happy, so you take all the blame and accept all the guilt, such lies are rare but they do happen.
**Because they can**
Some people just lie because they can, not for any just reason and this is very bad. Such behaviors need to be tackled early on because they could grow to become something else. Such traits can be difficult to end but not impossible.
You simply have no choice
*When your boss tells you to lie, would you agree to it or not?*
There are lies that we tell that are not ours but simply following instructions. Although I do know of a man who quit his job because he said his religion wouldn't allow him to tell a lie, stupid or sane is opened for argument.
**Conclusion**
We say we lie to prevent someone from getting hurt now, but what about the future when it comes out, won't it hurt even more than it would now. Would it not be a great service to let it hurt for now then very late into the future?
I have lied several times to save myself from getting punished, I'm sure we all have at certain points in our lives, and it's good when it works and we are saved but bad when it fails and we accept the consequences of our actions.
Some Pathological liars just lie for no good reason. They lie because they can not because it's necessary, now that is a serious problem to look at. That is the " bad" type of lying according to me.
Lying for no reason is what I would consider wrong but it doesn't end there. If telling a lie would mean someone would get hurt, don't.
While you might think you have gotten away with it do not forget that what goes around comes around. It would do you well to ask for forgiveness if you have hurt someone, trust me.
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*Write* ***100% original*** *content and at least 600 words*
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***Have fun***
Fate or Luck
What is Fate?
According to Cambridge dictionary https://dictionary-cambridge-org.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/english/fate?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16324047422597&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.cambridge.org%2Fdictionary%2Fenglish%2Ffate
**A power that some people believe causes and controls all events so that you cannot change or control the way things will happen.**
What is Luck?
According to Cambridge dictionary https://dictionary-cambridge-org.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/english/luck?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16324050258668&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.cambridge.org%2Fdictionary%2Fenglish%2Fluck
**The force that causes things, especially good things, to happen to you by chance and not as a result of your own efforts or abilities.**
*There is no such thing as luck I would argue. I might be right or wrong but the fact remains everything happens for a reason.*
*I am hoping this topic would serve as a prompt to my fellow writers, it would be nice reading your views on this matter.*
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A footballer trains almost every time to score a goal and suddenly opportunity presents itself and he does score, do you call it Luck or Fate?
If he wasn't there at that moment in time, would he have scored?
What then is Luck?
Luck is simply a name we give to certain events that are often unbelievable to be true. We can't explain it so we refer to it as Luck.
Looking at this more deeply is it not obvious that believing in Fate and luck are quite opposite.
Fate simply means "what will be will be". So if a footballer is fated to score a goal then we can not call it luck now, can we?
In the past, I have heard people say they do not believe in luck. A friend of mine shared this concept, he never believed in luck, he was a strong believer that if you wish to get something, you should be ready to work for it. Then one day, something happened.
`This story is simply a ploy of mine to support an argument and it is purely fiction, the names in use are simply pseudonyms`
**Storytime**
*It was a beautiful morning and Jack had just finished rounding up his reading for a test. He studied so hard as he had been all semester, he was so confident in his success that he let out a deep sigh of relief.*
*He had finished the Chemistry text at least twice and he knew each topic cover to cover. He is the type of person you would refer to as a "science geek".*
**This story wouldn't be complete without a second character, wouldn't you agree?**
*Then comes in John, as lazy as a boy can be. You see, John never had any interest in school, he loved spending his time fixing things that are broken and he was really good at it. So good that oftentimes people would come to his house with different technical problems and he would solve them.*
**Now, here is how these two stories meet.**
*John and Jack happened to be classmates and had that same test that morning.*
*While Jack was reading the day before, John had just received a call to work on a Computer whose printing command would not function properly.*
*John worked on it all evening that he had to take the system home. At last, he was able to fix the problem, he then plugged a printer into the system to give it a test run. Lo and behold, it was a chemistry question that came out. A print command was already in action when the System started misbehaving.*
*John was lazy, not dumb, he recognized where most of the topics came from. He saw the school's insignia on it as well as the Class, he knew it was for his Chemistry test.*
**Do not judge John here for not reporting his findings to the school authority, it was too late at night, besides why should he? It wasn't his fault that he happened to be working on the exact system which was used in preparing his test questions...lol**
*The young lad studied all the questions and was also ready for the tests*
*They both wrote the test, Jack's score was so high that it pleased the teacher as he marked his scripts but so was Johns and this shocked the teacher. John's was so high that it beat Jack's own.*
**What would you say about John's situation, Fate or Luck?**
**I would say fate, it was meant to be. Nothing happens by chance, everything happens for a reason. This "situation" can also be confused for luck for those who find it very difficult to comprehend what just happened. A secret John would keep to himself as he basked in this newfound fame.**
**Although this didn't stop him from being lazy, that experience had a million ways it could go wrong but it didn't.**
**He was in the right place at the right time, and the System had to be taken home so he could continue to work on it, he happened to have a printer at home which he could use for a test run. There was paper as well as ink in the printer, everything worked out perfectly. Would you call it luck or fate?**
Fate and Luck
This is a topic that isn't often discussed yet it should be one of the most controversial topics today. What you refer to as Luck can also be what someone else would refer to as Fate.
If that is the case, then perhaps Fate and Luck are one and the same but the perspective of people is what changes.
Despite the differences between these two terms, one thing remains common, no one ever really knows when it's going to happen. We only know after it has happened and we refer to it as either fate or luck.
*Do you believe in Luck?*
*Do you believe in fate?*
*Do you believe in both?*
This is a question everyone needs to answer but do not worry, there is no wrong answer, it all depends on your perspective.
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My distraction
Distraction, the same yet different for everyone. I like to think of it as a form of temptation to change you from a given course, to or fro. Do not get me wrong, it is not always a bad thing. We all need to escape sometimes and distraction is the best way to achieve this.
The question here is "what are your major distractions?"
A long list comes to mind which has forced me to question myself
"Great, what are you running from?"
There are some things I'm just not ready to face and I'm hoping if I continue to run perhaps the demons that haunt me would leave me be.
Enough of the short revelation of some of the darkest sides of my mind, it's time to dive right into the topic, no need to be sidetracked so early in the article...Distraction eh.
**My Mobile device**
Have you ever wanted to do something else, perhaps read for a test or exams and all of a sudden you pick up your phone to do research and the next thing you know is you are already on read.cash, or noise.cash, or You-Tube or just chatting?
If you have then you will be able to understand this form of distraction. Admittedly reading on a stretch can be mentally draining and taking breaks in between is recommended, except that the breaks can be unnecessary long which then becomes a bad thing.
I will take this break for ten minutes, next thing you know after an hour you are still with the phone. Time goes by so fast when you have found a good distraction.
**Food**
This might be only applicable to me. I love food, I can cook as well. Food has always been a form of escape to me, when I feel sad or down in the dumps, there is always food for every mood. Spaghetti for when I'm sad, Rice and Chicken Stew for when I'm happy, Yam or Potatoes for when I'm hungry, Bread and Fried egg for when I'm upset, ice cream for when I'm going through emotional pain.
To process of making a new dish itself can be distracting which is not exactly a bad thing - *Although, there was a time I was going through a heartbreak and I was cooking spaghetti, turned out I forgot to add some ingredients and a little more than I should for some and it turned out awful hence why we just do ice cream for heartbreaks.*
**Talking to GreatWolfman**
This might sound a bit weird to you- talking to myself - but it helps me stay focused, some of you do it unintentionally, for example, when you are studying for exams and read some things aloud so it would stick, do you realize you are actually speaking to yourself?
Mine might be a little bit extreme hence the reason I love having my privacy, I enjoy my own company. I have actually spoken to myself in public several times unconsciously - bad habits are difficult to end but not many people would notice. Talking to oneself can take different forms such as writing, drawing, singing, and actually talking to yourself.
It helps create clarity in your mind especially when you need a distraction from being distracted. *Great, that was some deep quote, keep it up Man.*
**My Wild Imagination.**
Sometimes I get lost in my own thoughts, this is a major distraction for me. I tend to overthink unnecessary things which has its positive and negative attributes.
Have you ever heard the saying "You can not lie to an overthinker"? Well, it's true, that's because before you give an answer I must have done my investigations right there in my find hunting for flaws in your statements. Also, I tend to re-create some of my wild thoughts, sometimes I could be doing something and suddenly blackout in my own thoughts. This is weird, I know but it has its benefits.
**Conclusion**
Trying to avoid your problems by finding a form of distraction does not work all the time, you can only run so far when you will eventually have to face it head-on.
Good time management can also help control how often you get distracted, create a time for distraction, I know that sounds funny but it's true, create a time to chat with your phone when you have other priorities, create a time to go out, create a time to see a movie and stick to it, that way it won't catch you off guard and leave you filled with regrets
Lastly, sometimes it is necessary to get distracted once in a while, do not get caught up in the world of make-believe especially if you have got wild imaginations like me.
**This week's writing prompt is Distraction. If you would like to join in, the rules are simple.**
Write anything on ****Distraction**** https://read.cash/@JonicaBradley/writing-prompt-17-distraction-24935260
Write 100% **original** content
Write at least **600** words to please Rusty
Join and submit your stories to ****PromptlyJonica**** https://read.cash/c/promptlyjonica-b4a0
Tag @JonicaBradley and me @TengoLoTodo https://read.cash/@JonicaBradley https://read.cash/@TengoLoTodo
Have fun!
This prompt was given by @JonicaBradley but currently she is indisposed, so I will be tagging @TengoLoTodo in her stead.
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A letter to the future.
Did you ever bury a time capsule whilst growing up? I never got the chance to do this is mine, 25 years from now I'm going to check this and smile, I'm sure future me would be proud of who he was.
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Hey Man, what is good? I got your letter the other day, if time-traveling existed in sure you would have loved to come back here to correct some of the mistakes you made, but I'm sure you know by now that those mistakes are what made you a better person today.
I was talking to a coursemate of ours, Debby, are you still close friends in the future? She reminded me of Freshman year when everyone in the department hated me. I couldn't remember what led to it do she reminded me, listening to the way I behaved, I felt repulsed.
"Did I do that? That was so immature" - I thought it myself
But the truth is if that didn't happen, if I didn't make those mistakes, then I would not learn, I would not grow and that is all I'm about, Personal Growth.
Anyway, how is the future, is the countries Economy better now? It better be, anything worse than this would be very bad.
I know everything I do right now would determine your own "Present", so I will do my best to lay down the foundation for your success.
What is the value of BCH now, I have been working hard to keep some for you, I know you would need it to solve financial problems, the value should be high in your timeline. The rate at which people keep tuning to BCH is increasing rapidly.
How is Mom and Dad, I hope they are alive and well, do not forget the sacrifices they have made for you, I know the means through which they did this might not be so great but they do have your best interest at heart. Take good care of them, invite them over and visit them, they are getting older now, it's the little things that make them happy.
Speaking of Parenting, are you married now? With kids?, who did we eventually marry, it's really hard to find a girl who has the qualities we search for, but I'm sure whoever you end up with would love you, even if she nags you all day, that is just how some ladies show they care, love and cherish her. About the kids, don't be as strict on them as Dad, I know you had it rough having a disciplinarian as a Father, I might be wrong but there has to be a better way to find out how to raise a child well, you have to raise and protect them at all times (also if they tell you they want to hang out at a friend's to study, they are not studying.)
I hope you achieved your dream of finally starting your Construction Firm, I know it's a long shot away from now but I promise to do the best I can towards making your dream a reality. I will be honest, it gets harder each day...the dream is what keeps me going, it's all for the dream.
Okay, okay, I have to ask, are there teleportation devices in your timeline, technology has been improving over the years, I hope such things would exist in your time, traveling by road or air can be stressful and we would often get sick.
Do you still hang out with your friends, **HappyBoy, GafekOriginal, King Gozie, Jumper-01, The Ada, Freedom007,** and others who are not YET on read.cash? If you still do please pass on my greetings. It would mean you did make good friends all thanks to me, you are welcome. Hope your wife won't get jealous she is not getting all the attention.
In the world of Sports, did C.Ronaldo win Ballon'd'or during his stay in Manchester United? just checking, I don't need to ask about L.Messi, I'm sure he will still get many before his retirement. I'm sorry if you will never meet players like them again, they took football to the next level and made the competition more fun. Arsenal won a match yesterday, I think they might get relegated soon (or not), it is hard to say at this point, has Arsenal won any Champions League Trophy in your time, I hope they did, it is getting increasingly hard for some people to remain Arsenal fans. (No offense intended).
There are a lot of things I would love to ask but I'm sure you are a busy man so I won't bombard you with a lot of questions, do ensure you write back to me sometimes through read.cash. Lately, some people in this world who hate when people are happy have been trying to destroy our community but it won't happen, there is strength in numbers and this only means this community's growth is becoming more evident. As you spend your BCH ensure you also keep some for the future, after all, Cryptocurrency IS the future.
I sure hope there is no other pandemic like the Corona Virus, remember? We had to stay at home for a long time, I hope the future is as peaceful as I imagine, stay happy and more importantly, don't forget to breathe.
If you had a chance to write to your future self, what would it be? Think about that. That is all from me, have a beautiful reflective Sunday.
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Finally, it's done
I can't seem to find the right words to express the joy I feel knowing this session has come to an end after 3 years.
About 2 years and some months ago we started this session, everything was looking so bright as we were just about to begin a new session, the ASUU went on strike. ASUU is a governing body here that associates with all the staff in the university, apparently the Federal Government was owing them some allowances and we the students were the ones paying the price. How is that even fair?
When we thought it was looking better, **COVID -19** forced schools to shut down. We spent a long time at home while schools searched for alternatives to continue teaching. I will admit it was fun for a while, at least the first 2 weeks, gradually it became unbearable. Waking up each day in fear of what was going on in the world, watching the economy fall, watching the news, and seeing death tolls rising, it was heartbreaking. Those were truly challenging times and it didn't get better, not for a very long time.
Despite all the issues and challenges, **ASUU** refused to call off the strike and the Federal Government was not ready for any negotiation. Private Schools were not affected though, they took every precaution and continued with their teaching activities, I watched as people graduated from the university while I was at home trying to figure what to do with my life.
Staying at home did play a huge role in my growth as a person, it also introduced me to the Crypto world as well as creating in my mind the need to be financially independent. I would often spend most of my time watching inspirational quotes from the likes of Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, Robert Kiyosaki, and many more. I didn't want it to be the end. Why now?
As things progressed, the Federal Government decided to go into negotiations with ASUU and Virtual learning began, it wasn't as effective as physical classes but I didn't mind, as long we were being taught (even though technically we were teaching ourselves), there was progress. We resumed physically for exams though, it was done batch by batch to keep up with the COVID regulations. It was nice to see new yet familiar faces after about a year and more.
Things were beginning to look up as the news of the Vaccine spread across the world, we resumed physically for the second half of the semester. Finally, things will return to normal, perhaps the lecturers will teach faster to try and cover up so we can be done with the semester, but it didn't go that way. We had to contend with some difficult courses and we had to do it all on our own.
Try teaching yourself really complicated cost analysis process or contract programming among other topics I wouldn't be able to mention to try and keep this article to a minimum...oops
Suddenly, there were cases of students contacting the COVID-19 virus. The news spread so fast forcing the school to shut down once again.
*Not again*
We didn't want to go back to virtual learning but we couldn't stay within the school premises anymore. We had a lot of classes which we were already lagging behind and now we had to face those classes we couldn't understand really well Virtually.
When I say this, these past 5 days (Monday to Friday) have been the most challenging period in my academic life. When I say this please do not take it as an overstatement
"This was the most difficult exam I have ever written"
It tested everyone's mental capabilities, it felt like the lecturers has a meeting behind closed doors to have fun with us. The things we expected didn't happen (not blindly, the lecturers specifically told us the mode of the question). You can imagine the shock when you get into the exam hall and see something you are just not prepared for, now imagine that happening back to back for different courses.
Regardless of what life throws at you, you can't just quit because it's hard, you fight back, and if you keep failing, you have to keep fighting till you succeed, this was my major motivation to continue. The price was seeing the end of this long session and getting into a new one. It's being so long since we have been stuck in this session.
Today marked the day we completed this session, at least on our part. I felt I needed to celebrate this but I couldn't go out because I was still exhausted. We (by we, I'm referring to my course mates and I) had a closing prayer after the last paper ended by 6 pm. I don't know about others but **HappyBoy** was very happy, you should have seen the way he danced. I decided to opt for junk food, it's not really healthy when it's taken every time but once in a while is not so bad given the circumstances. P.S I love food.
Spaghetti is my go-to food for any mood, so why not this (not that I knew exactly how I was feeling, this last paper was not funny either, I saw a boy asking for an extra sheet and it made me wonder if I knew what I was doing)
Anyway, it is done, finally. I didn't mean for this article to be this long, I just got caught up writing what was going through my mind.
My friends and I have organized a planned match by midnight, we will be playing **Call of Duty** and I plan to watch some animè before going to bed. That's it from me, have a wonderful evening friends, thanks for all the good wishes and support, you are the real MVPs.
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Finally, I'm done with exams, it's time to catch up on all unread articles... This has to be the most difficult exam I have ever written, I'm glad the session has come to an end... It is good to be back
Last Paper Syndrome
***I have been away for a while because I needed to focus on my exams, and I have for a while now. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last exam of the semester and I'm finding it very difficult to assimilate anything new.***
I have missed reading articles, I have set a target to read at least 50 articles starting from Monday in order to cover up on what I have missed, I know you are probably thinking, that is not possible, but I have a plan laid down already. I will do this task at intervals bit at a stretch.
Anyway, here we are, I'm with my phone again doing what I love doing, writing my heart out. I'm hoping at the end of this article I would have found my strength and courage to complete what I have started.
***Last paper syndrome could be said to be the state your mind attains on your last paper which makes you feel much less concerned about your final exams. It's a psychological distraction that makes the holidays look closer to you*****.**
**You can click** **here** **to get the source** https://humanbioscience-org.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/humanbioscience.org/2019/10/last-paper-final-paper-syndrome.html?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16318101315828&_ct=1631810136534&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fhumanbioscience.org%2F2019%2F10%2Flast-paper-final-paper-syndrome.html
Most of us have experienced this feeling, you start to feel lazy and tired when the journey is coming to an end, but as the saying goes "start strong, finish strong", at least that is what I'm striving for.
Before I head to my current dilemma, let us take a look at the background of this situation.
This week has been really long, I have been tested both emotionally, financially, and mentally. I even got to the peak when I just didn't want to stare at my book again. I played some music to calm me down and ate to my fill, not because I was hungry, just stress eating. I did suffer the repercussions but it gave me clarity.
To think this was the worst was a mistake, just the other day, I stepped into the examination auditorium, we were spaced out to prevent any form of communication. The questions were distributed, it was soon time, I opened the question and I know how to answer everything. In my excitement, I requested permission to take a pee, only for me to return to discover I couldn't remember a single one...my memories had gone blank. I turned to my left, I saw @HappyBoy and @Jumper-01 focused on their papers. I almost broke down in tears. What sort of temptation is this. It took me a while before it came back to me but it did and thank God, I was able to survive that experience unscathed.
After the exams, I told my roommate about the experience, his diagnosis was I needed to rest (a luxury I couldn't afford at the time) but I did consider it. I saw the movie" The good doctor" to get my inspiration back.
In case you were wondering, it didn't happen again, I guess stress is a major factor affecting memories recollections although I do know some Engineering Students who assimilate quickly when they are under stress so I stand corrected.
After a long streak of exams, each with their challenges, so long that I can't type it all, even though I couldn't write an article about them, I did make some noise about them each day on noise.cash which made me earn even as I was under pressure. The sound of the notification bell from my Bitcoin.com wallet also motivated me although I wish I had posted more celebratory news instead of complaints but it couldn't be helped, I had to let those steam out.
This leads me to now, I have survived all the major courses that could possibly be a problem and somehow I have managed to scale through but there is one more-Building Construction Technology. If you are familiar with the Built Environment, either as a Builder, Architect, Quantity Surveyor, Civil Engineer, etc, you would notice that being able to represent building elements in doctoral forms plays a major role in how you understand the particular field. The course I will be doing tomorrow consists of mainly drawing, a whole bunch of them, and I have to learn how to draw and label every one of them neatly and accurately as well as getting a sound understanding of their construction technology.
In simpler terms, I have a whole lot of work to do but I am unable to do anything at the moment.
I have been talking about my problems all day with no solution.
Hmm, looks like I have some for myself.
**Sleep**
The importance of good sleep can not be overemphasized. A good sleep relaxes your body, mind, and soul as well as the brain's neurons. Emphasis on "good" sleep.
**Eat**
I don't know about you but eating good food once in a while helps me relax and makes me happy, just ensure it's healthy. A healthy lifestyle contributes greatly to a sound mind.
**Writing**
For me, writing out things either on a paper or on a screen gives me better clarity on what I need to do. Look at that, it's working.
**Take a break**
Go on a walk, talk to your loved ones, see a short movie, enjoy a good comedy show, just take a break from books.
*I don't know if this theory really holds but have you noticed how much you really want to do something when you know you can no longer do it?*
*Yes, by taking a break and denying your brain the pleasure of not reading, it will only want it more -at least it is what I think. Let me put this to a test, I'll update you on the result tomorrow after the last paper.*
*Hope you are all having a nice day, if not, I wish you a happy one.*
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Evolution of Management theory-Part 2
*Now, three people have laid down a solid foundation through which industries were able to increase their productivity rate with increased efficiency.*
*Frederick Taylor has conducted the Time and Motion studies for his Scientific Management approach, Henri Fayol has extensively discussed the Managerial functions in the Administration approach and Max Weber has laid down the Bureaucratic approach. The journey didn't end here as much work still needed to be done to cover up some of the flaws these theories had.*
Don't be mistaken, most of these theories are still in use to this day and yielding good profit but mostly in the industrial sector.
**A new era is approaching, Elton Mayo, Abraham Maslow, Douglas McGregor among others will contribute more to Management theories.**
Elton Mayo
The industrial age was starting to experience more growth but some things were still lacking.
Elton Mayo who was a psychologist proposed the **Human relations approach.**
He wanted to find out how Psychological and Social processes affected the employee's performance as well as how people worked as a group.
So, he conducted an experiment that will later be known as the Hawthorne effect.
*He went to a particular factory with his team, arranged everyone in groups, and instructed the light of the factory to be increased and it was, the productivity rate was high. He was satisfied with this result.*
*So, he instructed the light to be dimmed and it was, the productivity rate was still high. This was a puzzle.*
*He then instructed the light to be returned to its normal lighting level and the productivity rate was still high.*
The conclusion of this experiment was simple.
*Money is not the only influencing factor affecting employee's motivation. Employees need to be supervised in a supportive manner to induce productivity and motivation.*
Their Social needs must also be met.
If you are still lost as to what the Hawthorne effect means here is a clarification.
*Hawthorne effect is the tendency to work better when you know you are being supervised.*
*Sounds familiar?*
The worker's productivity didn't go up because of the lighting(I'm sure you know this by now) but because they knew they were being supervised.
This approach had the following attributes
There was better communication between the manager and the employees
Managers were more involved in production activities
People worked together in various workgroups.
Even though this approach yielded good results, it was still criticized by a lot of scholars we saw this approach as being "Manipulative"
It made people believe that the company was interested in them when in the true sense they were much more interested in productivity.
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow in 1943 came up with his theory still building on the Human Relations approach.
This approach will later be known as the "**Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs"**.
According to him, we are motivated to meet our basic needs before we pursue higher-order needs
Image source https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
He was a firm believer that if all these needs were met, the productivity rate would be at its peak.
Physiological Needs - this refers to the basic needs of people, food, clothing, shelter, rest.
Safety needs - this could be in form of job safety, health as well as personal security
Belonging Need - this refers to friendships, family, workgroups
Esteem- this could be in two ways, the respect you have for yourself as well as the respect you have for yourself.
Self Actualization - Reaching ones full potential
In practice, this is how it is going to be
The manager takes care of the food in the company by providing a canteen and food breaks as well as paying the wages that would take care of housing and clothing
He can then move on to providing job security as well as health insurance, having security personnel in the building and health care personnel
The manager can then proceed to creating various workgroups and organizing group trips which helps to create a sense of belonging among employees
The next he does is to reward good employees by a raise or promotion for the effort they put in towards achieving organizational goals
Lastly, the company can decide to fund formal training to ensure the employees attain their full potential.
Isn't this smart?
It had its implications
Leaders in the organization will have to assist employees and the team members to satisfy their needs
Once a need is satisfied, it seizes to be a motivator.
Douglas McGregor
He was a professor at MIT who was also interested in what motivates people to work which was still based on the human relations approach.
He believed peoples believes could define a person behavior so he came up with the popular **THEORY X AND THEORY Y**
**Theory X**
This theory believes that the average man is lazy, lacks ambition, is very gullible, and resistant to change. So, without the manager's intervention, people won't be able to work productively. He believed employees needed to be persuaded, punished, and controlled if they are to work effectively.
**Theory Y**
This theory believes people are ready to work and are full of potentials, employees would strike to achieve organizational goals if they are committed. Employees are ready to step up if given a chance. The manager is supposed to arrange things so individuals can achieve their own goals at the same time.
These theories are not exactly opposite rather a continuation.
Theory X is based on Maslow's Hierarchy of needs (Physiological needs and Safety needs)
Theory Y is based on the continuation of these needs to Self Actualization.
For a manager to be successful, he must know how to apply this theory and when.
Conclusion
Having vast knowledge of management theories can be very valuable to young entrepreneurs who wish to start their own company. These theories do not end here, other contemporary approaches have also been developed and are still in use, watch out for the final part of this article. I hope this has been helpful.
References
The Human Relations Approach https://youtu.be/F2k018hctZQ
Mayo's Hawthorne effect https://youtu.be/UUMYVN-4wFw
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the workplace https://youtu.be/nASV5I_WG3k
Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Y https://youtu.be/CXAzZRnJo2o
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Evolution of Management Theory - Part 1
Have you ever wondered what management looked like during the late 1700s to the late 1800s during the Industrial Revolution?
During this era, more factories were coming up and the various sectors were experiencing industrial growth such as the Power Sector, Transportation sector, and even machinery innovation.
There was a need to increase productivity rate and at the same time improve efficiency. There was no real basis for the selection of workers.
*Managers: Hey man, we would be hiring 1000 factory workers*
*Random person: really, I'm interested*
*Manager: Alright, you got the job, you can start immediately.*
*Random Person: Alright, thanks*
The workers were not trained on how to carry out the task and this led to a low production rate.
There was no standardized technique for performing duties.
This marked the beginning of the Classical approach
Three Men contributed immensely popular to this classical approach.
**Max Weber**
**Frederick Taylor**
**Henri Fayol**
*I'm sure you are wondering, what about the others like Fritz Roethlisberger, Douglas MacGregor, Elton Mayo, Abraham Maslow, and other Scholars who also contributed to this theory? Well, keep reading and you will found out ;-)*
Max Weber
He was a German sociologist and a political Economist. He studied the way a country is being run and decided. He believed an organization would work effectively if it worked like a legal system, this was the application of Legal-Rational Authority into an Organization.
He is responsible for bringing what is known today as the **BUREAUCRATIC MANAGEMENT APPROACH.**
This approach had the following characteristics
**Clear rules to govern performance**- just like how the legal system works, there are rules put in place to control how things are done.
**Standardized guidelines to determine who leaves and who** - if you didn't meet the qualification requirement you would not be hired and if you break any of the rules set in place, you would be punished or fired.
**One authority should be defined to the position he/she currently occupies**- if this person leaves this position, he loses that authority and the person who replaces him there would take up the authority.
**There was division of labor** - different people carrying out different task
**There was a need to separate your personal life from your work life** - once you are at work, your decision shouldn't be based on personal feelings to avoid being biased.
This approach made a lot of improvement in terms of increased productivity but was still lacking in some areas
No room for innovation due to the strict rules and regulations
It felt like a trap that threatened their individual freedom
Most people still attempted to take advantage and we're being biased with the hiring procedure.
*If you are having difficulty remembering this principle, just look at the Military sector and how it's being run. You need training and must meet the special requirement, breaking rank is a violation and you can't think for yourself unless you are ordered to. You have to set your personal feelings aside when you are being ordered to carry out a particular task. Do you get the picture?*
**Frederick Taylor**
He was a Mechanical Engineer and management consultant. As a scientist himself, he observed that there were a lot of factories coming up every day with more pressure on production yet there was no standardized way of carrying out such tasks even with their complexities.
So, he set out to solve this problem to improve productivity and maximize efficiency.
He applied Science to work, that was how the **SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT APPROACH** was introduced.
This approach had the following characteristics
**Applying Scientific principle to work** - he was a scientist, what else was he going to do?
**There was also division of labor**- everyone had a particular role to play
**There were special training and method of selection in hiring workers** - the most productive workers were paid more and the employees who did not meet the new standard were fired.
**The popular "Time and Motion" studie**s- this was a scientific experiment to determine how to carry out a particular task with the least amount of motion in the least amount of time.
He was more concerned with the **"one best way"** to carry out a particular task.
The result of this approach is as follows:
There was a massive increase in productivity - the productivity rate was really high, from 100% to as high as 400%
More works were accomplished even with fewer people and the company made even more profit.
The products were consistent and high quality.
There were also some **limitations** to this principle.
Most companies couldn't afford to pay the employees - due to the fewer people working to carry out each task, there was a need to increase the pay, most organizations couldn't keep up and they went out of business
The philosophy where the manager's works was to "think" and the worker's job was to "do" became a norm
This approach deskilled a lot of workers hence making them expendable.
It made me people work as though there were a part of a machine.
*A good example of an organization that exploited this approach positively was Ford Motors. Henry Ford is no doubt a genius affecting perfecting the assembly line and applying this scientific approach in carrying out the task of assembling a car. Everyone had a particular role they played in assembling the parts and it improved productivity. He took the initiative of increasing the worker's pay, hence the reason they are still in business to this day.*
**Henri Fayol**
He was a French mining engineer by training.
He outlines the 6 activities of the industry
**Technical**
**Commercial**
**Financial**
**Security**
**Accounting**
**Managerial**
He noticed that much effort focused on training the workers but none was focused on training the managers so his theory was focused more on the administrative aspect hence the ADMINISTRATIVE APPROACH.
He outlined 5 managerial activities
**Planning** - a good manager should be able to set a goal and a means of achieving those goals
**Organizing** - a good manager should be able to select the right man for the right job
**Command** - a good manager has to be able to oversee and lead the members of the organization
**Coordination**- a good manager should be able to harmonize and facilitate work among the various departments in the organization
**Control** - a good manager should be able to manage all accounting and quality control as well as ensuring compliance to the laid down standards.
He was convinced that if a manager could do these 5 things, the production rate would go up.
He didn't stop here, he went further to lay down the 14 principles of management.
**Division of work** - distribution of work to improve productivity
**Authority and Responsibility** - the right to give orders and exact obedience
**Discipline**- obedience to rules and punishment of offenders
**Unity of command** - an employee should be able to receive orders from those ahead in the chain of command
**Unity of direction**-one goal, one plan
**Subordination of individual interest to general interest**
**Remuneration**- people should be rewarded fairly based on their additional effort towards achieving organizational objectives.
**Centralization**- it had to do with figuring out the balance between the various department in an organization and making decisions
**Scalar-chain**- must follow the chain of command
**Order**- the right man in the right place
**Equity**- equality of treatment
**Stability of tenure and personnel-** stay in their job if they are good at it
**Innovation**- encouraging employees to take initiative
**Esprit De corps**- unity and harmony.
Henri Fayol in his book pointed out that he wasn't seeking to create a new approach but to create a foundation for future Scholars to come up with more efficient management.
The Administrative approach is not without flaws
The major **limitation** of the administrative management approach lies in the fact that the managerial prescriptions of the approach need to be adjusted to fit environmental, technological, and personnel differences.
*Reference*
Classical Management Approach https://youtu.be/d1jOwD-CTLI
Max Weber Bureaucracy https://youtu.be/zp554tcdWO8
Henri Fayol Principles of management https://youtu.be/90qpziPNRnY
Frederick Taylor Scientific management https://youtu.be/vNfy_AHG-MU
General and industrial management by Henry Fayol https://www.jstor.org/stable/258475
Bureaucratic Theory by Max Weber https://www.toolshero.com/management/bureaucratic-theory-weber/
Scientific Management in Transition:Frederick W Taylor at Johnstown, 1896. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20091003
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It is the little things
What a wonderful World
*I see trees of green, Red roses too.*
*I see them bloom, for me, and you*
*And I think to myself, what a wonderful world*
*I see skies of blue, and clouds of white*
*The bright blessed day, The dark sacred night*
*And I think to myself, what a wonderful world*
*The colors of the rainbow, So pretty in the sky*
*Are also on the faces of people going by*
*I see friends shaking hands, saying "How do you do?"*
*They're really saying "I love you"*
*I hear babies cry, I watch them grow*
*They'll learn much more Than I'll ever know*
*And I think to myself, What a wonderful world*
*Yes, I think to myself*
*What a wonderful world*
*Oh*
Louis Armstrong https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1623275/Louis+Armstrong/What+a+Wonderful+World
Have you ever heard the saying, "it is the little things that matter most"?
I was listening to the song, "What a wonderful world" by Louis Armstrong and I just got inspired to write about the little things since that is beauty is to me.
*Beauty to me might be different from yours but then again it is unique to everyone.*
*I could go online and check the dictionary on how best to define beauty but it still wouldn't do justice.*
*As I write this article, the music - What a wonderful world - is playing. The more I listen to it the more I appreciate what we have here.*
**Beauty to me is waking up in the morning**, seeing the sun rise as it does every day, the birds in the trees just singing their beautiful tunes. The clucking of Chickens as they walk past in flocks. A roof over our heads and a warm bed to sleep in.
**Beauty to me is getting out each day with a renewed spirit** to keep pushing and never giving up despite life challenges and adversities. The mere hope that everything will be alright is what keeps us going.
**Beauty to me is smiling through the pain regardless of how much it hurts**. They say laughter can be a communicable disease. Have you ever found yourself in a public area where people just start laughing and without knowing why you join in too?
**Beauty to me is the crying of babies as they are born into this world**, so innocent and pure and full of ignorance -except of course where the breast milk goes. That look in their eyes, just so full of love.
**Beauty to me is breathing**. Most people pay for the free air we get, try holding your breath for a minute or two, see how uncomfortable it gets. We have to thank the trees by planting more not cutting them down, save our environment, save mother Earth for this gift of nature.
**Beauty to me is seeing the rainfall**. The heavy downpours of rain falling from the sky. When I was younger I always believed the rain came from the heavens and it was angels crying. The smell that comes with rain, so refreshing, imagine how happy the crops would be when the first drop of rain touches their leaves.
**Beauty to me is thinking about Snowfall**. We do not have snowfalls here and I have only seen them in movies, mainly Christmas movies, I guess that is why the idea of building a Snowman has always remained a childhood goal (or was it influenced by " Home alone"?).
**Beauty to me is seeing people express their thoughts in any way they can, singing, writing, and talking.** Being able to express your feelings is a gift we oftentimes take for granted.
**Beauty to me is being able to cry**. Crying is not a bad thing, it is a way for someone to express pain, pain that just can't be held in. Crying is not a sign of weakness but a show of strength, you better believe that.
**Beauty to me is being able to tell someone you care about "I love you".** When was the last time you told someone that? There is magic in those words. When someone tells you they love you, it creates joy in your heart, the type words can not fully express.
**Beauty to me is being able to say " I'm sorry".** Do you realize there is a big difference between"sorry" and "I'm sorry"? Most people find it quite difficult to apologize, some have different ways of apologizing. My Mom can't tell us sorry but you would go all out is making really good food or calling us by our pet names. That is just beautiful wouldn't you agree?
**Beauty to me is the love in a parent's eyes for their children, such unconditional love.** The only thing on their mind is how to love and protect you. Most women cry immediately after childbirth, not just because of the pain of labor but of the joy of finally seeing her baby.
**Beauty to me is being healthy**. Good health can sometimes go unappreciated. We only remember how good it feels to be healthy when we are not, which is wrong, but as I said earlier, the little things.
This list could go on and on because the beautiful things in life are endless.
**I will end this article with this**
**Beauty is loving yourself**. We often can't help but compare ourselves to other people, we ignore our perfections and focus on the imperfections. This is just unhealthy. No one is perfect, we all have our imperfections but those are what make you YOU. Before you can love anyone, you have to first love yourself. Being able to love yourself is beautiful. You are beautiful just the way you are.
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This is my participation in @JonicaBradley prompt of beauty. If you want to participate, follow the rules below.
Write anything about **Beauty**
Write 100% original content
Write at least 600 words
Tag **@JonicaBradley** https://read.cash/@JonicaBradley
Submit to PromptlyJonica
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Thank you very much for this sponsorship, I will do my best to show how happy I am for this opportunity, thank you once again.
I apologize for my decreased activity, currently preparing for exams. I really do miss reading all the amazing articles and commenting and tipping, but at the moment, i won't be able to keep up. I will try to catch up on everything as soon as I am done. At least I will try. Take care guys
What is Karma?
**"*****Whatever a man sows, that he shall reap"***
This statement is as old as time itself, it's hard to pinpoint where it originated from.
What is Karma?
Karma according to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English is defined as: https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/karma
*the* *belief* *that all the good and bad things that you do in this life* *affect* *how good or bad your* *future* *lives will be,* *according* *to the* *Hindu* *and Buddhist* *religions* https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/belief https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/affect https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/future https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/accord https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/hindu https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/religion
Karma according to Wikipedia is defined as: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma
**Karma** (/ˈkɑːrmə/; Sanskrit: कर्म, IPA: [ˈkɐɽmɐ] (listen); Pali: *kamma*) means action, work, or deed.[1] The term also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called the **principle of karma**, wherein intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect):[2] good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths.[3][4] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit_language https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Sanskrit https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Karma.ogg https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali_language https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma#cite_note-1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cause_and_effect https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma#cite_note-2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma#cite_note-halbfass2000-3 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma#cite_note-4
Karma is simply the law of sowing and reaping. Karma defines balance in every sense.
The definition of Karma runs deep as the creation story itself. It is one of the most important laws of creation.
Karma is justice.
How does it work?
If a man goes to the farm today to plant cocoyam, will he expect to reap potatoes?
If a farmer sows seeds of corn, will he expect to harvest beans?
The laws are as simple as that.
When a man sows a seed, it will mature and then multiply, the seed will bring forth fruits in more quantities.
The same principle applies to when you sow a good or bad seed
How do you sow seeds?
Your words, your thoughts, and your deeds are the three ways through which you sow seeds.
**Words**
Have you ever heard of the power of the tongue?
Have you ever said something out loud and it happened?
There is power in words, when you say something or wish for something, you are actually sowing a seed - Good or bad.
Be mindful of what you say at all times, speak positively all the time even when things get hard and you will see the magic in the power of words.
**Thoughts**
Aside from just words, we can also sow seeds with our thoughts.
The mind is a powerful place, that is why you need to keep the heart of your thoughts pure at all times.
Feed your thoughts with positive flow, by doing this you sow good seeds.
**Deeds**
This simply refers to your actions. This is the physical manifestations of your words and thoughts.
Your words, thoughts, and actions are the tools through which a man sows seeds.
If you have ever thought about hurting someone and the person eventually gets hurt, you have played a part in that activity hence you have sown a seed.
The balance of the world must be restored, nature has a way of doing this. The only advantage we have as humans is that we have free will.
We have the power to sow good seeds or bad seeds.
There is a bit of conflict between Karma and Forgiveness
Karma vs Forgiveness
If Karma is real then forgiveness does not really exist - at least this was what I thought.
You see, this law is so powerful that it can be applied to a lot of concepts today.
When a man sows bad seed, this seed multiplies and bring forth more fruit, but if this person decides to change his ways at any point by sowing good seeds, the negative reaction from the bad seeds will be neutralized
A big accident that could have taken his life could come down to just his leg hitting a stone...Forgiveness
Conclusion
There are a lot of religious believes out there today, everyone is entitled to theirs.
The concept of karma itself can be seen in our daily activities, you just have to open your eyes to see.
Karma is neither good nor evil, our actions, words, and thoughts decide what is good and evil.
I strongly believe in the pursuit of the truth, you need to be open-minded.
I do not know much at this point but this much I do, the truth can take various forms and can be found in different places but it remains the same. The truth is universal.
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I had a dream
Dreams can take many forms and may serve different purposes. A dream could originate from a simple idea planted in your memory to self-wishful thoughts.
Dreams are not necessarily the work of your subconscious, it ranges from just goals you have set for yourself to things your mind is just not capable of processing due to certain reasons (which at this point I would refer to as Spiritual growth).
I have developed a lot of theories on this subject over the years. I hope some of them don't creep you out completely.
I want to be a Millionaire
I know having such goals is just pure vanity since when I do leave this world I won't be able to take it anywhere but I still want to achieve this dream.
Often I would lay down and start dreaming consciously about how I would make a lot of money and what I would do with it.
The lists are always endless and almost every time I get interrupted, I mentioned this in my last article - I am a deep thinker - so, indulge me when I let my mind take over sometimes.
The chase
*I am outside, the sky looks like it's about to rain but it doesn't seem to bother us- my friends and I - as we continue playing ball.*
*Playing ball under the rain has always been fun, at least to us kids, until we catch a cold and fall sick but who cares, mama would take care of us after all.*
*The game went on and it got darker, I started to wonder when this little match would come to an end, then all of a sudden, we heard a loud cry from the street.*
*Just like what you would expect from a little kid, our curiosity can't be satisfied.*
*"let us go and see what that was"- I suggested.*
*That was when I saw the masquerade with a long cane flogging everyone on the street and this one took notice of us so we ran.*
*It started walking fast toward us and we tried to run into the house. I saw my friends running ahead but I just couldn't keep up.*
*My legs felt heavy, running became more and more difficult till it seemed as though I was only walking.*
*My legs couldn't take me fast enough and IT kept on advancing towards me and I just couldn't run, I was so scared I think I may have screamed in the dream.*
*I woke up, completely relieved it was just a dream. I was still breathing hard as though I had been running.*
This dream happened after I saw a masquerade on the street flogging people - this is a festival here in Nigeria. I kept on thinking about what I saw till I slept hence the dream.
The Premonition
Was this a dream or my third sense? Or both?
Have you ever had a revelation in a dream about an event that actually happened in reality?
This was my first of many.
*I was in an examinations hall with a lot of other students when the examiner brought the question papers.*
*I started to panic, I just realized I was not prepared. I turned to my left and then to my right and it seemed I was the only one who shared this thought, everyone seemed focused on answering the questions.*
*So, I turned the question booklet to see the question, I realized I had no clue how to answer the questions, I started to panic.*
*Then I woke up.*
I had this one when I was reading for an exam one night and I dozed off. Those questions I saw and couldn't answer, I started reading the topics.
Getting to the exams hall the following day, those were the questions I saw. I was so happy that I had prepared well for it. That was a really good day.
I died - almost
*I woke up from a dream, I had passed out in a friend's apartment. I try to remember how I got there but I can't.*
*I stumbled out of the room to the streets, I knew the area just as though I had lived there for a long time.*
*I greeted a lady I knew well even though I didn't know how I did.*
*Oh, I had been dreaming. A long dream it has been, I can't believe I had a dream about the life of a young boy - I thought to myself.*
*My wife must have been waiting for me, I better return home to her. I walked down a path, everyone seemed normal as they carried on with their daily activities.* **Yes I had a wife**
*It all looks strange yet familiar at the same time. I have a life here.*
*I got to my house, a small canteen was right in front of the house, I couldn't remember setting it up. As I walked in, my kids ran towards me screaming "Daddy". I didn't realize I was this old to have grown-up kids. I noticed I wasn't young anymore.* **You guessed it, I also had kids**
*"How long have I been asleep"-I wondered*
*I was a little hungry, my wife is about to bring me some food, maybe after eating and getting some rest I will be able to get myself.*
*Just as she is about to serve me, a man appeared in my house. He was furious. I didn't know how he got there but in my living room, he stood.*
*He was not speaking yet he spoke, his mouth didn't move yet I heard him speak.*
*"Do not eat that food"*
*I was about to ask my wife who he was until I realized she couldn't see him.*
*He kept on saying that word*
*The more I tried to resist the more the aroma of the food called my attention. I was indeed hungry.*
*The look he gave me showed he was upset but I didn't know why.*
*With one swing, he threw me out of the building and I woke up.*
*Wow, that was a dream?*
*I got up from my bed, but it wasn't my bed anymore.*
*I was away from what I thought was impending danger but I wasn't awake. I was still dreaming.*
*I became aware I was still in a dream, I started to panic.*
*"how do I wake up?"*
*I was no longer sure which was my true reality, the young boy or the old man.*
*Just at that moment, I saw him again. Just as mysterious as it was the first time around, speaking without uttering any word.*
*"Wake up"*
*He pointed to a landline, instructing me to call my mom. I didn't know why except I needed to do that to wake up.*
*Then I did*
*I woke up in my room, I can see the fan rolling, I got up from bed to try to confirm I was indeed awake.*
*I was back in my body.*
*I am a small boy again.*
*I hurry to my parent's room to confirm I was back...and I was*
*It was only a night but it felt like I have been gone for a long time.*
This experience prompted my interest in spiritual travels, I had a lot of questions that needed to be answered.
The scientist in me proposed a theory that the concept of time is only bounded to this material world, what we consider a day on the earth could just be an eternity on other planes of existence.
This is in opposition to the belief that 1 day in the book of creation is actually a long time on this material plane.
I'm still searching for answers and I know one day I will discover the truth, until then, the search must go on.
After that dream, I wondered if it was only an insight of me in the future or insight of me in my past life.
***Who was that man that saved me? My guardian angel?***
I later did find out during my search that eating food in a dream was not a good sign and if I had eaten it, I would not have returned.
I also found out women are much closer to this gift than men. They would often sense dangers much faster before a man does. There have been cases where a woman gave a warning to her husband after detecting impending dangers.
This is why I think the reason for the saying holds firm
**"Behind every great man, there is always a woman"**
I will conclude this article by saying this:
Dreams to me can be very powerful, it is that third eye that opens when the brain goes to sleep.
In the past, people made good use of this gift but over time it started to slip away. Sometimes people find it hard to even recall their dreams. Some people do not even dream anymore.
Dreams are neither good nor bad. It's true, sometimes they can be scary but you have to embrace it, it is a part of who you are as a Spirit.
Every great man is a dreamer.
*written by -* **Greatwolfman**
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**This week's writing prompt is Dreams. If you would like to join in, the rules are simple.**
Write anything on **Dreams**
Write 100% **original** content
Write at least **600** words to please Rusty
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Have fun!
Who am I?
I have been seeing a lot of Slam-books on this topic here on read.cash but I have been hesitant to write on the topic. Not because I didn't want to but because I didn't know how to.
How can I tell anyone about myself when I am still searching for the answer? The irony of this is I am the one person who should know ME for who I am before anyone else, and that includes my parent.
`I have had hectic days recently so it has been a hustle keeping up with all the amazing articles here, exams are close, preparation is at the peak, the stress is on but the show must go on. One article daily is the goal, I don't intend to falter. Even though I might not be able to read all the amazing articles I do try to keep up.`
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Last night, after my prep routine, I decided to check my notifications, took me 2 hours to try to catch up but still couldn't but I did get the chance to read and react to some amazing articles, one of which was Art of knowing yourself written by @Theblackdoll. This gave me the push I needed to write on the topic **"who am I?"** https://read.cash/@Theblackdoll/art-of-knowing-yourself-new-read-tag-e51894bb
***"My body, My name, My house, My money"***
Try saying this out loud and ask yourself who **"My"** is.
It sounded really weird to me at first because it made me feel like a stranger in my body but then I understood, who I am is more than just this body I currently have, or the name I currently own, or the money I currently have.
*Here are some things about this young boy*
I can be really competitive
Before you judge me you need to know the story behind this. It all started with vengeance. Vengeance isn't necessarily a bad thing, it depends on how to channel it.
I was not always a bright kid, my primary school wasn't really developed, and by the time I graduated to high school we were only 5 in class, the teaching environment was not excellent but with just enough push I was able to pass the common entrance to get into High School. This made my parents really happy and I was happy too. Being the firstborn, there is always a need to be an example to your siblings. I moved from a school where I was a local champion to where I met other champions from different parts of the country (it was a Unity School).
I was determined to prove myself to be the best but when classes started I knew I couldn't keep up. I had 2 friends then and they were really supportive...until they discovered I was no longer good enough to be their friend. You see, they were really intelligent and I was not even close enough to compete with them.
At the end of each term, the best five in each class would be called out to receive a price and a handshake with the principal. They were both called and I wasn't. Slowly they started to drift away from me, I didn't know why until I heard them telling their new set of friends that I was a blockhead. They didn't realize I had heard them. That day I was filled with so much anger, my mother noticed this, and I told her, she then pointed me in the right direction.
`Anger can be a force for good or evil depending on the direction you channel it.`
*"You have to be better than them academically if you want them to respect you"*
The intention was to make me better academically but I became that boy you would consider a book worm. This had its advantages, I became better than them and I earned their respect again but the downside to this was it did hurt my chances with girls.
`I never really did understand girls, they want guys who are good, but go after bad boys and end up hurting themselves in the process.`
I became very competitive academically, although as I got older I learned how to balance everything (Academics + Socialization).
I often hear people say "*Do not let people's opinion about you change who you are*", this is true but you also have to be open-minded to positive criticism, it could help guide you on your path to personal growth.
I don't know how to express my pain.
I have gotten so used to keeping my feelings hidden that I have forgotten how to express them. Thanks to my dad.
*"Tears are for the weak*" he would often say when he scolded us for doing something wrong.
It made me strong, maybe too strong, I'm not easy to break, even after I suffered my first heartbreak I still didn't break a tear. I kept it all in and it kept building up and hurting till it didn't hurt anymore, then I found love again and the pain completely faded away.
I know it's good to cry, but I just can't, not in a really long time. The last time I cried was after Grand-Ma died, then my small Puppy died due to a snake bite. I never did shed a tear in high school after getting flogged because I hated girls see me cry.
I hate phone calls
I can't be the only one who is just okay with texts, you do not need to call me unless it's a life-threatening situation and I wouldn't call because after the first "Hi" and "Hey", the conversations just head downhill from there. So why bother. This was a big issue in my last relationship and I did try to work on it, I still do. I'm okay with physical interactions though, I even prefer that to phone calls and this is coming from a semi-introvert as @Freedom007 clearly pointed out.
I love food
The fastest way to my heart is food. When I'm hurting or going through tough times just give me food, that solves it. I am also a good cook. I am against the opinion that cooking is meant for women, anyone can cook. Food to me is the universal form of expressing love - after music and poetry and art.
I am Sapiosexual
I'm attracted to highly intelligent girls, I can't help it. Brain + Beauty and I am yours. On a normal day, this isn't an issue, but when another girl shows up with the same traits, I get conflicted with my feelings, to avoid complicated situations I have made it a rule to stand in the clear. I am attracted to highly intelligent girls but I can't be in a relationship with them, that would be my Achilles heel, maybe one day I would but I'm still young, too young for all the drama that comes with it. This is my poison.
I am a deep thinker.
I tend to think a lot, sometimes too deeply. I once diagnosed myself as a patient suffering from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I came to this conclusion after I heard NF say this in one of his songs.
Image source https://www.musixmatch.com/
*Yeah, yeah, mental health, where's my mental health?*
*Diagnosed with OCD, what does that mean? Well, gather 'round*
*That means I obsessively obsess on things I think about*
*That means I might take a normal thought and think it's so profound (Leave me alone)*
**NF - Leave me Alone**
I was once obsessed with a theory that we are all in a deep sleep and this world is only an illusion that fades away when we die, I was also obsessed with time-traveling - I wrote an article about it- among others I do not want to write about - yet.
Writing does help keep this part in check, by writing out my thoughts I'm able to release some of the load.
***Alright, that's about it - at least character-wise.***
But, Who am I?
Well, I'm a unique creation of God, he brought me to this world with a purpose, and I will leave once this purpose is fulfilled.
My thought process might be different from yours when it comes to discovering who I really am but regardless of this, the end result is the same. We are all unique in our own way.
Feel free to be a part of this self-discovery adventure, who are you?
I do hope you have found this article interesting to read. I look forward to reading about yours.
Lead image source credits to unsplash
The Trojan war
***Have you heard of the Trojan war, one of the greatest wars in Greek History, great heroes fought each other. Achilles, Ajax, Hector, and many more.***
***If you are unfamiliar with this story, let me give you a quick introduction.***
*Many Centuries ago the Greek goddess argued to decide who was the most beautiful of all the gods. Hera- the Goddess of wealth, Aphrodite- the goddess of love, Athena- the goddess of wisdom, this challenge was brought about by Eris- the goddess of discord, after she had inscribed "to the fairest" on a golden apple.*
*Each claimed to be the fairest but there could only be one, so, they decided to allow a human to be the judge, Paris -a Prince of Troy.*
*Hera tried to bribe him with wealth and power, Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful wife in the land, Athena promised him Endless wisdom.*
*You could say Paris chose wrongly but to be fair, who wouldn't want the most beautiful wife in the land. Aphrodite got the golden apple and became the fairest of all the gods.*
*They often say every choice we make has its consequences, Paris was about to discover his. How unfortunate that fairest lady in all the land was Helen, the queen of Sparta, the wife of King Menelaus whose brother was Agamemnon, the high king of all of Greece.*
`Here is a fun fact: did you know that Helen had great difficulty chosen a suitor, being the fairest in all the lands, Kings and nobles from different parts of Greece all came to seek her hands in marriage, one of the suitors was Odysseus- the king of Ithaca. But his kingdom was too small which hurt his chances, Odysseus being the smart-witted man and favorite of Athena (The goddess of wisdom) suggested that Helen chose herself after all the suitors had sworn to defend the marriage unto death. Helen chose Menelaus but because of his wisdom, Odysseus was given Helen's cousin, Penelope to wed.`
*So it happened that Aphrodite would have to fulfill her promise by rewarding Paris with Helen, Aphrodite had failed to find any other mortal as fair as Helen, with the help of the goddess, Paris won Helen's heart. One faithful day when King Menelaus was out hunting, they sailed away to Troy.*
*The news got to King Agamemnon, who had been seeking an opportunity to claim troy under his wings. He then ordered all the suitors who had sworn to defend the marriage to prepare for war.*
*And so, the great war began, a thousand ships all set sail for Troy to war. We all know how it ended, but that is not what this article is about. Some notable characters played a huge role in this saga.*
1) Paris
Image source https://www.deviantart.com/neldorwen/art/Paris-of-Troy-old-sketch-122728888
He was the Prince of Troy, **son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba**. History claims he abducted Helen and took her back to Troy. Others say Helen fell in love with him and sailed away with him to troy. Regardless of all of these facts, one thing remains the same, he started the trojan war. History has it that he was responsible for defeating the mighty Achilles with the aid of the sun god, **Apollo** by shooting an arrow to Achilles's heel.
2) Helen
Image source https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-helen-of-troy-aka-heln-of-sparta-10331079.html
**Helen** of Sparta, now known as Helen of Troy. She was the daughter of King Tyndareus of Sparta. She was the fairest of all the lands. Beauty can sometimes be painful, she had a lot of suitors and could only choose one, great kings and noblemen all on her feet, so much pressure. She chose Menelaus and they got married. Then came **Paris**, a much younger and handsome Man and she fell in love with him. One would say Helen was the cause of the fall of Troy.
*what could she have done, love knows no bound.*
3) Hector
Image Source https://www.pinterest.com/pin/459930180665180692/
Hector, older brother to Paris, a Prince of Troy, son of **King Priam and Queen Hecuba** was the greatest fighter in all of troy. He is recognized in history as the man who led Troy against the mighty Achilles. He was brave as he was wise but his reign wouldn't be for long after he accidentally killed Achilles's cousin -**Patroclus**.
*To be fair, it was a war, brothers die, fathers die, sons die, why was Patroclus any different?*
4) Agamemnon
Image source https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Agamemnon
**King Agamemnon** was the high king of all of Greece, he was the king of Mycenae, he was popular for being the leader of the Greek armies against the trojans. He is a brother to King Menelaus of Sparta
5) Menelaus
Image source https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Menelaus
**King Menelaus** was the king of Sparta, husband to the fair Helen. He was the younger brother to **Agamemnon**.
6) Patroclus
**Patroclus**, trained by the mighty Achilles himself, the relationship between these two has always been a mystery, some historians argue they were cousins, others argue they were lovers and Patroclus was gay. Regardless of his sexuality or his relationship with Achilles he was the most loved and trusted of Achilles Myrmidons - his army. You can understand why **Achilles** went mad with Vengeance after he had learned Hector had killed him in battle.
*Why was Achilles mad?*
7) Achilles
Oh! The mighty Achilles, greatest warrior of his time, son of **King Peleus**, and the goddess **Thetis**. Some of you would know the name Peleus from the history of "**Jason and the Golden Fleece**", if you don't well, I might just do an article on that some other time. When Achilles was born, the goddess Thetis saw a vision of his death so she sought to make him invulnerable. **The River Styx** was known for having such magical properties, Thetis dipped his whole body in the river, all except his heel which she held as she dipped him into the river.
His armor was designed by the god **Hephaestus** himself, he was trained by the **Centaur Chiron** how to fight and wield the sword. He was feared and respected by all of Greece for his swordsmanship.
His mere presence on the battlefield was a source of morale for the soldiers. He had his private army which he trained and was loyal to him - **The Myrmidons**, the went to war with them. Achilles fought for the glory, his name is still remembered to this day for the part he played in the fall of troy.
Things were looking great for all of Greece with Achilles on the battlefield but Agamemnon was not happy with this, he feared Achilles might take his place so he captured Achilles's slave, **Briseis**. The only problem with this was that she was more than a slave to him, he loved her. This act infuriated Achilles and he withdrew his troops from the war preparing to go back home. Until **Patroclus** got himself killed by Hector.
You must be wondering, who was Briseis, what made her so special to the mighty Achilles?
*Now, you know where the popular "Achilles heel" originated from*
8) Briseis
Image Source https://www.pinterest.com/pin/843087992715145114/
They often say behind every great man, there is a woman. **Briseis** was a servant of Apollo - the Sun god and a defender of Troy. She was a cousin to Paris and Hector and was captured by Achilles and his men when they captured the beach of troy and ravaged Apollo's temple. Other sources claim she was the wife of **King Lyrnessus** before her city was sacked by Achilles and she was enslaved. History can be confusing when it comes to getting accurate background, regardless of all these, it is known that Briseis was Achilles love. He loved her so much that he was ready to leave the battle of Troy and sail back home if it would make her happy.
*Love is a beautiful thing, isn't it? Makes me wonder, what was Achilles's weak point? Was it his heel or his Love for Briseis?*
9) Ajax
Image source https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/Ajax
**Ajax** the great was the prince of **Salamis**. He was one of the leaders of the army that laid siege to Troy, he is often referred to as a giant figure and could be rated as the second fiercest warrior after Achilles, contrary to popular believes, Ajax was not killed by Hector, true, they did fight but none came out the victor, as a sign of respect they exchanged weapons, **Hector** gave him his sword and he gave Hector his belt - the belt with which Achilles would use to drag Hector's lifeless body. After Achilles's death, Ajax had expected his Armour to go to him but it was given to Odysseus, Achilles's best friend. This made Ajax mad and he tried to kill Odysseus and Agamemnon. Odysseus being Athena's favorite was able to defeat Ajax with the help of Athena who made Ajax hallucinate, he killed his ships thinking they were Greek soldiers, once he had realized what he had done, he killed himself with Hector's sword.
9) Odysseus
Image source https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/Ajax
You can't talk about the Trojan war without talking about **Odysseus**. He was the king of Ithaca, the wisest of all of the Greece leaders, **favorite of Athena**-the goddess of wisdom. He earned his fame after coming up with the idea of building the **Trojan Horse** which would help them burn troy to the ground.
His story continues even after he had defeated troy after he challenged Poseidon-god of the Aegean sea, who then decided to punish him by showing him that "without gods, man is nothing"
*His journey back home is referred to as "the Odyssey"*
*If you ever wondered where that saying came from, now you know.*
*Reference*
Troy - the movie https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0332452/
The Trojan war https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War
Wikipedia
Lead image source https://www.greekboston.com/culture/mythology/odysseus-trojan-horse/
**I hope you have found this article interesting**
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It will get better tomorrow
I once wrote a letter to myself in memory, it happened after a breakup that almost tore me apart, the only way I could heal was to let it out, so I did.
This experience made me learn the importance of time and the good thing was I had to figure it out on my own.
A lesson self-taught lives long in the mind, just as good as a child knows fire is hot by touching a hot lamp
While reading this, don't feel bad for me...lol. I'm sure we have all had to face this at a point in our lives, at least most of us... Plus, I have always had a flair for dramatics.
I need to focus, but it's hard to do that when you have a lot of voices screaming in your head. I try to let it out but they all want to come out all at once. So I try to choose one by deciding on which topic to write on but I can't seem to find anyone.
I feel lost yet found at the same time, it all feels different now, everything. The color of the sky, the smell of the cold wind, the chirps of the lovely birds singing outside my window. I feel everything and nothing.
They often say time heals everything but does it? I wish I could forget everything that happens and just move on like you never existed but I can't, the memory of you still lingers on.
I go to my playlist, trying to find something to keep me distracted but somehow it feels as though Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars probably got the memo and keep playing sad songs to make matters worse.
Okay, I know what to do, reading my books should probably help distract me even for a moment, which only makes matters worse, I can see your handwriting on my note, you had helped me once when I was feeling lazy.
Why did it have to end, was it my fault? What we had was special but we can't talk about it anymore. They say love is a pain but there has got to be some beauty about it.
I take a walk down the street one night, I see happy couples smiling. Wait, what? Why does it look like everyone has someone? Am I the only one who is single tonight? I pick up my phone, I had deleted your number from this device but it is still saved in my memory. I tried dialing it but had no idea what to say, so I don't.
I still saw you last night in my dreams, I made a joke and you were smiling, I was really happy. I always loved seeing you smile. For a moment there I forgot the pain. I wanted to live in that dream but dreams don't last forever.
I am awakened by my morning alarm, this time it sounds as though I could speak *alarm*, "beep beep beep" translates to "wake up man, you have to stop hurting yourself".
You know what? You are right, it's time for me to move on. I am strong, yes, I am. I got up and headed for the kitchen, made a nice toast and hot tea, switched on the TV searching for any form of Comedy, SpongeBob is on, Nickelodeon has always been my go-to Channel for entertainment.
The day is looking better, I guess I was wrong, this does get better with time. It has only been a week since you have been gone and I think I am feeling better.
Boy was I wrong, it was looking bright but it got dark fast, I mean literally, the power was off and I must face my demons again.
I am never going to love again, never. If this is what love feels like, it should be banned. Why can't you just focus on pumping blood, that's your primary purpose after all.
Do you believe you only love once? What is next after this? I have no idea. Now I'm lost, with no sense of direction, no one to guide me out of this chaos. I finally hit rock bottom.
Hmm, you know, there IS one good thing about hitting rock bottom, the only way to go is up. You have knocked me down but I will not stay on the ground, I will rise.
I open my Power playlist, oh, now I'm motivated to keep fighting. Here is a peak
Life is hard without you I must confess, but it must go on, so I hope you are **happier**, I hope he **treats you better** than I ever could. Do the things you must. I guess whatever happens happens for a reason, I had to **lose you to love me.**
`I added some spice at the end, Happier is a song by Ed Sheeran, Treat you Better by Shawn Mendes, and Lose you to love me by Selena Gomez`
The past is the past for a reason, we may learn from it, but not live in it. We can not change what has happened, but we can actively shape the future.
I am reminded of a quote we had to learn by heart back in secondary school
Time is all I want,
Time is all I have,
I want time, I need time.
We were made to recite this every morning, but we didn't get the point. I didn't get the point until now.
Regardless of who you are, rich, poor, old, young, the richest man on the planet to the better on the street, we all have time, what makes the difference is how we use it, do you want to waste it thinking about a past you can't change, or plan for a future you can. Regardless of the choice you make. Once time is gone, you can't have it again.
This should be something really good and important to think about.
Treasure the time you have here on earth, be good, live life, and don't be afraid to fall in love, yes, sometimes it hurts, you learn from it and you move on.
Remember, **IT WILL GET BETTER TOMORROW**
Feel free to check out these amazing people
*Reference*
My music playlist
The movie, before the dawn https://youtu.be/zDYPSnCaQ1M
Lead Image from Unsplash
Happy new month everyone, I'm sorry if my activities here have reduced, my only free time is at night, even then I barely even have enough time but I will do my best to keep up, exams preparation has a way of completely taking a measurable amount of time. I have been able to catch up on some of the articles posted today, August reviews and September goals, for me, I just want to survive this month, by the end of this month, I can't wait to give my review on it, thanks for all the supports and motivation friends, I'm grateful
A Need to Meditate and Reflect: Unlocking your Chakras
As we advance towards the end of the year, we need to reflect and meditate on the past as we forge the future. This is what this article is all about
*Do you ever see your friends watching cartoons and just assume that they are just not ready to grow up? Well, think again, a lot of truths are being revealed in the most unbelievable places, you just have to open up your eyes and see.*
It was a very long day of lectures and reading yesterday, it felt like the pressure was building up and I decided to watch a cartoon to take the edge off, after a few minutes of scrolling through the Video Folder, I stumbled upon **"Avatar, the Last Airbender".**
Now most of us can relate to this movie, it's really old but still hits the spot, as fate would have it, I chose an episode at random, and here I was, learning about a truth I have probably seen in the past but refused to pay close attention.
Who knew you could learn very important things about life from a children's cartoon, today's article was inspired by Avatar - the last air bender.
****Chakra****
Image Source https://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2021/03/7-chakras-colors-stones-chart.html
The question on your mind should be "what is a Chakra?"
Chakra has to deal with gaining balance within our body, mind, and soul just like a wheel of positive flowing energy.
If this doesn't make much sense, here is an easy way to look at it, depicted from Avatar - the Last Airbender, Book 2: Earth, Chapter 19: The Guru
*Water flows through a creek much like the energy that flows through your body, and there are several pools where the water swirls around before flowing off, and these pools are like our Chakras. Chakras are pools of spiraling energy in our bodies. If nothing else were around this creek would flow pure and clear, however, life is messy and things get to fall in the creek and then the Creek can't flow. But if we open the paths between the pool, the energy flows.*
**Guru Patik & Aang**
There are 7 chakras, Each pool of energy has a purpose and you will have to unlock it to gain complete balance of the soul, mind, and body.
**1) The Earth Chakra/The Root Chakra**
*Located at the base of the spine, it deals with survival and it's blocked by fear*
What are you most afraid of?
Fear has a way of limiting one's capabilities, fear of the unknown and known. You can not unlock this pool without first figuring out your fears
It has been a long year, COVID-19 has played a huge role in the 20 months, survival has been key, the fear that the people I care about don't fall prey to this virus, the fear of losing those dear to me, although as we approach the end of this year, I hope this would change for the better. Fear can control you the same way you can control your fear.
The best way to control this fear is to first accept it, accept that we won't be here forever, once you have accepted this fact, now let it go. **You control your fears, not the other way around.**
2)The Water Chakra/Sacral Chakra
*Located in the lower abdomen, this chakra deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt*
What do you blame yourself for?
I have a lot to blame myself for, so do you. My current financial situation is all my fault if only I wasn't lazy to follow my friend's advice when he first told me about read.cash.
I also blame myself for not being able to express myself to the one I love out of fear and I ended up losing her.
I regret not being able to live my life to the fullest whilst in high school, a lot of memories I could have shared with my peers thinking back.
We can not continue to live in guilt, accept the reality that what happened has happened, you can not change the past, learn from it and work towards the future. **Forgive yourself.**
3)The Fire chakra/Solar Plexus Chakra
*Located in the stomach, this Power deals with willpower and is blocked by shame.*
What are you ashamed of?
We all have something to be ashamed of, a part of us we do not let out, we keep the demons hidden.
I'm ashamed of my emotions, when it's free to run, I lose my control, especially when it involves anger.
I'm also ashamed of my handwriting, a work in progress though, I often wonder how Lecturers access my scripts.
I don't know who is reading this right now, but you need to know this, **you are beautiful just the way you are, don't let anyone tell you differently.**
Selflove begins with acceptance of your flaws
**Accept this part of you.**
4) The Air Chakra/Heart Chakra
*Located in the heart, deals with love and is blocked by grief.*
Lay out all your grief
Grief is something that befalls everyone at a certain point in our lives.
When you lose someone close to you, there is no word to describe the pain you feel.
Remember, the ones we have lost still live on within us. Love is the greatest force of all that lives on even after we are gone. Love, just like energy can not be destroyed but changes its form, usually in the form of new love.
**Let the pain go.**
5)Sound Chakra/Throat Chakra
*Located in the throat, it deals with truth and is blocked by lies.*
It deals with how we can truly express or communicate how we feel.
We are often in denial of who we are so we try so hard to be someone we are not. This may take different forms, it could be in our profession, our relationship with people.
Accepting who you are is easier said than done but it is necessary for unlocking this Chakra.
Accept who you are, do what you love, be your own man, don't let anyone do it for you. **Be your truth**
6)Light chakra/Third-Eye Chakra
*Located at the center of the forehead, it deals with insight and it's blocked by illusion.*
There is a big illusion among mankind that we are all different. We have created a form of operations among humans.
Black or white, rich or poor, good or evil, short or tall, round or flat, land or sea, we are all connected under the Earth, we are all creatures of God.
Love your neighbors as you love yourself, these days, Racism has taken its hold, a world where a man is not judged by his character but by the color of his skin. Until we start to see each other as one, we won't be able to unlock this Chakra.
**You have to be open to accepting what you can not see.**
7)Divine Consciousness Chakra/Crown Chakra
*Located at the crown of the head, it deals with your cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment.*
This is the last Chakra and the most difficult to unlock
What attaches you to this earth?
We all preach off vanity yet remain ever so attached.
When we leave this world, we leave everything behind, our houses, cars, family, loved ones, wealth, and more. Regardless of learning about this fact, we still can't seem to let it go.
Remove every attachment that keeps you bounded, accept that all of the material things are of this world.
**Let it go.**
`I hope this has been as effective as I'd hoped to my readers. Let it all flow down freely down the creek, only then can you get balance within your soul, mind, and body`
`Feel free to check out my amazing sponsor's block, they post really interesting articles`
**Happy New Month**
*Reference*
A beginner guide to the 7 Chakra https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-91/The-7-Chakras-for-Beginners.html
Avatar, the last Air bender https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/avatar_the_last_airbender/s02/e19
Book 2: Earth, Chapter 19: The Guru https://youtu.be/cH-HT9WCtiQ
Lead image source
Is there more to life than this?
***Today I'm going to do something different, writing is so easy when it comes from within, not forced (as I have learned from my friends here on read cash). I have no idea where this is going but I will let my fingers do the magic of expressing my heart with letters.***
***This is just me sharing my mind, thoughts, and perceptions as a writer, it may differ from yours.***
Introduction
Something is stirring from within and I can't quite put my finger on it. The lingering question remains "what is my purpose in life". I read an article recently that has made me want to discover the answer to this question.
Most people have figured this out already, so why not me? I guess in other for me to do this I need to take a step back and look at the big picture.
This should be perceptive enough, even for me, as I write this article the image comes to mind.
`Friends, as you proceed further please note that I do not mean to insult anyone, this is just me expressing my mind, thoughts, and perception, I might be wrong but please keep an open mind.`
Phases
Image source https://www.pinterest.com/pin/300826450088327443/
****As Foetus****, do we wonder ***" Where am I? Who am I? What am I?"***, do you realize how difficult it is to have a definite answer to those questions? Be honest. I won't be surprised if I am not the only one who is searching for answers, but my questions stem from something deeper. ***Is there more? Where did we come from? Why can't we remember? Have we walked this earth in a past life? Why have we returned? Who was I? more importantly, how did I die?.***
Call me weird for having these thoughts but as I said, this is no longer coming from me, it is coming from the far reach of my mind's consciousness, somewhere even I can't control and my fingers are doing the work of trying to keep up.
****As babies****, we are born into the world, crying (why?), full of ignorance, yet we know that the mouth and the breast need to meet to feed, we derive satisfaction from these acts despite being ignorant of almost everything around us, call it instinct.
****As Toddlers****, our first set of teeth begins to appear, we are so excited to experience new things, we try biting mom's nipples to try to get more milk without knowing of the pain we inflict. We mess up our diapers without realizing what we just did. Mom tries to teach us how to take a shit or a pee, the learning process begins. We begin to learn what is bad and good, we are praised for doing something good and punished for doing bad. We learn fire is hot, ice is cold. Somehow we never learn that not all things need to go into our mouth so mom has to be extra cautious for our safety. Not to mention, our first words "***mama***" "***dada***" and the day we finally stop crawling and start walking, oh the joy on our parent's faces.
****As preschoolers****, we are forced to leave the shelter of our parents, the need to interact with kids our age is important for proper growth and development. We make our first set of friends who aren't related to us by blood, the learning process continues. We are forced to improve our brain's creative ability, the intellect continues to develop and grow.
****As a Primary Schoolboy****, those who focused more on developing the intellect get picked upon by the less smart kids, you begin to make friends and enemies, you make memories, you laugh, you cry. You start to break some rules, after all, rules are for breaking. At this stage, we have no real plans, only what mom and dad want us to be, the idea is planted. We are convinced the idea is ours so we work towards it.
****As Adolescents or Teenagers****, we begin to notice changes in our body, puberty sets in, we experience the idea of what "heartbreak" feels like. We get the first feel of what adulthood might feel like, a lot of peer pressure, the only goal in mind is to survive this stage to adulthood. It starts to feel as though your entire life depends on High School. Popularity contests, we start to develop skills within us that will later forge our journey into adulthood. Being a Teenager is arguably one of the most important phases of growth as humans. The need to acquire freedom is great and now Mom and Dad are no longer able to control us, we have wings now and we just want to fly away.
****Now we are Adults****, we finally have the freedom we so desired. The pressure to settle down and start a family sets in, trying to get a good job to sustain the family, trying to take care of your parents, start to question life choices, we develop a more serious and responsible outlook on life, finally what Mom and Dad tried to do makes a lot of sense, we start to wish we were kids again. If only pigs could fly.
****We get older****, we begin to experience what our parents experienced when they raised us, we see ourselves in our kids, Love turns into responsibility, a difficult stage in the life of a married couple, argument and insult, you try to prevent the kids from seeing this and start to wonder if your parents ever fought.
****As you get older****, you start to experience loss, death is a necessary end, it is inevitable, you try to watch your health as you try to offer guidance to your children as they set off into life just as you did.
****You keep getting older****, any day now, you'll be grandparents, you show so much love to the newborns as they remind you of what you once had, the innocence.
****You keep getting older****, any day now it will be time, you begin to transform from an adult back to a baby, your body starts to lose strength, memory loss, you start to lose your teeth, inability to work. You become a big baby (with all due respect).
****Eventually****, Death. You pass on but your memory and legacy live on. It is often said that at the last moment we often have regrets, not of things we have done but things we never got to do.
**Conclusion**
Death can sometimes be a gift at such an age.
*Where do we go when we die? Do we wonder for a while as ghosts? Is there a white light? Is it the start of a new journey? Or do we just begin the cycle again as Foetus in a lady's womb waiting to come into the world?*
A lot of questions to be answered, it begs the question
***"Is there more to life"***
What exactly is our purpose here on earth.
Okay, I've said enough. My hands have done it's task, I'm even shocked as to how much information my mind had to share. I will have to read this again before I publish it**.**
**I don't know much but this I do, we are all destined for great things and we have the power to channel our life towards it. Life is beautiful, even as we try to grow up real fast or live fast, try to take a break to take in the beauty this world has to offer, we won't be here forever, show love and live well.**
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Throwback to Childhood
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I seem to recall how much I wanted to be a grown-up when I was a kid, the things I imagined I would do, the life I would live, the goals and dreams I would achieve not to even mention the freedom. Now I'm old enough and I just want to be a little boy again.
That little kid was happy, no worries, no stress, no responsibilities. Those were the good times.
Are you a fan of NF? If you aren't, you should check out some of his songs, this one caught my attention *"I miss the days"**.* It made me think about the good old days, now I can't help but share some of these moments. https://genius.com/Nf-i-miss-the-days-lyrics
`Before we proceed any further`
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Introduction
Childhood had its troubles but it also had its blessings. Back in the days, there was nothing like Cable, we had an Antenna and " Pot-belly" TV, small in size, Power in Nigeria was still as bad as it is now, on and off. When they would bring it, everyone in the neighborhood would scream out for joy *"Up Nepa".* Most of us here might not be able to relate to most of this and probably give it a big laugh, but trust me, those were the precious moment of my childhood.
My parents were disciplinarians, it was always " book, book, book". I had trouble learning how to write as a kid, Mom says it's because I was the firstborn and had no one to look up to, but deep down I know I was just lazy.
They decided to get an After-school lesson teacher to drill me so I could improve academically, it helped but I had to pay a price for it, the most expensive price a little kid could pay, Less TV time.
Oh, don't get me started on how my education was more important than my TV time, I will completely disagree with that one. Sighs. Oh well, it had to be done I guess.
Back-story
For you to understand what I had to sacrifice, I will need to share the back story. Yayy, you are going to love this, grab your popcorn fellas, let's take a trip to the past.
It's 2006, I'm only 5 years old and boy did I hate going to school. Every morning was a battle between my Mom and me. I would run out of the house to go and hide so she won't have to bath me, I could hide under the bed, chair, even the cupboard, and when I was caught, I would cry and cry, the driver would have to use a cane to chase me into the bus.
In class, I would wait for the bell to ring for break
**"gbagaun gbagaun gbagaun, Breaking time"**
Don't mind the spellings or the grammatical errors, that was how we called it. At the sound of this bell, everyone would run out of the class screaming for joy - a 50-minute break from the torture we endure during classes.
My primary school wasn't as developed as it is now, we had no football, so we would play with bottles, running all around the field, smelling of sweat but smiling with joy.
If you thought the bell that signaled break time was the best, wait till you see the reaction from students when the bell was rung for the close of the day
**"gbagaun gbagaun gbagaun, Closing time"**
Oh, the joy in our faces! Mine especially.
You could see students jumping out the window to try and get good spaces on the bus, the front seats were usually reserves for the girls, and the back for us pigs...lol. I'm serious, I can't recall a day I came back from school with a clean uniform.
My journey home was another adventure, I would have already been observing the area for Power, and if I saw there was light at home, I would raise into the house, my ears were very sensitive to the electromagnetic signals the TV produced when it was on.
The good times
STV (Silverbird Television) was my favorite TV station. Here are some of my favorite TV shows.
**Johnny Bravo**
Image source https://johnnybravo.fandom.com/wiki/Johnny_Bravo_(character)
This was my favorite Cartoon growing up and he was my favorite character growing up. He was exceptionally strong, full of confidence in himself, and was always trying to impress the ladies although most times he gets beat up by other men and the women he tries to flirt with. I once tried painting my hair with yellow to look like him but that's a story for another day.
**Pinky and the brain**
Brain is the short rat with the big brain, Pinky is the slim one. Brain is famous for always trying to take over the world with his side-kick, Pinky. Pinky is not so smart but somehow Brain expects Pinky to share his exact thought which is always the same.
"*Are you thinking what I'm thinking, it's time to take over the world"*
If you didn't see this show, oh man, you missed out.
**Silver Hawks**
Silverhawks https://deadline.com/2021/07/silverhawks-80s-tv-show-animated-nacelle-1234789025/amp/
I was pained when they stopped airing it, they are a group of space warriors referred to as "SilverHawks" each with their unique abilities.
They had one major villain "Mon Star"
Somehow he always seems to evade defeat, something I was always looking forward to.
**Tom and Jerry**
Tom and Jerry https://deadline.com/2021/07/silverhawks-80s-tv-show-animated-nacelle-1234789025/amp/
*"This is Tom and Jerry kids"*
As I write this article, I am currently humming the theme song, they have changed it now but I'm glad the show is still on.
Tom and Jerry are natural enemies who live in the same house. Tom, the cat, and Jerry, the mouse. There were other characters involved in this story and sometimes Tom and Jerry had to reconcile their differences but it was the chase that made this show interesting
Writing this article just brings me so much joy and I
**Scooby-Doo**
Scooby-Doo https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0063950/
Which kid doesn't like a good mystery eh? I know I did, still do.
The thrill this cartoon gave me was so beautiful, I love how I was made a part of the story as I tried to solve each mystery too.
Scooby was the name of the dog and my favorite of all the characters, he seemed to be the smartest too. It made me believe that the reason Police take dogs on raids is that dogs are the perfect detective when trained.
**Fantastic-4**
Fantastic -4 https://variety.com/2019/film/news/new-fantastic-four-marvel-1203274712/amp/
Oh, I was obsessed with this one for a long time. I even had the toys which my mom threw away when it became too much. This was the first Marvel show I ever saw.
4 heroes, each with unique abilities, always trying to defend the human race from those who would try to cause harm to them.
*Oh, I feel this list will have no end if I continue this way, so permit me to end this list with one more*
**Justice league**
Justice league https://www.wired.com/story/its-justice-league-vs-algorithmic-justice-league/amp
When I refer to Justice league, I mean the original 7, other heroes like Aquaman and Arrow were added later.
Superman was my favorite character, he was the strongest of all of them. He was always there to save the day.
This show introduced me to the DC universe.
***I could go on and on but this should be enough for now.***
***Imagine what I had to sacrifice when I was forced to let go of all my shows to focus more on academics, the pain. No child should ever have to go through such pain.***
***Oh, those were the good old days.***
***I had a really good time writing this one, I forgot about Examinations. If only I could go back in time to experience those moments again when everything was so simple.***
***Good times.***
My escape from reality
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It's another busy day, examinations are coming up for the semester, every lecturer is trying to cover up on some of the things they couldn't by either forcing us to an excruciatingly long Virtual lectures, not that it helps, after the first 60 minutes my brain just seems to loose track of what is being taught, for the remainder of the class, I only respond "Yes Sir", " No question Sir", "we can go on Sir". Anything to quicken the pace at which the lectures are being taken to try to save what data I have left.
Just another inventive way of draining my bank account and wasting data but thanks to read.cash I am able to pull through this financial situation.
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The mind is a powerful place and what you feed it can affect you in a powerful way
NF - The Search
I was going through my playlist this morning and I stumbled upon this song by NF, I had heard it multiple times before but now I finally listened to the lyrics.
A lot has been going on lately, a lot of stress, sometimes you just want to quit, but you just can't. Do not get me wrong, amazing things have happened too especially the visit from Rusty.
Regardless of all that goes on, we all need to escape realities sometimes and it's so easy because it all in our head.
`Side Note;`
`What if we are all in a big slumber, and this reality is a dream our mind has forced upon us to just survive the pain of emptiness and lack of purpose?`
*Just think about that*
There are certain places I go to escape reality and guess what? It's completely FREE, FREE I TELL YOU. So you can too. I won't be able to share all of them but the ones I can, I will.
**1) writing on read.cash**
Nothing helps more than being able to unload some of the frustrations and problems you have all locked up in your head by putting it down in black and white. Writing really is a good escape for the mind, it has enabled me to meet new people, make new friends, build new connections, learn more about other people and also get good advice from friends you have never met among others.
With all this busy schedule, I still try to find time to post a new article and read other new articles. A day without writing feels incomplete. I have exams coming up and I know it might get challenging but I will try to ensure I remain consistent.
**2) My trip to Paris**
Image Source https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/4774170/eiffel-tower-paris-photos-night-illegal/amp/
How is going to Paris free? Don't get it all wrong, I go there in my head...lol.
There was a virtual trip to Paris right here, I couldn't join in because I had other priorities that couldn't be avoided, once I was done, I went to Paris with my imaginary girlfriend - Rosaline.
The Eiffel Tower has always being a place I've dreamt of going, after **@jane** article on this trip, it only helped create a better sense of what it would feel like, standing at such great height and looking down, I bet the view would be so beautiful. What better place to relax and have fun than to be in Paris, the city of love, with the girl you love eh.
3) The weekend at Miami Beach
Image Source https://www.britannica.com/place/Miami-Beach
Rosaline and I have just got married, we decided to visit the infamous Miami beach. I have seen this beach in movies but now I get the chance to be there with my sweetheart.
We have just being recently engaged
We run around the beach splashing water on each other, screaming and laughing, after a while we sit under the shed, enjoying the beautiful view and enjoying our cocktails. The cool breeze from the sea sends nice chills down our spines as we relax with our sun glasses on.
3) The trip to Dubai
Image source https://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/the-tower/facts-figures/
It is just one of those weekends, after a really busy day at work and we have had little time to have our " Couples hour", so we decided to take a break from work.
We would be staying at the Armani Hotel in Dubai, we would be able to enjoy the services they provide as well as a tour on the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I am a great fan of Architecture and I really admire such great works, we eat all we can thanks to BCH which has grown to about 100 times it's current value, you better believe it.
Oh, we lived a weekend of completely luxury, we visited the spa to give this body some attention, as I said, it had been a really busy week at work.
Our Private Jet is ready to take us back home but I do have one more stop to make before going back home (to reality), Rosaline goes back alone because an urgent meeting has come up. So many responsibilities for the CEO of a multi-million dollar company that primarily makes use of BCH as a means of making payment as it has being widely adopted.
But I won't be making this journey alone, I immediately call my good friends @HappyBoy @King_Gozie @Gaftekloriginal @Jumper-22 and @Freedom007. I'm sure at this point you can guess where we go to next.
4) it's Vegas baby!!!
Image source https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-biggest-las-vegas-casinos-4156543
Las Vegas is my last stop on this virtual trip, and honestly I'm sure my guys would also need to take this break to chill too. Don't act surprised when I tell you this, **Happyboy** became a major shareholder in a company that designs and make Aeronautics. Having Client's from all over the world which he ensures BCH is the only means of payment. Due to the services they provide, I doubt the customers would even think twice before accepting this agreement. A time when BCH has attained global recognition and adoption. So as our financial capability would have it, we had all purchased our private Jet from him via BCH.
We all meet up at one of the hotels to freshen up, rocking a really expensive wine and just chilling talking about how read.cash had led us to this point.
Then we pay a visit to one of the Casinos where we converted some of our BCH to chips and had a good time loosing it all.
I black out after a couple sips of wine only to wake up in the room later hearing tales of all the things I had done, some embarrassing, some funny, some both.
I would tell you what happened but as the saying goes*, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"*
After a long weekend of just relaxation, it is time to go back home.
I'm back to reality, I have exams in 15 days and projects to defend next week, but it was fun while it lasted.
Whatever you do, do not get caught up in the world of make believe. As much as it is good to escape reality virtually or not, you always have to come back to face reality.
Alright, my books, here I come.
*Did you enjoy your time away on my trip?*
*I bet you did. One day, all of this will become a reality. We just have to keep working towards it.*
Do you believe Mermaids exist?
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*Write anything about monsters, myths, and legends*
*Write 100% original content*
*Tag me,* *@JonicaBradley* https://read.cash/@JonicaBradley
*Write at least 600 words so the bot will give you something good*
*Submit to PromptlyJonica here*
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***This article is based on a true-life event that happened to my mother at a young age. Till today she says it did happen to her, true or false? Let me leave that to my readers.***
***It's currently raining heavily here, I guess that also contributed to me writing this article. It's the end of August and the rainy seasons are back. I do not despise this weather, a lot of farmers are happy with this and I do hate hot weather.***
***I'm going to approach this article from a standpoint that you will understand better. She told us this story in her language. For those of you who do not know, My Mother is a part of Southern Nigeria in Africa and they are known for having a lot of dialects and as much as I would love to type in the dialect in this article, I feel it won't be just as much appreciated as compared to If it were in English.***
**Mum's point of view**
It was 1981, it was the rainy season just like this one, I was only 7 at this time, it had rained heavily the day before as it did on other days. Back at home, the rain usually lasted for days after it had begun.
My aunt had just come to the village and my mom had permitted me to go to the town with her, and I was very excited. So, when the rain finally stopped, I grabbed a few of the clothes I had planned to wash by the riverside, it was only around 6:30 am but Farmers were already going to check on their crops. I planned to quickly wash that morning so it would dry quickly before the rain started again.
I was the only one by the river bank, the rain has caused the river to rise, so there was a place we couldn't go beyond because of the depth. We were never allowed to play beyond that place,e, especially during a rainy season.
As I turned my back against the river to start washing while sitting on the rock, I heard a powerful splash behind me. It was so great that I jumped and tried to run out of fear, It felt as though a big tree had fallen into the water and the splash was just everywhere, so I turned to see what had just happened.
I was so little at this time but what I saw haunted me for years that I couldn't drink water with my eyes open for fear of seeing this "being" appearing before me again. I can still describe it vividly as I close my eyes. He was a man, a white man. Hardy do white people come to the village only on special occasions after the Civil War as missionaries to give free treatment, food, and clothes and they were Reverend Sisters (Women, not Men).
He was a white man with a lot of hair on his head, curly hair and his chest were also filled with hair, he was tall too, I couldn't see from his waist below but he had to be tall to be able to stand on the deep side of the river. Did I mention that it was really deep?
He was smiling at me, beckoning on me to come closer, he held a ring in one hand. He couldn't talk but his motions meant for me to come closer.
At this point, I froze, not out of fear but shock. There was no way anyone could stand. I wondered how anyone could stand at such great depth, on a rainy season. Much more a white person.
My instinct told me to run but I couldn't seem to move my legs fast enough, I managed to run as fast as my legs could take me, I was in so much shock and as soon as I saw some women gathered close to the riverbank, I ran towards them screaming for help and fainted as soon as I got close enough, they rushed to my aid and took me to the town square.
Before this, my grandfather who was the king had warned the villagers never to go to that river or any river when it rains. This mandate didn't come without a good reason. This was not the first time such an event had occurred, long before I was born, 2 kids went to the river to play when "they" appeared, they were able to get the little girl but the other boy escaped, he told the story but no one would believe him. Who would believe the word of a kid?
The villagers all came out to search the riverside to at least find the poor girl's body, but they couldn't. After days of searching, they all gave up and assumed the fishes must have done away with her remains and so the chapter closed.
7 years later, this young girl was found again by the river bank, the "beings" had brought her back and left her by the river bank when the villagers found her they were shocked and filled with a lot of questions, she still had the same wrapper she wore the day she went missing. At first, she couldn't talk as she was also in awe coming back to the land I presume.
Her mother wept for Joy on seeing her daughter, but something had changed, the "beings" didn't harm her instead they had taught her special healing techniques, there was no ailment she couldn't cure. Unfortunately, she didn't live long, a part of the story said she died in her sleep, another part said she had been murdered, that mystery remains unsolved.
From the little she was able to say of these strange beings from the river, they had taken good care of her. She said that place was like a home underwater and the people there were nice to her, they had fishtails. The reason she couldn't speak well when she was found was that she had forgotten how to speak our dialect.
After my ordeal, My grandfather did a cleansing to send whatever spirit that tried to get me away, I couldn't go near any river for a long time. This haunted me for years.
***How did she breathe underwater? Where What did she eat? I do wonder.***
***I have always known we were not alone, there are still a lot of mysteries unknown to mankind.***
***Do you believe Mermaids exist? I don't know about you, but I do. I also know that the reason why they don't come out is due to Human nature, their urge to dominate every single creature that threads this Earth.***
***What do you believe? Myth or real? I leave that to you.***
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