Colourful Shades of Life

Oh how time flies, just yesterday I enrolled for my masters, a day before that I was studying for my first degree, a day before the degree, I was in secondary school. The fresh memories of hanging out in diapers with my grandma a day before that makes everything look beautiful today.

From My heart…

Time ticks faster than we imagine, the thin line between birthdays and funeral is the unmerited favour of adding a new year. I thank God for the gift of life. He has continually opened my ears, mind and eyes through his daily unwavering support and guide.

Last year for me was so eventful, tough and my favourite in comparison to my previous years, and the most interesting lesson from it was learning to count every step as closeness to our dreams. Reason being that the years move quicker as we grow older, therefore make every step count.

2014 had lots of huddles, more ups and downs than I've had in my entire life, hey I know what you are thinking… let me stop you, I travelled my little heart out, I earned my master’s degree, I had fun doing lots of things but it was still tough. On the outside it was a good year, but on the inside I felt I was backward on any important milestone I've set out for myself. But what I picked up from that was that every step is a colour which should not be ignored as these colours matches into a rainbow in the end. The bad times may look dull, the good times will look shinny and bright. Some days in our lives wage internal war on us, but you have to hang in there, look forward and one day the dark cloud will be lifted.

Finally, someone asked me, what has been your greatest milestone? I was like huh? She was like, yea! Your greatest achievement in life? I laughed really hard and I felt oh no I can’t remember doing anything big in my life. To cut the long story short I responded “I can add all the little things I've done together to form a big square. Hahahahahah. That was me trying not to answer the question as I was perplexed. My worry about this got me to this conclusion- the bunch of small things we do is all that matters, affecting your sphere of environment is what counts. Most times we strive to be seen by the larger crowd and this puts us in difficult situations of placing life deadlines. Don’t be your own worst enemy, stop letting the preconceived milestones define your greatest accomplishment. Most importantly, set realistic goals and achieve them, learn to appreciate both the tough and good times, they make up your story in the end.

Happy birthday to me

Happy new year to you!

World Mental Health Day~ 10th Oct 2014

Have you ever wondered why whenever someone gets a broken leg or arm, everyone starts to ask questions as to how they can help and this is always a case of concern. But when it has to do with the brain, people often give that look as though the person maybe crazy. The brain is the most important organ likewise the heart. If someone's Brain isn't functioning well, it automatically destroys every aspect of that individual, they could sometimes be 'lost' or 'broken' because what happens in the brain controls our entire body. Mental health has emotional, internal and physical impact. 

Today is marked as the "World Mental Health Day". It is aimed at promoting the issues regarding mental health and breaking the stigma facing people with mental health issues. The world is a tough enough place without kindness of others, we all face and fight inner battles no one knows about. But there are people fighting these battles with the feeling that they can't win, but will. They are worth being a global concern, cos the stigma and how we view mental health needs to change. Let's help raise this awareness and care for people who are in need of it.

The Independence we want~ Healthy Independence (Nigeria @54)

It's that time of the year once more where a giant nation Nigeria, celebrates its Independence Day. Our journey of striving and sacrifice, corruption, great achievements and missed opportunities dotted with the threat of terrorism, yet we are sailing through the verge of new opportunities. As the nation celebrates its 54th Independence Day, there is a sense of pessimism that swirls the current state of affairs in the country. Be it the economic realities or the political discourse in our strong and influential country; the general impression is that positive things about the country are hardly heard in news discourse.

Hence the spirit of Independence Day is not just to celebrate our "officially becoming a country", it also boils down to celebrating the values that this great nation was founded upon. The independence declaration was constituted with the theory that every individual has inherent rights; which includes "right to good health". In other words every individual has a right to live healthy and the government is obligated to provide access to quality healthcare among other social amenities to its citizenry in a convenient environment and at affordable costs. A country's healthcare system is expected to gear its focus on health protection, promotion and prevention and the government's responsibility to achieve these objectives cuts across its different tiers. Presently, health care in Nigeria is a privilege because only people who are wealthy enough to pay for the services have access to medical care, hence, the essence of "right" is denied. However, guaranteeing access to and controlling the costs of health care is complex undertaking that is uncertain. But to successfully build Nigeria's health care, we must first realize that no health care system is perfect even the most developed countries, cos each health care system tries to meet certain priorities, and in doing so each has disadvantages and advantages. According to Barack Obama, "Health care is the economy," and fixing it would free up money for other priorities, such as education, industrial innovation and social amenities. Therefore, it is clear that both Health and Economic growth are fundamental determinants of the human right to "life": Poor health obviously shortens human life, and so does economic poverty.

In summary, let's all strive for a HEALTHY INDEPENDENCE rather than a "jolly"(merry) independence, by doing so, we are paying tribute to those who struggled for the freedom of our nation and those who laid down their lives for liberating our motherland. Let’s walk together to enable each other share the progress and prosperity of the nation. One Love, One Nigeria.

FLOspiration...

“MY BIRTHDAY THOUGHTS"

Rather than money, than fame, than love…give me truth.” ~ Flo
I woke up this morning and my biological clock ticked, firstly I spent about three hours in the early hours to sing praises and give thanks to the Lord for his mercies so far. After which I dozed off.....

 Waking up again at past 5 o' clock, the first idea that popped into my head was to pack a small suitcase, get on the train and move to city far from Nottingham, if possible change my physical appearance such as my name, hair colour (or do a plastic surgery if needed) that simply means starting life from the scratch. Sincerely, I shy away from life when It gets difficult on how to deal with it and most times fight the ones that are not tough enough.
But I just realized that am old enough(LOL) to be used to all the dark moments of life including the good times and am still young enough to absorb more, this is because am of the belief that inside every old man is a young dude, wondering what the hell happened… But I wouldn't win a gold medal even, by disappearing from challenges in life, cos a true warrior moves through with and for life.
Well, this was a wired thought cos, I jumped up from my medium size bed and washed my face, weighed the cost of running away and fighting these issues, I had a cup of squeezed orange juice and contemplated on a third option.

I know this is how most of all feel in life most times, your life is a house and all other things are just mere projections, shadows of greater structures, a constant process, even our beliefs, deepest thoughts, are just subject of interpretation. All our constructions of reality, all the words and ideas we use to understand the world are fragile and temporary, they are a medium, they’re not the end, but just another way to understand our journey in life. This simply gives you the freedom to adapt to any unexpected changes and to even pick them up when the smallest, sudden movement, brings down any of your structures.

Loving the questions means to love yourself. ‘As much as you know you’re the biggest question mark the world has ever known.


So here is the only thing I could think of blogging today, let's do it together: a tweak to your usual bucket list. Some questions I should myself and likely you too can join to ask ourselves (hopefully) before we depart. Grab your note. Turn this into a self-inquiry exercise. You will be surprised at all the subterranean world that comes out of you. And it might just save your life  by bringing it back on track right:
‘Cause there is no truth other than your truth – as long as you exist. Somebody else’s won’t do. And you know how most doors are opened? Not by struggling to find the right keys. All you have to do is knock.

I'd like to re-evaluate the meaning of life and knock on doors I don’t have a key for. Maybe my higher self will open and we’ll sit and chat, and between one aha and another, we’ll have a sip of truth that feels like home.
Please not that: You may have asked yourself or are in the process of answering some of these questions. If so, a bit of repetition will only help you get clearer with yourself. If not, they should be in our starter school curriculum. But most of us get to 30, 40, 50 or even spend our entire lives as strangers to ourselves. So shall we get re-introduced?
How much have you loved? Count the people. Add it up. When it comes to love, I’ve always felt in red numbers. I’ve been so focused on the minuses, I have no idea how to answer this; and these minuses, all based on the not-enoughness – the virus most of us suffer from, the glass half-empty, glass half full, the “but” – the “won’t” – the “can’t” – the “don’t” — the “what if",  why not", when will".

So if you’re in red numbers too, let’s put the ball back in our court. How much have you loved? Have you loved even when it hurts, when you can’t, when you shouldn’t, when you wouldn’t, when you didn’t – just because love is a verb not a noun and it’s the hardest and most amazing gift of life, most importantly God is love. If so, you are actually more rich than you can imagine.

What do you love doing that you aren’t doing? Furthermore, how could you get paid for doing what you love or how can you earn a living out of what you love doing? Let’s brainstorm. God has given you the right to be alive every second of the day. You’re not supposed to spend 8 hours in chains and the remaining 4 getting high on mental and physical distraction to cope with the depression of not doing what you should, what you want, what you need to be doing, what the world expects of you.

What person or type of person would you choose as a life companion? For the singles...A witness to your life? Forget the should / the cant's / the wont / the impossibles. Who would you love and who would love you back if you could have a say in it? Cause see, your say in this makes all the difference. When you say your dreams out loud, you turn on the engine. It’s like this whole life is waiting to come rushing out of you and in wishing it — out loud — you open the gates and give it permission to happen.

Where do you want to live? Are you happy with your life where you are? Could you be happier somewhere else? It’s true that you can be home wherever you are. But it’s also true that some places are more in tune with the kind of life that comes bursting out of you. There’s nothing more inspiring and motivating than good company and an environment that reflect and support your mission.

What do you want to accomplish? And most importantly, why — what’s your motivation? Be unrealistic. Life itself is unrealistic. Your very existence is as random, impossible and unrealistic as it gets. Only unrealistic people accomplish extraordinary things.

What do you want to be remembered for? Write it down. This is the man / the woman who _______________. Take your time.

What kind of life would make you jealous? And why? If you could start over, what would your life look like, right now? (pss…you can – but shh, don’t let your doubts in on this yet – they’re going to ruin everything).

What adventures do you want to have? Can you list five? Adventures aren't’ just for children — or maybe the 10-year old in us never dies. And it’s that inner child that really loves and lives life for what it is: the greatest adventure in the universe.

If you had to add something to humanity, what would your one contribution be? List it. The world doesn't owe you. You owe the world for living in it... The good news is that whatever the answer to this question, you’ll enjoy doing it. Your mission is encrypted in your blueprint.

What are your ghosts? Your unspoken demons? The stuff you keep in your closet under a lock? What are you most deeply afraid of? Say it out loud. Get real with yourself. It’s how you conquer them.

Who do you love the most? What 10 people would you put on a lifeboat in case of a universal tsunami / unexpected tornado / zombie attack or any other realistic end of the world? Make a list. You can have a million friends on Social media, but at the end of the day, you’re lucky if you can find 10 people you would die for and who would die for you. Email them as soon as you can. Remind them that if the world ends tomorrow, they’d be on your lifeboat.

Truth is…you never know if the world will end tomorrow. At least for you. And human beings are the most forgetful animals. Do you eat, drink and sleep every day? Then love everyday too.

What worries you the most? Why? Worry comes from fear. And most fear is imaginary. Fear of the Thing is not the Thing itself. Learn to distinguish one from the other. It’s as simple as asking Why.

Life is a constant flow of questions – meaning is always in the making and it is constantly being created as we speak. The ultimate meaning of life then is the One that creates meaning: the traveller (not the journey), the subject (not its objects, ideas, circumstances, possessions), the lover (not the love), the way seer (not the way), the warrior (not the battle)…you...

It's my birthday and I paused to think about these thing. It must not be your birthday for you to do this.... Thanks to Angela who shared her thoughts as well. Have a blissful year.

SHIFT

People who know me closely can tell how much I cry over little things...lol So true! But very recently, a friend of mine told me,  hey Flo! You know what? Crying aren't gonna solve this situation, all we need do is to figure out a way to make this work... As simple as the statement sounds, they are relative to how much we rejoice over festive seasons, as well as New Years; we dance and buy new clothing's, exchange gifts, cook different meals and invite our friends and family. No doubt these are all important, but it makes majority of us, forget that we move only our outside neglecting out inside. This is what I call the Hezekiah dilemma whenever. God speaks through our ministers, Pastors about moving us to the next level, we start dancing, sowing seeds, telling friends about where god has promised to take us! but I have come to realize that rejoicing over it  won't take you there, all you need do is to be still and ask God to move the friends that will hinder your next level, take out whatever you don't want, nail yourself to the cross, say yes to his will, yes to not only dance but to be productive . 2013 is over, Do not fear to unapologetically cut some folks off. Disband the deadweight so you can Stimulate what God has for you! A lot of us have given up stillness to dancing. 2014 for me will be funeral for everything that has no essence of existence in my life, funeral of fear, funeral of depression, funeral of lack of goal setting, funeral of lack of time management, funeral of procrastination, funeral of bankruptcy; revival is next after the execution. Guilt will keep you Guarded, And don't let the hurt of what you didn't achieve in 2013 hold you hostage. New Year New YOU! Let it go... It's time for a #Shift

Responsibility

"The first price for greatness is accepting responsibility"

Relationships with everyone you come across provides us admission to certain things that you would not have otherwise had approach to. These includes business deals, career choice , romantic relationships which comes with perks and of course business of your Talent which comes with huge responsibilities other than graduating from the university, getting a job, retire, get pensioned and receive your gratuity. Trust me No Friendship survives in imagination and nice thoughts alone, neither do any happy, comfortable life come with just having a 'WELL' paid job, there definitely  has to be some extra work put in to achieve happy moments, wealthy life.  A lot of times we want access to the benefits but want to do very little to ensure that both ends meet.

Juanita Bynum once said in one of her songs. " if you don't know my pain you won't understand my pain" A lot of us admire relationships/marriages/friendships/built career from a distance without understanding that there are a lot beyond what we see; bad times,  quarrels, which includes RESPONSIBILITY.
1st Corinthians 3:8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

Planting in this contest is like starting a relationship, taking the "RING", choosing a career. Watering is your responsibility to nourish the plant for it to bear fruits.
   I used to believe that exceptional friendship, great marriages, or flourishing career come about just by having a relationship with God. NO! NO !! If that is so,  true Christians would never get a divorce, end a friendship, or get laid off or burn out of their career.  That is the utmost thing from the truth. We have to put prayer AND effort into everything we do, YES! Along side the success of these goals, we have to be faithful, make research, build fruitful relationships, have mentors, coaches which will serve as a guide.  Every tool we need for success have been provided by God but if we don't  pick them up, we may keep on struggling to receive our blessings from Him. Have you ever wondered why most businesses don't last? I  critically want to believe its  because the individual or group involved aren’t working hard on what they prayed for (RESPONSIBILITY).
I once heard a young adult in his early Wednesday stage of life' say " I want to own a Bugatti" I got captivated and turned and I said  to him "can you dare to achieve what you want? And he laughed.. I told him Only the intelligent ones succeeds in school but in life only those who dare wins. If you must dare, your vision must speak for you, you must discover your talent and make a living out of it, he said ''If God says I will make money no body can stop me''... Did you notice something here? He doesn't want to work on his talent, he doesn't want to be responsible of his own life, rather he believes in feverent  prayer and asking God for money and a woman to love him for who he is .. please let's ask him " WHO ARE YOU" .. Funny huh? Knowing who you are is backed with the responsibility of developing your gift, creating a value, having a vision and taking action.

It’s not just our prayers that keep our matters in God’s hands, it’s also the actions we take, the positive steps we make, the time and commitment we put in. More energy has to be invested in the covenants we make instead of just waiting to receive the benefits from them ~ Jane Campbell. A tool is only valuable when the person using it knows what it was made for.  Your gift is your TOOL , use it, maximize it. You possibly can’t get the best out of anything  you weren't  willing to put your best into. God has put you in charge of your life, be RESPONSIBLE for everything you do, Live Right, Lead Right, Choose Right, Decide Right, don't go LEFT so that your Reward will come RIGHT in time..



TAKE CHARGE.
FLO TEAM.

Focus

There Is Power In Focus. 

 By focus I mean clear, intentional concentration on a specific tangible or intangible circumstance or situation.  Focus can and will bring the energy of the mind, heart and soul into alignment.  Focused alignment is powerful.  However, it is imperative to be clear about what you are focused on, why you are focusing on it and, the energy behind your focus. When we are not clear about the energy and intention of the things we focus on, we will find it impossible to create new energy or experiences.  Instead, we will create or re-create what we don’t want rather than what we actually desire.

Bunmi in one of her Numerous poem line wrote “I should be suspicious of my wants.”  I agree.  I remember wanting to be a lawyer; specifically a criminal defense attorney.  After three weeks of visiting clients housed in jail, I realized that I wanted the right thing, to be of service to others, for the wrong reasons, to feel powerful and have control. I remember wanting to be married to my three year Long love'. 'Visually' (:D) 90 days into the marriage I became painfully aware that in this situation, I wanted the wrong thing, to make him prove he loved me, for the right reason, to experience love and companionship.

There are times when we want one thing in order to avoid something else.  Or, we want something just to prove we can have it.  Then, there are situations that we want to end, regardless of the cost or the price we pay.  In many situations, at the core of what we want the focus is solving an immediate problem or satisfying an immediate need without appropriate consideration of the long term impact.  As most card-carrying human beings, we have had a tendency to focus on increasing what we consider to be pleasurable and avoiding, at all costs, what we perceive as painful.  With this as a focus we conveniently avoid important things like responsibility, accountability, integrity and, the still small voice of Spirit.  More often than not it is our unfocused wants that will lead us to places we’ve already been and do not want to re-visit.

Here we stand, collectively and individually on the cusp of a new beginning; another 'week'.  Here we are, collectively and individually, with a divine opportunity to create new experiences, circumstances and situations.  We must be suspicious of our wants.  And, we should be suspicious of why we want what we want.

Think about the Previous week, a week that probably promised to be one victory through struggle, unexpected movement, pressure on the family and, divine grace, our wants must be focused on the higher and greater good of the whole.  As this week begins to unfold, our focus must shift from what we don’t have to what is-possible.  We must take our minds, hearts and eyes away from what did not, should have, could have-happened by focusing on what and how we can grow what we have into more.

We are being called to ground our focus in things that are higher than what we know and greater than we think ourselves to be.  The focus must be about joy, curiosity and exploration rather than fear, survival and more of the same.  More often than not we focus our energy on what we don’t want because it is painful.  This means we are moving away from something rather than moving toward what we truly desire.  The focus of what we want must be clear.  The focus of what we want must be intentional.  The focus of what we want must be about creating good rather than avoiding the perceived bad.  The focus of what we want must come from an open heart rather than a conflicted head.

Focusing on what we want means that we are ready, willing and able to handle all aspects, possibilities and the responsibility of having the things we want.  Focusing on what we want demands that we are courageous enough to ask for and expect to have what we want rather than what we think is available.  Focusing on what we want requires that we stand in and demonstrate faith, trust, and commitment, even when it is hard. This week is bringing forth an energy that calls us to conduct asuspicious investigation of everything we think we want and the energy driving it.

What do you really, really want?  What is the feeling you desire to have?  How will that feeling and the experience it brings make you a better person in your life?  How will that feeling and the experience it brings support you in making life better for others in your family?  Community?  And, the world?  As early as possible in the energy of the week, I invite you to explore these inquiries with pen and paper.  Investigate your wants and your willingness and ability to focus on them.  Question what you want to move away from and what you are moving toward.  Give yourself the permission, the time and space required to explore, examine, reflect and inquire within yourself, about yourself and the things you say you want.  Be suspicious.  Be courageous.  Be willing to shift the focus of your wants to the desires God holds for you.

Are you willing to be focused on what you want?
Post your comment below.