Learn Igbo: Big and Small (Ukwu na Ntakiri)

Globalisation means that people have to migrate from one country to another. During migration most people move with some aspect of their culture but the ability to make sure the next generation imbibes this aspect of culture while in a different continent is a different ball game. However this Nigerian mum in diaspora has made it a mission to teach her children, and others of similar ilk, the Igbo language with an effective unconventional 'Oge Akwukwo' structure. Igbo is a language spoken by the ibos which is one of the three major tribes in the eastern part of Nigeria. When I saw it, I was quite thrilled to see the hard-work & dedication she puts in to ensure that her children and others alike don't lose this aspect of their culture. She engages them to interact in Igbo with short focused learning topics as can been seen on the 'Akwukwo LLC' YouTube channel. They upload frequently and have everyday conversations that your family can relate to... click on the link to watch a playlist compilation of some of their sessions which are specially geared towards children's learning attention span PS: These learn Igbo videos are one part of Akwukwo LLC's mission to Igborize children everywhere. They just published two colorful premium children's boardbooks in the Igbo language. The books can be found on their website www.akwukwo.com. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVZClbqbigyh9z5S76PBHjtuFX4shJjj7 Follow/Like Them: Instagram: @akwukwo Facebook: @akwukwo Twitter: @akwukwoLLC YouTube: Akwukwo LLC

Listening to.....

I never knew this man until the Grammy's. I don't watch the Grammy's and I don't care what goes on there really. But this guys name keeps coming up and personally I love when the Unusual happens so I decided to find out a lil about him and know what the fuss was all about. Summary of my findings.... He's come a long way and in all God is glorified!

On Replay...

The first black female president of Harvard Law Review

They say good women rarely make history but I think that's a myth. Everyday we are making history, pushing barriers and bringing about novelty. 2 years ago, I was privileged to get an invite to talk about a paper I was working on at the prestigious Harvard University. As I took a tour round this prestigious school, I couldn't appreciate education more and I told myself that I would be back, not to present just a paper but do something greater. Still waiting on that day lol!

Anyways I was highly elated, when one of 'mine' was given the prestigious honour of being the first black female president of Harvard Law Review. Remember Obama was the first black man to hold that position! I am so proud of Imelme Umana. Thank you for making us proud!! Indeed not every woman is fooling around, some are breaking barriers!!

In 1990, Barack Obama, 28 at the time, made history as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Almost three decades later, ImeIme Umana, a Pennsylvania native of Nigerian descent, has become the first black woman elected president of the 130-year old law journal.

A 2014 Harvard College graduate, Umana studied government and African-American studies and also served as president of the student advisory committee at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. She is now a joint degree candidate with Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Umana called her election by the publication’s editorial board a “great privilege.”

As Harvard Law Review president, Umana will lead a team of more than 90 student editors. Published every month from November to June, the student-run journal has grown to become the most circulated law journal in the world.

Outgoing president Michael L. Zuckerman told Vibe that Umana’s election is “historic” and helps the push for inclusion in legal institutions. “For a field in which women and people of colour have for too much of our past been marginalized or underrepresented, her election is an important and encouraging step toward a richer and more inclusive legal conversation,” Zuckerman says.

Last year, the Harvard Law Review elected its most diverse class of editors since its founding in 1887 by Louis Brandeis, who went on to become a US Supreme Court justice.

https://qz.com/902327/imeime-umana-has-been-elected-the-first-black-female-president-of-harvard-law-review/

Todays Thoughts...

Exactly how I feel today...

I actually have my work laptop and personal laptop open and I am wondering how I got to this stage lol. Self pity is knocking on the door but I refuse to open! Feeling overwhelmed... but  I will take it one day at a time and that's my advice to anyone out there feeling overwhelmed.

7 Relationship questions...

Now that we are done with all the hoo hah  of valentines day, I think there is no better time to share this really inspiring write up by Amy Chan for verilymag.com. I have said it over time that I really love the sensibility & practicability as well as authenticity of Amy Chan's write up. I guess its due to a good place of experience, exposure & a healthy self image which has been developed over time. See more of her writings @ justmytype.ca.

For now however, enjoy this read and don't just read but pick a thing or two ways that you will work at improving yourself/relationship.

Image: servingjoy.com

01. DO YOU BASE YOUR SENSE OF SELF-WORTH ON SOMEONE ELSE?

What is your source of empowerment and joy? Do you depend on your partner or relationship to be your source of fulfilment and to give you validation for your sense of self-worth?

If you do, this is a dangerous situation—you give up control of your personal power and unfairly place a lot of responsibility on someone else to be the keeper of your happiness. The moment your partner doesn’t live up to an expectation, or doesn’t give you enough time and affection, your self-worth suffers. This creates a cycle of neediness and resentment, and pretty soon you’re addicted to factors outside of your control to make you feel whole.

Your happiness should not depend on your partner. Leaning too heavily on any one person or thing in your life—whether it's your relationships, your job, or your material goods—for happiness can mean disaster when one of these aspects of your life gets kicked out from under you. Instead, set healthy boundaries around yourself and your relationships so you don't lose your sense of self. That way, you set yourself up that if one of these things goes away, then you merely lose balance instead of getting completely knocked off your feet.

02. DO YOU DEPOSIT OR WITHDRAW ENERGY FROM PEOPLE?

If you are finding that you are constantly begging for time and attention from others—and getting upset or bitter when you’re not getting the attention you seek— you might want to examine how you’re showing up in those relationships.

In romantic relationships, is your behavior needy? Are you controlling or being demanding with your expectations? Are you nagging, complaining, judging or creating drama? In other words, are you a downer? Or do you make space to let the other person shine and make them feel special? Do you ask questions with a genuine curiosity to connect? Are you inspiring, interacting with an open heart and from a place of authenticity? In other words, are you an upper?

The former attracts people to you. The latter repulses people from you.

People naturally want more of what feels good, so if you feel good, they will want more of you. If you make it an intention to leave people feeling more inspired, understood, and special after each interaction, you will find that more and more people will gravitate to you because you breathe life into them, versus sucking it out. At the end, the only thing people will remember about you is how you made them feel.

03. ARE YOU ATTRACTING THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS?

Are you going through life using an accidental or intentional approach when it comes to relationships? Romantic or platonic—if you do not have a clear idea of the type of relationship(s) you want, you will get a hodgepodge of people that come in and out of your life.

Want to feel inspired and work on achieving more at work? Set the intention to meet like-minded, strong, and resilient people. Want to feel loved and safe in a romantic relationship? Visualize the type of person you want, create a list of values, character traits and ‘must haves’ so that when a potential mate appears, you can recognize him/her. New to a city and want to meet friends socially so you can integrate into a new community? Set the intention to meet connectors who are fun and sociable. Stop making friends by accident. Stop letting people happen to you.

04. IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP ABOUT FEEDING YOUR EGO OR ENRICHING YOUR SOUL?

Use this question as a filter for future decisions. Our egos have an insatiable appetite—the more you feed it, the more you need it. It’s a lot easier to default to being ego-based versus authenticity-based, but know that one creates light, and the other feeds the dark.

When you give, is it from a place of abundance or from a place of ego and fear? If you give from a place of trying to prove your worth you will end up feeling resentful and calculative, keeping tabs on what you are not getting back in return. Giving with an other-oriented spirit, however, lifts your soul and frees you from the stress and worry about whether or not others are giving you what you feel you deserve.

Image: Loveisrespect.org

05. HOW WOULD YOU DATE IF YOU HAD NO PAST?

Perhaps you were cheated on. Perhaps you were taken for granted. Perhaps you were betrayed. Your guard goes up, your heart closes and you approach new potential partners with a “guilty until proven innocent” approach.

It’s unfortunate that we often give so much power to the people who have hurt us in the past, and all the people in our future have to pay the price. It’s time to cut the cord.

Imagine, for a moment, you don't have a past. How would you show up in relationships now? How would you date differently? Would your heart be open? Would you allow yourself to get excited about someone instead of just expecting that person to let you down? The next time you’re on a date, watch out for your tendency to let fear and control take over. Stop and reflect, “if I didn’t have a past, how would I act right now?” When you can just “be” without cynicism of the past and anxiety of the future, you are present. And it’s in that space where magic can happen.

06. WILL YOU TAKE A RISK?

Indecisiveness is an apathetic habit of our culture. We live in a world of infinite options and consequently a prevailing anxiety of “fear of missing out.” Thus, it's tempting to approach life with one foot in, to revel in maybes, constantly hold out for better options, and procrastinate decision making until the last minute. But there is maturity and courage that comes from making a commitment. Commitment takes discipline. Commitment requires integrity for follow through. Commitment takes risk, and with that, the potential for reward. What will you commit to risk this year?

07. IS YOUR STORY SERVING YOU?

Something we all have in common is that each and every one of us will have some version of an imperfect childhood. Even those fortunate to have doting and loving parents will still grow up with an issue, insecurity, or habit that stems from their upbringing.

The degree or type of issues faced in adulthood is not what separates a person who is happy from one who is not. Rather, it’s the internal narrative that we believe in that does.

We are a sum of the stories we choose to believe, and if that story is negative, rooted in insecurity and a place of lack, then that is what we will take out of every experience and person we encounter. We may not be able to change the events of our history, but we can choose to change the story we’ve attached to those events. Ask yourself, what narrative is running your life? Is the story you believe in serving you? When you change the narrative, you change the outcome

http://verilymag.com/2017/01/finding-love-dating-relationships-resolutions

Photo of the day...

The heavens & the earth indeed declare the glory of God Ps19: 1. Sometimes we are too busy to observe the awesomeness of the creator through His creations. Winter, snow, hail, the sun, moon & skies... One minute there is snow & everything looks lifeless & mug, the next however there is the sun & warmth and life starts to spring up again. That season of your life is not forever, light will always shine...

On Replay...

The secret of having joy

‘In thy presence is fullness of joy.’

Psalm 16:11

The word happiness comes from the old English word happ, which means ‘chance’. It corresponds to the Latin word fortuna, which means ‘luck’. Both words suggest that when things happen the way we want them to we’re happy, and when they don’t we’re unhappy. But such happiness is temporary and fickle; true joy is permanent and settled. Some Christians are so serious and solemn they’d lead you to believe God cringes at laughter and hates anything that smacks of joy and delight. The psalmist wrote, ‘In thy presence is fullness of joy.’ C. S. Lewis observed, ‘Joy is the serious business of heaven.’ 

image:namesinlight.co.uk

The truth is, the Bible is one of the most joy-filled books ever written. The words joy and joyful are found there at least 245 times. The word rejoice shows up around 150 times, and we’re instructed to be joyful and rejoice nearly 400 times! That means joy isn’t an emotion, it’s an attitude. An emotion can’t be commanded; no one can tell you to feel happy if you’re not. But you can choose to be joyful regardless of your circumstances. And neither is joy a commodity that can be bought. Many people find out too late that money can’t buy happiness, much less joy. It’s been said that the poor are better off than the rich, because while the poor keep thinking money will buy happiness, the rich know better. Trying to find happiness and joy in materialism is like drinking salt water: the more you drink, the thirstier you get. The secret to lasting joy is in realising that you’re unconditionally loved, valued, and accepted by God.

http://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today-44971.html

On Replay...

Be Resilient...

Life presents us with so many challenges regardless of who we are or what we believe. No one is immune to the vicissitudes of life. However our resilience to situations determines how far we will go towards achieving our dreams. In the previous post, I spoke about my insight to the book of Ezra and the opposition faced at building the temple. Ezra and his men however where unstoppable and you know the end of the story.

Today as I watched Dragons den, and observed Nick Jenkins and recalled his story, I felt quite encouraged.

Image:bbc.co.uk

Now being the founder of Moonpig.com, it took him 5 years of losses & 4 rounds of fundraising before the website eventually made a profit and was finally sold for a 120million pounds(bbc.co.uk) now how can someone constantly incur losses for 5 consecutive years and keep going on?

My mum is the first woman who has inspired me and keeps inspiring me till date. Her resilience is second to none. She is one woman who I think distraction does not exist in her vocabulary. Once her mind is set, there is no going back. Now my mum studied linguistics in Paris and when she got back to Nigeria, she decided to start up a french school at the time to start teaching adults french as a 2nd language. As at the time, it was not appreciated or maybe her packaging was not top notch, so after several losses incurred with rising overhead and no profit, she packed it up. She tried her hands at several businesses and at the end I can tell you that she is presently an influencer in her field with most people looking up to her and coming to her for consultations.

As you go into this week contemplating how to handle those challenges or putting off/procrastinating starting that new venture,remember that the knocks will surely come and giving up isn't an option. Give it your best shot and keep at it until you achieve your goal.

Did I mention I will be consulting for free for start ups and SMEs for a short period of time? 🙂

Take advantage of the offer, it wont be for too long. Send me  a mail if you need my services.

On Replay...

Ezra....

For the month of  February, I have been reading the book of Ezra. Ezra is a 'book' in the old testament in the bible before Nehemiah and after 2Chronicles ):
This is not the first time I am reading it but this time, the meaning was so new to me.
A couple things resonated with me and I will just share a few here

1. Giving to God: The exiles returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and they began to build the house of God, the people gave freewill offerings. Giving to God has never been and should never be enforced. People don't have to be cajoled/ coerced into giving to God.  If it is done out of freewill then it should not be done at all.

2. Opposition: Even though the people, were doing something quite noble, building Gods house, they experienced strong opposition. Now doing the right thing, or even obeying the voice of God does not guarantee immunity from opposition. They faced stiff opposition that even brought the house of God to a halt. If you are doing the right thing and you are sure God is leading you, regardless of the opposition, keep pushing on! The gates of hell will never prevail and victory is certain regardless

3. Deceit: In the beginning of chapter 4, some cynical individuals came to Zerubbabel and offered to help build the temple but their intentions were evil. Be careful of  the people you let into your life who pretend to want to help. They might be your greatest undoing. Learn to be led by the spirit. There is normally more than meets the eye.

4. God factor: I like to call it God factor because it is just too much for us to comprehend most times. Now Chapter 6: 22 says God turned the heart of the King in their favour and rather than oppose them, he was instrumental to the house of God being completed. With God He can bring help from unusual places so be sensitive as you are being led. I believe its he omniscient & omnipotent nature that works out in favour of His children.

Are you reading Gods word?
Are you meditating on what it says? Its never too late to start a relationship with God

Work & Reward

Sometimes we put in so much at work but wonder if its worth it at all. As long as you are not self employed, we go through that phase every now and again. At times like that, I remind myself that I am actually developing myself and learning new things for ME which no one will take away from me and which will be beneficial in the future.

Sometimes though, the reward is quite fulfilling and we quickly forget feeling unappreciated. Today was one of those days. From receiving a mail at 1.28am that ended with "you are not aware how much of a blessing you are", to a really good report from work.

 Sometimes, "when it rains it pours" but on the other hand sometimes the rewards also come in incessantly. I sat on the train on my way back and thought about all that had happened, the words above just came to mind "some days are for work & some days are for reward". If you feel that work is unrewarding, just keep putting the work in because someday it will surely pay off

2017 Skills

Today I was reading an article on the millennial entrepreneur and I came across this question.

The funny thing is that I have not taught about it. I just learn as I go along but this question caught me off guard. I believe in being intentional because what you commit to, you will accomplish.

This year, I have decided to take no prisoners. Yesterday from work, I went for an African investment roadshow that ended at 9pm and saw me coming home at about 10pm. Next week Tuesday, I have an entrepreneurial talk session to attend at the London Business School. But the skills I want to learn in 2017?? I am yet to figure... hahahaha

Do you know what skills you want to learn this year? Feel free to share guys.

Listening to....

There are some individuals I love listening to. This man here is one of them. With the recent issues on immigration, listen to what he has to say.He has this endearing personality and his views on several issues reveal his humility & compassion which makes me like him even more hahaha.

In the News....

I was minding my business, having my toast, coffee & sausages while I had SKY News on (one of my favourite channels hahaha)  & this comes on with a Dr in psychology giving her analysis. She also said 50% of marriages end in DIVORCE..... How did we get to this stage?okay....

My take on this: If you are going into this, make sure your motives are right, your head is right and most importantly that you love & fear God and the fruits of the spirit are evident in your life. (Gal 5;22-23)

Entrepreneur Minds

I believe in thinking big, dreaming big and working hard. I have the tendency to get my hands in so many projects and sometimes I find myself stretched too thin. I always have to remind myself that I shouldn't be a "Jack of all trade & master of none". But whenever that phrase comes to mind, its always short-lived with the bible verse that says "I can do all things through Christ"(Phil 4 : 13) and I just keep working.

However before the end of January, I set a personal target to lose 5kg in February. I believe I was motivated by the fact that I was involved in a 21 days fast in January and there was a slight shift in the scale and I felt I could keep it up in Feb but there's always a thin line between being over ambitious and being real.

So the word for you today, is when you make plans in your business/ life goals, make sure it is SMART.

Are you SPECIFIC with what you want/plan to achieve?
Are the steps you want to take to reach your goal MEASURABLE? How do you track your progress?
Are these steps ACHIEVABLE within your desired time scale or are you in la la land?
Are you being REALISTIC as you set out ways to achieve your goals or you are just hopeful to magically lose 5kg in 28 day? (hahahaha)
And finally like I said in the previous post, have you set a TIME? Are you able to keep track of your learning curve?

Be mindful though, not to spend so much time planning that you end up doing nothing. I am a strong believer that it is better to be over ambitious than be just one boring docile fella!.

Have a great weekend guys!

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