What is the need?

For a couple of days now this song has been playing in my head (What is the need by Orezi) even though the song is quite amusing beat wise and lyrically, I still find great wisdom (and of course inspiration  to write this today) in that song. I don’t know how to explain it but I have to start from somewhere.  The song What is the need can be summarized thus - Of what use is it to have money, power and fame and neither you nor family & friends benefits? I find it quite inspirational because I know and believe that we only live once! Your life here on earth is supposed to be filled with fun filled moments you created for yourself! This life is too short for you to decide not to make an IMPACT or (for better use of word) IMPRESSION on the lives of people especially on family and friends and society at large. I don’t understand why:

• A pretty face would wake up each day with nothing else than a smile! What is the need?
• A wealthy man would spend each day without reaching out to the poor. What is the need?
• A healthy person would stay each day being ungrateful (for whatsoever reason). What is the need?
• A living person would decide to remain hopeless each passing day. What is the need?
• A government would exist only to loot money out of the country. What is the need?
• A senator would pass a bill for girl child marriage (For real in 2013?). What is the need?
• “Industrialist” would kill innovative ideas with bribery and corruption. What is the need?
• A wealthy boyfriend lets his girl look unkempt (hehehehe!). What is the need?
• You would waste energy and time worrying about what’s out of your control. Like seriously What is the need?
• You would spend each day without a fun filled memory. What is the need?

And finally what is the need you read this and don’t share with family and friends – Hehehehe; On a serious note though what is the need you read this and don’t make an impact on lives around you henceforth?

Is Gratitude Laziness?

As I sit here tonight crying (not because am sad or hurt but recollecting painful memories) all I can say to my friend is “you don’t understand”.

I have been accused of being lazy at every household chores but I know am not. Yes, I know am not because I grew up without a silver spoon. I grew up in a house which was uncompleted for several years where all the elements rain sunshine heat and cold was all but norm. A house shared with domestic animals goats, sheep, chickens where I have to wake up every morning to sweep out livestock droppings right in the middle of our soon to be sitting room,  It was hilly and I had to sweep uphill each time. I washed dishes with soda soaps on the red soil outside after every meal time come rain or shine. I prepared meals with firewood even during rainy seasons and times when there wasn’t firewood I improvised with (nylons) plastic bags and blew my lungs out to make food ready. My family kept old books and clothes for many years so the younger ones can have something to read and wear when they get to my age (I Am the first child) there was always heaps of this and that, not that we wanted to but we needed to. I grew up sleeping on a bed with no bed sheets or blankets, with no pillows or teddies nothing but the barest necessity. My chores were the hardest growing up. I fetched water from distances as far as 2 miles (Mind you I drew water from deep wells). I go in search of firewood, I at times sell vegetables and fruits, I swept the muddy or dusty environs (depending on season) with my back bent so low and still succeeded at academics; and you say am lazy?

• Forgive me if I wake up in the morning and I see shiny tiles and beautiful rugs and I assume I don’t have to sweep but twice a week – Am only being grateful the floors aren’t mud and animal droppings.
• Forgive me if I wake up and I don’t “neatly” arrange the bed and teddies but only when I have to lie on it – am only being grateful that those are now my concerns when I want to sleep.
• Forgive me if I wash my clothes once in 2 weeks – Am only being grateful I don’t have to wash them every day because that’s all I have.
• Forgive me if I don’t arrange my jeans and clothes in a particular order. – Am only being grateful that now I have clothes I can keep in any order.
• Forgive me if I take my time to cook a meal. – Am only grateful that I don’t have to worry if it rains while am cooking.
• Forgive me if I don’t put a bottle of water in the refrigerator. – Am only grateful now I have drinking water a tap away.
• Forgive me if am being lazy and stubborn now about house chores. – Am only grateful now that life seems better and house chores seem so simple, as simple as an hours activity when am ready for it.

You can’t be through what I have been through and not feel the same way! But if my Gratitude is being seen as laziness I guess I have to find another way to be grateful. *Phew!

Just had to take this off my chest I hope it is not too personal. Let me know how you feel.

BEST OF YOU!

BEST OF YOU!- Who Am I?

 Good evening dear, this is me Queen Cwen ready to do my thing here on this platform – Being the best of me and also spreading this message as a virus for you to be the best of You. To be the best of you means to be what you want to be in life; that which is your ultimate desire. The basic thing to know to be the best of you is:

•  who you are 
• what your purpose in life is 
• Advancing to the next level

 These are important guides to help you stay focused in a life full of challenges and struggles that could weigh you down and keep you off track of your passion or vision. When you know who you are, where you are coming from, and where you want to be then you start to appreciate and value you!

 Who am I? 

 I have found out (based on personal experience which I believe would resonance with you) that to know yourself first you have to know

1.  why you must be happy – always 
2. what makes you truly happy, 
3. what inspires you or fulfils your mental yearnings 
4. what brings illumination to your spirit 
5. why you act the way you do

 I believe many more could be added to the list above but being aware of these few points would help you achieve self awareness and appreciation which is key in living a fulfilled and happy life; because now you have the key and power to your own happiness. Nobody except you can take away your happiness. For example, I know that reaching out to people, being grateful and being creative gives me so much pleasure and happiness, so I ALWAYS find myself doing creative things even if it is a mere thought of how beautiful my surroundings are, and I consciously or subconsciously begin to work my art on those thoughts, I always find myself happy doing that no matter what is going on around me because I believe am doing what I was born for- to enjoy, explore and recreate life!

 Now back to you. To find out more about you. write down answers to the following questions and I believe you would have a clear picture of who you are and what makes you happy.

1.  What do I want to do for myself that can make me happy always and why? 
2. Do I have a healthy relationship with family and friends? 
3. what do I want to do for my family and friends that can make me happy always and why? 
4. Do I love myself and why? 
5. Is my love for myself dependent on any persons perception of me? Please if yes, take a deep breath and say to yourself “I Love Me!!!”, you could even make it a part of your morning exercise chanting “I Love Me!!!” while exercising, you can’t be the best until you begin to love yourself. 
6. why must I be happy? – Your answers to the questions above would help you answer this question.
7. Am I hurting and why? 
8. Do I forgive easily? If no, you can learn to forgive by pretending you are a child again, mentally assume you got nothing in the world to care about, because you truly need to don’t careless of whatever it is. Worry is the root of an unforgiving spirit.

 When you know who you truly are and what you want to achieve then -Viola! – you have a reason to be happy because you can only be happy for yourself! Remember happy thoughts and happy scenarios should always surround you, arm yourself with them always! Well that’s my version, would love to hear what makes you happy and what you do to always remain happy on my twitter handle @Cwensworld or Facebook account: Cwen Eleonu. Adios!

As a child below 7yrs of age, i loved to draw stick figures and create scenes of picture stories while narrating them to my friends/classmates. I normally pause holding my pencil fixed to paper(probably thinking of the next scene) and saying "uhm","ehen" to punctuate or create suspense before drawing the next scene.
At the age of 13, i wrote a short love story(i was always fantasising about love) and gave it to a family friend to read. Annoyingly, she lost it(gave it to a friend who also gave a friend!). Then i never knew it was a talent.
Then i found myself writing poems! I kept it to myself for a while because i did not think anyone would love it until i started going for debates for my outstation C.Y.O.N group and i always WON! They noticed my writing talents(they read my debates) and encouraged me to post up motivational write-ups on our notice board. Though am not the prep-up kind of person, i still posted my poems. This gave me a challenge to write more as i wanted to see fresh articles every sunday. It made me happy. After i left for a higher education and the writings stopped.
At the beginning of my 2nd year, i got heart broken; my fantasies weren't real. I cried my heart out for three months(can you believe that?!). Later i was ready to pour it out to someone. He(val) cared about me(or so i thought; i liked daydreaming he was my TDH!) so i tried to say it all but i could not, then i brought out 3 poems i had written during my heart break. He said"wow! You have a great talent, what are you doing about it" bang! It hit my head that i was a born writer, then he said "hope you keep a collection of your poems". I felt bad for not keeping my poems. I decided to do so even if it was using my old school notebooks!
Another talent i found along side was drawing fashion wears. I drew designs for my Prom dress. My mum bought the wrong color, took it to the tailor and described something else:). In my 3rd year, i designed a beautiful top(it had a dropping neck line) and skirt for a room mate, she was so excited about the finished product(guess she had a good tailor!) that she asked me to draw designs she would use as a chief bride'smaid for a friends wedding! I was happy! I didn't draw for a long time. I had no motivation. In my final year, i drew a gown for my thanksgiving service. The tailor tried to get it but not exactly how i wanted it. It was still beautiful(at least thats what people said).
So now i know am creative. Oh! I forgot to mention that i started writing my own novel in my 3rd year. Great right?! Yeah, but my problem is motivation. I know if i put my mind to it and i have a pen and paper i would put beautiful thoughts on that paper. So now i tell myself"you have to be self-motivated because no one can bring out what you've got inside of you". Now i make it a habit to write or draw whatever i feel the moment i feel the urge instead of postponing or saying it ain't worth it. Thats why am writing this now.
So far so beautiful! Am glad to do this, but i've got to go now. See ya all later. Bye!

THE AWAKENING !

THE AWAKENING !

Hello friends and loved ones am dedicating this to all who have found themselves in a depressed state or feel beat up in life. I believe all you need is your own voice speak to you (as mine spoke to me below) and am hoping this helps a lot because I have been been there, I felt the desolation, I totally understand it and don't want anyone down that path. It may seem the only way to be now but trust me it gets you nowhere where you want to be. I also know one thing: no one else can take you out of that state except for you! I love you, please feel free to speak to yourself the same way I did and exhilarate in joy and freedom!

Am far too old to keep being in this state I say to myself its time to belief in yourself and grow with your potentials. The grave is full of great potentials they say but I keep thinking not mine. Its time to act and not think alone. I know if I say to myself lets do it and I put my self into it without looking back or thinking of society limitations I will make it. No need for down moments, no need for what ifs , no need for had I know. no need for regrets babe! Get up, do your best, do what you truly love and what will reflect your personality, take the bull by the horn, bite the tiger by the tail ( whatever that means; hehehe) , arise and shine I say to myself for nations are waiting for my manifestation.
I know it in my heart that I was born a star and today I arise to confirm it because my spirits affirmation consolidates it. In my language- The Ibo Language, there's a saying that goes thus " Onye kwe, Chi ya ekwe" meaning if you agree your God agrees! and that's my stand in life hence forth! No more depressions, no more excuses, no more emotional battles, no more limitations, no more distractions for me; henceforth. I arise and shine like the star I am and I forge ahead with the speed of light cause I've been illuminated with the truth that I am my own limitation. knowing today that am unstoppable is all I need to run with. I take a stance today to be the best of me, to become great through my uniqueness,my strengths, my style, my creativity and nothing else but originality. if I fall tomorrow all I have to do is get up and take another step or leap just like a child learning to walk, knowing there's nothing to loose but all the experiences to gain. I now live with no regrets, no fear, no limitations and no worries whatsoever.
Today I arise, today I stand, today I fly and now am soaring like on eagles wings because I have been awakened in my spirit! there's no tomorrow, there's only today! Am making the best of Today because Today only matters! Today I exist and the world knows today I exist! Its the morning of my Today and am wide Awake!

I hope this worked for you. Let me know so you can comment here on my blog or my twitter handle @Cwensworld. Ciao!