IT IS A FRESH START.

Do you feel alive or have you foreseen yourself going into the light at the end of the tunnel? Well, if you are in this realm welcome back to the land of the living. I tell you, this is the first Easter (I believe) in human history that I am locked up & they won't let me out (those of the 80s era will get it). 

The day has been one of a kind with all of us indoors & not by choice. There I am wondering, is this going to be the norm. Hopefully not, I don't want to go back to the way used to be, but rather to a better brighter future. If you are saying to yourself that you want things to go back to normal, visualize this: "broken systems, lack of unity, stone age systems, crowded scenarios, densely polluted venues, noise pollution et cetera. 

I am just saying the way things that had been have now been overtaken by the events of the time that is. Anyway, back to the motion of the day. What to do you think the rise of the sun in the morning means? Does it have any significance in your life or you just see it as a normal phenomena for the bulb in the sky to light up? 

Let me tell you, for me it means it's a new beginning for the next 24 untainted hours to start a fresh. I am not saying that since it is a another day all has been erased or forgiven or forgotten. Kindly do not get me wrong, what I mean is that the time at hand is an opportunity to see how best you can right your wrongs (if any), rekindle the lost love, get caught up in your work, start that work out routine, meet a new friend, write that article you have been postponing for long, start that running routine & so on. 

It all comes down to you as the determining fact of what is to come as you are the key to the course the wind blows in your sails. I see you shaking your head in disagreement, that is understandable. Yes, there are times external factors become the variables but look at this way, you are still the common factor no matter what happens. 

"It is said that when you trip & fall, try landing on your back. This is because if you can look up, you can get up, don't give up".

You can scream, shout, throw a tantrum like a baby crying for the mother's milk but you have to remember that you are the one in the middle of it whether you like it or not. You are wondering what 'it' is, well means life('comprende!'). All in all, we all have to make the hard or to some easy choice of the path that we want to follow. 

If you ever let your past determine the course your life is to take you shall be shackled to it for the rest of your life. Yes, you did a wrong in your past (we all have something that we are not proud of). Yes, mistakes have been made by you (you are not alone, we are all not angels). Yes, you messed up with the relationship that you had with that special person. 

Yes, you burnt bridges when you thought that your position high up on the ladder could not be taken from under your feet. Well, here is the reality my friend we are in a train in which we are the driver & are directing it in the rail which we want it to go. Though we carry with us a burden that we deem is heavy & which we are unable to let go of or have done so dark a wrong/mistake that you deem yourself tainted like sin, you can still salvage the little light left in you before it becomes all dark or too late for you to be saved. 

Nothing, in this world can make your life dull/dark without you letting it in. You may be facing the worst time in your life & wondering as to why you even exist on this planet. What you need to know is that you will always have a chance to redeem yourself in the times to come. It may take a longer time than anticipated but at least you get the opportunity to face those demons that keep on haunting you, trying to bring you down. 

In your hand you ought to hold that flaming sword firmly that is sanctified to slay all manner of darkness that surrounds your life & tries to make you think that you are worthless, useless, careless, loveless, heartless & so forth. Listen to me, as you read this I want you to know that you are not alone. 

Many have faced the same circumstances that you are going through (inclusive of yours truly) & have pulled through. Knowing that with every waking moment, it is an opportunity to face what is knocking at the door so ferociously welding your mighty sword at the ready. In our modern times that could be the skill you posses, knowledge you have, your character which can suffice as your arsenal against the wickedness or failure traps laid out before you. 

Remember that you are stronger than you look & you will discover a whole new you when life comes at you. It is like standing up to that boss who has been bullying you at work, walking out of a toxic friendship/relationship, resigning/quitting from employment to employ yourself & so on.

"Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing & your attitude when you have nothing".

In light of the days you may have have faced or are yet to face, when you can, listen to this gospel mix by one ZJ Dero (not that I am promoter of sorts), if you are a reggae person, this music will take you to a place of serenity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s_hHbg49EU. I hope the music gets to make your Easter much more bearable & jovial. Be blessed my friend!!!

MY TIME, MY DIME.

Hey you! Yes, you the one who is seated there in your house or at the balcony or the sitting  room or your bedroom as has now become the new normal. Don't look behind you no one else is there & wipe that confused & puzzled look from your face, I am talking to you. All wanted to let you know is that you are blessed & highly favored. 

It may not seem like it, taking it further into consideration that we are now on a county lock down like a mouse in a trap but it is all for our own good (don't you think so?). We shall overcome, have no fear. Though it kind of feels like the earth just sent us all to our rooms to think about what we have done. 

We are social beings who strangely pick an individual to become our life partner, close friend, lover, spouse, best friend & so on. The algorithm for such behavior is unknown to us when we are brought into this world not by our vote or by our decision but by the actions of two who come to tango. 

It is only when we are able to use our matured brain through action that we opt to have that specific person to be the one to spend time with, share our secrets with, discuss our hopes & fears, to lean on their shoulder e.t.c. Why do I take you through this beaten path that you have heard of before? 

Well, it is because as human beings we have a weakness & it is that of not learning from our mistakes & we keep on making the same decision. It is said that if you do a wrong once that will be deemed a mistake, you do a wrong two times then it shall be deemed as a coincidence but if you do a wrong three times this is now declared as a choice. 

Who are you? What are you after in life? Where do you want to be in life? When do you see yourself being where you are meant to be? These are just some of the questions we ask ourselves (or I presume we ask) in our quest to have the right company/social connection around us. 

I remember the first time going to high school (not by choice). I was scared stiff going off to a a far off place more than 180 kilometers away from home. This was a new world to me, where I knew no one & most likely was going to fall into the bully trap. There I was, going to class & wondering what torture is this that my parents have decided to disown me indirectly by sending me far away from home. 

I guess it was to save their fridge which I kept on constantly invading like a locust at odd hours, clearing all food stuffs that was within sight. Don't get me wrong, I believe that they had good intentions. Purposing to make a man out of the boy that I was, so as to be able to stand on my own two feet. 

In the course of this traumatizing experience I got to settle down to have a close friend who I could rely on no matter happened in school. He was called Joe, he was blind as a bat without his spectacles (you can imagine the thickness of his glasses) but he was a worthy friend. 

How did I opt to have Joe be my bosom buddy? Well as life would have it, we had aligned interests & we clicked the first time we met nerdy as he was (I was not the book worm type). We were there for each other considering that high school was literally hell on earth. A nightmare of its own kind that would give you goose bumps just by the mere thought of it. 

Anyway, we all have that person whom we love spending time with no matter the circumstance. You being around them adds more value to your life rather than sucking all of it out. We always hear that if you look at one's friends & it will tell you how a person's character is like. 

This is true to some extent, cause of the people who you hang out with are the ones who will make you create the image that others will see. That person whom you are always around with, are they adding value to your life or just sucking it out like a leech? When you have the time, sit down & analyze those whom you surround yourself with.

Are you always at the club having fun every weekend? Do you find yourself constantly going for road trips? Is each evening spent at fancy restaurants? Are you always in the company of the ladies/men of the night? Is your life more of spending money than investing a part of it? Is most of your time spent on social media than reading of books? 

Well then my friend, you have a choice to make & decide if those who you have surrounded yourself with are worth spending your time on. Don't get the pitch forks out yet to crucify me on the stake, am not saying these are bad to do. In my own opinion what I am saying is that in moderation then it would be reasonable acts once in a while.

We say one should make you a priority in their life & not an option. Remember that time has no rewind button, once it moves forward there is no going back. "Sometimes the strongest among us are the ones who smile through silent pain, cry behind closed doors & fight battles nobody knows about". 

Why did I write this quote, I don't know, may be it is to make you think more critically about your life & what decisions you have been making of late. In all that you do, be good to everybody because life can take a turn very fast & you will never know whose help you will need. This is just as a by the way of informing you what life is all about.

Food for thought:

"When a woman rejects a man of vision and accepts a man of television, she will end up watching the man of vision on her own husband's television. Don't judge a man by his pocket but judge him by his vision. Because where a man is going in life is more important than his present condition".

MY DREAM IS ALIVE WITHIN.

When I grow up, I want to be a pilot. That was me, way back when I was young & thought the world was at my feet. Only to realize that physics, maths & geography were not my favorite subjects in school. Directions or reading a map was not something that I was engraved into my medulla oblongata (I am even surprised I can spell these words without auto-correct) as one of my strong traits. 

Having seen in my high school report forms time & again that this subjects were not meant to be part of my circle of friends. I had to part ways with them with a broken heart knowing that my desire to float in the skies in an aeroplane were gone like the dream to reach Canaan. 

Then, there I was pursuing my other dream to join the military to be a soldier. Envisioning myself, all dressed up in the camouflage regalia armed with the latest weaponry. Skilled in the deadliest of combat skills, master of the knife use & out on the most dangerous of missions. Haaaa, indeed it was a dream that remained as it is. 

I was looked at with puzzled looks & gazing at all the injury marks on my body occasioned by my boyhood mischief & immediately told there was no way I was even going to be recruited. I naively asked why & I was told that soldiers were required to be without blemish so as not to claim injuries marks are of war yet they are not. Well, that dream went down the drain as quickly as it came like a smoke disappearing from a fire. 

I didn't give up yet as I always wanted to fend for the weak, the poor & so on, seeking justice in the corridors of courts of law & more so to dress sharply. Well, fortunately enough that is one dream that I held on & fought tooth & nail to achieve. It was not an easy journey as it had its own perks but as it is said you do your best God does the rest. It took a number of years to get to where I am but I can’t complain but be grateful that I didn’t give up along the way. 

"You can complain about the direction of your life all you want, but until you sit in the driver's seat and begin to drive yourself, you are not going to get where you want to go!" - Les Brown

We all have dreams of what it is that we want in life & where we see ourselves in years to come. I can tell you for free that the stories of those who say I started from nothing & now here I am are true (I think most of them are). If you desire something so much that you can taste it at the tip of your tongue, feel it being within your grasp, know that no matter what comes along your way if you maintain your focus there is nothing which will be impossible for you. 

Anyway don't take my word for it (am no prophet of old like Joshua), you just try it for yourself. Do you all remember the story about excalibur the sword which only King Arthur was worthy of wielding it graciously after removing it from the rock where it had been for years that were. Can you imagine the look on the faces of those who had tried previously (I am imagining those pumped up after working out looking like the hulk) trying to remove it & it hadn't moved an inch. 

Yet here strides this man meant to be the legendary king of Britain who at the time no one knew of his name until that very epic moment. Like a eureka moment on the invention of electric bulb by Thomas Edison, here was the man to change it all. Not to be stereotypical there was also Amelia Earhart who was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She did achieve what had been attempted by many before but failed. 

You will read this & be like this is all hogwash & that am up to my elbows in fantasies. Well, as I said before, you are the one who can determine how your tomorrow looks like. Yes, I agree that things don't always work out the way you want them to. Yes, opportunities become a scarcity like clean air that we so crave so much in the city. Yes, unfairness is all round & you wonder what life is this. Yes, the doors of jobs keep on closing like a crypt. Yes, your day starts of on a bad note to no end. 

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way" - Les Brown

But have you taken time to consider that you are alive & are able to see another sunny day. Just because the sun is been hidden by the dark clouds in the sky does not mean that it has stopped shining. Wait a minute, where was I going with this train of thought, damn I have forgotten? 

Anyway all am saying is that when you really want something so bad, through hard work, patience, persistence, determination, hope, faith, belief & so forth you will go through the murky waters to get where you are meant to be. When you also have the right support system, being a close friend, spouse, colleague, family member who is encouraging, pushing & believing in you. Believe me you will see yourself develop skin hard like dragon scales (not that I have a pet dragon but you get my drift) being invincible & immune to what the world throws at you.

"A person with the right attitude says to himself or herself, 'I may be here in this situation, but it doesn't meant I have to stay here'. When faced with a challenge do you ask: why me? or do you accept the opportunity for you to grow?" - Les Brown

ALUTA CONTINUA!

I think I am going to pull all the hairs from the root of my head (though am balding pretty fast, it looks like a small airstrip is forming)!. There is a heavy feeling of going stark raving mad like a lunatic, I mean like really lose yourself & let out the cave person in you out, chest beating like a gorilla & howling at the moon like a wolf. What is happening all around?

The days have become longer than the nights, the nights have become hot & uncomfortable (maybe it is where I live, hmm). In our normal daily pursuit of earning a living, we have at times craved to get some time off just to get to put up our feet on the table & just let it be. The things on the ground are quite different, what is happening now is not what I had imagined it would be, staying indoors is no easy feat. All I can say, I am grateful that I am alive & I can see each day as a blessing.

The closure of businesses as well as institutions in the country has made the days to drag on end. I can hardly wait to get back to normalcy that once were. However, what I do know for sure right now, is that personal hygiene has gone a notch higher. Who would have thought that you would step out to run a few errands & when you come back to the hood you have to thoroughly disinfect yourself & wash your clothes like as if you are exorcising  possession by demons.

We may find it difficult to close a business for 3/4 weeks or a couple of months, but it is more difficult to close a casket of a loved one or someone close to you for eternity. On that note, social distancing has to be the new normal, washing your hands thoroughly the common routine (sanitize if possible) & get home in got time (we still need you tomorrow).

Anyway, enough with the days that have been & let us brace ourselves for the days to come. For we are a strong people & you my friend have a colourful life ahead awaiting you to seize it. Have you lost hope? Do the walls around you seem like as if they are closing in around you? Do you feel stressed? Are you feeling drained with no more energy to move on? Are you having more questions than answers? Is the light at the end of the tunnel seem far away? 

Well, this should not make you feel like a social outcast or having lost your marbles (going crazy), believe me you are normal. Life has a way of making things look so dark & grey you wonder where is that ray of sunshine. You need to know that you are blessed & highly favored. You are your own cheerleader in this life & if you want change it must start with you as the initiator. 

Whenever you wake up in the morning & you are whole, be grateful for that is not something to be taken for granted. We move in life in the direction that we are meant to be going but it has & will never be easy. You want to achieve that goal or attain that dream that will put your name or reputation on the map but be assured that obstacles or barriers will emerge like a phoenix from the ashes.

You may not anticipate the pit falls but one way or the other something will always try to block your path to your destiny. The obstacle could manifest itself as the lack of finances, your disbelieving family, lack of sufficient or missing of opportunities, back stabbing by a colleague or friend, internal work politics & so forth. Do not fret for you have got this. When you believe in yourself there is nothing in this world which is out of your reach.

You will not like it that the road that you are on, seems to be full of all manner of twists & turn. Remember that if you decide to take a short cut in life, this my friend will be short lived. Nothing, acquired or achieved through dubious means last forever. Take an example of those who steal like our politicians or the robbers that invade our homes. Their lives are either halted by a prison term (to some extent) or cut short by a lead bullet. This is your choice to make as what direction you want yours to take.

Always remember that you are the author of your own book, each chapter is dependent on you as you pen off your ambitions & dreams. When you take life head on, there is no door that you can't open & no window you won't be able to close. 

"You will never reach your destination if you stop & throw stones at every dog that barks".