-
The Contentment Struggle
Back in my university days, I had a particular dorm mate that was notorious for always borrowing stuff. There was absolutely no limit to what he would ask for. Personal stuff like briefs, boxers, roll-on deodorants, etc., were not spared! Interestingly, he was never bothered by the fact that he often gets these items at the lenders’ emotional expense or discomfort. Sadly, many of us, who were his dorm mates, found it incredibly hard to come out with the blunt, single word of, no. Of course, we were acting the Good Neighbours. We also did not want to hurt his feelings. Well, what makes it worse is how he sometimes…
-
Money Matters
When I was growing up, my Dad ran a very successful business and Mum worked at home; okay I would have said a stay-at-home Mum, but I have never been comfortable using that phrase to describe Mum because it somewhat has a way of conjuring a mental picture of a woman who is home all day doing nothing or watching TV – well just throw in a few chores. Okay back to Mum. The phrase just doesn’t suit her. She had nine kids to bring up, two or more extended family per time living with her, and several others dropping in to visit, or spend a few days or weeks…
-
Doing the maths
I had a casual attitude to borrowing growing up. I remember my youngest sister looking at me one day and saying ‘How can you sleep well at night knowing you have borrowed so much?’ She just could not live like that. That is inter-sibling borrowing never mind going outside the family. Occurs to me now that people have different leanings naturally. To be fair, she is still like that. I remember begging her to collect a credit card about 1 year ago. I was encouraging her to seize the opportunity of being offered one to do shopping after which she could give herself years to pay off gradually. She refused…
-
Stinging Love
I know we are in the Love month and there has been so much on love and all those butterflies. Many partners have outshone each other in showing how much they really care and love. I wish I had my own example of this but I would put my own story believing someone’ else would learn from my mistakes. When I first got married, I was a stay at home mum although not by choice. This position made me vulnerable and although I did not suffer any physical violence, I was subject to emotional and financial abuse. And there was hardly anything I could do because I did not have…
-
Love for real
It seems like the year is really running as I find it hard to believe that the next thing on the agenda is St Valentine’s Day. Not everyone believes in celebrating Valentine though but that should not stop us from recognizing what the season or the day represents. Several people use this time to declare their love and I remember when I was in high school, one of my roommates had an anonymous Valentine card.Well, it actually seemed anonymous but as she peered and touched the card, she came across a small seal which she broke. It revealed the name of the sender.He was one of the quiet boys in…
-
Closer than you think
The day has come and it could bring surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant . Some relationships will end today while some will truly begin today . While I do not want to sound like a prophet of doom, the reality of the words you have just read is apt. Bit on the flip side, sometimes we are expecting love to be mystical, all of a sudden and filled with some kind of spooky .Having read so many romance novels and had our fair share of romantic films, we want to cross seven rivers and climb seven mountains to find true love .The truth however is that more often than not,…
-
Self-love & self-reboot
It is February when ‘everyone’ is busy getting ready for Valentine – did you just say not everyone under your breath as you read this? Not to worry, I shall oblige you and substitute the word with the phrase ‘many people across the world’. Welcome to February 2023! Often termed the ‘month of love’, this second month of the year in the Julian calendar is originally from the word Februarius which is a Latin word that means ‘to purify’. The Romans reserved Februarius as the month of purification and cleansing holding the February celebrations every 15th Day of the month. Then along came Valentine’s Day on February 14th which celebrates…
-
Take a moment…
It happened again. I tried, I really did try to make sure it didn’t, but it happened again. Another Christmas and New Year season happened and I was overwhelmed with events and activities. I thought if I contracted the cooking – which usually takes a lot of time – I would be fine and finally get to enjoy the season without the stress, but it still felt like there was a lot to do, and I think I missed a moment … Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve been enjoying our weekly articles so far. There’s only so many ways we can encourage each other to grasp the New…
-
A new start
After the year we have just been through, sitting down to write the usual New Year’s resolutions may be daunting. One of the quotes that have stayed with me since 1998 is by Matthew Ashimolowo – he may be the originator ‘Unless you leave this shore, you will not find another harbour’. The key issue for me is that I am not a quitter, I don’t like to admit defeat, I stick at things until I get to the prize, doggedly determined. Then the time came when I felt pressed enough to leave my job…. I had heard it said and read in the papers that having a baby negatively…
-
Remember “Hakuna Matata”
The beauty of living is the fact that we have the opportunity to learn .Sometimes we learn from our own experiences and although this may have been written years ago, the message sent by this writer still applies today.Enjoy 2019 was a year that started in the basket of euphoria, filled with so many dreams and aspirations from business expansion to career advancement, etc. I am someone who personally loves to strategize and figure out things way in advance of realization. I am someone who believes so much in principles and formulas in the sense that you’ve got to have all structures to guarantee success. While I had all…
