A MONTH WITHOUT MOVIES!!!!

Hey guys,

How has your week been so far? Anyone excited about the weekend? Well I am! Its definitely going to be a long one, all thanks to the government for declaring Friday a public holiday.

Being that I've been eagerly waiting to see fast 7, I'm pretty excited that I've finally come to an end with my 'no movie' challenge for the month of April. I'm sure you all remember my monthly challenge. So far, I've done a month without coffee, a month without junks and now, a month without movies. Of all the challenges I've done for The Year of Living Without, going without movies has been the one with the most mixed feelings for me. One side of me enjoyed being free of movies as I had more time to read, write and hangout with nature as opposed to going to the movies.

On the other hand, I couldn't hang out with family when they watched movies. And if you have a cute mum like mine, you'd know that staying a room away from her isn't such a great idea when you really don't want to see a movie because then, she basically gives you hints about the movie by making loud comments like "Gosh! shoot him already" "why did he have to come back" " I know Sam will die in the end"....you could basically tell what the movie's all about without actually seeing it in itself and this wasn't so great.

A couple of times, I was invited out to the movies but had to turn down or suggest lunch or dinner instead. Other times, I had involuntarily clicked on videos to watch before actually realizing I was on a 'no movie' challenge. On my lil cousins birthday, he wanted us all to watch the first episode of Naruto, one of his favorite anime shows. I had to sit out and I felt bad.

It wasn't so difficult skipping out on movies after all. All thanks to my busy life. I actually got more reading and work done this month than normal which was really great. Although, I really do miss watching my series and I look forward to storming the movies this weekend.

Here are my thoughts on what I think I'd do going forward.

I'd be more selective with my movies. Hence, I’m not going to be watching irrelevant online videos unless it’s to learn something useful.

Only one movie at the theaters per month. That way, I can focus on more productive activities.

And finally, I'd allow myself 4 hours of movies a week and see how well I do with it.

My next month's challenge would be sleeping for only 6 hours daily.

Have a nice weekend guys.

april post: A LITTLE JABBER WITH BENNY ARK!!!

Hey guys,

For those who didn't attend the numerous weddings that seemed to have taken place this weekend, how was your weekend? I hope you'all had a restful one? Asides being on duty at work on saturday, I was torn between going for a friend's wedding, a friend's dad's memorial, a bridal shower and a close friend's dinner party. What's a girl to do when she can't possibly divide herself? I simply had to apply the 'show face' strategy, breezing in and out like the famous Katherine Heigl in 27 dresses. I'm glad I was able to attend all activities even though I ended up staying the longest at the dinner party then the bridal shower.

Look who got interviewed for my 15 for 15 monthly challenge. Benny Ark himself, popularly known as 'The ark of cool'.

Though on a break from radio at the moment, Benny ark is every bit a charmer. With his confident and deep baritone voice, great looks, 6ft, 3inches height and a wonderful stage presence, he warms his way into the hearts of his listeners/audience, earning him a reputation as an on air personality.

He started out as a radio presenter on 96.9 Cool FM Abuja in 2006, and has since then, cherished his dreams and experiences as an on Air personality.

He speaks a bit about himself, his career journey, marriage and parenting in this exclusive interview with my humble self.

Many people know you as an On Air Personality. But I’d like to know more. In three words,please describe yourself.

Charismatic ,Assertive and  Compassionate

What was your growing up like and educational background?

Grew up within a closely knitted family where everyone looked out for each other. I am a graduate of Business Administration from Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma Edo state.

How and when did you get on to Radio?

I got on radio in 2006 through a Radio Reality competition called the Broadcaster organised by 96.9 Cool FM Abuja.

What has been your favorite interview through out your career journey?

I have had lots of interesting interviews and I  wouldn't say I have one favorite interview that stood out above the rest because every interview has it's peculiarity.

What has been the 'best' part of radio work?

Being able to connect, interact and engage with people while keeping them company without being seen.

What's the worst/most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on air?

Hardly one I can readily call to mind.

What's the most memorable topic you've discussed on radio?

Every topic has its relevance and so I'd say all but still the one to come.

Asides the dream and belief that you were born for the lights,camera & action, what other dream/dreams do you have.

Public Speakings.I am doing  a bit of that already as I have a lined up speaking activity within the quarter in some tertiary institutions within the FCT and without. I also hope to own my Radio station sometime in the 'not so' distant future.

Now that you are on a break from radio, what do you keep busy with?

I operate a PR/Event/Advertising firm of which I have always run by the side whilst I was on air. I have a handful of clientele I provide services to and this has been the preoccupation of my time off Radio for now.

What do you consider to be your best inherited asset?

 My intuitive Mind.

Describe your type of woman

That is my wife. Beautiful,intelligent,Classy with a sting of confidence and a simple but stylish dress sense.

As a married man and in your opinion, what would you say are the keys to a happy/successful marriage?

I would say communication,understanding and respect for each other's differences.

What are the three things you are most thankful for in your life right now and what are some of the things you do to show this thankfulness?

Thankful for Life, Family and Purpose. By being thankful in itself and finding ways to show appreciation the much I can by ways of deeds, tokens and by being there always.

What do you consider to be your greatest strengths? Your greatest weaknesses?

My greatest strengths I would say is everything I have informed knowledge on, in relation to my purpose and living. I am intuitive and intransigent.

My weaknesses, unequivocally, I am an impatient soul.

Seeing as you have welcomed your little man Kendrick, in your opinion, what makes a great parent?

Parenting is a two way street.There are roles to be fulfilled (My role and Her role). Our ability to understand our individual roles and assume it makes it interesting. Provision, nurturing, tendering, caring and loving. These and more I believe, are essentials for good parenting.

For those who admire what you do and have aspirations to follow in a similar path, how fulfilling is your career as a Radio personality.?

They should know that fulfillment is the reward you get for going after your passion in the first place and then monetary rewards or fulfillment is based on the value you have and give.

I have a good life and i am living a good life so far.

Wasn't it nice having the ark of cool on board? I did enjoy every bit of my chat with Benny Ark and from sophsinspirations.blogspot.com, we wish him the very best.


Until next time guys,
Have a nice week.

10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT NATURE!!!!

Hey guys,

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty refreshing and relaxing as I got to spend time with family, friends and of course, nature.

I usually love spending time indoors, watching movies, reading books, surfing the net, gisting with fam and most especially, sleeping like a log. This weekend however, I decided to get in touch with someone really special, someone I thought I had neglected for a while:- The beautiful Mother Nature. Oh how beautiful she is!. So beautiful even the blind can see her through the feel of her soft gentle breeze that caresses their faces and cools their bodies. As I laid there in the greenness of the field, gazing at the clouds in the sky, the mountains and trees, the birds and beautiful creatures, I could not but wonder why we go in search of beauty when we have them all around us.

I figured becoming more aware and appreciating nature can truly have a good effect on our view of life and in the way we feel about ourselves. Hence, I decided to share a list of things I love about beautiful mother Nature and I hope you can share yours too in the comment box below.

NATURE IS MIRACULOUS 

Things can never be the same with nature. No matter how many times you look at something, it is always different. Nature can set a sky aflame at sunset or magically transform a familiar landscape into a wonderland. It can paint a rainbow in the sky, paint beautiful autumn colors on trees, or paint a clump of daffodils in the grass with a glow of soft sunlight.

NATURE HAS A GREAT EFFECT ON MY MOOD

Nature has a way of affecting our moods and it can force us to change our plans. For example, when it is sunny and bright outside, we feel cheerful inside. When it is cloudy and rainy, we often feel gloomy. When there is a beautiful and starry night, the moonlight makes us feel romantic.

NATURE GIVES ME HOPE 

When I see the leaves budding on a tree or when a timid flower pushes through the solid ground, or when I smell the freshness of spring or a brand new day, new hope always comes to me.

A PROOF OF GOD'S EXISTENCE AND A REASON TO BE THANKFUL 

When I wake and see the sunrise, when I walk and feel the breeze, when I gaze at the mountains and the splendor of the seas, when I see the earth renew its beauty each season of the year, and when the stars shine at night, I say to my self "only God could have made these possible" and I express my thanks to the Lord for giving us all these wonderful and miraculous things.

NATURE FREELY GIVES ITSELF AWAY

There is no financial cost to reap the rewards of nature.

NATURE LISTENS TO ME 

There is no judgment when it comes to nature, only acceptance and respect.

NATURE SMELLS GREAT 

There is something about the smell of nature that is really hard to blog about because it can't be broadcast over the internet like a photo or even a sound but I'll do my best lol. When I go to a nature park the first thing I do is take a deep breath of the fresh air. Then when I walk towards the trees and grasses, the first thing I smell is the damp earth combined with old fallen leaves. This earthy smell has an instinctive calming effect on me. Also, every tree has its own unique smell too. Some have a sweet smell while others are almost sour or bitter, but they're all good. Walking past a pine tree can be one of the most enjoyable experiences ever.

NATURE DISPLAYS DIVERSITY 

Nature displays incredible diversity in all her glory. There are fat trees and skinny ones, short ones and tall ones. Within a single clump of yellow flowers, you might find a pink one and realize that it’s a mutation. But In nature, we don’t say ‘How wrong! That flower is different; that tree is fat!’ Instead, we say, ‘How beautiful!’

NATURE BONDS PEOPLE TOGETHER 

Nature has a very strong bonding power. Instead of movies, lunch, dinner or holidays, I'd usually prefer going on dates to the park, the beach or just an empty field where I get to experience the soothing power of nature. There's nothing as beautiful as spending time alone with your loved ones in the company of mother nature. She enhances the connection between souls and awakens our senses and emotions.

NATURE HEALS 

The healing power of nature has massive implications for health. Unlike pharmaceuticals, surgery, or even counseling, nature is free and easily available for most people. Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress, increasing pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes one feel better emotionally, it contributes to their physical well-being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Asides from the occasional bee sting or poison ivy rash, nature comes without any side effects. And those are the reasons why I love nature.

I hope this inspires everyone to experience these incredible gifts for themselves.

Have a blessed and beautiful week ahead :D.

5 PROBLEMS WITH EXPECTING TOO MUCH!!!

What makes earth feel like hell, is our expectation that it should feel like heaven. Ever heard that saying? Well, believe it or not, Chuck Palahniuk was so damn right about that.

We often expect a lot of things from people, our jobs, families, friendships, relationships, marriages and much more. We expect people to like us, love us, to suddenly change, to know what we are thinking, to fit our ideas to who they are, to agree with us and to go on and on reading this post lol. Our expectations get so high such that, when we set out on a path, we always have a fairly clear idea of what we hope to find. Women are generally seeking their Soul Mates, and men looking for Power. Neither party is really interested in learning. They simply want to reach that which they have set as their goal. This is not to say that being expectant is wrong. As a matter of fact, an attitude of 'positive expectation' is a mark of a superior personality. However, there are certain problems that come with being too expectant or rather, expecting too much, especially from people.

Now let's do this in numbers shall we?

1) Disappointment

One major fact about being too expectant is the susceptibility to disappointments. As an optimist, I tend to hope for the best in all situations. It doesn't always work out the way I want. But having had my share of disappointments, I've become more aware of my expectations and learned how to hold them in check. The less disappointment we face, the happier we are. The more disappointment we face, the more stressed and frustrated we become. So instead of curling up into a fetal position and giving up, there is a better solution: becoming aware of, and modifying your expectations.

2) Vulnerability

Being too expectant can sometimes seem like being too needy. And whilst we were taught that being vulnerable can sometimes be good, being too needy can live you being tossed around with, in the sense that the true vulnerability comes in being courageous enough to make your want or need known, knowing that the person you’re sharing with might choose not to meet your needs or expectations because it comes into conflict with their;s. Expecting less from people would help soothe you, so you’re not making your happiness dependent upon someone else's.

3) Insecurity

Insecurity is also a product of too much expectations, especially in relationships. Conventional notions of what it means to love, are populated with expectations for reciprocity that often get us into trouble. We want the people we love to reciprocate our love. We expect them to. And when this doesn't happen, a lot of things end up going through our minds which eventually leaves us feeling insecure. We forget that Love isn't constructive but expansive, hence, we get into relationships with typical expectations for attention, time, comfort, and affection—in other words, an agenda.
Not saying there's anything wrong with wanting to be loved but the desire to be loved, to the extent that it is fueled by any underlying agendas can be very problematic. For it often turns a relationship into some version of, “I’ll scratch your back, if you’ll scratch mine.” And love isn’t contractual.

4) Self judgment

We often judge ourselves when we have very high expectations of our lives and future, and then when things don't go according to plans, we end up blaming ourselves, getting depressed and loosing confidence in ourselves. Rather than having high expectations, its better we hope for the best and plan for the worst. We just have to go with the flow.

5) Being a burden

You make yourself a burden when you expect too much. People usually don't like it when you have high expectations of them because just like yourself, everyone else is human and are bound to have their own believes and make their own mistakes. Expectations can sometimes seem like demands and people don't like to be demanded from all the time. Reducing your expectations would definitely make your life easier and increase happiness. You don't have to make your success or happiness dependent on others because as humans, we are all bound to fail in one way or the other.

So that's it!. Now your turn. what problems come with high expectations?

A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE; NEVER FORGET YOUR WORTH!!!

Ever noticed anything about a glass of champagne? Well I have! As a matter of fact, quite a number of things. The idea of a glass of Champagne conjures up feelings of good living, elegance, sociability, and somehow, that only the best in life is good enough.

I remember the first time I had to serve tea to a couple of clients. I had offered a variety of tea flavors including 'nettle' which was considered the 'worst tea flavor ever'. I hadn't tasted it, so I had no idea what it was like. Four of the clients condemned it, saying it was everything but a pleasant tea. At least, from their experiences with it. Some said it was too artificial, some said it was yet another weed that should have been pulled and thrown out like every other dandelion or better still, be dowsed with a weed killer, some said it had an unpleasant smell....the list could go on forever. But the surprising thing was that, the tea that was being condemned by all four clients was requested for twice by the fifth client. He had slowly and quietly sipped his tea like a glass of champagne, while others had been analyzing and criticizing the other tea flavors they decided to try. When asked what he liked about the 'so called nettle' he said 'a healthy life'. He listed out a few benefits of nettle, including a reduction of hypertension, asthma, diabetes, the risk of prostate cancer, skin problems, elimination of cramps and many more which they probably never even knew about.

Now with respect to life, it only meant one thing: 'Value'. Everyone is special and valuable in their own different ways regardless of how they taste or smell, walk or talk, look or dress, Live or love. And if one person doesn't see the 'one' good in you, values or respects you, treats you like a piece of shit or takes you for granted, there are a billion and one people who would adore you, treasure you immensely and gladly sip you like a cool glass of champagne.

You might feel unwanted and unworthy to one person, but you are priceless to another. So when you are being treated badly, dig on your heels, stand up tall and take that walk because no matter how good you are to people, there will always be one negative person who criticizes you or finds all faults in you. But always remember you are a child of the king and you are priceless to him so never ever forget your worth.

Have a blessed and beautiful day. :)  

THE MIND THE HANDS AND THE TONGUE!!!

Hey guys,

Did you all miss me? I actually can't believe I've been away for 7 days. It feels like a decade and I have missed it on here. I'm super glad to be back. Last week was one of my busiest weeks but I'm glad its over now and it paid off real good *wink wink* that should be a story for another day I guess. I hope your week has been great so far? Mine has been quite a slow one.

So I was listening to a sermon on sunday and one thing that stuck deep with me was this; "No matter how hard you have worked, your mouth is what brings results".

I thought about this for a while and while I would have loved to believe that the most powerful thing created by God in the human body was the mind, I figured it was the tongue. It is no wonder that the bible says, life and death lies with the tongue so choose life.

Now there are three things that were made to work together: The mind, The hands and The tongue. Think it, Work it, Speak it. A lot of times we think it and work it, but we forget to speak it, failing to recollect that the outcome lies with the words.

I was talking with a friend the other day and just like me, he makes good use of his hands, In the sense that, he always keeps them busy. He loves to work and he works real hard. He's really smart and he comes up with different great ideas for his project but for some reason, he never gets any results. It reminded me of uni, and how I'd work all night and all day, read all the crooks and corners of the book from back to back, study all the handouts, carry out some major research, digest additional and advanced materials, attend all lectures and seminars and yet, the outcome never really reflected the input. Others on the other hand, who didn't even do 1 quarter of what I did, seemed to have had a better outcome most of the time. At some point, I thought there was something wrong with me that I had worked so hard yet gotten no results. But thinking about it now, I realize I had hindered them from coming by the things I had thought and said with my mouth like: I don't think this would come out great or I know I did poorly. I realized I had marked myself down by my thoughts and words even before being marked by supervisors.

Many a times, we so work hard, we do great things but discover that no great results are coming forth. Most times we tend to get frustrated and give up. But if we really think deep, we will discover that, results are not coming forth because we are hindering them from doing so. We are focusing more on our hands and minds, neglecting the power of the tongue. Our words are the products of our thoughts and it is our words that bring results.

Always do the best you can but never forget, it is what you say after your hard work that brings the result.

Lesson for the day: Be cautious of what you think and say, for you become what you think and your future becomes what you say.

Enjoy the rest of your week. :)

IN THE SPIRIT OF EASTER; AN INTERVIEW WITH GOD!!!

Hey guys, 

Happy Easter. Today, we celebrate the death and resurrection of our lord Jesus christ and In the light of this, I decided to share a little interview with God I stumbled upon. I really enjoyed it and I hope you do too. 

I dreamed I had an interview with God. 
"Come in" God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?" 

"If you have the time," I said. 

God smiled and said: "My time is eternity and is enough to do 
everything; What questions do you have in mind to ask me?" 

"What surprises you most about mankind?" 


God answered: 


"That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. 

"That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. 

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. 


God's hands took mine and we were silent for awhile and then I asked...

"As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"



God replied with a smile: 


"To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives. 

"To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings. 

"To learn that money can buy everything but happiness. 

"To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different. 

"To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway. 

"To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves." 


I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied,


"Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer."



Enjoy your week..:)

REVIEW: A MONTH WITHOUT JUNKS!!!

Hey guys,

Happy new month. This is a late post by the way. I had some internet issues publishing it on the 31st of march which was its due date so please ignore the present date. Nigeria now welcomes her new president. Happy or nah? How do you guys feel about Sai Buhari's victory? I'd love to know please. :D

So earlier this year, I noted down a list of things I wanted to conduct a personal experiment on, monthly. I called it my 2015 monthly challenge. The aim of this was to learn more about myself, test the boundaries of my needs, discover my strengths and weaknesses, develop my will power and make room for new things.

For my first month, I gave up coffee. You can read about it here. I thought it was going to be really though, but it turned out otherwise. All I had to do was find a replacement drink 'Tea', and I was good to go.

Next on the list was Junk food. I had to give up junks for a month. Now as you might have expected, this was actually THOUGH considering the fact that in this age, pretty much everything seems like junk. My challenge began on the 20th of February till the 20th of march. Did I fare well? Nope I dint! Can I get some boooo?

Before I decided to embark on this quest, I was blissfully unaware of my dependency on junk foods. I started off by making the 'no junk food rules' my screen saver, then I made sure I woke up early everyday to prepare some food to take to work so I don't have any reason to order or go have lunch at a fast food. This went on fine for the first 5 days but the 6th day into the challenge, I dreamed of waffles and I had two other food-related nightmares after that. These involved a pizza in one, and different flavors of ice-cream in the other. They were hunting me even in my sleep. To make matters worse, on day 9, I was invited out to dinner with my friends. I tried to bring up excuses as to why I dint want to go but none was taking. I literally felt my body trembling at the sight of hot steaming pepperoni and suya pizza. A couple of times, I said through gritted teeth, "I MUST RESIST." But the next thing I knew, 3 slices were gone and I was placing another order for chicken and chips. I knew I was breaking the rules but I felt there was no need holding back anymore since I had already downed 3 slices of pizza. I thought to have a redo of the challenge but I felt that would be an act of self deceit and not being true to myself. I went ahead with the challenge, determined to stick to the rules this time, and on day 22, it happened again. But this time, condition made crayfish bend. I hadn't eaten all day and it was meant to be half day at work so I dint bother making anything from home since the plan was to come back home for lunch. It happened that somehow, plans changed at the office and we were required to work full day and even overtime. The company had already ordered us dinner but I was trying so hard to stick to the rules since I had already flopped once and wasn't ready to flop again.  I had no breakfast, no lunch and was willing to have no dinner till I got home, when a strong headache from hell struck me deeply.  I figured I needed to eat something in other to save my self a trip to the hospital from a major pass out and junk was my only rescue.  I had loads of Soda, rice and snacks.

My experience with the 'no junk food' challenge taught me a lesson.

Sometimes, we trust in our strengths so much that we forget that no man is above temptation, for even Christ himself was tempted trice. We feel like we have a certain power over our weaknesses, hence, we place ourselves in tempting situations in hopes that we can overcome just by saying 'NO'.

A famous poster of the comic strip character, Charlie Brown, says, "I can resist everything except temptation."

The truth is, we all have weaknesses. It could be women, drinking, porn, drugs, men and all sorts. But its been said: "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14 NKJV).

I knew I had a weakness (Food). I mean, I love food and hardly can you find me turning down garri not to talk of pizza, chips or chicken. I knew that accepting to go to dinner with my friends was going to lead to me breaking the rules but I decided to test my faith, I decided to rely on my own strength in hopes that I would just 'simply' say NO to any offer that arises but the reverse was the case. The thing about temptation is that you have to 'walk into it' it doesn't 'walk into you'. You either voluntarily take yourself into it, or you involuntarily find yourself in it.  Regardless of which, there is always a way out. You already know your own weakness, so If you often give into a certain thing when you are in a certain place, don't go near that place. If you regularly buy something that is destroying you, shop at a different store. If something in your home tempts you beyond your ability to resist, get rid of it. Never rely on your own strength except the 'thing' in question isn't one of your weaknesses.

Overall, giving up junks for a month wasn't as easy as I thought it'll be but I'm glad that I'm learning as I go along. Next on the list would be Movies.

Enjoy the rest of the week. :)