BOOK REVIEW: TWENTY SPIRITUAL LESSONS FOR CREATING THE LIFE YOU WANT!!!

Hey guys,

Its February! Happy new month folks. I hope you all enjoyed January even though It fills like it just went by so fast. Anyways, February is here now, and the elections are pretty close. Anyone getting a bit nervous? Don't worry, God's got it.

Remember when I attended the toast master's international which happens to be my new club? I won a book titled: The way of the wizard, Twenty spiritual lessons for creating the life you want by Deepak Chopra and I promised I was going to share some of the lessons as I go along but I figured it was best to just read it, and then give a general review.

So here it goes.

SUMMARY:

In this book, Deepak Chopra uses the metaphor of Merlin raising the future King Arthur in the Crystal cave to teach the reader 20 lessons that will transform the reader's life.

Each lesson or chapter is divided into three sections. The first section tells a story where Arthur learns his lesson from Merlin. The second section is understanding the lesson where the teaching is given further explanation. The third section is called Living the lesson which is how to apply the teaching to daily life and the final chapter teaches the 7 steps of alchemy. They are a nutshell summary of all that Merlin taught Arthur.

REVIEW:

What I really found interesting about it, was the way the spiritual lessons were interwoven in a mystical setting and I had to sorta unwind and summarize the lessons using a christian setting which was how I was able to relate till the end. Though, it was a genre of philosophy and spirituality hence, there were some lessons that dint quite seem true or make sense to me. But oh well!, I stuck to my own christian setting and wrote down the lessons in my christian opinion.

Lesson 1

“A Wizard exists in all of us. This wizard sees and knows everything. It possesses the secret of immortality.”

There is a God and he dwells in us as we were created in his image and likeness. He sees and knows every thing about us as it is said in Hebrews 4:13: Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is covered and laid bare before the eyes of him whom we must give account.

Lesson 2

“The return of the magical can only happen with the return of innocence.”

Just like a child, the world looks so beautiful and through its eyes, every moment is magical. But as it grows old and looses its innocence, the world becomes a hard reality and its perception of life begins to change. But until we learn to see the world through the eyes of a child, life may never be magical.

Lesson 3

“The scenery changes, the seer remains the same.”

We are the scenery and God is the seer. The only all-knowing view is God’s. Man is a distinct and willful creature who can perceive correctly or incorrectly. Our perceptions, can either through intuition or through rationality both be equally flawed.  Yet the rational is dependable enough, through which God can communicate objective truth to us in history and through the rational mind.

Lesson 4

“It is your destiny to play an infinity of roles, but these roles are not yourself.”

You have the ability to be whoever you want and do what ever you want through christ. For it is said in Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through christ who strengthens me. So therefore, we can play any role not by our power or might, but by the abounding grace of God.

Lesson 5

“Wizards don’t believe in death.”

There is life after death and it is eternal.

Lesson 6

“The wizard’s consciousness is field that exists everywhere. The streams of knowledge contained in the field are eternal and flow forever”

God is eternal and all-knowing, in Whom is all wisdom and knowledge.

Our goal is an objective knowledge of truth and a relationship with God.  We are finite and are not all-present or all-knowing.  God entered the world in the person of Jesus Christ that we might know Him, the only true, omniscient, and immortal God.

Lesson 7

“When the doors of perception are cleansed, you will begin to see the unseen world.”

Purification is a moral and real predicament of humanity. When our hearts are purified and sanctified, only then can we begin to experience God in greater and wonderful ways.

Lesson 8

“The seat of power  is in the inner self.”

Love is self-acceptance and setting aside the physical ego to discover the true self within. Through this, one experiences the power of love. To be in tune with the huge inner force of your true inner being is to be carried away in the true power of self.  This deep inner awareness of unity and of realization of being a privileged child of the God is the power of love.

Lesson 9

“Intentions compressed into words enfold magical power.”

Ask and it shall be given.

Lesson 10

“We all have a shadow self that is a part of our total reality. When the shadow self is embraced, it can be healed. When it is healed, it turns into love.”

Inside of us, many different concepts of who we are compete to have life.  Learn to embrace the shadow self inside whom you may have imprisoned. Through breath control we can contact the competing personalities within us and the memories from our past. We can release old energies and negative judgments and feelings of guilt and heal our true shadow self.

Lesson 11

“The wizard is the teacher of alchemy. Alchemy is transformation.”

God transforms man through His love and grace;  our hope for transformation is to walk with God.

Lesson 12

“Order is another face of chaos, chaos is another face of order. Human order is made of rules. The wizard’s order has no rules—it flows with the nature of life.”

God has ordered life and oversees it for a purpose. Life brings with it things that are hard to understand. There are events in our lives that are hard to discern for purpose.  Yet God has revealed His purpose to those who seek Him and look with wisdom.  We can observe truth and principles from which we can make rules to help us live. God Himself has spoken to us rules that explain His goodness and rightness.

Lesson 13

“The reality you experience is a mirror image of your expectations.”

The visible world is real, but is not all there is. There is also an invisible world. It can be misconstrued as our perceptions may be misconstrued.  There is an objective reality we should not escape from into the world of  our imaginations and possibilities, but we should deal with the facts of our human existence.  There is another spiritual dimension to this world, just as man is more than his body, but also is spirit.

Lesson 14

“Wizards do not grieve over loss, because the only thing that can be lost is the unreal.”

The soul is real and lives on after death.

Lesson 15

“The purest love lies where it is least expected.”

Love is a true denial of self, it includes the love of enemies, even those who have in reality deeply harmed us.

Lesson 16

“A wizard exists simultaneously in all times."

God is not limited by time or space.

Lesson 17

"Spiritual truth is a series of clues into the mystery of life."

 God does work in our lives and there is meaning in the details and daily events of our lives.  But we cannot interpret events in any way we please.  The basic truths of life have been revealed to us by God about Who He is and the nature of man and the world.

Lesson 18

“Spirit wants to meet you. To accept its invitation, you must be undefended.”

To try to live above morals and law and evil is a deception. The solution to evil is not denial, but to resist evil and to seek goodness, forgiveness, kindness and grace.

Lesson 19

“Wizards never condemn desires.  It was by following their desires that they became wizards.”

Desires must be evaluated as good or evil. One might desire his neighbor’s possessions or wife. To act upon those desires would be evil. To use base desires as a way of learning to desire higher things is a deception. To fulfill desires will never satisfy those desires, but will create a larger hunger for more.

Lesson 20

“The most good you can do for the world is to become a wizard.

Walk in the way of the God. You are one with the earth and must join your spirit to her. You are a person, but you are also a part of the earth itself.  Know this and walk at one with the spirit of God.

So that's it guys!

STAY POSITIVE!!!

I woke up this morning in a very unusual way. It felt like I had been sleeping for about 20 hours and I was bored. It was still very early to begin my morning routine, so I decided to go through some old pictures on my laptop and then, I stumbled upon a throwback from my brother's high school graduation

I still remember the joy I felt on that day and the look on everyone's face when he was called out, not only to receive his diploma as a graduate, but to receive the social responsibilities award, as he had successfully balanced his numerous school responsibilities and his academic life. It was a look of astonishment and delight all together. He had made it and beyond.

Prior to that particular day, he had undergone a minor surgery where his index finger had been slit open as a result of a deep infection that had affected his collateral ligament at his distal phalanx, and was required to be taken out. This was a traumatic injury and this was his final semester in his final year. He had extra credits to make up in other to graduate, projects, course works, presentations and all those deadlines that came with final year, along with other school responsibilities and compulsory extracurricular activities. More worse, he had missed a couple of classes during his surgery period and his final exams were just a few weeks away.

How was he going to do all these in so little time? His teachers were worried, his friends were worried, everyone was worried. He was advised to postpone his graduation and take his time rather than risk working under pressure at the expense of his health. But he insisted otherwise, and to everyone's wonderment, he graduated successfully and even won an award. When asked how he was able to pull it through regardless of his situation, he replied with two words : STAY POSITIVE.

In life yeah, we face a lot of challenges ranging from the loss of a Job or a position to job hunting, financial crisis, family issues, marital problems, academic challenges, parental issues, pressure from work and all sorts. And most times, we believe that the solution is to work and pray, which of course are great, but we forget the hand that actually lights the match that sets the bush on fire: ATTITUDE.

Attitude is everything. You cannot pray or work to get a positive outcome without a positive mindset/attitude. And if you haven't noticed that we live in a negative world, then you haven't really been paying attention. Situations will discourage you, people will laugh and mock you, friends will send negative energies your way and over time, the pressures of the world, if allowed, can steal the love and joy from your life which would eventually lead to a negative outcome.

So in all our works and prayers, let's not forget that the battle is won and lost in the mind. STAY POSITIVE.

BLOGGERS RAP SESSION WITH JANYL BENYL SHARES!!!

Hey darlings,

How are you today? I hope you all had a great weekend? It suddenly feels so hot! I think I prefer the hamattan period to be honest. At least, I could snuggle into my duvet without having to toss around the bed looking for a colder spot. It feels like this is going to be a great week though. I can feel it in my spirit. I have a mini project I am pursuing and I am anticipating something good out of it, God willing and fingers crossed.

So, remember that my 15 for 15 challenge? Yeah! Yeah! that one, I eventually came up with a topic and decided that since Janyl had resolved to giving us a task, then I might as well task her too by making her my first interviewee for the year 2015.

Sometime last week, I mapped out a number of questions with respect to blogging, and I was able to get her to share some of her experiences with it thus far.

So guys, here goes miss janyl benyl:

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi I'm Janyl Benyl

I am a writer, Health Advocate and blogger.

How did you first get involved with blogging?

I started one myself. It is my personal life and style blog - www.janylbenylshares.com/www.jbshares.com

What do you find most challenging about blogging or about picking your topics?

Sharing too much

Tell us about some of the people you've met while working on your blog?

I've met quite a lot of people. From inspiring writers, to readers that reach out, to people I have ended up working with. It's a very vast world out here with diverse possibilities.

How would you describe your blogging style?

Personal - I write a personal blog that also touches aspects of life in general, as experienced by most people in our societies today.

Narrative - I just love to write unending tales

Simple - I try to stick to words that are easily comprehensible

What do you do when you aren’t working on your blog?

I concentrate on building my career. I am a Public Health Specialist

Are you a full time blogger?

No, blogging is a hobby

What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?

Connecting my blog to my other social media networks.

How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.

I draw inspiration from almost anything. I get inspired by just living life and meeting people.

What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Or Readers?

Content, 'Cause with good content, every other thing can still be achieved.

Most people have a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?

To be honest, I don't. When you have a lot of posts, it is hard to keep track of them.

Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?

I love Stephanie Linus - www.stephaniedaily.com

I love how she is very consistent with sharing good content that are tailored to meeting people's everyday needs.

If someone was interested in blogging, what would be a few things you would suggest?

Find a niche, Network and never feel the need to compromise any part of you for the stats.

Thank you miss Janyl, it was nice having you on board :)
    

JanylBenyl is a public health specialist and a Nigerian blogger who focuses on lifestyle, Inspiration, information, fiction and fun.

Follow her @janylbenylshares.blogspot.com for more of those.

PS: please guys, visit Detuke at tukesquest and nominate her for Best New Blog, Best Lifestyle Blog and any other category you deem fit in the Nigerian Blog Awards, It won't take up to 5 minutes so please go fill in the nomination form, Thank you,

And enjoy the rest of the week. :D

just a call: THE IRONY OF LIFE!!!

It was one of those days when everything seemed to have been working against me.

First, it was stomach cramps from hell during the day, then the stress of having to go to the bank, only to discover that my bank statement wasn't really in favour of me, then having to go home to a pile of huge boxes and cartons of stuff waiting to be off loaded and organized. As if that wasn't enough, the people I was hoping to get home to (for consolation), had decided church camp was going to be home for them for the next 3 days. They had dashed off for a church program and had left me all by myself. What's a girl to do?

I was home alone with my worries, so I thought it was best to just get busy. Prior to this time (9pm), my phone was really busy. I had been receiving a lot of calls from mama, aunty, brothers, friends and colleagues but as soon as I decided to get busy, 'Sorry' was my name. I slipped in the process of lifting up a box and got injured on my left eye (I'm presently writing with a red eye even as I am short sighted lol). As if that wasn't enough, my phone had fallen so hard that I thought "this is the end". Luckily for me, it still had its parts intact but I was unable to do anything with it. The keypad had gone haywire and I couldn't even unlock the phone not to talk of texting or dialing any number. I had held in a lot for that day and I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to talk to someone but there was no way I could call.

I sobbed and sobbed waiting for mama's call, waiting for friends' and siblings', waiting to pour out the pain and worries I felt at that time. They had been calling all day (checking up), but no one did at that particular moment I really needed to rant. I stared at my phone like a kid anxiously waiting to see what present mum got him but nothing came in. Just as I was about to switch of the phone entirely, and find solace in my bed and with my pillow, a call came in and it read Duru Adolphus Jnr. (Can't thank you enough dear). He stayed the whole time just listening, after which he gave me some words that finally sent me to sleep.

Isn't it funny how life can be Ironic sometimes? Isn't it funny how the people we least expect to be there for us when in need are the ones that surprisingly show up? This might seem very small or even irrelevant but its the very little things that count the most.

One thing I have noticed in life is that when all is rosy and smooth, everyone is by your side, walking it with you but when the thorns reveal themselves, only a few if not none, would be present. The funny thing is that most times, it is often always unintentional from those we expect to be there for us and are not. If you could be at the other side, you would find that they think you are fine and at that 'Critical point' when you need them, they are probably occupied or even going through the same thing as you, seeking for an ear to listen. But I guess that's the irony of life.

Picture this: while my phone was marred and I needed someone to talk to, I had none but one (one I had just met 3 weeks ago on blogsville not even in person). But the minute I was fine, fixed my phone and left it charging for an hour the next day, I got back to 5 missed calls from 5 different people I had known for years lol. So tell me! How ironic can it get?

Enjoy the rest of your week.. :D              

SHINE LIKE GOLD by OLAEDO!!!

Hey lovelies

Happy weekend. I hope you all had a good week cuz I dint. Well, not deeply, but for the most part. This week was one hell of a stressful one for me. I was more or less juggling work and relocation and it wasn't even sexy at all cuz I was a bit disorganised but we thank God for the weekend. At least, I could get myself more organised and also rest as much as I can, even though I may never really get enough sleep to make up for the stress. Also, I've been hearing this postponement bants concerning the elections and its not really pleasant to my ears or what do you guys think? February 14th or nah?

Anyways, while you think about that, let me introduce you to a special lady, one I love so much, filled with dignity and principles, a lady of substance and virtue, a friend, a sister, a support system on its own, a comforter, a source of inspiration, a beautiful soul, a gifted mind, a writer and a Singer: Miss Olaedo.

Ola was one of the first girls I met 8 years ago and thought to my self "oh wow! she must be a barbie". She was so cute and cuddly at first sight. Though, she was a bit shy and quiet. I still remember what she wore on the very first day to school: A white tank top with a cute yellow half jacket/hoodie over it, a white three quarter pants and what I called the "rope-rope sandals" lol. Trust me when I say she was really cute. What really drew me to her was her heart. She was so kind hearted and down to earth + she was one person I could really relate with on a personal level. We were very alike and similar (character wise), + we shared a lot together: our dreams and aspirations, our likes and dislikes our family bants, our foods, money, lip glosses and many more. What marvelled me the most about this young lady was her VOICE. It was BEAUTIFUL just like her. I never knew about her gift until one very day when she was called out to the front of the class by one of our teachers (after we were caught gisting while lectures was on I think), and was asked to sing to the class as her punishment (knowing she was the shy type)lol. It turned out we begged for her punishment to be prolonged. Her voice was AMAZING!! (I still can't get enough of it) . And you know the funny part? The sang song was actually amazing grace.

To cut the long story short, Ola has decided to take on her singing career after several backs and forth and I am super excited about it..Woop! Woop!. Her first album (soon to be released), is titled "Shine like gold" and its basically about life and our day-to-day living. It focuses on purity in all areas of our lives and encourages us to be patient while being refined, defined and burnt cuz in the end, we'll definitely shine like gold.

Please visit her Facebook page here  and give your likes. Also look out for her first music video which would be coming out real soon. And don't worry, I'll keep you guys updated.

Before I end this post, I would like to say Tuface was right when he said we are all gifted and unique in our different ways. You know some times, we feel we have nothing to give to the world or nothing to offer, we feel like our gifts and talents aren't good enough to be used, more worse, we feel like we're just out to exist and enjoy other peoples talents rather than have them enjoy ours. I have felt exactly the same way myself. But one thing I have realized is that; for every man God created, he gave a talent. Sometimes, they are apparent and accessible. Other times, they are cloaked and you have to reach deep, find them and develop them. What ever the case, you have it in you. So, Search deep within today and make good use of your gifts cuz that's why your daddy gave them to you.


Enjoy the rest of your weekend..:)

15 for 15 challenge_ Introductory post

Hey guys,

How has your week been so far? Mine has been pretty slow and I just don't know why.

Something really funny happened to me yesterday. Okay so it was one of my cab hopping days and I had taken a cab after work to go see a friend at a lounge, who briefly came in from Lagos and needed to be out of Abj the following day. Before that, I had told my mum and aunt I was going to be home late, as a colleague had offered to drop me home, but it was going to be a bit later than the normal time. Only for me to stand by the road side, waiting for a cab(after briefly seeing my friend), and BAM! my aunt pulls over in her car.....The rest of the story is for the gods lol. Morals: Always say the truth at all times even if a NO! is all you"ll keep getting.

Okay so I was introduced to Janyl Benyl’s 15 for 15 blogging challenge by one of my favorite bloggers Duru, who won the previous 14 for 14 challenge and thought it'll be nice for me to participate in the 15 for 15 challenge.

This challenge entails each blogger to put up fifteen posts on a theme not currently covered by his/her blog. Now I was quite skeptical about joining but then it clicked. I am actually on a 15 for 15 personal challenge myself lol. I decided to start my 2015 monthly challenge where I have to give up something for each month like in this post, or try out something I think I actually can't do, basically just to learn more about myself and develop my will power if that makes sense. So this is a good opportunity for me as well, cuz its a challenge and I am challenging myself to see if I can not just start, but keep up till the end. The theme I have decided to use is more or less An Interview where I basically meet certain people, choose a topic and share their opinions on each topic.

Yeah! So that's about it guys

Enjoy the rest of the week. :)

COPING WITH FEMALE COLLEAGUES!!!!

Hey guys,

So I have been working for quite some time now, and when I mean working, I mean in a real professional work field, where life basically gets real lol. Being that I work with a construction company, my coworkers are overwhelmingly male. So overwhelmingly male, that in fact, I am only one of three women in my department for now.

Le collègues

As we all know, there are certain stereotypes that have been associated with women in our society, especially in the work field. I for one, have always bought into the "its better to work with men" stereotype, probably because, for the most part of my life, I've lived with women, schooled with them, worked with them (in terms of group projects, event planning and activities), chilled with them, and I tell you, those moments haven't been easy movements at all lol. Often times, I get the opportunity to speak with quite a number of employees at different organizations, and a common phrase I hear is "I really don't like working for women". What is it about us tho? A friend of mine once said "Where two or three women are gathered, there's bound to be commotion" lol do you guys agree? What do you think about working with women?

To be very honest, I think there are different expectations and perceptions about women at work than there are of men because narrow gender stereotyping has defined the way we should behave. It is no doubt that women can be quite complicated, competitive, bitchy, aggressive and envious of each other, hence, I find that, with working with women, one has to be very careful with what they say or do which makes work days so boring lol. Men on the other hand, are more free spirited and a lot easy going. They tend to take things less personal and they have a better ability to endure and tolerate certain attitudes. Though, Ego is a major issue for them and they Indulge in bickering and petty gossips too. But this isn't another article explaining how biological or economical differences between men and women account for difference in behavior.

The aim of this post is basically to point out ways we can cope with colleagues cuz workplace conflicts are almost inevitable, especially in large offices. Personality differences and different approaches to communication and work style are bound to occasionally create friction, even in a generally happy and productive office environment. That said, it is important to prevent minor personality differences from getting in the way of your work, so it is a good idea to be proactive in preventing office tiffs and also to resolve quickly any tension that does come up.

Here are a few ways I cope with my female colleagues.

TAKE YOUR JOB SERIOUSLY:

Regardless of your position, do your job with joy and reduce complaints. This would enhance your productivity and make every other person's job a lot easier for them. Complaining and nagging about everything, reduces your morale and can lead to a display of moody attitude, which might in turn, affect the moods of other colleagues and can lead to a poor team work or create unnecessary conflicts. Ensure that your colleagues understand that you know your job and are happy doing it.

RESPECT YOUR COLLEAGUES

Respect is one of the most crucial things, not just at work but in general. It is the foundation of all good relationships, including those you have with your colleagues and boss. Women love to be respected even by their bosses and a constant act of disrespect from a colleague can make the other party feel challenged and that might lead to unnecessary arguments or competition. So, no matter the situation, always give respect to whom it is due. Respect is reciprocal.

STUDY YOUR COLLEAGUES

Studying your colleagues is one of the easiest ways to get along with them. Know their likes and dislikes, observe their body languages, their senses of humor, know when to joke and when not to, know the kind of jokes to crack, know when they are being serious about an issue and when they are just fooling around, basically know your boundaries and keep to your lane. These would help in your connection, flow and work relationship with them.

BE YOURSELF

I know this can be arguable but being yourself pays off. Don't try so hard to impress or outshine your colleagues or put other women down to get ahead. Doing so is being complicit in the patriarchy, and inevitably forcing women to stay in their place.
Rather, stay humble and Let your work speak for itself.

AVOID GOSSIPS

The line between friendly conversations with colleagues and gossip can be fine, but take the high road whenever possible. Even legitimate criticism of a colleague can come across as gossip, so in general, it is best to avoid commenting on people who are not participating in the conversation.

NOT ALL THE TIME YOU IGNORE.

Deal with Issues before they get worse, It definitely helps in getting along well at an office. Most of the time, when you just try to ignore a problem, it gets worse. So, don't let problems fester. No need to make a big deal of trying to get resolution on every little issue, but don't ignore a problem that hurts your work performance in any way. Try to resolve the issue with as little fuss as possible, but don't hesitate to take matters up with your supervisor as necessary.

GIVE COMPLIMENTS

Not all the time you find faults. Compliment your female colleagues once in a while it helps them feel good about themselves and generates more enthusiasm towards work. It also eases off tensions in the air if there are any and creates a peaceful environment for a better work outcome.

DON'T BUDDY UP TOO MUCH

There is absolutely nothing wrong with our tendencies and desire to be close to and share with one another but try not to buddy up too much. The BFF tendency that none of us can deny having, is a drawback in the workplace because it makes you look less independent and therefore less capable + it gives room for subtle disrespect.

BE DEPENDABLE

Being dependable means you can be trusted and people can have confidence in you. Next time a colleague tells you something in good faith, keep it to yourself. There is nothing worse than a tell-tale.

USE THE CALM APPROACH

Learn to always exercise self control (still struggling with this tho). Do not respond to situations nastily, regardless of the circumstances. By remaining professional and calm, you show that you have the maturity to handle awkward situations, which is a quality that people will admire in you. Being calm and collected is all about showing that you have got it together, (whether you actually do or not) and that is something that everyone wants.

Yeah! So I think with these and a few more tips (which I hope you can add), working with women might not be that difficult after all. I think its just basically about accommodation and adaptation (finding the best ways to accommodate and adapt) into any given environment, professional fields, lifestyles and personality differences or what do you think?

Have a nice week :)