Inspiration took a walk

Happy May Day! and happy Aboakyer week from Winneba

Since the end of the Easter celebration, I have not been my creative self. I do not feel inspired to write or dream of anything, not to talk of doing something. I usually experience this sort of feeling as a writer a lot of times, but this one was just too much. I told my best friend about it and he told me I should socialize more.

First of all, I did not need socialization at that time. I need some time alone. Also, as a proud introvert, we do not appreciate socialization, even though, sometimes, in my opinion, socialization is fun.

I read some quotes, read my dreams and goals. Still, inspiration was nowhere to be found. Inspiration took a walk, without telling me it was going for a walk.

We, introverts, have mastered the art of finding ourselves when we are alone. Unfortunately, it did not work for me at the time that I needed it. I needed to go out.

One Saturday, I visited the beach with a friend to find inspiration. I stared at the ocean, trying hard to find a lesson. It just made mighty noise, telling me that he still rules the beach.

I shook my head….but one thing came into my mind.

I should keep my friends close.

Even though, the waves comes to the shore to steal a kiss from it, it comes back to hug them for a little longer. Friends are like that. Some get new friends and ignore you but you should still keep them close.

Sunday, I went to church, still searching for inspiration. Maybe, I would hear a still small voice, but confession time; I was more interested in looking for my friends who I haven’t since in a long while from Swedru and even Winneba.

Why was I more interested in that? I couldn’t tell.

After church, we went over to a friend’s house to pound fufu and eat. Talking, laughing, serious talks and feeling comfortable.

I got home after 4pm, and started planning my week, most especially the following day.

It was later at night that inspiration came back and inspired me of friendship.

Friendship. Why that?

I still can’t tell.

Inspiration took a walk and brought me something that was close to me. I needed not to go far to search for inspiration. Inspiration was in my social life, in my neighbourhood.

Inspiration took a walk, not a journey. Inspiration did not run away from me. It just went on a break by walking, but I went searching for it by running. It was just a stone throw.

Inspiration is just in front of you. You don’t need to go far.

To forgive is Divine

I do not know what’s happening, but for a month now, I have been reading a lot on forgiveness. At church, we learn of forgiveness, I read about forgiveness and all these things are not intentional. I just meet them, and you know what, I was assigned to give a talk on Forgiveness at church too.

In the recent book I read, there was a chapter on forgiveness alone. Dr. Clarissa stated four levels of forgiveness she has used in her work with traumatized people over the years. Each level has different layers.

The four stages of forgiveness are:

To forego-to leave it alone

To forebear- to abstain from punishing

To forget- to aver from memory, to refuse to dwell

To forgive- to abandon the debt

In my research to write the talk for church, I learnt that if you are having trouble forgiving another person or even yourself, ask God to help you. Forgiveness is a glorious, healing principle. We do not need to be a victim twice. We can forgive.

It’s just as simple as that.

I am so glad to be learning about forgiveness at this time of my life. First, I wondered why I was coming across this topic, but it’s all good. Maybe, I will seriously need it in the future.

I also want to write that, if someone has offended you without the offender knowing, and it hurts you so much, confront the person, point it out, and let the person know about it.  It’s better that way, rather that harbouring it in your heart yet smiling at the person in public. It’s poison. Let it out and let the person know. If he/she apologizes, thank goodness. If he/she does not, clear the person out of your way. In the end, forgive him/her. You have done your part. Now, you can smile.

Here is a little piece I wrote about forgiveness in my writer’s journal

FORGIVENESS

Sometime, I am grateful you exist

Other times, I wish there was nothing like you

It’s very difficult to forgive some people

The hurt cocooned my heart, I could barely breathe

But, in the end, you are very essential

Very necessary, very useful, very beneficial

Because you teach me inner peace

And you teach me to get rid of negative sentiments

I need someone to forgive me too

I need someone to forget my silly mistakes

And I need to forgive that someone

Every time, I am grateful you exist

Other times, I wish you were always around

Go out there, and forgive someone.

Thank you for reading.

Imperfect Sons and Daughters

We are all imperfect, in one way or the other. I am imperfect, yes, I know.

This post is for all those who feel imperfect, and who want to live their dreams.

I was chatting with one of my close friends. He’s one of my close friends. He’s amazing and has marvelous ideas and talents and dreams. We were doing the usual WhatsApp chatting (I was trying to catch up with life happenings since I have been off for some time). We were chatting about how things have been slow this year but most importantly, he told me of how parents expect their children to do better office work. He wants to be a big time IT/ showbiz man, probably like Bola Ray, but from the look of things, they want him to do office work, or do some teaching job.

Hmm.

I remember when I was in secondary school, I met people who did not want to be in the Science class. They wanted to read Visual Arts, Business, General Arts, but their parents wouldn’t let them glow in their interested programme.

What a sad world.

I have met girls who were future artist, fashion designers, business women but they were in the wrong class. It’s one thing having it as a talent and using it for fun (like my friends telling me I should have been in the General Arts class because of my flair in story writing and poetry), but it is another thing having it as a passion you want to pursue in the future.

I am currently reading a novel about a father who didn’t want his son to be a footballer because he sees it as a thing for dropouts.

Have you ever seen the Bollywood movie, 3 Idiots? There was a student who wanted to be a wildlife photographer but his dad wanted him to be an engineer.

What is wrong with being a successful photographer?

I hate it when elders prevent people from following their dreams. It’s so sad. I am glad to have parents who want me to pursue what I want to what I want to pursue.

But in spite of this, I am an imperfect daughter. I don’t do things to their expectations. When I was younger, I used to see myself as a different girl, a different human being who likes to wake up, not doing things to their expectation, come back to my room and pour out my feelings in my journals in the form of poetry or in my diary.

Apart from being an imperfect daughter, I have an imperfect hair, imperfect talking (I talk way too fast, my words ran over each other) and imperfect study skills. (Yeah, that’s right). Add imperfect eyes.

We still love our parents and elders, no doubt about that. We love you because you care about us and we are ready to pamper you when we start to get money.

Any imperfect kid out there? Let’s form a group and I will be your leader?

Ps. I don’t know what happened, but the way I wanted to write this post is not how I just wrote it. I don’t know why, but if you did not understand it, it’s ok, and don’t worry about it. It’s all about living the dreams we want to live, and to make us aware that office jobs is not an answer to becoming successful.

Wet Grounds

Nowadays, the big Sky has been crying in Winneba, and alongside going into the avatar state. Ever since I moved to Winneba, this semester has been the rainiest period yet.

Winneba is now a wet town. Everywhere you step, it is wet, and your footwear will automatically carry wet soil into your rooms. Accidentally too, your footwear would carry some sample of mud into your toes. Argh!

Similarly, there are wet grounds in our lives, which we usually term as uncomfortable situations. Life has wet grounds, which takes mud into our shoes or even worse, destroy the soles of our footwear. No matter what, it is for a small moment (Unless, you are leaving in a waterlogged area). No matter what, you have to take time to remove all the annoying mud that has invaded the sandals, or shoe or boot. No matter what, the sun will definitely come out for us to dry them.

Even though, the rain brings uncomfortable situations, the green plants and trees do benefit from it. Have you ever noticed how the trees behave after, it has rained? Usually, they smile and become calm, and fresh looking. During the rain, that is their cleansing period. They get rid of the dirt and dust that has settled in them, even the dry leaves get cleansed. Also, they need the rain to grow healthily to produce good fruits and medicines for us to use and survive.

The best thing one can do when it is raining is to let it rain. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Are you also experiencing a little bit of wet grounds or yours is entirely a different kind of season?

Steps To Staying Motivated and Inspired

Nowadays, on a scale of 1-10 of motivation, I'm at 3. Like seriously. I've found myself losing a lot of motivation and inspiration for some time now. Writers block visited me and decided not to leave me alone, no inspiration has lit up. I've been struggling to get ideas for my poems, stories and even blog posts. I've been struggling with staying fit, doing my workout and eating healthy.

I recently opened an old creative journal of mine and I saw an old entry I wrote about staying motivated. This is what I need, I thought. Today, I'm sharing steps to staying motivated and inspired so you wouldn't feel like how I felt. It's terrible and it stinks when you do not feel motivated.

Write goals and remind yourself of them. Some people do not feel the need to make and write down goals. Whether it is short-term goals or long term goals, I suggest you make and write them down and constantly read them to remind yourself to work hard. This would help you to stay motivated .

Reward yourself. Though, I wrote this in my creative journal when I was in secondary school, I never rewarded myself for a good work done till I got to the university. Trust me, it helps a lot. When you accomplish a good or have a good work done, reward yourself with some treat, having some quality me time, hanging out with friends and loved ones or even going to the beauty clinic or spa.

Read motivational stories. Gifted Hands by Ben Carson is a book I recommend you read when you are feeling down or on a low scale of motivation. There are other motivational stories you can read. There are also motivational movies and videos you can watch.

Stay positive. This is a great way of staying motivated. Have a positive attitude frequently.

Listen to music (My life saver) Listening to great music can be a good way to feel on the top scale of motivation. Music that urges us to get up, keep moving forward are a great source of motivation.

Read magazines. I love magazines especially those that talk about lifestyle, literature and technology. To get motivated and inspired, flip through the pages of a magazine, whether they are old editions or the latest. Not only are you entertaining yourself, but you are getting ideas for your next move .

Bonus. One last tip I want to share, that wasn't in the entry is having great motivational quotes by your side. You can have them in your diary, journal, on your fridge, on your mirrors etc. We can also find great motivational quotes in our religious books too.

What do you do to stay motivated or inspired?
Stay sweet.

#BecauseHeLives

Easter is just around the corner and this year, I'm super excited for it. I don't know why but I've come to love what our Saviour did for us more. It's amazing, wonderful, bittersweet........Actually, I can't find the right word for what He did.

Easter is going to be fantastic. Good Friday would be the time I'll get to reflect on what the Saviour did for me, Saturday, I have a wedding to attend, and Sunday, we would rejoice and go to church to remember His atonement and resurrection. Monday is time to be with loved ones and have fun.

I know Jesus is the Christ. He loves each of us, cares for us. The pain He went through, I cannot imagine. I believe He died for us, to serve all mankind and what He went through cannot be compared to anything. He died, the Great Redeemer died. But He lives and #BecauseHeLives, we are blessed. #BecauseHeLives, He is our Saviour and Redeemer. He lives today as our Lord, our Redeemer, Friend, our everything. We look to Him as  the only source of our salvation.

Have a Happy Easter Weekend!!!

Stay Sweet

Movie Review: Soul Surfer

Soul surfer is an inspirational movie. I watched it in 2012.

It was about a young woman who wanted to be one of the greatest surfers in the world but had her left arm being ripped off by an evil shark while on water with her friends. She lost more than 60% of blood but was able to survive. WHAT A MIRACLE. She had to cry. It’s something not easy to live with, but she did not give up. With one arm, she still became the greatest surfer she wanted to be, WITH JUST ONE ARM.

I love the movie. It’s a true story about Brittany Hamilton. She was determined and did not allow an evil shark to shatter her dreams. It’s a must watch movie for anyone who feels discouraged by an obstacle.