Annoyance!

I like to take pride in my high threshold for annoyance, I really do. It makes me feel like a very cool, calm and collected person. Over Christmas last year I caught a man trying to pickpocket me in the rush of the queue for Shoprite bread. (if you know you know) Surprisingly, once I had affirmed that all my belongings were intact, all I did was give him a stern look, collected my bread and left the scene. When re-telling this story my friends happily detailed what they would have done in such a circumstance - none were half as calm as my response lol.

So for someone to single-handedly annoy me, ah, it is a great feat which I do not commend. One thing that really, really frustrates me is when people misconstrue their value in my life and demand privileges "above their pay grade" as the Americans say. I may not be Michelle Obama but I believe I have a right to self importance, no matter how minute it is. So if you don't make the upper part of my priority list I think that is my decision and not yours. Who are you to decide your position in my life?

Please and please, respect yourself, when your value in a person's life appreciates, you will know. Till then, let "patience is a virtue" be your mantra.

M B B S!

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my goshhhhh

So this post is a celebratory one for all the 400 level medical students of ABUAD - WE MADE IT!!

For those who don't know, from January 12 - 23rd, 2015 we have been writing our professional medical exams. These exams were based on two years work in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry - we basically learnt the entire human body and had to read EVERYTHING for this exam.

We have had so many trials during the two years, if you have ever been in the pioneer set of any institution you may have a small idea of what we went through - BUT WE MADE IT!!!

So here's to us - we're moving to clinical stage babyyyyyyy !

Change.

“The only thing that’s constant in life: Change.”

Changes in surroundings, friends, relationships…inevitable stuff. Isn’t it weird when someone is afraid of change? Before you open your mouth to say yes think about all the people that have been ridiculed or persecuted for “change”: Rosa Parks on that bus all those years ago is a great example – now we see her as a hero in the Black History story but back then I’m sure there were fellow coloured people who turned away and pulled an “unlooking” as she faced maltreatment.

Why?

Because change can be frightening. Change is mold breaking. Anything that breaks generally causes pain during the process, which, many would rather not experience.

Accede change. Try to be a better person than you were yesterday or even just an hour ago!

On that note, I would like to wish you a successful new year; I hope you remember this post as you make your New Year Plans and Resolutions J

L.O.V.E

       A four-letter word that has, and continues to change lives daily. We hear about it in movies, in books, in churches and in our group chats. The funny thing about what we generally know of love is its application to somebody else. “I love my family, I love my boyfriend, I love Queen Bey”… That’s great; it really is, but what about you? Do you love yourself?

Love starts from within. The mistake people make is trying to find love from outside. You try to get that warm, fuzzy feeling that Disney sold to us all in a plethora of Princess stories. Here’s my question to you – how do you expect to love someone else when you have not learnt to love yourself?

By saying, “love yourself,” I don’t mean become self obsessed or narcissistic, I mean appreciate YOU. Get to know YOU. Find out what YOU like, want, or dream about. What are YOUR goals and ambitions? Who do YOU want to become in five years? You can’t go around with a list of qualities you want in your future partner, when you have not even evaluated yourself to see whether you possess them. That is unrealistic.

Love yourself. Discover who you really are, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and your talents and your unique abilities. Be confident in yourself. “Love the Skin you’re in”  (Olay got that marketing scheme right! J)

The journey to self-discovery is a solo one. The best way to begin loving yourself is to be by yourself - to be single. Because frankly, you can’t give what you don’t have. Being single allows you to learn how to love; with your very own self being the first recipient. You have the extra time to meditate, think and really understand yourself. You learn to accept that “flaw” as a unique feature about you. You learn to see yourself as important and impactful on your environment. One thing I’ve learnt is that you have the absolute power to let external things affect you or be affected by you. A ship is surrounded by water but only sinks when it has a hole in it. People can do or say what they like to you, but so long as you keep their negativity blocked out, your ship will continue sailing.

Today’s society makes out being single as being a social pariah, especially for people in the 21 and older age group. Loose-tongued Aunties start dropping overt comments like “When will you marry? You don’t even have a serious boyfriend at your age!” and “When I was your age I had too many men flocking around me” more and more frequently and you find yourself dodging certain people at family gatherings. Even amongst ourselves, social networks have a way of glorifying relationships with the “relationship goal” pictures and quotes, which make it easy to get sucked in and you find yourself wanting a relationship “just because”. However, do not do it.

Embrace the single life and relish it. If a relationship comes, let it be because you have completed your journey of self-evaluation and now understand and love yourself as an individual. Relationships, like many other things in life are “give and take”, and to give love at all, you must have self-love. Love yourself, or nobody will.

Edited by the wonderful, Modupe Ojelabi.

Originally written for Tundun Kezia.

Opportunities.

There is a large, well carved door swung wide open in front of you, revealing brilliant rays of hopeful light; but then there is also the extraordinarily comfortable, state-of-the-art bed, fitted with massage functions and temperature control which you are currently lying in.

This is the scenario of an opportunity to a somewhat “comfortable” person.

Fear of the unknown. The silliest - yet it is a frequently occurring type of fear.

You like where you are. You like the assurance and the predictability, and that’s fine, truly, if all you want in life is comfort. But what if you could have more, do more, what if you could BE more? Would you really hold yourself back in the name of “comfort”?

Wasted opportunities make the worst type of regrets; don’t start your story with “If only...”

Culture.

There was a time in my life that I saw myself as a British citizen with Nigerian parents. I had dissociated myself from my heritage. How I become as patriotic as I am now… is a story for another day J

                        Culture is beautiful. 

I did not realize this until I fully embraced mine; I love it. I love the vibrancy in our traditional clothing, food, language… everything. What many young people that are born and bred in the diaspora do not understand is that; the culture of the environment in which you live in is not yours – it is borrowed. You’re very own culture is that which is passed on from your ancestors, down through your lineage to you.

Culture by definition is the behavior and beliefs, or characteristics of a particular social, ethnic or age group. Your culture helps define who you are, your morals and your values.

So I write to my readers that reside beyond the borders of their nation of origin – embrace YOUR culture.

Beauty.

Slim nose.

Full lips.

Curvy.

Athletic.

There is no standard of beauty. Fact.

What you may see as the most mind blowing feature on someone could have the exact opposite effect from another person's perspective.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" goes the old saying right? Why subject yourself to the wrong beholder and value yourself by their description of you?

Always remember: You are fearfully and wonderfully made 😘😊