Imagine trying to get a job for a record of 30 times, and every single time you were turned down, what would you do?
Will you give up or keep trying?
A very successful entrepreneur, Jack Ma, founder of alibaba.com says you should NEVER give up.
Here’s his story:
He applied for college twice, and failed.
He applied for jobs up to 30 times, including KFC, and was turned down. Actually he was the only one who was rejected out of 24 people.
At this point, you’d think he was jinxed, right?
He didn’t care. He finally got job as a teacher, earning peanuts. But he loved his job and didn’t worry much about the meager pay.
When he tried to get into Harvard, he was rejected 10 times. Whew!
For many people, this would have been the end of the road. They would throw in the towel. But not Jack Ma!
When the internet became a thing in China, he was fascinated by it.
His first two ventures failed. Eventually he called 17 people and shared the idea of alibaba.com, where wholesalers can sell their products directly to retailers and customers. That idea became a huge success.
Jack Ma is presently worth over $29billion!
If this doesn’t motivate you to get up and make your dreams happen no matter what, then I don’t know what else will.
They say 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Isn’t that scary statistics?
Breast cancer is a combination of factors; but don’t be scared, breast cancer isn’t all about risk factors. However, if you have breast cancer risk factors, talk to your doctor .
Watch out for these signs:
Family history of breast cancer: Your risk of breast cancer is higher if you have a mother or sister who suffered same illness.
Taking Alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer
Being overweight or obese after menopause can be a risk factor
Early menstrual period: starting early exposes the estrogen hormones and raises the risk of breast cancer
Getting older poses a risk of breast cancer, as more women over 50 are diagnosed.
Late pregnancy can be a risk factor. Having your first pregnancy at 30; or not getting pregnant at all.
Other signs are:
Women who are not physically active have a high risk, and also the use of certain contraceptive and birth control can raise the chances of breast cancer.
Exhale, don’t fret. Go for screening and consult your health centres.
Apart from the basic need to survive, here are 10 things I think Nigerians should learn how to do. These are not only survival skills, but in this information era, you need skills that are useful in gaining social favour and building better relationships.
Know how to Swim.
Know how to change a Tyre.
You should know how to Code. Keep up with the new age, learn how to program. It’s the only way to navigate
through this new world.
Know how to THINK critically, and question the current way of doing things.
You must know how to perform CPR. Cardiac arrest is a common medical issue. You should learn how to save a life. It could be that of a life you love. This also applies to learning how to perform basic first aid. For instance, learn how to dress a wound. You may not need a doctor.
Take Taekwondo class. Self defense is all you may be left with in some situations. You must learn how to defend yourself from single or multiple assailants. Security, as we know, is not so sure. Guard your space.
Know how to speak one or two foreign languages besides English or your local dialect.
You should know how to make legit money without having a job.
You should know how to be Happy. Despite whatever circumstances you must be going through, you must learn Happiness, and it should become a part of you whether life is good or tough.
You should know how to manage your time. 24 hours is enough. Know when to get out of bed. Know when to start your day. Learn how to prioritise your work. Know how to shut down noise that affects productivity. It’s all on you to know how to live the best 24 hours of your life everyday
Pressing the ATM keys to withdraw money is just as dirty as placing your hand on a public toilet seat. Cleanliness tests have acknowledge that ATM machines have as much bacteria as public toilets. Swabs taken from a cash machine keyboards and from public toilets found both samples had the same bacteria known to lead to sicknesses, like diarrhea.
Since we have cultivated the habit of using hand sanitisers; this is only a kind reminder to use it also AFTER using an ATM machine.
Get your favourite TV series and binge all day! Allow yourself become one of the characters and live vicariously through him/her.
Store your kitchen with stuff that you love to nibble on – fried meat, pepperoni, apples, plantain chips, popcorn. Spread your eating to little bits every other hour.
Load enough airtime on your phone and call someone who knows how to make you smile.
Read a book. Find a genre that will totally knock you off your socks, and soak yourself in.
Spa treatment
You need to visit the spa. No, it is not overrated. Go get pampered!
Go to a quiet beach and soak in nature.
Sleep! Rest, it’s been a long week, no?
Or just hang out with friends and loved ones.
So which activities will you engage in this weekend?
Our bodies are loaded with toxins! Eww! We need to get rid of them. Detoxing is the method we employ to deal with free radicals in our bodies that cause aging and stress.
You know you need to detox when…
You are always fatigued for no reason
You suffer irritated skin
You have allergies
Menstrual problems
Puffy eyes
Bloating
If you suffer these, detox now. Even if you don’t suffer them immediately, you should, as an adult, detox every once in a year.
Now you know!
What are the benefits of detox?
Detox prevent chronic diseases
Enhances the immune system
You also get to lose weight
No premature aging
Increases your energy
Improves your skin
Promotes mental clarity
Improves your quality of life
*
Here are 5 favourite Detox diets:
Smoothie cleanse
Fruit and veggie detox
Juice cleanse
Sugar detox
Hypoallergenic detox
Things you should note:
Eat plenty fibre. Brown rice, cabbage, broccoli. They are available in Nigeria.
Glasses with fresh organic vegetable and fruit juices isolated on white. Detox diet.
Take herbs and green tea.
Take Vitamin C
Drink lots of water daily
Breathe deeply. Let oxygen circulate through your system
Stick to positive emotions to get rid of stress
You can also exercise by skipping with a rope one hour every day.
If you can speak to a health consultant, do so, to get more information.
If you think you can downplay money in your relationship, think again. Facts have it that money is the major cause for worry and conflict in relationships. Couples are having a hard time getting along because they refuse to have the Money Talk. As adults, realizing that money is a deciding factor in almost everything we do, it is important to give it he recognition and attention it deserves.
Why do we run away from the money talk with the one person we wish to spend the rest of our lives with? Most of the time, it is because we do not want to come across as gold-diggers. But there’s a big difference between a gold-digger and a financially curious person. A gold-digger wants to enjoy what s/he didn’t work for, but a financially curious individual wants to know if your finances and money habits are healthy enough for you to be in a relationship; they interested in financial compatibility.
Make the money talk a priority. Discuss ways you can improve your finances and how you wish to spread income across all your needs and projections.
If you don’t settle your financial issues, it will cause unnecessary strain and stress in your relationship. Many breakups and divorces are caused mainly by bad financial planning and debts.
Now you know. The major issue couples argue about is not who will cook the food or wipe the baby’s butt, the main cause of strife is MONEY. So talk about money. Be responsible with money. Start a proper saving tradition in your home, not just for you, but especially for the children you have or may have in the future.
It was a relaxing night for me without the pressure of being a nominee. Last year Dry won best Nigerian film and best child actor at the Amaa’s, so it was quite exciting to relax and enjoy the evening. I wore the lovely dress by NF by Nour and my glam squad did the subtle natural look that I love. I hope you like the look…
Today, I remember a great man, a renowned global public health leader and a beloved father who passed on recently. Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, who until his death a few days ago was the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is someone whose contributions to reducing maternal mortality and promoting universal access to reproductive health always served as an inspiration to me. It’s sad that he is gone and I commiserate with his family and loved ones. He will always be remembered for his passionate and diligent service.
I was recently in Congo in my capacity as the UNFPA Ambassador to mark the International Day to End Obstetrical Fistula. It was a very interesting experience and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to impact more lives as I work with the UNFPA to End Fistula in Africa.
I’d like to share with you a Press Release from my team which tells more about the three-day event and photos below:
As part of her commitment to raising awareness on maternal health issues, the UNFPA Regional Ambassador for West and Central Africa Stephanie Linus visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in commemoration of the International Day to End Obstetrical Fistula.
The theme of this year’s commemoration was tagged “hope, healing and dignity for all”, and it featured several activities aimed at giving hope to girls and women around Africa. From 23rd to 25th May, Mrs. Linus participated in a span of activities which included the screening of her award winning movie ‘DRY’, a private luncheon with African Ambassadors in the DRC and a visit to women repaired of fistula at the Biamba Marie Motombo Hospital in Kinshasa.
While speaking to the Ambassadors, Mrs. Linus requested them to work through their governments to do more for the girl child with emphasis on education, ending child marriage, ending obstetric fistula, improving access to health care.
The over 300-persons audience at the private viewing of DRY consisted of African Ambassadors in the DRC, Donors, Regional Director of UNFPA for the East and Southern Africa Region, UN heads of Agencies and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Ministers and High Ranking Government Officials, Young parliamentarians of DRC, Representatives of International and National NGOs, Members of the Civil Society and various media representatives. During her address, Mrs Linus declared that the theme of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula “hope, healing and dignity for all” is food for thought and that it is time to act and actively seek ways to do more to change unhealthy behaviors, to improve health systems, and improve human rights for all. “Women should not die while giving life. Girls have rights that need to be respected-education, decent jobs, chose who to marry and when to have children and how many of them. Every woman and girl has a right to be treated with respect and dignity”, she stated.
She challenged the audience to constantly ask themselves the question – What is it that I can do more and do better?
Mrs. Linus also met young artists in the National Institute of Arts in Kinshasa whom she encouraged to look around, pick up the issues that are affecting the society and pass messages to end those ills through arts, music, movie and drama.
Stephanie Linus was named the UNFPA Regional Ambassador in March 2017 in recognition of her far reaching advocacy for the rights of girls and women. As Regional Ambassador, Mrs. Linus will help advocate and raise awareness on maternal health issues across Africa, whilst encouraging policies and laws that protect the rights and dignity of the girl child.
With Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Regional Director East and Southern Africa & other Special Guest
With Amb. Abdou Abarry, African Union Representative
Private Luncheon with African Ambassadors in the DRCWith Diene Keita, UNFPA DRC Representative
What are the benefits of detox?
