Hi SL Fabz,
Just in case you didn’t know, here are 3 amazing facts about Nigeria:
“Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.” – Joel Osteen
Yesterday, I saw two men fighting on the street. It seemed they had both been queuing to buy fuel outside a petrol station and when the gate opened, they both tried to drive in a rush at the same time and their cars ended up with significant damage.
Yes, there are so many things around you that can make you angry if not properly managed. A lot of people have sad tales to tell about the direct effect of the fuel scarcity going on in most parts of Nigeria right now. Some people are frustrated at work, at peopl,e at situations, and such frustration can lead to anger if not properly managed. But if we make a conscious effort not to let little things upset us, it usually gets better for us and everyone around us.
Happiness is a choice. For every minute you are angry or irritated, you lose 60 seconds of happiness. Be happy. Be yourself. If others don’t like it, then let them be. Life isn’t about pleasing everybody.
I hope you make a choice to stay positive minded and happy rather than angry today.
SL
Today is a very special day for me. I’m sure by now you know why 🙂
It’s been three amazing years of marriage with my darling husband and I’m so grateful to God for all his mercies thus far.
I have so much to be thankful for, so much to celebrate, and its all because God has been so good to us. If I had to do this all over again, I will choose the same man. God bless you Linus Idahosa. You are one in a million.
I’ve been overwhelmed by your kind messages and wishes so far. Today has been really special ‘cos every where I turn, every message I check, I see prayers and blessings.
Thanks so much SL Fabz. You are the best!
May your marriages continue to grow from strength to strength.
xoxo
We go through life in different phases; it seems just like yesterday when I was a little girl in primary school with colourful ribbons in my hair. Fast forward to now, I am a grown woman, probably in the busiest period of my life. Every now and then, I find myself thinking of “old” friends and what they are up to. When I had “best friends” in primary and secondary school, and even up till University, I had thought such friendships would last forever.
Life happened, and though it seems you won’t be able to survive without having those awesome people around you, you move on to the next phase, and develop new relationships.
So what do you think?
Are some friendships meant to just last for a season or period in life; or are they meant to be kept and nurtured forever, no matter the time or place? Do you have friends who have been in your life forever? Why do you think we have best friends for a season and then grow apart after a while?
Please share your thoughts.
Do you know that there is a phobia of phobias? Phobophobia (or the fear of fear) is one of the many interesting and random phobias out there.
If you are moritified by long words, then you would even be more terrified when you hear how long its name is – Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. Now that is what we call a mouthful!
For those think that the world is going to end, the moment your phone is out of sight, you probably have a peculiar phobia that UK researchers have tagged: Nomophobia. It is an abbreviation for “no-mobile-phone-phobia.” People with this phobia usually panic the moment they realize that they don’t have their phones with them, and are anxious about all the texts and calls they might be missing out.
Do you get freaked out by the idea of staying in a room alone, then you probably have Autophobia, which is the fear of loneliness or solitude.
Do you shiver at the sight of big books? Maybe you have a peculiar case called Bibliophobia (the fear of books). And for those that dread situations where they have to make decisions, the name for that is Decidophobia.
There are whole lot more funny and interesting phobias out there. but never let you fears keep you in bondage. Most times, fears are figments of our imagination. A popular acronym describes it says False Evidence Appearing Real.
Do you have any kind of phobia?
Source: fearintofreedom.com, omgfacts.com
There is so much “fuss” about hair these days, and people are beginning to pay more attention to how they keep hair healthier and longer. Many hair experts say that hair grows an average of ½ inch per month, however it is the level of maintenance that determines how long your hair would be.
There is no magic involved in growing your hair, it just requires total commitment.
Here are 5 tips you could use to get your “dream” hair:
1. A Healthy Lifestyle: There is no leapfrogging about having a long hair, it starts from the inside-out. So give attention to what you eat, drink, and how you treat your body – as it affects your hair growth. Take more of fresh fruits, vegetables, and water. Regular exercise is also beneficial for your overall hair benefit.
2. Regular Trims: Now this is the part many people do not want to hear, because they believe that in getting a long hair, you have to retain as much of the length as possible. However, trims help to get rid of dry, damaged and split ends, which can work up their way to the shaft of your hair and cause more damage. Have a professional hair stylist who understands your hair, and your trimming could be anywhere between every six weeks to every six months.
3. Use moisturizing products: When it comes to hair moisture, Africans in general, require more, because of the dry nature of our hair. It is advisable to use products that replenish the needed moisture, especially shampoos and conditioners formulated for dry and/or damaged hair.
4. Protective Styling: To maintain a good hair length, the amount of hair manipulation has to be minimal; just because your hair has reached a certain length does not mean you have to let everyone know just how long it is. By wearing protective hair styling, you keep your ends from rubbing against clothing, pillowcases or car seats. This helps lock in the moisture your hair needs and prevents dryness that leads to hair breakage.
5. Do not Relax too often: Relaxer does not make your hair grow longer, however when it is time for a touch-up, get one because the longer you wait, the higher the chances of hair breakage. It is important to always mark the thin line between your relaxed hair, and the new growth. Be careful not to overlap relaxer to already relaxed hair, as this could lead to breakage. This also reinforces the point of having a competent stylist and sticking to one, so as to limit the number of people applying chemicals to your hair.
Ladies, do you have any more tips to add?
Today marks the one year anniversary of the sad kidnap of the Chibok Girls. One whole year! One year since 276 school girls were whisked away from their school by the dreaded Boko Haram sect into the unknown.
It is quite a grim day, a day which is made even grimmer when the fact that the girls have remained in captivity ever since, hits one in the face.
The kidnapping of the Chibok girls struck a chord outside the northeast that five years of murderous insurgency there had not. It gave birth to the rise of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, a movement that has been taken up by thousands of people across the world. Many have raised their voices, written their grievances, crafted their stories in a bid to raise awareness and call upon the relevant authorities to push for the girls’ release.
As we remember them today, I’d like to remind us that these girls are more than just a hashtag, more than just a movement. Let us not stay alienated from the fact that they are real, young girls who were torn apart from their families in the harshest way possible.
I read this story on Voice Of America about the Chibok girls and it broke my heart. Here is an excerpt:
Bare bed frames still fill what’s left of the abandoned Secondary School for Girls. Soldiers guard the entrance. No soldiers were here a year ago when Boko Haram forced their way through the gate and into the dormitories. Gunfire ripped through the night.
“The moment the men spoke in Hausa, saying they were soldiers and that we should not be afraid, we knew it was Boko Haram,” said 19-year-old student Saratu. “They told us we should not be in school. That education, ‘boko,’ is bad, ‘haram,’ and that we should come with them.”
The men forced some girls onto vehicles, while others had to walk. The men looted the storage rooms and set the school ablaze before they left.
Saratu is one of 57 girls who escaped. She hurt her leg jumping from a vehicle as they approached the Sambisa Forest, Boko Haram’s prime hideout. A man from the village found her and carried her home.
We remember these precious girls and pray for their safe return home. Let us keep praying for them.
Hi SL Fabz!
I hope you had a cool weekend.
For the past few weeks, we’ve been in ‘Election Mode‘ in Nigeria. Now that its over, many things have returned to normal. I won’t forget in a hurry the anticipation of the Presidential Election results as Nigerians all over the world were glued to their TV Sets, Radios or Computers following the announcement of the results. Many of us turned into mathematicians overnight as we calculated the results being announced.
But beyond the results, the Elections taught us many things. First, the legendary phone call, made by President Jonathan to General Buhari, before the final results were announced nipped, to a good level, whatever violence that might have erupted in the bud.
Putting all these into context, factoring the history of election violence in the country and how easy it is to incite violence across ethnic and religious line in Nigerian one could see why indeed that sole act of President Jonathan is more than commendable. And when the Governorship elections came, some incumbent Governors followed suit as they congratulated the winners, accepting their loss in good faith.
The manuscript of the call goes thus:
President Jonathan: Your Excellency
General Buhari: Hello Your Excellency
President Jonathan: How are you?
General Buhari: I am alright Your Excellency
President Jonathan: (laughs) Congratulations
General Buhari: Thank you very much Your Excellency
President Jonathan: Yeah, so how are things?
General Buhari: Well I would congratulate you more…
President Jonathan: one of these days you should come so we sort out how to plan the transitional period
General Buhari: Thanks Your Excellency, Thank you very much
President Jonathan: Okay… Congratulations
General Buhari: my respect Your Excellency…
The Elections also taught us the power of the vote. Many people believed their votes wouldn’t count, or that the ‘political godfathers’ would put their own candidates in power regardless. But we saw from the figures and the reaction of candidates who didn’t win that they accepted the results, and to a large extent, the results were fair.
Probably, don’t quote me, no candidate would be contesting the election results and that sounds like a good thing. In some cases, my preferred candidates didn’t win, but I accepted the results, and I’m glad many Nigerians did. It shows that we can still be united as people with different tribes and different choices.
In all, I’d say Nigerians are the true winners!
So I ask, now that the Elections are over, what have we learnt as a nation? What have we gained, what mistakes have we made, and how can we learn from them?
Let’s discuss!
This is 9 year-old Jane Richard who lost her left leg during the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing.
Two years after that sad incident that also claimed the life of her brother, she is on the road to recovery and runs around in a state-of-the-art prosthetic limb that lets her walk, run and even dance.
Her smile is so so amazing!
How would you caption this photo. I call her ‘Sunshine‘.
Hi SL Fabz,
It’s another Election day in Nigeria!
Today, we will be going to the polling booths again to elect the gubernatorial and state assembly candidates of our choice. These positions are no less important than the Presidential Elections.
The Polling Stations are about to open, and we are eagerly anticipating.
In most cases, the governors actually have more direct impact on the people than the presidency. Let’s not forget this. Don’t let anyone intimidate you into voting for someone you don’t believe in. And as we do so, let’s vote in peace.
Have a fab day everyone!