Stephanie Linus Daily

Category: Hot Topic

  • FIVE VALUES OF FRIENDSHIP

    Friendship Goals! We say it, but do we mean it! How do you choose your friends? You may hang out with people and laugh together, even gossip, but are they really friends? What value do you place on friendship? Should we even place any value at all?

    Well, yes! You should. Friendship is one of the few relationships in your life that you get to choose by yourself, so it is best you apply wisdom in making your decisions.

    Here are FIVE VALUES of HEALTHY friendship:

    RESPECT: Respect each other. Respect what your friend brings to the relationship. If you decide to make friends, see the good in them.

    HONESTY: No lies. No pretenses. Do not make your friendship a home for hypocrisy. Be open, be sincere. Tell yourselves the truth.

    EMPATHY: If there’s no empathy, then there’s no friendship. You cannot be judgmental or mean-spirited. Show love and empathy by having an understanding of your friend’s challenges and predicaments. Show concern.

    INDEPENDENCE: No matter how much you promise to stand for each other, you also need a friend who can stand on her own. You can lend a hand sometimes, but a true friend must be independent in her finances and personal decisions. The idea is to come together and inspire each other, not leech from the other person. You should add value to the life of your friend, not suck all the good they have, and leave them empty.

    GRACE: Understand that everyone – including your friend – is a work-in-progress. Show grace. Forgive their mistakes (if they are not borderline destructive or harmful). Show kindness. They may not deserve it all the time, but the trick is to know when to stop and move away. It’s up to you to set boundaries. But the most important thing is not to throw the baby and the bath water – not every disagreement should end your friendship. Show grace and know when to forgive, and also when to move on.

    May we continue to build healthy friendships!

  • 5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

    You want to know a truth? If you don’t take care of your MENTAL HEALTH, everything else suffers – your family, your job, your dreams, your goals, your physical and spiritual health, and even your financial status. Everything ropes around your MIND – how you think, how you perceive life to be, how you respond or react to things that happen to you. It’s all in your MIND, and you need to protect the core of your mind – your mental health.

    Here are FIVE ways to protect and improve your mental state:

    BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS: Connect with great people who support you, cheer you on, empathize with you, and share life with you with little or no judgments. Invest in positive friendships, encourage healthy relationships at home and in the office with family and colleagues. Your mental health will thank you for this.

    LEARN NEW SKILLS: When you are open to unravelling more of what you are capable of doing on this earth, you boost your self-esteem and also surprise yourself pleasantly, which in turn boosts the state of your mind and improves your mental health. So try a new skill today. It doesn’t have to be hectic or difficult. Just try something you believe you will enjoy learning. Go for it.

    PRACTICE GRATITUDE: Yes! We talk a lot about gratitude on this blog, because without gratitude you have no functioning soul. You are just existing, occupying space in a crowded world without meaning or purpose to why you are hear. Nihilism creeps in and begins to question your right to exist. All of these happen because you are not tapped into gratitude. Gratitude is like a pill that cures all diseases. Your life is full and meaningful with joy when you understand the importance of gratitude. Also, practice mindfulness.

    EXERCISE: Exercise takes care of your body and your self-esteem, and also your health. The benefits are endless. You are in top shape physically, health-wise and mentally when you exercise, so find what works for you and stay consistent. Don’t forget to take brisk walks.

    GIVE TO PEOPLE: When you help others, when you sow into people’s lives – without any hope of a pay-back, you release yourself to a kind of peace that surpasses understanding – the God kind. And this lifestyle has the potential to improve your state of mind. Givers are the happiest people in the world.

    xoxo

  • HOW TO REACH YOUR HEALTH GOALS

    A healthy life makes everything beautiful. We want to be healthy and live a long and happy life. To achieve this, we have to set goals and meet our health targets.

    What are your health goals for 2023?

    Let’s help with a few suggestions:

    Be Specific: Understand exactly what you want to achieve. Are you watching your cholesterol? Do you want to lose tummy fat? Are you looking to lose weight? Schedule the right meal plan to achieve what you want. Speak to a dietician.

    Understand how calories work: It is not a myth. Nutrition plays a big role in your health journey, and so does calories. Understand food and the nutritional value of what you are eating. Count your calories.

    Get an accountability partner: You need someone to remind you why you are doing what you are doing. You are going to lose steam at some point, and you would be grateful for the support and motivation of your partner.

    Think of the benefits: Good health is everything. Remind yourself constantly that you are doing this to look and feel good. It is worth it. You can also put stickers around your house to lift your spirits and keep you focused.

    Have a routine: It can be a Morning or Evening routine, but have a routine your body can get used to. When you develop healthy habits, it is easier for your body to follow through.

    xoxo

  • YOU DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE

    Say these words:

    I deserve to be here.

    I will TAKE UP SPACE.

    I will be heard. I will contribute to the growth of my life and my community.

    I bring value to every position. I am respected, loved and understood.

    I am a solution to someone’s problem. I am part of decision-making. I will not waste my life and my time.

    I will serve a greater purpose for mankind, but first I will affirm myself and believe in my abilities.

    My seat at the table is for my tribe – those who may not be represented, I will speak for them.

    The room belongs to us. The table is big enough. This seat belongs to our voice. I will occupy it and make the best use of the opportunity – this seat at the table will bring healing to many.

    I am helping many when I sit at the table. The opportunity to have a seat at the table will bring my purpose to life, and bring happiness to many lives I may never meet.

    I will sit at the table – this table will feed many.

    I deserve to be here.

    xoxo

  • CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL SPORTS’ DAY

    Today, April 6, is International Day of Sports for Development and Peace. The global theme is: “Scoring for People, and the Planet”.

    “Sports are an integral part of society as it keeps us physically active, competitive and fit. Playing sports can boost confidence and provide lots of life lessons. The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) takes place on April 6 and is observed to celebrate the role of sports and physical activity in our individual lives and communities across the globe.” – news18.com

    We totally agree! Sports are unifying activities. They bring people and society together. The benefits of participating and promoting Sports are endless:

    • Sport can help people to become more social.
    • Sport can help to reduce obesity.
    • Sport can help to reduce depression.
    • Sport can create happier people.
    • Sport can help to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
    • Sport can help to reduce anxiety.
    • Sport can help people to create friendships.
    • Sport can help children to become more active.
    • Sport can help to improve peoples mental health.
    • Sport can help teach us life lessons.
    • Sport can make people feel more confident.
    • Sport can create a healthier nation.
    • Sport can challenge us.
    • Sport can improve our learning.
    • Sport can help reduce healthcare costs.
    • Sport can help us to reduce stress.
    • Sport can help to boost our mood.
    • Sport can help reduce the risk of illnesses.
    • Sport creates jobs.
    • Sport can improve our well being.
    • Helps people to develop relationships.
    • Sport can help to reduce anxiety.
    • Sport can help to improve academic performance.
    • Sport can help to lower anti-social behaviour.
    • Sport can help to improve cognitive abilities.

    source: believeperform.com

  • VISA-FREE COUNTRIES FOR NIGERIANS

    It’s the second quarter of the year, where have you visited? Life is all about experiences that become memories – memories that make your life full and gives life meaning.

    Travel is such an important part of living. If you are frustrated by the process of getting visas with your Nigerian passport, maybe you should start by exploring countries that do not need exhaustive requirements.

    For Nigerian passport holders, there are 26 countries you can visit visit visa-free:

    • Barbados
    • Benin
    • Burkina Faso
    • Cameroon
    • Cabo Verde
    • Chad
    • Cook Islands
    • Ivory Coast
    • Dominica
    • Fiji
    • Ghana
    • Guinea
    • Guinea-Bissau
    • Haiti
    • Liberia
    • Mali
    • Micronesia
    • Montserrat
    Coco Ocean Resort, The Gambia
    • Niger
    • Niue
    • Senegal
    • Sierra Leone
    • Saint Kitts and Nevis
    • Gambia
    • Togo
    • Vanuatu

    There also countries you can visit with e-visas: Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Albania, Zambia, Djibouti, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Moldova, South Africa, Bahrain, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bahamas, Malaysia, Australia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Uganda… and more!

    Explore AFRICA! Happy travels! xoxo

  • SIX THINGS WE KNOW FOR SURE!

    It seems like a season of uncertainty. Nigeria always makes you feel this way. You feel helpless. You feel hopeless. You do what is required, but you never get the result you want. It is paralyzing, and a frustrating way to live when you don’t know anything for sure.

    Regardless of these shortcomings, you must protect your happiness and peace, and the best way is to control what you can. The best way is to hold on to the things you know for sure!

    What do you know for sure? Let’s help you with SIX things you should know:

    We know that God will not forsake you. If you call on him from a place of sincerity, He will come through for you. Build a relationship with God. Nurture faith.

    We know that even in the midst of uncertainty, there are people in your life you can count on. Keep them close, they are your rewards in life.

    We know that time waits for no one. So leave your worries aside and make the best use of your hours – they become the moments you will cherish. Time is one of the most priceless gifts on earth, don’t waste it.

    We know that exercise and diet contribute to your total health and happiness in life. Be disciplined and watch what and how you eat. It’s in your power.

    We know that money can set you free AND it can also imprison you. Build a healthy understanding about money. Have a wholesome relationship with money. Let it serve you, not the other way round, and you will live a prosperous life.

    Protect your mental health above all else. Do not let life get in the way of living well.

    These are the things we know for sure! xoxo

  • SISTERHOOD: HOW A FRIEND SUPPORTED ANOTHER THROUGH HEARTBREAK

    Ever experienced heartbreak? How did you handle it?

    Here’s how Olubunmi helped her friend through her heartbreak.

    “I’ve known Ifeoma for seven years. When I met her, she was engaged, but he broke it off when he travelled to the US. She started dating someone else. She was so committed to the relationship, it only seemed right that it would lead to marriage. Three years later, he eventually proposed after what seemed like a lot of pressure. They moved in together and I was happy for Ifeoma because I knew this was what she wanted. I expected the wedding plans to kick off immediately, but time went by and not a word about it. I would ask casually, and she would shrug. I noticed she was losing weight and looking really sad and even distracted. She was never available to hang out, and she would go days without calling back. Finally, she told us (her friends) that he was cheating and she had been begging him to stop. She went as far as going on her knees to beg him, she called a family meeting that pissed him off, and she even called the other girl to beg her to leave her man. As far as I was concerned, it was pitiful and I wanted her to stop! She said she had invested too much in the relationship and couldn’t imagine herself leaving. So the other friends told her to make demands from him, drag him (and his side chick) on social media and stuff like that. I insisted that was not the way to go. This was her second major heartbreak, and Ifeoma wasn’t ready to do it any other way. She wanted revenge. And so she listened to the other girls and decided to embarrass her fiancé and his side chick at a restaurant. It didn’t end well. He kicked her out of the house (even though they both paid rent). Though he eventually broke up with the side chick, he started dating someone else and never took Ifeoma back.

    Ifeoma was devastated and all she thought about was how to destroy him. She was ready to lose everything. She even said the only thing that would give her peace is seeing him suffer; it was that deep. She decided to go spiritual. That was when I had to really step in. I immediately reported her to her mother and also to elder brother. They scolded her like a child and it made her feel worse, but it stopped her from going all the way to becoming a vile human being.

    She didn’t speak to me for one whole year, but we eventually made up and I told her the best way to get over him was to focus on developing herself. She took her skincare more seriously, she invested more in her business and even got a brand expert to position her business properly online. I told her to use her money for her own soft life and not for any man. Now she does a lot of travelling. She also got a nice place, got a nice car – things she was always skeptical of getting because she didn’t want to scare men away. She started living a life without waiting for approval from a man.

    Ifeoma is the kind of woman who believes life is all about finding a spouse, and if that doesn’t happen then your life is miserable. I had to teach her many ways to be happy without being fixated on men and marriage.

    Fast forward to 2022, Ifeoma has been to more than ten countries, her business makes millions of naira in profits, she is more confident, prettier, and doesn’t ignore red flags in relationships.

    She is currently dating, but she isn’t fussing over the man to become a husband. She is simply having a good time and letting things happen as they should. My friend has come a long way, and I am happy to be part of this journey.

    PS: Oh! I should mention that her ex-fiancé tried to come back when he encountered the brand new Ifeoma on Instagram, but my girl wasn’t having it!

  • THE AMAZING BENEFITS OF OATMEAL

    JOIN OUR TRIBE OF HEALTHY LIVING.

    Do you know oatmeal is one of the most nutritious breakfast you can have?

    This also applies to oatmeal swallow, you can have with your favourite soup.

    Try GREEN VALLEY OATMEAL – American blend, 100% natural whole grain.

    Join Stephanie Linus on this conscious journey to healthy living.

    Enjoy GREEN VALLEY OATMEAL as a cereal or as a form of swallow.

    *It gives you the benefits you deserve:

    *Lowers blood sugar levels.

    *Supports healthy cholesterol level

    *Provides antioxidants.

    *Promotes healthy bacteria in your gut.

    *Helps you to feel full to manage your weight.

    *Eases constipation.

    *Relieves skin itching and irritation.

    *Lowers your chance of colon cancer.

    As for GREEN VALLEY OTAMEAL at your local stores.

    Be health conscious. Enjoy life.

    Want a FREE pack of GREEN VALLEY OATMEAL? Drop a comment; what’s your favourite meal time: Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner?

    Instagram: @greenvalleyoatmeal @stephaniedailyblog

  • Single? Here are 5 things you can do on Valentine’s Day!

    It’s that special day set aside to celebrate the greatest gift of all, LOVE.

    Those who are in relationships already have their plans figured out by now, yes?

    But what about YOU without that special someone to share this day with? What plans do you have?

    Don’t let the day go to waste. You too can participate in the frenzy of Valentine’s Day by loving yourself.

    Sounds like a cliché, but do it! Focus on YOU today.

    Here are FIVE things you can do on Valentine’s Day for yourself:

    BREAKFAST IN BED: Order a platter a day before, and have them deliver it to your door in the morning. Pamper yourself to breakfast in bed. You deserve it.

    WATCH A COMEDY: Treat yourself to laughter. It’ll lift your spirit.

    GO SHOPPING: Why not? Get something you really think you deserve. Spoil yourself. Love starts with you.

    SPA ON A BUDGET: Relax. Get a massage. Ask the masseuse to line up your room with scented candles. Ask for soft music in the background, then breathe!

    VOLUNTEER: Go out there and do some good for the less privileged. It is one of the best ways to spend the day, trust us!

    REFLECTING: Here’s a bonus point – You can round up the day with dinner in a restaurant with live music. Eat, dance and be happy. Life is good.

    Lastly, don’t forget to reflect on your life and find many things to be grateful for. You may not have a partner right now, but you have LOVE – God’s Love. And for this love, you are able to start afresh everyday. His love is sufficient.

    HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!