NO DULL MOMENTS...

Dear JB - I need help with my big tummy

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 17:02:43 PDT

Dear JB
My boyfriend's birthday is coming up this summer and he is planning a pool party. According to his plan, the girls will be wearing swimming clothes. As his girlfriend, I wanted to choose a very hot bikini. The problem is I have a big tummy and I'm not really the working out type. Since I heard this, I've been doing situps for over a month now but I do not see any changes. I'm afraid there might be none before his birthday. Can you recomend any quickies? I'm running out of time.

T.

Hi T.
First, I have to mention that these things take time and I understand if you think it is slow. However, I think that doing situps is not enough. If you have fat around your abdominal region (tummy), you definitely have it everywhere. For your programme to be more effective, you need to start with an allround fat loss programme - healthy meals, aerobic workouts, resistance training.
Depending on how much fat you have retained and how fast you want your results, put in the efforts and the time.
The recommended workout plan would be
Aerobic workout (e.g jogging, cycling) for 30 - 50minutes, 3 - 5 times a week
If you up your situps too, concentrating on your progressions, you'll definitely be speeding things up.
Whatever you do, make sure you do not stress yourself 'cause it'll tell on you. There are other options that you can explore e.g. a nice swim suit will divert the attention from your tummy while still giving you an elegant look, so you can take your time and put in healthy measures into attaining your desire.
Goodluck

Dear lovelies
Remember you can send your questions to janylbenyl@gmail.com

Love always
JB
twitter: @janylbenyl

I like you a lot - final part

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:55:17 PDT

Hey Lovelies
Here is the concluding part. Is someone excited?
Click on any of the parts you missed below to catch up
Part one, Part two, Part three, Part four and Part five.

I watched him keenly as he narrated his story.

I had gone clubbing and I saw this very pretty girl and we danced together. We kept drinking and drinking, and before I knew it, we were both very drunk. We returned to my house that night, we had sex and slept off. I made breakfast the next morning, we ate. Thereafter, I wanted to go out to start my day but she wanted to sleep in. I told her she should sleep in the car as I drove her home because I needed to go about my business for the day and didn't want to leave her alone in my house. Reluctantly, she entered the car and I had dropped her off at her place.
Later that day, she called back and asked if we could do something together. I didn't remember giving her my phone number, she must have dialled her phone with my cell phone when she was at my place. It's not as if I wanted to hide from her afterwards, I mean I knew I could find her if I so wanted to, same thing for her, but there was just something creepy about her.

She started calling me regularly, always proposing one thing or the other to do; from a new movie that just came out, to a game she thought I might like to watch too, to going out to grab something to eat together. But the truth was that I did not like her like that.
After a while she stopped calling when she realized I was always turning her down, but she showed up at my house months after, this time with a bombshell. She said she was pregnant.
What?!
She said she hadn't realized until she was already 8 weeks gone.
We started getting together, I had to. She was always needing something that needed me and after a while she even had to move into my house. I couldn't dare to watch the woman with my unborn baby roam the street in agony, so I agreed for her to come live with me, but in the guest room. She had questioned the idea of staying in the guest room but I insisted that was the only way I'd let her in. She agreed, apparently, she just wanted in because she lived everywhere but the guest room. She'd wait for me to return and she'd strut around sultrily most times in her birthday suit. She had told everyone that cared to listen that we were a couple and that we were living together as one. She was always inviting guests over, Perhaps, she wanted the whole world to see that we were truly living together since I was never really comfortable with acting as we were, 'cause technically we weren't. I was still trying to think of the best thing to do with her but I decided to just leave things until after she had the baby. I had to leave the house at some point to go squat with my friends.The amazing thing was that the bump never grew. At first she said it was her body configuration and that she was truly blessed to have a body like that. But after several months of the bump not growing and I had insisted that we go get a scan together to see if the baby was actually okay, she left the house. A few months after, she returned and said she had a miscarriage. Things weren't adding up right and it was so evident that she was never pregnant. She probably was trying to be and that is why she kept trying to seduce me to sleep with her when she moved in with me. Apparently, things didn't go as she planned and she left. But the sad part was that she went about telling everyone that cared to listen that I had messed up her life. That she had the miscarriage because I left her at home alone and that she was in so much pains but I was nowhere to help her. I knew that story wasn't true. She could have called my number, but she claimed she did and it was switched off.

After she said she had the miscarriage, I knew I was done with her. Whether it was true or not, the one thing that kept bringing the sad connection between us was no more. But she just wouldn't have that. She still made sure that she made me pay dearly for ever meeting her. After that incident, I never really wanted to deal with another girl. I just didn't want to deal with the trouble any girl could bring and all until I met you 8 months after. With you, I just couldn't feel my fears anymore.

As I listened to him, I felt so bad for not listening to him when he asked me to. I caused us all that pain and I almost lost such a great man forever. Fate brought us together again, and this time I knew we were meant to be. I promised him we would fight Ms.Nunn together, if she ever showed her face again.
We had something so beautiful, true love and friendship all wrapped in the beautiful passion that we shared for each other. We promised we weren't going to let it go, not for anything in the world.

THE END

I hope you enjoyed it?
Watch out for more stories from me, I'm learning to write stories.
Thanks for reading, and for spending time to leave your feedback and most especially, for not concentrating on the flaws :)

Have a lovely weekend y'all

Love always
JB

Inspirational: Think like a winner; Act like a loser

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 04:30:01 PDT

Hey Lovelies
It was no debate when apple took over the world of information technology that they had come to stay. Everyone was talking about the cutting edge technology that captured hearts and set heads on a spin. They were the top players no doubt but you have to understand that when you set people's head on a spin, it simply doesn't end there. You have to keep spinning them and that means you have to constantly improve upon yourself.
When apple ruled this sector, no one anticipated that Samsung and HTC would come up with products that would make anyone sit down to read reviews to ascertain which one they really wanted. "Of course, it'd be no more than apple" many would have thought. A few years after, the story has changed.

Whenever you create something great, you inspire creative minds to think. Now the way I understand this sort of inspiration is that you could actually stir up something in someone that could beat yours. The fact is that in little or no time, if you do not steadily put in the efforts in becoming better yourself, someone else will take over and it could be the person you inspired.
When you are made, you tend to relax. You tend to forget how you fought hard to get to where you are. That is a mistake someone who has not yet attained success will easily not make. They do not lose touch of their fighting spirit.

If you bear in mind that no matter who you are, no matter what you think you have achieved, you can always be better, you will always work hard to keep your thinking cap alive.
Never get to a place where you are comfortable about your previous achievements that you fail to aspire for greater heights. It is called stagnation.
I once read something somewhere "if you are still concentrating on the success you had yesterday, it means you haven't done something today."
.
Usually what makes people to sort of become complacent are laziness, pride and the most important one is "the satisfied attitude". Do not be satisfied. Think and put in the efforts. Someone, somewhere is working harder than you and they may beat you to all you think you have.
Wherever you find yourself, always act like you are trying to overcome failure. Act like you are so down on your back and you need to work extra hard to get right up.
Do not relax. Act like someone who is at the verge of failing greatly if they do not put in the hard work. You are not expecting failure, that is not how winners think, rather you are making sure that you thrash it.

Aspire, that is what losers do. They are constantly digging on new discoveries that can help them attain success, join them.
Happy new week
Happy June

Love always

JB

Bliss - a hair story

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:49:28 PDT

I felt my head nagging with pain
I let stress get to me again
I can't keep popping up these pills
I know better than to indulge in analgesics
It never does the body any good

I filled my tub with fresh water
Not minding my freshly made twists out
I dumped myself inside
I soaked in there for about an hour
And all the pains were gone

I can't remember the last time I experienced such bliss
Perhaps, when I was a kid
Not worrying about messing up my perms or weaves
I felt the water seeping through my head and feet
I'd love to feel that more often

I dried my hair and combed it out
I made a quick dash in front of the mirror
In less than 5 minutes, I had a whole new look
Oh the versatility of natural hair
Why did I ever hesitate in making this move?

....Janyl Benyl
May 2013

Hey lovelies
I published this already on African Naturalistas
I also write there so check it out when you can

Love always
JB

Breathe

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Mon, 27 May 2013 10:43:17 PDT

Hey Lovelies
It's been a loaded one week here. I hope you enjoyed the #oneposteveryday just as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you? Let me know which part you enjoyed the most.
I decided to cool things off on a light note today. It's a joke I found on facebook I thought I'd share
Enjoy

A couple had two little boys, ages eight and ten, who were excessively mischievous. The two were always getting into trouble and their parents could be assured that if any mischief occurred in their town, their two young sons were in some way involved. The parents were at their wits end as to what to do about their Son's behavior.

The mother had heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children in the past, so she asked her husband if he thought they should send the boys to speak with the clergyman. The husband said, "We might as well. We need to do something before I really lose my temper!"

The clergyman agreed to speak with the boys, but asked to see them individually.

The eight-year-old went to meet with him first. The clergyman sat the boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?" The boy made no response, so the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer, so the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face, "WHERE IS GOD?" At that, the boy bolted from the room and ran directly home slamming himself in his closet. His older brother followed him into the closet and said,

"What happened?" The younger brother replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time. God is missing and they think we did it!"

I'll definitely be back next week to complete this story -- I like you a lot
I've also got some cool mails coming in for the 'Dear JB' column. I'll see which ones I can share with you next week.

I just felt like coming around to chat, so sorry if this post is just everywhere :)
Who else joined in for big brother Africa tonight?
#BBATHECHASE Hot hot housemates! Like someone said, "The struggle is real" or let's keep it BB' fied "The chase is on" :)
I think I like the guys repping Nigeria. I feel like they'll make us proud #proudlynaija

Enjoy the rest of your evening lovelies and have a rewarding week ahead
Happy children's day tomorrow for the kids in the house :D

Love always
JB

I like you a lot 5

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:06:40 PDT

Hey lovelies
If you need to follow the story, click on any of the parts to read it
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

It was my friends wedding and I was part of the bridal train. We had to go over to the country side, like the outskirts of another city. It had beautiful surrounding and it was the perfect setting for a wedding. We stayed in the accommodation the couple to be provided. A nice detached house which housed the girls and we all had a room to ourselves. The guys stayed in another place just down the street. The city was renowned for it's nice resort center so people were smart enough to own apartments in the nearby were they could let out for the tourists. My friend was a romantic hopeless, I was too sure coming to chill with her friends in the little island for a week for the wedding was her idea.

Guess who was one of the groom's men? It was Marvin.

We were so happy to see each other again. The same feeling we were all too familiar with came all over again. He still looked so good. He had grown so much in just one year or was it just my eyes? He complimented me as usual and I felt like we hadn't even left each other even for a bit 'cause the memories livened up like they were just yesterday. At that moment, I missed him again - his eyes, his smile, his laugh, every little bit.

I knew I was in for trouble if I didn't put myself in check.

I tried to stay in my room as much as I could because I knew I didn't need to get too close to Marvin. He was nothing but trouble. After the rehearsals for the train, he asked me to go with him for a few drinks but I declined. That would be too disastrous for my little heart. He was already too close for comfort.

I tried as much as I could to make sure that our paths didn't cross until of course, the wedding day.

He was all dressed up in his tux. And I just happen to have a soft spot for a nice looking guy in a nice tux, and worse of it all, it was Marvin in a nice looking tux. It was such a difficult day to pull through but I managed. I kept avoiding him like a bad plaque until he boldly walked up to me and stopped me before i could dash away. He told me he really wanted me to give him an opportunity to at least say something because he was too sure we really needed to talk, and as far as he was concerned, it was the most mature and appropriate thing to do.

"A chance for you to lie to me? Or play me like a fool? What do you think? No thanks, I'll pass".

"The only sin I committed is just the fact I am a man" he said.

That really touched me. I felt so guilty when he said that. I should have tried to hear him out omg! But the problem was just that it was too hurtful and unbearable for me to sit down and watch him make excuses. That was why I never really wanted to bring myself to hearing him out.

I was still trying to get over the guilt when he started persuading me to go out on another date with him because he really wanted to tell me everything.

I couldn't help but nod repeatedly.

This time I was not even nervous. combust wanted to be in his company again. We chose somewhere we could talk at length.
It was a quiet coffee house.

He started apologizing for witholding the story of Ms. Nunn from me. He was going to tell me, but he thought it was just too early to be talking about past relationships.
"I had my best days when we were together. I just didn't want to spoil any of the moments with my sad tales"
I paid attention to his body language as he started narrating the experience he had with Ms. Nunn

... To be continued

I will be sharing the concluding part of this story next week, watch out.

DISCLAIMER: This story for the most part is fictitious, but inspired by a combination of traces of real life occurrences. Your comments have been so funny. They make my day :)

Love always

Dear JB - My friend's husband wants me

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:00:02 PDT

Hey Lovelies
Hope everyone is enjoying the #oneposteveryday so far?

I leave my contact details here so I get a couple of fan mails, sometimes, they are questions these people are itching to get answers to? Perhaps, they just want another person's opinion.

I usually just reply them the best way I can there (that is on whatever channel they used to reach me), but this one got my attention in a great way and I decided to share it because I know most people are/should be asking this question.

Dear JB

My friend's husband wants to divorce his wife and marry me. He said that sometimes people meet people to meet other people and that is just what happened between us. He said I'm the kind of girl he has always wanted to marry but he was tired of waiting, so he decided to make do with the available - his wife. I could like him too, so far, I've been trying to prevent myself from paying attention. I know if I do, I'll definitely fall for him. He's that kind of guy. I do not seem to understand why he was in a hurry like he mentioned because he's still very young. He has been married for 2.5 years and he's just 7 years older than me. I on the other hand have never been married. The good thing is that there are no kids. They planned to start having kids later. I just might be turning my back on my 'the one'.
Should I let go of my guards and let him in?

My friend is very pretty, I'm sure she will get someone else in no time.

Thanks
S.

Hi S.

I understand how it feels to know the man you like and cannot really be with him because my advice to you would be that you forget every plans of being with him. Do not even entertain the thoughts. Let's face it, there is no way another person's spouse can be your "the one" You sould not be the one breaking your friend's home. Leave them alone for a while, I'm sure they can sort things out with tine. If you need to stay away so the man can think properly, please do so. You owe that to your friend.

Dear lovelies, this will become a fixture on this blog, so feel free to use my contact details (click here) and send me questions on any aspect you think I can help.
I will try to answer them to the best of my capabilities. If I find them interesting enough (like someone else needs to know too) I will share them here. Don't worry, whether you send your name or not, I will always withhold your identity.

P.s Visit my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/janylbenyl) to choose tomorrow's post. Yea, you get a chance to choose too :)

Love always

Have you met these pastors?

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:23:13 PDT

Hey Lovelies

Let me know which of these pastors you have been opportuned to meet :)

It's all jokes, don't take me too seriously

1. The paid pastor
This one is your regular pastor that you see in most churches. Usually they lead the branches of well established churches. This is their job and they do not do more than is expected of them. Their sermons are somewhat predictable as they stick to the very safe parts of the bible. They are usually trained pastors.
Their field of expertise, they are well acquainted with the historical background of the bible, they have managerial skills and they are good at following rules and routines.
Greatest distinguishing factor, they have a theological degree, they don't like controversy and are humble.

2.The called and sent
For these ones, this is more than just a job for them. It is more like a passion. They are usually full time pastors and they also devote so much of their time to it. When you listen to the ministration, it always feel like you gained a new insight. They are successful but they are humble. They usually adopt the simple pastor title. They are are more concerned about what bothers their congregation than themselves. Well they may be rich, but they still remember to lead a simple lifestyle and you can easily notice it by just looking. Usually they were already successful in a previous career or had so many potentials of being successful before dedicating their whole time to their pastoral work.
Their field of expertise, guidance and counselling, selfless leaders, great intercessors.
Greatest distinguishing factor - Humility.

3. The celebrity pastor
They are the star and the gospel is just a add on. They are usually very educated. Some of them had to leave a previous profession to embark on this. Do not mistake them with the called and sent. They share a lot of characteristics but they are not the same. The church is more like a business brand and they always work and strategize a lot to make it the number one spot. You know that sort of place where you enter and it looks like it's draped in gold? It is made specially to fit the calibre of people that should be enticed by beauty, art and luxury. You know the kind of church that spends time to acknowledge their prominent members? The well to do in the society? They act like they are in a constant competition. Well I'll tell you that was the reason for the birth of the church in the first place. They obviously were looking for something that will bring more attention and money and establishing a church was their best bet.
Their field of expertise is commissioning/dedicating new properties, ministering at public events, praying for the presidency and other well established members of the society and no wonder they always have an opinion once there is any matter arising. Sometimes you wonder if they are politicians themselves.
Greatest distinguishing factor, their eminent sense of style and titles.

4. The by fire and by force
You know those that blow trumpets around your street? Stop you a million times to preach even when they know you are a christian? The one that would interrupt a party to preach because according to them everything apart from preaching the gospel is vanity. The one that wakes you up in the morning with "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand". Well they are very enthusiastic about what they believe in and they can go all the way. If you happen to live near the location of their church, best believe that there'll be some service going on 5 times a week if not 7. The microphones are always very loud because truthfully, the main audience is not the ones inside the church, they are those trying to catch some sleep in their houses.
They are not restricted to those with churches, you have them positioned inside buses, on the streets, markets most times with their *mobile church.
* A cart that has almost everything they need e.g bibles, bells, oils etc.
Their field of expertise is taking the gospel to the nook and crannies of the society, converting many, informing more people about the need to know God and the word of God, preaching holiness.
Greatest distinguishing factor, they are very strong, relentless, very conversant with bible verses and can talk for long (don't even try to argue any thing with them, if you think they are wrong about something they said, do your own homework.

5. The deliverer
Once you meet them, something is always happening; it's either your mother is a witch, your mother in law is or you are the witch. They tell you how you are just about to die soon if you are not 'delivered' immediately and you'll just be wondering exactly how you managed to live the past years that you hadn't met them. No they are not doing all the prayers. There's always something for you to do, something that must definitely give you a hard time. They are always very eager to talk about past miracles they performed.
Their field of expertise, prophesying, praying and seeing into the future
Greatest distinguishing factor, they are very strange.

6. The wonder worker
For them, advertisement is key. You find them on your tv screens, yes the big ones. They understand the law of demand and supply, and apply it effectively. They are not poor, they are also very rich. They do preach but preaching is just a fragment of what they want to showcase, the main features are the signs and wonders.
Their field of expertise ...
Let me leave this one for you to guess.

Love always
JB

I like you a lot 4

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:15:09 PDT

Here you go lovelies Click on any of the parts you missed to read it -- part 1, part 2 and part 3

He called to check if I was ready. He was on his way.

It was so obvious I would fall for him even before we went on a date. Going out on the date with him was simply going to be the icing on the cake. He was very caring and had a great sense of humor that eased all the tension I felt.

He chose a simple restaurant, which I quite admired. He didn't try to outdo himself to make an impression; nothing too fancy, but very classy, beautiful and serene just like he was. We had such a great time talking and laughing. The evening was just perfect.

Love indeed colours the world. I was happy that I made this trip and had the opportunity to meet Marvin. We shared something really beautiful together. I appreciated the dichotomy of incredibly opposing innate forces we exhibited. We'd play and mess around, dance a mosh, and then sit back and talk about very deep stuff. He intrigued me how he could always be very conversant of whatever page I was on. It was almost like we had known ourselves for so long.

We couldn't even hide the way we felt about each other from everyone else afterwards. I knew it was just too early to be acting all smitten but I just couldn't help it. It didn't even help to realize that the feeling was mutual. He would look for every chance to make everyone know we were now together. Before we knew it, everyone was calling us the hottest couple. They said we looked so perfect together.

I didn't want to think about the fact that our days in Italy were gradually coming to an end. I just wished I could stay there and spend every day with him forever, but work was beckoning and we needed to go home.

We packed our bags and bid ourselves good bye as we returned to our respective lives. We lived in the same country but in different cities. I stayed in Birmingham and Marvin lived in Manchester. I would miss him so much and it was so sad to know that we couldn't meet ourselves constantly except for weekends or holidays.

We planned another date for the weekend, this time we wanted to go watch a show together. I just couldn't wait to be with him again.

......

I checked my Facebook a few days after, I realized I had a friend request and a message from a stranger. I quickly opened the message, perhaps, I could get a clue of who she was. The message read

"Leave my man alone, you cheap slut."

Jeez! Who the hell was she?

There was only one man that could be about. "Marvin! Is a cheat?" I exclaimed

I couldn't bear the trauma to think that all of what we shared was just a facade, he really didn't have so much standards, or did he?

I have never seen a guy that was so in sync with me. I felt like we'd make the best friends sooner that people would be so tired of seeing us. After our first date, I felt it would be so easy for us to get along. I started having those very beautiful dreams. He was definitely every woman's dream, why did I ever think he didn't already have another lady? I could have been so fooled.

I didn't accept the request, of course I wouldn't. That 's not how you send a message to someone that you wanted to call a 'facebook friend'. What was she thinking? Even though I was really itching to at least reply her so we could have some kind of discussion and maybe I could get to know more about Marvin, I decided I didn't want to deal with a crazy woman, so I didn't.

I decided to talk to Marvin instead even though I was too sure he'd lie to me, but I decided to let him know anyway.

He told me she was just a girl he thought he'd like but things didn't work out and he moved on.

I kept pondering on those words. "Things didn't work out and he moved on"

That was all I needed to learn that I needed to initiate the moving on when I knew it wouldn't be as devastating as it'd be when he decides to do the moving on.

She just wouldn't stop sending messages, now even more insulting ones. What have I dragged myself into? Craziness jeez!

I resorted to replying her, otherwise she may never get it.

"Get a grip on yourself, young lady. Don't you think he should be the one telling me this?" I typed the words and hurriedly clicked on 'reply' so I don't have any chance to change my mind. It was expedient to put this woman in her place, I told myself again.

I decided to have another talk with Marvin but I had already made up my mind before talking to him. I was not going to allow myself to be played like that. I'd pick up the pieces of my heart and move on. It'd be hard but I didn't want him to move on me like my mind had tried to convince me that he would eventually.

Eventhough it seemed so hard to stay focused on moving on, I tried to make it work. Marvin didn't make matters easier for me either. He was still the very sweet guy that captured my heart in so many ways. He wasn't helping at all. He kept trying to act all sweet and caring.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I never stopped asking myself.

I received yet another message from the girl.

This time I lashed out on her so badly.

And she replied this time with very few words "the battle line has been drawn"

And I replied yet again

"Like I care"

What was I turning myself into?

Was I really going to fight another woman for a man I hardly knew?

When I re-read the messages, I knew I had to do something. I stopped seeing him. I stopped talking to him. I don't like to fight over a man, esp since I and Marvin just met. I concluded there were a lot of things I didn't know about him and the fight wasn't worth it at all.

He kept trying to reach me but I made sure he couldn't. I changed my phone numbers. Luckily for me we only met during our vacation and he really didn't know my place. We were supposed to meet up tomorrow for another date but I'm sure that will not be happening anymore.

I missed him, but I had to do what I had to do.

.....to be continued

Health talks: Impossible is nothing - Monique, a case study

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:35:19 PDT

Hey lovelies
I have heard severally when people say that it is impossible to choose the healthy path. Monique just proved that everyone can do it. She went from 300 pounds to 218 and she is 45 years old.
If Monique can do it, you too can.

The aim should always be about trying to hit the healthy mark. Not skinny, not fat, keyword - HEALTHY!
She stressed the fact that she didn't use pills neither did she undergo any surgery, just the good ol exercise that we all hear about. She has been sharing her progress constantly on her twitter page.
If you ever need inspiration, just head on to her twitter page - https://twitter.com/moworldwide
Let the pictures speak

Inspired? Remember, no one achieves anything without hard work.
Love always
JB

Liebster award again

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:53:18 PDT

Hey lovelies
I decided to remedy the intermittent posting that has been going on here for a while now. I decided to start things off with a blog series #oneposteveryday to get in the mood. It's as self explanatory as it sounds. For one week, I will be posting everyday on different categories. It is your treat, just for leaving you for so long :)
First off, I will be accepting a blog award from Ms Tizzle of www.mstizzle.worpress.com
She nominated me for the Liebster award a while back, and I need to get that out of the way. (Sorry dear, this took so long. I actually forgot it in my drafts.)
I also received another one recently from Didi of www.didis-view.blogspot.com

I've already received this award in the past (Click here) but I'm always happy to be nominated.
This time it's not even one but two :)
I really appreciate it Didi and Ms.Tizzle

Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the giver.

2. Answer the giver’s questions.

3. Nominate five other blogs with fewer than 200 followers.

4. Ask five questions for one’s nominees to answer.

5. Post it on your blog

Ms Tizzle's ~~jamb~~ questions LOL
1. “The pen is mightier than the sword” in your own words
2. Write a 3-line poem/prose/anything on the topic “Blogging Frees Me”
3. What year would you gladly re-live given the chance and why?
4. Mums or much older sisters? Which of them do you think influence your decisions more? Why? (No excuses, improvise)
5. Choose between Peter Piper Picked a Peck of… and This is The Key of the Kingdom, In that Kingdom there is a city, in that city… Complete either of the two. No cheating!! By that I mean no one including uncle Google is to be consulted.

Answers to Ms. Tizzle's questions

1. “The pen is mightier than the sword” in your own words.
In summary, there is power in even the simplest of words. It can build or destroy in a matter of seconds.

2. Write a 3-line poem/prose/anything on the topic “Blogging Frees Me”

Down in a fix

Stuck in a brawl

Blogging frees me

3. What year would you gladly re-live given the chance and why?

So far, none! My best years are ahead. There is no point wasting time on yesterday when there is so much to explore in the future :)

4. Mums or much older sisters? Which of them do you think influence your decisions more? Why? (No excuses, improvise)

Mum 'cause I do not have an older sister

5. Choose between Peter Piper Picked a Peck of… and This is The Key of the Kingdom, In that Kingdom there is a city, in that city… Complete either of the two. No cheating!! By that I mean no one including uncle Google is to be consulted.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper (is it paper or pepper? Not sure again o) ,
A piece of pickle pepper Peter Piper picked
If Peter Piper picked a peck of Pickle pepper
Where is the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?
Mehn, we used to play this one as a game frequently that is why I can still remember it but that "in that kingdom eh"..no chance to remember a thing LOL Ms Tizzle what have you been drinking lately?

Didi's quetions

1. If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
2. If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?
3. Why do doctors leave the room while you change?
4.Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every 2 hours?
5. How do you get off a non-stop flight?

Answers to Didi's questions
1. Big joker! Shaking my head :P

2. We are humans, they are fishes. Different configurations. Who said they do not have great figures? :)

3.Because they have to ensure that their patients feel very secure around them. Respecting their privacy is a nice way to build a good doctor - patient relationship.

4. They do not have any thing to care about. When they sleep, they sleep, worrying about absolutely nothing, not even their incontinence

5. A non - stop flight will definitely have a final destination that will be well communicated to everyone. You should wait till then if you want to keep living

Meanwhile, Didi, you are one very funny character LOL
it was really nice having to answer these 2 sets of questions - a set of serious ones and a set of pure jokes

My questions:
I shall be kind just 'cause I know how much I want to give Ms. Tizzle some rounds of 'pick pins' now

1. I write on different categoriess on this blog. Which category do you enjoy the most? Easy right? *grinning*
2. Romantic, comic, horror..(others) movies and why?
3. What is your greatest fear?
4. What do you look for in a role model?
5. In one word, what does 'life' mean to you?

Or maybe I should ask y'all to compose a song? LOL

And for the tags:
1 .Priscy
2. Honey dame
3. Cindy Saul
4. Dayor
5. Ms Buki

Love always
JB

Music crush

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Sat, 11 May 2013 07:34:42 PDT

Hey Lovelies
So I have this funny feeling of letting music get so much to me
*confession time* Let's not beat around the bush then 'scratches head' erm
I crush on guys with delectable voices, a very select few tho. Some things must add up, I don't even know what the criteria are but I just know that some of the voices werk more than some :)
So after being completely smitten by Usher's voice for yonks, Trey Songs came along to give me more tough times. Tough times knowing that these guys are several seas, mountains and oceans away, usually makes me feel that perhaps we are not the same. They can sing so well like that just because you know, just because of anything that I cannot exactly comprehend. But maybe I can meet them one day and ask them to sing for me, ok, at least how they manage to be so breathtakingly great
*ok snap back to reality*
One day, I stumbled upon May D and it was like I was knocking on heaven's doors. Finally, there was a guy with same Nigerian blood who could send shivers down my spine just by singing some sweet melodies. Massive awwwwwww
Unfortunately, something happened *big sigh* I saw MayD and he was different from the kinda guy I pictured with that voice. Don't get me wrong, it is not what you think, no matter how hard I try to explain this you will not be able to understand, so let's just leave it, ok? Lol

But one fateful day I discovered the breathing dopeness called Praiz Jeez! that voice can send an insomniac patient to sleep, but in my case, it literally sets me flying in the sky. I could listen to that rich baritone all day, all night.
Lest I forget, throw John Legend somewhere in the mix too, I absolutely adore his voice. Praiz's voice reminds me of John Legend's.
Why can't all guys sing so well? Oh well, I can't sing myself :)

Currently listening to "Rich and famous"
Have you heard it?

What do you think of Praiz's vocals?

He's one of my best in the scene for now

Love always

Photo credit: www.notjustok.com

Guard your thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:19:17 PDT

Hey lovelies
Have you ever wondered why some people are so happy even when we understand that life will always bring to everyone ups and downs?
Having understood that positive energy will always attract more positive energy, there is no easier way to ascertain that if you want positivity, then you have to stay positive. It doesn't depend on the circumstances around you, it actually begins in the mind.

"In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true either is true or becomes true" - John Lilly

This simply means that what you constantly base your thoughts on shapes your reality. If it is not what you are seeing now, then you will see them sooner or later. So the big question is, why risk all that on negativity when you can channel it all to something productive?
Remember "When you want something, all the universe conspires to bring it to you" - Paulo Coelho

Like I said earlier, it has to begin with the mind.
The greatest power you possess is being able to control what affects you. You might think that you don't, but the point is whatever affects your body, your surroundings, etc, still cannot affect your mind until you allow it. That is why it is inside of you and only you can let someone get in there. That is where the real you lies.
It's funny how we attribute our emotions, decisions and sometimes even cognition to our hearts when the real seat of affairs belongs to our minds. I like the idea though because I would hate to remind people constantly to know what they say to my mind. You know when someone says "Someone broke his/heart" just imagine if it were the mind being susceptible to that LOL
Anyway, let's get back to the topic of discussion, I know I love to joke a lot :)

Your mind is the control point of everything you see in you and around you. It is what defines your life, your words, your body, your surroundings, the way you perceive life and the way life manifests to you.
So the simple puzzle "Is the cup half full or half empty" is just a breakdown of what life is for different people.

Same concept when you think about this
"We can complain that rose bushes have thorns or rejoice that thorn bushes have roses"
It is the difference between the person who is complaining and the one who is rejoicing.

The way you see life is just a reflection of who you are and this in turn will affect the way life comes to you.
Choose wisely!

Happy May!

Love always
JB

Natural hair: one of the many options

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:48:35 PDT

Hey lovelies
I absolutely love Chimamanda Adichie. Recently she had to talk about the option of growing hair naturally. As I read through what she had to say, we were so on the same page. Read excerpts of the interview below:

"I love my hair, its kinky and dense and coily. I love playing with it, trying hair butters and oils, wearing corn rows and afros. But sometimes I get tired of it and want a break. So I add extensions. I like extensions, but I always look for extensions that look like my hair. For me, the best compliment for extensions is the question: is it your hair?

Many of us say our natural hair is too hard, too difficult. But that’s because we weren’t taught how to care for our hair. (I have discovered the wonders of coconut, castor, shea, even honey for softening hair. Trick is add it when your hair is wet! You get wonderful softness!)

Relaxers are not about softness. They are really about texture. Otherwise there are ways to soften hair without permanently changing the texture of hair.

Of course African women don’t want to be white, but we live in a world where the mainstream idea of beauty is straight hair. Magazines, films, popular culture all show straight hair as ideal. My cousin wears a wig to the gym because shesays her natural hair underneath is too ‘ugly.’

Our hair is not straight. And so we have internalized the idea that our hair, as it grows from our heads, is ‘rough.’ We force our hair to do what it was not made to do – and our hair falls off at the temples until we have no choice but to use weaves endlessly. Kinky hair is rough only in comparison to straight hair. Kinky hair is beautiful. (Never mind that my Lagos hairdresser always asks, ‘Ah, Aunty, when will you perm this virgin hair?’ And I tell her, ‘Ah, this is how the hair came on my head o. Did God make a mistake?’)

People often think natural black hair must ‘mean something’. Maybe you are hard core black, an angry black, authentic, a soul sister, poetic etc. But sometimes natural black hair just means you like your hair the way it grows from your head.

I want us to talk about the choices women are forced to make. I want us to push back against the idea that to be professional or glamorous, to go for a job interview or a wedding, requires us to have straight hair.

I want natural black hair to be as equal an option as anything else. Not something to hide. Not something we have to ‘do something about’. I would love it if black popular culture figures wear a long straight wig today and wear natural kinky hair tomorrow. And for both to be thought of as equally beautiful."
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

(Source)

It is just hair, people. It is not that serious. Breathe!

This is also a good time to mention that I now contribute to a natural hair resource site. I post there once every week so be sure to check it out at www.africanaturalistas.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/africanaturalistas

Love always
JB

Featured: Looking to buy a hotel in the heart of Lagos?

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:05:09 PDT

Hey Lovelies
This is a really good catch and investment.
The hotel up for sale is a moderate and well furnished hotel built in the traditional one storey style, with 20 guest rooms each containing a plasma TV, refrigerator, Internet wireless connection, modern laundry facilities, restaurant, inside and outside bars.

Location: Ago palace way okota close to festac town
State: Lagos
Country: Nigeria
Total rooms: 20
Meeting rooms: 30 capacity
Occupancy
On season - 75%
Off season - 55%
Great location
Large parking lot (about 40 cars)

Reason for sale: Project that requires maximum attention

If you or know anyone that would love to avail themselves of this opportunity, please contact me immediately for more details. Email - janylbenyl@gmail.com

Love always
JB

Featured: The next scholar reality TV show

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:15:15 PDT

Hey Lovelies
I was so excited when I learnt about this new reality show that will be hitting the Nigerian television scene very soon. The show centers around promoting the reading culture amongst Nigerian students and Nigerians as a whole.
A tv show that focuses on something very positive? Long awaited!

You too can be a part of it. You can read about all the nitty gritty details at the official website:
www.thenextscholar.com

Anyone interested in giving it a shot?
Let me know :)

Love always
JB

Un-avoided recess

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:56:59 PDT

Hey lovelies

I know I've been gone for a while. I needed the time out, sorry I left no words. Thanks to everyone who tried to check up on me. I lost my father and it's been one hell of an experience.
He'd been on and off hospital beds until we finally lost him. He was buried last month.
On behalf of my family, I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who tried to reach out to us during the death and burial of our father.
We are still in the process of moving on, it might take a while but we'll try our best to get through it ASAP by God's grace. We appreciate everyone of you and pray that God will bestow his blessings immensely upon everyone of you for every kind gesture.

Happy April

Love always
JB

She's the boss

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:23:37 PST

Hey lovelies
Today's topic is a concern for a lot of people today. It will always happen, as long as women have an equal chance to succeed in the society. There will always be a woman that is very rich and accomplished. But does this mean that she has stopped being a woman? No in my opinion, I think the woman should always be a woman and this I mean in the home.

As a matter of fact, this 'being a woman thing' that I'm talking about is exclusive to that 'one man'. Don't go about doing "woman, woman weaker vessel" everywhere because I know some men that will rather cough out rubbish than listen to a woman that makes sense just because she is a woman and as far as they are concerned, she should listen while they talk.
However, what I mean by 'being a woman' is far from letting a man humiliate you just because you're more accomplished than he is. When you ever meet a man that is intimidated by who you are, do not forget this statement by one of my favorite authors

“I think it’s very important for people to know that those men who are scared by women who are accomplished are the kind of men accomplished women don’t want. So it’s nobody’s loss.”
— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Brace up, move on and never settle for less. They just do not deserve you, sweetheart.

As you can see, this is a sequel to my post on "traditional roles" so go read that first if you haven't seen it yet.

It's not your fault that they feel intimidated, or is it?
In fact, I heard "The more educated she is, the less likely she can be a wife"
Like if a woman has a Phd, a man with a Bsc will always have this inferiority complex.
Another example is if she happens to be the boss at work and of course, the most common example is when she's richer than the man.
Again, we have to talk about the ego thing in guys, they always want to be incharge but I think in a case like this, both parties have to understand that they have more work to do. You're always going to be faced with this opposition (esp from the society) and it could pose a very big problem if you let it.
You have a couple of options but the choice is always yours as we all know. Use your discretion and choose which one fits you best.

1. Look for a man that is more successful so you don't have to worry about it.
2. Another option, is to deliberately decide to give up everything just so you can come down to his standard.
3. If you choose the option of not running away from who you are, which I highly recommend, then do what you can do and always try not to put it out there like "yea, I'm the one doing this, doing that and you aren't." You both already know don't you?
Let's be realistic, even though you don't feel that way, the thought will creep into his mind once in a while which means you have to make a conscious effort to not make it seem like that. But again, you can't help what goes on his head, right? But at least be sure you played your part not to trigger it.

1. See how you can be more successful if it bothers you
2. Get the right mindset because really, your inferiority complex will always complicate things. It's bad when you see a man that is so intimidated so much that it looks like he's just trying to bring the woman down in any possible way he can just so he can be the boss. Get it right, it begins with working on yourself.
3. Face it, she's richer, she's richer, you can't change it and that's the woman you decided to love, appreciate her instead of frustrating her and make your tupence count. Check, there is something you can still do with the little you earn that will matter so much in the home.
4. And finally, if it bothers you so much, try a woman that is not as rich as you are. At least, there's somewhere where you can be all the boss you want.

Alright people, there you have it Make your choice
They all work really but you just have to choose which one will work for you.
But remember that in relationships, both parties have to work extra hard to make it work because trust me, people will always have something to say, including your friends. And it's even worse when any kind of insecurities are vividly visible, then you need to be even more careful.
One time I over heard some people talking about Beyonce and Jayz. The argument was that Jayz didn't deserve Beyonce. "She's so rich, he's such a bloody gold digger." I heard one of them say. And then another one made her understand that he was extremely rich too.
The boy spent some time to explain to her that Jayz was even richer than she was.
And when she knew that her 'gold digging' speculation was not working, she said anyway the fact is that he is still taking advantage of her.
"How?" The boy asked, and she replied boldly, "Beyonce is very pretty and he's ugly".
I laugh so hard at how people always have something to say about people's relationships. Just imagine with all that success and it so happened that JayZ was not successful, what do you think would have been the story?
My point is, you have to understand that people will always have something to say and that is your greatest opposition. You need to be very careful because people will turn something very beautiful into the worst thing ever. They are always looking for a loophole. To solve this, you just have to learn to work as a team and pay deaf ears to people's opinions. It is your relationship and not the world's. Understand yourselves and make a decision to make it work.

Don't take me too seriously tho, you should know this by now
I mean I'm not even married myself :)

Love always
JB

Photocredit: SOURCE

TRADITIONAL ROLES

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:18:08 PST

Hey lovelies
There is something about a man who can get in the kitchen and slam his own thing that I appreciate so much, at least I know that I don't have some sort of a suckling who is totally dependent on me to save him from starvation. I wouldn't help but think along the lines of "What if I'm not around?" He'd jump to the paths of any sweet smelling aroma?
On the other hand, I do love to own my kitchen, meaning I'd like to be responsible for most of the magic that happens around there. But of course I also want to know that I have a man that can treat me to something tasty on those 'not so it' days. Ok pardon me, let me try to be straight forward, but I do appreciate my pamper moments :)

This topic is going to be a little controversial. Today, we'll be talking about traditional roles and some of you may not share my point of view, but if we all remember to keep things civil, nobody will get hurt. The aim is not to start a conflict here, but please do well to share your views :)

Nowadays, everybody thinks they can just easily flip places. What happened people?
No darlings! You can't. Somethings are just meant to be the way they are.
Our body configuration made it that way, that's why he's called ' a man' and she's called ' a woman'.
Don't try to force it.
I know the way this century is going, everything is getting so confusing that I think it's high time we sat down to reevaluate some of these roles again that I'd like to call "traditional roles".
It sounds archaic but it worked for our parents, there were not so many divorces and problems like today so heck yea! Why not?

This isn't about trying to establish the fact that it should be the woman that should carry the baby, well if he wants to change nature, that's his biz. That's too logical for me to make a post for, common sense should already establish that. This is more like who should take the front seat and when?
Please forget about that gender equality thing for now, if you want your relationship/marriage to work, you have to be able to realign your duties based on aptitude. You ready?
Without much ado, I'll go ahead and break down some of these roles for you:

1. It is a woman's place to manage the home front. This is a gift that we have as women and for things to go well, it's just best we utilize this gift. Don't tell me but "I can't cook" Learn! It is your job to make sure that your family is well taken care of as a woman. The man is only helping. Have you ever wondered why we are the ones that are blessed with the gift of breast feeding and having to nurture the baby right from the womb? Now you know :)
However, it is only fair that he helps too. I mean the reason you both are together is to help each other out. Please correct me if I'm wrong :)

2. So we understand that men have this ego stuff that works for/against them :)
Well, you can be independent and always getting it right and all that, but it's important that you learn to let him be a man when he needs to. Yes, you need to learn to take the back seat and let him flex. This can be a little hard sometimes when you feel like you can do better or basically you know you can do it yourself, but you need to learn to draw the line from when you are the miss know it all and when you should learn to relax and let him treat you like his woman. It is just a quality that they want to own, don't know why, don't ask me, ask the men :)
This might sound complicated, but it's all about trust. Of course, the guy also has a lot to do here. If he just acts up out of intimidation or inferiority complex, there'll always be a problem where he's going to be struggling and trying too hard. So you see, everything is just less complicated when there's true love. Not by any external or environmental drives but innate love. Because love is thinking about making the next person happy and not thinking so much about you, you and you! With love it's easy to let whoever can play the part well (or wants to) to do it without so much ado and unnecessary stress.
There's nothing as endearing as a woman that will depend on you to do certain things even though you know she can do it herself.
I heard this adage one time "Two cocks cannot crow in a house at one time, there's meant to be chaos" One just has to let one do the job and then it will involve less energy and it will be more effective. But in a situation where both of them are struggling to be heard, even the simplest things will become very hard and enervating.

3. It's so easy for a guy to scream submit! submit! But really submit to what? You can't even make good decisions for yourself and you expect her to fold her hands and listen to the bull crap that has not been working for you? You have to make sense too if you want to be heard. Now, that's something you have to work on. It's not about passing orders and trying to be the man, it's about offering solutions. And really, if you want to do this effectively, you have to kick selfishness away and always remember that you're talking and thinking on someone's behalf so make it reasonable. And if this is such a big task, while she does it gracefully, aint nothing wrong with you deciding to put your ego in check, shut the hell up with your "submit rant" and let her do the job. The aim is to find the right person for the task based on aptitude and not gender.

4. Put some work where your mouth is. It is the man's place to make sure that the family is well provided for. Even the bible says, I quote "A man that cannot provide for his family is worse than an infidel"
Again, both parties have to understand that it is the man's place to cater for the family and the woman is only helping.
Of course again remember you're there to help each other. There are circumstances where she can be richer than him, but with love again, this shouldn't be a problem. I'm only saying that because I'm trying to pretend as if I'm oblivious of the fact that this is a very big problem in most cases, infact this deserves another post on it's own that I'm sure I'd oblige soon :)

It mustn't always be like this. If you already have something that is working, then by all means, keep it. You know what they say ...if it ain't broken ..'
BUT if it is not working, then the parties involved need to return to the drawing board and set things in place. You might need this as a reference point just because it has proven to work severally.
"Every good marriage/relationship didn't just spring up, it took the efforts of the parties involved"

Goodluck!

P.s: If you want me to talk about the 'wife is richer, so it's not working' situation, say "yea" at the 'comments section'
And you know how we always do this, leave your inputs too.
It's always good to hear a combination of opinions :)

Love always
JB

Personal: FAVOURED

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:40:09 PST

Hey lovelies
If there is something in this world you should all pay attention to, it is your name(s). What do you answer to?
Even the bible says "A good name is better than riches" (pun intended) Y'all know I like to make you laugh :)
Seriously tho, when you have kids, spend time to choose their names well, it does matter.

Anyway most of you do not know but my middle name is 'Favour' and I just feel like that my name has been unlocking favours for me.
Erm that being said, I cannot marry a man that is bearing any funny name. Keep your name, thanks!
No offence, but seriously some names are not supposed to be borne by normal people. For example if your name directly translates to failure, why on earth are you still bearing it?

Or maybe someday, after giving birth to one lovely damsel like that {Oh yelz it has to be :)} the father will now decide to give her one funny name because he's the father? Sorry, it just cannot happen
Not my baby :)

I used to thank God for my parents, our names are great.
I think it is because they understand that good names are good because they have good ones themselves.
My father's name is Bernard which means brave
My mother's name is Gloria, same thing as Glory
My first name Jane means gracious gift of God. According to my parents, when they realized I'd be born on the 1st of January, they couldn't think of any other perfect name.
However years after I realized I didn't have any native name, I pressured my mum to give me one and she called me 'Idara' which means Joy. Nobody calls me this anyway, sometimes I even forget that it is supposed to be my name. I virtually used to beg even my mum to remember to call me that LOL
Anyway, I gave up on that a long time ago
My father calls me Queen
All of them, amazing names, as in God bless them for always thinking of a good name to give me :)
My sister's name is Blessing and boy, that girl is nothing but a blessing. My father calls her gold.
My brother's name is Akan which means Victor.
And my father calls him 'fine boy', even when he is very angry with him. "Fine boy, shut up! What I'm saying is..." Hahaha so funny when he's supposed to be angry and the nice name still comes out LOL

Let's talk, how important is your name to you?

P.s The amazing things that can happen in 2013, now y'all know my real names :)

Love always
JB

GUEST POST: Illusion of success by Tonye Jack

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 06:35:22 PST

Hey lovelies

Have you thought about how you want to kick things off this year to ensure that you finish strong at the end?
Here is a piece on how to overcome the illusion of success and live life sustaining success.
Definitely recommended for everyone who has goals for 2013.

Meanwhile, Yay to my first guest post
I'll be dolling out a lot of good surprises this year

To kick things off, let's start off with our guest's introduction.

Tonye Jack is a software Engineer who is so keen on acquiring knowledge and information. He is one person I enjoy listening to, because you are sure the conversation will never be a waste of time.

Luckily for me, I have a few inspiring friends and he is way on the top of that list.
I remember how I used to look forward to his little excerpts of inspiring words that he diligently made a point of duty to send to me when I was writing my final examinations at school.

Let me not bore you with the preamble, delve straight into Tonye's well of wisdom.

Illusion of Success
---------------------------
I have read a lot on the subject of success, and success is not some illusive thing that is hard to grasp. It is not magical or strange. From my experience, I'll say it comes down to a few, simple steps. I have been able to outline three simple principles for attaining success.

The 3 simple principles are:

1. Seek out and find the information
2. Apply the information immediately
3. Be persistent

The formula for success has never changed and will never change. By applying these simple principles to your life, you will realize the kind of outstanding results obtained by only the ultra successful.

Success begins with desire, and you should match that desire with the success formula. Without a genuine desire you cannot accomplish much even if you apply the formula for success. On the other hand, if you do have the desire, there is no way the success formula cannot work. The starting point for the success formula to work is to have a burning desire.

Now lets explore these set of principles.

Principle 1: Seek out and find the information
Simply put, Follow the system! Most of, if not all that we desire to accomplish has already been done by others, or the building blocks has already been explored by others. This is good news because we do not need to reinvent the wheel, it's already been done. All that is needed is to seek out the information that will help do the same for you. You have to follow the system used by those who have already arrived where you are headed, and chances are excellent that you will get there too, even faster because you wont make the same trivial mistakes.
So what is the system? This a process of achieving your goals in a predicted manner based on logical and specific set of 'how to' principles.
Another name for the system is called OPE (Other Peoples Experience). If someone has already done it, all you need to do is model what the person has done, follow what they did, learn from them and success will come your way. OPE can come in the form of books, classes or finding a mentor and spending time with people that are already doing what you aspire to do.
The only difference between where you are and where you'll be in the next 5 years from now are: the people you meet and the books you read.

Principle 2: Apply the information immediately
Knowledge without action is the same as having no knowledge at all. Having acquired knowledge, now you are positioned for success, BUT you have to move. Once you have found the system that works for you, you must apply it immediately. The right time is right now! Do not delay.
Fear is one of the things that keeps us from acting. We often say to ourselves, 'What if it doesn't work? Then i'm really in trouble!' 'If i don't try it, then at least i wont have to go through the disappointments' 'I will just wait until...i have more money...i have more time...when summer comes...' excuses, excuses, and more excuses!!! Successful people don't let excuses move them, once they have determined what they need to do, they do it. Successful people do it now. Be very wary of fear and procrastination, they are very deadly and the are the major killers of dreams and goals. They must be conquered.
The law of diminishing intent states: 'the longer you wait to do something you know you should do now, the greater the chances are that you will never actually do it.'
Any action, no matter how little is better than no action at all.

Principle 3: Be persistent
The successful person falls down 7 times and gets up 8. Don't be afraid of set backs; make no your vitamin.
Have the attitude that each 'no' you get is leading you closer and closer to a 'yes'.
In other to outlast the no's, you need a goal; a belief - that mental and powerful something that will pull you back up the 8th time after being knocked down the 7th.
That strong belief is needed. Don't expect anyone else to believe something you don't believe yourself. You need to believe in yourself. Believe that you have the power to overcome everything that comes your way. There isn't anything you cannot learn and do if you make up your mind to do it. The power of a made up mind is the power of God within.
You need to work on yourself continually because success is an inside job. Wealth, good grades, good health are simply outward manifestation of that which you create within yourself in the passionate pursuit of that which you love.

These are the 3 simple principles of success, simple in the terms that they are not complicated and they are easy to do, but what is easy to do, is also easy not to do, but the choice is always yours, REMEMBER!

Have a rewarding 2013
May all your desires come true!

P.s Don't forget to leave your feedback at the comment section. I'm sure Mr. Jack will love to hear from you, and you know I always do :)

Love always

It's 2013 yay!

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:01:23 PST

Happy new year lovelies
And happy birthday to me

May this year bring us the best of everything we've ever desired

Happy 2013

Reflections, Resolutions, Decisions...

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:02:45 PST

Hey lovelies
How did it go with your 2012 resolutions?

We all know how most people are quick to jump on the 'new year resolutions' band wagon. "I will do this, I will change that", and as soon as the holidays are over, they forget that they even promised to wake up early the next morning. Some people prefer to make them on their birthdays. They see it more as a major landmark in their lives, especially as they also became older. Some people would tell you that when it's too long term, they cannot deal with it. They prefer to make them on a short term basis, e.g monthly.
I used to outline my goals and try to plan towards them yearly. I did have short term goals that I visited monthly (and even weekly) but I never really saw them as resolutions. I didn't really toe the line of new year resolutions until last year when I decided to use the avenue to address somethings I believed I really needed to deal with. Needless to say some of them were not so easy, but one thing I like to tell myself is that 'I'm not a quitter'. I do not even like to do things haphazardly. It is usually either an 'I'm in' or 'I'm out' thing for me. I try to paddle things to the end, no matter how hard they may seem. I did with my 2012 resolutions.
I decided to revisit some of the most interesting ones and I'd love to share them with y'all.
Well, this is how it went for me
1. I promised to put more time into building a steady relationship with God. I would say I have really grown from where I started from, but indeed for this, I think one can never truly say that they are done. I still believe that it can never be enough, not forgetting also that every little step was purely by his grace. There is still so much room for improvement, and I pray that his grace will always lead me on and on.

2. I wanted to leave my comfort zone more. When I settle in a place, I settle. I try to carve a home for myself wherever I find myself and it could take a while to spread my 'Jan-ity' around a place to make it feel like home. Once, I manage to do that, I usually do not like to move. I don't even want to risk the inconveniences of trying something different.
This year, however, I did travel more.
The part I hate the most is the process of applying for visas especially, but this year I actually applied for a couple, just for the sole purpose of planning a trip to visit the place and not out of obligation. Trust me, that was a feat :)

3. I wanted to learn to face my fears. Most of them led me to battling with procrastination head on. I tried, I tried hmm
Sometimes, it wasn't exactly easy but the fact that I was able to make every single move I made in 2012 just goes to show that there has been a steady case of conquering it. There is still room for improvement tho, and I hope that I can scale that soon.

How did yours go? Another year is fast approaching in a matter of minutes, do you think you would do it again? Why, because it was very effective and you think you should do it more often or because you had some spill over from last year, or would like to give the ones you didn't exactly visit another go?
Let's hear!

May 2013 come with good tidings

Love always
JB

Firmoo glasses giveaway winner

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 17:34:29 PST

Hey lovelies

Like I mentioned when I introduced the firmoo glasses contest, apart from the discount codes to 25 winners, firmoo also promised to sponsor a pair of glasses to one winner, shipping and everything included.

And the winner of this sponsored pair will be *cue in cool music* :)
Oluwaseun Sodunke
Please, check your email ASAP.
Note: You have just 4 days to respond to it, accept it and send your details.
Congratulations dear!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays?
I'm lovinnnnnnn' it :)

Love always
JB

Seasons greetings

noreply@blogger.com (MsJB) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 07:47:52 PST

Hey lovelies

A very merry Christmas to you all

May your homes be filled with the joy that comes with the season.

Ps: I hope everyone that entered for the giveaway have received their codes by now? I sent out all the emails yesterday so go to the site and place your orders because the codes will expire by 12midnight.

Pps: I don't know why I cannot comment on blogs. It's been so hard reading my favorite blogs and not being able to leave a comment. I even tried to reply the questions on the giveaway post last week but it was still the same struggle. My apologies to everyone that waited for me to respond to them, I did try to. Actually, I can type and post but it just becomes invisible after. Please, help on that regard if you can!

Love always
JB