Author: gertrudeasumadu

Note I did not say POLITICS, I said ‘POLITRICKS’….the tricks, deceit, lies and empty promises citizens have to put up with all in the name of the BETTERMENT of the country.

I am sure no matter the continent, race or country we have all come to REALISE that politicians normally don’t deliver ALL they say they would. Sometimes they DONT do ANY of what they said they were going to do. Is this justifiable? Well maybe.

You see we NEED to come to the realisation that one person’s promises cannot necessarily CHANGE our lives or TURN our lives around for good. Well let me highlight (in case you disagree). Look at it this way, let’s say you have received a prophecy which states you are going to be a millionaire or you will fare well in life. That is a PROMISE or should  I say WORD OF MOUTH.. but you see though miracles DO HAPPEN, God is no MAGICIAN. Though you have received this, you need to ACT upon it because the BIBLE even says, FAITH without ACTION is DEAD. So in a nutshell, it is OKAY to have faith in that prophesy but RIDICULOUS to think that you will wake up in the morning to find yourself in a MANSION or have a dream that you were driving a car and then wake up and find yourself ACTUALLY driving that same car (I will be scared!)…In summary, you cannot RECEIVE a prophecy and REFUSE to WORK towards it and EXPECT RESULTS.

But I believe that is how sometimes people perceive the promises and plans of politicians. Irrespective of who runs the country (whether it is your party or not), that is not going to make you rich neither is it going to solve your problems. They may CLAIM to be PROBLEM SOLVERS but let’s be HONEST, how many of the problems do they ACTUALLY solve during their term of office (though they CLEARLY stated in their manifestos that they were going to). I very much often do not blame them…I rather blame the kind of system or should I say society we have been raised in.

We are not trained to be problem solvers, entrepreneurs, critical thinkers but rather always looking up to another SON of MAN to provide WHOLLY the SOLUTION to our numerous problems . So what happens if they fail? They are titled as LIARS, OPPORTUNISTS, DECEPTIVE or whatever. Very good! But wait, aren’t they just reflecting the society they were nurtured in. Of course they know that for their education system to be better it DEFINITELY has to be THE GOVERNMENT, for them to have a good road system, THE GOVERNMENT, for BUSINESS START UPS..aha THE GOVERNMENT. Everything, THE GOVERNMENT. But who comprises the government? Isn’t it PEOPLE chosen out of the PEOPLE? They are also probably waiting on the World Banks, IMFs and other countries for help or probably lied to you and are waiting for you to come to terms with REALITY!

You see, I KNOW that the GOVERNMENT makes policies, implement them, make rules and laws and all you can think of. But we NEED to know that at the end of the day, some people will be satisfied while others won’t. Does it make them a bad government? Maybe it is a way of saying it’s high time you started looking for that job and stop eating and sleeping just because the government promised jobs. You have to LOOK for the job and NOT the OTHER WAY ROUND (whether they delivered that promise or not). If you have BAD ROADS in your vicinity, you could come together as a community find ways of means to improve that road and stop expecting THE GOVERNMENT to do it for you (when clearly you can see the HANDWRITING on the wall that they will not!). When you pass by a food joint on your way home from work and they don’t have your request..you have an alternative to change your request OR probably PREPARE YOUR OWN FOOD. And in there lies the problem with many people.

I am not saying don’t join a political party or don’t put your trust in the political party of your choice but don’t for ONCE think they coming to power means EVERYTHING is going to be FINE (that could be an EXPENSIVE JOKE)…We would not be too DISAPPOINTED in the unfulfilled promises of politicians many a time if we come to the realisation that we also have the POWER TO MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER and not FULLY entrusting that POWER into someone else’s hands.

These days, no matter the economy one finds him or herself in, there are PEOPLE still making it BIG. Ask me who these are and I will GLADLY tell you they are ENTREPRENEURS or like I call them PROBLEM SOLVERS. You see it is not good enough to identify the problem (as that is what we are mostly GOOD at doing but rather SHOWING the way OUT of the problem). And these people are not ONLY creating CHANGE but have made life BETTER for themselves and in the process made others lives BETTER (ripple effect). And am glad to be in a generation where a lot of inventions and start ups are encouraged even in universities and more people are EMBRACING it which is a GOOD thing but as they always say THERE IS MORE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. Probably if these things are more than they are now, we won’t have lots of graduates competing in the graduate market for jobs after years in the university of learning techniques and measures of SOLVING REAL LIFE PROBLEMS (which is mostly NOT applied after graduation and they end up in the vicious cycle of poverty!)

Immediately we hand over the key to our problems to someone ELSE to unlock them, we ARE also part of the problem itself, because somewhere in our deepest thoughts lies the SOLUTION. Maybe, just maybe they are not ‘POLITRICKCIANS’, the ABSOLUTE power we have granted them over our LIVES, may just be TOO MUCH for them to HANDLE.

Thanks for reading. Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section. God bless you all!

This particular one is dear to my heart….I probably chose to blog about this topic mostly because I am still in my BIRTHDAY MOOD (that’s allowed!). Anyway, I hope some of the thoughts shared will resonate with you and you may begin to alter your thoughts towards certain misconceptions or misjudgements.

I am confident for a FACT that it is mostly in AFRICA that people especially WOMEN are judged based on their physical sizes…I know what I MEAN by that. In Ghana, they ‘jokingly’ (forgetting about the harm caused to the victim) call a plus size person ‘OBOLO’ and oh I have had my own fair share of that…SMH (Shaking my head). I mean there have been so many stories of body shamming of women who are plus size…sometimes DIRECTLY other times INDIRECTLY. But I will just delve into one peculiar one.

About a month and some few weeks ago, a  picture which broke the net or should I say went viral of a young man whose fiancée was plus size and he was trying to lift her..I mean that was the concept behind the photoshoot (at least from what the lady said from an interview). Firstly, this BECAME NEWS. Why? Because it is probably WEIRD for a young man who was SLIM or SLENDER to love a ‘FAT’ woman. Or OH! The ‘FAT’ lady DOES NOT deserve love. Another thing that upset me a bit was that the LADY was actually invited to a TV station (name withheld) for an interview where the questions being asked were a bit provocative. For instance, why would you ask someone you don’t know personally or aren’t friends with that ‘How much do you weigh?’ and I was like EXCUSE ME? Is she supposed to DIGNIFY such a ‘question’ with an answer? I don’t think so! And Oh, the lady replied with a bit of ‘pettiness’ saying ‘Over 100 and sexy!’ (In my mind I was like YOU GO GIRL!)..I mean I would have pulled up an Omawumi on the interviewer (For those who don’t know this story, a popular Nigerian singer known as Omawumi, earlier this year, walked out of an interview due to the tone of questions being posed to her….)

So back to the story, the MAIN reason I believe this should not have trended is because, first of all this man knows what he wanted that’s why out of all the SKINNY, SLENDER and SLIM girls, he STILL opted for a PLUS SIZE lady! Nobody should ask questions about that! I mean it is HIS entire BUSINESS. You see that is the PROBLEM…We live in a society where my PROBLEM becomes someone else’s to TRY to figure out or SOLVE. Like my Nigerians will say ‘why u wan take Panadol for another person headache?’ (Abi I tried with the pidgin sha!). Moreover, I liked this man in question’s intelligence and approach in answering questions when the interviewer put him on the phone. When the interviewer even joked that what will he do if he run away with the lady he jokingly told him not to even think about it…(Yass! Protecting what is RIGHTFULLY his). I genuinely wish BOTH of THEM all the BEST in their marital life.

One thing that excites me about should I say society’s concern about plus sized women is HEALTHWISE…that is actually good to know. But the last time I checked being skinny does not necessarily mean you are healthy and being ‘FAT’ (a rude way of referring to someone who is PLUS SIZE) does not also mean you have all the diseases on the planet earth in your body. You see, I know people who are skinny but take all sort of DRUGS due to many diseases they are trying to fight against while people who are plus size walk around freely. Lesson? Do not JUDGE a book by its cover. You do not know how that Lady you constantly refer to as plus size is doing to lose weight privately. Just because you don’t see or they did not ANNOUNCE probably on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS does not mean they are just sitting there IDLE for you to leave all that you are doing to tell them what they should be doing with their own lifestyles. You just don’t know so save your sermons for yourself! (That’s if at some point you gain some weight).

Another interesting concern which I have personally been told by a family member is that ‘Guys nowadays DON’T like ladies who are PLUS SIZE. Wheew! What a bunch of ignorance or should I say LACK of KNOWLEDGE. No wonder the Bible says ‘For lack of knowledge, my people PERISH!’ Oh yes and some people may continue to PERISH UNTIL they seek KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING from the CORRECT SOURCE. You see, the problem is some people are so CONFIDENT even in their IGNORANCE. How can you talk for ALL men? Just because you prefer a SKINNY girl does not mean that is what ALL men on earth like. What survey made you arrive at such a HASTY and RIDICULOUS conclusion. Ever heard of the saying ‘One man’s meat is another man’s poison? Maybe this saying needs to be hammered into the ‘coconut’ (head) of some people. Besides, I just think about the fact that okay, so what if you marry a SKINNY girl and after two kids she becomes PLUS SIZE, do you start CHEATING on her OR DIVORCE her just because of her WEIGHT ? Am sure someone ought to have done some deep analysis before saying ‘I DO’.

In the midst of all this ‘Oh you need to lose weight to look good’ or ‘Hey, to fit into this clique you need to be slim’ bla bla bla, the right question that anyone who wants to LOSE WEIGHT should ask themselves should be ‘Why am I doing this in the first place?’ Because someone said it or because I GENUINELY want to shed some pounds. I am in no way bashing anybody losing weight, but the problem is with the WHY. Personally, I want to lose some weight to fit into most of my clothes again. I just can’t begin to imagine all the STRESS I have to go through to send them to my seamstress, the time I would have to wait for them and to top them ALL the money I would waste to do these when I could cut down on my LATE NIGHT EATING and other unhealthy things I do to shed off some pounds. Makes sense right? Before this, Oh I have been there..Should I say pressurized to register a gym to lose weight for a reason I do not KNOW. Because, it WASN’T ME, I lost motivation after few weeks and quit..JUST LIKE THAT. You see when you do it at your own WILL and preference it ISN’T HARD at all.

I have also been with the protein shakes and pills and teas and what have you. And I can conclude those businesses are booming especially these days that most people WANT to look a certain way especially with the INFLUENCE of social media or what have you. But amidst all these show of how your tummy will reduce drastically and how GOOD LOOKING you will become after taking in all those…take a minute to ponder about the potential consequences you were not told of (of course that will deter you from purchasing), the WHY, and if you are GENUINELY happy about it…then CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss or if you JUST started again KNOW THE WHY.

Just don’t be pressured to do all sorts just to FIT IN. That is not what you were born to do. At the end of the day when you are no more, You WON’T be remembered for how SKINNY or how ‘FAT’ you were or whatever, but it will be about the IMPACT your existence brought to others. Never FORGET that.

Thanks for reading. Please subscribe. Like, Read and Share. God bless you all!

Wow…this seems like quite a BIG one. Okay before anybody judges me this quote or expression was not coined by ME per se. I am sure some of you might have stumbled upon it someway somehow. Personally, I stumbled on a meme similar to the caption which actually reads ‘We live in a world of smart phones and stupid people’.

‘Ermmm excuse me? I use a smart phone alright but am in no way stupid!’ was my remark. I had immediately assumed this was referring to me just by ‘personalising’ it. I mean it is not like the person who put this meme up directed it to me by tagging me or mentioning me in the post. Phew! Silly assumptions on my part! BUT after reflecting on this for a while, I think there was a point beyond its harsh outlook.

Mobile phones as a communication device we all know have come a long way in terms of branding and all. I mean at first, it was the Nokia 3310’s, Motorola and the likes with the basic functions of receiving and making calls, texting and other related stuff. Fast forward to about 5 or 6 years ago was the emergence of the Android, Windows Phone and Iphones among others. With the inception of these new kind, ALMOST everyone craved to have the ‘new era’ phones and most eventually got it (I mean with the exception of those who could not afford it or those who did not care about the ‘new era phones’). These phones could be used for literally everything particularly INTERNET SURFING. I mean we would not expect less at a time where internet is almost easily accessible to many people.

Now this ATTITUDE of finding out what’s trending, replying every single text from that friend who chats once in a while, sharing that video which probably isn’t APPROPRIATE, scrolling through all those messages you missed in your numerous group chats on WhatsApp and what have you is of major concern. Now, I wonder why people cannot FIND time to do all these somewhere in the day but RATHER choose to do this whilst crossing the road, walking on a busy street, doing an important assignment and other things which are SERIOUS BUSINESS! I am a CULRPIT too in some of these instances and in no way trying to exonerate myself. But you see these things that we do BEING CONTROLLED by that tiny or large device could cost us a GREAT DEAL.

I mean I have heard stories of people being knocked down by cars, some end up with brutal injuries or minor ones or some dying in the process. My dad for one always complains about how the craze of phones are these days as he recounted of how he had to be in ‘traffic’ one time just because this guy was crossing the road and was on his phone and probably forgot where he was. Thus, cars coming from all angles had to wait for him to finally cross the road before proceeding. What if the first driver in the supposed traffic decided to ignore this boy, knocked him down and he eventually died? How pathetic! What was soo important about that message he was trying to reply or that email he may be reading that could not wait? Really? In exchange for his life? I am not saying there is a right or wrong way to lose one’s life but you will agree with me that some deaths are preventable and in this case, this ONE is included in that list. I mean I don’t know if it is a way of these people trying to tell drivers or people walking in the streets to tread carefully or whatever but hey! that is not solely one person’s duty but you as well should register that in your LONG TERM MEMORY.

Apart from this craze, people spend too much on the accessories of mobile phones these days compared to the days of the old. I remember a friend of mine giving me a description of a particular phone case to buy for her and I was like SMH (Shaking my Head)…all that covering including screen protectors which mostly costs loads of money! Now, I am in no way saying it is a ‘bad thing’ to beautify your phone like any other thing but what makes me wonder is when some people are almost naked but have their phones all covered! The IRONY!

I once saw a group of ladies and a gentleman in the city centre during the winter period and judging from the day and time, my best guess is they were going to the club (FRIYAAYY!). Though the gentleman was all covered up, the ladies were in skimpy dresses, with their hands covered around their bodies (signifying they were cold) yet their phones were covered! Now, I did a bit of digging and I was told that in the clubs, you are charged for bringing extra clothing along…let’s say for someone to keep watch over your clothings whilst you are LETTING YOUR HAIR DOWN! (That’s some smart move especially when they know people will definitely come along with some jackets and all judging from the weather!).But how wrong they are to include people such as these ladies above. I may not know exactly why these ladies refused to wear jackets whether for the sake of saving the little money for something better or whatever. But what could be better than your health?? Exposing your body to such cold could result in some terrible cold and fever which could cost you your job or inability to do CERTAIN things (You will understand only if you have been knocked down in bed by a terrible cold before). In other words, if you saw the need to cover your phone to keep it NEW all the time (I mean a phone you will replace probably in a year or two) then why can’t you cover a body which is soo precious which is DEFINITELY irreplaceable!

I mean I could go on and on. One funny thing I realised is, some people strive to have these ‘smart phones’ which cost a lot in most scenarios yet can hardly fend for themselves. I mean why do you have to TRY TO BELONG? Then you find yourself on the streets after your landlord sacks you from the house because of instead of using that money you saved up to pay the rent , you THOUGHT it will be nice to also SHOW THEM THAT YOU ARE ALSO THERE. Who benefits and who loses in the end? I know of a guy who was squatting (staying with someone for a while) with a family friend due to family issues. I mean they were kind enough to not only provide housing for him but also food, care and protection without taking money from this guy…I mean he was not working. Now, this guy is offered a huge amount of money after doing a translation job. What is the most sensible thing to do? Be courteous enough to at least give the money out for the upkeep of the house. But as excited as he was, this was the right opportunity to purchase a brand new phone he had been targeting for a while! Alas! his prayers have been answered. But wait for it….It cost him his shelter. He was sacked from the house for this ‘act of stupidity’. How sad!

There are so many examples I could list where people choose a ‘smart phone’ at the expense of their life, health, accommodation and other things. I, with all HONESTY state here that it is not worth losing anything precious just because of a MOBILE PHONE…It is an inanimate object, your life is just one. If you lose it, that’s it! You cannot go back into your mother’s womb to be born again not even with the concept of reincarnation. I mean even if you did, you will MISS on a lot. Why not act WISELY by doing things at the RIGHT time. After all, the Bible even says in Eclessiastes 3:1 it says there is time for everything under the sun!

Please feel free to share and drop your comments and suggestions as to improve the blog. Love you all. God richly bless you!

So, a friend of mine told me some time back that he was writing a book (I think) and he wanted people to write about one or two topics in the said book. Pondering over this few times, there were so many topics that came into mind (being the kind of person who talks to myself aloud about different topics mostly). So I had to finally settle on one topic that has been on my mind for a while now which is summarily about one’s PURPOSE in life. This is an excerpt of what I wrote, Hope you enjoy reading.

”I remember back in Secondary School there was a time where a book titled ‘Purpose Driven Life’ was very popular amongst students and I remember there was one particular girl in my dormitory who was very serious about it. She practically always had it in her hands. I used to wonder what all that farce was about.

Fast forward to about a year ago, I started thinking deeply about the reason I am on this earth. I mean even with us human beings, everything we create and use has a purpose for which it was made. For instance, we have invented telephones for communication purposes, as well as cars for easier transportation, clothes to cover our nakedness, houses to serve as a confinement where we could lay our heads among others. In fact, let us take a house for example, why would one (especially in these recent times where the economy is very tough) just waste money in buying a plot of land, employ workers to start a foundation and then commence the construction of the house FOR NO REASON OR PURPOSE. I mean even the richest man wouldn’t do that…..at least he would want to put his money into profitable use though he has it in abundance.

Likewise, we human beings have a CREATOR (forget all those ridiculous stories about the Big Bang and Evolution of Man from an Ape like Animal and what have you). This creator surely had a purpose for us when he made us. I mean if the inanimate objects we human beings create have purposes then how much more won’t we ourselves have purposes for which we have been brought forth to this earth. I mean we were created on the last day of creation and I am sure God saved the best of all his creations for the last so He would have adequate time to complete EVERYTHING in style.

So back to the story I started with of the ‘Purpose Driven Life’ just summarises the fact that firstly there is a PURPOSE attached to life and subsequently that purpose MUST drive or guide a person’s life. As simple as it may seem, it is a quite complex concept and sadly many people are miles away from their purpose and chasing after things they have been told they are supposed to pursue or things that look good to the eye which could be in the form of degrees, relationships, careers and so on. I think that is the most dangerous thing ever yet little attention is paid to that. Let’s take parts of the body into consideration,,,, Imagine your arms doing the talking or your ears breathing instead of your nose you will be scared right? I mean that is not its rightful job. But funny enough it is not scary that somebody who is actually supposed to be a teacher finds himself working in a bank and does not consider that SCARY enough. I mean all that matters is the money right because on average many people are much more concerned about their incomes and care less about whether or not they are ACTUALLY enjoying it.

The thing is, when you serve a different purpose other than what you were created to do, you automatically prevent someone else from fulfilling theirs. So, it’s like a ripple effect. So back to my example, someone who was probably supposed to be taking the position you have at the bank finds him or herself doing something else. Just because of one person’s mistake or should I say inability to identify their God given purpose. But you see, to identify one’s purpose too is not as easy as knowing the purpose of the things we human beings create for ourselves. I mean some people are born with extra ordinary talents such as singing, dancing, painting, acting, playing football among others. Others too are academically gifted. That is talent and NOT purpose. The difference is simple. Your talent might be singing well but the purpose that heavenly or succulent voice is supposed to serve is probably to draw someone towards God or to inspire people but when you end up addressing your singing or should I say the song to the wrong audience you have missed your purpose. Sadly, many people might have started out doing the right things regarding their purpose but have been snatched by the pursuits of money, fame, power and what have you.

How then do I know my purpose or better still know it and fulfil it accordingly. Know the Creator. Knowing God as the Creator is different from knowing of. It may sound cliché but the more you draw closer to your maker, he continues to lead you to your purpose. It may not be an easy ride as you may have to try out some few things along the way, be told NO severally, fall down and rise again few times among others but that is all part of the growth purpose. How you get to your purpose may also be dependent of how BIG your purpose is. Yes, some people’s purposes are bigger than others….and that is how it is. If the road seems tough and thoughts of quitting sets in like it always would and has, just remember how your mum had to carry you in her womb for 9 months and for some over that. The pain and struggles she had to overcome….I mean she had an option (you may disagree) but still thought the end product which is YOU is worth all that struggle. So imagine how the end product (YOUR PURPOSE) will be worth it if you draw closer to God, stay under HIS feet and allow him to teach and direct you towards YOUR PURPOSE”.

P.S  I have recently started to discover my purpose and I am loving it. I mean there is this innate peace and satisfaction when you find that thing which comes easily to you whilst making an impact in your audience’s life in a positive way. Truthfully it is WORTH it though it has been a long way coming! You can find yours too!

Can or are you able to really say honestly who you are? Someone once said if you do not know who you are, other people’s opinions will give you a false interpretation of who you really are? Well, I think that is very understandable right? This is because we as much as our friends, families and loved ones may know the ‘basics’ about us including our name, our place of birth, our parents, probably our age (probably not the case where people decide to hide their ages for some reason best known to them…wink**) and others.

Well, this is not the concern here? But aside these ‘basics’ what about what you are made of? Your character, attitudes, dislikes, your deep seated demons, pretence games which come to play once in a while…among others. These things constitute who a person really is. I mean given different situations, we can all be nice, compassionate, gentle, interesting, hold good conversations and the likes….but that character exhibited there may just be a nine day wonder! You know that deep down you are acting (living a lie or pretending to be someone you are not, at least for a while).

And you know one thing about acting? It has to be BELIEVABLE ( an attribute some movie actors lack, but hey they still make their monies right?). But one thing is, assuming or making a character come to life does not mean that is who you really are…For instance I don’t think a person who plays the role as a drunkard or a womaniser in a movie is like that in REAL life. Yet, many people even after the movie has been sold out and producers making their profits and all still associate the character with the person such that they are quick to believe that the actor is like that in real life (meaning they REALLY played that role really well right?). I once heard one Nollywood actor say he was walking down the street and people starting insulting him and throwing things at him just because he PLAYED the role as a LOVER BOY in a movie, breaking the hearts of girls here and there.

Isnt that interesting? Well it is, because the same way that people who ‘acted’ or ‘played’ out a character very well are being abused just because they were very believable, I think the same could be said for most people in the world today. This is because they are playing the character of someone else and made it soo believable to the extent that they HAVE become associated with it. This means you have killed your REAL SELF in order to allow your OTHER SELF (like I learnt in Social Studies) to come to play. This is very dangerous as such anybody who gets to this stage needs to do a serious self re-examination and identify the root cause like How did I get here?

More so, some people are very comfortable living the lie. Why? Because it may get them to some position they have been craving for, FOR A VERY LONG TIME or in order to someone or keep up amidst a group of friends. In fact there is always a benefit lying in there…somewhere. But the HONEST truth is, people will end up falling in love with the wrong person (which is not you) but that person you are trying hard for them to accept and LIKE. At the end of the day, different strokes for different folks! You decide to show your TRUE self for people to appreciate you or hate you OR show them your OTHER self and let them love you or hate you. Because at the end of the day, either ways, not everybody will like you anyway so PERSONALLY, I always do myself a BIG favour and be REAL…no need for fakeness (Not in my dictionary).

Thanks for reading. God bless you all!

I am not sure if this has sank in….I have started MY OWN BLOG!….OK..I think I guess the deed had to be done sooner rather than later..

This is something I have been told I am good at…WRITING! Well, I think they did not lie..as well as speaking, encouraging, motivating and what have you (though I sometimes cannot even motivate myself…I mean we have all been through that road before right??).

Okay, so to anybody that visits this blog to read any of my posts hence (whether a one time visitor or a permanent one), I hope something tickles you and probably helps you to start looking at things from a different perspective. What’s more, the comment section is also there for you to offer a different perspective. But remember, we are all still LEARNING as well as WIP (Work in Progress) thus there will be no need for rude, violent or insulting comments (which will be deleted anyway!). We KEEP IT REAL here…and to me that’s all that matters!

To conclude, We Need to Speak Out to be Heard but Sometimes We Need to DO that in the Form of Writing. This is My Way of Speaking Out….WHAT IS YOURS?