If you want a place in the Sun..

 A lot has been racing through my mind lately and I find my innermost peace when I write because its just my way of life.

I added an old friend on bb messenger yesterday and the first thing he said was 'When are you going to win your literature price Simi?.. Marriage shouldn't diminish your talents ...'

 His words perked my spirit and alerted me to the danger in wasting the talents and gifts the maker has deposited in me. I reminded myself that I shouldn't pretend to play mum while others are trudging through. Opportunity is sometimes difficult to recognise because we usually expect it to beckon us with beepers and billboards.

 Opportunities are never lost, another man grabbed the ones we missed.

I'm good at speaking to myself and that has helped me over the years.

I took time out  today to have my moment of sober reflection. I reflected on my life-It hasn't been a labyrinth neither has it been smooth all the way but the journey has been worth it because of my encounter with the man that makes everything beautiful in His own time. Can't thank God enough for all He's been to me.

While I was enjoying my solitude and reminiscing on a lot of things, one word kept coming to my mind."SUCCESS" I must admit its importance has featured a lot in my conversation with people these past days. Two weeks ago, a lovely friend of mineYemi Adebayo visited  and we seriously talked for hours about this simple but yet complicated Formula.

No wonder Abraham Lincoln said "We should always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing"  Wherever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.

A man is but a product of his thought; What he thinks,that he becomes. When you change your thoughts, you change your world.  Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit and man is definitely his own gardener.

Someone once said.."if you want a place in the sun you've got to put up with a few blisters. You can't expect to make a place in the sun for yourself if you keep taking refuge under the family tree" These words keep coming to me and it reminds me that striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted. God gives every bird his worm, but he does not throw it into their nest. Does He? Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with hands in your pocket.  

So what excuse have I got, if a man with no family tree has succeeded because he branched out for himself. Pennies do not come from heaven, They have to be earned here on earth. I must get involved to have an impact.  I can't keep building a reputation on what I'm going to do. I've got to dig the well before I become thirsty.

To my readers out there. Its not too late to re-trace your steps. Well done is better than well said. If you don't budge, don't expect a push.  Theodore Isaac Rubin said "If you don't make waves, nobody will know that you are alive"

Trust in God friends but do something and make WAVES...

Happy Val's Day..

Hi Friends,

Guess what? Your's truly is back again! And this time... I'm just unstoppable.

It's been years since I posted here but I'm glad to be back here again.

A lot has happened here and there but I'm happy He has kept us all by His grace.

This is wishing you all a wonderful new year too. Not too late to start thinking BIG.. friends.

Let's take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way. As for me.. It's definitely my Year of soaring high...

See you soon.

New Month..New Thoughts

Hi friends..

It's great to be back again and I'm sure a lot of people would have been wondering what happened to all the promises I made about updating my blog on a daily basis. Don't mind me jare, that's why I'm human. We all promise and fail and that is why God is God( He alone Stands by His word).

Hmmmmm..where do i start from now, 'cos a lot has obviously happened these past week and it's only fair to keep u all posted. To be honest with you, September has been fun-fillled. It bore it's challenges too but i'm glad to be alive and kicking.

Had a wonderful time catching up with old friends at Bukky Omoba (Nee Kayode)'s surprise hen night. It was organised by Ann Summers(exotic lingerie makers) and we all had a swell time, only that it was an "oyinbo-ish" affair for some non-ajebo's like me. The wedding came up the week after, and it was another avenue to re-unite with old friends. This is wishing the beautiful bride a happy married life.

September has come and gone and I'm blessed to witness yet another new month. October is a remarkable month for me and for those who do not know, it's my birthday month and it doubles as my wedding anniversary too 'cos my husband and I were joined together the civil way on my birthday in the year 2005 and that to me marks the beginning of another year for me as a person and for us as "one" that the Lord has joined together for ever. I am excited that it's my month of double celebration and just like yesterday, my marriage would be 4 solid years. Wow!!!!!!!!!! It's just amazing how time flies.

My day started really early today. Infact, I didn't go to bed until 4:00am this morning and I personally thought I would be in bed all day since I slept very late, but for some reason, I only slept for about 3hours, as I got up again before 8:00am.

I woke up this morning with varoius thoughts racing through my mind. It's not unusual for me to be this way, because October has usually been my month of "sober reflections." It's a time I reminisce about this four lettered word called "LIFE". It's a time I think real deep and re-trace my steps if heading the wrong direction. It's a time I think about how to make an impact in my generation and live a remarkable footprint on the sand of time. It's a time I think of my relationship with my maker. It's a time I stop and smell the roses along the journey, It's a time I dream.....

It's a time I count my blessings and not discount them, It's a time I start with whatever I can do and refuse to stop because of what I cannot do, It's a time I think of creative ideas, It's a time I admit my mistakes, It's a time I stand up to be counted instead of lying down and be counted out, It's a time I forgive, It's a time I choose the right kind of friends, It's a time I believe in myself, It's a time I think big, It's a time I do ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way, It's a time to make I memory for tomorrow instead of regretting yesterday, It's a time I remind myself that the breakfast of champions is not cereal but challenges, It's a time I stare my problem in the face and fight like a warrior, It's a time I give the best that I have to the highest that I know and most importantly, It's a time I am aggressively thankful.

I am grateful to God for how far He has led me by his grace these past month and for another opportunity to witness my beloved country's independence. My heart is with all Nigerians as we celebrate this remarkable day and I hope we would all strive hard to better our country. I won't forget to wish a wonderful friend and brother a happy birthday today......Gbenga Bayegunsi(Loco) You're wished all the beautiful blessings of today. May God perfect all that concerns you and May you be a blessing to many generations. There is a lot happening this October and I hope to keep you all posted.

I am waiting anxiously to see my friend Chinonye Odagwe and her beautiful princess Chioma tomorrow. They're both flying in from Nigeria and can't just wait to see them. I'v been counting down to their arrival date, not because there is anything special about Chinonye(lol) but the excitement is because I would be meeting "Chi baby" for the first time and I would have her all to myself for about three weeks. To Chinonye....it would be nice to have you around too-at least we would have the opportunity to catch up on our usual girlie gossips and argue over loads of irrelevancies(lol) but don't forget the Princess comes first.

Hey Friends! I gotta go now. See you when u see me and keep reading and I will keep writing.

I remain ..

Yours Truly..

Simisola Akinyemi-Kehinde (LLB)

Writer par excellence

Author

Blogger

MC

Journalist

Lawyer

Presenter

Philanthropist

Editor

Wife

Mother...

and many more to come since the Sky is not my limit because the everlasting hand lifting me up is higher than the sky.

Old habits die hard..you need the grace of God to let go

It's another bright day and thank God it's a Friday. Work starts today as usual and it starts right here! Yesterday was a beautiful day as I took time out to pimp my weblog in my own little way and after a while, I logged onto my facebook chat.
I was happy to see my sister-Gbemi online and out of excitement, I asked her if she has seen my blog. She confessed it was a beautiful page but typical of my lil' sister, she didn't forget to mention the fact that my childhood habit was evident in the picture. She suggested that i should either crop off my fingernails or remove the picture from the page. I paused for a while and thought to myself...this should be a topic for my blogging tomorrow

As children, we developed some habits which appear in many different forms. Many people engage in some degree of habitlike behavior in their lifetime. For example, habits can range from seemingly benign behaviors, such as nail biting, thumb sucking or foot tapping, to more noticeable physically damaging behaviors, such as teeth grinding (bruxism) and hair pulling. Fortunately, many childhood habits are benign, they are considered a normal part of development, they do not meet the criteria for a disorder, and they typically remit untreated.

Onychophagia or nail-biting is the habit I developed as a child. I was such an addicted "eater" that mine almost lasted a decade. It bothered my dad a lot as I grew up and he did all he could to stop me. He was hell-bent on stopping me because he thought it wasn't a good habit for a girl who would someday grow into a lady. Dad went as far as painting all my fingernails with an antimicrobial agent called Gentian Violet(G.V.) which is a green crystal (violet in water) used as a dye and for the treatment of burns. The solution colours the skin purple and as addicted as I was to my habit, the scary colour didn't stop me from biting my nails.

I continued biting for years and when I grew older, I became conscious of it and decided it was time to let go. I resolved to fixing articial nails which would cover up my natural fingers. I stopped fixing artificial nails after a while, as it obviously did more harm than good because of the chemicals used in gluing the nails. I haven't given up completely on artificail nails though, but I only fix them on rare occasions and I am now striving hard to groom my God-given nails.It's quite difficult because of the damage I did in the past.

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I woke up this morning with the thought that I would obey my sweet sister who is a fashion icon and either crop off my"beautiful" fingernails or remove the picture completely and just then, the words of La Rochefoucauld flashed through my mind...

"Some beautiful things are indeed more impressive when left imperfect than when too highly finished.”

The picture has been left to show my imperfection. I don't blame my lil' sister who wants everything about me to be beautiful, I blame our society who is obsessed with being beautiful on the outside and forgetting that there is more to beauty, than what meets the eye. We tend to establish standards and criteria that constitutes beauty and we forget that God has created us all to be equal and he made us all beautifully.

To my dearest sister- Gbemisola, I love you so much and I appreciate the fact that you are proud of me. You've said countless times that I am a beautiful "orobo" but always remember to say my fingernails are beautiful too and they will get more and more beautiful by the day as God gives me the grace to totally kill my old habit.

To my readers out there, struggling with one habit or the other, all you need is the grace of God, don't give up. Keep praying for the grace to let go of it and I can assure you that victory is certain.

Before I forget, this is a Birthday wish to the following friends on facebook ....

GBEMISOLA ADENEYE-BADEJO- A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip and may all the blessings of the journey be yours. Happy Birthday!

BUKKIE OMOYAJOWO-Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again. May God invest such blessings into your life this year. Have a beautiful day!

TOLU OLU-IKHUMI- As you celebrate this year in the joy motherhood, May His joy never cease from your household. Congrats on the birth of your son and have a lovely birthday.

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Another brand new day

It's a brand new day and i'm grateful for the grace to be alive.

I woke up this morning feeling heavy. I went straight for my scale and needed no sooth-sayer to tell me i have added some more pounds to the weight i'm trying hard to lose.

I honestly lack a bit of self-discipline, because nothing stopped me from over-looking the plate of rice and chicken i devoured late last night and something told me i needed to discipline myself before i can succeed in achieving my desired hour-glass figure(lol)

Yesterday's date was such a unique one..09-09-09 and i'm thankful for the opportunity to witness it. The greatest gift that could be presented to anyone is the gift of life and i can't thank God enough for this.

Tammy and Tommy, my priceless kids woke up shortly after i worked-out on my lateral thigh trainner. Don't ask me how long... As Tammy called out "Mum" from the bedroom, i knew its another brand new day.

Her lil' brother got up few minutes later and i knew straight-away that my job has started for the day. It's a lot of hard work juggling motherhood with other commitments especially in cases like mine- a mother of twins. I literally have a pair I call twins, because the age gap between them is just a year but i'm thankful for the strength to be there for them.

After i sorted out their bath and breakfast, I got hold of my laptop and decided that i've got to start my blogging today. I have procrastinated enough and this brand new day would be a good day to start and here i am doing what i love the most. I hope to update this on a daily basis and nothing would stop me.

Before I leave, i would love to shout-out to Tundun Adeyemo..Thanks dearie for always reminding me to start my blog. I'm sure you'll be glad to see this and to a host of others who would follow me here.. Keep reading and i'm sure u'll not be disappointed!