“Folks are usually as happy about as happy as they make their minds up to be”

I have always supposed there was something not right about finding happiness, I mean, why do we have to find, look for, pursue happiness like it has a made-up mind to always break away from us? Watching little children proved me right; they are not in search of anything, they just create their own happy state.


Bella thinks she would be happy if Desmond proposes. Her life would just be perfect and heavenly. And I am wondering, “What would happen if Desmond walks away, does happiness walk out with him?


Aunty Dee thinks just one baby would bring her all the happiness she wants. She’s gone from pillar to post in search of this miracle baby; she would call him ‘Tanwa’ when he arrives. Tanwa means – ‘what we have been looking for’. Here I am thinking -”what if Tanwa doesn’t come eventually or Tanwa comes as a girl, would that not be half cup of happiness?


Well, I want a big car, SUV or a car-bus. I’ll be really ‘happy’ when I get one. But you know life goes on without a big car, right?


Sometimes I’m sad, sometimes I’m upset, and sometimes I’m overwhelmed and get teary. It’s okay to cry, I tell myself always. The big deal is what happens after the crying episode, I move on. Staying unhappy takes too much energy from me; it drains me of life literally. So like a kid, I cry and laugh at little or no intervals. I have no explanation for this but it is pure bliss.


Kids fascinate me; give one a chore to do, he may grumble first, then reluctantly get on the chore and in another minute, he may be dancing, whistling or singing on the same chore he took up reluctantly. They don’t look for happiness, kids create theirs. I believe they are the one on the right path, the path of creating happiness around you.




Image credit: www.beyondthecarseat.com


The circumstances may be far from favourable, the tides may seemingly be against you but happiness shouldn’t be far from you always. Happiness stems from your own actions, what you choose to do- happiness is never ready-made, no one find happiness- you create it. Finding happiness is giving someone (or maybe something and an event) the responsibility of making you happy; I think that’s too much to relinquish.


May Desmond propose soon to Bella and if he doesn’t, may Bella understand that it is not Desmond that brings her happiness, it is the expression of her love for him that does that. She created her emotions by expressing it…may Aunty Dee’s Tanwa come very soon, and if he delays or decides to come as a girl, may Aunty Dee’s cup be filled with happiness always, the one she would continuously create. And may my big car not delay any longer. But while we all wait, we must sing Hakuna Matata always…don’t worry, be happy.


Happiness is a feeling created by the expression of love coming out of you, when you express or anticipate love, you feel happy…if you express emotions of fear and anger, you will experience same.





“Folks are usually as happy about as happy as they make their minds up to be” – Abraham Lincoln

You should nap at work, if you need to, Just do it Right

Sometimes ago, I walked in to a CEO’s office for a meeting and he was roused from under the table. “Oga was really tired, he needed a nap” said his P.A; the carpet was very comfy anyway, I’m sure he would only have missed his pillows. One can’t tell how many times these big ogas take a power nap behind their closed doors, we only know when they emerge from that door, they are ready to take on the world; truth is , a little nap at work does wonder and I am saying; “You should nap at work, if you need to”


Professionals in a busy city like ours are struggling to get enough sleep and would need a break during the day. Before you scream “productivity”, know that power naps boost productivity. Serious but tired employees get revitalized and ready for more after a short nap. I also agree that slobs would be more tired and need a bed, pillows, blankets and drawn blinds during work hours to boost their energy, this is not about them, it’s about those who are focused on deliverables at work.


I found this picture of an office in Vietnam, isn't it cool? It's sleep time at work.




Image credit: maxgoestovietnam.blogspot.com


It’s unlikely your boss agrees to zoning out for 30 minutes at work, “sleeping on duty” is regarded as a work crime here, but, if you need to take that nap, I might just show you how to do it properly.


Get a team- together everybody achieves more, right? And that includes more naps and productivity. You may need someone’s space for the nap and another to cover up for you the 30 minutes you are “gone”.


Master the art of the quick wake up- you have to wake up sharp, at alert and ready; no yawning, no stretching. Leave that till you hit the bed.


Thou shall not snore- if you snore, don’t sleep at work. If you sleep at work, don’t ever snore; it’s embarrassing. Go get your cup of coffee for the alertness as power nap isn’t for you. Sleep so adorably no one wants to rouse you “sshhhh… she’s such a sleeping beauty”.


Nap can’t be more than 30 minutes, if you are doing it right. I don’t want to cover up for someone who would sleep 60 minutes at work.


Remember the 11th commandment “thou shall not be caught” and if you are ever caught, then thou shall not be jittery. Tell the boss you needed that break for productivity.

Pee Colour is Serious Matter

Have you ever taken a peek into the toilet bowl after emptying your bladder and seeing the dark yellow urine then instinctively check your temperature? . Lol! I bet some of you did and still do.  I did countless times as more than often; my urine was amber or dark yellow. By reflex, I would feel my temperature to be sure I was not running a fever.

I wasn't the kind to stop and drink water, maybe only at meal times or when I’m exhausted from running around with the boys. I always knew something was wrong with that colour of urine but since I wasn't running a fever, I shrugged it off time after time. Well, I wasn't totally wrong, urine is diagnostic but not for fever like I thought.

So what does your pee colour say about your wellness?

Ideally, your urine should be pale straw or transparent yellow. Urine gets its colour from a yellow pigment called urochrome. So when your urine has that pale or transparent yellow colour, you are well hydrated and healthy.

Do you know you can also have too much water in the system? No colour or transparent urine says you are drinking too much fluid and your body is eager to get rid of the excess water. When you are on a diuretic, you will also be passing water frequently. A diuretic is any substance that promotes the production of urine; it could be recommended drugs, caffeinated drinks and beverages or even high-water content fruits.

Dark yellow means you can do better and drink more water. But if your urine is amber or honey colour, you may need to get up and drink some water now, as in, NOW.

People who drink less than 2 litres of water daily do not only get dehydrated; they also have constipation. Too much troubles for not drinking enough water; I had them all.

The urine shouldn't get out of the yellow spectrum of colour. If the urine looks like syrup, it could be severe dehydration.  If drinking lots of water fails to eliminate the colour, please visit the doctor. You should know pee colour is serious matter, don’t shrug it off, if you notice any strange colouration please see a doctor!

Image Courtesy: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Meet the new D.O.P. in town

You don’t know your limits, how far you can stretch until you try- and this is no motivation talk; it’s from an experience I had.


There were some things I thought I would never be able to do, that I had no capacity for. I knew I could write to express myself but being a director of photography, telling a story with pictures looked almost impossible but I needed to make this happen at work to create a beautiful experience.


Here is how I conquered; I called uncle K (Kelechi Amadi-Obi) and asked to sit with him for few minutes. Uncle K gave me sixty minutes of his time and taught me how to create a mood board. I did and created a theme.


I went back to the office and sat with P&Y team and together brainstormed on props and settings.


The D-day came and I got all props and executed these beautiful work. Ijeoma is known more as Ozichi and the cutie, Zemira is her spirited daughter. Check out the pictures and tell me if I am a good DOP…















The guitar girl





















Time for the mama-girl dance












do as I do





You should buy this copy of Pregnancy and You magazine to see all the other beautiful pictures and read Ozichi's story. Check out Pregnancy and You on facebook and connect for more info

I'm so excited!!!

Oh I missed out my picture -

Nostalgia : Pleasant Memories

It was a Thursday morning and I was walking behind these cute boys and their mom heading to school. Mom was holding the younger one, while the other walked beside them carrying his school bag and food pack in his white joggers and blue vest; Thursdays must be their sport activity day.

Little brother dropped his pencil but momma wasn't looking at them, she concentrated on making it to school as depicted by her pace. The little one had to signal to his brother to pick up the pencil; little big brother did and held on to the pencil. Like a flash, the little one protested and made some funny faces at his brother who didn't wait to think about anything before handing the pencil over to its owner. I smiled! God knows how many times the pencil would drop before their final destination. And that brought me pleasant memories.

Growing up, my big brother led me to nursery class every day. We got a coin each for lunch and I would hold my 10 kobo in my hand. School was a little distance down the quarters and we trekked like most kids. The bladder holds so little and for shorter periods as kids and I was no exception, it only came with the drama of most cute girls (winks).  

You know little girls can be dramatic when they have to pee, I think they wait till their tiny bladder is about to give way before frantically pull down the panties and pull up their dress with some funny dance to accompany the activity. I would stop by to pee and most time I dropped the coin unknowingly while ‘doing’ the drama.

Time after time, I dropped the coin and when I grasped that the coin was gone, and I would cry so hard that Niyi would give me his coin. Sweet brother! Yet I never allowed him to hold the coin for me till we get to school.

Now, I think Niyi should have collected the coin from home and kept till we got to school or he should have allowed me cry out my eyes if I refused and loose the coin eventually. But wasn't that why we were children; pure in thoughts, innocence in acts and naive in reasoning?

I didn't have the honour of harvesting this act as my younger brothers went to a different nursery school.  God knew I may not have given them my coin.

Sweet thing is big brother still has my back till now, grown and no longer in the same nest, he still shares his stuff with his father’s daughter.

PS- this is my Neyoski as I call him 

Bimbola and  Niyi