Take the wheel

You have the steering.  You tried turning right.  The car refused,  you make a left turn, the wheel wouldnt bulge., you apply break, the break is not responding. So you give up.You tell yourself, this where it all ends.  You insist, you are finished. 

Wait  a minute. Let's rewind the scenario again.  You've tried all you could,  but your life seems to be going on a roller coaster ride. Then you ask yourself,  who is in charge of the wheel?  Who steers the vehicle?  how come the machine have control of my destination and not me having control of it?  How did i become the unwilling passenger in this journey?  Is this the end for me? 

For some of us,  we can raise our hands up in resignation  and say. Well, i have tried all i could, so i give up.  For some other persons,  we can choose,  how we want to go down. Die trying, or die not even making an effort. Or you can even choose to jump out of the moving vehicle that has refused to let you take charge.  You might get badly injured, while doing that, you might not survive it. At least,  you will be getting off on your own terms. The upside could be, you just might come out of it a hero. So many times,  we allow an artificial fear to steer our lives. We give up on making decisions that affect our future, we will rather stay on the sidelines,  so we wouldn't blame ourselves when and if something goes wrong. We forget that the one thing/person who is in charge  of our lives, becomes empowered to do with us as they deem please. Be it for good or for bad. We limit our ability to function and go far in life to the things around us. We make being accomplished impossible,  by giving control of the steering of our life's wheel to others, with our thinking and our fear of failure, so we let others take charge of our lives.
 

We must learn to take control,  we must choose to be the one deciding how we go down. When things rock our boat, we must learn to show up, and take charge. we must steer our ship where we want to go. we must make this journey of life as we want it, not as people around us dictate it. We can't give up trying simply because in our thinking we tried all options.  There is always one more option left.  Find it. 

whatever you do, take charge of the wheel.

Awaiting the moment

We are all waiting for that magical moment that will define our  lives differently .  That one thing that changes everything.  That experience  that makes us go "waoh! What have i been waiting for? " that time that makes every thing freeze in motion while we put our thoughts together and decipher what just happened to us. 

But we wait for too long.  Because moments happen all the time.

 Moments are what we make of it, a minute could mean a different thing to different people.  For someone getting late to catch a flight, it means so much, for an 8 months pregnant woman who is at risk of having a premature baby, a moment could mean 1 month extra.  For that drunk who just hit a child by the road side with a speeding vehicle a moment is too much. For a wife that was quick to shut the husband out, while he rushes out in a anger only to meet his untimely death, a moment too much or too little is all about what we make of it.

The moment is the time we spend molding our dreams, shaping our visions, building ourselves.  It is the time spent with family in making them into children with reputable character.  Forming their goals and making them grow into fine adults. It is the love we share with orphans, broken divorcees and battered wives. Moments are what we see in ourselves and appreciate in others, as we speak with them kindly, making our words heal and not harm them, helping those who are hurt to be bound.  Moments are what we make of our every minute, making it count in our words, the way we make others around us feel,  how we treat our subordinate or cherish the elderly around us. Moment is how we end our day.  Be it with refreshing thoughts or peaceful act.  It is the way we make people feel around  us.

While some of us, wait to be pushed to say i love you. Some wait for our spouse to pass on before we can bring ourselves to apologize for our wrong doing.  Moments may never favor us. Now we have a chance to define our own moment, make every time worth our while, choose to use every opportunity wisely. Now is the moment we have all been waiting for.  To say yes to that proposal, to quit that job that takes away our identity, to start that savings, visit your family, call up your friends,  apologize to your kids and make a fresh start. We have moments everyday,  but we don't use it every time. We get given a chance always, but may never have a chance to use it.
 

The moment we learn to cherish every moment we have,  will be the defining moment for us.  Go use your every moment.

by- Adaeze C Nwankwo

BE DIFFERENT

We are constantly stuck with living a rat race. Running an unending circle of making a living. Doing so much and getting little result. For some of us average is OK, for others, a little below or above is just fine. We don't like to go outside our comfort zone, we hate to push beyond the cross line, we don't like to think there is more beyond the walls. Doing more and expecting more seems like asking for too much. What we fail to realize is that those who create, invent and are first class leaders don't accomplish such by settling for average.‎
 We cannot be pace setters,if we do not take a lead in pushing ourselves beyond our boundary. If our view is just like everyone else's scope, then, people should never expect anything different from us. When others can't look to us to get extra, we might as well join the band wagon of crowd fillers. Our essence of being is far above existing. We must live, we must make an impact, we must accomplish things in a unique way. We are created to be outstanding, we just can't live like the average person. We ain't built for simple things. Even the mere fact that we can give birth and nurture. Or that we can learn to talk or teach someone to pronounce our names, means we have something to offer life. Average living should never satisfy us. We should be the standard for which others judge their actions by. People should look to us for guide as to what is obtainable and as a symbol of excellence. We should never bring our standard too low as to never inspire confidence, rather others should strive to be like us. We must be trade markers, pace setters and standard bearers. If you do things with the mentality of this is how others are doing it, then you ain't ready to break new ground.  We should be ready to stand out, stand alone and be different. When people say this is the norm, recreate it. When you're told this the practice, redefine it. Never put a limit to your imagination. Never look to the walls as the last stop, look beyond the cross line. Question the how of trends, rustle feathers, redirect people's mind as to looking beyond their limit. Make your standard the one to beat. Be the gospel for others to emulate. Refuse to allow people's view or thinking limit your mind. Whatever you do. Never settle for average. 
Your desire to succeed must always exceed your excuse for failure. If people come up with ten reasons why you can't succeed. Tell them just one reason why succeeding is all you've got.
When people ask you why your choose to be different, tell them being extra motivates you. Be sure there will be obstacle on the way. There will be challenges to surmount, brace yourself up, be ready, be focus. As long as you keep trying and pushing you will break grounds, find your motivation.you will succeed. Be different.

by- Adaeze Nwankwo

WHY WE BOW

Downcast head, forlorn faces, limp shoulder

That is the rag we wear daily

Our duty is to give of our blood, share of our strength

 Show no tiredness in the eye of our dictators

The present call us cowards, the drivers- fools, the hopeless- courageous. 

Time will define different, circumstances will label as it pleases.

History will choose good or bad.

Yet, we know why we bow

We bow, so our children don't face the bully of tyrants

We bow, so the evil in the eye of our slavers don't make us like them

We live with the pain of bowed head, so someday our kids can raise theirs up

Maybe you think we are cowed

Maybe you feel we are down

We fall so our offspring can rise

That our knees be bruised for the legs to run

Our faces be downcast to enliven their dreams

Our shoulders limp for their proud gait to soar

We shine the light amidst the dark

Our crushed spirit, their boisterous world

To hold in pain while they climb

To sky beyond the reach of men

We bow, so we may live in them.

I am peace

Where they may find me

Seating in the lap of the aged

Weighing pros and cons for wars fought and lost

Or victories marred in regrets

Wishing for memories of blood

In sword slashing throat

Maybe you will find me

Among mighty warriors 

Stoking fire's ember

With choices tearing egos down

As a lonely voice crying

Choose dialogue over fireworks

Listening to the cry of the young 

Whose father is known in pictures? 

Asking what his death brings

Hope or loss in hollowed pain,

Or his wishes for a better world

For child wishing to call "daddy",

But he lays covered in dust

Find me in street labour

Smiling among hawking merchant, 

Trading wares for cheers

A dollar for just a quiet meal

Praying tomorrow  brings a calmer sale

To bless and make her merry

If you search deep enough

I lay in wasted tomb,

of lost and folks anonymous,

Asking that you come another day.

 Not to banter but to barter, 

With bread for just a penny,

So I can have my laid out plans, 

Fulfilled in seeing more

 my young grow to star graced men.

Find me, in rueful of rage that succeed them

Teach me in your schools and broken chapels, 

Make me a melody of your lyrics and tune,

Extol me in your legendary folklore and prose

Preach me in your chambers and shrines.

But please, let me be found

 I am as real as the lines of your palms

As the tears welled in your eyes

As the pain, strumming your heart.

As the joy brimming on your face 

Find me in your handshakes and business deals

Find me and make my name loud again

I am peace

That shall I be called

My tombstone

On my tombstone, what will it read?

That I saw the world in beautiful colours

Of black and white and male and female

Loving them all without reserve

Giving to mankind as God has willed

Never denying the difference in taste and choice

But relishing each difference as life deems so

On my tombstone what will you write?

That I gave a shoulder to the one in need

Lend my eye to the morally blind

Share my legs to those who tire

But gave of my love as one lacking some

Never forgetting in giving, I'm blessed

On my tombstone, what will you learn?

I had a dream, and lived in full

My love to serve and give my all

Praising the beauty of mankind's grace

Making my world a more good place

So that others can surpass my goal

By my tombstone, what will you hear?

The wails of friends, and cheers of foes

The pain of folks that wish for more

Begging for time to share a sec

To tell how much they try to call,

 But differing those to wait a day,

 A wait they wish they trade for love

Now it's best we let time heal

At my tombstone what will you see?

I came with naught and left alone

Not a child to warm my dust

Or fill my bones with heed and care

Or luxury spa to glam my skin

Yet I know, I cannot be dead

I live in tombs of world's big souls

For each I taught to love with care

Will bear my name, "the one who came"

Again, I ask, what do you see?

When upon my tombstone you set your gaze

On my tombstone, what how do you see?