The Ultimate MELTER of Life

For a few months, I had been feeling something hard in my left breast. Then it became painful and I knew I had to do something about it. On the 28th of January, 2017, I went for a breast screening and after examination, a mass of 4 cm/4 cm was discovered and I was asked to go for further tests. I did not have money for the Ultrasound I was asked to do, perhaps I would have gone straightaway from there. But you know how God orchestrates everything. I got home, got dressed and went to church for Choir rehearsal. I was even made to serve punishment because I was late. I did not have the energy to explain where I was coming from, so I let it be. The punishment was to pray in a corner for 30 minutes. I used the opportunity to surrender it all to Jesus but I was greatly afraid. With all the challenges in my life, I really could not handle any ailment. The next day, Pastor Sarah Omakwu preached on faith and by the end of service, I knew I was ready for war. I told no one but I would wake up at 4 am for battle and engage the heavens. I also continued to apply my anointing oil my dad had previously given to me but I continued to still feel it. One particular morning as I woke up at 4 am as usual to pray, the presence of God was so strong and I found myself flat on the ground in tears as I continued to worship and I heard very clearly, 'I will melt it away and I will heal you COMPLETELY'. That was the turning point. I entered thanksgiving mode and I decided to stop feeling the breast. One day, out of curiosity, I felt it and it was smaller in size. I laughed so hard, God had started the melting process. I went for the ultrasound on the 3rd of April, 2017 and this conversation ensued between the doctor and I.

Doctor: Wow, 4 cm???????? Let me check you immediately

*Pulls out machine and checks for like forever*

I can’t see anything

Me: Are you sure? Check again. Check the other breast too

Doctor: *Pours more of that their liquid thing and keeps checking* I can’t see anything. Everything is perfect.

Me: So what did they find before?

Doctor: I don’t know. But whatever it is, it is gone.

hahaha!!!!This God that I serve. Won't he do it!!! He melted it all away and healed me completely. Thank you Jesus.

xoxo

ONE YEAR AS AN ENTREPRENEUR- LESSONS LEARNT

O.Y.O IS YOUR CASE

You are ON YOUR OWN. The security that comes with paid employment is gone. You have to hustle and hustle very hard. Twice I have had to sell my phones to pay salaries because I couldn’t afford to delay salaries as my integrity was on the line.

YOU WILL SEE MONEY THAT YOU CANNOT SPEND

Once you start getting patronage, you may get too excited and think you have free money. No you don’t. For instance in my kind of business, I get paid in bulk but I have to share that money to cover 4 months salaries for staff.

YOU WILL BE CHEATED ON

Being a newbie sucks big time. I mean someone sold something worth N500 for N7, 000. I had a heart ache for 2 weeks. Plus I recommended the person to my mum…so we both got duped

YOU WILL LEARN TOUGH LESSONS

You will form close relationships, people will let you down, you will have to summon courage to let people go. Armed robbers carted away with valuables from the premises. I had to be strong. The show must go on. Its life

YOU WILL BE HAPPY………..THEN SAD

You will be deliriously happy finally walking in your purpose. You finally have a reason to jump out of bed every morning to impact your world. But then again your expectations will  may not be met and it can get frustrating. But as they say, great things take time. I’ve learnt that consistency is key. Great things they say take time. Keep working hun

PEOPLE SEE EVEN WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE THEM

I’ve learnt that you must keep putting in the work even when you are not making profit. You are doing this for the future. People are watching and these are the people you need to advertise your business. For instance, I got a referral from a notable figure around where my school is located. He doesn’t have kids in my school neither do I speak to him but because of proximity, he sees the work I put in. You need people.

YOUR COMPETITION WON’T BACK DOWN

Nope!!! I’ve had my banners torn and some of customers being cajoled to leave. I’ve had things some of my competition said and they have never even met me. I’ve heard some of my ideas which are very original being practiced in these schools. Probably from staff who were offered higher money to leave. People will feel threatened. You also cannot afford to take a break or back done. You can’t. I have learnt to keep churning ideas, so much so that they can’t keep up.

YOU CANNOT WALK ALONE

You need family and friends that can support you with money and services. In my business, I’ve had family and friends teach music, dance, etc. I couldn’t afford to pay for these things when I started and I need to do them so I had to hunt for free services…lol. Of course, I plan to return the favour. P.s Doreen is baking a free cake for our end of session party on the condition that I will patronize her when I can afford it. That is partnership people

YOU WILL DOUBT YOURSELF

You will not have it together all the time. Many times I asked myself if I made the right decision quitting my 9-5. Then, I expected my salary at the end of the month, now people expect their salaries from me at the end of the month. Shet!!!! That is A LOT of pressure. It is tough but you will get by. You will, trust me.

24 HOURS ARE NOT ENOUGH

Because you will be very committed to growing your business, you may neglect other things. You need to find time to rest else your health will suffer (I learnt the hard way). You also have to make time for other things that must come first..God, family, fitness, etc

YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS

Yikes!!! I can go out when I please. No more sign of the cross drama just to ask permission from my former boss. That feels soooooooo good. But then again that means being the one to pay myself. So I had a conversation with myself. I and me (see what I did there? Lol) decided I’ll have N10,000 as my salary monthly. We later cut it down to N5, 000. It later dropped to N2, 000. Lmao.i’ve had to deny myself the good things of life. The struggle to pay salaries is real yo. I just jejely bought my N700 sandal to be knacking everyday. So am I really a boss? Hmmm

FRIENDS WILL HAIL YOU

‘Chopping money things’ ’Madam at the top’ ‘Send me something now’ ‘Biggest boss’ These are some of the things you will hear. You better don’t let them deceive you, na only you know wassup.

Through it all ladies and gentlemen, you will feel immense satisfaction. A lot of people have ideas but only a few get up and do something about it. Get up and make it happen! 5 years from now you will be glad you did.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. – Chinese proverb

If you enjoyed this, let me know in the comments and maybe I’ll share more lessons I’ve learnt with you.

Peace, love and sunshine

xo

God, please make me white

I have a problem. I’m what you may refer to as a ‘Grammar police’. I just can’t look away when someone gbagauns makes a grammatical error. This has put me in a lot of trouble. I just feel like it’s my civic responsibility to correct such a person. So anyway, I was scrolling through updates on my BBM when I saw something that someone had written wrongly. I really reaaaalllllly wanted to mind my business but the nudge came again and I couldn’t ignore. So I messaged the person with my corrections. The reply I got has scarred me for life and I doubt I’ll be making any corrections in the future. Apparently, the person had been listening to a message and that’s how the preacher supposedly constructed it. Quoting him verbatim, he said, ‘Toor that’s what the preacher just said. He is white’. HUH (Insert surprised face).

I don’t even know how to describe the look on my face when I read that. I was in a state of shock, amusement and a little confusion. I was screaming ‘whaaatttttttttt’ in my head. So something that is conspicuously wrong is okay because it was a white person that said it. I have to be white.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of the proponents for ‘black is better than white’ or who feels like I have to prove that I am better than white people. That in itself is already a defeat. But c’mon, Nigerians really need to become more confident and be able to compete intellectually at a global level without feeling small. Well, that’s just my own 2 cents.

On a lighter note, here are a few prayer points:

God please make me god looking so I don’t have to work for anything in my life.

God please give me American/British or even Spanish accent so I can get a job as an OAP.

God please make me slim and tall so I can get free rides, the sun in this part of the world really does not smile.

God please provide me with an iPhone, I can even manage iPhone 4 just so people don’t think I’m suffering. You know the kind of phone one uses determines the respect you get from the society.

Finally, please give me a hot foine boyfriend so I can post pictures on Instagram because I haven’t started living till I have a man especially one I can show off.

Thank you God.

Ebunlola.

Dew, rain and sunshine….

There was a country.....

Daddy: How much is the trolley service

Attendant: N400

Daddy: What if I want to push it myself?

Attendant: Same price

*Daddy about to pull out money*

 Bystander: That’s a lie. If you are pushing it yourself, it is N150

*Attendant looks down in shame*

Now allow me to explain this situation to you. This happened at the Nnamdi Azikwe International airport. My dad had just arrived from London and was trying to get his luggage. The trolleys at the airport are not free (only in Nigeria), however you can pay for just the trolley or for the trolley and an attendant that will push it. The prices for these services are different. My dad was unaware of this and was about to be swindled by an attendant when one of the passengers came to his rescue.

The issue of corruption in Nigeria is not a new phenomenon. If that attendant had succeeded as he would have with others, he would have made N250 extra. It is so sad that people are no longer contented in making an honest living, they want it ‘sharp sharp’. Did I just say ‘no longer’? Forgive me. I was born into the system like this and so when you are not like them, you are the strange one. I have heard stories from my parents of the Nigeria of those days. My daddy said they used to queue to get into buses and public servants used to be accountable. He said ‘we just did the right thing. Nobody really had to force us, we just did it’. Today, everything is just broken. You go to the public offices and you see the women selling asoebi and the men probably absent as they may have gone to attend to their private businesses. I was at the court the other day and I saw people hawking right in the offices. Yeah, you heard me right. HAWKING!!! As in trays properly balanced on their heads. Are you kidding me? Guess what they were selling? Oranges, water melon, biscuits, chewing gums, etc. and the office occupants were actually bargaining and buying. I almost wept.

Living in another part of the world where everything works opened my eyes to the catastrophe in Nigeria. Everything is so chaotic. The ones who are not ‘blessed’ enough to steal money make life difficult for others. How do you explain that you go to the customer service unit in an office and you find the person there taking personal calls and ignoring you or probably filing her nails and acting as though you are a bother when they are there to serve you? It’s crazy. The top officers who are privileged to steal will go to church and testify that God has made a way and even donate to church. Ridiculous, totally ridiculous.

I would never cheat in an exam because my mother would say anyone who feels comfortable with cheating will not see anything wrong with stealing and lying. I got laughed at a lot, but for me that was the way of life. Now I can’t imagine myself changing figures in an office or cheating my way through. It cannot happen. I don’t know how Nigeria is going to get better or when but this I know,  I will be different.  

P.S. I’m not voting until a credible leader emerges.

Can I live?

 So I’m 6 days away from officially becoming a postgraduate. Yay me!!!! I have some free time and decided to blog. I would like to talk about ‘Benefit of the doubt’

I woke up this morning to news of a popular pastor who had an affair and as is the norm, many people on social media lashed out with their favourite mantras, ‘shebi we said it, that’s how all of them are’, ‘fake pastors everywhere’, ‘I’m not surprised’, etc. I’m like can we all take a breather, can we just step back for a while. No. 1, it is not your business. No. 2, you are not God, you don’t know what happened. No. 3, your opinion doesn’t even count. Now we have not heard his own side of the story but just because someone somewhere decides to write something, we all begin to cast stones.

In the midst of all this, one tweet by @omojuwa caught my attention. He tweeted “Until someone tells one side of a story that’s not true about you, you’d not understand “Benefit of the doubt”. That tweet struck me and it made me remember an incident that happened during my undergrad.

I came out best graduating student in my class and you know what that entails, unlike some efikos who do not require reading to pass, I had to read my way through. I burnt the midnight candle literally, lived in the library and studied in my room all the time. I only made time for NIFES, my fellowship as I was an exco. It was basically books and fellowship. It paid off as my results were always good. One day I was studying and my friend dropped by and was shocked I was still studying because I had been on that same study material for a while and she said to me ‘yunno in class, they say you are not intelligent, you only cram to pass’. It was like they broke glass on my head, I went ballistic. I begged her for names which she gave me. I was boiling, I couldn’t study anymore. All I could think about was these people have no idea the efforts I put in and just because I’m doing whether they cook up such malicious lies? I called my mum in the morning to tell her and I even started to cry and I told her I was going to look for their houses to give them a piece of my mind. My mother laughed so hard and she said something to me “even if you are cramming, is it easy to cram? Why have they not crammed and passed” and I also joined in the laughter.

I saw those people in the exam hall, I took it upon myself to smile and greet them. I realized that I have nothing to prove. Some people will always believe in you, others won’t. Don’t stop living your life because people will always talk. My motto recently is ‘If it pleases God and it makes me happy, it is all that matters’.

That’s all I have to say today. See you soon

Peace, love and cupcakes

Love

@LoveOmoraiyewa

Gentleman

*Ebunlola for the girls dem* Oh yes, I have come to quarrel today. I have issues with you guys. Is it that difficult to be a gentleman? No seriously, we really want to know.

I was going through my Twitter TL, and someone tweeted 'Any man who opens the door for a woman, gets her bag and is always courteous is a good man', and someone replied, 'No, the others are good, the ones who do all these are just extraordinary'. This got me thinking a lot, why would any guy want to be average, just doing the regular stuff. Letting the girl get her own door, sometimes they even push us from the road. Why?? Oh wait, that's what you guys call swag innit? sorry broda u ain't got nada. You don't even have to be in a relationship with the person to be a gentleman. On many occasions, my lecturers here in London have gotten the door for me when we meet at the entrance, or let me go in the lift first and ask the floor I'm going to and enter it on my behalf, etc. It's just courtesy. I have heard a lot of people say if you see a Nigerian man getting the car door for a woman, its either the door is bad or its a new relationship. LOL. Sadly though it is very true. You guys know that when a woman is happy, the world is happy right? Please do yourselves and the world a favour and be nice. xoxo

Please share your thoughts
Twitter- @LoveOmoraiyewa
Instagram- lovebuno

HOTELS AND EVERYTHING PURE. Guest Post by Anike Alli-Hakeem (MoneyBender)

Recently, I have been yapping on and on about my latest desire to write about something I really love. To share my experiences, both awesome and bothersome.  I love Hotels. Okay that’s an understatement. I am crazy about hotels. The true proof of this is how often my close friends call me to rate an hotel they intend lodging in or to tell me about a new one that just opened up its doors to guests. I do not hesitate to give my impressions or to put down such hotels in my “to visit” or “ never to return”  list. The hustle of everyday life has not diminished my interests whatsoever. On the contrary, it has only served to fuel my search for new hotels as I recognize the need to take a break from time to time so as not to suffer a breakdown (it’s easy to get carried away with trying to be on top of your game work-wise that you forget another person will be given the job once you fall off the face of the earth) and to be adventurous and fun seeking in the process.

I love hotels for the many things they represent. For me, it means solitude and escape. It means being waited on. It is a peep into the world where your money can do many things for you. In my short young incredibly blessed years, I have worked on different  jobs and even though they are far apart, they have something in common. They always involve TRAVEL. I must confess, so long as a job has travel in it, I am more than willing to be on it. I love the experience of seeing new things and absorbing new environments, personalities and culture. For this reason, I have been opportuned to travel on work related matters and of course, travel always almost involves hotel stays. So be it work or leisure, just the thought of experiencing a new hotel or revisiting a really nice hotel gets me in the groove.  I have stayed in some really good and incredibly affordable ones and I have stayed in the nasty bed bugs infested ones. Those ones should not even be called hotels or their younger sisters, Motels. They were just damn right nasty, from the rooms to the service, NASTY. Anyway, that is a story for another day.

So it was on one of such “yapping sprees” that I was asked why I wanted to write about hotels and why I felt I could. My automatic response was “I love hotels and I have passed a night or many nights in so many of them”. And then the room went quiet! I was beginning to wonder if an angel was passing (like we fooled ourselves when we were children and a room suddenly went quiet before discourse almost automatically continued) when somebody said “what?! If I did not know you I would have taken that out of context. Why so many hotels?” and then I responded “It may be that I am on holiday in a new town or a different part of town but it’s mostly work that has given me such a wide variety of hotels” and the retort I got was “work? Hotels? Work!! Please don’t say that in unfamiliar gatherings, people may think otherwise”. I was going to reply but then, I took a beat and thought about it.

Our society is one that is majorly prejudiced and we like to see, do or hear something in a certain way or no way at all. Stating that I have visited so many hotels “because” of work may not correlate with  who or what certain people think you are or who they think you should be. I really do not understand why it is so weird to make such statements without being at risk of being  viewed as a “road-runner”. You have to look a certain way, dress a certain way, be a certain age and speak a certain way to be a certain person. This prejudice is so culture deep that getting out of it is a task on its own. Does staying or loving to stay in so many hotels mean you are not “pure”? or does it just mean that our prejudices usually come up before we actually spare a thought and realize that hotels are built for many reasons, part of which surely include making rooms available for travelers  and solitude seekers who need them.  

Please share your thoughts.

MB