How To Make Any Year Your Best Year

Happy New Year, Sweethearts of my blogosphere! I know. . . I know I have been MIA on this space quite frequently but it’s really been so fascinating doing things differently. Guys, I have seen GROWTH. And you know how keen I am on growing, changing and all things related, right?

Refresh The New Year

This year is not just another “new year” but the first of the blank pages of a whole year waiting for what we will write into our lives, and what growth, changes and greatness we’ll pull from within.

In as much as we would like it to be so, no one can wake up one day a completely changed person. Any meaningful change to your life takes constant effort over a sustained period of time. While the idea of long term change can seem scary, it also means a little bit everyday can take you a long way in forging habits you’ve always wanted to.

Some changes happen because you intentionally worked them out, but some happen without you even knowing. I am yet to decide whether I am more content with the changes I discerned or the ones that forcefully pounce on me. Nevertheless, I have grown to embrace change both in the presence of fear and/or faith. Glory to God!

I love sharing my life with you guys, but sometimes it's hard to be vulnerable. Blessedly, my most vulnerable posts on this blog have been met with the warmest reception. Cheers to authenticity! These are my three goals for the new year:

Self Interview: Interrogative Questions To Ask Yourself At 25

This is a reply to those questions I asked myself five years ago. They are questions that you are expected to be answering just before you turn thirty. It's time for me.

I'll be 30 in less than 24 hours. Whaaaaaat!!!

Q and A Before 30

Q1: What are you doing? Why are you doing it?

A: Like right now? I am writing. Lol.

I am writing because. . .Wait. Honestly, I thought a lot about why I'm writing. I was wondering whether I should write for my self only (and not share it) but it didn't feel right to me. So I am writing to FULLY live.

Are You Thinking: "Would I Miss Being 20-Something Again?"

It's 3 days to turning 30. Whoop-whoop! Do women get excited about growing old. Lol. I must be weird like that.

Saying Goodbye To My 20s

20s feel like they started yesterday. I have great memories about everything I felt from my 20th birthday up until now. I think it's because I am very intuitive.

I feel things deeply.

I am fully aware of what I feel when I feel it.

Don't Do Things You Will Regret Later

I will be hitting the big three-0 on the 26th day of the coolest month. And like I told you last week, I will be sharing lessons from being a 20-something just before my journey into 30s begins.

This is the second lesson. I hope it inspires you in some way. Happy reading!

Do It Anyway 

I was a good girl.

I had always been a good girl.

My parents trained me in the way that I should go. But it was my choice whether to stay in or to depart away from that way.

For two decades, I stayed in the path. I didn't do what I shouldn't be caught doing. I remained obedient to them. Obedient to God. And obedient to the Spirit within.

At 21, I wanted to have a glimpse of what life could be as a bad girl.

DIARY: These 20 Things I Learnt In My 20s Are Blockbusters

Hi people! It's exactly a month to my 30th birthday and I have thinking a lotttttt! In a good way, though. Yes! And I realized that the lessons I learned all through my 20-somethings are blogblusters, actually.

I'm going to be taking you on a very large explosive-bomb journey. Get ready!

20 Lessons Before 30 Begins

We all have secrets.

Secrets that are very deep and some that are not so very intense.

Some secrets are shared when the right time comes while some will never ever see the light of day.

I will be hitting thirty on Friday, 26 June. And the time has come for me to share some of my secrets with you. I will be using the last few days of my 20s to share things you definitely haven't heard me say. And even if you were among those who were affected, you would have never read it from me in a manner such as this.

My secrets, which would be both inspiring and entertaining, will be shared daily from Monday June 1 until the day before my birthday, Thursday June 25.

Here is a sneak peek of my life at 20s:

CAREER: Why I Quit My Job Again

The first time I quit my job I was single, living with my parents and had no plan whatsoever. Do I regret it? Absolutely not! It was one of the most amazing (overwhelming, frustrating, exciting, scary) years of my life.

Then I found a new job. Got married, started building a home and quit my job again. What's up with me?

The Benefit Of Quitting Your Job

It's the last quarter of the year. While some are getting into new jobs and promotions, others are looking forward to finding better ones before the year ends.

And here, someone is talking about quitting her job?! Whaaat?! Who does that?!

In case we have never met, and you are wondering who this woman is and how she has the guts to go about getting a job and quitting, and not only that, but also having the guts to tell you there are benefits of quitting your job. Calm down, please.

Let me tell you something first:

DIARY: On Becoming Strong

There are certain things that have happened in your life that serve as constant reminders of where God has delivered you from.

When I'm Weak, You Make Me Strong

Hot tears splashed down my cheeks as I had been listening to T. D Jakes' sermon when I heard a word God used to answer a question in my heart. In that moment, God's intentions leaped off of the screen and started a revolution in my heart.

I wept and wept.

I never would have guessed how highly God thinks of me. I never would understand how invaluable I am to his kingdom. I felt a strange combination of exhilaration and anxiety about what it would mean to be called a strong woman.

This truth caused me hours and hours of tears. This truth tore me apart inside, ripping at the falsehood I had worn and adorned, shredding my self-made safety nets, and leaving me very broken and helpless.

I gasped for breath as I come face to face with what's real.

What is real is that I need Him.

Without Jesus, I will face the wrath of a Just God who cannot tolerate sin.

I needed help desperately.

And there is a God who says that in Him I can be strong.

Please Relax, Currently Under Construction

We all have weak spots and areas of inconsistency in our character. Until we see Jesus face to face, we will continually need His guidance and correction to take us from strength to strength; from glory to glory. I can worry for Africa sometimes, hence, the Word I received these past days has been "RELAX". Say Relax. Say it with a smile. It's a beautiful word, yeah? But it is not so easy!

Under Construction

Ever seen a building under construction? Construction areas have lots of bumps, lane changes, starts and stops, backed up delays, and falling hazards, they are dirty, noisy, disorganized confused untidy hectic and disgusting places. But if you talk to the Architect, they will say that the construction area is beautiful despite of all of the chaos that is going on because they SEE what the end product is going to be — they know that what they are looking at is the process of progress.

6 "Jazzed Up" Reasons For You To Stay In Your Current Job A Little Longer

It's Career-Wednesday! There are days when certain happenings push my mind to consider dusting up my CV again, updating it and sending it across to another company. Yet, something tells me I'm right where I need to be in this particular season of my life. Why? What makes you remain on that job? Let's talk!

Why Stay In Your Current Job

Just when I wanted to move away from the spot I had stood for more than thirty minutes, the bus plying my route arrived. Jeez. I almost missed it.

As I rode home, I thought about how often we make the mistake of losing our composure and jumping ship just when things are about to turn around for us. How many times have we got frustrated with our circumstances and forfeited a blessing, simply because we refused to wait, to remain, to stay?

Let Your Personal Style Never Stop Evolving

Last Sunday of the year. We made it!!! Oh, wow!!! We have practically come to the end of the year. But, we have not come to the end of our style journey. We must keep evolving. Okay?

Now I sound like a teacher. :D

Keep Evolving In Style

If you've taken out time to discover your style statement, congratulations! But, you don't have to be static. You must learn to adapt to changing needs.

You guys know I embraced the 9-5 life this year after a few "I am an entrepreneur" failures. Yeah? Lol . So I was practically getting dressed E V E R Y D A Y, and I have seen my style evolve and grow over the course of one year. I reckon this would continue to happen and I'm looking forward to what 2018 fashion would be like on the blog.

Ankara Skirt I've Been Wearing For Ten Years

Happy Style Sunday, sweeties! This is not the time to be sad and wondering what's left of the year, but to rejoice that Jesus has given us His peace for our troubled times (John 14:27.) No matter the situation, we are not going to let anything steal our joy and peace. Yeah? Yeah!

If you ever catch yourself feeling a little down, take a trip back in time so you can re-discover happy memories that perhaps you’d forgotten. That's what I do!

Style Is Timeless

I have always been a Memory Keeper. I record real stories through pictures and words and I LOVE it! I love it so much that it has become a part of my job.

Some of my most cherished moments are more about how I feel in a season or what I wore to a spectacular event or what words were spoken at a particular time. Emotional memories are the deepest for me.

DIARY: The Healing Process Is A Gift Only You Can Give Yourself

Today I recognize my human nature tendencies more easily. It's not that the hurt places and dark parts of me has disappeared. I have just become a healed, whole person with which to embrace them. I even have a name for it now. 

Dear Diary

October 2017
~Wholetober~

As I reflect on my life - the way I loved and was loved before I started on my journey to wholeness, I'm amazed I got to this point in one piece (or, should I say peace?). The person I used to be seems like a very bad dream. God intervened many times to keep me from self-destruction, I'm convinced.

There is no point sugarcoating it. Healing is a process of destruction. It is messy and painful, but oh, so worth it.

My First Jumpsuit Ever

Happy Style-Sunday sweeties! I have a secret that I’m a bit shy to share. You ready . . . ? Okay. This is the first jumpsuit that I have ever worn. Phew, that felt good to get off my chest. Lol.

My First Jumpsuit Ever

I knew I wanted to wear something other than the typical denim skirt and top that I was known to wear for an event tagged "sporty". I stumbled on a nice thrift store (a.k.a okrika, a.k.a bend-down-select) to pick some items. Then I picked something that was totally different from what I had in mind (if I had any at all). 

A jumpsuit.

DIARY: God Wants Me To Be

That morning, I woke up feeling somehow. The somehow feeling made me sober and reflective.

My Personality

There is so much that I strongly believe God wants to do with me and through me, but I woke up feeling rather uncertain. I felt as though I was "marking time" again. 

Dear Diary, I'm The Biggest Hypocrite Ever

Few mornings ago as I sat down and reflected on my struggles with sin, I wrote this on my private diary.

Say What You Do

I'm probably the biggest hypocrite who blogs. I act very religious and talk about loving God with all my heart, but I end up doing things that I'd be embarrassed to even admit.

I know I shouldn't do it, but I did.

I am now a mystery to myself. I don't even understand how I think. I am baffled by my own experience. I am driven by motives and urges I don't even understand, let alone control.

Come To Terms With The Real You

Hi. This is a style post with a little inspirational twist. Does the length of the skirt matter?

The Real You

You can fake it. You can pretend for as long as you want.

You can fake holiness. You can fake piety. You can fake morality. You can fake righteousness. You can fake sister Mary. You can even fake happening babe. Everything  is fakeable.

Dear Diary, Blogging Changes Me

"Why do you blog?" Sometimes I wonder why I’m bothering too. I mean, what’s the point?

Blogging Changes Me

Through the course of my life, I’ve embraced a number of different hobbies: reading, singing, voicing, hosting, modelling, sewing, just to name a few. But none of them have changed my life or brought me as much fulfilment as blogging.

In too many ways to count, blogging has changed me and the way I LIVE life.

How To Change Your Life Like A Dream

I am sitting on my chair, and I am reflecting on how I got to this place. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you start to think you are dreaming or living in another world? That's how I feel today. Life is changing . . .

Track The Changes In Your Life

Source: g+

Someone asked me, "Amaka, what's even the big deal in you having a job?". And I couldn't explain the deal. It is huge for me!

Why It's So Hard To Make Decisions

Hello sweets! How are you? It's been a while, I know. Am I still a life-style blogger? 😨. These days I look at my blog and wonder what exactly I should share with you. I can't seem to make up my mind.

Making Decisions Can Be Hard

One of the hardest decisions I've made was having to quit a job, it was a very scary one. So I know the thrills on how hard making a decision can be.

RELATIONSHIP: 5 Ways To Be A Blessing To Others Even When You Are Broke

I've been singing a particular song for such a long time, thank God, I am now singing a new song. My prayer point has suddenly changed. Wow. Shout out to those who called, texted and commented about/on yesterday's post. God bless you all real good.

Yep. We are back to regular blogging. Although our time table might change a little bit because we are stepping into a new season. I can only hope that it sits well with you.

Till then, it's Love-Wednesday!

How To Be A Blessing

We are in the season of giving and receiving gifts. Many people are going shopping, others are wondering what their next meal would be. Life. Many people would receive loads of gifts, others would feel they are all alone in the world. Life.