belletammy

A friend and I were talking about how there is so much stress and toxiciy in different work environments. Also about how many people do not know how to set limits to when work should be done. It almost seems like long hours = productivity. I do not agree with this as I do not take for granted the role that rest and self care play in the human body. My approach is, if people are paid to work for a certain number of hours, they should pack in as much as they possibly can within those hours instead of spending unnecessarily long hours struggling.

If you live outside your home country, you would know the craving of food from home that comes every now and then. I had one of those cravings over the weekend and cooked up a storm. I made different sauces, what we call soups in Nigeria. I made ogbono (irvingia) and egusi (melon) soups. With satisfaction I packed it all in bowls, each bowl enough for two servings, and put them away in the freezer. It has been four months since I had any of these delicacies. My mother, bless her, by now is used to her children moving away from home every now and then. She is always ready to pack some Nigerian food stuff for us to move with. When she was doing her job, I kept telling her how the food she was packing was too much. She packed it anyway and packed my suitcase for me :-) On days when I have the craving for any of these food items, I am thankful for her wisdom. 

On days when doubt and uncertainty drown your thoughts, search those thoughts and choose to remember the areas of your strength. When hope seems far and all you can do is wait, that is the time to draw on all the will power you can muster to keep going. For every time you remember your shortcomings and want to dwell on them, cast your mind back to all your successes and cheer yourself on. At the time when life's answers elude you, never forget that nobody has the manual on how to navigate this puzzle called life. If loneliness creeps in, become your own best friend. Having to rely on others for your emotional well being may not be sustainable as each person has his/her own burden to carry.