What are your Q1 Results?

Praise be to God almighty! Winter has finally loosened its cold grip on life and has allowed Spring to poke its dainty foot through the door! Admittedly it has still been a little cool, BUT I have noticed that for some time now the evenings have been getting lighter. When the clocks went forward over the weekend I knew it was curtains for harsh, cold Winter.

How has 2016 been for you so far? Are you sticking to your new year’s resolutions? Are you on your way to achieving any goals set at the top of the year?

The end of March  signifies the end of the first quarter of the year, or "Q1" as most businesses refer to it. If you have been paying close attention to business news, you will have noticed that many companies released a statement of their Q1 results this month, and will do the same for Q2 (April to June) and Q3 (July to September).

As the core principle of most companies is to make a profit, these quarterly results will contain a detailed analysis of their earnings and other business performance measures.

Reviewing the year so far is so important as it is a good indication of how the rest of the year will go (whether good or bad) if current trends continue. It also presents companies with an opportunity to make any necessary financial and commercial adjustments if necessary, so they can hit any targets they have set for themselves.

Taking time to reflect every so often  is good for all of us, not just trading companies.  It may not be a financial analysis, but you can weigh what you have acquired in the past three months and how it has added to your value, be it experiences, friendships, knowledge or even a new attitude to life.

It’s NOT an opportunity to lament over resolutions already broken or things you haven’t done yet, but a time to celebrate what you have achieved so far, and to take stock of any “adjustments” you may need to make in order to put you back on the right track, if you feel you have veered off it.

For me, the first three months have been super busy. My fiancé and I have been heavily investing time, money and energy in a few projects, and whilst we have suffered a temporary knock in these areas, we do hope "projections" will go up in the future. Sorry if this does not make much sense for now. I do hope to be able to share more in my "Q2 results". 

So, my question again, what are your Q1 results?

A round up of the year so far in pictures

Just In Case!

Hi all

I don’t want to do too much talking today. But I do feel that this post is important. Simply  because most of us, on work days, spend most of our waking hours at our offices or places of work than we do in our own homes! So it’s important to ensure we are “well stocked”

Whether you have ever faced the aggravating situation of your tights laddering in the middle of the day, or have had to run back out onto the shop floor to serve customers after a lovely salad drenched in garlic dressing, I am sure you can agree with me that having your drawer or locker stocked with a few essential items is a very good idea.

Sometimes, your manager might ask you to attend a client event at very short notice, and if you're the kind of person who cannot say 'no', you'd want to make sure you have everything you need to freshen up!

I hope you enjoy viewing these pictures, and hopefully it will give you some ideas on some of the items you should perhaps keep at your place of work, “just in case!”

What are some of the items you feel should go in your work survival pack?

Study Time: Gratitude

Wow, it has been a hot minute since I spoke with you guys! I hope you are all doing well. I have been real busy!

The Belfry in St.Peters Square
Ghent, Belgium

One of the things I had the opportunity to do at work is visit Ghent in Belgium for three days. I attended the Flanders Belgium Travel Forum, which was the flagship event of the whole trip. It was for organised by the Visit Flanders Tourist Board and was another opportunity for key players in the travel industry to network and do business. Aside from the "work" part, I was blessed with the chance to tour the historical city of Ghent and to learn all about its history and culture.

The canal in the historical town

For someone who up until a couple of years was in a mundane job she wasn't exactly thrilled with,I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for how far I have come, and the opportunities that are now afforded me. This has inspired the theme of today's blog post. It's the latest installment of the Study Time series.

So, what is Gratitude? It is described as the quality of being thankful or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received.

The old Ghent prison
(You need to find out why it's called the Mammelokker. Hehe!)

For those of us who choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible, we ought to be grateful to God who we believe has blessed us with eternal life, life on earth and everything in it. 

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, MSG)

Not convinced? In an April 2015 study of 186 men and women with heart damage, researchers rated the people’s levels of gratitude and spiritual well-being. They found that higher gratitude scores were linked to having a better mood, higher quality sleep and less inflammation (Time.com, Nov 2015)

You cannot go to Belgium and not try a Belgian beer!

With that said, can we please do a short study on why gratefulness is important, and the benefits of displaying an attitude of gratitude?

1. It takes the focus off of what you don't have.

All that I am ...praise [bless] the Lord; everything in me ...·praise [bless] his holy name. My whole being ...praise [bless] the Lord and do not forget all his kindnesses [gifts; benefits]. (Psalms 103: 1,2 EXV)

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2. It attracts more kindness from others
Ruth fell at [Boaz's] feet and thanked him warmly. "What have I done to receive such kindness?"...At mealtime, Boaz called to her "come over here and help yourself to some food..." (Ruth 2: 10, 14a, NIV)

Dinner at the very prestigious Belga Queen

3. It grants you peace 

And when you pray, always give thanks... And God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6b - 7a, ICB)

4. It grants you joy 

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name...For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;at the works of your hands I sing for joy. (Psalm 92: 1, 4 ESV)

Belgian hot chocolate, with whipped cream. Mmmm.....

There is a story in the Good Book (Luke 17:11-19) of ten men suffering from leprosy, which is a horrible, flesh eating disease. Even today, these men are known as the ten lepers. Even though all ten were healed by Jesus, only one made a point of saying "thank you" to him. Jesus, astonished that only one of the ten had the common decency to say thank you, said to the one man "Get up and go. Your faith has healed you" (v19) Only God knows the implications of that for the other nine!

This is an important lesson in being grateful. So, how do you show gratitude?

1. Saying "thank you" (well that's obvious!)

2. Choosing to focus on the good

3. Being satisfied with what you have

4. Being joyful (different to happiness, which is only determined by your current circumstances)

5. Getting out of the mindset that somehow the world owes you something

6. Giving back to others

Thank you Visit Flanders! Very grateful for the opportunity.

Whether you choose to take the 100 days of gratitude challenge, or simply make notes on everything you have to be grateful for, please do not forget that an attitude of gratitude will determine your altitude!

What are some of the ways in which you show gratitude, or have been shown gratitude? Please comment below.

5 Ways to Keep Love Alive

Hi all, how has your week been? Unfortunately, my energy has totally been sapped away by a horrible cold, so I have had a week of sniffles, coughing and headaches.

But love is in the air because ladies and gentlemen it’s officially Valentine’s week and I am sure we are all so busy thinking about how to make our loved ones feel special.  (Valentine’s day can also be shared with friends and family you know?) And if you are single, so what?? Treat yourself! Take a day off. Book yourself into a spa. Go out to dinner, or order in! After all self-love is the best love!

But for those of us who will be spending it with a partner, how do you make sure that the love shared on the 14^th February is not just a fad? How do you keep the love burning way after Val’s day? Well, I am no relationship expert but I would love to share with you my five top tips on keeping love alive.

**DISCLAIMER ALERT** These tips are from my personal experiences, and they have worked for me. Also as I am not yet married, please do not take this as marital advice. See a counsellor instead.

1. Build and maintain a friendship

I know some people who have been fortunate to enough to have had a long term relationship or marriage to their childhood sweetheart or someone they have grown up with. This was not the case for Michael and I. We were basically two people who found each other attractive so it was imperative for us to go back and find the things we have in common; the things that make us both laugh; if we could easily make conversation; and if we could make fun of each other.  

2. Communicate with love

A lot of relationship gurus and manuals will tell you that communication is the key. But my question is what are you communicating? You could just as easily communicate anger, selfishness and jealousy, so make sure that when you speak to your partner you are doing it with love and honesty. Also make sure you are listening to your partner. 

I appreciate that not all speech will come out in heart shaped clouds, but even when you are having a disagreement you should really avoid spewing out hateful words solely to hurt your significant other. Remember once you let those words tumble out of your mouth, there is no taking them back! If your partner offends you, aim to resolve it quickly. Talk through the issue because brushing it under the carpet is tantamount to relationship suicide. It will only pop its ugly head out later. And ladies – once it’s resolved move on! Trust me, men find it very annoying when you keep bringing up old issues.

3. Put selfishness aside

I remember when my girlfriends and I were a little younger (and immature!) we used to talk a lot about what a man should do and should be to us: “he better have money” and "he has to have a six pack!”. First of all, these things are very superficial. But most importantly, there was never any talk about what we were going to bring the table. I believe a lot of relationships break down because of the “me” centred approach. Consider the feelings of your loved one. Be understanding of his or her weaknesses and be supportive.

4. Spend time with each other

They say absence make the heart grow fonder, however I think that too much distance for prolonged periods can do more harm than good. Also, if you are in love with someone why would you want to be away from them? I am not saying you should always be in their face because that’s just suffocation, but even being in the same room whilst doing separate things can be enough comfort. If you live far from each other or your relationship is long distance, set time aside for some ‘we’ time. 

5. Be intimate
This is going one step further than just being in the same space. And no, I am not just referring to sex either. I am talking about exploring the physical, emotional and spiritual connection you have with each other. This is where you can say a lot without the need to utter a word. This is where you “feel” each other without the need to touch. And if you do touch this is where it goes further than a purely physical connection.  

That’s it folks. I have limited it to five because I know I have the tendency to ramble on for ages. But this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are others such as DO NOT CHEAT!; not badmouthing your partner to friends and family; being romantic and surprising and wooing each other; and respecting each other’s personal space, BUT that will be for another time.
Whether you are in love or going it solo Michael and I are wishing you a HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

I hope I have helped you with these tips on keeping love alive year round. What do you think? Do you disagree with any of them? Or do you have any of your own?

Purpose. Find it. Pursue it.

Happy weekend! (Actually, it will probably be almost over by the time this is posted)

En route to the gathering of the brethren

I hope you have had a great week. I didn't get up to much in the week, but the weekend has been super busy. One of the many activities was a family gathering to remember and celebrate the life of a great aunt who passed just before Christmas, in Ghana. Although such an occasion would ordinarily be a sombre time, in my family we don't like to think of death as the end. After the tears have been wiped away we tend to celebrate the time spent on earth, the fact that the departed is in a better place, and the hopeful expectation of being reunited with our loved one. However such occasions always send me on a long and winding road of deep thought.

A fixture of many family gatherings

So, I want to touch on something that I feel every human being on earth should know about, and should pursue while he or she has been blessed with the gift of time.

Purpose. 

In short, all I want to say about purpose is that you should chase after it. Chase it like something is chasing you.

I believe that  graveyards are some of the richest places in this world. What a crazy thing notion, you're probably thinking. However I put this notion forward because, with our loved ones are books that were never written, businesses that were never started, ideas that were never explored, speeches that were never given, and love that was never shared. I am making sense now aren't I?

So then, how do you know what your purpose is? It may help to grab something you can make notes with, because I would love for you to answer as many of these as you can.

On kitchen duty with mummy

1. What abilities come to you the easiest? This is a great place to start.

2. What frustrates you the most? Sometimes, knowing what you would most love to change about your community, society or workplace can pinpoint the purpose you were created for.

3. If you HAD to volunteer a week of your time to any cause, charity or organisation, what would it be? I say this because if you make money your motivation, you will get demotivated quite quickly.

4. What activity/ career move or project do you regret not embarking on the most? It's never too late you know!

5.What scares you the most? Sometimes your purpose will scare you just as much as it excites you because the possibility of a thousand doors being opened to you, due to that fulfilled purpose is almost too much to bear!

Now on serving duty. That's how my family does it!

Have you found it yet? Great! Now you have no excuse BUT to commit time to pursuing it.  If not, PLEASE do not worry. In fact this is a serious task so I would expect you to take some time. But I would advise you to keep note making until your thoughts make sense to you. I would also suggest you keep pursuing your hobbies and interests (and possibly explore new ones), and keep interacting with the people and the world around you, until your purpose becomes clear to YOU (it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else).

Have a great week. 

Do You Need a Resolution?

We are officially in the shadows of the post festive period; fairy lights and Christmas trees have been put away until next Christmas, and it's now #backtowork. I am sure we are now all firmly focused on our new year resolutions and goals for 2016. This will form the backdrop of today's post.

Sad, dismantled Christmas tree

I remember in my childhood and teenage years, with every new year that ticked over I would make a firm pledge to the skies of what I will do religiously and abstain from for the next twelve months. The opening pages of my journal (because I just HAD  to get a new one every year) would have sentences beginning "I will give up...", and "Every morning, I will...". The problem with doing this, is that by mid January I would have already flouted half of these resolutions. I sadly did not have the discipline or tenacity to stick to them.

It's for this reason, that I no longer make new year resolutions.

I have learnt these three things about new year resolutions: One, that once you place a restriction on yourself, or tell yourself you cannot do or have something, you are naturally drawn to it. Two, if you really serious about making a lifestyle change you do not need to wait until the 1st of January to do it; and three, the first time you don't do something you promised you would commit to, you become a failure. You have failed to keep your new year resolution.

So how do you avoid this problem?

Juicing: one change I was determined to make before the new year

Don't get me wrong, new year resolutions probably do work for some of you reading this, but I guarantee you that for most people, there is probably a better way to go about things.

Bringing me to my next point. Goals. I have weighed this whole business of making life decisions at the new year and I have figured that it's probably better to make attainable goals, with an end date in mind, that can be achieved, and whose success can be fairly measured. So for instance instead of "I will quit smoking", you could probably tell yourself, "by April 2016, I will be a non smoker". This is a better resolve because it gives you the chance to quit gradually, without breaking any resolutions, and without the risk of relapsing. 

Have you tried a visionary board?
Sorry about the poor focus

Visionary boards are also a great way to keep you focused on your impending achievements. Incase you are not familiar with visionary boards, they are simply a visual of what you'd like to see in your life, and they can be built with words, magazine cut outs and drawings. I like visionary boards but I have learnt that they will only work if you believe in your vision; you keep your visionary board visible; and if you set yourself timeframes in which to achieve your goals.

What do you think? Do you agree with me? Are new year resolutions difficult to stick to? Have you set some goals for this year? If so what are you doing to ensure you achieve them? Please share.

Study Time: Faith

Hi all,

By the time this is published it will be 2016! How were your new year celebrations? Me, I had a wonderful time at church followed by a massive party at my aunt's. We literally partied until day break!

What better way to start the year than to exercise a little bit of faith? You have probably set yourself goals or a list of achievements you would like to see fulfilled this year. Well, to have any chance of realising those dreams for 2016, you will need faith. That, and a little bit of hard work!

This installment of Study Time will give you the basics of what faith really is. After you have read this, you will need to go out and add to your new found knowledge, and most importantly ACT on this knowledge. 

Definitions of Faith

Dictionary: Belief that is not based on proof
Bible:  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)

The first thing to note from the two definitions is that faith is knowing that something exists without you even having to cast your eyes upon it, feel it or even taste it. For example, it's like ordering a new sofa, and clearing space for it before it arrives, because you know it's coming.

Before Crossover Night on the 31st

Key Scriptures: Hebrews 11: 1- 12, James 2: 14-26

If you have a copy of the Bible, turn to Hebrews 11, or simply google it. There you will read about all the champions of the Hall of Faith, and what their faith did for them

Six Things to Know about Faith

1. It requires action 
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works (James 2:26, NIV)

2. It must be authentic

Truly I tell you, if you have faith, and do not doubt...you can say to this mountain 'Go throw yourself into the sea', and it will be done (Matthew 21:21. NIV)

3. It has to impact others
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not show it by your actions. Can that kind of faith save anyone? (James 2: 14, NIV)

4. It will make you look foolish
Some were jeered at... (Hebrews 11: 36, NIV)

5. With prayer, it will not fail
You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it. (Matthew 21:22, NLT)

6. Start small, it can be built upon.
"Truly, I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed...nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20, NIV)

The main thing to also remember is that faith is not magic. It requires patience and perseverance. I must also repeat that it won't work if you do not act. What have you always wanted to do? Start a business? Go on a course? Get healthy? Save money? Travel? Write a book? 

Why not start your chain of action by writing one of your goals on a large piece of paper, and underneath that goal, list one thing you will do each week of this quarter (January to March) to work towards it? Pin it up somewhere you can see it as a reminder, and as a way to hold yourself accountable to the promise you have made to yourself. With each quarter that passes you can change this sheet of paper, replacing it either with the same goal or a different one. 

At church, after crossover night

In keeping with the theme of faith, one of the most important thing the Good Book says about faith is:  "...the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10: 8-9). 

Not only that, God is 100% faithful and dedicated to us. If you submit your plans to him, you will do more than just achieve goals, you will smash them!

So if this lesson has awakened your faith and you'd like to be saved and to enjoy a relationship with the God I speak of; or your faith in God has been dimmed by disappointment and you'd love to rekindle it, please read aloud the following prayer:

Heavenly Father, I recognise that I am a sinner, and ask for forgiveness for my sinful nature.

I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me, rose for me and is coming back for me.

I declare in Jesus' name that I am saved!

Amen!

It's as simple as that!

Was meant to take a photo of the party food before we tucked in!

Good luck with your endeavours this year. I pray you will have enough faith to step out and make life happen!