The ‘c’ word.

No, it’s not what you are thinking; it’s C for change. Got you! Change can be good but it doesn’t always feel good. Why? It’s not easy to begin with. It is unsettling and terrifying for most of us, but we have to sometimes. Change is constant in all our lives whether we choose to notice it or not. Learn how to embrace it, it’s the most valuable tool in helping you be enthusiastic about the new you.

Changing shouldn’t be rocket science (pun intended) no matter what kind of transition we are going through. You only attract the things you have energy for, that’s why you ought to have positive beliefs about change, life and yourself. An optimistic attitude is the cornerstone of change. You may not have chosen the change that is taking place in your life but you get to choose your beliefs around it.

With change, something good will always be dragged into your life. All you need to do is hold on, be resilient and persistent. Being alive, we all survived some ‘worst moment’ in our past. There’s a truth in that; you can handle much than you think. We all must know that fear walks hand in hand with change. Ignoring it won’t make it go away. Admit it. Fear, guilt and impatience are there to get your attention and direct you to more positive ones. The faster you accept or choose change, the less the pain and hardship will be. In that change period, surround yourself with people who can help and have an optimistic mindset and create an environment that supports change.

There are practical basics of change by Arianne de Bonvoisin the change guru: that can help you move that can help you move that mountain:

               Don’t forget to seed: sleep well, eat well, exercise and drink water. Be healthy during adjustment times. Every little thing feels more overwhelming when you are hungry or tired. Keep moving: coping with change can leave you feeling frustrated, take a walk, jog or skip rope. Exercise is a mood booster and clears your head.                                                                             Unload weak and negative thoughts: put your anxieties down on paper, helps you come to terms with changes and get through them quicker.                                                                                    Create a ‘wall of change’: put notes and pictures that make you feel excited about change. It could be a photo of someone who inspires you or an empowering quote, verse, or even a word. It’s easier to keep an eye on your goals when they’re literally spread out in front of you.

Don’t bite more than you can chew and I won’t dish out more than you can take. Take action, have a plan and take care of yourself. Change is good. Take it one day at a time, you’ll get there.

FOOD ENOUGH.

Music is food for the soul, without it we would be starving our souls. Just like one cannot stay long enough without food. Where would we be without music anyway?  Everyone somehow loves music, the only difference being the genres that make us tick. Think of a world without music. The thought of it brings depression. Automatically.

 I once saw a t-shirt graffiti that read “music is a weapon. The only difference is that when it hits, you don’t feel the pain.” That was creative enough to open up my mind to a million avenues of this vast field. There are those of us who like either soft and low, hard, fast, slow or just loud music. We don’t react the same in situations, which is why you will find people loving different genres.

Music is more specific about what it expresses than words written about those expressions could ever be. That music has the power to express, convey and bring up powerful emotions without question. However, the issue of music's moral and ethical power, and how that power affects individuals and societies, is one that receives very little attention in our world today. Ancient cultures held strong beliefs in the moral and ethical power of music and as such it was very important for artists within those cultures to exercise a certain moral and ethical responsibility in their creative activities. 

Music has so much therapeutic effect on all who are associated with it. They say garbage in garbage out. The kind of music has effects on our behavioural change. We all ought to listen to our favourite tunes often, this way we subconsciously change. A research was once conducted on how music affects people or rather animals. They put rats in cubicles and played different genres of music in each and on different volumes. They found out that the rat exposed to soft  the one music was calm and relaxed but the ones that were in loud fast music were wild and fierce.  

This music too affects their makers. As the musician constantly adjusts decisions on tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing and feeling, they trains the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and conducting numerous activities at once. Approximately 90% of the brain's motor control capabilities are devoted to the hands, mouth and throat. With this in mind, experts say that the fine skilfulness involved with playing a violin can exercise the entire brain and stimulate general intelligence.

Music also extends its mercies and blessings to children as musical training has been found to improve how the brain processes the spoken word. This finding could lead to improving the reading ability of children who have reading problems. These people who take keen interest on music are more self-confident and better able to express their ideas. The skills gained through sequential music instruction, including discipline and the ability to analyze, solve problems, communicate and work cooperatively, are vital for success in the current workplace.

Music is also used for different purposes. For one, music can be very therapeutic, one can be feeling low but you just turn up your stereo and in a few minutes things change and it’s certainly a better world. Sometimes one can be bubbly and all but a song comes on and they are torn apart to tears. This simply means with time we get connected to what we put our ears through and through and the lyrics of the songs and the beats work magic.

Through another research carried out in the US, students at risk of not successfully completing their high school educations show that arts participation motivates them to stay in school. The arts create a supportive environment that promotes constructive acceptance of criticism and one in which it is safe to take risks. With music in schools, students connect to each other greater friendship, fewer fights, less racism and reduced use of hurtful sarcasm. High school students who participate in band or orchestra report the lowest lifetime and current use of all drugs, sex and other unruly behaviour.

Music has made the world a better place. Now, people are employed courtesy of music and have food on their table. Without it, we would forget the radio presenters, disc jockeys, radio studios or even owners. Things would be plain like a church with only recitals to make or a wedding with only vows and speeches. People get to relax after a long week of hard work and unwind merrily with drinks and good music.

Despise not, the good thing that came long ago that has helped us pass information and made a change in most of our lives. Go on and plug those earpieces in and keep that world on the move.

The “all’s” and “nothing’s” of love.

So it’s February again and it’s time to paint the town red and love; as they say is in the air. Huge sums of Money are being spent, people are sulking for not being taken out on a treat, others getting worked up because of the pressure, some broke and wishing that guy spending a fortune on this lousy day could just pay his bills. We all have our views and as far as I’m concerned everyone is entitled to their own opinion about anything and everything but we got to talk about other things that come with the reason behind celebrating this day.

What’s love to you, does it count, and does it still make sense? After my years of spinning back, forth, round and round the things it put me through, I can say love will never die. You see, we all get in relationships for one reason or another. All the reasons narrow down to trial and error and do or die. It’s not easy to find two people with the same motive in as much as they will talk about it, what matters is that which they are not saying.

Love starts from far and wide; when a mother holds their wailing baby in that hospital bed and they too are bursting with tears of joy. A four year old boy who wouldn’t let you hurt his one year old sister. Mother hen scratching anything that comes near her chicks. A rhino staying single after their one spouse dies. And the one we are vividly familiar with; prince charming in shining armour living happily ever after with that princess that makes them bubbly after a trying and challenging day.  But that doesn’t put the end to the list.

“What we crave most in this world is connection. For some people it happens at first sight. It’s when you know you know. Its fate working its magic. That’s good for them; they get to live in a pop song, ride the express train; and a bonus of a fairy tale ending. But that’s not the way it really works. For the rest of us it’s less romantic, complicated, and messy. It’s about horrible timing and fumbled opportunities. And not being able to say what you need to say, when you need to say it.” (The switch, film 2010)

  My point is there is someone for everyone and when that time comes your world will stop spinning and everything will fall into place, fate will work its magic and you will be connected. When you stop chasing love that’s when it finds you, when you least expect it. Don’t stress when your stuff don’t follow the script in your head. Most things don’t work the way we expect them to but we got to still hope for the best but prepare for the worst, just in case.

Lastly I’d like to straighten things and take a stand. Things might never have been right for you in your past endeavours and commitments, that doesn’t mean you turn your back against the most beautiful things in life. Good things come to those who wait and I have to say no one has to work so hard because fate will take care of that and trust me when it does, that feeling you can’t describe will make perfect sense.

Exempting the fun.

With everything these days skyrocketing from call rates to fuel prices, we need help pronto!  If there’s one positive thing about the global recession, it’s the placing of the fine line between wants and needs. With time (and indulgence) the line has become invisible and we are actually beginning to think that we need what we just wanted initially.

Attaching an element of entertainment to almost every activity makes our wants look like needs. This will definitely make our lives stressful and very expensive in a way that one will go to bed hungry Monday evening just because they went out all weekend.

In as much as entertainment has been made a human need, it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune or even happen all the time. It’s not speculated how much you should spend on luxuries and  entertainment but  it doesn’t make sense to overspend on unnecessary things  today only to be broke the next day. 

The secret is to use what you already have to enjoy the good old fashioned way. For clothes; that’s where accessories come in handy, make them work for you and save you the headache of shopping for new outfits each time you have a function or event. For entertainment, you can decide to have a nice home cooked meal and enjoy the privacy of your home instead of a crowded restaurant and painfully slow waiters.

Eat before you go shopping, this way, you will not be tempted by all those snacks displayed by the till to bait you. Its like those things scream ‘buy mee buy mee’ *ghostly moan* Exercise at home. It occupies your time and it is free of charge! If you must go on holiday then do so during the low season when the prices are low and favorable.

When all is said and done and you have actually re-sketched your line between your needs and wants, entertain yourself as a reward. Motivate yourself to achieve your goals and targets, as this will help you appreciate and look forward to the treat and it stops being a routine that is tagged to your financial side of life.