Sometimes you’ve got to treat yourself to something

It may be ice cream like I had last friday sharing the moment with my son and budy Alain, or it may be something else…

Life is fleeting there is no doubt about that. One moment you are here and the next moment you are nought but memory.  You can’t afford to not enjoy yourself in the meantime. I know some of us are workaholics, and making time for a treat or indulging say in ice cream when ever mindful of our health and weight, may be a tough one to go for…

I am so grateful through my twists and turns I have come to a point of balance. Work and Play (reading and writing, dancing and singing can be play no problem), serious and joker, calorie counter and not so mindful etc…

It is important for our holistic wellbeing that we treat ourselves to something sometimes… Seriously if we don’t, life will still treat us to dust someday…

For the sake of treating myself this something also, I decided since last Tuesday to spend the rest of the week in Buea, working and playing from there ( I have to sadly return to Douala this afternoon, I have missed Ella and my home). I came with Alain and the other two musketeers are on vacation at their Dad’s… 

I attended a networking event sane tuesday evening and expanded my networks, I spent a whole day with my dearest Donna in the seaside resort of Limbe, on Friday,  I also attended two beautiful events yesterday Saturday and even got a beautiful attestation of participation…

Alain on his part accompanied me sometimes, but other times he had his own stuffs to do. He lived with a mentor and I elsewhere. That arrangement was also treating myself to some space away from him and letting him have his own experiences away from me…

It is VIP for our mental health and I am ever grateful for all these opportunities. Talking about being grateful these couple of days, I got that awesome piece of art from Donna I shared yesterday, I got featured among the 11 most sought after young speakers (http://www.celbmdafrica.org/2017/07/23/11-highly-sought-after-young-trainers-speakers-in-cameroon/) and trainers in Cameroon, and  I got the following from Alain –  I know he means that:

I actually loved washing their feet until even last year lol

Happy Sunday therefore to us and remember to sometimes treat yourself to something…

Another of Donna’s wonders

P.S: I developed Stye but the swollen eye ain’t going to spoil my mood no matter the iritarion lol (no picture for now who knows if that’s virtually contagious right?)

Am speechless … received this a few minutes ago from my soul sister

I wish I could write much more. Let me just share this portrait with you just sent me by my Dearest Donna. Am visiting her shortly in Limbe for a day of bliss with nature oh my…oh my am letting the tears flow am so touched and grateful…Donna lost her dad in June and I haven’t even been able to go see her…

P.S

The above picture is an apt summary of my day with my soul sister Dearest Donna… We keep discovering ourselves and each other and so much synchronicity ha could we have been twins born of different mothers? You can guess the artist amongst us, the very calm voice and all. I love Donna loads…

My Son’s book review of A Searching Soul by Marie Abanga (Me)

This is the first review of my poetry book which is on the amazon at the very afordable price of 0.89$ for kindle and 5 $ for paperback.

Thank you so much my e family and big shout out to all the authors in the house especially Pamela Spiro Wagner whose poetry reading I just so love, and  Dyane Leshin-Harwood whose epic memoir will be released very soon.

See who’s back: What a blogging break…

That was what I thought I needed

What a blogging break I brokered: Am glad to be back!!!

If I have learnt one thing during this blogging break, it is that I really love blogging and the break was not effective.

Primo, I wrote three updates when I had bragged of a month free of blogging. Ha, who was I deceiving? ME it turns out;

Secondly, I didn’t even open the book I was hoping to finish writing during this break. Ha again, who was I deceiving? ME once more;

Thirdly, did I read as much as planned? I bow my head to look at my feet and whisper loudly NO – blogs I follow and 3 or so books and social media fake news etc don’t fill my reading reservoir sorry Marie try harder;

So dear world, I admit I may have brokered a bad blogging break. Indeed, I had hoped to take away to ‘blogging birb’ of thrice weekly and turn that period to reading and writing ‘beck’. I didn’t get any close to achieving that and I realize that although the break from regular blogging did usher in some small mental release, I didn’t really need it. To be honest, I kept counting the days the ‘officially announced’ blogging break will be over and I kept writing down stuffs I would have been excited to blog about.

My evaluating this blogging break is the same way I have for some years now been able to candidly evaluate myself and stuffs in my life. It is the same way I encourage my clients and those I mentor and coach to evaluate their too.

Not wanting to write a long post today on my ‘official first day of new blogging term’, I will conclude with a few updates:

1. I did continue building my business (s) and am gradually seeing a big picture. I am taking a diploma on CBT to focus on being a personal and mental wellbeing coach of substance ( hardly any in my whole country);

2. I am working on officially setting up my law firm; another big leap of faith, sometimes collaboration is not for you;

   

   recently on vaccation in the village

3. Today my last son Gaby turns 8 and yes he will forever remind me of miracles. His conception was one and he kicked me from the womb when my desperation was its peak and I was holding a knife to my heart. I can never forget that. Coincidentally, I am coaching today on Developing a positive attitude and I am full of positivity and gratitude for life especially on this day. Eight bonus years of living with so much gratitude and I am authentically ME inside out… To God be the Glory Great Things He has Done…

4. It was therefore a bitter sweet break overall, and there were some moments of ocean breeze and village life – but also some stress inducing and charged moments… life happens

5. My one resolution with regards to blogging is that no more pressure on myself to maintain any blogging routine, my mental wellbeing is primordial and this is also living my mental health advocacy

Happy Sunday to us all and thank you my e-family

am so full of Gratitude

And so was Gaby a few minutes ago

Books build my brain best

I miss blogging and just wanted to share what am doing other than gallivanting at the beach or enjoying village fraicheur… Yep am reading as much as I can. I have discovered a fellow Cameroonian author and wow what a dynamite discovery…

When am fully back here I’ll do a post or two more about this awesome author and his over 7 books…

Till then, all the best…

An area girl in her own village: How thrilling and natural can this be!!!

https://goo.gl/photos/aKHhjcNRiqgmjkX89

Please enjoy nature as much as you can, try to make the best of the one life you got…as you can all see, am doing just same…coming to the village with the boys is the best part of my vacation… So many memories of a childhood playing in the farm, sucking cocoa buds till sick, all the fruits and craftiness oh my…

Am here only for two days so am making the best. Will add pictures of today to that google album…the boys will have 3 whole weeks with their Grandpa… I can only imagine their experience… Coming here is a first time for them although Alain had come as kid but of course can’t remember that trip…like going to wum where I met Erico my hero, the journey ain’t to be recorded…the destination keeps you going and ignoring the road lol

Cameroon’s Carribean…

I know am on blogging break… Just so fresh not to share asap lol… My blogging break continues lol

Personifying my Anxiety: I call her Loha

Loha, (Love Hate): My worst friend my best enemy

I have know Loha pretty all my life. She has kept my mind alert more than I could ever wish for. Whether I ask her to come along or not she does. Always offering suggestions, making me doubt my own self, getting me double check on stuffs I have done, and beating myself more than I should for any omission or slight delay. She sometimes makes me wish a day had 48 hours even when I’ll still feel like a failure at the end of each day.

Oh Loha you are the worst of my friends – you nag! Yes, although I like that you help me plan well in advance and think of all possible scenarios of what, who, why, when something could go wrong; the fact that you more often than not come up with those your fall short blabla when any merry comes or is sighted, qualifies you my best enemy.

I think we should revisit our relationship, I wish I could just cut you out, sometimes I feel I have done just that. Is it a must that once you know someone it should be for life? Can you answer me that? Or do you only want me to take a pill which could give me that courage to kick you the hell out of life?

I am gradually however discovering how to get back at you, for all the years when you sucked me down, with all your nagging. I can now tell you to your face, call you out to the world, embarrass you too some. If you don’t like my approach, get lost because more is coming. I have new friends teaching me more tricks. I know much more than I used to, Loha you better step up or be doomed forever you shapeless chameleon creature – no doubt your best colour you say is black!!!

P.S: That was a guest post I submitted last month following a call to submit. I followed up and got my submission acknowledged, but it never got ‘selected for publishing’ and no courtesy did I get in the form of a ‘rejection/notification’. So, considering it their loss and Loha being mine anyway, I share it with us all.

I am officially taking a 1 month summer break from writing on my blog, but I’ll be reading, commenting and why not reblog any I find cool.

Love loads and all the best from Loha and I 🙂

Inspiring Positive Actions Now Ltd inspires on with Javnyuy Joybert

Hello world, on the 28 the of May 2017,  I took that big leap of ‘Stubborn but very Passionate’ Faith and officially launched the company I had been dreaming and planning on for 3 years.

This Sunday, we have another interesting line up and when you read our keynote speaker’s  profile below, you’ll agree with me that there isn’t only hunger, strife and ‘crazy ‘ politics and policies in Africa.

In my meditation this morning, I summarized these five tips which aptly corroborate the Me doing all I do and where I get my strength from:

1) You can draw strength from the connection you have with others;

2) You can align yourself with the beauty and goodness that resides firmly and persistently in every corner of life;

3) In the darkest darkness, you can shine a light;

4) In the most difficult circumstances, you can act to make a profound and positive difference;

4) You can know, you can understand, and you can live in the service of a purpose that becomes more powerful and refined with each passing moment;

5) Choose to do what you can, and there is no limit to what you’re able to achieve. Amen

About our Keynote speaker for this Sunday June 18th 2017: Javnyuy Joybert

Javnyuy Joybert is a Social Entrepreneur, Empowerment Coach, Public Speaker, Personal Development Strategist/Blogger and a dynamic, prolific and strategic Entrepreneurship/Business Management Trainer and a blend of administrative gifts. He is a focused and purposeful young African.

Javnyuy is a certified Business Management and Entrepreneurship trainer by The American Entrepreneurship Foundation (AEF) California USA, performance and efficiency consultant whose forte lies in Empowerment, Training and Development in the areas of Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Personal Development and Business Management Development. He is one of the youngest and finest Entrepreneurship, Organizational Leadership and results based Business Management trainers in Africa.

Javnyuy Joybert is the Founder/CEO, Senior Trainer and Principal consultant at The Center for Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Business Management Development (CELBMD) Africa – The Pan African Professional Center. CELBMD Africa is an International Center of choice for skills/competency based Professional Executive Training/Development which cut across all levels of industry from Senior Executives to high school graduates. CELBMD Africa offer innovative Professional Executive Training/Development programs and capacity building seminars through the expertise of our renowned trainers, industry experts and volunteers… please visit his website I can’t do justice to this young, dynamic and oh my so so much Icon.

I mean, how grateful can I be right? It is all so amazing and I owe and wish the one I fondly call JJ so so much.

Have a weekend us all

 

My Son’s Book Review of Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

My excitement at getting this book is now solidified by my son’s soulful summary

Born a Crime Review by Alain Michel

Please click on the link it is to a pdf document

He wrote that review on the 6th of June which was one of those days for me, as well as the poem I shared here previously too. That date now means so much more to me, and am seriously and sincerely so grateful.

Thank you all for reading,  he will read your comments on his review and see the likes too – He did read it and is currently reading the richest man in babylon and you can imagine how happy I am he is gradually discovering the wonders of books and poems right?