The 7 Mechanics of True Friendship

Yayyy December is here! My favorite month for a number of reasons. First & foremost, its my birth month! Second, its my sisters birth month as well (and we were born on the same day- 5 years apart- how miraculous right?). Also, Its my parent's wedding anniversary month. So its generally a month designed for family fun and for my annual reflection. Always a happy month. Love it. I'm so excited for this month. Its looking awesome from where I'm standing ;-)

Soooo...today I thought to share with you all my guidelines for friendship; which I dubbed NwaVic's "7 Mechanics of True Friendship" aka the characteristics of a true friend.

I don't use to term "friend" very lightly and I'm not the kind to boast of many friends. I'd rather have few friends whom I love and trust dearly than a battalion whom I'm not sure of. Often, people fail to distinguish between a friend and an associate, a friend and a colleague, or even a friend and a family friend. Not me. For me, the line is clear. Crystal infact. A person is not your friend because they are your friend on facebook. A person is not your personal friend because they are a friend of the family. You can spend 8 hrs a day with a person and they are not still not your friend.

Ok lets get down to the nitty griddy. Here are the 7 basic characteristics of a true friend. Everything else is "jara" aka extra. Its left up to you to decide whether or not its good or bad jara.

1. Loyalty- Ahhh this is soo rare. A true friend is one who "sends you die" (insert pidgin accent). Ok let me explain in English. A true friend is your friend is your friend. <yes I wrote that three times to make a point. Loyalty means that your friend will not tolerate anyone back-mouthing you. S/he has created a space for you in his/her heart and life and is not afraid to let the world know this regardless of who's watching. A loyal friend will defend you no matter what the odds are. This is the friend you always know has your back. Errmm if you have a "friend" you worry when you leave him or her alone with your significant other, you better reconsider how you define friendship. If you have a "friend" who you're not sure will defend you if he or she is outnumbered in a gossip forum, errmm reconsider o.

I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.  ~Thomas A. Edison

I expand on loyalty because it is the most important characteristic in my books. A true friendship reflects the loyalty elements of marriage. It means in sickness and in health, in breakups and in makeups, and in dining and in soaking garri.....through it all, your friend is by your side. That's loyalty. Be careful to decipher between people who are in love with your profile and those who actually love you for you. As my bestfriend would say, some people will "FamZ" with you because of what you are and not who are. Spot the difference.

2. Consistency- My mother always says "no matter what you do in life, be consistent". I take that advice to heart. A true friend is not two-faced and is not wishy-washy. A true friend stands the test of time- no matter how many years apart you spend, when you see again, its like you never left. I have a dear friend like that. At some point, we had not talked for years but when we talked for the first time, it was like we were never apart. Even now, when we go for sometime without talking (no thanks to our busy lives), its like we never missed a beat. With a true friend, out of sight is never out of mind. As a matter of fact, my best friend and I live worlds apart but I feel closer to her than those I spend most days with. This is not to say that your friend should deliberately ignore your calls & avoid you, but when your friend is genuinely busy, as second nature, you should be understanding to her plight. In that light, true friends will always make time for each other. Consistency sometimes requires some kind of mutual effort. One of my friends who is a practicing lawyer  and has a young son is constantly busy but in order to maintain our friendship, we make dates to spend time together (go to dinner, the movies, each other's homes, etc).

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.  

3. Shared interests and values- Ooooo I tell you, there is nothing as precious as having a friend who is on the same page as you. I do not mean as per social class or status. I mean, deeply-held values and interests. For a friendship to be mutually true, you must be on the same mental plane, car, level, etc. Trust me, Its impossible to cultivate a true mutual friendship on soil of different textures. It only breeds jealousy, judgment, resentment and everything else hazardous to any friendship. To be true friends, you have to be on the same page. Shikena.

4. Honesty, Transparency and Communication- You should never wonder what your friend thinks about you or about anything for that matter. Oh my! How I can't stand people who hold things in. Believe it or not, one day, they will blow up on you and you'd wonder where the aggression came from. Spoken by a true witness!

A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.  Before him I may think aloud.  I am arrived at last in the presence of a man so real and equal, that I may drop even those undermost garments of dissimulation, courtesy, and second thought, which men never put off, and may deal with him with the simplicity and wholeness with which one chemical atom meets another.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are no secrets in true friendships and no hidden treasures either. Your friend is the only one who'll tell you when you're doing something wrong despite your unwillingness to hear it. What's paramount to a true friend is that you don't fall astray and not how you feel about him or her. Honesty all the way.

Cherish the friend who tells you a harsh truth, wanting ten times more to tell you a loving lie.  ~Robert Brault

In that light, friendship should be easy love at all times. I'm not a big fan of forced friendships. Trying to stay in touch and in "friendship" shouldn't feel like pulling your hair. Once I sense I'm trying too hard to be your "friend", I shut that door. Just because we can't be friends, doesn't mean we can't be "cool". No hard feelings but true friendship should be easy flowing and effortlessly passionate. Seriously.

The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.  ~Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook, 1927

5. Genuine Mutual Admiration- I'm an avid believer that for two people to exist in a healthy relationship of any sort, there must be something(s) about the other that each person admires. My theory here is this- admiration breeds likeness, and likeness breeds friendship. You can't like someone if you don't admire something about them. One thing I've noticed is that often, we admire in others, that which we seek to improve in ourselves. That stems from the whole theory of complimenting each other. I admire at least one thing in all my friends. In my dear friend B I admire her steadfast love for Christ. In my dear friend C, I admire her unwavering loyalty-she has my back at allll times. In my dear friend O, I admire her maturity and her ability to remain calm in stressful situations. In my dear friend S, I admire the simple purity of her heart.

In my friend, I find a second self.  ~Isabel Norton

6. Encouragement & Unwavering Support- I put these two together because they intertwine when it comes to friendship. A true friend should always encourage you to be better. No matter what mistakes you make in life, your true friend will never judge you; instead the focus will be on how to help you climb out of whatever rut you're in. They should never make you feel insecure or inferior. They should add value to your life and not take away. Its important to realize that a person cannot encourage you as a friend if they are jealous of you. I specifically keep friends who are confident enough in themselves to not want to compete with me. It should never be about who looks better, who's smarter or who gets more play. A true friend is comfortable in her own spotlight and never feels the need to outshine you. If its your day, s/he doesn't mind moving over to let you enjoy it, like you would on theirs.  A true friend should be able to tell you how fly you look without feeling like she's jeopardizing herself in anyway. If you sense jealousy in a "friend", runnnn. Its only breeding ground for negativity. Check out my post on negative people. Bottom line, stay away from haters.

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad.  ~Arnold H. Glasgow


A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should.  ~Author Unknown


A true friend is always there for you, no matter what, s/he is always rooting for you. Its the same person you call both when you are excited about your first date and when you're crying over your last. Its the person who can accompany you both to your doctor's appointments and your TV guest appearance. Its the friend who smiles and cries with you. Your emotion is theirs and your happiness is their concern. It was remembering those who were rooting for me that got me through my hardest moments in life.

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.  ~Arnold Glasow


7. Mutual giving & Sacrifice- Last but not least, a true friend does not mind being inconvenienced for your benefit. When I think of sacrifice that comes with true friendship, I think of a love-give-in of the little things. On that note, if you constantly feel like your "friend" is taking and never giving, not a good sign. True friendship is all about give and take; and I don't mean this in monetary terms. Giving includes but is not limited to love, good thoughts, encouraging words, time, thoughtful gifts, etc. Beware of users- the "friends" who are always looking for what you can do for them and not vice versa. For them, being your "friend" serves their personal interests and never yours. Not a true friend o.

The only gift is a portion of thyself.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

There will be times where you want to do something or go somewhere that your friend does not fancy. A true friend will go with you because they know you need them. I've come across people who only do things that benefit themselves. Some call that selfishness. I just call it "not a true friend". You can spot a true friend in a person who doesn't mind sacrificing for you. They'll pick you up from the airport at 2am, they'll wait for you when you're running late and they'll go with you to see a movie, just because you want to.

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.  ~Author Unknown

So there you have it! NwaVic's 7 Mechanics of True Friendship. Please note that all the above characteristics have to be mutual to work. No one-sided friendship ever works. Don't forget the only way to get a true friend, is to be one. :-)

True friendship is very rare and if you have any, count yourself lucky and keep them close. Comment away. If there's something I missed thats important to you in your friendship, please do share. Have a great weekend :-)

This post is dedicated to all my true friends. You know yourselves. I tell you all the time but incase you've forgotten, Simply put: I love and appreciate you. :-)

Stay Inspired....

Holy Hoses?

So for the past couple years my best friend Chioma and I have been putting together a compilation of poems for publication. It was supposed to have been published earlier this year but we had some hiccups so its still in the works. So, look out for it ;-) Chioma and I have been writing and sharing poems since our JS1 (7th grade) days so I'm excited to co-publish my first book with a friend so dear to my heart :-)

In light of that, I decided to share a poem I wrote some years ago. Its about "something" we each encounter everyday (at least I hope so) but here's the mandate---what is this "thing" I write about? Read the poem and comment on what you think I mean by "Holy Hoses". I'm excited to see who guesses it right ;-)

Holy Hoses

Your grace in form of water blesses me.

With you, I’m clean. From tiny holes you speak

your piece. Sometimes as cruelly sharp as sticks.

Sometimes as gently dull as morn. You’ve seen

it all. The skinny, ugly, pretty, fat

and tall. The white walls that surround you, bore

you. Sprinkle glory on my mortality.

Rouse my slumber. Send me back again.

Tomorrow and you start my day. Last night

you ended it. You. Cold or warm, just like

slim pins, you raid my skin attempting to

decipher cast and body.

Color from flesh.

I say, “alert me” not “abuse my drowse”.

Alarm my senses in the am. Caress

my tire in the pm. Arrest my dirt.

Forgive my transience. Butter my chocolate skin.

Silently punching me. Punishing sins ago.

Pardon my lapse.

Just rain…

Stay Inspired...

Appreciating your "Now"~Don't Exist. Live.

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a relaxing thanksgiving weekend and did not wound yourselves trying to get black friday deals. I had a great break from everything this past week! My family & I went to New Jersey to visit my big sis Oby and her hubby. It was awesome to have most of the family under one roof. Soo much food and soo much love under the same roof, I am forever indeed thankful for the people in my life.

That brings me to the topic of this post... Appreciating the "Now"; what it means to live . Living is more than surviving. It means wholly enjoying the opportunities in your life, the people who love you and the not-so-mere fact that you are alive. Often in life, we spend so much time emotionally absent from our bodies, that we loose sight of our Now. We are either chasing the future or analyzing what went wrong in the past, that the present is left void of our attention. We are all guilty of that, to an extent and we do it in a variety of aspects of our life; in our careers, our relationships, etc.

One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us.  ~Michael Cibenko

No man is rich enough to buy back his past.  ~Oscar Wilde

Check your pulse, You're still breathing? Then, LIVE. Check your phone, people actually contact you? Then, LOVE. There's a famous saying that there's a big difference between living and existing. Its important that we don't spend our years simply existing, going through the motions. I realized late last year that I had spent so many years in school and it was making me mundane. So in an effort to "live" more, I dubbed 2011 "The Year of the Traveling Ral" and decided to visit four countries before the end of the year. I went to India (February), Italy (March), and Dubai (October), and the year is not over yet ;-). I plan to do a post in January about the trips. Anyhoo,  it worked- It really felt good to see the world, how other people live. It made me feel alive. Like I was seeing other pages in the book of World. Like I was Living...

We crucify ourselves between two thieves:  regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.  ~Fulton Oursler

Simply "existing" means something different for each person. For person A it may mean continuously analyzing what went wrong in your past relationship, that you remain blinded to the other opportunities that are your life NOW. For person B it may mean continuously planning for the future that you fail to enjoy what you have now. For person C it may mean simple procrastination. For person D it may mean pushing someone who loves you away in an effort to protect yourself from heartbreak. For person E it may mean staying stuck in a dead-end job because you are afraid of being disappointed.

Here are a few "Living" suggestions to get out of the "existing" rut

~ Love. Its a great feeling
~ Appreciate those who love you & tell them you do
~Be adventurous
~Leave the past where it belongs (behind you)
~Work towards the future but never sacrifice your happiness for the unseen
~Travel (if you buy tickets really early, you can get a $300 ticket to the bahamas ;-) )
~Take risks (reasonably)
~Dance (its freeing :-))
~Take road trips
~Find a passion & live it
~Sample food.- you may find something you really like (I just recently tasted almond-flavored pancakes- I'm in love- like, where has it been all my life? :-))

Sooo good :-)

~Make a bucket list & try to accomplish at least 2 per year
~Stay around people or things that make you laugh (its true- laughter heals the soul)
~Make a conscious decision to be happy
~Do something you've never done
~Step out of your element
~ Open your heart
~Take a "Me-Day"
~Volunteer- helping people brings blessings
~Rid yourself of negative people
~Savor each moment like its your last

Live, Love, and Appreciate!

Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That's why we call it the present.  ~Babatunde Olatunji

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.  ~Abraham Lincoln

Stay Inspired...

Happiness is a Conscious Choice. Yours only.

Happiness? What does that even mean? Merriam Webster defines it as "a state of well-being and contentment". Happiness is subjective. So, what's more important is how you define it. By your job? Your relationship? Family? Money? 

Sadly, this year, I've come across many unhappy people. In fact, it seems to me that I've noticed more unhappy people this year than I ever have. This may be because I have recently become sensitized to "happiness-detection". or Not. Surprisingly, what I've seemed to notice is not people who are naturally unhappy but people who have slipped into unhappiness because of a deterioration of an aspect of their life; the declining job market, hard-breakups or status in life.

The reality is that life is tough. Its like a roller-coaster; unpredictable in its turns and immensely fast-paced. It's like a train moving forward, if you don't get on it, you'll be left behind. If you fall off and fail to get back on, get ready to take a picture of its tail.

Happiness is a choice. Ultimately. While admittedly, being happy can be threatened or strengthened by the person you love, the people who love you back, your job and the amount of money you have, most importantly, its about your state of mind and what you choose to do with it.  If God wanted your emotions to control you, He would have created emotions and put you in it. Instead, He created you and put emotions in you. Now, who do you think should be in control?

Often times, people keep waiting for happiness. Like it'd come riding on a white horse and sweep you off your feet. You say, " when I graduate, I'll be happy", "No, when I get married, I'll be happy", "when my man stops cheating, I'll be happy", "When I make more money, then I can settle down, then i'll be happy." But then, what happens now? Look around. There are rich people who are unhappy. There are poor people who are unhappy. There are married people who are unhappy. There are single people who are unhappy. What this proves? That happiness is deeper than external factors. Its about YOU and your mind. Internal. Its contentment with what and who you have in your life now and the realization that the future will happen, whether or not you're there to witness it.

Waiting to be happy is like waiting for life to be customized to you. It'll never happen if you don't make it.

Tough situations will always come. You'll grow old and grey waiting for them to end. The thing about tough situations is that it gives you two options- dwell in it or get over it. The first option burns you to the ground because you literally waste your thoughts and emotions buying into "unhappy". When you buy into unhappy, you end up pushing good people and good things away becuase you're inadvertently focused on what could be and not what is. "Unhappy" likes being bought so it'll give you a great deal. Stay away from that kind of sale.

If you want to be happy, here's what to do, BE. Its all on you. Your choice. Its a conscious choice and never will be automatic. This is not to say that whatever situation you're in will disappear automatically. it just means you reclaim your life. Doing otherwise is giving the "thing" (which could be a person) control of your life. Live now. Be you and love it all the way.


Here are a couple of my favorite quotes on happiness. They each speak gospel.

You need to learn to be happy by nature, because you'll seldom have the chance to be happy by circumstance.  ~Lavetta Sue Wegman

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of.  You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.  ~Albert Camus

It is not happiness until you capture it and store it out of the reach of time.  ~Robert Brault

Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.  ~Margaret Lee Runbeck

Happiness involves focusing on God's word. 1 Timothy 6:6- But godliness with contentment is great gain. Proverbs 15:13- A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Philippines 4: 4-Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Psalm 37:4- "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Try counting your blessings. The fact that you're still living means God is not done with you yet. Now, that's happiness. Try to see the good in your life. You have a job? you're privileged. Its also appreciating those who love you and loving them back. There's happiness in loving.

Each minute you spend being unhappy, you loose 60 seconds of your life you'll never get back. Stop waiting for something or someone to make you happy. Decide to be happy. Choose to stay happy.  Most importantly, BE happy. 

Stay Inspired....

iPassed

We've all heard of "the Bar". That phrase can be taken literally or for what it really means. After all, they are one and the same. For the few who don't know, "the Bar" is short for the passage of a camel through the needle....Ok let me get serious. Legally defined, it is the State Board Examination all law school graduates must take in order to practice law in the United States. It differs state to state. Some call it "lawyer hazing". I didn't... so don't quote me. As you may have heard, it is the hardest exam you can ever imagine. Its the final door to "Esquire" and its the pat on the back every law school graduate needs to be able to say, "yep, now that's done, what's up life?"

Kind of like the marrying of a judge's gavel and its base.



This brings me to the literal meaning. "The Bar" aka the fence aka the block aka the pole= basically, all things hard to scale. I kid you not. These terms are synonyms of the phrase. If you doubt me, try it- design a white MS Word page with "the bar", then right-click it and select synonyms. See? Its literal meaning lends meaning to its legal definition.

All in all, this is an exam all law students dread. As a matter of fact, many law students will most likely choose an extra year in school over taking this exam if they had the choice (and you've heard how tortious law school is). Literally, you have two months to train for a two-day exam that consists of 10 essay questions using a mere 25 mins for each question, a performance test that requires you to perform a realistically 2-days-of-work task in 75 mins and 200 multiple choice questions spending about a meager minute and a half on each question. This exam is more than about how intelligent you are. More so, its about one's ability to endure, persevere and function efficiently under pressure while maintaining sanity.

I lent my 2011 summer to 'the Bar'. I toiled day and night. My day started at 7 am and ended at 11pm. Everyday I questioned my reasons for the brain rape. At a point, I felt like my brain could not contain any more. Sometimes I felt like if I moved my head around too much, it will rupture and spill out. Or that I could vomit words. I went to bed defining "Rep Ipsa Loquitor", dreamt about the difference between specific and general intent crimes and woke up reciting the powers reserved exclusively to Congress. Yes, I had it bad. I prayed and I kept faith. I knew I couldn't do it alone. Faith? check. Praying family? check. Supportive friends? check? an awesome bar-prep course? check. Strict schedule? check. Motivation? check. consistency? check.

On July 26, I was in zone and ready to go. And I was doing just fine. Until I got to essay question 5. I swear, God has to have written the answer to that question for me. I wasn't even sure the subject that was being tested. Needless to say, I fantasized of the possibility of its impact on my fate for a few weeks. I couldn't even discuss it with my fellow bar takers for fear of increasing their fear. or mine. or both. That was the rule. Sealed lips. I worried. Until I came to the difficult realization that one more day of worry would render me indefinitely insane. Seriously. Suicide would've been continuously fretting knowing the results did not come out till November 4 at 4.30pm. Talk about self-inflicted cruel and inhuman treatment. There's even an argument that it rises to the level of torture.

Every now and then, people asked "are your results out?". Non bar-takers don't know this but bar takers don't want to talk about the bar. When its done, we just want to relax, breathe and attempt to move on. Notice I said "attempt". Until we tell you about it, talk about everything but. We don't want countdowns. We don't want "I know you smashed it" (unless we ask) because the truth is this- even if you think you know we smashed it, you weren't in that hall with us when we weren't sure if the words dancing on paper meant what they seemed to mean or were a coy distraction by the bar examiners.

In the same way, everyone around me seemed to be convinced I passed. Except me. 3 weeks before the results came out, I had a dream I passed but I didn't tell anyone because as a kid, I was made to believe that sharing dreams eradicated their chances of coming to pass. So I hoped by not telling anyone, I increased my chances of passing. So...I kept the unspoken rule of bar takers...lay low just before the results come out...don't publicly countdown...just keep your mouth shut especially on social media. If you draw attention to yourself, and suddenly go quiet after the results come out, negative assumptions will flow. So...I discussed it only with close family and friends. and I kept faith. I prayed. I fasted. I kept more faith.

Fast forward Nov. 4. I had been in Dubai that week for a mini-family vacation. The vacay seemed like a faith vacation. Like a pre-celebration. I prayed my results would justify it. Turns out results were due an hour prior to my return flight to the U.S. This meant that I could either buy wi-fi at the airport and check the results at the gate just before I boarded, wait till I got to my layover in Paris or just wait till I got home. I decided I couldn't wait- so I took the first option. Fortunately, wi-fi was free.

The results were listed online according to each applicant's four character exam number. Scrolling down the numbers probably took 2 seconds but felt like 2 hours. When I finally saw and recognized my exam number, it was decorated with a very pleasant word:

I screamed. Didn't care that I was in the airport. Then crosschecked to make sure like 5 times. Happiness. It was over.  Thank you God. Thank you supportive family and friends.

Its done.

 I scaled the bar. I climbed the fence. I came through the blockage. 

My faith matured.

Aloha! Scenes from Dubai

Hey everyone!

I know I know...I've been quiet. Forgive...I was on a mini-vacay with my mom and bro. Came back to great news but also laden with a bad case of the flu. I blame it on the swift shift between Dubai's 85 degree weather and D.C's 55 degree weather. Talk about weather shock. You'd think since the same thing happened to me when I came back from India in February, I would know to dose up on vitamins. Nope. Lesson never learned.

Well, first of all, Dubai is breathtaking. The architecture is so finite. I fell in love with the city within 2 hours. Everything is so organized. There is law and order. Something I wish Nigeria could boast of. The people were pleasant. Its a tourist city and they seem to be using their money well. I didn't notice any beggars, like I did in India. The cabs were labeled and had designated stops they strictly adhered to. No matter how many times you waved your hands in the air, these cabs would not stop unless you stood in line and waited your turn at the designated cab stop.

Coincidentally, the International Bar Conference was being held at the same week we were there so there were a lot of Nigerians around. Well, Nigerians are everywhere. But my point is this- they stood in line quietly and waited their turn to get a taxi. Why can't they do the same in their home country? Beats me. Come to think of it, even here in the States, cabs stop anywhere they can. Ok, enough loud ponderings. Here are some pictures...enjoy!

Mom & I at the conference site

Mom & I at the Aquarium

My bro & I on the Dubai Dhow cruise

Can you tell the wind was threatening to dance with my dress?

The Burj Khalifa- the tallest building in the world at the time it was built

Isn't this breathtaking?

At the Dubai Intl Mall boasting of over 1,200 stores. A shopper's paradise.

On the glass-bottom boat ride

The sharks seemed like they were right next to us

At the harbor after the cruise

Mom & I at the hotel

All good things come to an end. At the airport :-(

Lyric Renewal- "Got Me Through" PlayList

Hey everyone,

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.  ~Berthold Auerbach. 

One of my favorite quotes. I'm a music lover and it is a medicine of the mind....

In light of that, today, I just wanted to share my "Got me through" playlist (yes that's how it appears on my Ipod and on my phone :-)). These are the songs that have gotten me through some of the most trying times in my life.

We all have those moments, when we feel like we can't deal with what's happening in our lives- love, relationships, family, school, work, health....Name it, its on someone's mind today. The truth is that everyday is full of challenges. Sometimes, in those moments, the inspiration you need to thrive is more explicit in lyrics. Music has a unique way of communicating.....healing pain and soothing stressful mind chatter.  I hope my playlist speaks to you and lifts your spirits, like it does mine. As you listen, let the lyrics encourage you & renew your spirit.

Enjoy :-)

The Heart of Worship-Hillsong

Resurrection-Nicole Sponberg

Imagine Me- Kirk Franklin

Your Great Name-Natalie Grant

These are just a few. If you have any that inspire you, please do suggest. I add to my playlist everyday :-)

Have a blessed week.

There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.  ~William P. Merrill

Stay Inspired....

Caught in a Bill Romance

Apparently, yesterday The Decade of Difference concert was held in honor of Bill Clinton's 65th birthday and the 10th year milestone of the Clinton Foundation. I'm in love with all things Clinton. Not just Bill. Hillary more so. & Chelsea, Oh yea. Inspiration. The Clintons deserve an entire post (coming soon-*insert movie trailer voice*) explaining my "gaga-ness" for them but this post is simply about last night. 


So yea, Steve Wonder opened the show. Usher, Bono, Stevie Wonder, The Edge, K'naan, Kenny Chesney and Juanes also performed. Apparently, Usher's pant's ripped while he was performing, yet he just said "I work hard" and continued to dance like nothing happened. Bravery. 

But the musical highlight of the night was Lady Gaga, who ordinarily I'm not a huge fan of. This time, it wasn't her ridiculous outfit that stole the show. Her changed lyrics did. Dressed like Marilyn Monroe, Gaga sang,


"Caught in a Bill Romance"

"Hillary, sit back down where you belong/In the office, with those high heels on. /Sit back down where we watched you charm the whole world and the country." (of course talking about Hillary's presidential race).

"There's something about this place/Something about America/When a Clinton makes us all feel safe/Something about a cool Arkansas guy/ There's something about Bill-ary, that's your new celebrity name. To the Clintons, you and I."
Way to serenade the former first family. They seemed to really be into it. 

The comedic highlight for me was the Celebrity Funny or Die/Donate Spoof featuring Bill himself. The mandate was for the celebrities to suggest new initiatives for the Clinton Foundation.  The panel led by Ben Stiller, (including Sean Penn, Matt Damon, Jack Black, and Kristen Wiig) grappled with different ideas for a new intitiative. 

Sean Penn and Matt Damon stole the day with their ideas. Matt Damon suggested a Cheetah as the Clinton Foundation mascot (no pun intended?!?). This is utterly hilarious. You have to watch the video till the end. It's 5 mins well spent.

Watch the Clinton Foundation Initiative Conference, Celebrity Spoof Style

The entire concert is on yahoo. Watch Here. Enjoy.

Have I said I love all things Clinton? An epic example of a dream turned into reality would be me sitting behind a desk in an office in New York with a plaque that reads, "Legal Advisor, William J. Clinton Foundation". * Insert wide cheesy smile* 

Stay Inspired......

Couples Who Inspire- Joke Silva and Olu Jacobs Edition

Hey Everyone!

I may be a bit late on this story *covers face* (no thanks to schoolwork) but I just came across pictures from Joke Silva and Olu Jacobs' Vow Renewal Ceremony, which was held on September 29th. The couple has been married 25 years. The event was originally planned as Joke's 50th birthday party but at the last minute, Olu decided to add a vow renewal to the celebrations. How thoughtful. For those of you who don't know, both Joke and Olu are iconic in the Nigerian movie industry. Talk about class and flawless diction. Nollywood definitely needs to stock up on more of this caliber.

Couples like this make you believe in eternal love and the importance of celebrating the people we love while they're still here. I'm sure if you ask them, they'll tell you, just like every couple they've had their ups and downs. The strength lies in the ability to ride the waves till it succumbs to your fortitude.

So, here's to all of you who still believe in everlasting love. As long as there's mutual love, God, understanding and most importantly, the uniform zeal to work and stick it out, it will last/stand the tests of time. Don't forget to appreciate those who love you- I heard its the key to all lasting relationships ;-) Have a blessed week.

Stay Inspired.....

See the full story and more pictures at Bella Naija.