#LiveYourLife - Jessie J

Vol 1 “Whatever path we choose to take, there will be highs and lows” - Jessie J

Michelle's corner: Sorry for the delay 😊. Thanks to everyone that read my previous post👋, I hope it was fun to read and educational✌. 

Hi guys,

Jessica Ellen Cornish (Jessie J) is one of my favorite English singer and songwriter. Her songs are not only full of life; they are rich in amazing lyrics. I remember feeling all hyped the first time I heard “price tag” - one of her earliest songs (I know most people did too😉). Remember “Pitch Perfect 2 - Flashlight”, she wrote and recorded that too. Angie Miller – an American Idol alum, helped heighten my love for Jessie’s music through her rendition of “mamma knows best” “who you are” and “nobody’s perfect” (you should watch these performances on Youtube😄). 

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/jessie-j/images/35489374/title/jessie-j-alive-fanart

I was recently listening to Jessie’s “Alive” Album, and “Harder we fall” came on. Just like every topic I have chosen to write about, the messages of the song just imprinted in my brain and I decided to make these our discussion today. I was able to deduce the under-listed (maybe not limited to these, you could find more when you listen to the song itself✌): 

1. Enjoy the present while preparing for tomorrow. LIVE YOUR LIFE 
2. The harder you fall the harder you try. JUST TRY AGAIN
3. Don’t cut corners because you want the easy way, the reality no one tells us is - nothing is easy in life. WHATEVER PATH WE CHOOSE THE HUSTLE IS THE SAME

I will be discussing these IMPORTANT messages in series; for this write-up we will discuss the first point - LIVE YOUR LIFE

I once had a friend who liked to dwell on the present without thinking about tomorrow. She later realized that, in most case, its what you sow that you’ll reap. Personally, I think the present shapes how tomorrow will look like. You can’t be nonchalant about your present life and expect tomorrow to be any different. People say “today is pregnant and you deliver tomorrow” (not sure how the proverb goes, but you get what I am trying to say 😝). The truth is, I am guilty of living in the moment, but early adulthood has shown me “pepper”; from making rash decisions TO not practically analyzing my thoughts, most of which led to regrettable decisions. 

Image from: https://goo.gl/uzM5tg

Nonetheless, one of my friends who would normally plan for the future even before settling in the present, has also regretted her actions😑. She wished that she had settled in the moment for a bit, before looking into the future. For example, she got a job after undergraduate with great prospect and pay (in Nigeria, this is rare 😟), but didn’t work a month at the job before she insisted on a masters degree overseas (which was funded by her parents). This was because most of us were going for our postgraduate degrees outside the country. Unknowing to her, people were leaving for these degrees because they couldn’t find a job with their Bachelors (myself included). Fast forward to now, she is back in the country, her masters degree didn’t go as expected and she presently has no job. The most frustrating thing, for her, are the sponsored overseas postgraduate degrees and short courses organized by her old work place, for our mates who secured the job when she did back then. 

I can only advice that we should take each day as it comes and try to understand today before pursuing tomorrow. I am of the opinion that if today is dealt with, tomorrow is sorted (hopefully). 

Have you been living in the moment or planning for the future or both at every stage of your life? PLEASE share in the comment section or send me an email to post anonymously on whether any of those have been helpful or not. #LiveYourLIfe

Love,

Michelle

PS: Volume 2 will be posted next week Monday and Don’t forget to like and share this blog with people in your network.

#LearningToEvolve - Big Brother Naija

“Sometimes you learn but you don’t recognize the lesson as it comes: K-Brule Big Brother Naija, 16 February 2018"

Michelle's corner: Thanks to everyone that read my previous post👋, I hope you liked it✌. 

Image from: https://goo.gl/CHufrT

Just like many Nigerians right now, I watch Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) 😄 and I try to follow the show. The frenzy around BBNaija is so intense, and the fan-base has increased since the 2017 - see gobbe season. Just like most people, I have gotten used to the housemates (HMs), and at this point do not wish anyone leaves (Though not possible!!). The HMs have individually contributed to the show's popularity with their distinct characters👍.

Bambam’s subtle but calculative features show her commendable tolerance and cohabiting ability. Her relationship with Teddy😉has also created fan wars #BamTeddy; Teddy’s ability to remain friends with everyone, whilst still competing in the game, is just pure focus. This is commendable as he's aware of the HMs' (Tobi in particular😸) “beef” for his relationship with Bam. Tobi’s body is unquestionable #ManGoals (That boy is FINE!!!💪😜), his roller-coaster relationship with Cee-c has definitely caused a lot of social media "wahala"; Cee-c’s Saturday "bumbum" dance is definitely a trademark, however, her previous friction with Lolu was the real "double wahala👊. 

Image from:http://www.ghafla.com/ng/bbndouble-wahala-housemates-possible-fake-eviction/

Lolu’s spoken English is always a delight to the ear, his romance with the beautiful naturalista – Anto is cute; Anto’s fire spirit with her very blunt “no time to waste time” attitude is super cool, her cornrows by Nina makes me wonder what I did wrong with my hair. Nina’s character “screams” young but she is undeniably a breath of fresh air, Her romance with Miracle makes relationships look less complicated; Miracle’s gentle but playful and manly behavior sure gets to the ladies😉. Rico’s funny gestures are widely appreciated, as well as Alex’s dance skills💃. Without totally diverting from the primary reason for this write-up, I should “jejely” go to K-Brule😀. 

Image from:http://kitodiaries.com/but-how-gay-is-bbnaija-double-wahala/

K-Brule is my lightweight "broda" that does not handle alcohol very well. I thought he was a cool dude in the house, sadly he was disqualified at the first eviction show😑. On the 16th of February 2018, as I was working on some documents from school, I turned on the TV to watch BBNaija. K-Brule was seated with Lolu and maybe Angel (can't remember the third person) in the garden, they were having a very serious and deep conversation about the moment they had to grow up. Lolu sadly stated that his mum's death made him realize he needed to grow up👨. During their interactive conversation on growth and self-betterness, K-Brule contributed to Lolu’s discussion by suggesting that “sometimes you learn but you don’t recognize the lesson as it comes”. He added that “somethings happen later and you react differently, then you realize you reacted that way because of the lessons you previously learned (unknowingly)”. I stopped what I was doing for a minute to properly digest what I just heard him say. I think this is very TRUE!!!

I thought about this quote for a while and I found numerous scenarios. However, I decided to share the most recent of all:

A friend of mine whom I would normally help when she needed my assistance, neglected to help me with something of great importance. This was someone that I would assist, even when it was not convenient or when I was in a very bad mood. By the way, I am someone who loves to help people as much as I can and in a weird way, I expect everyone to be like that. This is why I was really hurt by this. However, unlike my previous self, I handled things differently. Previously, I would have cut ties with the person and just see such people as evil and self-centered, thereby losing friends. The thing is, maybe this particular friend was/is self-centered or needs an attitude change, however, I decided to lower my expectation and wait till my anger settled. I later contacted her to express my disappointment, to which she gave excuses and apologized. I accepted the apology and we are still friends, but now I understand the level of friendship that exists between us. 

I would have never tried to settle the issue and might have held a grudge, but I chose not to. This is because I realized that leaving people because they do not give you as much as you give them, doesn’t ensure that you will find better people. You can choose to understand the level of friendship and hope to find others with similar spirit as yours. This doesn't suggest that my approach to this situation was right, but I decided to break the cycle of leaving people because of my expectations from them; often times old friends will claim that I drifted away and they never understood why😞. 

I have recently started evaluating how much I have grown and I think I am doing well. Kindly do the same, as lessons learned are measures of how much you had to deal with to GROW. 

Love, 

Michelle 

Has anything happened recently that suggests you might have learned a lesson unknowingly, based on a previous experience(s)? Please share in the comment section or send to my email to post anonymously #LearningToEvolve.

PS: Don’t forget to like and share this blog with people in your network.

#MessedupToStepup - Grey's Anatomy

“Maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up: Alex Karev, Grey's Anatomy Season 5 Episode 19”

Hello Guys!!!

To kick start my weekly write-ups, I decided to start with one of my favorite series – Grey's Anatomy (GA; a fictional US medical series on the lives of surgeons). After completing my chores on Saturday, I considered watching a movie (as NEPA no gree bring light😊), however, Scrolling through my collection of movies got tiring, so I decided to watch old seasons of GA. This is an old habit 😑 but this time I chose the fifth season and the nineteenth episode. I was thereafter influenced to write about a particular phrase that got to me. The quote “Maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up” is one of those that I don’t think I have personally verified if true. I am only sharing my opinion based on this episode of GA, to which the phrase was coined. I will also advise on whether I think people can step up after they have hit rock bottom – lowest place👌.

Image from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO32Bbn9QVU

This episode of Grey's Anatomy began with Alex Karev (surgical resident) narrating and suggesting that surgeons are “messed up knife happy butchers.” Owen Hunt (trauma surgeon - retired army) was seen strangling his girlfriend (Kristina Yang – surgical resident), as a result of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) he suffers from being in the army. Derek Shepherd (neurosurgeon) was seen coming out of his “dark hole” by showing the engagement ring he once threw in the bush, to his girlfriend (Meredith Grey – surgical resident) and later practicing his technique to surgically remove the tumors in Izzy Steven’s (Cancer patient/surgical resident) brain. Finally, an elderly woman who was given three months to live was being revived after her heart stopped the 100th time, years later. Her family members present were furious; claiming to be ready for her death.

Towards the end of the episode, Alex realized that he had to be more responsible than he had been for Izzy, after distancing himself from her all day and not treating her right for the most part of their relationship – He stepped up👌. Kristina confessed to Owen that she was scared of him and couldn't handle being with his PTSD self. She earlier dismissed the incident in the morning telling him “I told you I know my limits, let me decide what I can handle” - She stepped up😥. Derek’s surgery on Izzy went has planned, he soon proposed to Meredith afterwards – He stepped up 😉. The old woman later died soon after she told Alex that “people are better than no people”, as her family members are all she had left and they inevitably came when she required them. Note that: her family members were in tears when she finally died – They stepped up. Alex concluded that the end of the episode that “maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up” and “trauma always leaves a scar, it changes our lives.” 😟 

Image from: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/drones-chapter-3

When I think about being messed up I ruminate over my entire existence. Notwithstanding, we all have different degrees to which we have been messed up (Yours might be deeper than mine – most definitely.). The major question is “Have I stepped up from the “presumed” issues that messed me up? If no, do I think I will step up?” 

Image from: https://www.houseofgrafix.net/products/fry-not-sure-if-decal

I remember failing a course in my second year undergraduate, because I had thought I didn't need to read as hard as I did for o’ level and first year (yes, I was over confident: I did well the 1st year and 2nd year - 1st semester). I ended up learning the hard way that hard work never stops. Yes, I passed after rewriting the exam a year later, but I never forgot the disappointment on everyone’s (parents and siblings) face – I stepped up. Also, for everything that I have failed at or never tried, one thing I always held on to was my education. Nevertheless, 2016-2017 threw me of my balance, and I was close to hitting rock bottom. It required something that I “perceived” as failure at the end of 2017, to reset my head (you know when your face becomes very clear after being cloudy for a while). I now understand that no one is responsible for your life, it’s JUST YOU. Not sure if I have stepped up from this, but I learnt some harsh lessons. 

Gif from: http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1077891/greys-anatomy-times-alex-karev-made-more-sense-than-anyone-else-on-the-show

When it comes to stepping up after you have been messed up, be it in your academics, relationships, work or anything that puts you down. You need to UNDERSTAND the lessons you have learnt from the process. These should reflect in your decisions thereafter. Stepping up doesn't mean totally absolving ones self from the bleakest days, but moving forward with understanding of the past to change the present. Subjectively, I think YES you can STEP UP after being MESSED UP. Nonetheless, it can’t be the only way you STEP UP!!!

Image from: https://www.thebalance.com/client-referral-thank-you-letter-example-2063994

Love, 

M.George 

Please like/share this page and add your personal MESSED UP TO STEP UP stories in the comment section or send me an email to post anonymously #MessedupToStepup.

Welcome to Michelle George's blog

Hello people,

                          Image from: https://www.askideas.com/19-wonderful-welcome-images/                

Welcome!!!!!!!! 😃😃

My name is Michelle George (22) and I am Nigerian (Yoruba). Growing up, writing was and maybe still is, my place of TRUTH. I would write to de-stress and pour out my frustrations. Art (movies, music, picture art) was my sole source of entertainment. However, I have decided to fully dive into writing by turning my source of ENTERTAINMENT to my source of KNOWLEDGE, as I will be WRITING to IMPROVE. Phrases in movies and songs, as well as views on various picture arts will be used as materials for write-ups on my blog. I do not specifically have topics lined up or an approach for selecting important contents, nevertheless, I will ensure that materials discussed are still entertaining but most importantly EDUCATIVE. 

Most sites review movies, songs, and picture art, I will NOT be doing that! I will be discussing specific parts of these forms of art and how it relates to everyday life. Although, I will try to discuss/summarize the source(s) of material(s) for each post, to set the tone for the overall discussion. 

I will be posting two write-ups every week and maybe increase this number as the blog improves. Due to my love for movies and music, I will be a little biased towards these forms of art. I love watching motion picture and I pay close attention to the lyrics of GOOD music. Since this is my blog😍, I get to use songs that I consider good music😉, this doesn't condemn other songs but just shows my personal preference. 

As regards picture arts (any form), I welcome decent reviewers who are passionate about this form of art to contact me (email). They can share their views about personal or online published arts, using everyday scenarios. Their views or discussions will be published on this blog and appropriately referenced.

I will also appreciate contributions from readers: constructive reviews and criticism. 

Let us change our normal notion of ART for FUN to ART for KNOWLEDGE. #Art4Knowledge 

Thank you for reading this my "yarn"😆

Love, 

Michelle 

PS: Please see next post for my first discussion😌