COZ I AM HAPPY….

Everyone is seeking happiness. That’s why people go on holiday. Achieve bigger goals. Try to get rich. Go on a shopping sprees. Buy Bigger TV's , bigger cars and bigger houses. But have you noticed that a lot of these tactics are short lived?

Here are a few things that I try to do in my pursuit of happiness so that it is long lasting. 

Live In The Now

One of the biggest happiness killers is worry. Some people worry too much. And if they are not worrying they don’t feel normal. Most of the things we worry about come to pass, so why worry in the first place? There was a time I use to worry about everything but one day I woke up and asked myself two questions. How is my worrying going to change my current situation?  What is the worst thing that can happen? Considering all the health issues that are associated with worrying, the worst thing that can happen is to die from worrying too much. I dont wish this on anyone. So dont worry. Be happy...(singalong)

Forgive Others

Let’s be real!  There are some people that are annoying and deliberately set out to hurt us and forgiving them is not easy. But we have to forgive, for our own happiness and peace of mind. We can’t internalize their behaviour or blame ourselves. We have to accept that some humans will behave badly at times. We can keep away, keep them at arms length and guard our hearts. 

Be Around Those Who Lives Are Working

It’s great to surround yourself with people that are naturally happy or have a positive vibe. They are not flaky. What you see is what you get. They might even have things that are going on in their lives that are challenging but they have a quiet confidence that things will work out. They are just happy and content. Even if you cant meet with them in real life you can follow them on social media. They are just happy folk.

Exercise

There is a big link between exercise and happiness. I should know. When I stop working out I dont feel good at all. In fact, my feeling of well being decreases. You have to find what works for you. But please find it. I combine going to the gym, walking round my estate and dancing. I am not obsessed about weighing myself. I just want to be fit and its working and it keeps me happy. 

Be Content

Which brings me nicely to my final point. If you want to be happy, you have to be content - simple. Unfortunately, so many people are not. How can one be more content with their lot? First of all, be grateful. Don’t see your life as a competition with others. Stay in your own lane. Be happy for the success of others. Celebrate others. Get rid of those bad vibes which are jealously and envy. Give a compliment to others. It won’t diminish your value. 

So, there you have it. These are my thoughts. Please share your tips on happiness in the comment box. Thanks for stopping by and please share with others that might find this blog post useful.  

RAISING CONFIDENT GIRLS INITIATIVE BECOMES NGO - WHOOP WHOOP

What started as on online movement has now metamorphosed into the NGO – Raising Confident Girls Initiative!

Raising Confident Girls Initiative (RGCI) was founded in September 2014 by RiRi Okoye. It has become a valuable resource and has an online membership of 13,000 and growing daily from all across the world.

The movement recently evolved into a registered Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in Nigeria. The admin team are based in Lagos and London respectively and include RiRi Okoye, Ladi Chapman, Damie Onasanya, Yinka Enahoro, Ifeoma Okoye Agbasi and Bonita Olugh.

There are several issues with raising girls in the 21st century and the movement intends to tackle them.  The desire of RCGI is to empower girls and provide support and solutions to those challenges.

In 2014, RCGI invited over 80 girls between the ages of 8 to 14 across Lagos to its 1^st Girls tea party at Teeky Events & Arena Lekki. The theme of the event was Valuable YOU. Girls left the program feeling confident, empowered and inspired knowing that are valuable and can present themselves effectively anywhere in the world.

First Raising Confident Girls event held in 2014

Speaking about Confidence at Selfworth Network Event 

RCGI realise that it takes a village to raise a girl and so the Admin team met up with members in London and Lagos to thank them for their valuable contributions to the initiative. Aside from Annual programs for girls and members, there are plans to host regular meets and greets across the globe where possible.

Recently two members of the initiative, Rita Okoye and Yinka Enahoro were invited to empower and inspire girls at Queens College School in Yaba as part of class of 86, give back to the school. The event proved very successful. It highlighted the need to expand such talks with other schools, groups, churches and communities in Lagos and across Nigeria. The initiative plan to deliver a range of Confident themed events each year in Nigeria. They are keen to partner with brands who also support have similar visions. 

Speaking Engagement at Queens College Lagos

The long-term goal is to provide a wide range of resources such as books, educational material, empowerment events, apprenticeship opportunities, educational sponsorships and mentoring, just to mention a few. Raising Confident Girls Initiative look forward to engaging and partnering with various sectors to build the girl child with confidence.

A delightful Confident Girl 

For more information and if you are interested in partnering please contact us at

raisingconfidentgirls@gmail.com

Contact RiRi Okoye on +234 (0)8068997439

www.raisingconfidentgirls.org coming soon

MY PERFECT LIFE! MY INSTAGRAM LIFE

''You were born to be real not to be perfect'' this was a quote I recently posted on my social media pages. But tell that to any young person growing up in this era of Instagram and snapchat and they will look at you as if you are crazy. They believe that one has to showcase as many perfect shots as possible to give an illusion of a perfect life. How else will they keep their followers? The truth is the pressure is real, even for adults who post frequently on Instagram or other social media platforms. 

To Post Or Not To Post

When you think of how many photos the average person who is on Instagram takes, the question on their mind is ''what should I post?''. Some post for business, some for fun and others a mixture of the two. I fall in the last category.

Recently, a bad allergy struck which affected my eyes. Both my eyes were puffy and I looked terrible. I shared the photo with my mum and her first reaction was ‘’Rita, you are not going to post that on social media, are you?’’ I laughed out loud. ‘’No mum I am not going to share it’’. On hindsight though, what harm would it have caused if I had posted it? How many likes would it have attracted? Would it have gone viral? You know, keeping it real hahaha. (Maybe not)

Can You Be Truly Authentic? 

My husband says it’s not possible to give a truly authentic self on social media because followers want drama and action. He says that’s what social media is made for. Not for boring real life stories of imperfect bodies and normal day to day living. You have to look the part, be the part and snap the part. Hmmmmm Do you agree? I must say Ive met people that seem so happy and warm on Instagram  or Facebook'(like they could be my best friend) but when you see them in real life, they are not as friendly or maybe they are more friendly in real life, so I guess there is truth in the fact that you cant be truly yourself. 

What Is Real?

So where does that leave us with reality? Research states that many struggle with this perceived lifestyle that they see regularly on Instagram and even on Facebook. This can even cause envy and hostility even among close friends and family members. Alex Williams describes the glimpses into other people's lives that Instagram offers as ''a new form of torture''. (New York Times) 

In my opinion,  these type of followers don’t understand the power of posing, editing and only showing the best, which is quite frankly, really easy to do (wink).  

How Do We Keep It Real?

We can’t control the perception of others but we can control what we put out there and hope that people will understand that most of the time, the photos are just for that ‘’moment’’. After all it is social media which is really about having fun and posting fun.

Would love to hear your thoughts on ''The Instagram Life'' or Facebook Life (for the oldies lol). Can you relate to this write up? Does your life seem like your in constant bubble or fun holidays?  Or are you the type that gets frustrated with others who seem to have the perfect life? You dont have to answer these question. Hopefully, will just have a laugh but please feel free to leave a comment. 

Thanks for stopping by and please free to share with others.

Happy New week