Joy, Despite!

Okay, have you ever had one of 'those' days?
You know, when you wake up on the 'wrong side of the bed'?
Everyone and their mama-in-law is out to step on your toes and get on your last nerve?!
Basically, everything that could possibly go wrong does.
It's one of those days when your alarm doesn't go off for some mysterious reason so you're running late for work; plus your beloved dog chewed up your favorite shoes so your carefully pre-selected wardrobe has to be changed. Despite it all you're out the door in one piece and off to work. Ofcourse it starts to rain, and being late all the parking spaces are taken so you have to park two blocks away from the office and walk. that's when you realize you forgot to put the umbrella in your car, great! Well, walking the two blocks as fast as you can, you get mud-splashed as a car whizzes by, so now you look like a wreck. Just as you walk in the office you see all your colleagues leaving the conference room - the big boss had decided to show up early and have an impromptu office meeting which ofcourse, you missed and are now officially in the boss' black book. ouch. Well, moving on you get behind your desk and discover you have three messages on the answering machine:
1. Your partner at work is sadly indisposed and won't be at work today so your workload has just doubled
2. Your kid is in detention AGAIN, and his teacher needs to meet with you ASAP
3. Your spouse says something just came up and your desperately-needed, much-anticipated date night tonight is cancelled, until further notice. double ouch.
So, at this point your already massaging your aching temples and it's not even lunch time yet - speaking of lunch you obviously won't be having a break today, what with your doubled work load and all ... and then just when you think this rotten day can't possibly get any worse ...... it does! aaaaaaaarrgh!!!

Okay, so this is what one of 'those' days could look like - can you relate?
The truth is at this point you've got two options:
A. Go through the day mad at everything, yell at every helpless person you can find, and keep popping pills to manage your headache which is escalating to a migraine per minute; and throw yourself a pity-party while you're at it, cos you 'just can't catch a break' ...
B. Think about the facts that you still have a working car, a job, a loving spouse and kids (all things that millions of people are wishing for) plus your not laying on a hospital bed, locked up in jail or the psych ward, and certainly not in the mortuary, and take a couple minutes to give thanks for all that - and laugh about the day's unnerving events.

Umm, see i'd go with option B and i'll tell you why. Since 'those days' come around more often than we'd like, repeatedly going with option A will probably get you prematurely gray, maybe even sporting an ulcer, and it will definitely put you in the top slot for 'office grouch' - ;-)
Option B on the other hand will keep you cheerful,which means less wrinkles on your pretty face, and mental clarity - straight so you can find a way to get through your crazy day! Besides, believe me, it would make a great dinnertime story at some point!

Hey, bottomline we can't always control what happens in our lives, but we can ALWAYS choose our attitudes about it.
I like to say it like this: It doesn't matter if nothing goes right, I choose to keep my joy, despite!
So if you're having one of 'those' days, take a few minutes to think about the things that are working out.
Sing a song.
Dance a jig.
Find a way to laugh.
Do whatever it takes to get joyful and guard your joy jealously!
Finally remember: Even the worst day cannot last longer than 24 hours!

- - -
Lady I. - unapologetically joyful!

Attention! Calling a Reforming Generation!

Copyright © Ifueko Ogbomo 2009

Four fellows sit tensely, on the edges of their sofa seats, watching the television screen. Each one exclaims randomly and gesticulates wildly, occasionally glancing at the on-screen timer. As the seconds tick, the suspense in the air mounts, until it is almost unbearable. The home team is down by one point. Countdown is five minutes on the clock. Fortunately, the ball falls into the play of the home team. As the home players dribble their opponents, and draw closer to the opposition’s goal post, our four fellows find themselves on their feet, pacing, panting, puffing, and otherwise making a spectacle of themselves. The fellows exclaim with passion: ‘Oh, pass the ball’ ... ‘take the shot, man’ ‘look at that rubbish - my grandmother can dribble better than that’ .... Indeed, it’s soccer fever at its finest. And then, a passionate unanimous shout ‘YEI! NEPA!’ – There’s been a black out, power is gone, and the fellows are left hanging. Ouch.
One of them turns to the host and says: “My guy, what about your generator?”
“Generator?” the host replies, “the game will be over before we can turn it on! Besides, there’s no fuel in it, what with the fuel scarcity for the past two weeks, it’s all I can to do keep my car running.”
And then the murmuring begins ...
“Haaa, Nigeeeria! Meeen, when will the government do something about this?”
“Government? do you think government officials suffer power failure in their houses, please. You are even talking - at least you have ‘light’ a few hours a day, if not for your place where would I watch the match? In my area we haven’t had power at all for three WEEKS, in fact water hasn’t come at all for 4 months and they have come to present the utility bills, every month as usual, can you beat that? ...”
“Hmm! May God help us oh – no light, no water, fuel scarcity, no jobs ... in short this country is just getting worse everyday! Kai! Man, the best thing is to make plans to check out oh, otherwise how will one raise children here? ... “
Hmm. A typical conversation amongst typical Nigerians today: expressions of frustration, hopelessness, and weariness, undergirded by a longing for a change. But will there ever truly be a change? And what will it take to see one? A Change, more specifically a Reformation – this is the subject of my meditation.

There is a demand, a gross demand for catalysts of change in our great nation. But who will supply that demand? History demonstrates that a few have tried and sporadically wrought change in one sector or another, but such changes have been short-lived. It appears that some people make attempts to bring about change, but they end up giving up, giving in to pressures, and conforming to the status quo. Many say they wish for change, but they do nothing, resolved to the notion that one man can do nothing against millions. Motivational speaker and Pastor, Rev. Goodheart Ekwueme shared that many years ago he asked his father what difference his father thought just one man can make; one man swimming upstream, refusing to conform to the status quo, standing up for justice and equity and fair-play – what can just one man do? and his father answered him thus: ‘one tree on its own will not make a forest, but one tree can begin the process of making a forest.’ Wise words indeed and as I listened to him talk, I took them to heart – if you have any desire to see change in your nation, you would do well to also take those words to heart.

My belief is thus: What our country needs is reformation!
What is reformation? It is a RE-forming, or the process of being RE-formed. Webster’s Dictionary states that to REFORM something is to improve it by removing faults and weaknesses OR by strengthening its good qualities. It also states that to reform is to ‘put an end to evil, abuse, etc.’ The natural conclusion then would be that in order for reformation to occur in our nation, there must be an end to evil, a cessation of abuse in all its forms; our faults and weaknesses must be removed AND our good qualities must be strengthened.
What are these evils, these faults, these weaknesses? Selfishness, Greed and Injustice are the deep-rooted evil trees in our nation that bear fruits of corruption, fraud, bribery, oppression. There is mass poverty with the exception of a few obscenely wealthy persons, who occupy themselves with the sole task of amassing even more wealth, while the masses spiral further down into abject poverty – it is an evil indeed. Some of our weaknesses include nepotism, tribalism – My good friend, your brother is not just the man who speaks your language; your sister is not only the lady who hails from the same state as you; we must learn to embrace each other as Nigerians, as ONE people, with one cause - otherwise we will not need any external enemies to destroy us, for we will slowly and surely destroy ourselves. Admitting our faults and facing them head on is a step we must take in order to correct them. We’ve swept these evils, faults and weaknesses under the carpet for so long, anyone glancing at the carpet can see the tell-tale bulge of our dirt beneath. The only way the reformation of our nation will occur is to raise a new breed – a breed void of greed, only a greed-free breed will succeed at the herculean task of national reformation.

It is often said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I daresay a nation is only as strong as its weakest person - its most unsavoury character. In order for a nation to become strong, great, a force to be reckoned with – its people, each person must strive to become strong and great, not necessarily in wealth and position, but strong in character and great in compassion. Indeed, the reformation, the change you desire must begin IN you, FROM you, right where you are. To reform a person, is defined as ‘changing the person’s ways for the better.’ My friend, there is no better person to reform you than yourself, because no one knows your ‘ways’ – your character, your attitudes, your motives and thoughts, better than yourself. You must become that first ‘tree’ that grows in the would-be forest of reformers. If you can become strong in godly principles and character, and refuse to conform to the status quo, then the change has begun: first you - then your family - your neighbourhood - your city - your region and before you know it, the righteous outnumber the evil, and the nation is exalted. Our nation will then become the envy of other nations; taking her rightful place, Nigeria will then become a catalyst of positive change in Africa and the world. IT IS POSSIBLE, YES, but it starts with YOU.

Do you know who you are? You are the salt of the earth. Now we are all aware that salt on its own is of no use, and is unpleasant to the taste. However, when just a little bit of salt is added to an entire pot of food, the food that was once bland, unappetizing, unsatisfying, and therefore almost useless, becomes seasoned, edible, even delicious. The appropriately salted food can then achieve its intended purpose – satisfaction of hunger - effectively. That’s what you are called to be, salt of the earth. Like salt you may seem small, the minority, but if you stay true to yourself, if you ensure that you do not loose your ‘savour,’ if you do not loose sight of godly principles like integrity, righteousness, justice, no matter how strong the opposition or the majority might be, then you will be effective as a much-needed catalyst of change in this nation.

You are also the light of the world! Indeed. As the light of the world, you cannot and should not be hidden. Darkness, no matter how thick, inevitably gives way to light, no matter how dull. And the brighter the light, the less the darkness. Light can also be seen from a long ways off. Think about a ship tossed and turned at sea, it has lost its bearings, until way off in the distance, it spots the LIGHT-house – a beacon of hope indeed. What happens then? The captain and crew climb out of their pits of despair, as the ship makes its way directly for the lighthouse – it has found safety again, why? because it has seen the LIGHT. That’s what you and I are called to be: LIGHT in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Remember, light NEVER bows to darkness, it’s the other way around, every time. You are meant to bring hope, bring comfort, bring joy, everywhere you find yourself. Be the defender of the defenceless, be the voice of the poor, be father or mother to the orphan. Be SALT, with a strong savour, to season your environment. Be LIGHT, shining brighter and brighter, to light up your world! You CAN do it!

At this point I must tell you quite frankly that if you intend to successfully effect CHANGE, you must be ready to rock the boat of the status quo. In other words must be ready to refuse to engage in what presently seen as ‘typical Nigerian behaviour.’ Refuse to make derogatory remarks about our country, instead say what you desire to see; eventually what you keep saying is what will BE. Refuse to be disorderly; refuse to throw trash out of your vehicle onto the streets; refuse to jump queues; refuse to falsify documents, cheat and scheme to get contracts; refuse to make illegal connections to get electricity, refuse to steal your company’s property, no matter how small or insignificant; refuse to conform to the status quo! Irish philosopher and politician, Edmund Burke aptly said ‘all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing!’ Don’t sit down and do nothing – STAND UP, my friend; stand up for right-living, right-speaking, right-thinking, right-doing, stand up for righteousness! Reform your attitude toward our Nation, your words about our country; reform your character and conduct as a New Breed Nigerian!

It doesn’t matter if ‘everyone else’ conforms - never give in! Remember that God sees your actions at ALL times, when you think no one is watching, He is; even more – He sees the secret motives and thoughts behind your every action. God sees, and God will judge. It matters not who you please or displease, what matters bottom-line is this: is the Almighty God pleased?

In addition, you must of necessity take time and make time to pray for Nigeria. Instead of complaining, murmuring, or planning to ‘check-out’ at the earliest possibility - PRAY! If you don’t pray for change, then don’t expect to see change. If you don’t pray for change, you have no right to complain when things remain the same. If you don’t pray for YOUR country, please tell me, who will?

So my good friend, YOU CAN become a mighty oak tree in the forest of a reforming generation. No, it will not be a walk in the park or a bed of roses, because you will be going against the grain and guess what? it requires significantly more strength to swim upstream than it does to go with the flow. It takes guts, real courage, to stand up against prevailing unrighteousness. Yes, it will take time, determination, consistency, effort and sacrifice. Indeed, you may loose some instant gratifications, and certain present advantages you may be enjoying; you may loose friends, and you may never be popular. It may be a lonely road you will tread, but it will be a walk to remember. For your present sacrifice is a small price to pay to obtain the great prize of a positive and permanent change in this nation.

Nigeria is in dire need of catalysts of change: Reformers. Men and women determined to not only bring an end to evil and abuse, not only remove our faults and weaknesses but also strengthen our good qualities. Men and Women who will celebrate our diversity without tribalism. Exploit the full potential of ALL of our resources, natural and human. Build the creativity and intelligence of our youth, moulding them to be selfless leaders from a tender age. Stand out as determined patriots and worthy ambassadors of this great country. Men and women who are ready to forget their personal agendas and strive for one goal – the good of our nation.

This IS a call for a reforming generation; catalysts of change; a breed without greed.

It is a clarion call, to a noble goal, and it’s sounding YOUR name.

The only question is this: will YOU answer this call?

_ _ _ _ _

Get inspired, Go inspire!

Lady I. - Proudly Nigerian

Nigeria, Arise!

Copyright © Ifueko Ogbomo 2009

140,000,000 people, old and young

250 ethnic groups, numerous tribes and tongues

49 years of independence from British rule

36 states from Abia to Zamfara, with 36 capitals too

3 major languages: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba; 4 if you add ‘pidgin’ too

2 National colours: the serene white shade and the vibrant green hue

1 Federal Capital Territory: Abuja; sum all that up and what do you find?

Nigeria, a nation that’s one-of-a-kind!

There’s no land like Nigeria, wondrous to behold

Olumo, Aso and Zuma rocks, amazing, they never grow old

See the hills of Katampe, watch Gurara’s waterfall

Several Rivers: Niger, Benue, Sokoto, Kaduna, I cannot name them all

Tourists flock to see the Obudu cattle ranch, and Yankari game reserve

With festivals like Tinapa, Argungu, the Abuja carnival, our heritage is preserved

Behold industries: Petrochemicals, Agro-allied, textiles and so many more

Combined with vast resources to complete our solid infrastructure

A plethora of resources indeed, but the most important one

The Nigerian intellect – surely second to none

Observe our gifted ambassadors, icons of intelligence, passion and creativity

Like Alh. Dangote, an entrepreneurial giant; Oluchi, symbol of our beauty

Kanu Nwankwo, international sports star and philanthropist; Chimamanda, all hail our literary queen!

Fela Durotoye, motivator-par-excellence, and Asa just keeps rocking the musical scene

Now Lady I, inspirational poet unveiled, the list goes on and on and on

They make us proud to be Nigerians, to boldly sing our national song

A truly blessed nation in every way

A force to be reckoned with, anytime, any day

Call me patriotic if you will, but I just have to say

Been east, been west, NAIJA IS BEST!

‘The greatest nation on earth’ within us that potential lies

But it needs to be realized, therefore Nigeria MUST ARISE!

For too long our story has been a sad, sad tale

Of resources wasted, labour exploited, youth misspent in jail

We’ve imported the unnecessary, exported our necessities

Making others rich, while we sink deeper into poverty

Now beat down and rejected, we groan and we weep

With no help in sight, we cry ourselves to sleep

Oh Nigeria, how can this be, when we’ve got-it-all?

Riches of agriculture, crude oil, precious stones and much more

The wonders of nature are seen all across our lands

Indeed, we are a people of great minds and gifted hands

God has blessed us immeasurably, now the ball lies in our court

It’s time for us to take action with a new sense of worth

North and South, old and young, rich and poor, we must unite

Set our differences aside and join hands in one good fight

Against corruption, injustice, selfishness and greed

As good people building a great nation indeed

A new day has come, our new dawn is here

The darkness is fading, so the light can shine clear

Nigeria, Arise!

It’s time to bring an end to shame and sorrow

To set a new standard that others might follow

It’s time to lay afresh a good foundation

To take your place amongst the nations

Nigeria, Arise!!

The world is waiting, it’s anticipating

The sound of a strong beat, from the heart of Africa

Nigeria, Arise!!!

Fulfil your destiny!!!

- - - - - -

Lady I. - Proudly Nigerian

What are YOU worth?

Ever been to an auction? ...

Imagine you have a friend who loves paintings. Imagine you accompany this friend, to an auction of one of Pablo Picasso’s original paintings. In the auction hall, the painting is beautifully displayed on a pedestal, front and centre. It looks pretty ordinary to you, just a nice landscape. So you say nothing and just observe. Then the auctioneer announces that the bidding will begin at $500,000. You think to yourself ‘Is this some kind of joke? Who would pay a cool half million for that?’ Much to your amazement, the members of the audience begin to indicate their interest. The price steadily rises until finally, the painting is sold for a whopping $7 million. And the icing on the cake of your amazement? The buyer, your dear friend, can only be described with one word: ECSTATIC! Unbelievable. He just lost SEVEN MILLION dollars! 'Why?' You ask. Your friend says ‘Why not? I just gained a PICASSO, do you know what this means? I own a picture Pablo Picasso painted with his own hands - it’s mine.’ To your friend, that painting is worth $7million, maybe even more, it’s THAT valuable.

Think about the most expensive material thing you have EVER bought ...
A Beautiful house. A sports car. A diamond ring. A Luxury Cruise. A State-of-the-art Laptop. Concert Tickets to see your favourite artist LIVE. A wicked pair of designer shoes ...

Ok, let me guess, you probably had someone tell you that you paid too much for it, right? And you probably smiled to yourself, knowing they didn’t understand why and they never would. It was worth every penny you spent on it, the satisfaction of owning it, the pride of sporting it, the joy of knowing it now belonged to you. Why were you willing to pay THAT much for it? To you, it was worth THAT much. Simple.

The value of a thing is generally determined by how much money you’re willing to pay in exchange for it. The more you value it, the more money you are willing to part with to get it.

What are YOU worth?
Ever been asked that question before? ... if you have, you probably stated a monetary figure, that represented the sum total of all your assets. A reasonable answer, no doubt, but not quite the best one. Do you truly know what you are worth? When you look at yourself in the mirror, how valuable do you think what you see is?

How do you see yourself?

Maybe you see yourself as ‘out-of-place.’ You’ve always been different. You’ve been told you just don’t fit in. Your family sometimes teases that you must be adopted because you’re just not like everyone else. Like a misshapen penny in a roll of perfect pennies, it seems you’re never going to be any use to yourself or anyone. You’ve been told you’ll never amount to anything, you’re a good-for-nothing. You want to fit in, but try as you might, you stand out like a sore thumb and you wish you could just be like everyone else ...

Or perhaps you see yourself as ‘past-your-prime.’ You think your best days are behind you. Maybe you were once skilled, talented and celebrated, but can no longer work the skill or talent that caused people to celebrate you. Perhaps you’re a grandparent - You’ve worked your best years raising kids and grandkids who hardly even appreciate your sacrifice. You’ve been forgotten. Like an old wooden rocking-chair, left dust-covered and cobweb-ridden in the attic, replaced by a newer and modern recliner. You wonder if anyone would even notice if you suddenly were no more ...

The regular people taking a look at a misshapen penny or an old rocking-chair may with one glance classify it as ‘useless’ and dismiss it. Until the day an expert, a collector perhaps comes in, takes one look at the misshapen penny and says that’s a rare coin, one-of-a-kind from the treasury of King Henry VII. Or an antiques dealer takes one look at the old rocking-chair and says that chair was hand-carved by Abraham Lincoln in 1892, and he may even have sat in it as he thought up the Emancipation Proclamation. Suddenly, the true value of the ‘bad penny’ and the ‘old chair’ are revealed – they are each worth millions!

Like the so-called ‘bad penny’ or ‘old-chair’ perhaps you have been classified and dismissed by parents, peers, teachers, children, society, or worse, yourself. You may feel like life has dealt you TWO bad hands. Life hasn't just given you lemons, it's given you rotten ones! You’ve been stepped on, tossed aside, torn apart, until you can no longer see any good in yourself, if you saw any to begin with. When people say there is something great in everyone, you laugh to yourself because you know you’re the exception to that rule. Well, let me ask you this: if I take a $100 bill and I step on it, squeeze it, throw it in the trash, my dog chews it and spits it out, it gets covered in mud until it can no longer be recognized or recognize itself, yet it doesn’t completely fall apart, is it still worth $100? Say, I took that battered, tattered bill, cleaned it up, straightened it out and took it to the bank and I asked the teller to please give me a newer bill to replace it, would the teller say ‘oh my word, that bill is just so battered and tattered, umm, let’s see, I can give you a brand new $5 bill to replace it?’ No indeed, as long as the teller can still see the numbers on it, the teller would give me a $100 because that’s what its worth!

What are YOU worth?
I assure you, people are not qualified to determine what you’re worth because they cannot see it. Not your family, or the person who is closest to you, or the person who has known you all your life. Not even they can see what you’re worth – so never let anyone tell you what you are or are not worth. They are simply not qualified. But there is an expert, a collector, as-it-were, who knows your true value. And guess what? He took a look at you a loooooong time ago, and He valued you so much that when He thought of what He could exchange to get you this was His conclusion: All the gold in all of South Africa is not valuable enough; All the crude oil in Saudi Arabia is not enough; All the money in all the swiss banks is not enough; all of the stock in the New York Stock Exchange is not valuable enough. He looked at everything in the world, and it still wasn’t enough to exchange for you. So He decided that the only price he could pay that would be valuable enough to obtain a treasure of your caliber, was the very life on His ONLY son. And guess what? He gave up his son’s life without so much as a hesitation, just so he could have the joy of owning YOU! Just so he could proudly mention your name and say “I OWN ...”

Who is this 'collector,' this 'expert,' who alone is able, is qualified to determine your worth? He's the collector of broken men; the expert on rejected women; the God of Heaven and earth - the One who made you and knows you, inside and out, beginning to end.

What are YOU really worth? ... You are worth the life of the Son of the immortal, invincible, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God! ... Take a moment and wrap your mind around that, let it sink deep into your heart.

Maybe your parents told you that you were a mistake; maybe you were an abandoned child eventually adopted; maybe you’ve been rejected by peers, or even your own spouse who vowed to love you always, it doesn’t matter. Just like the battered and tattered $100 bill, your value has not been diminished and can NEVER be diminished by any person, circumstance, happening, or disability in your past or present or FUTURE. Whether you’ve done things that make a prisoner on death-row look like a saint, or you’ve out of no fault of yours been abused by people, by life itself, IT DOESN’T MATTER.
There are a few things money cannot buy – Newsflash: YOU are one of them! You are soooooo valuable that the only thing expensive enough to exchange for you was the very LIFE of the beloved and only Son of God, Jesus Christ. It was a divine exchange. It was a willing exchange. It was a loving exchange. But you're the only one who can make it a complete exchange.

When you buy something, it’s an exchange. You give money, you get the thing, and everybody’s happy, end-of-story right? ... Perhaps, not quite so in this case. Imagine selling all you have, then borrowing several thousands more to pay some kidnappers as ransom for the love of your life, only to have the freshly-emancipated love of your life, walk away without so much as a thank you or a backward glance ... How would you feel? No doubt, as though your heart had been ripped out and shredded to tiny pieces. You did ALL that, looking forward to spending all your days and moments with this person you love so, and now .... the person is gone forever. It’s almost unimaginable. If you can even imagine what that would feel like, multiply that by a BILLION and maybe that would be as a drop in the ocean compared to what your divine ‘collector’ feels, if after He’s paid THE ULTIMATE price, you still haven’t given Him the one thing He wants more than anything else: YOU!
It’s YOU God wants. You’re the only thing that makes a God who owns the whole earth and heavens, and lacks nothing sigh and say ‘I wish I had ...’ – YOU! Yes He wants your time, your service, your money, yes those show that you care, but more than that he wants your attention, your heart, in totality.

He wants to be your first thought when you awaken, and your last whisper as you fall asleep.

He wants to be the melody and lyrics to the song of your life.

The solution to the most complex equations of your existence.

The answer to your most difficult, secret questions.

The deepest longing, the utmost desire of your heart.

God wants You.

No, you can never truly understand why, it’s beyond comprehension. Because He’s immortal and you’re mortal. He’s all-powerful and you’re often powerless. He’s Perfect and you’re imperfect. He knows everything and you don't really know that much. He’s got the whole world, and what do you have? ... I mean, what could he possibly have seen in you to elicit this kind of love? No, you cannot fully grasp the manner, the depth, the span, the width, the breadth of His unchanging, undying, unlimited, unconditional LOVE for you.

You’ve got two options:
a. Disbelieve the story. Ignore the love. Reject the One who gave up everything for you
b. Believe the story. Accept the love. Love Him wholeheartedly, in return

So what’ll it be?

Bottomline my friend, if you asked Him why He loves you like that, all He’s going to say to you is simply is this: 'BECAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT!!!'

_ _ _

You're a divinely-inspired, uniquely-crafted, undoubtedly-gifted, original masterpiece! Start acting like it.

- Lady InspiroLogos

Miss Inspiration Rebrands Herself!

I’ve changed my name.
William Shakespeare wrote the famous words “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It’s true that changing your name doesn’t necessarily change who you are, but there is something in a name.

A name is a first-impression; an introduction to the world, so to speak. In the minds of all others, your name is a snapshot of your character, your personality, your looks, your voice, your speech, your deeds, and everything else that makes up you. Words are powerful, if you say something long enough and consistently enough, it’s likely to become a reality. I believe that over the course of time, we become our names. Your name is what everyone speaks every time you’re seen, or thought about, or mentioned – should it not then be something positive? (I’ve always wondered why any parent would give their child a name that means something negative. That child has to answer that name for at least the first 18 years of his/her life, and perhaps for the rest of his/her life. It behoves parents to do a thorough investigation to find good names for their children. Anyway, that’s a subject for another day.)

Why would anyone change names?
People change their names for various reasons: getting married or divorced; adopting a pet-name or alias to differentiate themselves from other people who share the same name; disassociating from a negative past; secrecy - going in witness-protection programs; and so forth. Finding out that one’s given name has a negative meaning is an uncommon but very good reason to change a name.
I believe each individual is unique – a divinely-inspired, uniquely-crafted, original masterpiece. It is the desire to stand out from the crowd that causes people to adopt aliases, unique names that are either self-given, or created by friends and/or family members. Used long enough, an alias can come to identify a person, more-so than his/her given name and eventually replace the given name. This happens often enough especially in the entertainment industry.

Why change my name?
Technically, I’m not changing the name on my birth certificate just yet. My given name, Ifueko, means a person who is gentle or meek or tolerant, it’s not defined exactly, but it’s a description of a desirable attribute. I like it, so it stays! My long-standing nick name, Fex, is derived from my given name - don’t ask how, just take my word for it – and it’s unique, so it stays too! Well then what name am I changing? That would be my most recently adopted name, my alias, or brand, so to speak: Miss Inspiration.

Miss Inspiration made the news recently. The headline read ‘Miss Inspiration Does Inspire!’(By the way if you haven’t read the beautifully-written, highly-inspirational article yet, you can do so via the following link: http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=144066#)
Why on earth would I want to stop being referred to as ‘Miss Inspiration’ then? Well, I have discovered that the names ‘Miss Inspiration’ and ‘Lady Inspiration’ and ‘Inspired Woman’ and so many other similar names are ALL already being used by other great women out there; other great women perhaps similar to me, but NOT me. Just like there’s only one you, there’s only one me: a divinely-inspired, uniquely-crafted, original masterpiece! Simple – I’m unique, and so should my name be.

What then will my name be?
What shall I call myself? I shall call myself who I am, naturally.
Well, who am I?
I am inspirational, yes.
My story is inspirational, definitely.
I am inspired, indubitably; better still, I am inspired by the very source of true inspiration, God. Besides that, I am female, a woman, yes, though the people close to me prefer to describe me as a ‘lady.’
So I’m inspired, and I inspire - and what is the primary method of my inspiration? Simple: WORDS.
Words in a poem, words in a song, words in a speech, words in a story;
Words written, words painted, words embroidered, words engraved;
Words in a card, words in a book, words in motion – a play, a movie;
Words amplified, words recorded, words spoken, words whispered;
Words, inspirational words, my words – inspired by God’s Word!

Some time ago, in trying to find a way to describe inspired words that also inspire, I came up with the word InspiroLogos, formed from a combination of two words: the English word inspire and the Greek word Logos. The word ‘inspire’ according to Webster’s dictionary means several things, including “to fill with creative power” and “to move by divine influence.” In Greek, logos means word or reason; but Logos in theology (uppercase L) means the word of God - which is my primary source of inspiration. InspiroLogos therefore means inspiring something or someone using words, especially the word of God. InspiroLogos is what I strive to do; so it has inevitably become my brand.

In conclusion:
What really is in a name? Some say nothing, I say potentially everything. My name is unchanged: Ifueko Fex Ogbomo. My motto still stands: I aspire to Inspire. But my short-lived, though beloved alias, ‘Miss Inspiration’ bows out gracefully to make way for the new brand.
Who am I? ...
I am creative, intelligent, insightful;
I am warm, nurturing, giving;
I am influential, positive, innovative;
I am soft, gentle, beautiful;
I am humble, gracious, virtuous;
I am the glory of man – a woman;
I am all I am because ‘I AM’ says I am.
I am Lady InspiroLogos – the inspired one who inspires.

Now it’s your turn – who are YOU?
Hint: To find yourself, discover your gift; To be yourself, manifest your discovery!
- Lady InspiroLogos

A Patriot's Dream ...

It's the new craze in my part of the world. Everyone has something to say about it. It's splashed across the papers, it resounds on the radio and television, it's the agenda on every executive meeting, and the buzz on every street corner.

What are we talking about? ... in one word: PATRIOTISM!

Yes, yes, i know, it's more popularly being called 'rebranding,' but think about it. Why would anyone go through the trouble of branding or rebranding something? It would inevitably involve a significant amout of work: time, money, manpower, discipline, sacrifice, vision, perseverance ... etc; therefore, no one could undertake such a task successfully unless they actually, truly, loved whatever it is they are 'branding' or 'rebranding.'

In this case, the object of all this rebranding effort is an entire country; so, if the efforts are to yield lasting success, the persons undertaking the effort must actually love this country - in other words, they must be patriots! Otherwise, all efforts will as effective as building a tower on sinking sand.

So there you have it - you call it rebranding, i say GREAT! On your marks ... Get set ... Rebrand!

BUT first, you must have a patriot's heart, and you must have a patriot's dream ...

What exactly is a patriot's dream? I could explain, but I think it would be more effective if you actually 'saw' one - please, allow me. It happened like this:

It was the evening of boxing day 2007, the close of a very frustrating day; there was no power, so i sat in the dark in my little living room, and i let my mind roam free. I thought about my country, how incredibly blessed we are, yet the average person is unable to enjoy these blessings, why? ... but looking beyond the depressing circumstances around me, and imagining the possibilities that could be, I had a 'dream.' So i took pen to paper and wrote these words...

Land of My Dreams
Copyright © Ifueko Ogbomo 2007

I dream of a land, a land of peace
Whose people are always content
I dream of a land, a land of progress
Whose resources are never ill-spent
I dream of a land, a land of faith
There’s belief in a better tomorrow
I dream of a land, a land of unity
All join in the fight to end sorrow
I dream of this land, by day and by night
Its beauty and splendour remain in my sight
Every man and woman, every girl and boy
Young and old, are all filled with such joy!

Where is this land of my dreams?
Where is this land of my future?
It has captured my heart
It’s my land, my home

This land of my dreams, is Nigeria, can’t you see?
Oh, how I long to make my dream come true
But I can’t on my own; I need you to join me
And together we’ll make this land brand new
Yes I pledge to Nigeria, land of my dreams
To be faithful and honest, loyal and true
I pledge to Nigeria, land of my dreams
With all of my strength I will serve her anew
I pledge to defend her unity
To abide by her laws and her creed
Of fear and doubt I have no need
For with God on my side, I am sure to succeed

Nigeria, land of my dreams
Nigeria, land of my future
Nigeria, has captured my heart
Nigeria, my home

Though many in cultures, in tribes and in tongue
Our hearts beat as one, so let’s sing this new song:
Nigeria, Land of our dreams
Nigeria, Land of our future
Nigeria, it has captured our hearts
Nigeria, our blessed home!
_ _ _


Last Words:

In March this year, the Nigerian Government officially launched a rebranding process, with a well-chosen slogan: 'Good People, Great Nation.' As I heard the news, I smiled to myself and thought, ahhh ... perhaps, my dream is coming true. I pray with all my patriot's heart that it is so.

Patriotic and Unashamed.
- Lady InspiroLogos

Beneath My Lovely Mask

Everyone wears a mask of some sort! None of us is perfect, no matter how beautiful we appear on the outside. Thus some people are extremely pretentious, perhaps trying to impress others or gain favor, while secretly afraid that if they show their true selves, they will be rejected. Indeed, we have all experienced fair-weather friends who 'love' us when the going is good, or 'love' us for our outward appearance, or 'love' us because of some benefit they can gain from us, only to disappear when the tide turns against us. It's a harsh reality.
Ahh, but deep down, we all desire to be loved for who we really are, and accepted exactly as we are. In expression of this deep desire, I wrote a poem. This poem is very dear to my heart, and is now being celebrated because it was my final piece and the winning piece at a recent performance poetry contest. (You can read a newspaper publication about my championship at this link http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=142952 )
And now, i'd like to share my poem with you:

Beneath My Lovely Mask
Copyright © Ifueko Ogbomo 2009

The applause is thunderous! The Cheers are deafening! Everyone is out of their seats!
I feel like a goddess, as they blow kisses at me and throw roses at my feet
Encore! Encore! They scream; longing for another captivating performance
So they can bask in my presence; as my enchanting words and melodious voice fill their hearts with romance
Backstage they’ll be scrambling over each other, hoping to get my autograph,
Pleading to have a memento of me, a personal item, or even just a photograph
The men will ask to have drinks with me, some will stammer, some can only stare,
The ladies promise to name their little girls after me, all to show how much they care
I smile politely, embrace occasionally, and wonder to how this can be
Do they truly love me, and would they still love me, if they knew me,
The frightened child beneath the flawless celebrity
Me, beneath my lovely mask.

Fashionably late, and dressed to kill, I glide into the circular hall
It’s almost comical, tiresomely predictable; I’m instantly appraised by one and all
Calmly making my way to the VIP section, my perfume leaving a sweet scent in the air;
I hear snatches of the conversations, as I part the sea of admiring glances and the occasional envious glare
'What beauty,' they say, 'what poise, an incredible figure,' and 'did you see her flawless face?'
'What lovely long legs, and luscious hair, what a dazzling smile, oh my, such grace'
Holding my head high, I quietly take my seat, disregarding the flattery that assaults my ears
I am sure they would neither envy me, nor lust after me, if they knew my silent tears
The sad girl beneath the stunning woman,
Me, beneath my lovely mask

What a day! - A book signing, cocktail dinner, and yet another proposal
Let’s see, that’s the third this week, nothing special, he said the usual
How my beauty is beyond compare, my face altogether breathtaking, a priceless work of art
My voice, soft and sonorous, music to his ears; and my lips pure perfection when they part
My skin is smooth as silk, the shade of lightly creamed chocolate, and my eyes, he says, oh my eyes
The entire solar system does not hold a candle to the depth or the glory in my beautiful brown eyes
Did I tell you he claims to think of me all day and dream of me all night
And that if I could only be his, he’d love me always, and never have another in thought or in sight
Ha! All this from someone who knows neither my dress size nor my favourite song,
Let alone the things that touch my heart - what a travesty, a shame, oh, an undeserved wrong!

“Why not take the mask off?” you ask, “let all see the real you;” alas you have struck upon my deepest fear
You see I did take it off once - I unveiled my eyes, revealed my heart, and allowed all to come near
But then the admiring glances became non-existent, the gifts and praise, inconsistent
My many fans became oh so few, and the once pledged faithful became untrue
No, no, no, indeed, I cannot afford this flawless facade to fade
No matter how lonely or lithesome I be, I cannot, I must not, this lovely mask trade
Don’t you see, if I unmask myself, he’ll discover my luscious hair is artificially enhanced
He’ll find out my long legs are actually unequal, and my silken skin is spotted and scarred
He’ll see my eyes are pools of sorrow that nightly swell and spill over, soaking my satin sheets
And my dazzling smile is masterfully doctored, to veil my bleeding heart
Alas the undying love he now professes, would vanish like vapour before a boisterous breeze
And then what would I be left with? ... Loneliness. Misery. Emptiness. Dis-ease.

Therefore don’t ask me to take my lovely mask off, NO!
Don’t let me unveil my sorrowful brown eyes, I implore you
Please, don’t make me reveal my broken and bleeding heart, I beseech you
For I cannot, I cannot! Let me be! Let me lie still, beneath my mask
It is flawless, stunning, it’s perfect, and day after day, I must keep it on
Secretly hoping that one day, one memorable day, someone special will come along
Someone kind, compassionate, patient enough, to slowly, softly uncover me
Someone who’ll see my flaws, my scars, my tears and nevertheless, embrace me
Someone who will love the frightened, lonely, sad, little girl, hiding deep within me
Will Someone please Love me, beneath my lovely mask ...
_ _ _ _ _

Last Words:
There is only one true, unconditional, undeserved, irrevocable and everlasting love, and that is the love of a perfect God, for an imperfect human - the love that God has for you!
God sooooo loved you, that he sent his ONLY Son Jesus to die in your stead, so that you could live forever!
If you can believe that Love, and receive that love, it'll change your life for good and forever!
- Lady InspiroLogos