by Ajibike Maryam Olaitan | Aug 9, 2021 | Personal Growth
Your life purpose is your life message, your reason for existing. It’s the reason why you get up every morning, the reason why you try to be better, the reason why you feel unfulfilled after a wasted day. Finding your purpose is important and it can make a great impact in your life and also in the life of others around you. Some people think that you can only start to find your purpose in life when you clock 25 or 30, but the truth is that it doesn’t matter if you are 8, 16, 19, or even 30 if you want to live a meaningful life that others would want to emulate, you need to find your purpose in life. In this article, you will find 30 quotes about finding your purpose in life. These quotes about finding your purpose in life will encourage you and also help you up when it all seems like it would come crashing down.
1. Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.
Viktor Frankl
2. There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honour your calling. It is why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.
Oprah Winfrey
3. He who has a why to live can bear almost anyhow.
Friedrich Nietzsche
4. Having a purpose is the difference between making a living and making a life.
Tom Thiss
5. To begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment.
James Allen
6. The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, or gives you a sense of meaning, joy, or passion.
Terry Orlick
7. When you find your WHY, you don’t hit snooze no more! You find a way to make it happen.
Eric Thomas
8. Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.
W. Clement Stone
9. The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.
Barbara Hall
10. The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive. But in finding something to live for.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
11. You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
Steve Jobs
12. If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.
Bishop T.D. Jakes
13. The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
14. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.
Seneca
15. Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
John F. Kennedy
16. If you have a strong purpose in life, you don’t have to be pushed. Your passion will drive you there.
Roy T. Bennett
17. Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
Howard Thurman
18. Knowing your purpose gives your life meaning, simplicity, focus and motivation. It also prepares you for eternity.
Rick Warren
19. Your purpose must be particular to you. This is the road less travelled. Your purpose cannot be someone else’s path, not your family’s, not your friend’s path.
Drew Scott Pearlman
20. For starters, making a positive contribution to someone else’s life says that you are worthwhile and have a purpose in life.
Luke Gregory
21. Once you determine that the important result you want are an expression of your life’s purpose, you cannot help but bring drive, dedication, and determination to each day’s efforts. You will be driven to act relentlessly to meet cherished goals, all the while feeling rewarded, satisfied and even joyful in the process.
Russell Grieger
22. You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream, you’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.
Diana Ross
23. The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost; to be everywhere is to be nowhere.
Michel de Montaigne
24. By setting and pursuing goals, you have nothing to lose but a lot to gain. It has been scientifically proven that people who set goals are more fulfilled and positive about life. Having a purpose to wake up to each day will challenge us and give us meaning.
Zoe Mckey
25. It doesn’t matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in your life that matters.
Amit Ray
26. I want to live my life in such a way that when I get out of bed in the morning, the devil says. “aw shit, he’s up!”.
Steve Maraboli
27.A man said to the universe: “sir, I exist!” “However,” replied the universe, “The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.”
Stephen Crane
28. The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life’s meaning. We long for a parent to care for us, to forgive our errors, to save us from our childish mistakes. But knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth than a reassuring fable. If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal.
Carl Sagan
29. A wind that blows aimlessly is no good to anyone.
Rick Riordan
30. Nothing is more creative… nor destructive… than a brilliant mind with a purpose.
Dan Brown
Conclusion
You need to constantly ask yourself important questions to discover yourself and also find your purpose. The above quotes about finding your purpose in life would guide you along the right path to understand why it is necessary to have a purpose and also how to find it. These quotes about finding your purpose in life are by intelligent people who have walked the face of the earth, in search of their purpose and what makes life worth living to them.
by Precious Alex-Toji | Aug 8, 2021 | Personal Growth
Making a good presentation can sometimes be hard. To have to stand and give your best speech can trigger anxiety and discomfort. If you want to know how to improve your presentation skills, this article is for you.
Many people suffer from Glossophobia, which refers to the fear of speaking in public. The mere thought of having to present to many people may cause you to shiver and sweat. However, there are a few tips that can help you become a good speaker and sharpen your presentation skills.
Most times, you feel you would make errors during your speech or the audience may dislike your presentation. These little fears can make you anxious about your presentation and can affect your effectiveness. As with all skills, making a good presentation requires time and consistency plus your will to practice the tips I am about to share.
10 Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills
1. Practice Your Presentation
“Practice makes perfect” Practicing your presentation as many times as possible can help improve your presentation skills.
After preparing your presentation ideas, you must take out time to practice what you would present and how you would present it. Get a friend or two around and have them listen to you while you talk. Ask them to point out where you made mistakes and how you can correct them.
If you can’t get people around to listen to you, record yourself while you practice. Whether it is audio or video, recording yourself enables you to hear how you sound, identify places where you made errors, and check the confidence of your speech.
2. Express Confident Body Language
Your body language goes a long way in revealing how confident you are about your presentation. When making your presentation, try as much as possible to express confident body language.
Avoid looking down on your toes, playing with your fingers, or standing in one position throughout your presentation.
Examples of confident body language include making good use of your hands by gesturing, looking directly at your audience, smiling while talking, and walking calmly on the stage.
3. Be Humorous
Adding a little bit of humor to your presentation can greatly improve your presentation skills. Whilst some presentations may require being strict and rigid, including some jokes, can help your audience feel at ease with your presentation. A rigid presentation can feel boring and less engaging. You do not want to sound like those boring class lectures you despise.
The power of humor is such that it enables your audience to pay more attention to your points and lightens the mood in the room. However, this should be done with caution and moderation.
However, avoid making jokes on sensitive issues else you risk your audience questioning your motive.
4. Get Familiar With Your Audience
When giving a presentation, make sure you understand who your audience is and their qualifications. You do not want to use ambiguous words just to sound smart without your audience understanding a bit of what you are saying.
Keep it simple!
Use relatable examples, personal stories, or visual representations to best illustrate your points. Telling stories makes your audience more receptive to your points and can also make you feel more at ease.
Avoid making your presentation all speech on your part. You can engage your audience by throwing questions at intervals. Allow your audience to ask questions and stimulate them to participate.
However, make sure during your practice, you must have sorted out every possible question you can imagine would be asked.
5. Visualize Your Presentation
One area where your fear of presentation is fought is in your mind. Your mind can play serious mind tricks on you. By constantly reminding you of your flaws, what could go wrong, and even how your outfit might look terrible, it slowly allows fear and anxiety to creep in.
The best way to overcome your mental fear is by visualizing your presentation.
In your mind, picture how you would want the presentation to be. Instead of thinking “I am going to flop badly”, visualize yourself giving the best speech to a standing ovation. Visualizing your best presentation can boost your confidence and improve your presentation skills.
6. Arrive on Time
Keeping your audience waiting is a bad move when you are to make a presentation. When preparing for a presentation, prepare to be punctual. Check the roads leading to the venue. How far is it from your residence? How many minutes would it take to get there?
Have a good rest and wake up early on the day of your presentation. Get there as early as you can so you can get familiar with your environment.
This will help you feel more relaxed.
7. Be Emphatic on Your Main Points
Sometimes, during presentations, your audience may tend to drift away from you and appear lost. This is okay, as people easily get bored with speeches.
To ensure that your audience does not leave empty-handed, emphasize greatly on your main points. A speech filled with thousands of words can be unentertaining. Making emphasis on your point can help the audience remember what you are speaking about. You can use repetition to be more emphatic. Repeating your key points helps reinforce your messages in your audience’s memories and makes them easy to remember.
8. Be Time Conscious
For every presentation, you are always allocated a time frame. Whoever sets the time frame understands that you can make a good presentation within that time. For a good presentation, you must be conscious of time and make sure you do not exceed it.
During your practice, ensure you practiced within the time allocated to you. Remember that you have your presentation and a question & answer section. You must manage your time and deliver an impressive presentation.
9. Cross-Check Your Presentation Aids
The art of presentation has become quite stress-free with the advent of technology. Presentation tools such as your Ipad, Laptop, Slides, and Projector Boards can prove helpful when delivering a presentation.
However, these tools can be unpredictable. Before your presentation, ensure that you double-check every material you would be using. Test them before your presentation. Make sure your device is fully charged, your phone is on silent mode and your slides are saved properly.
If possible, device a plan “B” with the technical crew. Eliminating technical problems can greatly improve your presentation.
10. Watch /Attend Other Presentations.
We learn by watching others. If you have never watched or attended presentations or seminars, what blueprint would you want to implement in yours? Watching others present can help you note where you need to improve, what way to organize your speech, and even copy some amazing body language from professionals.
I learned how to improve my presentation skills effectively by binging on TED Talks shows. I would randomly pick a category and binge on it for hours. I even learned how to subtly incorporate humor in my speech.
Conclusion
Presenting is not an easy task. While some might have the flair for speaking in public, presenting for others might be a herculean task.
It requires practice and dedication on your part if you would want to become effective at presenting. Next time you feel the fears of presentation, feel free to head back here and put these tips to practice.
by Aisha Zakari | Aug 6, 2021 | Beauty & Fashion
We all get chapped and cracked lips from time to time due to environmental conditions such as the weather, wind, cold, and sun. This is where exfoliating helps. In this article, you’ll be learning about the benefits of exfoliating the lips and DIY homemade lip scrub.
What Is Exfoliation?
Simply put, exfoliation is the act of removing dead and damaged cells from the surface of our skin either by using chemicals, substances, or exfoliating agents.
A lip scrub is an exfoliator. Exfoliating the lips helps in adding shine to the lips and in keeping them healthy. It further keeps the lips away from damage, dryness and gets rid of dead skin cells. In addition, most DIY homemade lip scrub comprises of an exfoliating ingredient and an emollient such as honey or oil.
Why Exfoliation?
Do you want soft, supple, luscious, and healthy-looking lips? Then the answer is in exfoliation. Exfoliating the lips is packed with so many benefits. Others are:
It keeps the lips moist.
It gets rid of dead skin cells.
Also, it gets rid of dead and dull lips surface.
It makes the lips look healthy, smooth, and pouty.
How to Exfoliate the Lips?
Exfoliation is quite an easy task anyone can do at home – even after brushing their teeth.
Make sure your lips are clean before exfoliating.
Exfoliate by scrubbing or massaging using your toothbrush or your fingers.
Do this twice a week after brushing.
Do not over-exfoliate the lips as this causes irritation and bleeding to the lips.
Always be gentle when scrubbing or massaging. Scrubbing too hard causes damage to the lips.
Wear a lip balm after exfoliating to keep the lips moist and well-hydrated.
How Do You Make Your DIY Lip Scrub at Home?
A lip exfoliator is quite easy to make because the ingredients are most likely lying in your pantry or cupboards of the kitchen.
There are different ingredients used and in this post, I’ll be sharing with you 5 different easy ways to make your own DIY homemade lip scrub. Choose from the varieties based on your choice and preferences.
Simply mix the exfoliating ingredient with an emollient and you’re good to go – get that soft-looking lips. Let’s dive into it.
1. Honey Sugar Homemade Lip Scrub
As the name implies, I’m sure you already got the idea and yes, you’re right. Sugar is very effective as an exfoliating agent as it helps in getting rid of dead, damaged skin cells and when added with honey, it helps in moisturizing the lips.
Ingredients
Honey
Sugar
Procedure
- In a small container, mix a tablespoon of honey with a tablespoon of sugar.
- Gently apply this scrub into your lips using your fingers or clean cotton wool by dabbing and leave for 3-5 minutes.
- Be careful not to over scrub.
- Wipe it off using a wet tissue or simply wash it off with lukewarm water.
- Follow up with a lip balm to keep the lips moist.
- Ta-da! DIY homemade lip scrub is done!
NOTE: You can use brown sugar if you like, it gives the same effect.
2. Lemon Sugar Homemade Lip Scrub
Yes, you’re right again. Sugar as we know acts as an exfoliator but when added with lemon, it helps in removing dead skin cells so new ones are revealed.
Ingredients
Lemon juice
Sugar
Procedure
- Cut the lemon in half.
- Using a juicer or by hand, squeeze out the juice from the lemon into a container.
- Add sugar into the lemon juice.
- Give this a mix.
- Using your fingers or clean cotton wool, dab this into the scrub and apply it onto your lips.
- Gently massage for a minute or two.
- Wipe it off using a wet tissue or simply wash it off with lukewarm water.
- Immediately apply a lip balm to your lips to keep them moist.
3. Vanilla Sugar Homemade Lip Scrub
Ingredients
Vanilla extract
Sugar
Procedures
- In a container, pour in a tablespoon of vanilla extract.
- Add sugar to this container.
- Give this a mix.
- Apply the scrub onto your lips and gently massage for a minute or two.
- Wipe it off using a wet tissue or simply wash it off with lukewarm water.
- Follow up with a moisturizing lip balm.
NOTE: You may want to add in coconut oil to moisturize the lips or quickly follow up with a lip balm after exfoliating.
4. Lip Balm Toothbrush Lip Scrub
This is quite an easy task as one can do this after brushing twice a week but be gentle when scrubbing brush to avoid damage. Remember, it’s best to exfoliate once or twice a week.
Ingredients
Lip balm/Petroleum jelly
Toothbrush
Procedure
- Apply a heavy layer of lip balm to the lip. This serves as a protective base.
- With your toothbrush, brush lips gently for a minute or two.
- Wipe it off using a wet tissue or simply wash it off with lukewarm water.
- Follow up with another moisturizing lip balm.
5. Oil Sugar Homemade Lip Scrub
This is another type of homemade lip scrub. Oil here serves as a protective and moisturizing base. Also, you could use coconut oil, melted shea butter, castor oil, and vitamin E oil, or a mixture of everything if available.
Ingredients
Oil of choice
Sugar
Procedure
- In a container, pour in oil of choice.
- Add in sugar and give this a mix.
- Rub this on the lips gently as you massage for a minute or two.
- Wipe it off using a wet tissue or simply wash it off with lukewarm water.
- Follow up with a moisturizing lip balm to lock the moisture.
How Do You Store Your Homemade Lip Scrub?
DIY homemade lip scrubs are made in small quantities and in air-tight containers always. This is to avoid air getting in and contaminating the mixture. If you make a lip scrub in excess, store it in the refrigerator for a week.
Tips to Care for Your Lips
Even after exfoliating, there are other ways to continuously care for your lips to maintain that soft, supple, luscious, moist, and healthy look. These tips include;
Staying hydrated
Avoid biting your lips and
Applying a lip balm every now and then.
Conclusion
Your lips make an impression too – scrub once or twice a week. Avoid over-exfoliating as this leads to irritation and be careful not to brush or massage too hard (over-exfoliate) this causes chapped, cracked, and even leads to bleeding. Always exfoliate gently and make your own DIY homemade scrub at least twice a week.
Tell me in the comment section which you try and which one may be your favourite? Thank you!
by Aisha Zakari | Aug 6, 2021 | Food & Kitchen
Hello! Our recipe for today is “Kunun Aya drink” also known as tiger nut drink. This drink is gotten from tiger nut hence, the name. The tiger nut comes in two forms – the dry and fresh nuts. Both forms are sweet on their own and both can be used in making this drink but the dry form has to be washed to discard any trace of dirt, stones, and pre-soaked overnight to regain its moisture content.
This drink is not only delicious but creamy as well. In addition, it requires fewer ingredients and yet is quite addicting as it is filled with nutritious ingredients – trust me. There are different Northern drinks like Zobo, ginger drink but Kunun Aya tops the chart. This is definitely worth trying!
Ingredients
Tiger nuts
Coconut
Dates
Ginger
Warm water
Procedures on How to Make Kunun Aya Drink
- Wash tiger nuts of choice thoroughly.
- In a blender, pour in washed tiger nuts. Use a very good functional blender as nuts will be crushed.
- Wash and cut the coconut into pieces.
- Wash dates and take out seeds. If you like, you can soak the dates for at least 30-45 minutes. This also gives extra sweetness to the drink.
- Wash and mince/grate ginger.
- Add in coconuts, dates, and ginger. Ginger gives it a chilly taste.
- Add in warm water depending on the quantity of the nuts.
- Blend mixture till smooth, thick and creamy.
- Get a straining cloth. In this cloth, pour in the mixture to strain out shafts from the nuts and coconuts.
- Squeeze and wring cloth with hands to extract every liquid content from the mixture. Repeat this procedure twice.
- Your drink is ready. Chill drink and serve when cold.
How to Preserve Kunun Aya?
Simply preserve this in a glass or a container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When it exceeds these days, it starts to get spoil and sour. Therefore, discard when it exceeds 3 days.
If you don’t have a blender, you could take this to a grinding machine. It’s even easier if you ask me. I hope you try this nutritious drink – you’ll be glad you did!
Ways to Serve
Kunun Aya drink should be served cold as it is most enjoyable. It gives brain freeze and also relaxes the mind due to the cool effect.
Occasions to Serve Best
This creamy drink can be served in occasions like Eid celebrations. It can also be enjoyed among friends and family after lunch and dinner.
Health Benefits of Kunun Aya Drink
It is worthy of note that the tiger nuts weirdly belong to the “tuber” family like yam and potatoes. Tiger nuts are fortified with:
- Source of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C and E, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. These together help in overall body health and immune system.
- They are gluten-free.
- They are vegan too.
- Also, the are a whole food and as such, serves as a perfect balanced diet.
- High fiber content.
- You might want to opt into almond drink but these are richer in taste and benefits.
- An aphrodisiac: It is believed that consumption of this drink arouses sexual desire and also increases sexual performance.
Now, that’s a very nutritious drink you should try – believe me! Let’s get you to how this delicious and creamy drink is made.
Conclusion
Kunun Aya drink is for everyone and every age as it is fortified with vitamins which is essential in our everyday lives. Try it at home, or even anywhere else. It’s always a nice treat!
Have you tried making Kunun Aya before? Tell us how you did it or what it taste like?
by Happiness Hassan | Aug 4, 2021 | Family & Parenting
When it comes to home maintenance, kids are rarely included in the equation. In most cases, the home chores are divided between both parents alongside their regular activities or done by one parent if he/she is a single parent raising a child or someone else gets paid to do it. In contrast, there are lots of household chores for kids that parents can assign to their children to relieve themselves of some amount of stress.
Therefore, to avoid a nervous breakdown, engage in division of labour when it comes to home chores with your kids.
It’s your responsibility as a parent to provide all that your child needs to grow and thrive better. This includes meeting their financial, social, emotional, physical needs, selecting the right school for your child, enhancing their academic performance, ensuring they stay healthy with the best routine. However, to imbibe proper discipline and boost their passion for hand skills you need to learn about household chores for kids which are appropriate for their age.
In this article, you will learn more about household chores for kids below teenage age and those for teenagers.
What Are The Importance Of Assigning Household Chores To Kids?
It’s wrong to feel guilty or weak to ask your kids to help around in the house. To ensure your family is functioning properly you need to carry everyone along—including the kids. Delegation of household chores promotes unity within the family. It increases the love bond with your kids and teaches you kids more about teamwork—applicable to other aspects of their lives.
Furthermore, they learn how to become independent while away from home by solving their problems. In addition, they learn about certain skills like communication and listening skills, negotiating ability, critical reasoning, time management, organization ability, and lots more.
It’s also a way of disciplining a child positively to desist from a lazy attitude.
Household Chores For Pre–Teenagers
1. Tidying Up The House is Apppropraite for Kids
The reason why your kids disarrange the house most especially their rooms is that they don’t arrange it by themselves. Hence, they don’t know the importance of it. Tidying up the house isn’t a tedious task to accomplish. Therefore, feel free to delegate this to your kids. This includes setting their shoes and books shelves by themselves, arranging their toys, sweeping the house, and putting everything in the right order.
Oftentimes, they might not do it the way you need it, but ensure to give them guidelines to follow.
2. Assign Inside Errands to Toddlers
It might be risky to send a younger child on errands outside the home. However, they are still useful for inside errands. They are fast at delivering stuff they are asked to get. Therefore, while in the kitchen, carry them along by asking them to get things from the shelves while you cook.
While in the sitting room, ask them to bring your briefcase, file, purse, and whatever from your room.
3. Folding Laundry is an Appropriate Chores for Kids
Folding the laundry is another interesting chore for kids. So, while they can’t do the laundry, they can fold it up and place it in the right box. However, kids are always in a haste to finish folding all the laundry on time. In essence, this stage requires lots of patience with kids.
Subsequently, as they continue with it they adapt orderliness and patience as an attitude.
4. Ask Your Kids to Set Up The Table For Meal
Pre-teenagers aren’t capable of preparing a complete meal. But, they are effective in setting up the table for the meal cooked. Once you tell them how you want it placed. They are good to go! In addition, after the meal, it should be their responsibility to offload the dishes used back to the kitchen.
Also, as parents not eating together at least once a day is unhealthy for the family growth and also a parenting mistake to be avoided.
5. Placement Chores are Meant for Kids
It’s chaotic trying to place the items bought from the market in the right order after returning tired. Therefore, that’s why you have kids around you. Since they can arrange the house, certainly placing items in the right stand won’t be a difficult task for them to accomplish.
6. Kids are Good at Reminder Chores
This might appear minor to you but that’s what kids are good at—reminding you what you might have forgotten. This comes to play most especially when drafting out the list of the things you would love to buy for the household. Since kids are great observers they can notice the stuff that is exhausted and needs replacement within the home.
Household Chores For Teenagers
1. Yard Work Should be Assigned to Teenagers
Keeping the yard neat is made much easier when you have teenagers in your house. This is because teenagers are characterized by high exuberance. Therefore, they can lawn the grass without burning out compared to you as an adult.
2. Teenagers are Good for Outside Errands
In choosing the appropriate household chores for kids ensure that your older kids are allowed to carry out duties outside the household without your presence. This includes shopping for necessary items, delivering packages to a friend’s home, disposing of trash, and doing other important activities you need outside the home.
3. Ask Them to Take Care Of Their Younger Siblings
Why employ the service of a nanny while you have teenage kids at home? In contrast, employ the service of your teenage kids to look after their younger siblings while you are away from home.
It’s stress-free this way since the younger kids are already familiar with their elders compared to an outsider.
4. Assign Your Teenager Major Clean-up Work
You would do your teenage child much better by assigning them to major household clean-up chores. This way, they learn how to put their hands to work better to ensure the proper functioning of the home—applicable to other aspects of their lives.
Some major clean-ups include mopping, dishwashing, car washing, scrubbing the bathroom among others.
5. Ask Them to Assist in Preparing Meal
The best time for kids to learn how to prepare a meal is at their teenage age by assisting you in the kitchen. Fortunately, what is learned is carried into adulthood.
Therefore, allowing your kids to assist in the kitchen is one of the productive household chores for kids. It lessens the workload on you and provides them with a platform to learn.
Conclusion
Oftentimes, kids consider household chores boring and frustrating. Therefore, to encourage them to begin by being a model for them to follow. Remember, they need to see you do it first before they follow. In addition, reward and praise them after a job well done.
Furthermore, you can share other kinds of household chores you believe are appropriate for kids, in the comment section below.