Acupuncture, airports, and aging in reverse

I’d been feeling some discomfort in my throat, so I went to the clinic for what I assumed would be a simple routine checkup - blood pressure, heartbeat, avoid hot/cold drinks and the usual “drink more water” lecture.

Instead, after hearing my symptoms, the doctor did a short acupuncture session. Before I could ask whether it works, he handed me medication for three days and told me to return in a week. Mind you, this was my first time doing acupuncture! 

Fast forward to the next appointment. I walked in feeling better and ready for my follow‑up. The doctor looked at his computer, then at me… then back at the computer… then at me again. I was about to ask if my file had been mixed up with someone else’s when he leaned in and said:

“Patience… you don’t look your age at all.”

(Mind you, I’ll be hitting 50 in a few years.)

Then he added, “You look like someone in their late 20s.”

I just smiled and said, “Thank you doctor, I hear that all the time. For some years now, I practice intermittent fasting and OMAD—one meal a day.”

He looked genuinely impressed. We went ahead with another acupuncture session, and he asked me to return in a week.

In my opinion, some people are simply born into the “looks younger than their age” category—and I’m pretty sure I’m one of them. My proof? A string of similar compliments and one unforgettable airport incident from my early days in the Foreign Service. Even now, every time I pass through that airport, the memory hits me like a sitcom rerun I never asked for but still laugh about. 

At 23, I’d just come back from my first work trip abroad, attempting to carry my diplomatic passport with humility instead of the dramatic flair it clearly deserved. I handed it to the customs officer, expecting a routine identity check. She examined it… then examined me… then examined it again as if conducting a full forensic investigation. Finally, she asked, with the seriousness of someone solving a mystery: “Are you the diplomat… or is it your father?”

Perplexed, I leaned in gently and said, with all the calmness I could garner:

“Madam, please take another look at the passport - does it say diplomat, or ‘child of a diplomat’ ?”

She glanced at me one last time. Then without a word - she slid my passport back across the counter. No questions. No apologies. Not even the courtesy of a reluctant smile. Just the cold, silent acknowledgment that the math, indeed, was mathing.

And that’s how I learned that looking like a teenager while holding a diplomatic passport can confuse airport officials. 

There was another time I was out with friends, heading into a bar that required ID at the door. You know - the kind of place where the rules around alcohol are strictly adhered to. I stepped up confidently… only to be denied entry because I didn’t have my ID on me.

The bouncer took one look at my face, decided I was roughly twelve years old, and that was that. I stood there in disbelief, realizing my baby face had just sabotaged my night out!

Looking younger can be influenced by many factors: healthy habits and lifestyle choices, low stress, good environments, and - let’s be honest  - pure genetics. People often tell my parents that they look forever young, and I’m convinced I inherited those youth-preserving superpowers. With some luck, I’ll pass them on to my children too. (You’re welcome, future youthful generation!)

As for my personal “anti‑ageing toolkit,” it’s nothing dramatic. I read and listen to spiritual literature, keep my inner peace intact, practice mindfulness and gratitude, meditate, and stretch with yoga. Apparently, a calm mind, flexible muscles, and a healthy dose of laughter work better than any expensive face cream. 

In 2007, I created a Yahoo group to share jokes with friends and family. Ten years later, social media took over and I upgraded to a WhatsApp group viz Fun. Indeed, laughter feeds the soul, and honestly, it may be the closest thing we have to reverse ageing.

Who knew tranquility and laughter could double as a beauty regimen?

Would you like to share your own anti-ageing toolkit? I’d love to hear from you!

The Message That Lit Her Spiritual Journey

One evening after work, I remembered a message from a friend I’ve been guiding on her spiritual journey. I sent her an audio note, sharing a simple truth: creation unfolds in three levels—thought, word, and action.

When you think of something negative or unwanted, avoid speaking about it. Words give thoughts more energy, and once you’ve thought and spoken them, you’ve already advanced two stages of creation, making them more likely to manifest. Instead, let unwanted thoughts fade by replacing them with positive ones—because nature doesn’t allow a vacuum.

It’s true that in quiet or lonely moments, negative thoughts often creep in. But remember, there is always a time gap between thought and manifestation. That gap exists so you can change or redirect your thinking. The easiest way to avoid negative thoughts is to intentionally fill your mind with positivity - listen to positive affirmations, read uplifting material, and surround yourself with encouraging messages and people.

As the saying goes, rubbish in, rubbish out. The subconscious mind reproduces whatever it receives, without judgment. Feed it negativity, and negativity will shape your reality; feed it positivity, and positivity will flourish in your life.

Improving your circumstances begins with gratitude, self-belief, and the awareness that you deserve happiness and fulfillment.

Each of us came to earth with a mission. However, when we are born, we forget the mission we came to fulfill. We must learn everything anew - how to talk, how to walk, and eventually how to rediscover the path that leads us back to our original purpose.

True fulfillment often comes when we reconnect with that mission. Yet it is important to remember: some people will pass through life without ever knowing why they are here, and that is perfectly okay. What matters is knowing that every day offers a chance to become a better version of ourselves.

Know that you have a right to be here. Keep seeking, keep learning, and trust that the Universe will align to bring you the answers. Believe in yourself, and your choices today will shape the person you become tomorrow.

The friend replied with heartfelt gratitude for the inspired support and guidance I had offered. In her response, she recognized the power of gratitude and the role of positive living as essential companions for the next steps of her spiritual journey.

Q&A: what is my life purpose?

Question: How can one know their purpose in life?

Answer: Thank you for your question, Rosequeen. I will begin by commending you for asking this pertinent question at this stage in your life. Not everyone will reach this stage, congratulations! To have the awareness of finding your life purpose is a big milestone. Know that only you can decipher and determine what your great truth is: your purpose or mission on earth. You alone will eventually figure out what you came here at this time to do. You alone, with Divine guidance, will be able to remember what you promised yourself to come and fulfill as your life purpose during this temporary earthly experience. Once born, everyone forgets what they came here to do. They must learn to walk, talk, read and write, etc. Finding one’s purpose is one of the things you must  learn how to do.

Knowing your purpose could help provide direction and give you a sense of meaning. It could also influence your behaviour and determine how you prioritize your time.

Your purpose is not static. It evolves over time. Even when you think you finally know what it is, that revelation keeps evolving because we are fundamentally here on earth to learn, evolve and grow. We could eventually become Highly Evolved Beings when we are clear on what our life purpose is.

One of the easiest ways to know what your purpose is, is to know what you are passionate about. When you identify that thing which makes you feel good and you exploit it to help others grow, help them find their own mission, that could be a starting point.  

God created you for a purpose. When you find that purpose and its related sub-purposes, you could find more meaning in life and live a more fulfilled life. Here are some tips to finding your purpose in life.

You can begin to find your purpose in the little things of everyday life. It is important to start small and then grow bigger with time. Your mission may not necessarily be something big like eradicating poverty in the world. However, you can co-create with God the circumstances of your life, by using your skills and competencies to support communities with activities that will boost their income.

Explore your interests. What are your hobbies? What brings you joy? It is important to focus on the small daily things you do that bring you joy. Is it cleaning your home, is it farming, is it talking to people, is it sending kind messages to them, is it teaching and sharing knowledge, is it singing, is it art?

Link those interests to service for others. One of the easiest ways to experience something is to cause another to experience it. Purpose and fulfilment come when you have the satisfaction that you have used your skills and talents to make a difference that adds meaning to the lives of other people.

Learning from your experiences is also a great way to know your purpose. There is a saying, “Learn from the experiences of others because you may not live long enough to make your own mistakes and learn from them”. Some experiences such as exposure to injustice can propel you to become an activist for a better world. Watch, listen to the subtle messages that come to you when you undergo both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Always question yourself to know the lesson the universe is trying to impart on you, then act on it.

Your circle matters. The people you surround yourself with can either make or mar your life purpose. It is expedient to surround yourself with people who help you to grow and who can contribute towards your experience of a meaningful life purpose. These are people who can also help you identify what you are good at. They notice some things you may not be aware of. I share with you a personal experience in high school in 1995. Mid-year, the school authorities launched campaigns for the election of student representatives. I was not keen on applying. One of my friends, Edna, encouraged me to apply. She told me that I have the qualities to become the girls’ Senior Students’ Officer. She took out a pen and paper and drafted the application for me. Her assurance motivated me to review the application which I deposited  in time. I prepared a campaign speech with the help of an incumbent student officer, and I won the elections by a landslide majority due to the well written speech. Your immediate circle can help you find purpose. In this case, I was steered by Edna to realize I could contribute to the student government through my leadership skills. Thank you, Edna.

Volunteering is another great way to avail of your skills and competencies to achieve purpose in life. Being a volunteer gives you the opportunity to try out new things that contribute towards making a positive difference in your community and the world at large.  This is also an opportunity to meet people who share your passions and inspire you to feel that you are contributing towards a higher purpose of helping others. Note that a volunteer is moved by passion and enthusiasm, and not recompense (money).

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There are some universal laws that can help you fast-track understanding your purpose in life. Gratitude is one of the greatest tools which is tied to fulfilment and satisfaction for what we have and who we are, and it is directly linked to well-being. Grateful people are happy people. You can operationalize gratitude by keeping a gratitude journal or by having a vision board. A gratitude journal is a notebook in which you put daily entries of what you are grateful for, both visible and invisible. We are spiritual beings in physical bodies. The body is something we have, not who we are. A vision board is a collection of words and pictures that depict your gratitude for what you have and what you hope to achieve.

Nothing has a meaning except the meaning you give it. Even though I suggest a few examples of life purpose here, it is meant to provide you guidance. As already mentioned, focusing on the small things in life will lead you to find other ‘purposes’ such as showing total dedication in daily tasks, mentoring other people on career development, having a passion for karaoke and entertaining others during home and public events, becoming a researcher to contribute to better health, having a family and giving the best example to your children, learning from a good or bad experience to help others avoid them.

In line with finding and achieving your purpose, recall this popular phrase from one of the greatest masters that ever lived, Jesus: “You are the light of the world”. You are like a light that when lit, cannot be hidden under a table. A light must shine so that others may benefit from it. By discovering your purpose, you help others discover theirs. There is fulfilment in supporting others to live a beautiful and harmonious life.

Know that your life purpose is independent of other people’s freewill. For example, it would be naïve to think that your purpose is to make someone happy. You cannot control someone’s life and you cannot make them do something against their freewill. We all came into this world alone and will leave alone. No one is responsible for another person’s happiness.

To crown it all, each morning, affirm the following: I am always in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing. This powerful affirmation sends out vibrations into the Universe so that things and events will reorganize themselves to bring the right people into your life at the right time, under the right circumstances, to participate in the realization of your life purpose. Life’s purpose is simply that which gives you the fulfilment of having contributed to a greater agenda that is of help to you and other people. When you do this, you do it with joy. Not constrain. Not because someone is asking you to do it. Not because you are afraid to go to a place called ‘hell’. You do it out of pure joy and the awareness that the raison d’être of life is to have joy in it.

Type 2 diabetes is reversible: exercise, intermittent fasting, dieting: two testimonies

There is a saying: you are what you eat. People who have experienced improved health and healthy weight loss through better meal choices can attest to this.

Mba is a friend who stopped taking insulin in 2023 after three (3) weeks of controlled dieting (eating foods very low in carbohydrates), intermittent fasting (spacing out his meals), and exercise (walking). He'd been taking insulin shots everyday for over 30 years to control type 2 diabetes. Despite no longer taking the shots, the family doctor advised him to continue monitoring his blood sugar to determine the precise quantity to eat. It may sound straightforward, but it takes a lot of self-discipline.

Ever since Mba was diagnosed in 1984, Mba sought help from diabetes specialists, but none revealed this simple therapy. They all focused on medication. It is thought-provoking how we grew up believing that we can medicate our way to health; to the point of taking medication and slimming teas to lose weight! Big Pharma comes across as your best friend…. It isn’t!

A friend once observed that you cannot empty a bottle (lose weight) by filling it up (eating something). If you want to lose weight, consider fasting rather than eating things that will ‘cause’ you to lose weight. Intermittent fasting has been proven to be one of the easiest weight loss techniques. Again, that is a story for another day.

To successfully reverse type 2 diabetes, Mba lived with his daughter who doesn't have a medical background but who was diagnosed with gestational diabetes a few years prior and put on insulin during her pregnancy and on medication (Metformin), after the baby was born. She could not imagine herself on medication for the rest of her life. She asked her doctor to take her off the meds because she decided to used diet and other means to control her insulin resistance. Her doctor agreed and gave her one month off the meds. She carried out extensive online research on how to regulate blood sugar. She modified her diet (very little or no carbohydrates), introduced an exercise routine (mostly walking) and spaced out her meals (intermittent fasting). As agreed, she returned to her doctor after one month and was permanently put off medication.

She credits her success to Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist and functional medicine advocate who promotes a low-carbohydrate high-fat diet and intermittent fasting to reverse type 2 diabetes. After watching some of his YouTube videos on reversing type two diabetes with therapeutic fasting, she began her journey and continued her research which led her to Dr. Eric Berg and Dr Mindy Pelz who are all advocates of intermittent fasting. Their YouTube channels carry short videos with a wealth of information you can benefit from. Indeed, type 2 diabetes is reversible to the point of no longer taking medicine! These two people are living testimonies.

Do u know that a simple headache could be resolved through rehydration? We ignore water and then we're surprised by these simple regular health challenges.

Do you know that the ear, just like the vagina, is a self-cleaning organ? Discard those cotton buds. They rather push germs into your ears to cause bacterial infections. Your pediatrician or family doctor will tell you same.

Enough rambling. Let’s keep sharing these practical health tips. We are here on earth to help each other. If you can’t help someone, at least don’t hurt them by suggesting dangerous health practices that don’t have evidence. The moment you begin searching how to improve your health both online and from similar success stories, you will live a healthier life.

PS: the caveat for online research is to always double-check with a medical specialist just like Mba did.

Blessings always, all ways💐. 

Breakfast: the most important meal of the day…it’s a myth!

Definitions are the beginning of wisdom. A myth is a widely held but false belief or idea. Breakfast is the first meal of the day and the word self-explanatory… to break your fast means you have been asleep all night (not eating/fasting) and whatever you eat after waking up constitutes breaking that fasting period, thus, breakfast, irrespective of the time of day.

I woke up on the morning of 25 February 2024 with gratitude in my heart and feeling delightful that God has given me an additional day to live. My mind was full of random thoughts about health, self-healing, fasting and our role in the process. The night prior, I had a WhatsApp group discussion with some friends about the role of fasting in the healing process. Digestion is an energy-consuming activity and our bodies ‘rest’ when they are not performing this task. Besides, long fasting periods deprive ‘diseased’ body cells of food, thereby causing them to die faster and let the healthier ones live on. Some health experts recommend a gap of at least 8 hours between meals. 

During our WhatsApp discussion, one of the group members made the famous statement, ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. That got me thinking. For over five years now, I practice OMAD (One Meal A Day) and this meal is always in the evening. If that statement is true, how come I am doing just fine? According to the above definition of breakfast, I take my breakfast in the evening because that is when I have my first meal after waking up. I decided to Google the origin of that famous phrase! Do you know that the phrase is nothing but a marketing slogan coined by John Harvey Kellogg’s cereal company in the 19^th century? It was meant to encourage people to buy and eat cereal!

Back to my thoughts… Water is the most important meal of the day. Fasting is the most wonderful gift you can offer your body. The ability to afford food isn't a passport to eat as we wish. Several diseases can be controlled through nutrition and intermittent fasting (google the last two words).

Bottomline, do not believe everything you hear. Do your research. Question the mainstream ideas and general thought patterns you have grown up paying attention to. Humans are rewarded for using their brains, not for having it. Your ‘truth’ will set you free. Unless you enjoy being caught in the processes of what other people think. Find your own truth and live it.

Blessings always, all ways 💐.

A request to mentor another: my spirituality mentorship guide

Dr. Brigitte is an MD friend who has been my fervent WhatsApp status viewer. Recently, she asked me to mentor her on Gratitude and the Law of Attraction (LoA). This prompted me to share with her a few daily practices which generate the indispensable vibrational frequencies of gratitude. 

My spiritual journey began in 2007 when I read two books: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and Conversations with God: an Uncommon Dialogue by Neale Donald Walsch. I enjoy reading books on spirituality because they are full of testimonies on how people like you and I overcome challenges to live a more fulfilling life. As I peruse their testimonies, I always tell myself, "If they can do it, then I can do it".

I prepared a list of items that constitute my daily spiritual routine which I shared with Dr. Brigitte. I refer to it as my Spirituality Mentorship Guide. These are things I do, mostly daily, to keep my body, mind and spirit in harmony. When these three are in agreement, you are certain to experience a healthy and fulfilling life in which the mind decides with ease, the body executes in synch and the spirit approves your actions in harmony. This could be likened to the biblical reference of Mathew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (NRSV).

My self-learning Spirituality Mentorship Guide consists of the following:

• Writing in my gratitude journal.
• Accepting outcomes, no matter what they are.
• Having a vision board and reading its content daily.
• Sharing LoA knowledge and testimonies with others.
• Having the burning desire to know more about spirituality.
• Using positive affirmation words as part of my passwords.
• Trusting in the process and knowing it is never too late to expand one's spiritual journey.
• Writing positive words with bold marker on all mirrors at home e.g. blessings, abundance, joy, peace etc.
• Posting positive affirmations that resonate with me on my WhatsApp status. Rereading them during the day.
• Reading and listening to positive affirmations from apps in my phone – I have 6 of them, two audios and four text-based.
• Listening to inspirational audio messages by my favorite authors: Dolores Cannon, Joe Dispenza, Abraham Hicks, Sadhguru, Joel Osteen, Rhonda Byrne, Neale Donald Walsch, Raoul Wafo.

In case your spiritual journey has been on hold, NOW is the time to resume. Live the present moment, and know that NOW is the right time to receive this knowledge. In case you were not aware of it previously, have no regrets about the timing. Perhaps you were not ready to receive the knowledge. 

May your onward journey be richly blessed with infinite testimonies after putting some of the above into practice. This is my wish for you.

PS: what other daily spiritual practices do you engage in? I'd appreciate your feedback.

 

I experienced joy today: the easiest way to experience anything is to cause another to experience it!

I always look forward to my Saturday morning sports appointment in the Mt Fébé area. On this specific day after rigorously jogging and dancing (to the songs on my iPod shuffle), I decided to take a moment to enjoy the flowers in the flower garden of the Bastos round about. As I sat on one of the benches after a series of stretching exercises, I looked into the blue/grey sky and took a deep breathe to feel the moment. I gave thanks for my life and for the many achievements, for good health and for the strength to do sports. I remembered that the easiest way to feel something is to cause another to feel it.

Just then I notice two young men picking up something in the gardens. Initially I thought they were harvesting mushrooms. Then I realized they were rather caretakers of the gardens; they were picking up dirt. I walked up to them and noticed it was peelings of sugarcane left by visitors to the garden, as well as fallen leaves from the flowers among other trash. I greeted them and started picking along with them. They were apparently overwhelmed and couldn’t help wondering why I would want to do such a thing. I smiled back and told them not to worry, let’s just work together…

One of the young men said to me in broken French, “You are really a nice Cameroonian; I have never met anyone in this country who is as nice as you”. From his accent I could tell he was from another French-speaking African country. His other companion was also very surprised that I joined them to pick up the trash.

One of the photographers in the garden walked up to me and said, “From every indication you are a housewife who likes working a lot”. I smiled, marveled at his prejudice, said hello, and continued picking the trash. Another guy in the gardens who had been jogging asked me to carry him on my back so that he could do his stretching exercises, I told him I was busy, let him find someone else.

We worked for about 30minutes and the garden was now looking very neat and tidy. I was glad I had the opportunity to make the workers feel joyful, that someone could join them in their task that morning, thereby fastening the pace of the task. They gave me a tiny bar of soap to wash my hands at the nearby tap when we finished.

Usually after sports, I buy sugarcane to eat at home. I bought some on my way home and as I drove along, I felt true joy. It is said that the easiest way to experience something is to cause another to experience it, because we are all one. Words are so limited in explaining what the heart feels at times. It felt like a combination of satisfaction, excitement, blessing, fulfillment, enlightenment… When I got back home that morning, I settled down for a sugarcane treat after a warm shower. I realized that that particular sugarcane was the sweetest I had ever eaten!

Midnight fire and insurance realities.

               Midnight.  I heard some noises that night, it sounded somewhat like a dream, at the same time like reality.  I wanted to continue sleeping but the noise and sounds persisted. I thought a thief had been caught in my backyard and was receiving jungle justice.  I woke up to have a better listen from my living room.  As I stepped in, I was almost blinded by the brightness there in!  Just then my neighbor was knocking on my door, “Patience, Patience, there’s a fire!”
               I hurriedly opened my door and behold, my neighbor’s house was in flames. Quickly, I switched off all the electricity meters in our compound and I called my landlord (his entire compound was in danger as the flames were spreading fast).    He said I should call the fire brigade.  I immediately dialed 118.
               This was my first time to call the fire brigade, and was I impressed!  I described where I live and they said they have already sent a fire truck to the site.  That truck took about 15 minutes to get there, when most of the wooden building was already consumed by flames.   They did a great job after all by putting out the flames, however, I wish they had arrived a bit earlier, perhaps some of the building should have survived.

         Now, my neighbor was living in his home with his wife and son.  They had a few tenants.  They didn’t have electricity supply at the time, thus the likely cause must have been a lit candle.  Apparently, a new tenant moved in that same night and caused the fire.  The specificity of my country is that very few people can afford to insure their homes against fire.  Insurance is such a tricky affair.  This example can better explain what I mean:

         In 2007, I was involved in a car accident.  A taxi driver reversed into my car as I was turning into another road.  Since then, my insurer has not paid me a dime for the expenditure incurred repairing my car.  I am told that the insurer of the taxi has declined payment.  So right now, the case is in the “insurance court”.  I wonder how long it will take for me to be paid, if ever.

          I asked my neighbor’s wife to see me the next day.  She came and told me how bad the situation was.  The fire spread so fast that they weren’t able to rescue any belongings.  Fortunately everyone came out safely.  She and her family lost everything.  I gave her some money and my second phone which I wasn’t using often.  I know this is very little compared to what she lost.  However, I believe there is always a place to start being generous.  May God grant me more to help her better eventually.

             One day I went into a big beauty centre in Yaoundé to get information about training services offered. The manager was absent and so I was received by one of the apprentice.  She responded very nicely to all my concerns and said I should wait a for the manager to give me an information sheet. I told her I was really in a haste and I think with the information she gave me, I was ok with that.  

            Just then, the manager returned and they handed me a sheet of A4 paper with all the information on types of courses and prices.  The prices per year ranged from 250.000frs to 400.000frs. I was satisfied with the information sheet. I thanked them for their service and bid them goodbye. 

As I turned round to leave, the student said, "Madam, the information sheet is 50frs". I have never been so short of words to pronounce after hearing those words. For heaven's sake, this is a business place that needs customers. They want me to pay 50 FRS for a poorly copied sheet of paper? The print was not even clear. I didn’t have any coins on me so I copied the phone number directly into my phone and handed back the paper.

              By the way, a photocopy costs 25 FRS all over town. So why would I pay more for the lower quality? Later on that day I recounted the incident to a colleague who turned out to be a regular customer there. I told her to tell them that it is so disgraceful to give potential clients a piece of paper and ask them to pay for it. Jeez. They should invest even a little to get more customers and more profit! Do you agree with me? Pls leave a comment. And your name. Thx!

The power of gratitude.

I didn’t realize how serious the fuel scarcity in Yaoundé was until on my way to the office one day, I noticed I was low on gas.  I stopped by four gas stations and none had the precious liquid. I was already running late for an appointment and the gas in the car couldn’t take me right to my destination. One of the gas stations had it but they didn’t have electricity.  I decided to call my friend who works in the maintenance unit of the electricity corporation, AES-Sonel, to know which parts of town had electricity. He said the Tsinga and Madagascar neighborhoods.  So I headed that way.

Arriving Tsinga, I went to the first gas station. No gas. Second, third. Same story.  As I headed towards the Mokolo neighborhood, I started saying to God, “Thank you for the fuel, thank you for the fuel…”. As I said this, I made sure I felt the feeling of having the fuel already.  The gratitude resounded in my very being. As I drove on, I almost started doubting if there really was a gas station on that street but something kept telling me to keep driving. I knew the more I drove in the wrong direction, the more likely it was for the car to stop completely if the gas got finished completely. I actually saw a couple of people with gallons going to buy gas, probably because their cars stopped on them.

Behold, barely one minute after I started expressing my gratitude to God for the fuel, I saw a Tradex gas station. From the number of bike riders and cars lined up, I could tell they had both fuel and electricity! I smiled and took my turn in the shortest queue, opened my wallet and emptied it to get the fuel. I tipped the guy who served me. This, my friends, is the magical power of gratitude. I do the same for parking spaces. And 90% of the time I either find one or someone pulls out for me to get in, sometimes a couple of minutes after I arrive.

Please leave your name when you comment. Thank you!

Thoughts become things

Yes, thoughts become things.

I live in a malaria endemic zone. Consequently, my office provides two mosquito repellents monthly. I hadn’t been collecting them regularly, so I had just one at home.

One day I showed up to collect some in the office, knocked on the door but it was locked. I could tell from the window that there was no one inside the office. A passerby indicated to me to use the other hidden door around the corner and so I did.

A few minutes earlier, I was walking towards that office with a friend who saw the very illegible photocopy of my ID card which I was going to hand in to collect the repellent. He offered to help me photocopy a clearer one and I declined because I didn’t want to waste his precious time.

Upon opening the door, I saw a man sitting at his desk. I greeted and told him I have come to collect mosquito repellent. Normally we are entitled to two per month. As he got up to go to the other room to collect it, I handed over to him the photocopy of my ID card. While he walked away, in my mind I was thinking, “I wish he could give me 3 and not just 2”.

Not only did he return with 3 moments later, he also made two very clear photocopies of the ID card and gave me one, while keeping the other for the records.

Believe me when I say thoughts become things. If you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hands. And I did!

We are usually preoccupied by the kind of clothes we wear, the food we eat, and what we drink. But we never heed nor pay close attention to the thoughts we think. Our thoughts create our reality. With this knowledge, aren’t we going to start living in the awareness of the thoughts we think? We definitely should, especially because it is the first level of creation. We create at 3 levels: the thought, the word, and the action. 

The mind has tens of thousands of thoughts daily. It is almost impossible to monitor them to ensure we are thinking good thoughts. However, a good approach is to fill in the gaps. What I mean is, rather than letting your mind flood with thoughts from everywhere and anywhere, you can consciously fill your mind with positive thoughts throughout the day. The easiest way to do this is through positive affirmations. There are hundreds of applications on Google play store with positive affirmations. Fill your mind with them by listening to them and reading them aloud. One of the best ways to say your affirmations is in front of a mirror...

I am healthy, I am blessed, I am loved, I am secure, I am prosperous, I am whole, I am unique, I am kind, I am happy, abundance is my birth right etc etc.

Surround your thinking with them. Filling the gaps leaves little room for negative thoughts to come and stay.

And above all, live with a #Gratitude attitude. Whatever you think about and give thanks for, you bring about. It works, especially with some practice.

May the joy be with our thoughts.

Mindset change: the path to success

I coached a friend Edelweiss, for over a year on how to review her online profile as well as tackle telephone interviews. The revision permitted her to regularly receive notifications of initial clearance. We overviewed the entire process and after each negative result, we discussed what could have been the challenge. Following about five negative outcomes, I began asking the matter-of-fact questions: 

- Why is Edelweiss not having a breakthrough?
- What are we not doing right? 
- What can she do differently? 

I was disturbed for a few weeks, especially because I knew she was academically and professionally over-qualified for the positions she applied for. One morning as I performed my morning routine, I had an aha! moment. I usually listen to positive affirmations or short inspirational audios during that time. When I look back, I think I may have handed over this worry to my subconscious mind all this while. That morning, a revelation seeped through my being like a whisper, like a silent thought….shift from asking to expecting.
Voila! That was all she had to do. Change her mindset from asking God to give her a career breakthrough by shifting her vibrational frequency from ASKING mode to EXPECTING/RECEIVING mode. 

You can do this by knowing beyond any reasonable doubt that what you have asked for is already yours in the spiritual realm (Fourth Dimension) before manifesting in the physical realm (Third Dimension). You ask, knowing that the moment you ask, God/The Universe rearranges itself to bring it forth to you. Consequently, in faith, you get ready to receive, by giving THANKS for it as if it is already there. Of course, it is already there, because it is a matter of Divine Timing for it to become yours.
And that was it! I sent Edelweiss a voice note, explaining the above, specifying the need for her to move from asking to expecting. And above all, to live a life of GRATITUDE. Gratitude for what you ask for turbo-charges the process and brings it faster to you.  Giving thanks is a sign of FAITH in that which you know is already yours.
Barely two months after that day, Edelweiss sent me a screenshot of her offer letter. She had just been offered a position in an organization. I was head over heels for her, shouted for joy and gave immense thanks for the miracle we just experienced. I met her a few days later and she told me when she began practicing gratitude, so many things changed. Her daughter who had been ill intermittently had fewer and finally no more episodes. 
During her first week of deployment, Edelweiss sent me this message: “God’s favor is all over me…Still getting to understand how work is done here. You are a true blessing to me”.

It is easy to be a blessing to another. We are here to help each other. We are all one, because it is the same spirit of God that is in each one of us. Being genuinely happy for other people’s success makes us grow spiritually. It is well.

 Give and receive. This time, same day!

During my free time one day, I decided to scroll through Mimimefo’s Facebook page. One story caught my attention. A desperate person had read about the possibility of people donating one of their kidneys to make money, so he reached out to Mimimefo to find out more. Mimi posted another story, discouraging the person about such a venture. A kind person offered to provide some gentle support to the guy and Mimi did the go-between. After seeing this, I reached out as well and supported and Mimi posted the guy’s reply which read: "You don't know what this means to me. If I tell you my story, you will understand why this means the world to me".

During that same hour, my son was talking with my Dad when the latter asked him if he had already given him some pocket money the week prior. He said no. So, Dad sent him some money.

This is just one out of many other instances in which I give and receive the same day. Sometimes, it is the same amount! Indeed, receiving is the reward for giving. These little actions create a better world. Keep giving, receiving will be your natural prize. It is not only about money. Ever noticed how when you smile at someone, the person smiles right back at you? Even when it is a total stranger.

“It is still a beautiful world” dixit the famous poem: The Desiderata.

He lifted me up and belittled the millions

One day in the open market, I met a man carrying what looked like a bundle of a few millions. I looked at him, smiled and said, “Sir, where is my share?”

He looked at me, pursed his lips and slightly twisted his face into a shallow grin and said, “Why bother about crumbs like this when you deserve better?”

At this point, all I could say to him was, “You made my day”, then I burst into hysterical laughter and he did same. That moment when you least expect someone to say something so hilariously soothing and so heavenly. Yes, it was a heavenly moment. It sounded like a phrase culled from the Bible asking why we bother ourselves about things that don’t matter when the birds go about their day, not wondering what they will eat, what they will drink, what they will wear. Indeed, his spirit and mine matched perfectly in an exuberance of mutual light-heartedness in that momentary encounter.

Appreciate the little discussions you have with strangers. Do not take life too seriously. Enjoy the moment and take time to smell the roses. Life is beautiful. And we are all one. It is the same spirit of God in each one of us. And that spirit wants us to reach out to each other with positive reassurance, and lift each other’s spirits. At all times. Always, all ways.

Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you have been up to :-)

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Give and receive, same day, same amount!

The 2019 theme of my 26 June birthday was peace. Peace in our hearts and peace in the world. One week earlier, I received a WhatsApp picture from a family friend, Cynthia, to whom I had handed down some dresses a couple of years back. In the picture, she was flaunting one of the dresses, then told me to see how my generosity reflects on her looks. It took me a while to remember the dress. I have a creed, if you don’t wear it for over 3 months, you don’t need it (exception made to party outfits though). This creed was inspired by reverend Sister Sally while I was in secondary school.

Fast forward one week later on my birthday. Cynthia WhatsApp-wished me HBD. I thanked her and then sought to know more on what she is up to.  She told me she has completed training to become a teacher, and while waiting to be integrated into the public service, she is pursuing a degree program in the University of Bamenda. I was inspired by her willingness to further her studies while waiting (such waits can range from zero to a couple years). I asked when next her school fee was due and she said September. I tasked her to give me a gentle reminder around that time.

About an hour later, I got a phone call from a former colleague who asked what I plan to do for my birthday. I told him it’s been a very long time since I cut a cake on my birthday, so I planned to pick one up during the day and share with family at home. He immediately offered to pick up the bill! I was humbled and grateful, and in a very cheery tone, I told him not to worry, the birthday cakes I usually get for myself and the kids never goes above 6k (it is just cake right?). A few minutes later he called requesting that I check my mobile money balance. I quickly checked and behold, the very same amount of money I offered to pay Cynthia’s school fees in September was sent to me for my birthday cake (50k)! Thanks immensely Peter! 

Humbled, and smiling, I received the gift as a very beautiful reminder from God telling us, “Give and you shall receive”. It is a Universal Law. Disciples of the Law of Attraction know this. Sometimes you receive the same day, the same amount, other days you receive a hundred fold, other times multiplied in your wildest imagination.  Whatever it is, it is just the Universal Principle in action. I have so many testimonies of giving and receiving on the same day, it feels good sharing this one.

Conversely, do not give because you want to receive. Intention matters. Give because you want to create joy in another. I may be between jobs at the moment but for me, giving is a powerful statement indicating that: “There is more where that came from,” and, “Universal Abundance is there for us to draw inspiration from”.

Some say God loves a cheerful giver. For me, it is the other way round. A cheerful giver loves God. We are all individuations of God. The same Spirit of God is in each one of us, in other words, we are all made in the image of God. We are one with God. Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers/sisters, that, you do unto YOU. Go therefore, and put a smile on the faces of God’s children, and by extension, to your very soul and to God.

Mobile Money scam gone wrong

I will be brief. Here is how you can avoid being scammed on your mobile money (MoMo) account. I was almost a victim today, thanks to my kind but careful heart.

I got a phone call this morning. While taking the call, I got an SMS notification. Talking hurriedly, the man says in a very responsible voice, “Hello … (he calls my name), I am Justice Mambo, I mistakenly sent 22,000frs credit into your account. Please resend the money. You must have just seen the message that just came in.”

The SMS: MobilMoney You just received FCFA 22,000 from MAMBO CELINE (237681734973) at 28-06-2019 Transacton ID: 499145045. Reference: 25463 New account balance: 41,000 FCFA.

I asked him to be patient for me to check. I checked and saw the above standard MoMo SMS. I called back to verify with him, asking to know if what he sent was airtime credit or mobile money. He babbled, still hurriedly, “How can you be asking me if its credit or momo na madam? It is momo and you should know these things. I am hurrying to go to work and I urgently need the money back. I know you are concerned about transfer charges so please just send me 20,000frs”. 

I told him politely, my kind heart taking over my reasoning, “Sir, you have to be patient while I resend you the money.” He was becoming impolite on the phone so I hung up to do the rightly honest t thing, ‘resend his money’.

I decided to save his number in order to copy it. Somehow my intuition said to check my previous MoMo balances (good to keep them and not delete, u can also check by dialing *126# instantly). I noticed none of my last transactions had the above amount. As I saved his number in my phone, I went back to take a look at the sender of the SMS. Behold, it was from the same person who just called me! The sender of a normal MoMo transaction message is “MobileMoney”!

That’s when it dawned on me that I was being scammed. That’s when I noticed I was breathing faster as the truth was unveiling itself, my adrenaline rising…. I remembered what my younger brother, Tan, told me of a similar experience. I sent him this sms:

MobilMoney You just received *THE SAME* FCFA 22,000 from MAMBO CELINE (237681734973) at 28-06-2019 Transacton ID: 499145045. Reference: 25463 New account balance: 41,000 FCFA

I added two other SMS messages for him:

1.    Goodluck with your exploits.

2.    God bless you.

He didn’t reply, he didn’t call back. End of story.

1.    It is very easy to be scammed, it happens so fast, leaves you no time to think.

2.    Both scammers and scammees are greedy (I was to be rewarded 2k for my kindness).

3.    Always verify and reverify if you aren’t sure.

4.    Never accept to be bullied on the phone by someone you can’t even see.

5.    Pay close attention to those you talk to on the phone. You cannot see them, therefore, your intuition must be at its best to discern what they are about, just from the tone of their voice.

6.    MTN will never ask for your mobile money pin code (I have received 5 pop-up messages today requesting me to put my pin to authorize a withdrawal!).

7.       I suspect that all this happened today because yesterday I did a momo withdrawal in a call box in town. Just a suspicion.

8.       Let’s be careful and learn from each others’ experiences. May MTN do more sensitization on these issues.