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Tag: gratitude

  • The magic of gratitude

    Don’t let anyone fool you, gratitude is enchanting. Gratitude is bewitching, once you engage it, you can be changed for good. ‘Gratitude is the best attitude’ and ‘Attitude determines your altitude’ are clichés that ring a bell to both young and old. However, many are yet to understand the symmetry between them. Think about it for a moment, if gratitude is the best attitude, then pretty much, gratitude determines your altitude. Indeed, gratitude is a lifestyle that keeps you scaling higher altitude. Please don’t take my words for it, try it!

    I make bold to say that I am a recipient of the rewards of gratitude, in my family, career, finances, relationships etc. I consider my rewards as ‘Awards’ which explicitly are experiences that showcase the magical power of gratitude. Tuesday, January 5, 2016 will always leave sweet memories lingering on my mind. I woke up with mixed feelings, a part of me feeling grateful to God for life, not minding the fact that I was flat broke and the other part, anxious for a tasty breakfast. I had no choice but to set the table for the available meal which was Pap a.k.a Akamu. I sent my son to buy a small pack of sugar to be added to the meal. In less than five minutes, he returned with the sugar and a loaf of sliced bread. I was puzzled so I asked him, where did you get this bread??? Confidently, he replied, ‘Iya ibeji (owner of the store) gave it to me. She said it’s a new year gift to appreciate our family for being a loyal customer’. I was astonished, with great excitement I ran to the store immediately to say thank you to her. She embraced me and just as I turned to leave, she suddenly called me back and said ‘Oh! I forgot to add the big pack of butter, please have it.’

    Wow! I was in Elysium. Gratitude ‘buttered my bread’. Instead of pap and sugar, I had a tasty breakfast; Bread and Butter, on the platter of gratitude! How good it is to give thanks. It’s exciting to know that gratitude is an investment that generates dividend, you can always bank on it. It has a sweet smelling savour that attracts favour to you, doors of opportunities swing open at the voice of this virtue. You may ask, what is gratitude? Gratitude is the quality of being thankful,readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness (Oxford dictionary). Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude in his essay – Gratitude is Good, writes ‘’ Gratitude is  an affirmation of goodness.”We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received. We acknowledge that other people or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset, gave us many gifts to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.’’

    Definitely, one of the best gifts we have in life is our bodies and taking good care of our bodies is showing gratitude to the creator. Moreso, an average 21st century woman craves to have a curvy body at all cost, but guess what? Gratitude is the magic! I like the words of the famous American actress, Sharon Stone, ‘What really is sexy? It’s not just the elevation of boobs, it’s being present and having fun and liking yourself enough to like the person that’s with you’’. Need I say here that gratitude starts within you. It is accepting YOU! Your uniqueness, temperament, body, scars (physical and/or emotional), life experiences and gifts (talents). Self acceptance actually fuels the impetus to improve your being. Thereafter you grow in capacity to willingly help others.

    I find it amazing to know that over the years, studies have documented the social, physical and psychological benefits of gratitude; it is a relationship strengthening emotion. People who are grateful are more empathetic. They see the good in people and their needs. They have a greater appreciation for what they have and use it to help pull others up rather than tear them down. These are the people that will positively impact others and change the world thereby making it a better place. Gratitude builds families, businesses, relationships, dreams and destinies. So it goes without saying that we should all aspire to make gratitude a lifestyle.

    Gratitude also brings happiness; have you heard the song by Hank Williams JR. ‘Money can’t buy you happiness? Just because you have money doesn’t mean you’re not going to have a bad day. If you want to be happy in life, you need to realise that it all starts within you. Be thankful for everything, even if you’re currently in a bad situation; be thankful that there are others who overcame their challenges. Let them inspire you to do the same.

    Gratitude also helps to reduce anxiety and depression. The grateful will be joyful and joy is a booster of strength. Studies by Emmons reveal that gratitude strengthens the immune system and lowers blood pressure, It helps sick people recover quickly. The benefits of gratitude are inexhaustible, however I need to state here that being grateful doesn’t imply you are complacent. It means striving for what you want, a worthy course, without letting your weakness, failures or inadequacies define you. It also indicates appreciating the little drops of water and working diligently towards making it an ocean. This way, you will have a better attitude and achieve more success because you’re not as likely to bypass worthwhile opportunities just because they do not provide immediate pay out. Above all, gratitude inspires creativity, and you may agree with me that creativity is the father of invention. You don’t need wine or strong drink to turn you on! Use the magic of gratitude, it’s an attitude that wins always. Please send your comments to segilola2012@gmail.com, follow on twitter @segilola2012. You can also listen in to Mindscope with Segilola every Monday on Eko89.7Fm at 1:10pm.

  • Of Shettima and gratitude

    Of Shettima and gratitude

    In his hefty tome of historical writing, The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon identified a foul trait of human character. It was what he called the fear of gratitude. It is the sort in which a person is afraid to acknowledge that he actually was helped by another person. Such fear of gratitude is expressed by violence and subversion to the benefactor. He said some of the major figures in the fall of Rome could be attributed to this fear. I saw this recently as far away as North Korea, where the infantile despot killed his uncle and now his cousin.

    Here in Nigeria, the calm governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, scored twice last week. He showed that with the decline and ultimate fall of Boko Haram, he has started the work to rebuild the lives of his people. He launched an estate with 432 houses, 13 primary and junior secondary schools as well as a full furnished estate with 26 apartments, some of which are for medical doctors.

    He has shown that when the Jonathan administration was fluffing the war against terror, it was stopping him from the work for his people he is eagerly doing right now. He is doing other things, in health care, roads as well as education. The story is unfolding.

    He named the estate after Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as an act of gratitude at a time when his predecessor Ali Modu Sheriff wanted to derail him and his party men. This did not get much publicity and neither Tinubu nor Shettima boasted of their cooperation and triumph. They drove the Sheriff out of town. But Shettima could have brushed high moment aside and moved on. But he was not eaten by the fear of gratitude. He unfurled it, in his usual rhetorical elegance, in public. That was not just humility; it was from a man of self-assurance. Roman writer Tacitus once noted that “men are more likely to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden.” Not so for Shettima, whose work shows that he is comfortable in his own skin. Was it not Awo himself who noted wisely that to acknowledge greatness in others is, in itself, an act of greatness?

  • Alexx Ekubo expresses gratitude as he turns 30

    Alexx Ekubo expresses gratitude as he turns 30

    It was with a grateful heart that Nollywood hunk Alexx Ekubo marked his thirtieth birthday yesterday. The actor and model took to Instagram yesterday to announce: ‘TODAY I Turn 30!!! I’m grateful to God that He loves me so much that He sent His only Son to die for me, & now I’m saved. I’m grateful to God for breath in my Nostrils, bread on my plate, & a little change in my pocket.’

    He  then went on to show appreciation to nearly everything surrounding  him including his family, friends, height, complexion, roof over his head, girls that broke his heart, Lagos traffic and his favourite drink.

    ‘I’m grateful for the gift of family and the few people I call friends.  I’m grateful because it could have been a lot worse, but its much much better.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase my talent to the world. I’m grateful for the roof over my head, hot shower & a cold room to sleep.

    I’m grateful for my height, complexion, facial structure, & everything I embody.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to have traveled to a few places round the world, and learnt that there’s more to life than Lagos traffic, fuel scarcity, gala & coke. I’m grateful for all the ups & downs life has thrown my way, I count it all joy, & guess what Life? I’m still Standing.

    I’m grateful for all the people that have helped me on my way up – each and every one of them, God bless their kind Heart. I’m grateful to all the people that have doubted & criticized me, you have unconsciously pushed me to do better. I’m grateful to all the film makers that have made me a part of their project, thank you for believing in me & giving me room to grow. I’m grateful to all the girls that broke my tender heart, (judgement day una go hear wee) lol, on the real you have thought me the meaning of true love. My name is Alexx Ekubo aka The Breeze I turn 30 today & I’M GRATEFUL ….’

  • Anyaoku: Nigerians owe Jonathan gratitude over polls

    Anyaoku: Nigerians owe Jonathan gratitude over polls

    FORMER Commonwealth Secretary-General and Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations Chief Emeka Anyaoku has maintained that the citizenry owed President Goodluck Jonathan a debt of gratitude for the successful conclusion of the general elections.

    He spoke yesterday with State House correspondents after a breakfast meeting with the President.

    According to him, the gesture of Jonathan in picking up the telephone and congratulating the President-elect, Muhmammadu Buhari, even before the final results of the elections were announced was commendable.

    That singular gesture, he said, earned the country a great deal of admiration and respect abroad.

    Stressing that the meeting would be the last Jonathan would hold with members of the council, he said: “We had an excellent valedictory meeting. It is the last for our council; it is the last we are meeting with the outgoing president.”

    “We told him that our nation Nigeria owes him a huge debt of gratitude for what he has done in terms of the success of the elections and above all in terms of the gesture of picking up the telephone and congratulating the president-elect, even before the final results of the elections were announced.

    “That singular act has earned our country a great deal of admiration and respect abroad. We thanked him and congratulated him and wished him well in his future endeavour.”

  • Nigeria owes Obasanjo gratitude, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday congratulated former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on his 76th birthday and said Nigeria owes him a debt of gratitude.

    The President, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, noted that Chief Obasanjo has been committed to the cause of peace, stability, growth and development in the country.

    He said: “On behalf of my family, the government and people of Nigeria, and on my own behalf, I write to express warm felicitations to you on the occasion of your 76th birthday anniversary, which comes up on Tuesday, March 5, 2013.

    “Over the years, you have always readily given of yourself to the cause of the peace, stability, growth and development of our country. For this, we owe you an enduring debt of gratitude.

    “As you celebrate with family, friends and well-wishers, I pray that Almighty God continue to guide, guard and prosper you, even as He blesses you with many more years of robust health and abiding fulfilment.”

    President Jonathan wished Chief Obasanjo a very happy birthday.