What are your biggest challenges? Sometimes I just have to go out of my head and listen to my heart. That is my biggest challenge. Happy New Year everyone! Have a good one!
Tag: dailyprompt
Sunset—Nostalgia
What makes you feel nostalgic? There’s that feeling of nostalgia when the sun drifts away from the hamlets, sinking, sailing through the clouds like a golden phantom, spherical like a child’s playball. Sometimes when it’s hot we wish away the sun and when it’s cold we wish the sun’s heat could warm our land. It’s… Continue reading Sunset—Nostalgia
Creative Writing
How are you creative? I started this blog in 2012; I wasn’t sure what to make of it. However, I knew that I wanted to use it as an avenue to express my thoughts and creativity. Writing poetry and narrative essays also exhibited my creative pursuits and has been instrumental to my academic endeavors. Talking… Continue reading Creative Writing
Friendship
What relationships have a positive impact on you? Friends are family we chose for ourselves Friendship is illustrated in love, sympathy, kindness, loyalty, generosity, forgiveness, altruism, mutual understanding, compassion, trust, and the ability to be oneself and to express one’s feelings. I have friends who have contributed to my success in life. Many have offered… Continue reading Friendship
Character
Are you a good judge of character? Attitude is everything I don’t think anybody can judge a character perfectly. However, I’m convinced that character is a function of people’s relationships with others and their environment. For instance, a well-raised child knows how to respect others and to be kind to people and their environment. Such… Continue reading Character
Great Mentors
Describe a man who has positively impacted your life. I could write an epistle for this. I’m lucky to have mentors and professors who impacted me positively. They have been a beacon of hope for my research and academic endeavors. I have learned a lot in a few months through their guidance and supervision. I… Continue reading Great Mentors
Writing
What skills or lessons have you learned recently? I could summarize this prompt with a short poem: Writing is a useful ancient craftThat aroused my passion and museBy teaching me more about myselfIt had reminded me of my cleverness
Hopeful
Tell us one thing you hope people say about you. How times fly! Flowers still grow on the dirt by the roadside. That reminds me of hope. Tree leaves fall, and new ones replace them. Now, that’s greater hope! So, I would love to smell the flowers by the roadside and experience love again. I… Continue reading Hopeful
Alone Time
When are you most happy? Although I enjoy hanging out with people who share similar interests and goals, I crave my alone time. Alone time gives me private time to reflect on my actions and life.
Cities I like to visit
What cities do you want to visit? I would love to visit many cities around the world. Excluding, African, American, and Canadian cities, I would love to visit Paris, Edinburgh, Cape Town, Dubai, Delhi, Mexico City, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Perth, Auckland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brasilia, Riyadh, and Tokyo for a while. These cities have a… Continue reading Cities I like to visit
Long Distance Traveling
Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. My first time traveling to America was long and tiring. I will repost a slightly edited first post after I arrive from Frankfurt: Forgive me; I arrived at UC Berkeley from Frankfurt yesterday after sitting on a plane for 13… Continue reading Long Distance Traveling
Teaching
Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech? I haven’t performed on stage or given a speech in a big setting, but I have presented papers in classrooms, conferences, and seminars. Also, I count teaching as an art and form of performance. There’s an audience and then the teacher who performs the art… Continue reading Teaching
Push-Ups & Squats
What are your favorite physical activities or exercises? I do push-ups and squats in the morning. It’s the best exercise to get me out of bed and start the day. I feel energetic afterward. It gets easier with daily practice and is convenient as I don’t have to go to the gym to do both… Continue reading Push-Ups & Squats
Generosity
What is something others do that sparks your admiration? Spare a coat, clothe the nakedSpare a spoon, feed the hungry I wrote those poetic lines some years ago. Each time I see it I realize that it’s not a wholesome definition of generosity—because it focuses on material giving. Generosity goes beyond giving money or gifts.… Continue reading Generosity
Worrying
What could you do less of? When you worry, you make the problem double One thing I have learned in life is to stop worrying about things I can’t control or change. These things tend to rob us of happiness and living in the moment. We can’t change things like rainfall (the weather) or attitudes… Continue reading Worrying
Further Education
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year? A lot of good has happened in the past year. One of the most significant is starting my graduate degree at the best public university in the world—the University of California Berkeley on full-ride. Here, I have met some of the best… Continue reading Further Education
Deer
Do you ever see wild animals? I remember seeing a lot of deer, squirrels, and wild turkeys in California. I also have seen seals and fish in aquariums. Then the birds, mostly pigeons, seagulls, crows, owls, and hawks. I will visit the nearest zoo in a few days. I haven’t seen any reptile yet. I… Continue reading Deer
Berkeley, California
Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it? Berkeley, in California, is a beautiful place to live. It’s a hilly town with an abundance of greens and orderly streets. In this city is the pioneer and famous University of California campus. There are wild turkeys, deer, squirrels, and bobcats and lots… Continue reading Berkeley, California
Morning
Are you more of a night or morning person? It’s hard to say. I can do both but mostly mornings are preferable. If I’m awake at night, I might be working on something serious or an urgent task that came up suddenly. But that rarely happens as I plan to fit everything during the day… Continue reading Morning
Letting Go
What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why? I’m not bitter, but better I have learned to let go of events, situations, people, actions, and things that don’t work for me. Letting go involves forgiving myself and those that hurt me. However, it doesn’t mean that the wrongs are forgotten and that I… Continue reading Letting Go
Egusi Soup
Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays? Spicy, warm soups are delightful for me. Food is culture. Food is life, and I can go on dropping poetic lines about food. As a traditional person, I am a foodie who appreciates good food! I love traditional Igbo dishes like egusi, ede,… Continue reading Egusi Soup
Learning
If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time? I would study with the extra time. I’ll also spend some time exercising. Learning—reading and writing will improve my mental and academic health while exercising will support my physical and spiritual health. The aim is to have a wholesome experience.
Mothers
Who are your current most favorite people? My mother was my role model before I even knew what that word was—Lisa Leslie For giving life, mothers are angels and first loves to their kids. I grew up amidst lovely women. I am blessed with a loving mother – a teacher and disciplinarian. They say when… Continue reading Mothers
Lions
What are your favorite animals? I’m a fan of big cats—lions, leopards, tigers, and jaguars. But Lions are my favorites, and I always think they are cutest, especially in a rest/sleep mood. 🦁 The lion is known as the King of the jungle in Africa. It is not the strongest in the big cat family… Continue reading Lions
Beach
Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why? Beach This is a tricky question, but I will give it to the beach. I love both anyway. Yesterday, I was at the beach in Carmel, California, which happens to be a mountainous and rocky area as well. The views were beautiful, and I scribbled a few… Continue reading Beach
Big Fan – Big Lessons
If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why? Arnold’s success story taught that hope and resiliency are key to success. I would love to meet these actors and musicians: Denzel Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Wyclef Jean, Jackie Chen, Jeremiah Gyang, Mary J Blige, and Arnold Schwarzenegger! But for this post, I’ll… Continue reading Big Fan – Big Lessons
Instinct
Do you trust your instincts? Make sure that when you look in the mirror each morning, you are proud to own up to the decisions you make for yourself. Yes. I trust my intuition. Not consistently, but I would most times have never been misled by trusting in myself. I don’t know how I do… Continue reading Instinct
August
What’s your favorite month of the year? Why? August is my favorite month of the year. It is a beautiful month and my birth month. It is also a month of holidays, so I celebrate each birthday at home.
Fire trail
What is your favorite place to go in your city? I love hiking through the forest at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s a little distance from campus. A stream ran across the trail, and I could smell the wet clay. There are numerous bird calls and when sunset arrives, it’s something else! The sunset… Continue reading Fire trail
Approachable
What’s the first impression you want to give people? Best friendships start with a smile. I want my first impression always to be making myself approachable. So I aim to be cheerful, happy, and calm. I made smiling a habit. I usually smile at people even before saying hello. Smiling is a language of its… Continue reading Approachable
Green Places
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? I know that this post requires a direct answer. Still, I generally will live wherever there are forests and other natural landscapes like streams, waterfalls, and hills, undisturbed by the activities of humankind. Somewhere in the East or Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, or… Continue reading Green Places
In Three Years
What will your life be like in three years? I would probably further my education or work in North America, Europe, or Africa. Either way, I’m optimistic that it would be good. I can’t say exactly.
Don’t Stress It
What’s something you believe everyone should know. One thing I learned in life is not to stress so much about things. Taking life easy and one day at a time. Defining what your fun is and not letting people’s opinions or drama distract you. Whatever that is meant to be will be; consequently, if it… Continue reading Don’t Stress It
No Price
How much would you pay to go to the moon? For what purpose would I like to be on the moon? If there’s no reason but for fun, I would decline a voyage to the moon or any other planet. I don’t think I have any reason to be on the moon.
Wildlife/Environmental Conservation
What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in? I love wildlife. I guess I have been curious about life since childhood. I could watch National Geographic, Animal Planet, and other wildlife shows from daybreak till sunset. That’s how much love I had for the wild. I think this also influenced my attitude… Continue reading Wildlife/Environmental Conservation
Blogging
What are you most proud of in your life? This prompt is a tough one. There are many things I can be proud of. Well, I’ll talk about my blog which has not only changed my life but has impacted the world. Initially, oiroegbu.com started as a poetry blog but was adjusted to accommodate my… Continue reading Blogging
Principles
What principles define how you live? Principles are fundamental truths that serve as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning. In this prompt, I’ll highlight the basic principles I live with. First, I believe that hard work is crucial to success. That hard work works. There’s no… Continue reading Principles
Favorite Artists
Who are your favorite artists? I admire a lot of artists. I like Jackie Chan, Denzel Washington, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wyclef Jean and Mary J Blige. The first three are movie stars and the last two are musicians. I have followed the movie stars for a longtime. In fact they contributed immensely to my childhood entertainment.… Continue reading Favorite Artists
Publishing
What have you been putting off doing? Why? One thing I have been lazy about is publishing. It’s been on my mind and to-do list for a long time. However, it requires some financial commitment, which may have been my major discouragement. I have manuscripts of drama, poetry, and short stories. I also have many… Continue reading Publishing
Charity
If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to? I will share the money between charities like Children and Young Women’s Health Foundations, e.g., Save The Children, Wildlife and Environmental Protection Non-Government Organizations, e.g., Sheldrick Trust, and Human Rights Organizations, e.g., Domestic Workers Unite Inc. The idea is to… Continue reading Charity
Sleeping and Waking Early
What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself? The most challenging personal goal I set for myself is to sleep and wake early. I’m determined to be by myself from 9.30 PM unless I have a visitor or aren’t home by then. Since I started this, my body has learned to automatically wake… Continue reading Sleeping and Waking Early
Reflection: Gardening
What is your favorite hobby or pastime? Large fruit trees blossoming around the countryside form a flower shelter, which also provides a spectacular view. The rains had gone for a break, and stream and river levels receded. I noticed during the summer, the petals of flowers were on the verge of blossoming. How we waited… Continue reading Reflection: Gardening
Play and Work
In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled? Let’s start this prompt with a short poem I wrote some time ago. I call it Play or Labor. Play green locust, hopTake a swerve, make a loopWatch days turn into dismal years Labor brown ant, toilMorn and noon, dig the soil,Gather seeds before bitter… Continue reading Play and Work
Persistence
What’s the trait you value most about yourself? I believe that the most valuable trait in me is my ability to persist. The English dictionary defines persistence as continuing a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition, or previous failure. It’s related to endurance and perseverance. I have learned to persistently sow good seeds… Continue reading Persistence
Travel-Blogging
List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter. I would love to be a writer and, indeed, working towards that. My writing started back in high school. Then, I liked playing with words and wrote poems of love. I’m also interested in becoming a travel blogger. It is a dream to travel around… Continue reading Travel-Blogging
Proverbs
What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in? Proverbs are sources of wisdom. They are the oil with which the Igbo eat their words. In this post, I wrote in Igbo, translated into English, and then gave its meaning. Sometime ago, I did a blog post on proverbs used… Continue reading Proverbs
Be Yourself
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself, I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great… Continue reading Be Yourself
Traveling
How do you celebrate holidays? While in Nigeria, I celebrate holidays by traveling to my dad’s countryside home. I enjoy the tranquility of the countryside—the quiet mornings and evenings and the numerous familiar faces I knew from childhood. I always have this endearing trend of staying away from the noise and pollution of towns. It… Continue reading Traveling
Spicy Noodles
Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail. So one day in the dorm, I visited a friend who also had two other visitors. He offered his last pair of noodle packs and I was nominated to cook! While everyone waited for the noodles to get ready we talked about school and I requested… Continue reading Spicy Noodles
Self-Care
Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life. There are many lessons I wish I learned earlier in life. One is putting myself first before anything else. By this, I’m not insinuating being selfish but learning to make decisions that won’t hurt me in the long run. I would be friendly and… Continue reading Self-Care
