2015, what a year!

I know it's a bit early to start reflecting on 2015, as there a a few more weeks left but this is the most convenient time for me to write.2015, has been a such a mad year! One word to sum up 2015 would definitely be wow. I personally feel that 2015 was an emotional roller-coaster. There were plenty of ups and downs, but I the ups always topped the downs. God has blessed me in so many ways this year, the list is far too long
2015 has been a year of realisation indeed. I've lost many friends but life goes on I guess. I've met and gotten to know some amazing people who have made more of a positive impact in my life than some people that I've know for years. What a wow! But on a brighter note, those friends who stayed by my side this year definitely deserve a round of applause. Their support for me has been immense this year and I don't think I'd be able to cope this year without them.
Most importantly, in 2015 I realised that the most important thing is to better myself on a spiritual level and improve my relationship with God. As soon as this became my focus everything seemed to get better and better. My main aim in 2015 was to obtain inner peace, and I think I'm going along the right path. In order to continue along this road to inner peace, I need to continue to surround my myself with positive and successful people. I need to surround myself and interact with people who will bring out the best in me, not those drain me of my positive energy.

2015 has taught me a lot. Here are the four major lessons that I learnt.

1. Not to cross rivers for people who wouldn't even jump puddles for me.
2. What other people think of me is none of my business.
3. Anyone trying to bring me down is already below me.
4. Be careful who you vent to. A listening ear can also be a gossiping mouth.

I think the biggest lesson of 2015 is to trust in God always. God didn't bring you this far just to turn His back on you. Don't be silly. God will always have your back no matter what.
This Bible verse perfectly sums up my point.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

In 2016, I would like to hopefully try out new things and meet more new people. I appreciate all the love and support from everyone who's read my blog posts, so in 2016 I would  like to continue developing my blog and build it into something bigger and better.Perhaps in 2016 I'll finally learn how to  ride a bike, who knows. I just hope that 2016 will be a good year for me. A year filled with  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

This picture perfectly sums up my mood for 2016:

But this is definitely my main mood:

My ultimate aim for 2016 is to be happy and continue to win, after all winning is in my DNA and I am too blessed to be a loser. I know where I started and I know where I am going. I'm getting closer to my dream, so I must persevere and have enough faith in myself to not give up.
Most importantly I will continue to work on myself, by myself.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year xx

Happy people aren't haters, and those who hate aren't happy

So, basically I'm tired.
I'm just tired of seeing people hating on others just because they're being blessed.
If you're someone who does that, locate your chill button as soon as possible because the hate is super unnecessary.
Just because your neighbour is being blessed doesn't mean your season isn't coming up. Surely if your neighbour is reaping blessings then that means blessings are in your neighbourhood right? Be patient, your time will come.
As I always say "haters are my motivators," and that's a fact. I'm not even trying to sound cliché but, it goes without say really, negativity will always motivate others to want to do better.
Often at times, just as I'm about to give up, I stop and remember that quitting literally takes me steps away from how far I've come and how close I am to my goal. When and how will I ever win if I quit too early? No, actually, how will I reach anything if I quit in general?
But I'll let you in on a little secret, especially if you always feel your light dwindles based on other people's achievements. Make a note of this: jealousy is an ugly trait!
I don't know about you but I can never hate on anyone, even if I wanted to! I'm not even trying to sound pretentious or boastful, but I enjoying supporting others, especially if they are my friends because I know how hard-working they are. Regardless whether you'll get the same love back, we shouldn't give on the basis of receiving.
And on that note, I'll remind you again to celebrate others and don't let others' envy rule you.

Just remember those who hate aren't happy and those who are happy don't hate. God bless xx

Regrets

Hey everyone, I know I've been absent lately and  haven't written but that's because I've been so busy with life. Nevertheless, I'm back upon a special request from a friend who wanted me to just write something. I decided to just do something different, and write a blog post that is centred on me (lol, selfish- I know!). I've simply compiled a list  about some of the things that I regret doing/not doing. 

I regret not putting my own happiness before everyone else's.
I regret being nice to everyone. Sometimes it's like my kindness gets taken for granted, and I'm not appreciated. I can be nice to people, and instead of them returning the kindness they choose to be rude or give me attitude. It's really not necessary, lol like wyd?
I regret seeing the best in people, *sigh* turns out seeing the best in people is not really a two way street in this world. People have disappointed me and that is ok, I'm doing fine *laughing uncomfortably turns to hysterical weeping*. But for real though, I continue to see the best in people and try make sense of their circumstances.
I regret not taking up every single opportunity placed before me, simply because I felt those opportunities weren't for me. They may have actually been good for me but because I've missed those opportunities, I'll never know. However, that hasn't stopped me from creating some of these missed opportunities for myself.
I sometimes regret being a messy, shady and petty person. Keyword 'sometimes,' other times it can be fun *sips tea*
I regret letting people get to me. No one, I repeat no-one, is worth the stress.
I regret opening up to so many "friends" who turned out to be snakes.
I don't regret staying true to myself. I'm so glad I haven't become one of those people who change in order to "fit in"
I don't regret being "comfy on my ones." It has allowed me to grow into a strong independent woman *flicks hair*
I don't regret creating this blog, it has allowed me to inspire a few people *wipes tear*
I don't regret being me. It's the only thing I can be, and trust me I do it very well.


Thanks for taking time out to read this, have a blessed night xx

Inner peace

Inner peace was once defined as the "moment you choose to not allow a person or event control your emotions". 

Lets identify the keyword here: choose

You can always, I repeat always make the conscious decision to allow yourself not to be affected by the things around you. Its' easier said than done but inner peace is an achievable goal and many steps can be taken to achieve this desired inner peace.
Firstly, you can choose to not allow the stresses of everyday life and the negative energies surrounding you consume you. Simply because, just as we learnt in science, although energy cannot be created, it can be transferred. So how best to avoid being contaminated with negative energy...well, you simply move away from it.  I cannot stress how important inner peace is, it actually puts things into perspective and adds some balance to life.

I don't know about you, but for me personally, inner peace comes second in my list of importance, after positive self image.
Above all, inner peace is highly ranked by me because I just feel that I can't function as I'm meant to when I'm not at peace with myself. Where some people aim to be at peace with others, I wonder how anyone can prioritise that when they don't have inner peace. It's a bit like love right? How can you love others when you lack the ability to love yourself. There's a reason why in the Bible it says to love others as yourself and not the other way around.
Yes, being selfless should be the epitome of being a great human being, but let me assure you, it is okay to be selfish sometimes. Appropriate selfishness is something we need to learn to do, it's been a while but I'm still trying to teach myself this. From my observations, I cannot please everyone or keep everyone happy. Truth is, I am not responsible for other people's happiness; the only person whom I am responsible for keeping happy is myself. But that does come with limits. Remember what I said earlier about appropriate selfishness, well in some instances if something such as stealing a bike will make me happy, that does not mean it is right to do so, because that would make me inconsiderate to the one I stole from. Learn to make yourself happy where it counts, yes you're responsible for your happiness but your happiness should not have the intention of making others miserable.

So, to round this up, the common denominator in all of this is you. Your inner peace and  your happiness are all about you and the acceptance of yourself for who you are and working to achieve a better, more peaceful and happy you. 

Food for thought: "Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."

Back to school/college/sixth form/university

We must all be dreading the return to education.Returning to education after having 6 weeks or more off can be rather daunting, but unfortunately it has to be done *sigh*
I believe that education is very important, especially because we are the future.
We must not waste the education that we have been blessed with, we must make good use of it and do something positive in our lives.

I urge everyone to remain positive throughout the academic year and work hard.

"Work hard in silence, and let success make the noise," there's no need to make announcements on social media that you're working hard. Why do you need to prove to others that you're working hard? Seriously just go and do your work.

Everyone just needs to remember that eventually hard work does pay off. Your hard work will not be in vain, and one day you will reap the benefits of your hard work.
Everything you do make sure you put in 100%. You cannot put in 80% and hope that the other 20% will magically appear. You can't be praying for a B yet working for D. Prayer works, but your effort is needed too to ensure success.

Enjoy the academic year, take care, work hard and stay blessed x

P.S- I've written a blog post dedicated to new A-level students, so have a read and share :)
Some advice for new A-level students

Some advice for new A-level students

To new a-level students,
I'm sure you've heard this a billion times, but I cannot stress this point enough, a-levels are very different to GCSE's and the jump from GCSE's to a-levels is quite huge.
Firstly I'd advise you "make sure you work hard from the very beginning," this was one of the first pieces of advice that I was given on my very first day of a-levels and trust me it is 100% the truth. Obviously you won't be able to go ham with revision on the first few days. So I'd advise you to spend the first 2 weeks settling in and finding out whether or not you feel comfortable with the subjects that you're studying so that any changes to your timetable can be made earlier rather than later. Then after those 2 weeks you can start to consider the strategies you'll be using to revise, and begin to implement those strategies.
Secondly, make sure you focus throughout the year. Don't worry about what your friends are doing, focus on yourself. After all these are your a-levels, and on results day you will be receiving your grades. Trust me on results day, you don't want to experience the feeling of regret; wishing you had focused more.
Lastly try to not get too stressed. Stressing won't make things any easier. Sometimes you have to be able to gain some composure and be able to simply inhale and exhale. Just think about it, how will being stressed get you your grades? How will it allow you to be able to think coherently and focus?

Best of luck with your A-levels xx

Perceptions

Let's be honest, the way that we perceive ourselves is one of the most important things in this world, simply because it influences the thought processes concerning us. Think about it, if positive thoughts generate good vibes then imagine the consequences orchestrated by our negative perceptions in relation to ourselves.

But to put simply, we can all pick up vibes; if the vibe being generated about ourselves is negative then why should we be surprised when the same vibe is put out to us from others. People can tell how we feel about ourselves, and believe me, some people will happily abuse that advantage.

What more can go wrong after others start to negatively perceive us; self hate begins which is soon followed by paranoia. It's bad enough having such a distorted perception of ourselves but we become more engaged in deciphering what everyone else thinks of us. You have to be good to you or no one else will, love you and you will feel loved.

So the lesson to be learned here is that not only do we need to make sure we perceive ourselves the right way, it is the only way we need to see ourselves. It's easier said than done especially when you have gone for so long detesting that face you see in the mirror, constantly surrounding your entire being with negative connotations. So what if you have messed up in one way or another, that shouldn't be any reason to label yourselves with that misery and stick with it your whole life. Learn to brush it of, accept it and move on in love.. In love with yourself!
Remember this, your perception needs to be positive. If you think you are beautiful, then you are. If you see yourself as successful, you are successful.

As René Descartes put it, "I think therefore I am". You'll soon learn that your input = your output !

Di wo fie asem

''Di wo fie asem'' this is a phrase often used by many Ghanaians familiar with the Asante dialect, Twi. It essentially means to mind your own business.

For some reason, minding your own business seems a bit difficult for some to comprehend. They really do struggle with the concept.
However, in a world where each and every single person should be entitled to their privacy, it shouldn't be that difficult.
From my observations, here are a few reasons why we should at least try and mind our own business:

1. It's free -  It does not cost any money to mind your own business and this is a good thing. I'm sure everyone loves free stuff.
2. It allows you to focus on yourself - once you start to mind your own business, you get to actually mind your own business and get to know yourself for a change.
3. It doesn't concern you, sometimes getting involved in others business is really unhealthy and leads to a lot of trouble.
4. You are less likely to make any enemies.
5. You become more loyal and tolerable to be around; others won't feel the need to hide from you as they trust that you won't be passing around nonsense information.
6. People may actually enjoy being around you.
7. You'll find that you have more genuine friends who won't only be interested in the gossip you have for them.

Yes, sometimes we all mean well. But there is a clear distinction between caring about someone and being 'all up in someone's business.' There's a huge difference between seeking personal information from someone because you genuinely care and seeking personal information from someone just for some petty gossip. The more individuals entangle themselves in such scandals, the more cautious they become. You'll find that they share little about themselves and don't want you to know anything about them, it's as if they are scared that others may do to them what they always do to those around them.

But the truth is, to be able to mind your own, you have to have the willingness to respect others, even if you don't like them.
We need to deter ourselves from just going forth and seeking out other people's personal information; how will finding out what you're after affect your life? Will it add any value to it?Does it actually matter whether you know that particular information or not?
If the answer to all of those questions is a resounding no, then please...di wo fie asem.

Goodnight xx

To each their own

I keep myself to myself and that's the way I like it.
If I do something, I do it for myself.
It sounds selfish but really and truly it is the way forward.
Some people worry too much about what others are doing and it often affects their decisions in life. I find this so silly and quite sad because why should your progression be based on that of others? We are not all running the same race.
At the end of the day, we were all born alone...
Don't fixate your attention on others like that. Sometimes we have to mind our own and not worry about what others are doing, you don't know Gods' plans for them.
Focus on your own life, don't do things just because your friends are doing things. If one thing suits a certain individual, that does not necessarily indicate that it would suit those who want to imitate. Similarly, when opportunities come our away, we shouldn't be so fast to pass it up because the same isn't happening for our friends; you will end up disappointed and devastated at the things you'll miss out. 
When God wrote about you and your life, He created a specific path for you and a destination for you to reach and so why must we interrupt those plans because our stories don't match up with those around us.
When you do you, you will realise that you will get to your destination faster. You'll be more fulfilled and happy, because you are not trying to force things which aren't meant to be.

Just do you, and everything will be okay.

It's nice to be nice

Sometimes being nice to others can be difficult, especially when people often take your kindness for granted.
The funny thing about the way you treat others is that at times people never seem to be content with it, no matter what. There have been times when I haven't been as nice as I should be to people and received complaints. But there have also been other times when I've gone above and beyond to be nice, yet people either don't appreciate it or question my intentions. I find this to be beyond confusing and annoying.
Things such as this leave me questioning what people actually want from me, because nothing seems to make anyone happy.
Then I realised, why bother trying to please mere mortals when the only being I should be concerned with trying to please is the Father Lord God Almighty. 
Even Jesus was nice to those who hated him. So no matter how people respond to your kindness, I encourage everyone to continue to be kind regardless.
This is why I took it upon myself to be nice because it will benefit me more. I'm even tying to be nice 24/7.
Its almost self rewarding when you're nice just because...it's nice to be nice. Most importantly it will benefit you more in the long run, you learn to humble yourself and perform good deeds without any requests. And yes, eventually you will be rewarded.

Ephesians 4:32 ''Be kind and compassionate to one another"; just like how this verse doesn't give us any conditions, we should act kindly without any strings attached.

Bad company corrupts good character

The following post is going to be rather short as I feel that it's pretty self explanatory.
I just wanted to share some food for thought...
It is true when people say that bad company corrupts good character.  
In associating with people with negative vibes, you could possibly be influenced and start to become negative like your fellow counterparts.
One must always remember to stay positive and not allow others to dictate life for them.
The company that you keep often says a lot about the person that you are; its not that people are judging you based on the characters around you but sometimes, just sometimes you may not notice how corrupt such characters really are. They can go as far as hindering you without you even noticing.
Once you feel like the company that you associate yourself with no longer bring good vibes into your life, it's okay to simply walk away. It's okay to be 'comfy on your ones.' At times being 'comfy on your ones' is the best thing. As the saying goes: it is better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.

You have to be picky about who you associate yourself with. Not everyone has a good heart; as well as that bad company won't hesitate to corrupt your character and taint your image.

"Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." - 1 Corinthians 15:33 

Same blog, different name.

Good evening, I hope all is well and everyone is having a good week.
I just wanted to let everyone know about the changes that will be taking place on this blog.
I will be joining forces with my older sister and we will be known as 'Queens who blog.'
We intend to blog together, share ideas, stories and still aim to empower others. Though our schedules may differ and we are both very busy, we will do our best to write as often as possible. And not to worry, we are two very different people but share the same form of writing; nothing will change in the ways things are presented.

Thank you all for the support that you've shown this blog so far and I hope that you continue to show plenty more.
God bless.

"I am too blessed to be stressed and too grateful to be hateful"

This is a quote that I often see on Twitter and Instagram. I'm not too sure who said it but it really stands out to me; its true and authentic in the ways in which it should apply to life.
Sometimes we often forget how blessed we are. We tend to overlook the things we have and end up taking things for granted.
For example many of us are lucky to have a roof over our heads, food to eat and whilst some may not be privileged to receive free education until the age of 18, others are blessed with this opportunity but do not realise the opportunity given to them and waste it. These are the things often overshadowed by our inability to be content with what we have.
Instead of focusing on what we have, we focus on what we don't have. 
You need to be grateful for the things you have, no matter the size of it, it's still something.
Don't worry about what others have and most importantly don't compare your blessings with others. Comparisons can easily mislead you into envying others.
We need to understand that contentedness can never be fulfilled once we focus on comparing our achievements with that of others. With that said, once we are gazed on comparing lifestyles or whatever, we will never be grateful because we don't have the things that others have. But how are we sure that we need those things? It's a vicious cycle, always chasing after things and not taking time out to observe what we have and feeling grateful. We end up feeling empty, incomplete and dissatisfied to name a few; creating non-existent problems, we attempt to solve them but only end up digging our holes deeper because we were never content.
So, all in all, the message I leave with you today is...
Count your blessings and be more grateful; counting problems will only make you hateful.

Take a chance

Life is all about choices. You get to choose what you want in your life. For example you get to choose what you eat on a daily basis, you choose the clothes you want to wear, you can choose to be friends with whoever you want to be friends with etc.
But at times making a choice is hard so you have to learn to take risks. There is nothing wrong with taking a risk.
This blog is an example of a risk taken by me.
Making a blog was something that I've wanted to do for some time. It was on my to-do list for ages, probably a few years but because I was so scared to make a proper one I didn't officially make one until October last year. It was as if I didn't have the courage or confidence to make one. Since then I haven't looked back or regretted my decision.
I'm so glad that I decided to take a chance with this whole blogging thing.
I was letting irrelevant things hold me back and these things prevented me from doing something that I'd thoroughly enjoy. Fear was something that held me back for some time. Before I built up the courage to make a blog, I was so afraid that my blog wouldn't  "bang" and that no one would read it. But here I am, getting views from all around  the world. Even though I'm not the world's best blogger and I don't have like a million views, it doesn't actually matter. As long as I'm getting views and supportive feedback from encouraging friends and readers, that's all that really matters.
So there you go, that's my mini testimony about this blog.

I'd like to encourage everyone to take a chance with everything because you never know unless you try. My advice would be to just go for it.

I'll finish off  by saying some thank you's. First of all thanks to the Lord God Almighty,  without whom none of this would have been possible. My wonderful parents and siblings, my encouraging friends and of course the haters who are my motivators.

Goals

The aim is to set a goal and achieve it.

Everyone either has a goal right now or will one day have a goal that they hope to achieve in the future. 

What I love about having a goal/several goals is that any goal is possible as long as you're determined to achieve it and work hard towards your goal/goals.

A goal is a goal, regardless of how big or small it is. The important thing about having a goal is your own personal belief that you can achieve it. As long as you believe that you can achieve, go for it and don't let anything or anyone hold you back. 

Try to not undermine yourself by being pessimistic about potential goals. Never discredit a potential goal because you think it's too big for you to achieve. No goal is impossible. When in doubt about a goal, I just remind myself that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13.

Also try to not be easily influenced by other people as everyone is different. To do this, one must stay in their own lane and do what's best for them.

The best thing about your own goals are that your goals are yours, and yours only. Therefore, what others think of your goals isn't really that important. If you begin to focus on what others think, then you'll start to lose sight of your goal and that isn't good at all.

Be careful about who you share your goals with because not everyone wants the best for you or has the best intentions for you. Some may laugh at your goals and make you feel like you can't achieve it. These are the people that you need to stay away from because negative energy like that could potentially discourage you from wanting to reach your goals. However, there are some good people out there who practically cheer for you as you pursue your goal/goals. So before you share your goals with others make sure that you're sharing them with supportive and encouraging people.

“Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” -Paul Brandt

This post was inspired by my amazing best friend Afua.

The sun, the moon and the truth.

The following post was inspired by a saying by the Buddha ''three things cannot be long hidden; the sun the moon and the truth."
Indeed the truth, like the sun and the moon cannot be hidden for too long. Even when the sun and the moon  are covered by the clouds, it's only temporary and eventually you'll be able to see them again.
In terms of the truth, it will eventually come out and that's why I strongly believe that people should always tell the truth, especially in situations where the truth can make a huge impact.
It's better if you tell the truth immediately or as soon as possible instead of waiting for it to come out some months or years later because that might cause much more pain in comparison to if the truth was told straight away.
Yes, sometimes the truth may hurt but lies can be even more hurtful. That's why I always try to tell my loved ones the truth because I understand that the consequences of lying can be fatal at times.
Telling the truth can really set you free because at times lying can be rather long. Once you start lying you have to be able to remember your lies, keep them going and just hope that the truth doesn't come out. Whereas if the truth is told earlier on, life is made much more easier.
Lies can be heavy burdens that can  potentially hold you back and prevent the formation of relationships as all relationships are built on trust.

So just remember, honesty is the best policy.

Things to do when you're angry

As someone who gets easily annoyed and angry at the smallest things, finding ways to calm down have been very essential for myself. So I thought that it would be nice to compile a list of the things that I sometimes do to calm myself and share it.

1. Pray- for me, the best thing that I can do for myself when I'm angry is to pray. I often ask God to give me the strength that I need in order to overcome the anger and be at peace with myself once more. 
2. Read the Bible - there are plenty of Bible verses that deal with anger. For example: Ephesians 4:26-27 "In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold" and Psalm 37:8 "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil"
3. Breathe- it may sound silly but simply inhaling and exhaling can make a major difference to your mood.
4. Listen to some music - lately when I feel like I need to calm down, listening to Tink, Mariah Carey and Nico & Vinz has been really effective for me.
5. Sleep- although this won't make the problem go away, it will give you some time to be at peace with yourself.
6. Talk to someone - keeping all of your anger inside of you is no good, it could potentially make you even more angrier.Venting to a close family member or a trustworthy friend about your anger can help a lot.
7. Relax - find something relaxing to do for example writing or drawing as this is likely to distract you from your anger
8. Think - is the anger worth it? Do you really need to be so angry about the particular problem? Do you really need to use your time and energy on being angry or could your time and energy on better things? 

"Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you're doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you." - Joel Osteen

''Letter to Philo'' by anonymous

I hope that everyone has had a blessed week. I just wanted to share this beautiful piece of writing that was submitted to me via email by someone who would like to remain anonymous. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did. Stay blessed.

"I always dream of moonlit nights with you. Dreams so pleasant they stain sheets.

I ache for you. My heart aches for you. A heart that had been taught to accommodate pain and solitude.
To forgive is to forget but how fast, how soon you forgot me I will not forgive but hope to forget.
Remembering half filled glasses of leftover wine with burned out candles facing each other is recalled with tears.
I reminisce about moments when you sat idle because I insisted you needed to relax.And as you sat I sat watchin you. Counting days, years, children, family scenes with funny stories. 
Drawing the curtains, I see again. In one sense it has been so short a time.
Was the choice really noble?To refuse a loving lady's advances. Admonitions. A choice that turns this story into a Shakespearean tragedy. A noble choice?
Through confused infatuation the snaky satan sneaked into our precious moments. To ruin Adamic man and put me into perpetual disgrace.
The love in Eden ended on a moonlit night and God didn't have to sack man. Eve left with her ripe apples and the snake.
Now man suffers because he did not succumb to the gratification of a natural need. Necessary to woman. Necessary to woo man.
In my defense that eve, "Let's wait for the Lord's day". A wedding day. For the word teaches us that eating the fruit led to man's first judgment day and now he suffers. A noble choice?
A long way I have come.Cascaded through thick and thin.Now on a lonely path singing a sorrowful parting song in silence.

I have now come to the point where I need to move on and go my separate way. Are your apples still ripe? Never mind.
Perhaps we will meet again. Perhaps......never, ever to meet again.

But someday should we meet............."

If you would like to submit anything to me, please feel free to email me: theghanaianqueen@gmail.com 

A relationship with God

This following post was requested by a friend of mine called Sinmi, who wanted me to talk about having a relationship with God.I'd like to start off by saying that I'm not here to tell you that you have to have a relationship with God as I'm not an expert, but establishing a good relationship with God makes this difficult thing called life so much easier. Whether you choose to have a relationship with God is up to you and no one else. The beautiful thing about having a relationship with God is that it's a personal relationship that's between you and God only, no one else. God is the only person that you can truly ever trust and he will always have your back, no matter what. Even when the whole world seems to be against you, God will be there for you. If you don't have a relationship with God at this very moment in time, don't worry because he still has a relationship with you and he loves you regardless of how strong your current relationship with him is. 
How I see it, your relationship with God can take whatever form you want. There are no rules about how you should go about when building your relationship with God. If you feel like fasting, going to church, praying, reading the Bible etc is what you need in order to build a stable and intimate relationship with God then so be it. Do what floats your boat and makes you comfortable. No one has the right to judge how you go about in building a relationship with God.
My relationship with God has helped me a lot through the past couple of months. Exam season can be tough, but with the relationship that I had with God I was able to feel less stressed and I feel like I was able to overcome the difficulties. 
People are often quick to abandon God as soon as the hard times are over, for example as soon as exams are finished. However, this needs to be an ongoing thing. God is not a part time God, he's a full time God so a relationship with God should not be a part time thing but a full time thing.
Just remember: when times are good, pray. When times are bad, pray. When you're up, pray. When you're down, pray. Don't just communicate with God when times are difficult and rough, but communicate with God when times are good also.

As aforementioned, this post was requested by friend and if you have any requests feel free to contact me theghanaianqueen@gmail.com.

What I do during my breaks

Just wanted to share what I do during my breaks. I'm not the best but this is something that I greatly enjoy doing. Maybe with some practice, one day I'll be able to draw hands, feet and a face lol.

Knowing your circle

Knowing your circle well is very important, which is why I am constantly going on about it.
I wish I had been advised earlier on about this, because it would have meant that I wouldn't have wasted so much time with people who weren't necessarily adding to my life or serving a good purpose.
Here's a few points to always consider:

• A large circle isn't always best; large circles from my observations often result in factions developing...sometimes it's best to keep your circle small. As your circle decreases in number, the value of your circle increases.
• Try and make a distinction between the real and the fakes as soon as possible.
  This may be hard because the fake ones can be pretty good actors/actresses who are capable of fooling you and making you believe that they're genuinely your friends. At times, a particular event may need to happen in order for you realise who's genuine. When this happens it's essential that action is taken decisively.
• Don't let anything surprise you. People at times can be so temporary and superficial, so I've taught myself to not allow anything to shock me any more.
• Make sure you're surrounded with honest people, i.e. discern the secret haters and let them go. People who are not honest can be seen to be forever throwing shade, they come across as unsupportive and if you do find yourself questioning their purpose as your friend, then maybe they are not honest and also not your friend.
• Non-judgemental people are loyal and will always let you know when you are right or wrong; the ways in which these characters will approach about your actions are always reasonable and no matter how sensitive you are, you will never feel that they are judging you in anyway. In fact, you will thank them for their openness and letting you know a few things about yourself. They want you to win just as bad.
• Refrain from having a "leader" within your circle, everyone should be considered as being equal, no one is of any higher authority. Dominant characters are always looking for a crowd to lead, they may seem controlling and often butt-heads with others when they feel like their views are not being accepted. Surround yourself with those who are constructive and will understand your views.

Know your circle well, remove any squares out of your circle, make sure there are only champions in your league and life should be good.

Here's a picture that I've seen being circulated on social media and I thought that it suited this post quite well.

Art with Kente by yours truly x

Just some Kente designs by me.
Kente, besides being my sister's middle name, symbolises great wealth and culture amongst the Ghanaian community. So a few years ago, it only felt right to just do a quick piece on it to embrace my Ghanaian culture. 

My big sister's blog

Check out my big sister's blog:

www.dearnewkaren.blogspot.co.uk

Change

Too often I've seen people change in order to fit in or to gain acceptance from "friends". It's not really any of my business, but it's still something that I find irritating.

The fact that you feel like you have to change in order to gain approval from your friends, suggests that your friends may not really accept you as who you are and your friendships need to be re-evaluated.

If you're going to change, make sure you're changing for your own personal benefit and for all the right reasons. Don't change yourself for other people, change because you want to change. Change because you want to improve as person and to make yourself happy. Worrying about how others perceive you should be the least of your concerns as you go about living life. The most important thing is the way in which you perceive and love yourself. 

At the end of the day, we were all born as originals so there's no need to die as a copy. We're all original, we need to be able to maintain our individuality. Be the leader, not the follower. Always the head and not the tail.

HAPPY GHANAIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

On this day 58 years ago, our great nation gained its independence from British colonial rule.

Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain its independence and this is something that makes me proud, because we were able to inspire many other nations to do the same thing.

Being Ghanaian is something that makes me so proud. I love my country, our culture and our people. I could probably write a book about how much I love Ghana, because its something that means so much to me.

The 6th of March has to be one of my favourite days in the year, because it's a day that unites Ghanaians everywhere and it is a day that celebrates our great achievement that will forever be apart of history.

May God bless our homeland Ghana, and make our nation great and strong!

Thank you Dr Nkrumah

1 Timothy 4:12

Just wanted to share this Bible quote as a form of encouragement for young people.
Sometimes we struggle to ignore the people who look down on us. Often, those who look down on young people are people of older generations who have somehow forgotten what it's like to be young, misunderstood and constantly judged simply because of our age. The perceptions of young people are generally negative, particularly in the media. The preconceptions associated with here-says are wrongly influencing the ways in which young people are approached and treated. The media for example, can be so quick to condemn our wrong doings, but how often does the media congratulate and reward our achievements?

Forward ever, backwards never?

Twitter post by @ACCRA_GHANA

Seeing this twitter post this morning has disappointed and angered me so much. I know that the cash reward is definitely true but whether or not the Jeep reward is true, I do not know. However, I still feel that this is something that needs to be addressed.

Firstly, I'd like to congratulate the Blackstars for their efforts at AFCON. Although the players played well during the tournament, I don't agree with the sum of money being rewarded to them. The sum of money being rewarded to them would be understandable if we won the tournament, but we didn't win. We came second. Some of the players didn't even play of a standard that qualifies them to receive such a large sum of money and some players didn't even get the chance to play, yet I'm sure they're receiving money too. They're basically receiving money just for sitting at the side of the pitch. If that can result in receiving a large sum of money, then surely the Ghanaian supporters who travelled all the way to Equatorial Guinea deserve to be rewarded in such ways. Especially those present at that chaotic semi-final match between Ghana and the hosts.

Secondly, I'd like to express my concerns about the way money is squandered by the Ghanaian government on unnecessary  things like this. Instead of spending money on finding ways to improve the electrical systems in Ghana, which have been a problem for as long as I can remember, the government are spending money on things like this?  

This isn't the first time that I've heard about cars being given away. Recently, on my holiday to Ghana during the summer of 2014, I heard about the President giving 13 (quite expensive) cars to Chiefs in Ghana. Surely this money could have been spent on trying to improve the roads in Ghana so that cars could actually drive on them without getting damaged. The main roads in Ghana appear to be fine, but it's the quality of the side roads and smaller streets that bother me so much.

That money could have also been used on covering up the gutters everywhere in Ghana. Closing up the gutters and creating a proper sewage system in Ghana could improve hygiene and sanitation in Ghana by a huge amount. I think that certain diseases will no longer be an issue in Ghana if there was a proper sewage system.

I'm not trying to tell the Ghanaian government how to do their job, but I just think that they need to sort out their priorities. They probably have good intentions for the people of Ghana, but I just feel like every single government is the same. We often say "forward ever, backwards never" but as a nation are we really moving forwards?

Rome wasn't built in a day

This has to be one of my favourite sayings because it makes me realise that the things that I desire cannot magically occur with a click of a finger, it requires a lot of work and effort from me.
The great saying has been adapted from a French proverb, though it is true that it wasn’t built in a day, it doesn’t exempt it from the fact it did burn down in one.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep the faith and persevere with our work especially when we don’t see much progress.
Yes we love to see fast results but sometimes patience is more of a virtue than we’ll ever know.
We can’t rush things but it is daunting when things are taking far too long. Similar to growth, we can’t go to sleep at 17 and expect to wake up at 21. It is theoretically, hypothetically, physically and *insert big word here* impossible. But with all this rushing to achieve success, we can end up destroying the things we have spent a while building and destroy the little chance at progression that we had.
It's true success won’t come over night,unless you’re lucky to be an actual overnight sensation, but even then a lot of work has already gone into it for it to reach that far. 
Indeed Rome wasn't built in a day and success can't come over night, so be patient in all that you endeavour.

Carpe Diem

Throughout life many of us, if not already, have faced situations which have required us to make decisions. These decisions influence the course of our lives, so essentially these decisions are very crucial life changing ones.

At some point between the ages 15 and 18, it is expected of us to make decisions regarding our futures, and those decisions need serious thought. The things we say or do at this point is literally going to haunt us because of its significance and impact on our futures, whether it's small or large.

This much pressure makes decision making even more difficult because we have to start questioning ourselves and even almost second guess our abilities. We must think about how our actions will benefit us in the future and ask ourselves whether it could compromise our future, leaving us with regrets.

Thinking like this can be difficult at times because we do not know what the future holds. The present is a gift and we only get the opportunity to live each day once, so why spend time worrying about the future? Yes we must plan it, but we should live in the moment, as well as enjoy it. Everyday is yet another day we won't get back. Many of us want to enjoy our lives right now, but it's very difficult to do so because we have to think about what career paths and relevant work experience we need.

My only advice is, to live with integrity and aspire for the things you love. So as the saying goes, carpe diem.

Negativity

"Why am I not good enough?"; the type of question that tends to enter our thought processes when we're surrounded by people who are constantly pushing our self esteem down. Regardless of the context, these questions are often posed by those who never wants to see us do good. That's the thing sometimes with the company we often keep. Some people may want to you to do good but never better than them. These type of people are negative and they will try and  knock you down at any given opportunity. 

Why are people so negative in the first place? There is so much to be grateful for in life, for example the fact that you're alive and breathing right now is a living testimony and it shows that God is not yet finished with you. The limited time that we have on this earth needs to be used wisely and efficiently. Despite this wonderful life that we have been given, some people still choose to invest their time and energy into pushing people down.

It is better to surround yourself with positive, successful people who elevate you and help you to grow as a person. These are the type of people who constantly show you support, love and stand with you during the trials that you face as you chase your destiny.