A MAGICAL WORLD OF LOVE

I'm lost,
Lost in a vast dream,
Of a world I cannot fathom,
Yet it's a mere fantasy;
Of a world seemingly,
In a distant galaxy,
All beautiful and perfect,
Naught blemish on sight,
Peace and tranquility,
A trait I dare not forget,
Each moment full of bliss,
Sorrow nothing but a distant memory;
Making me just wish,
To never awaken to the reality. 
What a magical world of love...

THE ELUSIVE EMOTION

Miles and miles away,
She goes on and about,
Naive of the world beyond-
Exotic and a beauty to behold,
Coveted by many,
For it's resemblance to paradise;
Even when experienced in tiny,
It's still a reason to rejoice,
Yet she's blind,
Comatose and unaware,
Of the lurking joy, 
Just for her taking-
Enormous and inconceivable,
Sweeping one off their feet.
A force equally great,
To overpower a sturdy castle,
Deserved by the kind hearted,
For it's sheer magnitude-
The heart it's true abode;
Yet an elusive emotion,
To the few if not many.

MY SHIMMER OF LIGHT

I was once lost,
Lonely and torn apart.
My heart akin to a shell,
Empty and in shambles.
Thoughts unfathomable,
Inspiration inconceivable.
Then all was illuminated,
In a way unexpected;
For I found my star,
Compared to all brighter;
For indeed you're a gift,
A shimmer of light,
When all doesn't bode well.
I'm only but thankful,
To have you as a friend.

LIBERALIZATION (PART I)

My days are longer,

Over and over,

Creating a sequence,

Tying me down to my nuance,

Akin to a captive,

With an edge of a positive;

Perhaps because I can roam-

Freely in the realm;

With each step lost,

Deep in the midst,

Of my emotions,

Of fairly spooky proportions,

Hoping my wish,

Can liberate me from this mesh,

Sooner rather than later!

TRICKS FOR A GOOD MOOD

 There are a few occasions in life when one feels less motivated and uninspired due to negative emotions. It has been said over and over again that, 'it does not hurt to be happy' but the daunting question is, how can one get back into a good mood when overwhelmed by these emotions?
I recently encountered some tricks which can be helpful:

1) Positive Energy.

When negative energy hovers around you, a bad mood is inevitable. If one can fight this then in no time you could be up and jumping around, as a happy person. A few things to bring back the positive energy include:

(a) Exercising - When you involve your body in an exercise no matter how simple it is, there is production of  a chemical i.e dopamine which leads to happiness.

(b) Think of something you cherish - A bad mood may arise from having sad thoughts. Happy thoughts will always get you excited.

(c)  Long deep breaths - Try to relax your body by taking some deep breaths to calm you down.

(d) Listen to inspiring music - This will get rid of all the sadness and eventually put a smile on your face.

2) Do something new.

Day to day activities may get you down as they may tend to be boring since they may lack the thrill.
New input to your program breaks the pattern as you're able to create new and exciting memories.
They can also be things you love but you don't get to do them often; like watching television, taking a walk, visiting a friend and so much more.

3) Writing a Short Gratitude List.

This gets your mind to focus on the stuff you're grateful for and gets you happier and proud.
You may be in a bad mood because you're referring to yourself as 'poor-me'. Anything that you are absolutely grateful  for discards this mentality and ultimately leaves' you in a good mood .
For instance I can say am grateful for this blog, having supportive friends, great weather. Seen how easy it can be?

The above tricks will always get you into a good mood whenever sad or depressed. Just try them out and share your experience.

WILLPOWER

Many a times, 

The world does feel smaller,

Probably bigger with less in it;

Few chances and opportunities,

Less motivation and purpose,

More shortcomings and misfortunes,

Enshrined in the day to day way of life;

The only comfort a couple of words,

"Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"

Yet strength is hard to come by,

Precisely the physical strength;

Fortunately, willpower can be summoned,

Tainted with willingness to fight;

Shedding off all the negativity,

Creating a new purpose and reenacting motivation,

A peculiarity that makes the world a perfect place,

Worth awakening to.

NOT ALONE

I stare up at the sky,
An empty space,
That's all I see,
Nothing captivating on sight,
Yet it's a calm night,
Filled with melodious sounds,
Escaping the unseen little insects,
Deservedly worth the praise,
For they offer stiff competition,
To the soothing tunes,
Of the early morning birds;
The sounds peculiarly gentle-
The melody untainted,
As the rhythm echoes,
Restoring hope,
Though in my own world, 
Elevating me to a star,
To shine through the vastness,
Of the outer space,
Wandering aimlessly through the sky,
The world not my own,
For I stumble upon other stars;
Realizing I'm not alone anymore.
 

STRIKING A BALANCE

I never seem to fully savor a deservedly earned victory. It gets me beaming with pleasure and clinching my fist in a snooty manner. The feeling can be overwhelming but I don't let it impinge upon my attitude and behavior. 
 'One should never desert his true self and drown in a fleeting feeling' is my guiding principle. This phrase is peculiarly curved from the realization that there are still more battles yet to come, no matter the current outcome.
My reaction after a unforeseen loss (bearing in mind we all encounter challenges or predicaments with the hope of pulling through successfully) is never the inverse of when I win. 
I must admit losing does change my mood precipitously. I start contemplating on the various strategies I should have used and might have had a higher probability of success!
I try not to rue my missed chance and move on quickly. Basically, this is in order to be prepared for what lies ahead no matter how bleak.
There need to be a balance between winning and losing. Winning is meant to increase the appetite for success. I often rather than not get inspiration from my past success. I use it to curve a desirable result in whatever I encounter.
Losing should be the basis of challenging oneself. I take it as a lesson and ensure I'm much better in my future endeavors.
Never let losing affect you. Replicate success and you'll attain all your goals.

INEXTRICABLY CONNECTED

The feeling was intangible,
Though one trait was very lucid;
It immensely sent pangs of anxiety,
Across the motionless stiff body,
That had already been entrapped ,
In galloping and spooky fear, 
Peculiarly unpredictable,
With each passing minute,
Wishing I could be quietude,
To prevent the darkness from resurrecting,
Inside my ingenuous aching heart,
Devoid of energy and elation;
An absolute devastating cruelty,
To the day's awaiting chores,
Needing exceptionally careful attention,
Rather than desultory, 
Convoluted considerations,
Emanated from mere hazy thoughts,
Ensuing more agonizingly,
Boundless anguish,
Proving to be intolerable,
As it had a drastic obtrusive effect,
That required hasty intercession,
Before the wee strength left in me,
Vanished like the joy existing beforehand,
Wishing it would be reignited,
For all the multiple mixed emotions,
Were inextricably connected.

Famous Failures That Succeeded (infographic)

Failure does not bring an end to the desire of success nor does it mean its time to give up. The fear of failure holds back many people from pursuing their dreams and attaining success. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
There are many renown individuals who while starting out encountered many obstacles yet they overcame them. The following inforgraphic epitomizes some of their setbacks:

JOYOUS SMILE

The faces are gloom,
Gloom as if from the doom,
Unprepared to give in soon;
The joyous smile erased,
Far from their grasp,
The world now changed,
Not even the joyous smile,
Can keep it's place-
Overtaken and overthrown,
By the newest guard,
A conservative conniving chief,
Sorely sour and solemn,
An abyss of acute melancholy,
Completely engulfing the joyous smile;
Wiping it off from memory,
Burying it in the past,
The present a stygian figure,
Ugly and unbearable,
Yet unchangeable,
The future bleak,
Yet all are unperturbed,
Reminiscing the joyous smile-
Which ultimately,
Radiates hope past the somberness.

How to Become a Winner

The taste of victory is very sweet especially if attained through hard work. It improves one's self esteem and increases your desire to always be a winner.

Here are a few tips to help you become a winner:

Think positively. Do not let negative thoughts shut your desire to succeed. When you encounter hurdles, draw your positive attitude and react constructively. Winners never let fear, worry or even doubt guide them.

Have the will to accept responsibility. Always carry the responsibility of being and doing the best. Acknowledge mistakes or failures and learn from them. Do not use excuses but find solutions.

Persevere and persist. This involves never giving up. A winner commits to achieving his goals. Winners go over any hurdles encountered and turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Be ready to persist until you succeed.

Be willing to pay the price of success. This entails the will to work harder than others. If everyone else does something ten times a day, commit to do it a hundred times a day. Winners are willing to give the time and effort to achieve their goals. 

Set up specific goals. In order to succeed, you need to know where you're going. Learn to work towards achieving your set goals. Have these goals as a constant reminder of the direction you're heading to.

Form a winning habit by trying to challenge yourself everyday. It's this habit that makes one a winner.

How to Seize an Opportunity

Seizing opportunity is simply taking advantage of an opportunity when offered. There are moments in life when opportunity presents itself but you happen not to grab it. This can be very frustrating especially when you flashback and just wish you had acted differently.
Here are a few things that can help optimize your chances of seizing an opportunity when it comes your way:

Put up a fight and believe in yourself. This involves getting to know your second self. When presented with an opportunity you may tend to be scared. However, there is a second self in you ready to seize all the opportunities you desire. Get to know that second self and befriend it because chances are that when opportunity knocks, it will be the one to motivate and inspire you to take it.

Keep your eyes open and be prepared. First, it's important to think of the opportunities you want to prepare for. Once you have invested and realized the opportunities you're looking for, keep your eyes open. You have no idea when an opportunity might pop up. If you happen to discern your opportunities beforehand, you can seize them whenever they arise.

Realize you can never be totally prepared. Always choose to regard failure as a reason to hope for the opportunity to blossom. Author Mark Batterson writes, "Our best days often start out as our worst days. And our greatest opportunities are often disguised as our biggest problems."

Just put it out there. The most important thing about seizing an opportunity is simply: to do something, to do anything and to put it out there, because it's the only way to allow it to create a complex force of it's own. This influences the opportunity you desire to arise and you'll be ready to seize it.

Look out for the opportunities life presents you with and you'll end up more successful.

THE CHANCE

The tiny chance,
We get in life,
Bear a purpose,
Worth clinging onto;
A 'life changing' factor,
As it inescapably,
Does feel unlucky,
Especially when endless,
Insurmountable thoughts,
Haunt our minds,
Many, of how we wasted,
A valuable opportunity,
Dawdling on stuff,
Much of a muchness-
Unimportant and equally unnecessary,
When the chance,
Unveiled itself,
Making one hopeless,
While adding more troubles,
Hovering as a constant reminder,
For unfortunately,
There is no way to turn back time,
And grab the chance,
Sadly out of reach.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Inspirational quotes and motivational quotes have the power to uplift our spirits and can give us the courage to pursue our dreams.

Here is a collection of some of the inspirational quotes:-

1.   He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. –Epictetus

2.  If you keep saying things are going to be bad, you have a chance of being a prophet. -Isaac B. Singer

3.   Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything. -Napoleon Hill

4.  Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. -Sir Winston Churchill

5.  The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results. -Norman Vincent Peale

6.  Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. -Benjamin Franklin

7.  Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it.  -William Durant

8.  I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the sweet earth's flowing breast. -Joyce Kilmer.

9.   It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. -Lou Holtz

10.   When someone tells me "no", it doesn't mean I can't do it, it simply means I can't do it with them. -Karen E. Quinones Miller

11.   Your life is an occasion. Rise to it. -Suzanne Weyn

12.   Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. -Martin Luther

13.  Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us. -David Richo

14.  Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. -Paulo Coelho, Brida

15. I said "Somebody should do something about that." Then I realized I am somebody. -Lily Tomlin

16.  Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. -Carl Bard

17.   I challenge you to make your life the masterpiece you want to paint, the novel you want to read, the day you want to wake to. -Toni Sorenson

18.  It's not about perfect. It's about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that's where transformation happens. That's how change occurs. -Jillian Michaels

19.  There are as many worlds as there are kinds of days, and as an opal changes its colors and its fire to match the nature of a day, so do I. -John Steinbeck

20.   The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose.  -Arnold Bennett

21.  It was an image Melody would never forget. Or was it the emotions the image conjured - hope, excitement, and fear of the unknown, all three tightly braided together, creating a fourth emotion that was impossible to define. She was getting a second chance at happiness and it tickled like swallowing fifty fuzzy caterpillars.  -Lisi Harrison, Monster High

22. We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise we harden. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

23.  You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose. Lou Holtz

24.  When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope. -Pittacus Lore

25.  A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it. -Ray Davis

26.   Do not sit still; start moving now. In the beginning, you may not go in the direction you want, but as long as you are moving, you are creating alternatives and possibilities. -Rodolfo Costa

27. Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. -Lou Holtz

Feel free to share some of your own quotes.

HABITS FOR SUCCESS

Success is often curved out of building a series of practices day-in, day-out. It's the little things that we do on a daily basis that make us who we are in the long-term. 'Practice makes perfect,' its often said. Practice connoting habit and action in all the goals set out to be achieved. 
Here are some habits that help in attaining success:

(i) Talk about ideas.
 Spend time with others talking about ideas and positive things you can create. Talk about about the world, and refrain from talking about too many useless negative things that waste energy. 

(ii) Surround yourself with successful people.
Avoid people that will distract your work and destroy your dream. Instead have only happy, positive people who challenge you to improve yourself and always ready to support you. 

 (iii) Keep a daily journal.
 Keeping a journal and reflecting on your daily experiences is one of the best ways to ingrain experiences and life lessons in your mind each and every day.

It's best writing in a journal twice a day. In the morning before you start your day; to get your juices flowing and get some positive words down on paper, and at night before going to bed; to get your overflowing thoughts down on paper and to take note of what you have learnt. 

For those who don’t like writing, mindfulness meditation is recommended.  

(iv) Keep learning.

Invest time and energy into continually learning and developing new skills. It can be through reading, videos and mentoring. It helps inspire your mind and creates a flow of ideas.

(v)  Express gratitude.
If someone does something nice for you, or you find yourself in a fortunate situation, be thankful and express your gratitude. Be genuinely thankful for any help you get no matter how small.

(vi) Make sacrifices.
Get in the habit of sacrificing things that you may like in your life, for things that will help you become successful. Focus on things that will help in your development and growth.

(vii) Be positive.
Always remain positive and think positively. Never let negative thoughts creep into your mind.

(viii) Work hard.
If you work harder than everyone else, success can’t hide from you. Make it an habit of working harder than your competition.

If your habits are those of a successful, happy, productive, hard-working person, there’s no way you can’t be successful.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle.

PAST, TO THE FUTURE

Time goes by,
Experiences etched in my memory,
Lessons kept in mind,
Disappointments partially fresh in my heart,
Gradually becoming habituated,
To the pain, joy, strength,
Once I reminiscence,
Or reflect on my encounters,
For its through them,
I got to where I am today,
Tougher, stronger and full of valour,
Towards a bright-bleak tomorrow;
Devoid of any negative emotions,
Ascribable to break one's step,
Exhaustively forged,
Far from the chains of the past,
Inevitably foiling,
Any achievements attained;
Rather devote on circumventing,
The horrendous intricacies,
Life is generous to offer-
By unleashing the spirit,
Of the willingness to fight on,
Just when no hope is on the horizon.