My Public Speaking Experience

During school, college and service I never participated in any Group Discussion or stage program. Therefore, I never knew what stage fear or stage phobia was.

Our school has a weekly "Parents View" program in the assembly. Around four years ago, I l received a call from the Principal of our school to come to the "Parents View" talk the next morning. He asked me to speak to the group. The month of Ramzan month was going on so the Principal suggested I speak about Ramzan.

After the call my whole body became feverish and panicky. The time between his call to the next morning was just like fourteen years of exile for Lord Rama. The whole night, I could not sleep. Many negative thoughts were coming. One of them was to call the Principal, with regret, and tell him that I could not come.

Finally, I gathered some courage. I thought, if I miss this opportunity, surely, the school will never invite me again to any of their programs. So, I decided to go and speak. I reached the school in time. Before my turn came, my whole body was trembling. When my turn came and I started speaking, my legs started vibrating, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn't even able to read the written speech properly. I was not aware of where I was standing and what I was reading. That was the day when I realized my biggest weakness: Public Speaking.

After my speech, I met with the Principal and explained what happened to me. He told me that this happens to everyone. These symptoms are very common. Even great Speakers faced the same things when they started. He suggested that I come again the next week. I prepared a topic of talk for the next occasion. I practiced my presentation throughout the week from my notes.

This time I was somewhat comfortable but not confident. Afterwards, I met with the Principal again and told him about the improvements I felt I had made. He was kind enough to invite me again, but this time to give a presentation for the teachers. For around one month, I prepared and practiced for my presentation on Motivation. This time I was feeling comfortable. I gave the presentation and it was appreciated by the Principal as well as the teachers because they knew where I started from. They encouraged and praised my efforts.

After a few months, our school organized a Principal's Conference wherein 120 Principals participated. Our Principal was kind enough to invite me as a guest Speaker. I prepared and practiced for this Presentation day and night. My topic of the talk was Relationships. With the grace of God, this went very well and was appreciated by the audience.

After delivering this presentation successfully, I became more confident. I said to myself, "If I can speak in front of such a learned audience, like Principals' who educate others, I can now speak in front of others too."

I started giving presentations in my plant, especially for GETs/ DETs, on various topics like Self Motivation, Personality Development, Personal Excellence, SpokenEnglish and Presentation Skills. Now I always look forward for the opportunity to give presentations.This has become a passion for me.

I learned that everything is possible if we have courage to take the First Step. The saying goes: A journey of thousand miles begins with first step. Take a risk to take that first step.

©B.K. Mansury

Salvation Ministries Church Begins 5 Nights of Glory!

Hello dear!

Alright...!

So, the much talked about, and heavyweight program that has been making waves across the globe since December 2014 has finally kicked off in a grand style! With God setting people free from satanic bondage, drawing people to salvation, and performing great and mind boggling miracles through His Servant David Ibiyeomie... One of the notable miracles was:

A woman who came to the program (church) with crutches was healed, and also one of her legs that was shorter than the other grew back to normal size (I saw it live!). That was a creative miracle... No mortal man can do that except God!

Therefore, I'm specially inviting you to the program "5 NIGHTS OF GLORY"... Come and experience God's Glory live @ Salvation Ministries Church or any of the Satellites, and Viewing Centers in Nigeria.

You can also worship live online at www.5nog.org (select Radio or TV).
Time: 4:30pm (GMT+1) daily, 19 - 23 Jan 2015

The programme will also be translated in French specially for the French speaking online worshippers.

I wouldn't miss this program for anything else...if I were you!

See You There!

Who You Are Speaks Louder... Let It Be!

A man once went to a fortune teller, curious to know what she would say about his future. The fortune tellerlooked into her magic ball and then her facial expression said it all. The man would die, she said, involved in a bus accident. This would happen within two to three months time, but she couldn't say exactly when. The man went home, depressed and worried telling himself how he never really believed in fortune tellers. Why should he now? When two months passed, he had thought about what she said, day in and day out.

Now he decided to lock himself in his house where he wouldn't come close to any busses for the next month. Another 3 weeks went by when the man came down the stairs from his bedroom to make some coffee. His little son had left his toys on the floor of which one was a little toy bus. The man stepped on the bus, after his last step down the stairs, slipped and knocked his head against the stairway railing and died instantly.

Moral of the story: "Live life on the edge, don't lock yourself away." This story helped me to overcome many of my fears... Fear only has one purpose; it holds you back! Don't let it. Carry on with your life, enjoy it, and just go with the flow, as fear doesn't resolve anything. It's like they say, "Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."LET IT BE!!

Year 2015 So Far... And Realizing Who We Really Are

Happy New and Unique year 2015! I'm super excited that we both made through to this year...

I heard a story once about an eagle's egg that had got lost or abandoned and was found bychickens. When the eagle hatched, it was loved and cared for by the chickens, brought up to act and behave as if it was a chicken. It knew nothing else... Until one day, the eagle was with his brothers and sisters pecking at the ground, like a chicken, when something made him look up to the sky. High above he saw a majestic sight, a beautiful bird soaring gracefully. Something was stirred inside him, a remembrance, a recognition of 'home'... He asked the chickens, "What is that beautiful bird up there?" The chickens looked up. "Oh that," they said, "that's an eagle, king of the birds. But forget about him, you are one of us, you are a chicken... ."

I don't know how the story ended and, to me, it is not a case of aneagle being superior to a chicken... just different. As I understand it, it's all just about remembering Who/What we really are, regardless of what we've been told by others or how we have been brought up. A rose will grow into a rose even if it's in the middle of a field of tulips.

There is an ancient Indian word "Dharma", which has two meanings. The first is, "Your nature, your true, real, essential nature."
The second is, "Your purpose in life". To me the two are inseparable. I believe the word literally translates as Truth. "You are what your deep driving desire is; as your desire is so is your will; as your will is so is your deed; as your deed is so is your destiny." Or, like they said in ancient Greece, "Character is fate". Whatever we are at our most fundamental level, at our most base, whether that be something metaphysical, or something like DNA, I believe that to discover, or remember it is our 'raison d'etre'. And to live in accord, harmony with our deepest selves is the meaning of success.

"Above all, to thine own self be true."--- William Shakespeare It's been said that when we die and go back home to 'our maker', we will never be askedwhy we didn't cure the common cold, why we never made a billion pounds or anything else like that, but simply be asked, "Why didn't you just be yourself?"

The Big Day Ahead - Exam Day!

Omg! I've never felt this way in my entire history of writing examinations. What engulfed me in form of fear is what I cannot explicitly explain.



It was the end of semester Examimations on Statistics. The night before, I had prepared to the best of my ability for the exam. As the time for the exam approaches, come and see me... I was literally shaking, my stomach started to upset me, my feet became cold, palms sweating profusely...Omg!

I employed all forms of Self-talk Therapy on myself, yet it seemed as though things were getting worse. I needed to talk to my best friend who offered to drive me to the exam venue... Sincerely, I felt calmness return to my system.

I went for the exams; luckily, one thing led to the other; the lecturer came one hour behind schedule. This offered me ample time to calm down my nerves... I chit-chatted with few of my classmates then made a few revisions here and there.

At this point, I really felt good about my system, I even became calmly eager to quickly write the exam and go.
Immediately one hour after my arrival to the exam hall, the lecturer arrived with the exam materials, and quickly the exam was administered on us. Many of the questions were so cheap that I became more relaxed about the whole thing.

In less than two hours the exam was over! Praise be to God who had made all things possible for me!

Oh, and my best friend was still around to take me home after the exam... This was a surprise as I never expected him to still be there. God bless his kind heart!

My advice:

Whenever you feel tensed about any situation or you're in a fix about anything; make sure you talk to someone who listens and really understands you...like I did. Or better still, talk to a counsellor!

It’s the night before an important event: a big exam, a major presentation, your wedding. How do you calm your nerves in preparation for the big day? Let's share

Thanks for reading my post!

World Toilet Day 2014! Have You Heard That Before?

Well, now you've heard. Today, November 19th, is the second annual World Toilet Day, it is recognized by the United Nations and the founding day of the World Toilet Organization was in 2001. Though it may sound like a comical issue, but it brings to light a serious global problem and a luxury many of us take for granted.

It is estimated that about 35% of the world, or 2.5 billion people, do not have access to toilets according to the World Toilet Organization 2013 Annual Report. According to the United Nations 14%, or 1 billion people, regularly defecate in the open air (no latrine, no privacy).

Where are those not using toilets living? Takepart published an infographic on this issue in April 2014 that describes the 16 countries where the most people lack proper sanitation, including but not limited to those who defecate in the open air:
India, 818 million people or 65% of the population.
China, 607 million people or 44% of the population.
Indonesia, 109 million people or 43% of the population.
Nigeria, 103 million people or 57% of the population.
Pakistan, 98 million people or 52% of the population.
Bangladesh, 75 million people or 48% of the population.
Ethiopia, 71 million people or 80% of the population.
Congo, 50 million people or 72% of the population.
Brazil, 39 million people or 19% of the population.
Tanzania, 32 million people or 68% of the population.
Kenya, 27 million people or 64% of the population.
Sudan, 27 million people or 73% of the population.
Philippines, 22 million people or 22% of the population.
Vietnam, 22 million people, or 24% of the population.
Ghana, 20 million people or 74% of the population.
Nepal, 20 million people or 71% of the population.

Did you know?
More people in the world have a mobile phone than a toilet. Of the world’s seven billion people, six billion have mobile phones. However, only 4.5 billion have access to toilets or latrines – meaning that 2.5 billion people, mostly in rural areas, do not have proper sanitation.

Quick Facts
World Toilet Day aims to promote public awareness of the need for adequate toilets to improve people’s health and save lives.

How about: protection of your personal health and increased personal safety.

Happy Anniversary To Nkykate's Blog, Plus Giveaway!

I owe it to you my readers, we made it through together...
This blog was started with no intentions at the initial start, but there was this burning flare in me to always put things out to the public; even though I had multiple thoughts about it, I still went ahead. This blog was launched exactly Tuesday, November 19, 2013 during the prolonged ASUU strike.

As at then, I've thought of what useful thing I could do with my time... I tried baking, that was when I stumbled upon Nky's site (get the link to her site on the Christmas Is Around The   Corner  post) I then got my self an oven there in school, and started trying my hands on different types of pastries... I still remember that awesome feeling I had when I baked my first cake. LOL

Google has approved our AdSense account, you can now see targeted eye-catching ads at the top right hand side of this page...isn't this an achievement? Other ads are also welcomed...
We've had double blog awards... See them HERE and HERE!

Ehen!
My appreciation goes to God Almighty for His endless Grace and Favour. Then to;
Uche who was the first to comment on my blog, she kept on visiting and commenting; I secretly learnt from her that I could get more readers by visiting other blogs and leaving my URL there; but I haven't heard from her for a while now and she hasn't posted on her blog (pls if you know how I can reach her please contact me).
Frances (the latest barrister in town), she inspires me a lot with the articles on her blog.
Roselyn K a.k.a. www.kazinidaily.com
Jim Coy
Ugonma a.k.a. Beautiful Eagle's Blog
I will not also forget every other person on my google+ circle, thank you, those who read, and those who comment on my blog posts, I appreciate you all!

Thank you to my friends from school who drop by once in a while to take a peep, I appreciate you all!
To mark this blog's anniversary, I will be giving out a small token just to express my deep rooted appreciation to you for rewarding my efforts so far. N1000 worth of airtime would be given out to 10 persons to first post a comment on this post... Pls leave your email address and network operator as well.
It may be little in my eyes, but from my heart it is surely large!

Best Of Nkykate's Blog - One Year Blog Anniversary Countdown 19 November

Hi friends!

I'm super excited, and grateful to God for this blog... It's been God's Grace so far!
When I look at my blog archive, I can not help but grin from ear to ear at most of the articles...
Below are links to the posts I call the "Best Of". LOL

Enjoy, and do some catching up with my blog posts!

1. Christmas Is Around The Corner
2. Best Sleeping Position During Menstrual Period

3. Single? Enjoy!
4. Who Is Lying To You That Divorces Can't Re-marry?
5. Way Out Of Loneliness
6. Office Gossip, Shop Gossip, Telephone Gossip
7. Homemade Coconut Oil - Easy Steps
8. Dealing With Depression
9. Keeping Up With Social Media Activities
10. 20 Things You Should Never Do As A Woman - A Guy's Perspective.... and,
11. Relationship: How Mine Keeps Flourishing



Enjoy the weekend!

How To Wear A Faux Bob Hair Style With Your Natural Hair

Ladies get in here…!

First of' Let me wish you a Happy unique month of November 2014, may you achieve all your dreams and aspirations... Amen!
In another news, this blog will be one year in two weeks time! (Wednesday, 19 November).


Now, to the main post!

You all know the ‘iconic’ hair style of Michelle Obama?
In this post, I will be sharing how you can style your Natural Hair into Michelle Obama’s hair without having to cut or trim your hair (like she does) especially if you have a long hair like me. You don’t have to visit the salon or seek the assistance of a professional hair stylist with these easy steps. So, make sure you bookmark this post for future referencing. *wink*

Ready? Let’s go!

What You Need
* Your styling comb (necessary)
* One small rubber-band (important).
* Two small-sized hair clips (important)
* A styling Spray Gel (optional)

Styling Procedure:
1. Comb your hair all back. You can style the front if you wish to.
2. Tie the tip of your hair with the rubber-band to the length of your choice.
3. Then, roll the hair inwards a little bit above your neck as though you are using Rollers.
4. Now, with the hair rolled inwards, clip the hair to your scalp with the hair clips – one on each side (left and right side).
5. Spray the styling gel randomly on the hair to maintain styling for a longer period.
6. That’s it! You’ve got your Faux Bob hair style done! Go all out and flaunt what you’ve got!

Yea..! That's me.

NB: I don’t use styling gel, and the style lasts the whole day. Use what works for you!

Source:  My Wordpress Blog! You can check it out at your own convenience.

Don't forget to let me know how you nailed it...LOL!

Sweet Memory Of A Loving Father!

With tears in my eyes and the memory still fresh in my heart...I write this.

It has been two years since my Father passed on. I never thought I could live a day without him. I have realized that Death is a brief separation and a temporary pain. I always say to myself how lucky I was to have a father like him for almost 22 years in my life. I remember how he was taking care of his family (other people inclusive), always kind, and he had a simple nature of always being happy because of his jolly personality... Jolly-boy as he was fondly called by his friends.

Father, even though you've lost in this material world, your memories will always remain in our hearts forever. You're now in the hands of God with peace. I know father, that someday we will see each other but the saddest part is until now, the pain you created sinks in me because I love you so much. Goodbye "father" but keep in your mind that my goodbyes are not forever; goodbyes are not the end - they simply mean I'll miss you... until we meet again!!! God Bless.
Your Daughter, NK.

I hope you will realize the importance of a father in your life, so give all your love and respect until it is not too late. A father's love lasts a lifetime.