culled from WISE-DOM Blog 1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. It’s useless spending time with people who don’t know your worth. 2. Stop running from your problems. Face them head on. 3. Stop lying to yourself. 4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. 5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you. 6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one. 7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. 8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

I could not control my emotions the moment I left her bedside. We all knew he was not right for her and made sure she knew how we felt but Paula was either too in love or downright naive.  Since ignorance is not an excuse and my desire to save you from being stuck in or consenting to be in a toxic relationship is undaunted,   I am going to share with you the warning signs of a bad relationship that can’t be ignored. It’s not easy to accept that your relationship might not be good for you – but the sooner you face reality, the sooner you can move forward.   In a good relationship, you feel sure of your partner without having to ask for reassurance. Do you feel secure, happy, fulfilled, and protected in your relationship? Maybe not – otherwise you wouldn’t be here, looking for signs of a bad relationship. Before we start, you need to know that the following signs are not based on my Opinion but have been culled from a relationship expert. Let's start:

Dear NIB readers, Most of you have been sending angry messages about the "I'm Not A Robot" that pops up and demands you verify that you are not a robot before you can post your comments. It appears Google has a good reason for it...

It was a hectic weekend, my schedule was as crazy as always and my hair needed attention. I was far from my stylist and meeting my new client with a drab hairstyle was out of the question. The exterior of the hair saloon I was directed to was distasteful but my choices were limited. The interior turned out to be classy and the jamz that had lured me inside was actually coming from my favorite music station on the television.  It happened to be a unisex hair saloon and unlike the male section which was quite busy, I was the only female being attended to. The stylist was a young man with a cute tattoo that got me wishing I could get over my phobia for needles. Tattooing my darling’s name somewhere on my body would make serious sense... Anyway back to my story. Halfway through my hair ordeal, a young man walked in with three very young boys. The eldest would be nine years I guessed while admiring their poise. As expected, they joined the queue and before long, their eyes became glued

As we say welcome to our new President ; Muhammadu Buhari, we pray that the change will not be a mirage like the breath of Fresh air. Long Live our New President! Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

“I was in the room, sleeping when my father called me to warm soup in the kitchen. Few minutes later, he called me to meet him in the bed room. I thought he wanted to punish me when he called me, because I’m always scared of him and my step-mother. “They treat me bad. Before I knew what was happening, my father had pushed me on the bed and pounced me. He tore off my pants and penetrated me. “I wanted to shout, but his weight was too much for me. My father is fat and I was struggling not to stop breathing. I was struggling to push him off! “When he finally got up and left, I was bleeding from my private part seriously. I could not walk. But I managed to call the attention of an elderly woman in our street.” The woman cautioned her and told her not to let anyone hear about the incident since it is an abomination. nikkyivyblog.blogspot.com

As we go to the polls today, abeg vote wisely and say No to any form of violence.        

  I got a distress Email from a fan. To cut her long story short, her super sweet relationship was becoming burdensome and uncomfortable.   Hopefully this very interesting analysis from a relationship expert on signs that your man is clingy will help... 1 . He loses his cool anytime you miss a phone call Okay, I believe anyone in a relationship would be a tad annoyed when their partner blatantly ignores their calls. It is very disrespectful and inconsiderate. However, if you find yourself in full blown screaming matches with your guy anytime you miss a phone call or you find yourself answering a barrage of questions such as “What were you doing?”, “Who were you with?”, “What was so important that you couldn’t answer the phone?” chances are you guy is on the clingy side. 2 . He doesn’t like when you go out Separate friends and healthy amounts of time apart are good for any relationship. If you find that your guy is always sitting in the corner with the sour

Burial traditions vary from culture to culture . Ju st as different religions and sects attach varying rites to burial ,   it is quit uncommon to see a   group of  people without a burial tradition. Even where some people claim to be atheists, they still attach certain rituals to burial s.   Nevertheless, some burial rites can be more elaborate and ex p ensive, while others are simple and less expensive. Why are cultures not indifferent to burial, such that   the dead  can be discarded without any formal or socially accepted formula?

BLIND SPOT 1 T he loud bang of the door against the brick wall startled the sturdy man standing over a small heap on the dry grass covered floor. He whirled round in time to behold the scantily dressed woman in the doorway. The dull light in the barn highlighted her contorted face and blood shot eyes. She was out of breath and her heaving chest clung to her extra large, transparent night shirt which flapped out in the night breeze like broken wings. Then he saw the gun. She found fathers gun! An alarm was set off in his head. The thought sent cold shivers down his spine as he stared helplessly at the woman he had known all his life. She aimed his father’s parting gift at him. Ted threw his hands up in the air and slowly backed away from the ferocious woman by the door while avoiding the quiet heap at his feet. "I warned you. You swore never to hurt her again!"

"Not again!" Without a second thought, she yanked the duvet off her sleep deprived body, lifted the heavy mattress and pulled out the old sheet. Her steady fingers unwrapped the dust covered sheet and caressed the barrel of the loaded old pistol as she resolved to put an end to the wildness and years of betrayal.

It is the fourteenth day of February and I almost danced on my toes as my eyes darted to my wrist watch for the umpteenth time today. I must confess that I have been unable to sit still since the beginning of February. My anxiety heightened with each rising of the sun. The previous day, I had gone shopping for a lovely Red gown and a special gift for my sweetie in readiness for our very special day. Don't get excited yet, it is definitely not his birthday nor our Anniversary. It’s actually St. Valentine’s Day! If you are reading this and you are not a Nigerian, I can bet my lovely red gown...wait, definitely not my gown, but I'm sure you are wondering if Nigerians celebrate Valentine’s Day. Well, it’s no longer a secret that in Nigeria, Valentine’s, Val's or Lovers' day is always celebrated in grand style...