Random Reads

If you've spent any time in the personal finance or self-improvement corner of the internet, you've probably seen this book everywhere. I finally picked it up expecting a dry breakdown of investing strategy. What I got instead was something closer to a book about human nature that happens to use money as its lens. What It's About Morgan Housel, a former financial columnist, isn't trying to teach you how to pick stocks or build a budget spreadsheet. Instead, he argues that financial success is less about what you know and more about how you behave — and behavior is shaped by ego, fear, greed, and the very personal, often invisible experiences that shaped how each of us sees risk and reward. The book is structured as a series of short, standalone chapters, each built around a single idea or story. It's an easy format to dip in and out of, which makes it a good fit for readers who don't usually finish nonfiction cover to cover. What Stood Out to Me 1. ...

  Be honest: when's the last time you actually looked forward to a conversation with someone you strongly disagree with? If you're like most people, the answer is "never" — and according to Julia Minson, you're not alone. She opens How to Disagree Better with a striking claim: the average person would rather sit in a dentist's chair than spend twenty minutes talking to someone they fundamentally disagree with. That line alone made me pick this book up. What kept me reading was everything that came after it. What It's About Julia Minson is a behavioral scientist and Harvard Kennedy School professor who has spent decades researching what she calls "the psychology of disagreement" — how people actually engage (or fail to engage) with opinions that differ from their own. In How to Disagree Better , she distills that research into a genuinely counterintuitive idea: trying to win an argument is one of the most reliable ways to lose the relations...

  In the previous post about Gen Z , I highlighted the Gen Z aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo, to speak truth to power, and to demand a better, fairer, more inclusive world. Whether you're an employer, marketer, educator, or fellow citizen—understanding Gen Z is no longer optional. It’s essential. In this second series on Generations at a Glance, lets look at the baby boomer generation. My dad is a baby boomer and after several chat with a few friends around the same age group- a unique feature about our dads are their resilience, toughness, high emotional tolerance, belief in providing the basic - money and education in some instances  for their children and that's all. If you want a longer phone conversation with my dad , bring up any historical or current happenings in the world/news. Otherwise our conversations are usually brief and straight to the point. The Legacy of a Resilient Generation Born between 1946 and 1964 , Baby Boomers came into a world full of promi...

  I was reading this book called friendship courtship and christian marriage written by Kayode Adesogan. A lot of people have been getting engaged during this lockdown and i think it's a great time to share some ideas about choosing a life partner, courtship, engagement and the whole deal.   When choosing a life partner here are several things to consider before embarking on this journey. The Cultural factor Language, religion, ethics, value, traditions and morals. It is important to consider the background and upbringing of your partner and how it differs from yours. Similarities are easy to recognise but it's important to identify the differences and consider how it might affect your relationship in the long term. Universal problems What are your passions. People go through different challenges in life and its important to note what inspires your partner. What gets you up in the morning?  Who do you blame, when you face a life changing problem like rape or loss ? T...

Television has become an important part of everyday. We put it on everyday. If you are part of the people that control the time your television is on - kudos you have achieved a great task. I was so hyped about the wall paper TV but the price tag quickly quenched my desire. Where there is a will, there is a way. Drum roll as I introduce to you the diy wallpaper art TV. It does not require any parts or anything just a TV with a YouTube link. I love paintings and art and found this great feature on youtube where for 4 hours you can display art from Van Gogh,  Remberant and so many great artist .  As Thomas Merton said " Art enables us to loose ourselves and find ourselves at the same time ". The next time you get bored, or just want to read a book but still look at your TV, after all most of us has become glued to this black screen go ahead and play wallpaper art on youtube.  Bring the art gallery to your home  4 hours Wallpaper Art .  

Clutter - we all have it in our homes. It could be drawer, a room, under the bed, a space or even the whole house. Did you know clutter actually cause stress? A lot of people would agree and the next question comes. Where do i start from and how can i maintain a clean space constantly. Think of brain - it is organised in such a way that you can retrieve most information if given the right clues. Your home space should be a haven of relaxation and enjoyment.  Why do you think we enjoy staying in hotels so much - or now AirBnBs . It is because the space is clean, tidy and organised. Your home can be similar to living in a hotel.  Tips to achieve a clutter free space; TIME  Dedicate at least 15 minutes a day to clean out a draw, space or corner (light cleaning). Make it fun and play some music while cleaning, makes all the difference. Dedicate about 2 hours a week to deep clean or hire a cleaner once a month.  Did you know you waste alot of precious time looki...

  Recently I applied for business access on a global platform. As it was the norm, I was waiting for an email to confirm the status - Yes, No or additional information required. After a couple of weeks, I decided to just log on and check if I had the required access and waha- access granted.  Sometimes in life, you might be waiting for that prompt, notification, signal, trigger or whatever you may call it. Don't wait for the rain to fall before you think about planting a seed. Go ahead and plant the seed and keep checking on the seed by watering, taking off the weeds and pests. When you see rain fall, that's just the cherry on top (extra) in addition to the work you have already put in. Note to self always check, check and check again. Double checking brings excellent results. If you are searching for a job and you have not heard back, call the agency, follow the organisation on linkedin, chase up as much as you can- all you need to secure an opportunity is one yes - in the mi...

Did you know that on average, an adult spends about 3 hours a day on social media platforms? To thrive in this pandemic, do something for yourself to sustain your career. Many organizations are reorganizing and restructuring their business for sustainability and so should you. No more doom scrolling and aimless research.  Set a personal improvement goal and use all the resource available. Linkedin Launched on May 5, 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVs. This is a great website to spend time reviewing employment trends and connectly with other professionals. Simply put, this is the professional version of facebook.  Indeed This is a worldwide employment-related search engine for job listings launched in 2004. Recruiters love this site because they can post jobs for free. Dice A top recruitment engine for connecting the best tech talent with job opportunities around the world. For professionals in...

If you need additional income, but have limited capital to invest, MAKING MONEY's Opportunity Finder will point you in the right direction.  How to use opportunity finder Details of companies operating in the UK are listed by product group - Health, Beauty etc.  Some will appear more than once. To obtain more information about any company check the company's website or startupbusiness.net Network Marketing Paul Getty's famous philosophy - it is better to earn a small amount of money from a large number of people, than to earn a lot of money from a small number of people.  Most of the products and services are consumable by nature, there is an opportunity to build a strong and loyal consumer base. Direct Selling Some companies like Avon and Mary Kay, prefer products to be sold on a person-to-person basis. With the new restrictions due to post COVID 19 pandemic, new digital measures would need to be adapted to sustain such businesses. Party Plan This can provide an effecti...

My first experience with the police was as a teenager. I was driving in Dallas Texas on the way to the shops and got pulled over for speeding. I calmly responded to the cop, answered his questions and showed the necessary documents. He wrote me a ticket for speeding and that was it. I paid the ticket off and several more speeding tickets came later on. Everyone's first experience with the police is different. As humans we tend to react differently to people in authority. A coloured person might have a different reaction, due to the historic issue of slavery, culture, or family history.  I was part of a conference call, and the keynote speaker is a lawyer and pastor in London. It was an insightful discussion and just a few key points to remember.  Pull Over  The police can pull you over at anytime, adhere and pull over when it's safe to do so.  Stay calm and remember to keep our hands visible.  Be polite and respectful.  If you are asked for a breath test, c...

Virtual classroom  Virtual Sports Virtual date nights Virtual meetings Virtual funerals  Virtual weddings, birthday and celebrations ...the list goes on and on.  Don't limit yourself from living due to the effects of the pandemics. Embrace the new norm and adjust your routines to include the use of technology. Stay connected to families and your community using technology at its best. 

As the lock down measures has been lifted gradually, some children are back to school while some are still home schooling. It can be quite difficult to keep children inspired and not bored. Let's face it, even the best toys, best outdoor gadgets and video games gets boring after so many sessions.  Be flexible As a parent, sticking to a routine is great but including spontaneous activities can make things a bit more interesting and fun for your little ones.   Sports on TV Running out of shows to play on TV? Try watching basketball, tennis, football and lots of previous national games together and talk about the players and the sports. You might just ignite a new interest in your child. Sports will also keep them moving, my girls love watching gymnastics and ice skating.   Arts This can get very messy but lots of fun and children spend hours on it. If you find out all your play-doh has dried out, try making fondants for cake or using mud. Toddlers lo...

The lockdown measures have eased worldwide and everyone is beginning to socialize again. As we gradually move into a new phase in this weird year 2020, here are some things to remember. We are humans and we experience situations in different ways. Let's remember to be sensitive to people that may have lost a loved one, a job, a business or facing a major health crisis. It might not be physically obvious to some people, just remember that whatever this season means to you - the world has changed.  Don't wait for the pandemic to be over, start to build and do the things that you want to do. Life lessons to be learnt is that life is short. We were created and still alive for a reason, find that reason and live in it. A great book by former first lady Michelle Obama " Becoming " has been trending for weeks and i recommend this as a great read.  Welcome to the new norm, lots of online shopping, digital learning, remote working and virtual doctor visits. Whatever the case, ...

   The lockdown has been eased and we still need to stay alert. Here are some tips as mentioned on BBC about keeping yourself and others safe while shopping.   1.      Shop alone if possible, the less people in shops the better for everyone. 2.      Stay 2 meters away from people if possible, if not due to size of shop cover your face or wear facemask. 3.       Look for the new signs, arrows on the floor to help navigate the shops in a seamless way to avoid crowing an aisle. 4.       Avoid touching things you are going to buy, if not possible use a glove. 5.       In addition to your wallet, make sure facemask and gloves are part of your daily contents in your car, shopping bag and bicycle. 6.       Pay with contactless always. 7.       Exercise more patience, everyone is getting used to the new norm and checkout...

What is the first thing you notice when you see someone for the first time. Do you look into their eyes, stare at their face, or check out their body from head to toe like i do sometimes? First impression is the most important aspect of networking and meeting up with folks in a professional setting.  Did you know that first impressions are lasting? Did you know that any information about a person, from their physical appearance to their non-verbal and verbal behaviors- has been shown to last for months?. In this current digital age and dealing with the correct pandemic - our digital impression could be our voice, tone, email or chat message. All your information on the internet could even act as a first impression.  Have you googled your name recently? Research yourself and find out the kind of information the world wide web holds about you.  Hiring firms do this as part of their research for potential candidates.  Build up your linkedin, facebook, Instagram to brand...

Habits of Highly Effective Humans When I was a teen, my dad gave me this book by Stephen Covey called the 7 habits of highly effective teens .  This was an amazing book that changes me as a human.  To change your life, you need to first change your habits. First lets talk about habits. Habits run your life, if you have bad habits, you . If you have good habits, life would be awesome. There are 3 habits loop; The Cue :  this is the trigger , brain is in auto pilot can be feeling or thoughts The Routine :  behavior that happens once the trigger is present. its the action that we take when we are cued. The Reward:  Why we perform the routine- learn something new, the feeling or a physical reward. I read this book and it changed my character. I was able to recognize my inner strength and abilities . I aspired to do more and add value to myself, people and my community. Being effective is quite achievable but to be highly effective is to experience life a...

How can I grow my own vegetables? As a result of the pandemic, a number of people have started to look into growing some of their fruits and vegetables. I love the actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish. She has a youtube series during the lockdown giving us a tour of her garden and some helpful tips, it' called 'Mermaid in the Garden', i find it funny and inspirational and hope you do too. Lets jump right into this note- all you need to do is to start with this 4 step guide.  1. Space Space is the first thing to consider before starting to a garden. From flower pots , wooden drawers, car tires, bottles and portable green houses the list is endless. Preparing a space for your mini or big garden depends on your current habitation settings. Its best to start small and build up with time. A place with great sunlight would work well. Maintaining plants on a regular basis can become daunting and using a small space can either make or break your commitment to your garden. 2. S...

What are some positive things to tell a child? A lot of parents are homeschooling due to the global lockdown of schools, and as much as we dont admit it , sometimes we just want to scream our heads out. Kudos to all the teachers, we appreciate you even more during these times.  Positivity has a way of boosting a child's moral. A child models what they see and its important as a parent, aunty , uncle or gran to encourage the youngsters around us. Child are faced with peer pressure, low self esteem and negative words around them. Think about your childhood- do you remember a situation where something negative was spoken to you and how does it make you feel to this day. Some humans tend to remember the negative memory compared to the positive . The more positive input the greater the positive output. 1. You are helpful A lot of adults take for granted a child that is helpful, with opening the door, picking up items from the floor, tidying up or even clearing up the table afte...