Another year gone by...

It feels like only yesterday that I started my nurse training and I am now in my final year! How time flies by!

I must say that a lot has happened since I started my training. I have discovered a lot about myself and experienced personal growth, including academically and socially. I have discovered that I love exams and that I do fairly well in them compared to essays. Therefore my new academic year resolution is to read carefully all the feedback I have been getting in the essays I have written since I started my training and to make massive improvements in the way I present arguments. This is my 'last chance' to spring out of my writing cocoon and flex my writing muscles....

I have gained new friends and found lost ones through Facebook. I must admit I spend a lot of time on this social network.

A big thank you to all my classmates, lecturers, mentors and workmates who have been very supportive in the past two academic years. Even those who have tried my patience - thank you for you have taught me perseverance and tolerance.

Cheers to you all!

Exam

I am trusting my memory to retrieve as much information as I have put into it and in a relevant ordered sequence to answer questions in my exam. I would like to be able to demonstrate my knowledge and understanding of everything I have been taught in the ensuing module and to get marks worthy of the same.

Some people think that exams are very difficult. Yes, they may be difficult to some depending on the level of preparation one has made; or the reaction - panic can make one distressed to the extent that what had been learnt gets forgotten. Others just cannot deal with exams.


Personally, I like to approach exams with a positive, winning attitude as it's my way of getting rid of the fear and anxiety that surrounds exams. I am hopeful that I will be able to answer questions asked; and I choose to do so to the best of my ability.

Good luck to all who are gearing up for an exam sometime soon.

Cheers!

Too much

There are days when I wake up and start taking stock of my life (of late I do that virtually every day!)

I sit down and ask myself a lot of questions. The whys, when, how, which, what if? And I find that all these questions are related to a negative experience I am going through. The more I ask these questions, the more my circle of negativity grows and the more discouraged I feel. Of what help is that to me? Nothing! It only makes me feel low and kills my study motivation especially now when I need all the concentration I can get.

So I have decided that I will direct the questions towards something positive that will cheer me up and make me feel whole again. Being a student has its own fair list of challenges but I resolve not to let them put me down.

My conclusion: Tomorrow will be a better day! Cheers :-)

Fathers

Starting with Our Father in heaven, fathers are important without a doubt. They have a unique impact on our lives, one which even though people struggle to admit,exists.

The significance of fathers only become apparent when they are absent. So those people who try to argue that fathers are not important in the life of children and that children are deliberately okay to grow up without their fathers are joking. There exists circumstances when a father cannot be present in their child's life and these are unfortunate. This is where the extended family comes in. But in an individualisitic society where every man is for themselves, the extended family is fast loosing its grip on passing on family values.

Role models are not always what they are cut out to be; so those who make an effort to positively influence the lives of children, my heart goes out to you and may God bless you as you make this tireless effort to bring up those fortunate children.

Sunday

This is my day off from everything, and I mean everything. I am relaxing and not worrying about my studies today even though I have an exam to do soon. The thing is, if I don't relax, I will only get tense. The tension will then make me frustrated because I will not be able to absorb any academic stuff even if I tried and this will only lead to more frustration, anger, loss of motivation and eventually, I just might give up.

However, I find that if I keep off my studies for a day or two, I have time to reflect and think about what I have been studying. My mind gets creative and tries to apply my newly acquired knowledge and I am able to identify gaps in my knowledge which then spurs me to get up and read so that I can get the facts straight.

So my day off is mine. I will cook, spend time writing and enjoy the company of family and friends without feeling guilty about the not studying.

And before I forget, happy father's day to those who recognize it.

weight management and control

Let's face it, I am overweight. No matter what I try to do, my weight seems happy just where it is. I am not a diet fanatic so I eat whatever comes my way without counting the calories.

But, I have noticed that I get tired so quickly and walking a short distance gets me breathless to the extent that I have to stop to catch my breath then proceed. So now, I have decided to do something about my weight. Nothing drastic.

I am starting by cutting down on chocolate, meat, biscuits, cakes, crisps and too many snacks.

I am finally starting to eat 5-a-day of vegetables and fruits...a bit too late to start, but my philosophy is simple, better late than never. And I actually feel so much better, lighter, less sleepy and more energised. I am also drinking loads of fluid, water, juice and herbal teas.

I am also cutting down on dairy products, starting with no milk in my tea. Hopefully gradually cutting down on stuff will lessen withdrawal symptoms.

Wish me luck.

addicted to murder mysteries

I love watching Forensic Detectives, Agatha Christie's Marple, Columbo, CSI, Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, Without a Trace, Silent Witness, etc. Recently, someone told me that addiction to such programmes could be hiding an underlying psychological disturbance!

Goodness me! I was shocked. I watch them because of the way in which the investigators analyse things and come to the conclusion as to who the perpetrator is. Columbo is just too good to be honest. His appearance can really mislead someone.
Miss Marple appears oblivious to what is going on around yet she takes in all the details to the surprise and usual relief of the investigating officer as her help in solving crime is second to none.In Murder She Wrote, Jessica is simply brilliant, Dr Sloan gives a diagnosis of not only disease but murder and CSI...where do I begin - Miami, Special Victims Unit, Crime Scene Investigation, Behavioural Analysis? And that is not all.

You catch the drift....

I cannot resist an occasional whodunnit! And I am not whatever someone thinks I could be......just for the love of the unknown.

One head, two faces

People are really interesting. Not just because psychology explains individual differences and the study of behaviour, but because they are really interesting!

Group work is something that I have found amusing. When you meet, there are those who eagerly contribute their knowledge or lack of it, without any reservations. Then there are those who say nothing that you want to hear at the time; still there are those who claim they have nothing to give but that's bull because they just don't want to share. There are those who feel that they are always giving information but when they ask for different perspectives they get nothing in return so the group-work to them is not helping in any way. Yet, it is a requirement of our study to engage in it. So how does one cope?

I am trying to find that out.

Sometimes, we decide to work on an essay together but because everyone is not sure of what to do, there seems to be nothing to share; or someone has already got help from somewhere and they want to keep it for themselves so they avoid coming to the meetings so that they are not put in an awkward position of having to share their little find. By the way, this information only becomes second knowledge after the assignment has been handed in. Why? The mystery continues....

I will keep watch and try to see which category I belong to. Hopefully, I will be the 'sharing type'.

like new

Today, I feel like a new person. I suppose it's because of that crucial result that I have been waiting for. It finally came and was really good. I am thankful for being out of the dark days and starting to see light again.

I mean, things have not been great of late and this was just the boost I needed to get my energy levels up. I have the courage and confidence to begin again and I am not looking back. Yesterday is gone, but its lessons will remain with me for a long long time.

I am motivated to look forward to the future and the future I am looking at.
Time to move on and get on and keep going at a stable momentum.

Thank God it's Tuesday!

First England match

Okay, the goalkeeper made a mistake and gave a goal to the US. That was not clever, but neither are mistakes, that's why they are mistakes.

I think the gentleman should be forgiven especially as it is only the first match. If it was a deciding match maybe the critics could have him for breakfast. There is still time to make amends. I think the team should focus on what is ahead of them instead of getting bogged down with what has been.

England, you still have a chance so please guys don't let yesterday's error kill the motivation to surge forward, so COME ON ENGLAND!

Workmates

Or are they?

You work with someone who drives you mad. A difficult person who is a real pain. What do you do?

You talk to them to try and sort things out and hope that things will get better but no! This person does not seem to get it. Dumb or stupid, maybe? No, I think its broken communication as one person says something and another understands something else. To be honest, I give up. I am tired of trying to be reasonable, so I will do the noble thing and say that I have tried and that is the most I can do.

I will pray about problems that I cannot solve so that I can get wisdom to deal with them, in the meantime, life must go on. I will keep doing what I do as long as I get all my jobs done that I am required to do. The rest is not mine to worry about.

In the work situation, people do their best to get along for the sake of sanity but when one person decides that they do not want to be a team player, you just have to ignore them and carry on as if they were not there. Reporting to a superior is the next best thing. Leave it with them as they are paid to solve such problems. Okay, that's me done.

Time for work......ha!

Life and death

I attended a funeral recently and I was lost for words.

Someone robbed of their life at, what seemed to me, its prime. What did he do to deserve such an untimely and cruel death? Why him? Why now? What about those left behind? How are they supposed to cope? Too many questions, too few answers.

For us who attended the funeral, it ended at the cemetery. But for his immediate family, the funeral has only just began. They have the task of facing life without him. Who will they talk to when they need daddy? Who will they set the table for where daddy used to sit? It's all a blur.

Like the writer of Ecclesiates, I am inclined to say that life is useless. Okay, there is a time for everything as Ecclesiates 3 clearly explains. The time for death must be the most painful time. Someone you love slips away from you and the worst thing is that there is nothing you can do about it. You get forced to let go of someone you hold dear; break all attachments you had with them; give up all you shared with them as they go to their rest, six feet under.

What you are left with are memories of what was and thoughts of what may have been. I have to be strong for them and just be there if they need a shoulder to cry on.

The loss of one life has, however, made me take stock of my own. It doesn't have to take death to spur us into action, but this is exactly what has happened because you don't appreciate what you've got till it's lost and gone and never to be felt or touched again.

I thank God for my life and praise Him for that which has been.

May those who have departed rest in peace.

World Cup

Right, the much awaited tournament of the year for football lovers is finally here. This time of the year is when a lot of tempers flare, there exists tears of joy and sadness; shock advancements and shock exists and hey, even more surprises.

I am not a football fan but this is the time when whether I like it or not, I must put up with it. I wish all the contenders the best and may the strong team win.

For those who will not make it to the final, well there will be many, coz there can only be two finalists, I wish you the best. Just rest in the blessed assurance that you at least made it to the tournament start with.

World cup season, now is your time.....

so far...

This has been the most difficult year yet. Seems like things have been happening that shock me to the extent that I sometimes feel lost in my own world. I just hope and pray that things will get better.

The first half of the year has been nothing like I would have anticipated; but then again no one knows what tomorrow holds. You wake up in the morning, thank God that you are alive, say a little prayer to get you through the day and do the best you can to honour your commitments. Things don't always go your way, but you cope as best you can. Waiting for results of an assignment is anxiety arousing especially when they get postponed but, hey what the heck? Waiting three more days will probably not change the result anyway. Whatever happens, MY FATHER IN HEAVEN KNOWS...

I am learning to let go of things I cannot deal with and embracing those within my reach. I hope to have a good evening, hope you do too.

All the best.

Mind power

The brain is a powerful organ - ofcourse, it controls the body!

I have decided that I will maintain peace in my mind amidst all the turmoil. Sometimes, though, fear sets in especially when I listen to and believe a lot of the negativity around me. But I choose a positive approach because that is what will propel me forward.

I have an exam soon and I have to keep my cool, so God please I am asking you to give my intellect a much-needed boost; my understanding that kick-start that gets my thinking in motion. Amen.

Good luck to all those anticipating a good grade in forthcoming exams!


Au revoir!

Long long time

It's been long since I posted something; I did not forget. Time goes so quickly sometimes I wonder how to catch it. I have been facing some challenges that I cannot even understand. These issues have taken up a rather large share of space in my brain that they gave my studies only a small portion to deal with and one can only imagine how difficult this has been.

I have had to deal with life and death issues and the shocking thing is that neither chooses when to come. One day all is well, then the next - boom! A life-changing event has occurred that needs your immediate attention. I had to move house in the midst of all this so judging by the LARS scale, one can only imagine how high my stress levels have been.

Still, life goes on as each challenge comes and goes. But I must admit its not been touch and go. I have been pushed, pulled, stretched, squashed, ruffled...name it!
But guess what? I am still here.

Only the strong survive. Prayer and fasting increased my perseverance (for those who believe in God, this works).

Have a good week.