Dear health and happiness seeker...

Eat good, hyderate the body, workout, sleep good, be a listener, not a chatterbox, denounce hate, have a fully funded love fund, use it, seek your fortune in enterprises that are ahead of ordinary thinking, listen to DJ Kora and Artical Slice, Born Africans, Royal Family, you name them; watch "wiri wiri," don't take the events in it to heart, it's only a television drama series.

Read books... don't just read and take everything at face value; raise questions if you have to, appreciate dissent, respect choices, value other people's abilities, don't get combative when your attention is drawn to you writing amateur as "amature," or "couples" where you just meant a couple. In fact, avoid stress by knowing when to take a deep breath, hold it for a sec, exhale slowly and say: "hey, mahn ken duma horh!" Let go and move on.

Yeah! I think I'm done.
Fellow Seeker.

Screw dreams, have goals...

Dreams are like opinions, they're so commonplace. In fact, any fool can get stoned and start imagining things. I used to see myself shaking hands with David Stern, the NBA commissioner then, as I am being introduced as the first pro NBA player from The Gambia... some dream of a bigger life, some big fame, others big cars with custom-made wheels, Sunday barbecues by the pool with women dressed half-naked, getting high and laid like nothing else matters.

However, goals and gameplans are like sensible understanding; they're so uncommon, and that's where many of life's overtaking takes place. Dreams only imagine what's pleasing to imagine having, but deficient in strategies, objectives, tactics, tools etc. In truth, dreams alone cannot guarantee a life as awesome, they must be striven for, that's how they come true. You must have the courage to make yourself available to the task. I thought I needed to say this to me.

From when you're altruistic...

Once you're imbued with regard for others, brotherly kindness if you like, you'll be weighed down, mostly by burdens that are in fact not yours to carry, but you'll anyway; that's your nature.

Sometimes you'll be like, why am I even carrying all these burden on behalf of someone who doesn't even seem to care? If you ask me, it's not like the person doesn't, (s)he's perhaps not as clueful. Being in accordance with the latest fashion or hype doesn't always translate to wakefulness. Ignorance is real yo!

The types of doers....

There are two classes of doers: the conscientious ones and the just-get-it-over-with class. The former will give their all in the performance of what they’re required to perform, with readiness and grace. The second set of doers do it only when they're asked to, and mostly in the eleventh hour, just to meet artificial deadlines and to save face, yet they could be seen making so much noise, claiming a million Dalasi recognition for a hundred Dalasi worth of productivity, describing everyone else’s as a conscious attempt to impress.

Slander is short-lived...

From when you're seen amounting to something, no matter how much you keep your business to yourself, some insecure person somewhere is narrating your biography, saying things about you, baseless things mostly - you know, pretending to know you just to sully what you have.

If you ask me, worrying about it is like allowing the person to keep hurting your internal state of being. Remain in your cool and rest assured that of all artificial creations like that, slander is one of the most short-lived, next to romance perhaps. Soon time will breed truth, you'll be vindicated, and the slanderer shamed.

Some work, others take the credit...

Yes, it is not unusual for people to want to take all the credit, and to delegate all the blame. Yes, as human as I am, and naturally self-preservative, I may have been there done that a few times, I just can't recall when and to what extent. No, I'm not recommending that you follow suit.

Indira Gandhi is credited with saying that "there are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there" - and this is not about me or anyone in particular, I just happen to agree with the notion.

Celebrity...

Behaving with more show than reality, like speaking to people who are unlike you and your circle with a tone of superiority, blowing out their flames by downplaying their every move, or speaking of them as if unimportant, raw or contemptible, or trying to make a really big impression by any means doesn't make anyone a celebrity. In fact, from when you've earned yourself that status, you no longer have to introduce yourself.

L.A.S.T - Listen, Apologise, Solve, and Thank!

This customer service manifesto should be every agent's commitment, so that none will act as if (s)he's doing the customer a favour, or that dealing with, or handling customer complaints has to be a tug of war. Put your ego last and treat each client as your only remaining customer on earth, then sit back and be amazed by the amount of tips and raise that will come your way.

To those pants-sagging raggedy-ass eyehole-infested-boxer-shorts wearing wanksters and their frumpy wannabe divas who come to our stores on Sundays, during feasts and on Valentine's day to buy nonsense, Extra gum, potato chips, and candy bars, or to take selfies by the shelves, listen: the customer being always right is figurative not literal. So be nice, knowing that whatever service you cannot get with politeness and courtesy, you will not get by any other means.

Circumstantial expertise...

They say a sharp tongue or a loudmouth is no indication of a keen mind; I agree.

But where the keen mind is seemingly unconcern about, uninvolved in/with, or shows no regard for what he or she's expected to make happen, or express informed opinion on, the constipated mind will be afforded a free rein to yap, willy-nilly.

In other words, when the knowledgeable fails to resort to it, the one with limited knowledge will naturally become a circumstantial proxy, last resort if you like, and you can't blame the person much, because the one capable of doing so much is doing nothing.

What's judgemental?

Privately drawing a friend's attention to a mistake in the performance of a certain action, or to an embarrassing error, especially one about to be made in public is not like you're passing judgment, it's friendlike; we owe it to each other.

Today unfortunately, the word judgemental has become so clichéd and that's scary. I am afraid that in the end, mutual sincerity will be defeated to the ruin of many, because any sincere advice you give that is not to the pleasing of the advisee will be tantamount to bigotry.

If a friend wears an 'ugh-mazing' attire with an unnoticed defect for instance, drawing her attention to the fail before it becomes a viral malfunction is a moral duty, but concluding that she did it on purpose, or saying she has no personality is what's judgemental... you know, those smugly moralistic remarks - I hate those!

Envy...

Counting someone else’s blessing will cause you to assign too low a value to yours. Painfully desiring the person's good fortune, like: 'why the hell should he achieve all that,' without attention to differences in upbringing, heritage, background, effortfulness, and playing field will lead to discontent; a grudgeful one at that.

In fact, if you don't mind, misery will be your company, because each time the person you're trying to compete is praised in your presence, you'll get bitter. So, be admiring of the possessions of others, but value what you own, knowing that in this life, even though some things aren't for everyone, there's always something for everyone. Like they say in Jamaica: "ah suh di ting set." We are built to be mutually dependent.

Quote of the day...

Before delegating blame, or acting all pissed with what's in your cup, check if you weren't the one who poured it.

Give vent to it, it's natural...

From when you wake up in the morning, to when you set about going on your business of minding your business, to the time you join the rush hour coming home, and even when at home, you’ll come across something to get so mad about.

Some people can bottle it up, some will talk it out nicely, and others will go ballistic and let everyone know how mad they're; people are different... some are good, some bad, some calm, and some hasty tempered. But since people won't let people be, giving vent to crap is not always crabby - even the coolest of people have their moments of fatigue.

Personally, I find it mentally freeing when I get it off my chest, and that's perhaps not just a personal thing, because according to a health related research article I read, it is said that men who hold back their discontent are likely to have a heart attack five times faster than those who give vent to it. It is also said that those who internalise their anger are more likely to suffer high blood pressure than those who verbalise it.

So I'm not saying be NH (never happy), or go about putting incorrect addresses on your emotions, because unnecessary and misdirected anger can also cause stress and chaos, but if keeping it suppressed and hidden is gonna ache, express the frustration, and if you're the softie type, there's no harm in crying it out; I do that all the time.

Right time is right now...

"It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any." - Hugh Laurie

I don't know about you but myself, there's never been an occasion I did something I find productive and didn't express regret for not doing it sooner; you know, wishing I had done more of it. I think it's because like many out there, I spend like forever taking the convenient time for the right time.

Priorities...

Once upon a time, it was all about catering to desires like swagg, looking fly or cute, getting flava, serial dating, getting laid, the one-nights stands, the occasional high, the excitement in the urban nightlife, the unprovoked youthful anger and resistance, the indictment of ways you saw differently, the goodly street and left-wing speeches, like some good old Marxist professor, except in deed.

Fast forward to when the mind's now all ripe, bodily growth completed, licit reproduction close to its right time, a rewarding economic role secured, a more productive union shaped, mom's eager to see her grandkids, homies and playas who are seemingly trapped in the game soon start getting retorts like: "Dude, grow up! I ain't into that anymore; I have a home to take care of."

Now responsibility is taken, bills getting the better of you, the division of attention to not only the needs of your own family, but of the extended family, and even the extension of the extended family, the exercise of good judgment and prudence, the random recollection of your past, of that youthful identity and your delusions of grandeur back then, the regret in your artful evasion of reality and of things worth doing sooner... but that's all right. What I am trying to depict is that indeed, priorities do change.

If...

If your heart is not in it, and that's anything for that matter, don't do it. If you don't want it to be a public anthem, don't post it on here; don't even say it. If you couldn't care less about the way you behave, don't rebuke others.

If you can't stand opposing opinions, don't start a debate. If you must say or do it, remember, everything you do or say will create a reaction. If you know you're as vulnerable to sin as everyone else, don’t try to be perfect; just be human.

If you're fond of interpreting every remark as if it were critical about your person, don't read my posts. I cannot be responsible for someone else's ability to grasp, or for any subjective emotional process of some sort.

Success is a slow process...

Success in every aspect is a slow process. Whosoever tells you otherwise was probably born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and perhaps never told about the volume of sweat and occasional tears that went into the foundation of his endowment.

But then, no matter how difficult to endure it will occasionally get, without regard to what others say about your previous failure(s), and with God in your ride, no speed hump fashioned to grind your journey to a halt shall prosper. My Christian idrens will say: "With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm."

'Naseehah'

When somebody strays or sins, rather than exposing or seeking to injure the person's reputation and dignity, ours is to give advice, and to cover up for him, in a manner compatible with law that is. Muslims call it "Naseehah."

But since this is not usually the case, airing your dirty laundry not only in public, but even in confidence to someone who keeps record of your wrongs can be very dangerous.

Like, why the hell is he keeping track? Does he care, or is he adding more to cart - to be used against you someday? Do you know the magnitude of the speed and venom of his mouth? What if y'all cease to be on friendly terms; can you keep his demons of vengeance cowed? Do you have the time for drama like that? If you can't tell, don't tell him.

My favourite documentary intro...

"Only one creature has carved a life for itself in every habitat on Earth; that creature is us. All over the world, we still use our ingenuity to survive in the wild places, far from the city lights, face to face with raw nature... this is the Human Planet.”

Whenever I am watching the Human Planet documentaries and this intro is read, I feel extremely pleased that I am a part of the greatest of creations... but that's of course minus the audacity of man in his invariable treatment of evil as good and good as evil.

Observe...

If you're going to write it, know it. Better yet, be able to prove it. If you're going to read it, pay attention; not everything you read on social media is black-and-white certainty. The real deal is sometimes a hidden supply. In fact, on here, overstanding and knowledge of which source to trust will come to those who observe.

Maintain dialogue...

When there's a problem between you and someone else, talk to the person like, hey mate, look! Even teeth and tongue do fall out sometimes... maintain dialogue with the individual.

Do not go about telling everyone about it... it wouldn't 'dead the issue.' In fact, today, many a people you talk to is no relationship mender, but some stonehearted scandal-mongering discord-cultivator who cannot wait to distort the recitation of your account. By the time you know it, even the things you haven't said yet will be held against you, and you'll end up so screwed and sorry. Don't allow it. Happy (Islamic) New Year still!

Unless you fall off, go broke, or say no...

No matter how long and oft y'all roll, homies proving faithless is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, in the hood, it is said that unless you fall off, go broke, or say no, everyone around you is either a bff, or bae.

But all leeches gone, what you're gonna find regrettable is that the one you took for granted, and the one you least expected to go with you through the bad times is usually the realest - the true ride or die.

In this crocodile age...

In this crocodile age where preservation of one's dignity and privacy, and the means to keeping clear of baseless accusations will depend not on the treasures of your heart, but on the jewels that your name is reputed for, if you are going to pray for long life, pray for a good state of health, prosperity, and a strong support structure. I swear down, I have seen many an elderly been disrespected today not because they deserve to be, but because of their perceived social and cultural inferiority.

A problem shared is NOT always a problem halved

“A problem shared is a problem halved,” like: "shared grief is half-grief." That’s the claim, but not all the time; in my opinion that is. I believe sharing your problems especially with a barren brain will make you feel worse-off, trust me!

For the record, I don't mean quiet people; I mean empty ones, because many times you’ll find so much light in the silence of the silent. Reference here’s two: those with zero-initiative, and those who are so inconsiderate that they’re always downplaying someone else’s plight to give emphasis to theirs.

Like Spoonhead will say: “waw deh, lolu tamit bax na” (that too is great) to every choice you say you’re gonna make, even if in your heart, all you needed was his guidance… or my dawg Skinny will be like: “boy, what’s up?” and you: “I could be better; my ankle’s still hurting from the sprain last week.” Then he’ll say: “hey, yours isn’t as painful star; me, lawd …” then he’ll multiply his in such a fashion that yours will feel like you’re just making a big deal out of nothing.

Hurricane Matthew

Prayer is awesome; so my thoughts and prayers are with the brothers and sisters in Haiti. But then what Haiti needs right now is not just prayers; they need supplies, doctors, and nurses like yesterday; then they need better structures and uncorrupt institutions for proactive disaster management.

I hate to comment on natural disasters like this lest I'll be blaspheming, but really, I just cannot overstand nature. Sometimes it seems as if she has her worst disasters and mass murders in store for the most fragile. This country's one of the world's poorest; they haven't even recovered from the 2010 earthquake that killed thousands, the cholera thereafter, the Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and now this, eh?

Be ingenious...

No seller will get ahead of the other if everyone's selling the same thing, and if every seller wants to shine brighter than the rest without adding a speck of ingenuity to what everyone's selling.

Like every street vendor in my hood is selling roasted peanuts and boiled eggs, placing us (patrons) at a circumstance in which we must make a choice, but between alternatives that are equally undesirable; you know, creating relationships of avoidable rivalry, and causing feelings of displeasure stemming from the belief that one's betrayed by another.

EGO!

If your sense of self is on steroids, you have a problem; you'll always see others for holding their ego as incentive for the actions they take and the decision they make, because that's what you would've done; you're passing judgment using your own ego as the standard, forgetting that yours grows very quickly.

"Sour grapes" dislike...

No matter what you do, someone somewhere will find fault with it - and because there's no art to unfurl the construction of the heart of a people by what they display, some will pretend a moderate living not because they're, but because they want to pick at you or yours. If you ask me, it's not because it sucks to be you; it's usually because what it takes to be you is too high for them to reach.

I know someone who less than a couple years ago will turn up his nose and call you aimless for buying a mobile phone in excess of 1500 Dalasis (£25). Today, he's so comfortable that he spends money for no reason; said: "of what use is it if you can't flaunt it?" So his was a case of the "sour grapes" fable. In a nutshell, because it's easy for people to despise what they can't have, learn to tell between what they say to you in good faith and what I call a downright emission of coherent nonsense.