BEST WAYS TO LIVE 2023 TO THE FULLEST.

The beginning of any enterprise is surefooted if the vision for the outcome is strategically planned, tracked, and reviewed in line with set goals. 2023 dreams are achievable with some of these habits: 

 * Seek and acknowledge God in all your ways. The book of Proverbs admonishes in Chapter 3:5 "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path"

 * Be clear about your heart desires, dreams and aspirations. 

 * Daily affirm that all your aspirations are achievable 

 * Back your affirmations with corresponding actions. 

 * Seek counsel and connect with people who have achieved what you are currently interested in achieving. 

 * Believe and never doubt the possibility of your dreams coming true.

May all your dreams come true in 2023. Cheers to an achievable 2023!

THINK WOMEN, THINK POSSIBILITIES!

  

March 8, 2022 is another International day of  celebrating women. Being a woman goes with lots of negatives and positives. The negatives are the cruel stereotyping and limits placed on them. The positives are their being resilient, phenomenal, innovative, unstoppable and influential in whatever they do, manage or lead. 

Women are creative, to quote Ntozake Shange " Where there is a woman, there is magic!" . They wear different hats and play multifaceted roles. They are mothers, wives, financial managers, project planners, administrators, managers, executives and supervisors. They are Peace Ambassadors, Bridge builders and Talent Strategists. Their roles are inexhaustible!

I celebrate every woman who is making a difference against all odds. Keep thinking big,  keep on blazing the trail, keep breaking the limit, keep switching off the bias! You're unstoppable! You're  phenomenal! You're a heroine

Happy International Women's Day💞

TOP 10 MANNERS TO EMBRACE IN THE NEW YEAR

Source: Canva; designed by Gargi Singh

Every year brings with it new passion, energy and expectations of new starts in life. As we leave behind the previous year with  its challenges, economic downturn, deaths, losses and embrace the new year with zest and optimism, these ten top manners will make one's personal brand stand out.

• Stay positive, with more focus on brighter side of life

• Spread joy around, be the first to say hello, offer a helping hand and listen to an aching heart

• Be a positive influencer

• Ask after people's wellbeing

• Be kind with your words, judge less because most people are hurting and dying in silence

• Reconnect with families, friends, mentors and colleagues through calls, email, DM, Chat and visits

• Make a lasting impression with your kind words, dressing, attitude and habits

• Make people relaxed in your company rather than weigh them down with negative vibes

• Do not take things too personal

• Most of all, increase your spiritual health by prayer, meditation, and implicit trust in the Almighty to handle all your fears and make all the aspirations in the New Year a reality.

Have a Fulfilled 2021!

NEVER EXCUSE , TRIVIALISE NOR STIGMATIZE RAPE #MALE ETIQUETTE

Gavin de Becker in the book The Gift of Fear: Survival signs that protect us from violence, said "Most men fear getting laughed at or humiliated by a romantic prospect while most women fear rape and death". According to United Nation definition of sexual violence, it encompasses among others 

"Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution"

With the high incidence of gender based sexual violence, especially in rape cases and death, or maiming of the victim thereafter; the proclamation of June 19th as the  International day of elimination of sexual violence , is very pertinent.

The increasing campaigns against rape such as #WeAreTired , and its declaration as Rape Epidemic in Nigeria by the Governors of the thirty six States of Nigeria are commendable reactions that should be acted upon swiftly and decisively. It is noteworthy of mention that the Governor's forum also called for a state of emergency over rape and gender violence

The issue of victim blaming must be removed from our culture given that there is no excuse for rape rather men should have Male Etiquette and play their roles in preventing sexual violence. The stigmatization of  rape victims must be fought with solidarity mantra like Stop This Rape Shaming, while the trivialization be halted by meting stiffer punishment to perpetrators  and ensuring that justice for victims is never denied. Furthermore,  we must fight rape culture, and Say NO To Rape rationalization  fuelled by rape culture and marginalization of women.

 

 

PROVEN TIPS TO PREVENT RAPE

OUTDOOR

1. Stay alert and aware of your environment, neighbours and events
2. Always inform others of your whereabouts
3. Try not to be alone in secluded alleys, building, park and poorly lit places
4. Take a self defense course 
5. Scream, fight, bite, scratch and do all you can to call attention if in danger of being a victim
6. Do not use earphones or  headset to enable you hear strange noises or footsteps
7. Do not reveal check-in or your location and private information on social media
8. Change routes and be unpredictable with your time out, hang out and return time
9. Do not accept rides or hitch hike from strangers

WHEN ON A DATE

1. Avoid uninhibited manners like reckless drinking of alcohol, obscene talks, jesting and seductive gestures
2. Be modest and decent in your appearance though it does not guarantee safety
3. Do not drink opened beverage or leave it when visiting the ladies hence the need to be aware of date rape drugs such as Gamma Hydroxybutyrate Acid, Rohypnol and Ketamine
4. Establish boundaries when dating and know when there are threats to your boundaries
5. Act wisely and leave with a safe person if you sense danger
6. Never date in isolated ambience, it is better to date in company of others

WHEN HOME

1. Keep the doors and windows locked 
2. Do not open to strangers or repair men without an appointment
3. Whenever you move house, change the locks and keys to new ones
4. Do not give the impression of being "Home Alone"
5. Report any hints of sexual assaults at the onset even when being threatened
6. Dress decently even when indoors
   

DON'T HUSH IT! BE CONFIDENT IN YOUR FEMININITY#MHD2020

 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her book "We Should all be Feminist" asserted " I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femininity. And I want to be respected in all my femaleness". Menstrual Hygiene Day(MHD) was an initiative of WASH UNITED with a focus on Menstrual Hygiene Education, creation of awareness to break the silence, social stigma and taboo on periods among others not listed.

 The choice of the day was informed by the duration of menstrual cycle which is  average of 28 days while the flow is about 5 days- 28thMay

"To be respected in ones femaleness" and avoid the embarrassing red stain on a dress, adopt these hygiene tips:

1. Choose sanitary pad according to type of flow and time of the day(heavy flow,  day time , light flow- night time brand)
2. Thicker brand should be used for heavier flow for extra absorbency
3. Change pad 3-4 times in a day for maxi hygiene
4. Take a bath twice or thrice if possible
5. Spritz a floral or fruity body fragrance
6. Place pad on a comfy tight fitted pants to prevent it from falling out or moving out of the centre of the pubic area
7.  Wear dark coloured dresses during flow e.g black, dark tan and navy blue to hide any unexpected leak
8. Never flush down the toilet but wrap in an ecofriendly bag or paper and throw in a bin

This year's theme of MHD2020 "PERIODS IN PANDEMIC" is apt and reflexive as many women and adolescent girls will face challenges in accessing feminine hygiene products and services due to LOCKDOWN and LOW CASH FLOW. Cheer up MOTHERS, LADIES AND GIRLS, keep being confident in your femininity.#PeriodsInPandemics. #ItsTimeForAction. faylady.blogspot.com

TIPS ON HOW TO EMBRACE THE"NEW NORMAL" LIFESTYLE

                      image credit:Unsplash.com

If only mankind could see the future, they could have prepared the way Joseph the Dreamer and Interpreter of dreams did as seen in his advise to Pharaoh in Genesis 41:1-25,36. Daniel also said he understood by book(the prophecies of Jeremiah ) which he read concerning the capitivity of the Israelites in Babylon for seventy years.

God never leave, fail nor forsake his children who trust in him wholeheartedly 1Kings 8:57, Deuteronomy 31:6. It behoves us to seek the face of God, right our wrongs with him especially in forsaking abominable polices and practices like legalising abortion, homosexuality among others. The winning buzz word is digital transformational operations, any organisations and individuals that will not innovate and reinvent itself in line with the trends will be depreciated, disrupted and possibly go into extinction.

The steps to navigate through the post covid economy include:

• Adapt to new set of rules and operational designs that mitigate risks of infection and reinfection such as work from home, online learning, home entertainment, virtual event hosting, online transaction etc
• Delay hiring new staff, marketing non essentials goods and unnecessary travels
• Take advantage of Internet of things in robotics and artificial intelligence to right size  workforce
• Focus on essentials for survival rather than acquiring luxury goods
• Assess your expenses, budget and cut down excesses and scale up gadgets like digital technology  and facilities
• Redesign business models to align with COVID19 precautionary measures for example process design and layout underpinned by standard physical distance
• Stakeholders  should maintain healthy relationship with vendors/suppliers, employees and agents
• Manage employees' reduction with severance friendly packages
• Reevaluate revenue generation goals, sales return, credit cycle, debt recovery (all financial metrics)
• Renegotiate with vendors and partners on fixed and variable expenses like rent, electricity, water, gas(fuel), equipment lease, salaries etc
• Redesigning strategically short term and long term policy plan
•  Invest in agro-allied such as fish farming, poultry, orchard, plantations and others not mentioned
  

The steps will definitely continue to evolve as informed by the effects of the pandemic changes. Keep in touch for more update and please suggest further possible steps via comment thereby contributing to alleviating the impact of COVID-19 distress.

MAKE A STATEMENT WITH YOUR PERFUME

   SPRITZ IT, SPRAY IT, DAB IT, WEAR IT...it's all about fragrance etiquette

The essence of perfume etiquette is to know these tips:

• Update fragrance collections to match time of the day, seasons and occasions
• Think of others so as not to overpower them with your spray
• For a long lasting effect, combine perfume with body oil, moisturiser, lotion, or petroleum jelly and dab on skin
• Apply perfume on pulse points; wrist,behind ear,behind knees also neck,ankle and hair
• To get the most of your fragrance spray it into the air and walk through it
• Never rub perfume into your skin since it alters its original scent
• A dab of light perfume is cool at work places so as not to distract colleagues
• Go for floral, soft and breezy sprays at daytime and summer
• Heavy and exotic fragrances are okay for night time and  evening hangouts
• Never reapply perfume when you no longer smell it- your nose just got used to it but others still smell it

   More tips will be coming soon - keep in touch. Cheers!

NEVER GET CAUGHT IN THESE TOILET FAUX PAS

   Toilet etiquette is an impressive hygienic niche expected from every ladies and gents. Knowing what to do in public and private cloakrooms saves one from embarrassment, reduce spread of germs and infections. These tops tips are a must for everyone.

1. Never leave it smelly and messed up with tissue papers and stains
2. Lock the door when in  use and leave open to indicate "not occupied" after use
3. Keep the toilet seat lid covered/ down.
4. Do not wet or soil the seat.
5. Keep potty sound to a quiet level.
6. Use air freshners
7. Clean up your mess after use.
8. Do not soil toilet rolls with wet hands.
9. Avoid taking reading materials into the toilet.
10. Do not take phone calls or have conversation while in the toilet
11. Be snappy to avoid keeping others waiting for longer than convenient
12. Feminine hygiene products, wipes and diapers should be wrapped up and disposed not flushed down the toilet

GLAM GROOMING HABITS FOR EVERY LADY

Every lady wants to look good and smell nice. To make an unforgettable impression as a lady, these top tips area must practice

• Use a fruity body wash
• Keep body odour off with a thorough bath with special attention to the armpit and private areas
• Use a deodorant with fruity fragrances preferably citrus or berries
• Stop bad breath with regular brushing and flossing after mealtimes and snacking
• A weekly hair wash with potpourri of fruit shampoo keeps hair odour at bay
• Pamper the skin with moisturising milk bath, exfoliate and tone with the right skincare products
• Drink water and eat more of veggies and fruit to improve skin complexion
• Change your lingerie (underwear) after six to nine months of use
• Avoid dark coloured lingerie and wear more of cotton 

keeping these hygienic tips gives every lady an aura of confidence. Stay in touch for more tips and remember your comments and suggestions are always valued. Thank you for reading.

WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH!

Hello my esteemed readers, hope you're all keeping well and safe. It is a fact that we are living in a turbulent time with different stressors. These should not shut down our will power to persevere, restrategize and overcome these adversities.

To be adversity intelligent in this trying times, one must practice some life defining principles to survive as listed:

• Reflection and meditation on the root causes of the adversities is a " first thing first" approach to saving the situation
• Remember to seek God's direction through prayers and wise counsel from experienced support network
• On identifying the root causes, next will be a strategic planning and adoption of remedies
• Creativity and imaginative power must be fully adopted in mitigating the stressors
• Perseverance, courage and focus are great virtues in adversity remember "if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small" Proverbs 24:10
• Do not despise any source of genuine income Zechariah 4:10.  Thus, be humble to engage in any legal job no mactter your qualification. It is for a moment!
• Never spend above your income, financial prudence is expected in adversity
• Do not borrow to maintain the "elites" status quo. 
• Be yourself and never make any fake impression
• Keep hope alive and believe the future holds greater blessings than your temporary low status
• Avoid negative, toxic and pessimistic friends and network
• Trust and have faith in God of all POSSIBILITY

It is a given that "tough times never last but tough people do" . I urge you to be resilient in this trying time because "this plague has an end" Cheer up!

REVISED HANDSHAKE ETIQUETTE!

Hand shake before the Corona Virus pandemic used to be a professional and social show of cordiality. The fact remains that " Change is a Constant" hence the revised edition of my Handshake Etiquette- with these tips:
Instead of shaking hands, please switch to any of these-

• Put your right hand over your heart and give a slight nod
• Do the "Namaste" greeting by joining the palm together at chest level and give a brief bow
• Bump feet like the Chinese do
• Wave your hand
• Give an elbow touch though with caution given that people now sneeze and cough into the elbow
• Communicate politely how you intend to greet and the reason for it

These tips are obviously the few update on my Handshake Etiquette and I hope to keep sharing more tips as the precautionary measures on social distancing evolve. Keep in touch with me and please feel free to share my blog posts.

Your comments and improvements suggestions are welcomed. Cheers!

ZOOM ETIQUETTE-Avoiding Awkward Scenarios on ZOOM

   With the outbreak of COVID -19 pandemic, video conferencing platforms like ZOOM have become expedient for virtual learning, business meetings, professional training and presentations. There's need to be both tech savvy and civil by practicing these outlined tips:

• If the convener, first introduce yourself and exchange pleasantries with the  attendees
• If the convener/the host, mute attendees speakers to avoid noise and distractions. However,  if the host did not mute attendees speakers,  mute yours to avoid background noises
• Unmute attendees speakers when needed for feedback, contribution or questions.  A hand raise can be used for signals to make contributions or ask questions
• Attendees must ensure the use of a neat and meeting appropriate background- plain wall or bookshelf background is preferred. Virtual background is also acceptable
• Camera should be positioned at an eye level, and at an arm length or at a distance of 30 inches
• Keep the screen on landscape position 
• Participant must refrain from crude habits like pulling out facial hair, picking the nose, and scratching the armpit
• Proper dress code is of high import to your personality rating
• Multi tasking is a no no! When on ZOOM, focus on the convener or the meeting agenda
• Avoid dark room or poorly lit area when on camera. Light should be in front of the user screen
• Maintain eye contact by focusing on the camera
• It's awkward to keep camera/video off in a meeting
• Be on time at least five minutes before the start of a meeting
• Have a notepad and a pen handy 
• Ensure phone battery and wifi are fully charged to last for the period of a meeting
• If the convener, manage the meeting by: 

1. permitting only signed in users to join
2. Locking the meeting if you don't want distraction from new faces that keep on popping up 😂
3. Setting a meeting code/password
4. Removing any stranger or intruder
5. Disabling video to stop unwanted, disruptive or unacceptable gestures on video
6.  Turning off file transfer  to check influx of unwanted messages, photos, GIFs, etc
7. Disabling private messaging/chat

• When the meeting is over, thank  attendees and allow them  hang up before you do.

I hope to keep sharing more tips meanwhile thank you for checking on my blog. Cheers!

YES! YOU CAN RAISE CHILDREN WITH IMPECCABLE MANNERS

Hello my valued reader, On this post, I will be sharing some nuggets on raising etiquette awareness in children no matter their age.

Children learn more by observations, modelling, guidance, motivation and reinforcement. No child is born with flawless manners, however if nurtured with the right values and attitude, it result in a well bred individual.

Do enjoy some of the shared nuggets for achieving flawless manners in children

•  Teach them how to use these magic words: "Please,  Excuse Me, I'm Sorry, Pardon Me, After You, You are welcome" to mention but not limited to these only.
• Model proper ways of greeting and exchanging pleasantries to elders, peers, adult, and friends
• Guide them to respect boundaries, rules,choices,opinions and diversity of culture
• Teach them delayed gratification and avoid indulging their excesses or excusing their negative behaviour.
• Correction must be age appropriate, timely and well explained to avoid rebellious reaction

I will pause at this point meanwhile please keep checking on my blog for more tips. Many thanks for your valued time. Cheers