MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Video of the Week: Wizkid - Pakurumo

"Oya Shardeya, Pakurumo, pakurumo ko jo dada..."  - LOVE this song, Love the video & Love Wizkid...!

            

Song ILike: Jay Z ft Kanye West - N*ggas in Paris

Loving this song at the moment....        

                 

Quote of the Week

"Where Has The Year Gone?"

I don't know if its the older you get the faster time goes by or what but 2011 definitely seemed like a year that rushed by super quick. It feels like just the other day, I was looking forward to leaving 2010 and entering 2011, now its soon time to leave 2011 and enter into 2012.

At the start of the year, I remember my first post for 2011 talked about working towards achieving your goals and dreams for 2011 and I asked a question which was: “Are you looking forward to the Good Life? Living the Good life? Or looking Back at the Good Life?” I remember saying I’m living the Good Life and till this day I can personally say nothing has changed since I first wrote that post.. 

I mentioned the above question because I just want to really encourage you to keep on going and keep working towards achieving the goals you have set for 2011, its never too late to start even if we do only have 31 days till the end of 2011. Anything can happen between now and then, you never know who you might meet on the 31^st December 2011 that might open those doors of opportunities for you in 2012.

So between now and the end of the year why not try to make every day and week count towards achieving your goals and dreams. Make a change that would help you to prepare for 2012, don't wait till 2012 to start making the change, act like your already in 2012 and finish or start working on those goals you set for 2011.. Remember its never too late & One Power Move a Day can get you somewhere.

Keep on running the race… Nothing is impossible to achieve!

Peace out!!!

History Time: Happy 45th Independence Day Barbados



MOTTO: "Pride & Industry"



The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. (source: The CIA)

The Barbados flag

The left blue stripe represents the sky and the yellow/gold stripe symbolises the sand. The right blue stripe represents the sea. The trident in the middle of the Barbados flag represents Barbados independence from the British, with each point of the trident representing the three principles of democracy which are government of, for and by the Barbados people.

Name: Originally called Los Barbados (which means The Bearded One in Portuguese)

Nickname: Bimsha

Capital: Bridgetown

Population: 286,705 (July 2011)

Language: English with a broad dialect (Bajan) - Known to sound like a Yorkshire accent.

Major religion: up to 95% are Christians with other religions such as; Rastafarian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim.

Festivals: Crop Over is celebrated every year between July & August to celebrate the end of the sugarcane harvest.

National Dish: Cou-Cou & Flying Fish* (Cou-Cou is a dish made with cornmeal and Okras)

*when flying over Barbados “the land of the flying fish” you can sometimes see the fishes gliding out of the sea for 30 to 50 metres.

Random Facts:

• Mount Gay Bardados Rum is one of the oldest rum brands in the world and is over 300 years old..
• Rihanna is one of the biggest worldwide artist to come out of Bardados and now has her own national day on the 20^th Feb  in bardados. "Rihanna's Day"

Location: Caribbean island in the North Atlantic Ocean, Northeast of Venezuela

Quote of the Week

"The Two Most Important Days In Your Life Are;

The Day You Are Born,

And The Day You Find Out WHY"

 - Mark Twain

#WRETCH32INVASION

                      

This time 2 weeks ago I was filled with excitement as I knew in a few hours time, I was being treated by my good friend Mayah & finally getting the chance to see my favourite UK artist, Wretch 32 perform live at a secret gig being filmed for Channel 4. Now as you may or may not know I have been a massive fan of his since he released his first mixtape and was selling them down Seven Sisters Market.  Since then I have not looked back and have every mixtape and album he has released… So you can imagine how excited I was.

Having seen Wretch 32 perform live at a variety of events I have never had the chance to see him in his own concert.

Despite waiting nearly 3 hours before Wretch 32 came on stage, I am happy to say that he lived up to my expectations. In the build up to waiting for Wretch we was entertained by Twin B who got the crowd warmed up by spinning the hottest tracks around at the moment & we was also treated to a special performance by Wretch 32 supporting act, Smiler (a UK recently signed rapper) and his guest artist My Nature. (If you have not heard of them before and you like UK rap check them out on youtube). Performing a few of his tracks and his own version of "House of Pain – Jump Around" he definitely done a good job in getting the crowd hyped & excited for what was about to come.

After what seemed like forever, Mr Wretch 32 along with his Live Band decided to grace us with their presence and start off with a bang, opening the concert with the first track (Black & White) off his new album "Black and White".

Wretch 32 mainly performed tracks from his new album, which included hits such as; Tracktor, Dont Go, Forgiveness (his new single), I am not the Man and Anniversary (Fall In Love). He also took us back a little and performed “Be Cool”.

As well as treating us to a live band he also surprised us with some special guests such as; Scorcher, Etta Bond & Loick Essien to name a few...

Overall his performance was brilliant & definitely made the waiting around worth it. The night had too many highlights and funny moments that I personally would never forget but my main highlights of the night had to be; when Scorcher appeared on stage, when Bart from Hollyoaks randomly jumped on stage during the middle of Wretch's performance (if your a fan of Hollyoaks you would have seen it on Hollyoaks 2 Fridays ago) and when he performed Tracktor which sent the crowd mad!!

My disappointment of the night had to be the fact that we was soo sooo soo close to Wretch 32 but never got the chance to get a picture taken with him, but oh well maybe another time.

For now, check out some pictures taken on the night, sorry for the not so good quality pictures I left my camera at home and had to use my fone and I was over tired that day as well but in the words of Wretch 32 "Ahhh Yeaaa"…. 

#WRETCH32INVASION

Mr Wretch 32 Himself

Wretch 32  "AHHH YEAAA"

Myself with Smiler & My Nature - Cool Guys!

Mayah & Loick Essien

Channel 4 Live

#Wretch32Invasion Wristband

Video of the Week - Wretch 32 ft Etta Bond - Forgiveness

Another Video of the Week dedicated  to my Fav UK artist... Watch out for my review on the #Wretch32Invasion coming soon. 

Quote of the Week

"With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 NIV)

"That's a pretty all-inclusive statement. No matter how big your problem is, God can handle it. But you must do your part. Do what you can with what you have and then expect God to take it from there"

Quote of the Week

"Often the difference between the successful person and failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take calculated risks to act."

 - Andre Malraux

Happy November

"Not knowing what is gonna happen today is one of the beautiful things about life, but scary at the same time"

This morning I woke up feeling really excited, like something good and unexpected is about to happen. I don't have a clue what it is but you know what I'm embracing the excitement and looking forward to any blessings that is about to come my way.

So when I saw the quote above on twitter this morning, I could not have agreed more. But then I started questioning why are some people afraid of the unknown? I believe that if you have faith and trust in God you have no reason to be afraid of what is going to happen today, tomorrow or next week. He never gives us more than we can handle, therefore we need to embrace whatever comes our way and run with it and yes that does mean both the good and the bad.

Everything we experience every day is a part of our journey and in order for us to grown and become the person we are destined to be we need to experience them. Its all about growth..

So this month embrace each new day and look forward to the unknown, you have nothing to fear but fear itself. Maybe try take a risk this month and do something you would not usually do, you might be surprised at the outcome.

Quote of the Week

Happy Birthday Shardeya’s World!

Today marks Shardeya's World first birthday and I just wanna say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who has taken time out to either follow my blog, read my blog, left comments or even told me directly what you think about my blog. It really means a lot to me!

I’m off to eat some cake to celebrate as it would be wrong of me not to do so, lool...

I hope my blog has been able to enlighten and encourage you to keep working towards your dream, whilst providing you with some entertainment.

I don't get to blog as much as I would like now days but I hope you will continue to follow my blogging journey. This year I really need to make an effort to promote my blog more as its something I rarely do.

So once again THANK YOU & keep DREAMING BIG.

Take Care!!

Quote of the Week

"Whatever with the past has gone,

the best is always yet to come"

- Lucy Larcome

Quote of the Week

When I wrote my monthly blog post for October, I remember saying that I am thankful for alot of things in life and that this month is a month to be Thankful and it is  defintely turning out to be that type of month.

So when I came across this quote, I had to make it my quote of the week because it sums up exactly how I feel right now about a lot of things. Remember to always give thanks no matter what you are going through.  

 

 

"I find that the more willing I am to be grateful for the small things in life, the bigger stuff just seems to show up from unexpected sources, and I am constantly looking forward to each day with all the surprises that keep coming my way!”  - Louise L. Hay

 

 

Video of the Week: Musiq - Yes

Its been awhile since I have posted a Video of the Week, so here you go.. I'm totally loving this song at the moment.



Inspiration: Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

RIP Steve Jobs

February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011

"You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking back"

- Steve Jobs

Quote of the Week

"God doesn't take us into deep water to drown us,

but to develop us"

Happy Sunny October!

What a gorgeous month October is starting off to be. The 1^st of October was one of the hottest days of 2011 and also the third warmest day of 2011. Who would of imagined that during the last week of September and early October we would have seen such amazing weather especially as we was all preparing to dig out those winter clothes. But whose complaininig?

I for one am definitely not complaining about the weather because it meant I got to have an amazing hot day on my b’day which made it even more special :-)

Last week, I spent most of the week on the build up to my birthday thinking about the things that I had planned to achieve from my last birthday which I had not yet done. In  all honesty I began to panic  a little and felt as though I was moving behind and time was moving a lot faster but as I began to look at how much I had achieved from my list, it was not as bad as I thought and then I began to realise the things I had achieved without planning to achieve them. 

You see sometimes we get so caught up in setting our own goals that we tend to forget that God already has his own plans for us and knows the perfect time to give us what we want.

So this month, is a month of being THANKFUL for all the things I have achieved and for all the people I have in my life.  I think birthdays definitely make you appreciate what you done in life & who you have in your life.  

On that note have a wonderful October and remember to be thankful for every little thing that happens in your life, even those bad days because if you make it through the bad days you will definitely appreciate the good days.

Enjoy the sun!!!

History Time: HAPPY 51st INDEPEDENCE DAY NIGERIA

 

Motto: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress"

Being half Nigerian, it would be wrong for me not to give you some interesting facts about Nigeria in celebration of our 51^st Independence.  

Named after the River Niger, Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic in Africa. The country stands divided into thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. Nigeria is situated in Western Africa and is surrounded by the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east and Niger in the north. Its coastal sides fall on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. 

The Flag of Nigeria is represented by the two unique sea-green bands which represents the forests and abundant natural wealth of Nigeria while the white band represents peace.

The Coats of Arms of Nigeria has a black shield with two white stripes that come together, like the letter Y. These represent the two main rivers flowing

through Nigeria. The black shield represents Nigeria's good earth while the two horses represent dignity. The eagle respresnts strentgh, while the green and white bands on the top of the shield represent the rich agricultural land of the inspiring country. The yellow flowers at the base (incorrectly shown as red in the image) are Costus Spectabilis, Nigeria's national flower.

• Full name: The Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Population: 158.2 million (UN, 2010)
• Capital: Abuja
• Largest city: Lagos
• States: Nigeria has 37 States
• Area: 923,768 sq km (356,669 sq miles)
• Major languages: English (official), Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa
• Major religions: Islam, Christianity, indigenous beliefs
• Life expectancy: 49 years (men), 50 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Nigerian naira = 100 kobo
• Main exports: Petroleum, petroleum products, cocoa, rubber
• GNI per capita: US $1,140 (World Bank, 2009)

Random Fact: Nigeria has the highest rate of twin births in the world, compared to any other country.

Unfortunately I am unable to upload a video due to technical reasons but I will upload one soon.

 

Quote of the week

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness;

only light can do that. Hate cannot

drive out hate; only love can do that."

 - Martin Luther King Jr.

Quote of the Week

"Love & build, Love & work, Love & fight.

Always Love first.

Anything placed before love will fail"

Music Love:- Frank Ocean - Swim Good

I can listen to this song over and over again and never get bored, happy to see a video has been released. Enjoy!

Quote of the Week

'Become wise by walking with the wise'  Proverbs 13:20

Its been a hot minute...

                                        

13 days into September already & the final quarter of the year! Time to make it count for something ,if you have not be doing so already & if you have keep on going, the race is not over yet..!

We are beginning to draw near to the end of summer 2011 and begin to brace ourselves for the cold days that await us. Even though we was not blessed with as many blazing hot summer days as I would have liked, I can still say that this summer has been full of plenty of fun.. August was a mad month & it definitely started off with a BIG Bang that would make us remember August 2011 for many many years to come. If you don't know what happened with the riots & looting that took place throughout London & other parts of the UK then you have been sleeping.. The whole thing was unexpected, scary & upsetting to see but I’m glad to see that order has now been restored & things are getting back to normal. One good thing that did come out of everything that happened is that it showed people still had that "community spirit" especially when it came to cleaning up & helping people get their life back on track. Another good thing is that many people had the chance to receive life changing opportunities that they may never have got if the riots never happened. Like they say “Everything happens for a reason”.

Despite having to deal with the riots taking place not too far from me, August was also a time of really celebrating African culture. I had the opportunity to attend, Africa Fashion Week in London which was amazing & well organised, went to see FELA! Which was long over due trip to the theatre & also celebrated the rising success of Afrobeatz music by attending a range of events during the August Bank Holiday weekend and one of them being the D’Banj & MoHits Kokokoncert at Hammersmith Apollo which has now been added to my top 5 concerts I have attended to date. It was good to see Africa being so well represented within the UK with a range of different events. (Pictures uploaded soon, hopefully!)

Overall August was full of sharing good times and good memories with family and friends and allowing me to remember that “Life is Good!” So now its back to hustling hard and making sure I leave 2011 with a bang! But this month is also my birthday month (Woop Woop!!! presents & cards appreciated, lol) so I will be having some fun, as it will be wrong not to celebrate it!

But for now I wish you all a wonderful month & hopefully I will get a chance to start blogging again regularly. Don’t forget “To Keep Aiming High!”

Until I blog again.. Peace & Love

Motivation: Google Chrome - Jamal Edwards

This film tracks the rise of Jamal Edwards and the emergence of SB.TV as one of the UK's leading youth broadcasters. From filming his friends in car parks to interviewing some of the world's biggest stars, we see how Jamal used the web to achieve his dreams.

Happy 49th Independence Day Jamaica

This blog is dedicated to my Jamaican fam & all Jamaicans world wide! Happy Independence Day!!!

One of my fav Bob Marley songs:

My fav reggae song at present:

Reflection of the Month

 

 

God of our lives

you are always calling us

to follow you into the future,

inviting us to new ventures, new challenges,

new ways to care,

new ways to touch the hearts of all.

When we are fearful of the unknown, give us courage.

When we worry that we are not up to the task,

remind us that you would not call us

if you did not believe in us.

When we get tired,

or feel disappointed with the way things are going,

remind us that you can bring change and hope

out of the most difficult situations.

Happy August!

At long last, the SUN is finally beginning to come out of hiding and it’s starting to feel like summer. Even though according to the newspapers it’s not like the summer we had in 2006 but hey some sun is better then no Sun.!

So how are things going for everyone? I hope you have been enjoying the summer days and having fun?

July for me was an interesting month to say the least; it was a month of CHANGE and new beginnings in a few areas of my life. I’m not going to lie some of the areas of change I was slightly opposed to but then I began to see the positive effects that the change could have on my life. For example,  change taking place within my workplace made me realise that its time for me to now move on, because progression within my job does not like an option anytime soon.

You know sometimes we get so comfortable within our surroundings and become so oppose to change that we don’t see the good that could come out of the change.  We might not know or understand it now but as things begin to develop and time progresses we begin to understand that everything that happened in the past was orchestrated in order for the change to happen and for the new stage of our life to come into full effect.

I’m looking forward to the future and the new beginnings that are coming my way, I’m sure its going to be an exciting ride and I know I will face obstacles along my journey but I know I will be ABLE to overcome them.

So yeah, roll on August,  I know its going to be a fun month full of; BBQ’s, Celebrations, Concerts, Hot Weather, Family & Good Friends… And lots of memorable times, Life can’t get any better! (If your lucky I might upload some pictures of my August fun)

One that note, I’m going to leave you with a quote I lived by last month:  “Things Change, People Change! That’s life deal with it”

Take care peeps & enjoy the Summer days Ahead!!!

Video of the Week: Kemi Sulola - Love is a Losing Game (Cover)

Check out my cousin Kemi singing a cover of Amy Winehouse - Love is a Losing Game a week before she died.. Beautiful!

R.I.P Amy Winehouse

As a family member of mine said:

"Sometimes your talent does not quiet those inner demons. 

Sometimes some peoples' addictions are more visible than others. 

Sometimes people around you and the way they treat you drive you  straight to your addictions."

She was only 27 years old, a few months older than me that is so sad but at least she accomplished her dream.

Some people are too scared of success to chase theirs.

R.I.P Amy Winehouse!!! U will be missed...!

     “Without risk there is no progress”

Goodman 1985

Video of the Week: Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Quote of the Week

"Never compromise to be recognized! 

Stay focused. Play your position!" 

- Canton Jones

Fashion ILike: Baby G - Premium Range

I'm not really one to blog about fashion etc but I came across an article about the new Baby G-Premium Range watches in a magazine and feel in love with them. It reminded me of my secondary school days when I used to have Baby G watches.  The new range comes in a variety of styles and colours, its so hard to pick which one I would get but for now the one below is one of my favs. Might have to treat myself to one for my Birthday and then Christmas..

Video of the Week: Beyonce - End of Time

I'm on a Beyonce hype right now & I'm totally loving her new album "4". This is one of my fav tracks from the album & I loved the whole performance she done at Glastonbury... Enjoy!!

THANK YOU!!!

I just checked my stats and realised that I have had over 1000 views on my blog! I just wanna say a massive THANK YOU to everyone all over the world who has taken the time out to check out my blog.. Considering I have not really advertised my blog out there, I'm quite shocked that I have got so many views to be honest. I hope I can continue to provide you with more posts that will enligten and encourage you to keep "DREAMING BIG"!

THANKS ONCE AGAIN!!!

Motivation: Beyonce

Inspiring Beyonce Documentary, be sure to check it out!

Video of the Week: Wretch 32 ft Josh Kumra - Don't Go

My fav UK artist with another hit, can't wait for his album "Black & White" to launch next month..

Quote of the Week

Forgiving people that hurt you is never easy but its something we need to do in order to move on. This quote could not have put it better.

"Forgiveness is the gift that keeps on giving. Giving Life... Giving Change.. Giving New Beginnings"

- TheSingleWoman (via twitter)

Quote of the Week

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Author: Unknown

Food For Thought: Half-Way Point

Hey Guys & Dolls, 

How you all doing? I know it has been awhile since I have written a post, I have been so busy with work, studying and life in general but I'm sure you know how it gets at times.

So we are now in June and not a piece of sunshine in sight but this is England, so to be fair I don't know why I'm surprised at the unpredictable weather. 

Not only is June "British Summer" time but it is also the halfway point of the year. The Point that can make or break the rest of the year. "Are you Half Empty or Half Full?" in regards to achieving your goals and dreams? 

Depending on which catergory you are in, I just want to encourage you to keep on going and working hard because you are nearly there, even if you have given up its never too late to start back again and keep running the race till you have reached the finish line. 

Below I have given a few tips to encourage you to keep running the race with endurance. 

• Use this time to Readjust / Relaunch / Rethink / Regroup 
• Look at the next phase - What do you want to achieve in the next season?
• Buddy up with someone to give you an encouragement when you are weak and need strength
• Put aside your Pride to yourself and others
• Are you Creating an Impact? - you need to Influence and Impact people
• Keep the Faith 
• Keep Focused on the Finishing Line - Picture yourself reaching the Finish Line
• Expect and get the Results
• Don't be a Spectator - Go for it!!!
• BE IN IT TO WIN IT - Look forward to the good times of achieving your goals and dreams

Good Luck to all of you as you keep running the race, Remember: "If You Don't Believe In Yourself No One Will", so keep going & as Obama said "YES WE CAN" - Anything is achievable 

Video of the Week: Pepstar & Kano - Beats & Bars (SB.TV)

Pepstar is one talented guy!

             

Quote of the Week

What is Life?

Life is an Adventure ... Dare it

Life is a Beauty ... Praise it

Life is a Challenge ... Meet it

Life is a Duty ... Perform it

Life is a Love ... Enjoy it

Life is a Tragedy ... Face it

Life is a struggle ... Fight it