self development Archives

In self development October 11, 2018 By Women of Rubies

UK APPOINTS FIRST MINISTER OF SUICIDE PREVENTION

The United Kingdom has, in commemoration of the World Mental Health Day, appointed its first Minister of Suicide Prevention.

The UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced the appointment, naming Jackie Doyle-Price as Minister for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention.
The Conservative Party shared the news on its Twitter, writing:
@theresa_may has appointed the first ever UK Minister for Suicide Prevention.
@JackieDP will lead a new national effort as we work to reduce the number of suicides and overcome the stigma that stops people seeking help.

Mashable reports that Doyle-Price, who was a junior minister in the Department of Health, said:
In my time as health minister I have met many people who have been bereaved by suicide and their stories of pain and loss will stay with me for a long time.
It’s these people who need to be at the heart of what we do and I welcome this opportunity to work closely with them, as well as experts, to oversee a cross-government suicide prevention plan, making their sure their views are always heard.
About 4,500 are said to die by suicide yearly in England, and the ministry’s work will be to see to the reduction of the number, something Doyle-Price has said she’s committed to.

In self development October 10, 2018 By Women of Rubies

“MY CHILDREN ARE MY TEACHERS”, SAYS KERRY WASHINGTON AS SHE COVERS MARIE CLAIRE’S POWER ISSUE

Kerry Washington is the latest cover star for Marie Claire‘s Power Issue. For the cover feature, she talks life after tv series Scandal, heading back to Broadway, motherhood, and the Time Up movement.

Read excerpts below:

On the word Power: Honestly, I think about power as more of an internal phenomenon, I tend to think about empowerment for myself so that I have the courage and ability to act on the ideologies and priorities that resonate with me. I’ve always wanted to cultivate a sense of empowerment within myself without seeking approval from outside sources, which is hard to do as an actor, which is part of why producing is so important and which is where some of my freedom, or learning, to take that sense of freedom and bring it to a larger audience and larger space has a lot to do with having my employer be a black woman.

On working on Broadway: Theater is a big part of why I fell in love with storytelling and with acting and I hadn’t been able to do it for the whole life of Scandal. I love being in the room with your audience. There’s something very meditative and monastic to me about theatre because on TV, every single day is different. To commit yourself to go to the same place and saying the same words and walking the same path, it’s almost like a labyrinth in a monastery or a walking meditation, where the world around you changes but you don’t. You commit to the same task at hand, and in doing that, you learn so much. The last time I did theater, it completely transformed my life. That’s where I met my husband.

On what Motherhood has taught her: Everything. My children are my teachers. There’s a writer that I love, Dr Shefali Tsabary. She writes about conscious parenting, and her paradigm is that we think about it all wrong. We think children come into the world and it’s our job to mold them and create them and teach them who to be so that they can be the best version of themselves, but it’s actually completely upside down. We get sent by God the kids we need so we can grow in order to be the parents they need us to be. The children I got sent came in perfect, and I have to figure out how to grow and evolve so that I can support the truth of them. I’m in a constant state of learning and challenging myself to make room for their perfection and beauty.

On the disparities in representation and action for women of colour in the industry and beyond: It’s complicated to be a woman of colour doing this work because I remember the first time I talked about it in a meeting. I said to the white women in the room, ‘You all roll your eyes when they call it a witch hunt, but for black women in this country, we’ve had our men hung from trees for whistling at white women when they did no wrong. The false accusation of sexual assault is a very real danger for us in a way that doesn’t resonate for you, and so when you wonder why there aren’t more of us in the room, that might be part of it.

It was in that meeting that we were talking about how one of our members got word that there was a powerful exposé being developed around R. Kelly and said, ‘Do we want to get ahead of this?’ It was like, ‘Of course we do.’ It can’t be only the Angelina Jolies and the Gwyneth Paltrows, that we prioritize their pain and ignore all of these underage black women who for decades have been saying, ‘Help me.’ We came forward for them in a statement about R. Kelly, and it was Time’s Up WOC’s first big public action.

Click here for more on Kerry.

In self development October 10, 2018 By Women of Rubies

GET FAMILIAR WITH DR OLA BROWN’S NEW BOOK ‘FIXING HEALTH CARE IN NIGERIA’

Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria is a 40-page book written by Dr. Ola Brown. She is the CEO of Flying Doctors Nigeria, the first indigenous air ambulance service company in West Africa. Her new book, Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria, is her third book and she has made it available to download for free.

Speaking on the inspiration for the book and the format it was presented in, she said:

“It’s my sincere wish that you consider the modest proposals I forward in these chapters. Perhaps they will spur you to take a fresh look at how we manage healthcare in Nigeria and you might refine them even more or see other steps that we should consider.”

Read an excerpt from the book here:

***

My younger sister died when she was 12 years old. Her death was so shocking, so earth-shattering, that we did not hold a burial or a memorial service. We did not speak of it at all.
It has been over a decade since her death, and I want to tell you about the person who brought so much joy into my life. I want to tell you about the sweet little girl who so deeply loved her family. And I want to tell you about the way she died—and how we could have saved her. She was born in 1992. When I first laid eyes on her, I fell in love. One of the most striking things about Busola was her kindness. Even at a young age, she tried to make breakfast for the entire family—an act that was both entertaining and incredibly touching. She was always trying to help, always serving, always thinking of others.

Even as she lay dying in the hospital bed—alone in Nigeria, without any family around her—she made a simple
request: “Pray for the other sick children around the world.”

Kindness. Empathy. Self-sacrifice.

These were what the world lost when she died. I lost my angelic baby sister. And even though her death continues to influence me, I know that her story is not unique. She is, quite literally, one in
a million. Children die every day in Nigeria. In fact, nearly one million Nigerian children die each year before their fifth birthday, according to the UN. To put this into proper perspective, imagine a Boeing 777: one plane carries approximately 350 passengers. Now, imagine a single Boeing 777, filled with 350 children,
crashing. There would be an international outcry, a full investigation, and a vow to make safety a national priority. To equal our national health crisis, you would need 3000 Boeing 777 plane crashes—every year. 10 crashes per day.

Every year, children like my sister continue to die—yet there is no press coverage, no national attention, all
while our sisters, our daughters, our brothers and sons continue to die in record numbers.

***

To read more, download a copy here. It is a quick and informative read. Highly enlightening and it is something all Nigerians should read. So pass it on, share it with your friends, family, colleagues.

Credit: Bella Naija

In self development October 9, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MARAJI TALKS ABOUT HOW SHE STARTED HER MILLION NAIRA BUSINESS OUT OF BOREDOM

Instagram influencer and comedienne, Gloria Oloruntobi popularly known as Maraji isn’t big on interviews and event appearances and she tells her fans her reason on the latest edition of Rubbin’ Minds with host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

Maraji, who is popular for her comic multiple personality video clips on Instagram reveals that she began her now 2-year, million-naira business as a way to deal with boredom.

In the interview, she also talks about the challenges of creating her videos, how she makes money off content creation, and future plans.

Watch the video:

Credit: Bella Naija

In self development October 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

#MONDAYMOTIVATION: 7 WAYS TO SAVE BETTER

Sometimes the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. This step-by-step guide on how to save money can help you develop a simple and realistic plan to save for goals, big or small.

Record your expenses

The first step to saving money is to figure out how much you spend. Keep track of all your expenses—that means every coffee, household item and cash tip. Once you have your data, organize the numbers by categories, such as gas, groceries and mortgage, and total each amount. Consider using your credit card or bank statements to help you with this.

Make a budget

Once you have an idea of what you spend in a month, you can begin to organize your recorded expenses into a workable budget. Your budget should outline how your expenses measure up to your income—so you can plan your spending and limit overspending. In addition to your monthly expenses, be sure to factor in expenses that occur regularly but not every month, such as car maintenance.

Plan on saving money

Now that you’ve made a budget, create a savings category within it. Try to save 10 to 15 percent of your income. If your expenses are so high that you can’t save that much, it might be time to cut back. To do so, identify nonessentials that you can spend less on, such as entertainment and dining out, and find ways to save on your fixed monthly expenses.

Tip: Consider the money you put into savings a regular expense, similar to groceries, to reinforce good savings habits.

Choose something to save for

One of the best ways to save money is to set a goal. Start by thinking of what you might want to save for—perhaps you’re getting married, planning a vacation or saving for retirement. Then figure out how much money you’ll need and how long it might take you to save it.

Here are some examples of short- and long-term goals:

Short-term (1–3 years)

– Emergency fund (3–9 months
of living expenses, just in case)

– Vacation

– Down payment for a car

Long-term (4+ years)

– Down payment on a home or a
remodeling project

– Your child’s education

– Retirement

If you’re saving for retirement or your child’s education, consider putting that money into an investment account such as an IRA or 529 plan. While investments come with risks and can lose money, they also create the opportunity for compounded returns if you plan for an event far in advance.

Decide on your priorities

After your expenses and income, your goals are likely to have the biggest impact on how you allocate your savings. Be sure to remember long-term goals—it’s important that planning for retirement doesn’t take a back seat to shorter-term needs. Learn how to prioritize your savings goals so you have a clear idea of where to start saving. For example, if you know you’re going to need to replace your car in the near future, you could start putting money away for one now.

Make saving automatic

Almost all banks offer automated transfers between your checking and savings accounts. You can choose when, how much and where to transfer money or even split your direct deposit so a portion of every paycheck goes directly into your savings account. Splitting your direct deposit and setting up automated transfers are simple ways to save money since you don’t have to think about it, and it generally reduces the temptation to spend the money instead.

Watch your savings grow

Review your budget and check your progress every month. Not only will this help you stick to your personal savings plan, but it also helps you identify and fix problems quickly. These simple ways to save may even inspire you to save more money every day and hit your goals faster.

Credit: Better Money Habit

In self development October 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

THIS 29-YEAR-OLD FASHION DESIGNER IS EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING GIRLS IN MAKOKO

Hannah is a 29-year old fashion designer who is contributing to girl-child education in Makoko, a floating slum in Lagos.

Hannah is helping the girls build a better future by sharing her skills with them and also engaging the services of her husband who works as an English Language tutor.

Hannah, who is also a teacher and an entrepreneur, makes clothes for people living in Makoko and elsewhere in Nigeria.

Hannah is trying to help women by sharing her skills with them, so they can succeed in business as she did. She speaks to BBC Minute about her work.

Watch below.

Credit: Bella Naija

In self development October 3, 2018 By Women of Rubies

CIARA TALKS ABOUT HOW DESTINY’S CHILD INSPIRED HER TO BE AN ENTERTAINER

32-year-old singer, Ciara, is the Cover Girl of the November issue of Cosmopolitan. She talks about life after welcoming her daughter, including how she got her famous abs back! She also opens up about her biggest inspiration to do music, how she manages trolls, and her ambition.

On Fitness routine after welcoming daughter, Sienna in 2017

It was kind of like, wake up in the morning, breastfeed, eat a small meal, go train, come back in, breastfeed, eat another meal, go train, then come back, have another meal, and then a third training session at night. It was a good challenge, one I set for myself, not for anyone else. Taking care of myself makes me feel really good. And I want to keep it sexy too, you know.

On Destiny’s Child being her Biggest Inspiration to do Music

They were killing it, and I just went, ‘This is what I want to do. I’m gonna be an entertainer…’ The first goal I wrote down was to get discovered. The second was to sell 3 to 4 million records. Third, have longevity.”

On how she deals with trolls

When someone comes for you and you didn’t send for them, you keep your eye on the prize. I know what my mission is. I know what I’m hoping for and working hard for every day. And that’s my focus. I’m not going to let people steal my joy. I move on. New day, new opportunity, new energy, let’s go.”

On her ambition

I never thought, I can’t be because of the color of my skin, I can’t be because of my gender. No dream is too big. I want to be a billionaire. The more resources, the more you can do. But I think my greatest accomplishment 10 years from now is that I would have a successful life as it pertains to my marriage and being a mom. It’s cool to want to do all these creative things, but it’s no good to gain the world if you lose your soul

Photo Credit: Victor Demarchelier

Credit: BN

In self development October 2, 2018 By Women of Rubies

“MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD HAS TAUGHT ME TO BE EXTREMELY PATIENT” – OMAWUMI

Nigerian singer, Omawumi, in a recent interview, opened up about life as a mother and marriage in general.

She said:

“Marriage and motherhood has taught me to be extremely patient; it has taught me to always understand that everybody has their side to a story. It has also taught me to be very understanding towards everybody.

To an extent, it still boils down to patience; you don’t put too much load on people or have too much expectation of people. Always be ready to receive people with love and forgiveness. I think the best way to explain it is that being a parent has made me understand my relationship with God”.

When asked if both has impacted her music career , she said:

“Yes of course. It has really helped and influenced or rather shaped my music and the way I put music out right now. Of course, one has to be extra careful; because you don’t want to pass the wrong message. Motherhood has been a blessing to my music; it has been a blessing to me. It has been a blessing to everything surrounding me”.

In self development October 1, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

#MONDAYMOTIVATION: FOUR THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHOOSING A MENTOR

Mentoring is a two-way street. I actually do quite a bit of work in the mentoring field–I am a mentor, I have a mentor, and I help train people to be good mentors. Your career is part of your life, and great mentoring changes you deeply, not just the way you work. Here are four tips for mentors and mentees alike:

Look for clues of success
Successful people are successful for a reason. People who have achieved greatness in an area of their lives are typically using great strategies. And these people tend to make excellent mentors. So when looking for a mentor, look for the clues of success. Think about what is important to you and the things you want to achieve personally and professionally. Do you want to be a better businessperson, mother, leader, yogi, speaker, writer, etc.? Start to look for people around you who exemplify the skills you want to acquire.

Mentoring goes both ways
To be sustainable and healthy, mentoring must be a two-way street. Both parties need to give 110% to the relationship. This ensures that the mentor and mentee continually learn from each other. Give as much to your mentor (or mentee) as he or she gives to you. And if you are looking for a mentor, actively seek out ways to add value to their life as well. Understand what matters most to them and find ways to contribute.

There is no one-size-fits-all
No one can (or should) guide you in all facets of your life. I actively seek out different mentors in a variety of areas in my life such as fitness, finance, public speaking, etc. For example, I’m expecting a baby girl, so I reached out to mothers and daughters and asked them to share their wisdom with me. Identify growth opportunities in your life and think outside the box.

Change your definition
A mentor is someone whose life or work you value and admire, and whom you think might be a good guide. These days, a mentor can be any age, in any field, so stop thinking of a mentor in traditional terms. Too often we limit our mentors to those “above us.” Don’t let a persons age, title, or experience pigeonhole your thinking.

-Camille Preston

source: Fortune Insiders

In self development September 27, 2018 By Women of Rubies

17-YEAR-OLD GIRL CREATES WEBSITE TO HELP FISHERMEN IN MAKOKO

Sharon (Photo: CNN)

That’s where 17-year-old Sharon grew up, the 11th child in her family. For girls like Sharon from underprivileged communities, their future usually entails getting married, having kids and carrying on the same business that their mothers did.

But Girls Coding, a six-year-old initiative of Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin’s Pearl Africa Foundation, is trying to teach them more, and level the playing field. The program is free and it seeks to educate girls about computer programming.

(Photo: Girls Coding)

Sharon attended Abisoye’s classes and on completion, recognizing that her family was underpaid and at a disadvantage with the middle-men who retailed their fish, created a website named Makoko Fresh to bridge the gap between her family’s products and willing consumers.

Speaking with CNN Heroes about how it all began, Sharon said:

“It was around 2015 when Ms. Abisoye came to Makoko community to train girls about computer. I said okay, I would go… I learned how to use computer very well, to build websites. That’s why I’m creating an app with my team.”

Sharon hopes to attend Harvard one day, and eventually become a software engineer.

Credit: konbini.com

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