Tag: @creative writers

Posted in Mental health

Pressure

Posted on by opane_

In our society today, 80% of young people go through different kinds of pressure.

Pressure from the society, family, social media, and peer groups.

It feels like there are medals kept somewhere for the best or first person to make great achievements at a certain age.

Young people tend to go extra mile in other to reach a certain milestone.

As a young person, you wake-up to your friends achievements on social media daily.

You see them living the lifestyle you’ve always wished to live.

You see their families, jobs, businesses, and other luxuries in your face daily and you begin to feel inadequate.

On the other hand, there’s also pressure from your family.

There’s high expectation in every area of your life from them.

You are expected to be able to provide for them, get married at a certain age, be like your friends, and be comfortable not minding how you would achieve all of those things.

Then your friends. You try by all means to fit in not considering the things you need to do to meet up to those standards.

A lot of young people go into illegal activities, start living an unhealthy lifestyle, go into bad marriages, unhealthy relationships, just to fit into what the society, family, or friends expects them to fit into.

So many young people start to have low self esteem, go into depression, make unhealthy decisions just to be recognized or seen.

Everyone has a path or a season that is different from another.

What works for Mr B might not work for Mr C.

It gets really hard sometimes but, you need to trust the process and believe in yourself.

People’s comments or speech should not determine what you do or how you should do it.

You are doing great!

It might not look like it where you are now but, you need to trust the process.

Posted in Uncategorized
Posted on by opane_

Over the years, I’ve tried so hard to understand people’s behaviors.

Their personalities, why they act they way they do, their anger, and other expressions.

As humans, it is natural to judge a book by its cover. we might disagree with this but it’s the truth.

I’ve met people for the first time and judge them just from a conversation.

I’ve been bitter towards people because they were unkind to me a certain time.

I’ve been unfriendly to people because I felt they were also unfriendly to me so reciprocating the energy was the best option for me.

Some times back, I was so deep in my thoughts and I asked myself, “Opane, do you take a moment to really know why people behave the way they do” I couldn’t answer myself.

Then, I did some research on human behavior and I was amazed at the things I discovered.

People behave based on where they come from, the orientation they received while growing up, trauma from past experiences, what they see or read, how they feel others perceive them.

There are so many reasons why people behave the way they do.

I always try to know people on a deeper level from the way they communicate, how they react to certain situations, their perspective about life in general.

I could easily detect a person’s mood just by communicating with them and that gives me a clue on what to say and what not to say at that particular time.

You can meet a person that lashes out at any slight inconvenience.

That could be his/her own way of expressing emotions.

The possible reasons could be stress or a trigger from an experience.

One would want to know why this person is like that and the interesting part is, this person that always lashes out is the most sweetest person to others.

I’ve met so many people like this.

Personally, I am a very reserved person.

I barely make friends easily or initiate conversations with strangers especially.

I always get the “you are too quiet”  or “you don’t like people” line all the time.

I feel I have to be comfortable around people.

I have to trust people to be able to create a space for them.

I met someone who everyone feels is unapproachable or hostile to an extent.

Getting to know this person, I discovered that the environment this person comes from is a factor to the behavior.

One could see that there’s always a defense coming from this person especially towards people who openly show their dislike.

When dealing with people, always do these things:

Always understand the behavior 

Communicate clearly 

Always show empathy

Consider people’s backgrounds 

Be respectful 

Practice mindfulness 

Don’t take things personally 

Always show love regardless 

Opane_

Posted in flash fiction

A woman in pains

Posted on by opane_

                

Her eyes were dark as her heart as she experienced pain. It was deep and intense, piercing through her veins.

Her whole being was numb, she couldn’t move.

It was dropping like a water pipe struggling to dispense water.

Flashbacks of regrets but there she was lifeless trying to become alive again.

For a moment, she thought about how life would be if she had kept it but then again, she thought about the damage it would’ve caused her.

She was so young, naive, and scared.

Her parents would’ve been disappointed but she was disappointed at herself.

Was she stupid?

Oh..

Maybe she was just wicked taking another life.

So many thoughts kept recycling but she was already in the moment of pain.

She wept like she was in a furnace without an escape route.

She felt hopeless, clueless, worthless, and lifeless.

Part of her fought to survive and live again.

At this point, it was a 50/50 chance for her.

The bleeding got worse and she got weaker.

Her life flashed back at her. The fear in her eyes explained so many things one couldn’t comprehend.

And there… I watched her go slowly in pains.

It was devastating and the most emotional scene I’ve seen in years.

Opane_

Posted in Uncategorized

Life

Posted on by opane_

So many times we wonder what life is but life is what it is.

There’s no better way to describe it but every moment of our lives describes it.

When I’m happy, life’s good but when I’m sad,life’s unfair.

The lines keep going but each line is either thin or thick.

It doesn’t matter what direction it goes but each road it takes determines if it’s going to be smooth or rough. It could start off smooth and ends up rough or starts off rough and ends up smooth. Either way, we keep going. we just want to get to the finish line without looking back at whatever we stumbled upon on our journey.

What if we never get to the finish line?

What if the journey was so rough we couldn’t get through?

Opane_

Posted in Uncategorized

Being in a toxic space

Posted on by opane_

A lot of times, we get consumed by the things we hear, the things we see, the people we interact with.

You wake-up in the morning and the first thing you see on the internet are toxic contents, sad news, and negative posts.

You engage in conversations and half of the things discussed are not even aligned with what you should be discussing and then you ask yourself what the problem is.

Most times, we develop mental health challenges from these things.

This moment you are happy and the next, you find yourself on another path.

You struggle to make things right and sometimes run away from what needs to be fixed.

That’s where the problem comes. We run away from what we feel, what should be done, the truth , how to fix them and when to fix them.

We embrace what we want to hear or see from a different place forgetting what reality should look like.

We embrace a lot of toxic and negative behaviors that keeps us on a spot.

We need to be aware of the signs that comes with them and also have healthy boundaries in place.

Take care of yourself in every way you can.

Guard your mind and thoughts.

Watch where you go to and the people you listen to. Their perspective might be different from yours but don’t let it rub on you especially if it doesn’t match yours.

Remember to always be positive regardless.

Posted in Uncategorized

Waiting

Posted on by opane_

We all have different perspectives when it comes to waiting.

To some, waiting is a period when one stays in one place hoping for something to happen.

I had a discussion with a friend and she was like “oh, sometimes I feel so tired waiting on something. I have prayed about it but it seems there’s nothing happening” at that moment, I just smiled because I sometimes feel that way.

Do you know why we feel discouraged while waiting?

1. We give up easily

2. We give ourselves deadlines

3. We listen to people.

Waiting can be difficult. It comes with so many mental, psychological, spiritual,and emotional battles.

I remember years ago, I was trusting God for something. The waiting period was not an easy one. I became frustrated and exhausted. My mind became so occupied with negative things. I wanted giving up and accepting whatever comes but, I read a random stuff online and I took it so personal. I realized sometimes, we have to be deliberate about receiving whatever we want regardless of whatever discouraging words we hear from friends, family, and colleagues. Most situations are the way they are because we allow them. You might be working and praying so hard but yet no results.

Oh God! Why is it always this way?

Today I am so confident that things will work out and tomorrow I don’t even know if I really can wait.

This is you and me most times.

While waiting, we need people around us that can carry the weight with us. People that would pray with and for us.

People that would give us reasons not to give up and stop believing.

People we can connect with spiritually.

People that won’t see believing God for an impossible situation as being overly dramatic or spiritual.

No matter what happens, there are things we can only fix when we genuinely believe.

I love listening to testimonies from people because there’s this unusual peace that comes with it.

Whatever you have been waiting for is worth the wait.

Don’t give up.

Stay positive while waiting.

Your situation and miracle can be someone else’s testimony.

Believe and trust God.

Posted in Uncategorized

Mental Health series – SEROTONIN

Posted on by opane_

For some time now,I have been doing a research on different mental health topics and so many of them really got me but,I would love to enlighten and also add up some things on this particular one just for my readers😄


Mental health awareness is something I feel I should educate people on not just as a writer but,As human who go through mental stress from time to time and does not get tired of being educated on related topics.


Alright then..so,Back to my topic🙂.
SEROTONIN is what I will be talking about with you guys.


Sometimes,We wakeup to mood swings or some sort of weird feelings that we can not explain🤔.

These things are very bad because they automatically dictate how our day would be or how our mood for the whole day would be.
For the spiritual knowledge of mood swings that I have,It’s not an ordinary thing to just wakeup one morning with a very sad atmosphere.I believe the devil does not want you to have a very fruitful day(Oh yeahhh)
I am not a doctor or a medical expert.

From my little medical knowledge, SEROTONIN is the key hormone that stabilizes our mood, Feelings of well being and happiness.This hormone impacts your entire body.

It helps to regulate your mood naturally.

When your SEROTONIN level is normal, It makes you feel more focused and emotionally stable.


Low levels of SEROTONIN are often associated with many behavioral and emotional disorders.

When the SEROTONIN level is low,It leads to depression,Anxiety,Suicidal behaviors and so many mental disorders.


When an individual notices any of these disorders, It is advisable to seek medical attention or mental health counseling immediately.

When it’s low, You experience depression as I mentioned earlier,You feel irritable or aggressive,You feel impulsive and also have decreased appetite.


When you experience low level of SEROTONIN, There are things you should do to increase it.


Exercise regularly.
Listen to good music.
Eat good food.
Travel or explore new environment.
Good massage isn’t a bad idea too.
Do the things you love to do.


Did I open up something to someone?
I am sure I did😁
Would love to share more mental health topics soon.

Posted in Uncategorized

SCARS

Posted on by opane_

Years ago, I had a very terrible accident that almost took my life.
Being in the hospital and always lying down left me with so many negative thoughts especially when people visit with a lot of pity.
After some time, The wounds began to heal gradually and I was so excited.


Months and years passed but the SCARS were still there. So many suggestions from family and friends on what to use on them to fade away but, They remained visible.
At some point, I got a bit worried about the scars on my body because I thought I used to have a clear skin and all of a sudden, Everything changed.


People always ask me what happened to me after seeing the SCARS on my face.Such questions always take me back to that terrible accident
But, As years passed, I always look at myself in the mirror and see a strong woman that survived what would’ve ended her life.

I always see a God that does the impossible at anytime..Did I mention how I prayed tirelessly after the accident? I was surprised at myself really because I was not so knowledgeable with the things of God at that age. I recited scriptures I never thought I could recite. I just kept saying them over and over again with deep conviction and faith that I was going to survive it and GOD did it.


Those SCARS represent healing and survival. They represent strength and hope.
We all have imperfections and scars physically and emotionally.These scars could be visible or hidden but they all have a story behind them. They either take us back to the past or remind us about what the future holds for us.

The physical scars are seen by many while the emotional scars are mostly hidden.

Emotional scars could be as a result of a trauma or abuse. But hey.., There are people with mental and emotional scars that have never been through a trauma or abuse.There are painful incidents you always remember that happened for so long but, Anytime you remember them, They always leave you emotionally broken.


I do not think any human has never been through emotional or mental situations that left them with SCARS. We are all humans and such situations are bound to happen at a point in time in our lives.
Some disturbing emotional SCARS could be unhealthy fear of being alone, Depression, passed flashbacks and so many others.


I have been through depression so, I definitely know what it looks or feels like.Many times, We struggle with these things, seek counsel and even pray.


It sounds so easy telling people in such situations that all will be well but, It’s pretty hard to heal most times. Healing comes gradually and for me, It must come with acceptance.

You must agree to heal first before it manifest physically if you have emotional SCARS.


Love your physical SCARS because you survived.

Do not let SCARS limit you from being yourself.

Those SCARS gives others hope and trust me, You do not know how many people get inspired by how strong you are.
Keep being strong darling ❤️

Posted in Uncategorized

Low self esteem

Posted on by opane_

Low self esteem is one of the most dangerous success killer.


Most young people have alot inside of them to offer to the world but, they tend to get really scared
of sharing those ideas because they feel their discovery or innovations are not good enough for the world to see.


A young talented man might have alot of ideas to start up a small company.

Capital might not be the problem but, this young man is scared of been rejected or afraid of failing at some point.
Maybe his friends or family always put him down or laugh at his strange or deep ideas of what he pictured himself doing. everything suddenly becomes impossible to him.

He feels “okay…maybe they
are right. i shouldnt waste my time on this..i dont think i have all it takes to start up something.

There are people much more better than Iam doing it ”Such person has already labeled himself as the one with little or no knowledge compared to his friends.


Low self esteem has destroyed many talents, ambitions, relationships and businesses.


You really want to speak up in complex situations or you have a solution to a problem but, you feel nothing productive or sensible ever comes out of you or your opinion does not matter.


I’ve been in such situations many times.

At some point, confidence was one thing i struggled with.

it was really terrible for me.


I remember in high school, i had this literature teacher who loved to talk alot.he was really bold and very confident.

I would say he was one of our saving grace in school then because he spoke for us
when we were bullied or maltreated(hahaha).


I was really quite in class during his lessons but, whenever he gives an assignment, i was always at the top. he knew my name but doesn’t know me personally. so,one day, he was in class and he asked who this person was and i answered.

he was really surprised because he never heard me talk in
class(low self esteem was really working).


Weeks later, we had an open day and my mum was around.

when he saw her, he said something…”ma, your daughter is really creative and intelligent but, you need to work on her
confidence”


Sincerely, those words shaped me. i would’ve been so offended at his words but, those were healing words for me. i still struggle with it sometimes but, Iam much more better now though still working on myself(lol).
Low self esteem is an enemy to yourself. you need to fight it so hard till you conquer it.


If you dont fight it early enough,you will begin to experience depression, anxiety, failure, emotional and mental breakdown and so many heart breaking situations.


You are good enough.

Those eyes, nose, legs, hands, etc are really beautiful.

Do not allow your physical appearance belittle you.
You are smart, intelligent and full of great ideas.
Your age or the success of people around you shouldnt break you or make you think less of
yourself.


Strive at becoming excellent and exceptional at what you do.
This is the time to wakeup and do so much more.
Opane_