DIANA NYAD - INSPIRATION!

You must have heard of Diana Nyad.

photo:wikipedia

Probably as the world record holder for longest ocean swim but in another news, she will set out to do what no athlete has never done before and in simple English that will be swimming all day and all night, all day and all night, then all day again. Have you ever imagined that? a 61 years old woman would gear up her will to swim 103 miles across the straits of Florida? if you have not, then you better start seeing it happen because Diana Nyad wants to make it happen. She is Positive about it and so am i.
It is a thing of the mind, something i am thinking she has already accomplished in her mind or how do explain it? it is going to be an unbelievable experience,a rare case of endurance, something that makes you wonder.
She once attempted it in 1978 when she was 28 but it was unsuccessful. she has swarm inside a shark cage for 41hrs 49 minutes. fast forward to 2011, she is going to attempt it again, this time, better team and great tech to assist her. How on earth do you engage in something for 60 hrs? i don't see myself doing anything that long.

Photos: google
At 61, she should be like most people her age. Retired and bored but she was quoted saying "i feel strong, powerful and endurance wise i am fit". since it is an endurance thing i believe at her age she will cope with it. you remember Jack LaLane? The 60 years old man who swarm handcuffed from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman Wharf in San Francisco. That would be his second time as i heard. the part that she will be doing it with sharks even though with tech makes it even more daring. she will have to deal with hallucinations, cope with stings from jelly fish and deal with the effect of the salty sea water on her skin. It is an inspiration for a woman who at 61 wants a stir of her energy and a new feeling of ambition. it further enforces the believe that you can do anything you really want to in this life.

Photos: Google
Okay now, there is the part that says what if she fails? to avoid being negative, i think we should give her the chance to prove her self and see the good side. Besides, she is doing it for herself, a remedy fro her malaise. She is committed to it and she is set to enjoy every moment of it. It energizes her and so i am not certain she wants to prove anything to anybody considering the dangers of possible hydration, starvation, it is a will thing.
In all these i find inspiration from a woman who at her age wants to do something with all the risks and the benefits of adventure, planning this for a year and half. It tells you that the only limits me see are those we let ourselves see. No matter the challenges, you can rise above it. The cost of this is put at $500,000 and she is short by $150,000 but she is not deterred. It inspires me. Feats like this pumps my adrenalin. it goers to show the strength of the human will to rise above limits, the norms and go beyond human expectations to do what seems impossible.Whatever the outcome, i am seeing courage here.
i am taking a cue from this. Let her inspire you, let her stories and the process involved drive you to take another step further into what you have been dragging your feet to begin. All this helps me to rise above worsening unemployment at about 40%, infrastructural decay, poor health care, poor road networks, erratic power supply and the likes to pursue my dreams. i am a full bred Nigerian learning the never-die spirits of Lagosians and believing that is possible. That yes, my dreams can happen, if i am willing to take my chances, that the future is here and now. I refuse to be denied, to be limited.

photos: Yahoo
Diana Nyad inspires me. In her own words Nyad said "I need commitment to take over. That level of commitment such a high. There is no thinking of regrets or what will i do for the rest of my life. I'm immersed in the everyday, full tilt, its so energizing".

Let those words make sense to you because, they make plenty of sense!

INTERESTING LAGOS

There is something about Lagos, something you will never find anywhere else. Lagos is many things to different people and it is the reason many people love Lagos.

I personally do. There is a feeling about Lagos, something no where else gives me. I love the energy and the never-say-die attitude of Lagosians. Lagos has the most amazing and incredible people. Lagosians are never low-spirited and have a way of motivating themselves. There is no city like Lagos; I guess there will never be. It is almost like Lagos never sleeps, with people waking up as early as 4am you have workers, business people, hustlers, pick pockets, hoodlums, armed robbers and all categories of MOGs (Men of God) at the bus stop. There is a rhythm of noise and fun that lives in Lagos. I love Lagos for so many reasons.
Dreams come true on the streets of Lagos, you find people with energy and boundless optimism. It is a land for everybody and no matter whom you are, you can find your level here. I have to admit that Lagos is very noisy, that is the bad side, everything is loud, music vendors play music very loud and it can threaten insanity if you are new comers, people get used to it. Lagos is a place that people grow with experiences and with all these things, the love for Lagos have to be acquired (don’t you agree?). People from all tribes, religion have made Lagos their home because there is no other place to them. Lagos is fun, Lagos is energy, Lagos is style, Lagos is Lagos! Everything seems to be available here and you find strange things here. Lagos is the entertainment capital of the Nigeria, it no wonder M.I called it LASGIDI. Over the years, Lagos has been transformed and it only makes you love Lagos more. It is truly the centre of excellence.
The history of Lagos makes me love Lagos even more and right from the very beginning people have drawn to this city and people will always be coming.

Lagos is located in south western Nigeria on the Atlantic coast in the Gulf of Guinea, West of the River Niger Delta. Located on Longitude 3° 24̍̍E and Latitude 6 27̍̍N.

AWORI (Awo ti ri) : “The plate sank”
Originally inhabited by the Awori, a sub-group of Yoruba speaking people. They were ruled under the leadership of their Olofin. It is believed that the Olofin and his followers left the palace of the then emperor, Oduduwa in Ile-Ife and migrated southwards along the river. The emperor gave Olofin a mud plate which he put on the river and was told to follow till it sank. Anywhere it sank, would be where he would settle. The plate was said to have stopped several places. It was said to have stopped temporarily near Olokemeji near the present day Abeokuta in Ogun State but moved after 17 days to Oke-afa still in the present day Ogun State. Some of Olofin followers are said to have settled led by one man named Osho aro-bi-ologbo-egan. The plate stopped at Isheri where it stayed longer and some followers remained but after 289 days, the played moved towards Iddo, where it stopped briefly after 2 days and finally it moved to Idumota, where it sank to the bottom. Olofin was said to have told his group in excitement when he was asked about the plate. He said “Awo ti ri” meaning the plate has sunk. This is the origin of the name AWORI. Very interesting, I have to say.

EKO ILE…..
In the 15th century, the Awori settlement was attacked by the Benin Empire following a quarrel and the name EKO meaning war camp was given to the place under the then Oba of Benin, Oba Orhogba. This is getting even interesting, I used to think Eko was Yoruba; it is a Benin Language after all.

Lagos……
The name Lagos was given to it by the Portuguese meaning lakes. A Portuguese explorer named Rui de Sequeira visited the area in 1472 naming the area around the city Lago De Curamo. (reminds me of Kuramo beach) It is believed that it was named after a maritime town in Portugal, the main centre of the Portuguese expedition down the African Coast, whose name is derived from the Latin word Lacobriga (Lakes).
Migrants from all over Nigeria and other neighbouring nations were returnee former slaves, some whom have been freed (known as Creoles) came from Freetown, Brazil and the West Indies to Lagos. These people contributed to the modernization of Lagos, having travelled far and advantage of western education, civilization, some used their knowledge of Portuguese architecture in development of Lagos and some of these building can be seen in Lagos Island. It is no wonder Lagos and Eko for short can not be like anywhere else. With that calibre of people coming into Lagos at that time, it makes it clear why Lagos is ahead of many cities in Nigeria and people will always be drawn to it. Lagos is such that after you have been “Lagosilized” (my description of Lagos civilization), you can hardly stay longer time in other places in Nigeria and sometimes, other countries of the world, you always want to come back, the other places seem too bored. I love Lagos!

Creoles or Saros
These are the freed slaves or former slaves who migrated to Nigeria early 1830s. They were known locally as Saros (those from Sierra Leone) or Amaros (migrants from Brazil and Cuba). Returnees from Brazil were known as Aguda (reminds me of Aguda in Surulere). Some have settled in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Brazil and Cuba. The interesting part is that many of these returnees chose to remain in Nigeria and particularly Lagos for cultural and economic reasons. Very interesting. Some also did for missionary purposes. The feeling is still on, we love Lagos and there is something about Lagos.

The history of Lagos is fascinating. It tells why Lagos is different. I love this city. It inspires me. The population of Lagos is growing constantly and the city is growing. The government of Lagos has a system that works better than many states and Lagos never gets boring. Lagos is one state with what I like to call a “flag”. The state has her motto. The last time I checked I cannot count how many states have that except in America where each state has a flag. I am beginning to think that Lagos is a country on its own inside Nigeria. Things are different here, people think differently in Lagos. The system and the workings are different. So much for Lagos, I guess.
I remember that Jayz’s song with Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind where he talks of New York being a concrete jungle where dreams are made of; there is nothing you cannot do when you are in New York. Nice song! Lagos may not be as developed as New York but the song applies to Lagos and the people. Lagos is the land of hustling and here, people’s dreams happen. You see people’s lives change and here I tend to see that people cannot be intimidated. The man in the Hummer Jeep cannot oppress

the truck pusher; it is a thing of the mind after all.
Even after the recent flooding, people still want to stay. Many people have stayed here all their lives and they do not see how they can fit elsewhere, one of the reason why Lagos is Lagos.
Inside Lagos Traffic things happen, on the streets things have personalities, as you ride in the bus or in your car, what you see or hear is most times peculiar to Lagos.

Lagos inspires me and it builds my energy……love this city. There is always someplace to go, things to do. If you are the type that takes chances, you’ll enjoy Lagos. Lagos is the land of opportunities. Stories of grass to grace are common in Lagos because in Lagos you don’t have to know anyone to succeed. The lessons you learn from everyday interactions, situations build your character, sharpen your thinking and guide your choices. Not like you cannot do it anywhere else but in Lagos, your chances are better. This is Nigeria’s entertainment capital. As crazy, fast and loud as it is, I still love it. I have acquired that taste! I love Lagos. It is an interesting city. It may sound biased but I believe if you can survive here in Lagos, you can anywhere in the world.

Lagos is a great place to live. Lagos is Eko and Eko is Lagos!

Eko oni Baje o, O baje ti…..

ANOTHER TRIP TO REHAB!!!

I bet we have heard of cocaine (coke), heroin, ecstasy, ketamine valium, benzodiazepines, vicodin, vanadium,, barbiturates, speed ball, cocktail and it goes on. Some people abuse even pain killers and sleeping pills. It is no longer news that people get hooked on dangerous substances and they always find their way to the rehab. With celebrities it becomes headlines and somehow I wonder why people even do drugs. We just get fascinated watching celebrities in Hollywood, go and come out of rehabs in turns like it is the real issue. Despite gruelling facts about the danger it can do and how much somebody’s life can be ruined, people will always find their way to get hooked on these things. Addiction is perhaps the most dangerous disease in the world because; it goes as far as the mind. The number of people on drugs worldwide would break your heart if we could get the true figure. Many people are quiet addicts and some just don’t seem to care if you knew. Addicts range from all ages, teenagers, older people, male and female and tribe. They are every where and they could be living inside your house. When it comes to Hollywood, rehabs and addicts make headlines.
Sordid details of Ms Amy final hours claim she bought cocktails of narcotics including cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine. Buying drugs from a dealer, late Friday. Some details claim she has been drinking heavily, dangerously with a lethal concoction of drugs and alcohol. Amy, who was said to have suffered from emphysema, a disease of the lungs that causes shortness of breath died at 27 years. She was a talented star with huge potentials but her life has been stolen and she died with dreams, we would never know about. These reports could have their disparity from what really happened but we all know, Amy battled with drugs and alcohol.

AMY

Like Amy, other celebrities have passed at 27, which I hear is called the 27club. On the list are Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones. What do you know? It is really sad what drugs can do and I wonder why people never keep off drugs. People make huge money from illegal drug sales on street corners, high class bars, joints and just anywhere both in the ghettos and the highbrow areas. Drugs like human trafficking are huge business and the sad thing is these traffickers forget that someone close to them could be the addict. In Hollywood, we have watched over the years how drugs have ended people’s lives, wrecked their careers and even here in Nigeria, it is no different. Many Nigerian celebrities have admitted to tasting coke and claim to be clean, while others still have not gotten over it. It is a way of life and in some quarters, it is classy. Some type of music, their lyrics can induce a young person who is lost to find solace in addiction to these substances.
Some people on the list of drug overdose or drug abuse or addiction will leave you wondering, how they even got themselves there but it is not to be judgemental but to open our eyes to how dangerous drugs can be. Some people get addicted for different reason. Some get hooked to fill the emptiness they experience at a point in their lives at a point, suppress their depression (they suppose so) or because their friends are doing it (peer pressure). The reasons vary but in the end it has no justification, it only ruins.
1.Anna Nicole Smith: Former playboy model, sex symbol, actress, TV personality, found dead with a lethal combination of chloral hydrate and various benzodiazepines in her system on Feb 8, 2007.

2.Sid Vicious: The bassist of the sex pistols and an inductee of the rock and roll hall of fame. Was found dead on Feb 1, 1979 in his post-bail party with an overdose of heroin.

3.Marilyn Monroe: It has been said to be probable suicide. She was found death with an overdose of barbiturates.

4.Corey Haim: Died March 20, 2010. it is believed that his system would have been weakened from previous drug addiction.
5.Brittany Murphy: said to have fainted in her shower.
6.Heath Ledger: Accidental overdose and was not proven to be addiction even though it was speculated.
7.John Belushi: Died 1982 after injecting herself with Speedball (a mixture of cocaine and heroin).

8.River Phoenix: Died of heroin overdose in the presence of his younger brother Joaquin.

9.Mary Anissa Jones: Details of her death were said that she was found dead with some drugs in her system at the time of her death; methaquaione and cocaine.
10.Judy Garland: Died in 1969 from an overdose of barbiturates.
11.Elvis Presley: Overdosing on prescription drugsdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

It is so easy to miss it. seriously! you just think you already know and that you have heard it but trust me, you can miss it. I do not need a prophet to tell me that i should build a life writing because it is easy, it comes to me effortlessly and i enjoy it but like most people, i was thinking white collar job is the "best thing". while this is true for those who enjoy their jobs, how about the rest of us? How many people genuinely enjoy their jobs? How many people will stay in their jobs now, if they employer told them they would no longer pay them?
Do What you love, it is one way to cope in this country. The politics is full of intrigues and i do not see how that puts food on my table.....this country, man must survive. People are clamoring for wages but honestly why isn't FG responding? NLC will continually battle and politics will remain. People really have to stop waiting on the Government and get their lives started. The plight of people is understandable but the whole thing helps me to see only one thing, we need to build our lives around what we love, something we enjoy.
What am i saying?
Look at Genevieve Nnaji, it does not matter what happens with the minimum wage drama or the economy, as concerned as she she is, she still has her life going on. Nothing like strike affects her. She will always be doing movies and she cashes in on it. What about D'banj, Tu Face, Beyonce? these people are stars, they will be shows, people will pay for their services. The shoe cobbler down the road, will get customers to pay as long as he makes good shoes, we will continue to wear shoes and that restaurant owner, we will continue to eat food. How about that dude on that white collar job? with all his qualifications, he is sackable (if English permits), the employer just needs only one reason and the cash flow stops, the undergraduate running around town for the job may be ambitious but that other dude who is learning how to make clothes will fair better believe me. The point is doing what you enjoy makes you a possible brand and you walk with it inside of you, nobody takes that away from you. Fela Durotoye is a brand, just like Beyonce, Rhianna: these people will do what they are doing even if you take away whatever you want. Beyonce will sing and Fela will talk.
With the way things are going and all the grammar we hear about economics, i wonder what happens to the unemployed? it is understandable to keep faith and hope but it is to look within and do what you enjoy. Do it so well and people will eventually pay for it. The struggle for white collar jobs is very huge and the pressure to get one is overwhelming. If people can do the Maths on what they are paid per hour on that "gorgeous Job" we will start considering what we are worth. this is no longer news but we still do not believe in what we can do, we limit what we are capable of. Many people do not see how they can make a life doing what they love. The world around here has no place for delayed gratification. There are loads of talents wasting with people stuck behind the desk, limited as cubicle dwellers and just afraid to take the step. People running after qualifications to work for someone of lesser or no qualifications. The world over has people discovering this secret. Do what you love. People are dumping their huge paying jobs for a simpler easy lives, a chance to focus on the important things in their lives! Do not get too busy to enjoy the simple things in life, too important to reach out to others, to occupied to live a life.
People spend time doing things that frustrate them, running after a job that they cannot get fulfillment from; they chase vain things and later in life they discover they have been running another man's race, struggling all their lives on the wrong course. We fear failure so much that we do not want to try things out, we just let things die inside of us and just pretend it is okay. People just choose to live in denial and just find a reason to stay a little bit longer.

Don't get lost in the rat race!

Imagine how much you could achieve doing what you love, putting just half of the effort you put in those frustrating and unproductive things in things that comes effortlessly to us? it is amazing. it is not easy to start but consistency and branding is key. If you love what you do, it will not be like work. There are boundless opportunities in Nigeria but because we believe in having qualifications for the white collar jobs and we want cash in on things now, that is why it looks hard. we are chasing money, while money is chasing us, we never get past hand-to-mouth living. we just run after cars, big houses, living choice areas while slaving on the wrong direction.If one in every 5 unemployed graduate should just consider building a life doing what they love, beginning now, you will see things change.
Have you wondered what Genevieve would have become if she was working a white collar job with the qualification she has now or D'banj, Tu Face, Beyonce, Rhianna, Nicki Minaj, Jay Jay Okacha, Kanu Nwankwo,Beyonce Knowles, Wayne Carter (Lil Wayne) Lionel Messi,Mercy Johnson, Adebayor Manu, Usian Bolts? the list is endless. What if you could bring those crazy imaginations in your head to life? what if you could make it happen? and what if they gave up because of they difficulties they were facing? they are mega stars and right now someone's life is changing doing what he/she loves. While the rest of Nigerians are complaining about what Government did or did not do, about things we cannot do anything about, some people are making huge cash doing what they love, they are living a life and they are not under any pressure of being sacked, missing on the important things in their lives. They are busy building a life they will not be able to live with their dreams fading before their eyes. A life like an assembling plant, doing the same thing over and over, no creativity, no use of initiative allowed, no adventure, a boring life!

There is so much we can be, if we let ourselves be, if we give our dreams the chance to be, if we could just take that chance. you never know. while you are there criticizing those stars, they are making their cash and i mean serious cash. Do not get caught up in the rat race, go get a life. Stop waiting for that big Oil job. People do not want to start small, so they go for the money but when they start, they feel it is okay, half way into it, they discover that their lives are entangled in the rat race. They are in a fix, messed up unfulfilled..... you deserve better, tell yourself that and run with it.

Make sure, you don't die Miserable, You can be more. Enjoy

MY IMF CHIEF AND MR MACHO ARNOLD

How many questions can we ask or how do we weigh the pain.....its not justified and no amount of tears can wash the deeds away. No man is super after all, as we are beginning to learn, that even mighty men can fall and no doubt, if a married man should start welcome the advances of strange women, for lack of words or invites it out of his will, then his falling is certain. The woman's issue,what some will say the other woman. People never learn and even with this, you still hear people judge Mr Dominique and Mr Arnold....its not about judging them, this is a lesson for us to learn from. That no matter how high a man is or how much influence he wills,if he is caught pants down, its dangerous position to be caught.
I bet Mr IMF is reflecting and possibly contemplating suicide, i am sure he has many things running through his head and you will ask, how could he have stooped so low or some will say, they man just fell for a trap....and so is Arnold. What ever pushed them to such situations is no longer important, we continually just question why, search our hearts for answers and the pain, disappointments of both families can not be measured, doubts and disgrace lingers but beyond all these, i want to live inside these men and think through their minds. Its a fact they are suffering already and its only goes to say much about men and their secret lives.Things like this can destroy families, separate couples as in the case of Maria and Arnold. Its a thing to be angry about but all that emotions will not do the good that forgiveness will do. We have to learn from Mrs Clinton, who expressed her brokenness in her book, LIVING HISTORY. The only way forward is forgiveness, even though it is really hard.
These men are just facing their secrets, dark secrets and thats because we have heard it. How about those we don't even know, will never know? It is not the common path but forgiveness is just it. This is the time for both men to think over what has become of their lives, if they do not have a place for God in their lives it is time to have that. They need to experience God and peace in their hearts. As a Christian, you will realize that the world is filled with chaos, all sorts of things but peace, togetherness is found only in JESUS. Outside, they will be judged and humanly speaking, they deserve it all.
In all these things, i believe only forgiveness works and it will take time to heal but Mrs Clinton knows better.Whatever emotions there is will not solve anything, it only leaves more hurt, anger and questions. Whatever analysis is being done, it can never do what forgiveness will do. Reputation is a waste right now and it will further show that this world and its glories are all vanity, chasing the wind. When a married man gets taken over the emotions that runs below the waste lines, when a man forgets what a strange woman is and when a man really cannot beyond his nose,then disgrace is not far off. We can say all we like, judge it all, give these men names but it will not wash it away....only forgiveness will and only God gives that grace.
Yesterday, i was listening to a radio and it was been argued that only a woman truly knows the paternity of her children. It is a topic of debate but sincerely, all these are takes of the flesh, the sins of the human flesh and the hunger to feed on something we will later discover, satisfieth not. It is the drive to be, achieve, the race to conceal our sins and the emptiness in what i will call foolishness. These heart broken women should not throw away their homes because, divorce will not wash it away, justifying their stand or taking the righteous stand will not wash it away, it is what the world wants and it only makes the news better.
They just have to forgive and the rest of us, should really learn from it. they are humans after all. Many men have their sins and it is sad, these guys have to deal with washing their dirty linen with feelings, thoughts of regrets, shame and doubts.It is life, shit happens. They men will have to deal with it, face it and find a way to move on. Forgiveness, as hard as it is, it is not impossible, having lived with a man for a considerable period of time, coped with all sorts of things in good and bad times, the children and the good times, the secrets shared.... just throwing it away, will not solve it. It may make it feel better instantly but it will not do what forgiveness can do. Besides, where do their families begin from? it is painful but forgiveness will make all the difference. The pain of this relationships......GOD HELP US! But what if there is another side to Mr Dominique's story? most people may not be interested....it is how the world is. Bad news sells and when Big men fall, we always relish those headlines.

WHAT SHEA BUTTER CAN DO FOR YOU

SHEA BUTTER
Shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii), also known as karite butter, is a cream-colored fatty substance made from the nuts of karite nut trees (also called Mangifolia trees) that grow in the savannah regions of West and Central Africa. Karite trees, or Shea trees, are not cultivated. They grow only in the wild, and can take up to 50 years to mature (they live up to 300 years!). In most parts of West Africa, destruction of the Shea tree is prohibited because this little nut provides a valuable source of food, medicine, and income for the population. In fact, Shea Butter is sometimes referred to as “women’s gold” in Africa, because so many women are employed in the production of Shea Butter. It known as ORI in the West and OKUME amongst the IGALA speaking people of Kogi State. The Trees are found around Middle belt region of Nigeria (Kogi, Nassarawa, Benue, Niger, Plateau and Kwara) North East (Taraba), some parts of the south west Region (Oyo, Ogun and Osun). It comes in white or light yellow, depending on the method of production, whatever the colour; the properties do not really differ. It is available at local herbal shops in some markets, sold in very small wraps for as low as N 50 and it comes in containers as much as N 300 but it can be gotten at interior local villages in large quantities.
Shea nuts are primarily grown in West and Central Africa in the semi-arid Sahel,referred to by traders as the "Shea Belt". Vitellaria paradoxa and Vitellaria nilotica are the two main varieties. Vitellaria paradoxais exported in the largest volume and grows throughout the West African region. Vitellaria nilotica is produced primarily in Northern Uganda and southern Sudan. Shea nut products, the solid fat (butter or stearin) and the liquid oil (olein), are ideal for use as raw materials in cooking oil,margarine, cosmetics, soap, detergents and candles, but it has found its primary market niche as a substitute for cocoa butter in the chocolate and confectionery industry.
Shea butter has been used to help heal burns, sores, scars, dermatitis, psoriasis, dandruff, and stretch marks. It may also help diminish wrinkles by moisturizing the skin, promoting cell renewal, and increasing circulation. Shea butter also contains cinnamic acid, a substance that helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
Shea butter is a particularly effective moisturizer because contains so many fatty acids, which are needed to retain skin moisture and elasticity. The high fatty acid content of Shea Butter also makes it an excellent additive to soap, shampoos, anti-aging creams, cosmetics, lotions, and massage oils—its soft, butter-like texture melts readily into the skin. Shea butter protects the skin from both environmental and free-radical damage. It contains vitamins A and E, and has demonstrated both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Unrefined Shea Butter is superior in that it retains all its natural vitamins, especially vitamin A and vitamin E. However, the natural smell of Shea can be a bit off-putting (stinky), though the aroma does disappear after it has been applied to your skin within minutes. You can also buy ultra-refined and refined Shea Butter. Both of these types have a more pleasing scent, colour, and consistency, although the refining process may diminish the vitamin potency. Not all Shea Butter products are created equal, and some products contain a significant amount of potentially irritating additives and very little real Shea Butter. That said, one hundred percent natural Shea Butter is a handy thing to have around the house. It can be used as an all-natural hair conditioner, moisturizer, and makeup remover, or as a treatment for burns, cuts, scrapes, sunburns, and diaper rash.
The concept is to source for Shea Butter Locally, Process it locally with the women around that area into buckets and then it will be packaged. After which it will available for sale. The source will be from the very best and the region with the best processing method. The whole process will be cost effective, to make it affordable, quality will not be compromised, the reason it will be hand-made processing the nuts, a process that will prevent loss of major nutrients and minerals, the very essence of natural Shea Butter. The sale of essential oil will compliment it; this gives target consumers the choice to mix it with the Shea Butter for those who will not like the natural smell. This will be pure, it will be sourced and processed locally, the essence it to retain the properties, the essence of nature. Mixing Shea Butter with some additives will alter the effectiveness as some properties will be lost. Traditionally, Shea Butter has proven to be effective used alone, even though some users mix with other local materials because of majorly the smell.

USES
Shea butter has been used to help heal burns, sores, scars, dermatitis, psoriasis, dandruff, and stretch marks. It may also help diminish wrinkles by moisturizing the skin, promoting cell renewal, and increasing circulation. Shea butter also contains cinnamic acid, a substance that helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays.

Shea butter is a particularly effective moisturizer because contains so many fatty acids, which are needed to retain skin moisture and elasticity. The high fatty acid content of shea butter also makes it an excellent additive to soap, shampoos, anti-aging creams, cosmetics, lotions, and massage oils—its soft, butter-like texture melts readily into the skin.

Shea butter protects the skin from both environmental and free-radical damage. It contains vitamins A and E, and has demonstrated both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Shea butter is already added to many cosmetic products, but you can also purchase 100 percent pure shea butter at most health food stores and from online distributors. Unrefined shea butter is superior in that it retains all its natural vitamins, especially vitamin A and vitamin E. However, the natural smell of shea can be a bit off-putting (stinky), though the aroma does disappear after it has been applied to your skin within minutes. You can also buy ultra-refined and refined shea butter. Both of these types are have a more pleasing scent, color, and consistency, although the refining process may diminish the vitamin potency.

Many online distributors sell shea butter in various sizes, containers, prices, and types, but make sure to do your research before buying them—not all shea butter products are created equal, and some products contain a significant amount of potentially irritating additives and very little real shea butter. That said, one hundred percent natural shea butter is a handy thing to have around the house. It can be used as an all-natural hair conditioner, moisturizer, and makeup remover, or as a treatment for burns, cuts, scrapes, sunburns, and diaper rash. Shea butter may also help treat skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis; however, keep in mind that you should always consult a physician or dermatologist about serious or persistent skin problems. Shea butter is not recommended for people with nut or latex allergies.

HELP ME....WHAT IS SUCCESS?

What is success? it is easy to associate success with how much material you have. Its understandable to think that way, thats the trend. It is so much about what you have. money rules the world..no doubt. If you don't have money, almost like nothing happens for you. But is it so much about money? So is it really true that success is about how much money you have? The Bible says money answereth all things and money is good, yet money is not everything. I use to fear being broke and the panic of being without money is just pathetic but the last time i was broke i survived, i didn't die, i just worried my self to death because of what money meant to me....Money with all its goodness is certainly not everything. Who you are is not about what you have because if your personality is tied so much to what you have, the job you do, you will be crushed and perhaps, be nobody when its suddenly taken from you. Be so tied to that kind of life is an empty way to live. It can form part of your personality and some people will relate with you on that ground but you have to understand that who you are should transcend beyond all that. When they are no longer there, you will loose the crowd, people will vanish and things can be lonely and hard but if your personality is not tied, you be who you are, regardless. The society is driven by that thought and we are swayed into valuing people based on what they have. We worship people with what they have so much that they feel a sense of invincibility but when its suddenly taken away, people just become desperate to hold onto that life even to the last straw at all cost......its all because they have no life outside that. They only define who they are with all that stuffs and image.
Isn't Life more than that? really....are we so much about the materials that surrounds us? What if its suddenly taken? why do we cling so much to materials? Once people don't have what we think to be wealth, once they do not have what we define as swagger or once they do not have at all, we think we are more successful, we continually compare and compete in a race, run ourselves out to have, we are never satisfied. we suddenly begin having an exaggerated sense of ourselves.... even people who say they do not have pride, do! The average Black man does, thats why little success, wealth, power becomes our weakness. You see this in our classrooms, in our offices, on TV, on the streets, in places of worship and even in our football. Our personality is much tied to things that fade, it drives us, it defines us and its what we live for.
some people say, when you think this way it is probably a way to justify having a low life or a sign of envy....is that really true? when you have a great life, you sure do not have to explain to people and besides, so things in life have practical proofs. One of them is the fact that money is not everything and if you don't have a strong sense of who you are, what you want, you will be lost.
Live your best life, be all you can and never settle less and being broke is really bad but who you are should not be so much about what you have. Being all you, does not mean you should be mediocre. If you live so much for having the materials, it will be a case of vanity not the essence of life. You miss the important thing when you do not know what success really is, by the time you are 50 years old, if you are still alive, things will begin to change and then you really know, Money isn't everything!
I am an advocate for the essentials of life....things of eternal value, not like its an easy way to be because vanity screams everywhere. Nature, Laughter, Friendship, Family, conscience: the little miracles of everyday living, the sunshine, finding time to sit down after all the hustling, having time for family, pursuing things with eternal rewards....all these things that cost nothing! We are often so busy pursuing what success is to many of us, we miss out the important moments in our lives, we just hustle and hustle chasing the wind. I have not said, people should be lazy in fact, you have to work hard to succeed but then as you run around never loose sight of what is really important. In the end, Life is short, when a man dies, it ends, whatever the predicament, whatever the success, people will talk but you see the world will move on, memories will fade with time. Focus on what is really important, as you hustle, wanting the best, enjoying at every step of the way, as you go for the impossible, as you believe in yourself to take that step.....focus on the essence, never the vanities!