Knowledge is Power

Education is the gateway to higher heights in life especially in today’s economy; it is ticket for a better tomorrow. Something very familiar with me while growing up was the notion that males belonged in school and a female’s place was at home. At a young age I did not understand why both males and females treated differently or given an unequal opportunities. Besides, women could obtain education and still maintain the household in the same way men could. With that type of mentality society can constitute an equal number of educated men and women. 

As a young African woman in college, I know the importance and value of education; it is an opportunity to better myself while acquiring knowledge. This is not to say those who may not be in school are of less importance because everyone has a unique purpose in life. According to one of my friends, there is a difference between acquiring an education and getting a degree. One can be in school for many years and graduate with a degree but will lose sight of obtaining a real education. 

It is imperative to embrace learning with an open mind. Be willing to learn new things from new people. Learning will not cease until death. Keep your mind active by reading intellectual literature. Our minds expand when we keep feeding it knowledge daily. Be the change you want to see in yourself and your community. 

Knowledge is indeed power.

Tags: african woman, knowledge is power, unequal opportunities

Bouquet of Flowers

African women are in a class of their own and they are fabulous in their own right. No two African women are the same. Growing up in Ghana, I was surrounded by all types and shades of African women. They come in different complexions, sizes, heights, and the list expands. As different as one woman is from the next, so is her personality, ideal, and perspective on life. Along with the variety of African women come flare, flavor, spice, and a well-rounded influence in the African society/community. So why then am I referring to African women as a bouquet of flowers?

Well, when it comes to a bouquet of flowers there are numerous variations with each type possessing unique features. Some flowers are bright in color while others are banal. Others have thorns and some don’t. Each flower also carries with it a unique smell that makes it stand out. Roses, orchids, tulips, carnations, and hydrangeas all come in distinctive sizes as well as serve special functions depending on the occasion. Just as there are several types of flowers, so do they vary in color: red, yellow, orange, white, pink, black, lavender, and peach. When these different colored flowers are brought together they light up any place because they are a gorgeous sight.

So reverting to the subject of African women as a whole, they are indeed a bouquet of flowers; each woman shining in her own right. Unafraid to be who she is, she holds her head high. She is a queen, a princess, an ideal woman {obaasema} who is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)

Tags: african community, african society, african women, obaasema

You ARE What You Say

I have always wondered why young ladies, especially young African ladies who come to the U.S. gravitate towards cussing. It is as though cussing has become some type of accessory in the diction of young African ladies. The habit can simply be justified as a norm within the young-adult society.  Everybody is doing it so why not me? 

Whether you like it or not, cussing is degrading whenever used. It is degrading towards whomever it is directed as well as the person cussing. Judgment is passed on how you speak and the very words that come out of your mouth are weighed to determine the type of person you are; people judge what they see and what they hear. As African ladies, it behooves us to pick and choose our words wisely. We ought to realize that not only are we representing ourselves as individuals, but we are also representing our respective countries. 

By cussing we decrease our self-worth and the respect we rightfully deserve. Each one of us is a role model in her own right. With that, we have to keep in mind to exhibit positive communication traits / behavior to other women around us.

It is understandable that the environment one grows up in and nurture one receives is a big contributor to how we interact with others but those do not justify any type of cussing. Let us make a conscious effort to pick and choose our words wisely in order to be a positive influence in the society. Keep your mind stayed on positivity; practice makes perfect. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)

Tags: african ladies, decrease self-worth, positive communication traits, self-worth

Choice

“Life is not lost by dying; life is lost moment by moment, day by day, in all the thousand, small, uncaring ways you live.” – Stephen Vincent Benet 

You have a choice to make. Each morning when you wake up, from that moment on, everything you do is your choice; with those choices come good and bad consequences or even both. You choose to get out of bed or you can decide to stay in all day. 

It is your choice to have a positive mindset or not. All your situations can be viewed from whatever angle you choose. If it is a bad situation it is up to you to let it affect you or you can choose to make something positive out of it. 

You have a choice to be nice to others. You have a choice to wear whatever you want. 

You have a choice to smile or to frown. No matter what, you still have a choice. 

No one can take away your choice unless you allow them to. Your choice is a special gift from God. All humankind has that freedom of choice. Freedom of choice can go both ways; it can be used negatively or positively. 

Before any choice is made, some thought should be given to it. All choices have consequences. So before you make any type of choice, weigh the after-effects, but not forgetting that there are certain things in life you have no control over. 

In all things, exercise your freedom of choice in a manner that will promote growth in you as a woman.

Tags: choice, freedom of choice