How to Help the Bereaved This Christmas

The easiest thing to do when consoling someone who is bereaved is to talk and tell them not to cry and may be share some other terrible moments we have also had in similar moments of our lives before. We have all had our trying moments, I mean when we also lost someone. The things we did to get over the loss and things others did to help us out will become handy in helping the bereaved in their own trying moments as well. How then do we help them out especially during this season of love?

Sacrifice
As long as you are willing to sacrifice your time, your energy and even your money, you are half way done with the job. You have to do a lot of talking in other to get the bereaved out of his situation and make him know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Loosing someone is not an easy thing. I lost my mother four years ago and the experience was terrible but the help and sacrifices in terms of time and other things really helped me a lot. Life then was not easy but people around me made it easy for me because of their encouragement.

Understanding
Sometimes you have to show great tolerance and understanding of the situations around you. If you do not show enough understanding of the pain the bereaved is going through, then you do not have any business around been with him in the first place. Sometimes they will nag and complain about everything, they will condemn even things everyone seems to agree is good. The truth is if you have never been there before, I mean lost someone in the past, you may never know how painful it is. Just show a little bit of understanding and it could go a long way in helping them out.

Willingness
You sure need a lot of will to go through this unusual period. It is almost as if you are mourning and you just have to draw very close to the bereaved to help them out. I remember saying so many negative things to my friends when I lost my mother. The more I spoke, the more some of them grew bolder in their will and courage to help me out. In the end, they succeeded in helping me get out of my pain.

Energy
Do not be surprised I am including this one. You not only need to help the bereaved do a lot of things during this period, you also have to get them do a lot of things for themselves and that can only be done when you do it side by side with them. Taking them out to have fun at fun spots is one thing, getting them to have fun is another. Imagine saying to the bereaved that you are tired when the bereaved is starting to have fun? Can you beat that? What about if your friend is the type who likes to do some exercises every morning, would it not be nice to wake him up and encourage him to do some exercises with you? Just be strong!

We all need one another this Christmas. Try and be there for your friend.

How To Have Fun And Make Money This Christmas

As funny as this may sound, it is not uncommon to have fun and still do some business to make lots of profit this Christmas season. All you have to do is organize yourself, take good look at your environment and fill in the needs that come up. Just because it is Christmas does not mean it should be fun all the way without some business, who says you ca not eat your cake and have it?

Find A Need.
There are certain things you need to put in place to really get you started. Like I said in my introduction, you have to look at your environment, find a need or needs as the case may be and fill it or fill them. Has it ever occurred to you that some people who are on essential services will be on duty on Christmas day? How about those traditional services one can not do without but will still be in short supply during Christmas? Find a need and fill it and you will soon find out how easy it is to have fun and make money.

Meet The Need
After finding what the likely needs of your environment are, you need to make effort to gather all the things you need to meet those needs. Meeting the needs of people around you depends on the passion and drive in you. You just have to be at the right place and at the right time. Take the Beach for instance, we all know that Ice cream, football and even flowers will be the needs of so many people who will show up in a place like that, so why not take your passion for fun and business there to get something out of there.

Be Calculative
Always have at the back of your mind that Christmas will certainly not last a life time and this is the reason you have to be quick and do not stock too many products as they will soon be out of fashion as soon as the season is over. Remember, Christmas lights, customized T-shirts and others will not be useful after this period so do not buy more than the demand available in the market.

Whatever you chose, do be conscious of one thing, we all have needs that must be met and there are individuals out there who really do not mind how they spend their money this Christmas, all I advise is that you get your share of the Christmas boom to make yourself some money while having fun.

Comments are welcomed.

YOUR FIRST CHRISTMAS AFTER YOU LOSE YOUR LOVED ONE.

Losing some one that is very dear and close to you can be very painful and recovering from the shock sometimes takes a lot effort. I lost my mum five years ago and I know exactly how painful it was back then and how painful it still continues to be even now. I remember how tough it was for me when I returned from a National assignment to learn about the death of my mother. The pain was too much to bear but I just had to get over it.

Christmas is one season everyone wants to hang around family and friends and no matter how far away you are from them, you always want to return home to spend the Christmas with them. What then becomes your fate when the distance between you and someone you love so much is so big and ca not be covered; distance as a result of death to that person? My experience was something tough but somehow, someway I got over it through the means I want to share below that can also be of help to you out there.

AVOID BEEN ALONE
For those who want to have a fun filled Christmas season and want to get over the painful loss of a dear one, it is advisable to always avoid staying all alone and all by yourself. One of the most difficult things to do is pushing away memories of loved ones and you do not succeed doing so by staying away from people who can be of help to you. Keeping company with friends who will do you a lot of help and help you have a great Christmas celebration.

AVOID GETTING DRUNK
It is advisable to avoid temptations to get yourself drunk just because you want to get over the shock of losing someone you love. Remember that once you get over the hangover, the feelings returns and you come to realize that you have only done yourself more harm than good and if you choose to continue with getting drunk, you may become addicted in the process.

VISIT PUBLIC PLACES
There are lot of places you could go to with friends and family to help yourself become lively. You could visit the cinemas, watch baseball matches, and go to the stadiums to watch football matches, basketballs, museums and a whole lot of other places. It is a difficult moments surely but the sooner you begin to get over it the better it is for you.

VISIT THE ORPHANAGE
This is one of the most significant step you can take to recover and have a great Christmas when you lose a loved one. Imagine going to the motherless babies’ home to see how they get along. It is wonderful to know that children in the orphanage have been there for years and they manage to get themselves lively. Would it not be lovely to find out how they do it?

Loosing someone you love is certainly not the end of the world and surely life exist after the people we love live us but the truth is we just have to be strong and carry on with life.

PICTURES OF GREAT PLACES TO BE THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON

HOW CHRISTMAS IS CELEBRATED IN NIGERIA

Celebrating Christmas in Nigeria is very unlike the way it is celebrated in other parts of the world. The average Nigerian Christian believes that Christmas is one season you need to celebrate by giving all you have. People gather at bars, beaches, clubs, streets and many other fun spots during this period. Even though Christians go to churches on Christmas day, they do it as a religious obligation that should be fulfilled.

Nigerians generally have a knack for importing cultures and traditions of civilized countries and applying them to their daily life style. No wonder Christmas is celebrated in various fashions and style making Christmas the most colorful festival in Nigeria and by extension the world at large. What then makes Christmas celebration in this part of the world wonderful?

CHRISTMAS CARNIVALS
During the Christmas season, a lot of streets organize carnivals where people gather on the streets to dance all day and all nights. The preparations that go into preparing for these carnivals range from indigenes of these streets painting and repainting their buildings, banners are displayed to create awareness and DJ stands are erected where invited DJs will mount their loudspeakers and other sound system to dish out wonderful music to the delight of all. The most popular of these carnivals and which is the oldest is known as the Fanti carnival that is held in the Lagos Island.

BEACH PARTIES
One very important part of Christmas celebration in Nigeria is Beach parties. Nigerians love to go to the beaches to relax and Nigeria is a country blessed with a lot of beaches. In Lagos alone where we have the highest concentration of these beaches, we have over six (6) of them. We have: The Bar Beach, The Alfa Beach, The Eleko Beach, and The Badagry Beach among others. Christmas celebration in the beach does not take a lot of preparation unlike the carnivals. All you need is have a vehicle to convey you and your family or friends and get yourself iced drinks and foods to make your stay worthwhile.

GOING TO CLUBS
Nigeria is a country that loves to party a lot and clubbing is one way they do this. It is not difficult to see them going to clubs during these season to dance all night and probably all day in the spirit of Christmas. The number of clubs in Nigeria, Lagos especially is one of the highest you can find any where when you consider the fact that Lagos is a cosmopolitan city and was once the capital of Nigeria. The present capital of Nigeria, Abuja also has its own fair share of club life and Christmas is never dull in the city.

CHRISTMAS FEAST
Nigerians love good food and nothing is held back when it has to do with getting the best for Christmas. During the Christmas season, prices of food stuff becomes very high even as high as %70 to %80 and Nigerians do not really worry much about this as they know that Christmas is not celebrated every day. The most common meat for Christmas is Turkey, Chicken, Beef and Goat. While the most common food is Rice. Christmas is the only season where you find lots of food to eat even for the poor.

For the Tourists who have chosen Nigeria as their destination this Christmas, remember that you are coming to one of the most exotic and interesting place on planet earth.

HOW TO HAVE A DISASTER FREE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY

Usually the Christmas season is a period when a lot of us easily get carried away with preparations and celebration and because of this, the rate of accidents is always on the increase. Most countries experience very high road accident rate during festive seasons like the Christmas. Below are some of the preventive measures that you could take to avoid all forms of accidents during and after Christmas.

FIRE INCIDENTS
Fire outbreak is a common case during this season and millions of Dollars in property is lost and insurance companies know they pay more for during the yuletide season than on any others. Avoiding fire outbreak starts with making sure that all fire fighting equipments are serviced and in order, electrical appliances switched off before you go to bed and when you go out, your gas cookers turned off and all communication gadgets work properly and bills paid up to date in case you have to make emergency calls. It is better that fire disaster be prevented than making late attempts to put them out because their effect could be devastating and traumatic.

ROAD ACCIDENTS
Most road accidents could be avoided if only we exercise some measure of carefulness in the way we drive. It is always advisable to have at the back of your mind that other people use the road just like you do and the safety of both of you depends on the two of you. A lot of people drink while driving and some drive already drunk which I find to be suicidal. If you have to drink and drive, a bottle of water would do the magic and ensure you get home on time and in one piece too. Making and receiving phone calls while driving is also an invitation to an early grave. Some others also drive under medication and some whose sights are bad take the risk to drive all because the feeling in the air makes them great and they end up in the hospital if they are lucky and in the grave if they are not.

ROBBERY ATTACKS.
It is common and the only way you can avoid it is to be very security conscious. Avoid giving your bank details to strangers and those you do not trust. Your credit card details should also be kept safe and every thing that compromises your security should be avoided as well. It is very common during this season to find people loosing valuables all because of some few careless attitudes of theirs. Usually a lot of shopping will be made this season and a sizeable percentage of that will be done online and through the use of credit cards. When shopping online, don’t type in your pin on any site you don’t trust. Always be mindful of the genuiness of the sites you visit before giving out your pin. Do your online shopping only on sites that you trust. Remember, if there ever is any time you are open to attack, it is during this period.

TERRORIST ATTACKS
I just have to add this so that we will be conscious of what goes on around us. It is no news that over the years countries have continued to spend a lot on security in order to fight terrorism. Terrorists choose festive seasons to launch their attacks. It is important that you report the activity of strangers that you feel uncomfortable about to the relevant security agencies for quick response. When you pack your vehicles at different locations this season, make sure you conduct a check before turning on the ignition and possibly install a burglar alarm on your cars. Never compromise the security of your homes as well. Spend more on security and do not disregard useful tips as issued by relevant security agencies as from time to time.
Remember, those things we regard as accidents could be avoided if only we take extra care to avoid them.
Comments are welcomed.

EFFECT OF THE ECONOMIC MELTDOWN ON THE 2009 CHRISTMAS SEASON

Imagine celebrating the Christmas season without new clothes, new shoes, staying indoors and not been able to visit holiday resorts and may be seeing Christmas lights in homes across the street and in your home nothing seem to be happening. This Christmas is certainly going to be low keyed for many folks no thanks to the present economic meltdown been experienced in many countries of the world.

Though there are confirmed reports of countries that are already out of recession and some like the United States of America close to coming out of it, the truth is that the world has been severely hit this past two years by harsh economic situations that have not been so witnessed in a long time. The United Kingdom for example is still battling to come out of it and it doesn’t look like it is going to be over before Christmas.

In Africa, the situation is not any better than in the developed world. Africa has been known to have more concentration of poor countries and people than in any other continents of the world. Though planning for Christmas even without the economic meltdown has never been on the high side, the effect of the harsh Economic situation is going to compound a situation that is already terrible.

The percentage of the rich in a country like Nigeria for instance is less than %9 of the total population, yet Nigeria is ranked very high among countries that are richly endowed with natural resources. A lot of families may not be able to buy quality Christmas clothes for their children this season yet the very minute rich will fly to Europe and other tourist centers with their families to celebrate the season.

THE STREETS ARE DRY

In those days you can hardly walk past the beautiful streets of Lagos without feeling Christmas in the air. You come across beautifully decorated stores, banks, hotels, post offices, museums and schools and the feeling was simply nostalgic, but now its all gone and vanished into thin air. The whole streets are dry and every one seem to be interested in going about their lawful business not showing any sign of preparation all due to the harsh economic meltdown. The effect can not be measured and one only wonders what the Christmas Eve is going to look like.

OUR HOMES ARE NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE

Fathers are worried, mothers are confused and what about their children? They don’t know what to expect and they all wear long faces almost every time they get back from school. They are worried because the only thing they talk about these days is what Christmas is going to look like and as long as parents continue to keep mum over the celebration of the Christmas season, their faces may never change.

THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TURNNEL

I wrote an article about preparing a budget for Christmas during recession and I know it will be of great help to you out there. The way out is to spend within one’s income and to limit the level of the celebration within what one can bear at the immediate while keeping an eye on the future.

JUST BE KIND TO OTHERS THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON

It has been a while since my last post, never mind, we are all begining to catch the Chrismas fever and preparation seem to be at top geer. Don't you agree with me? The atmosphere is becoming electric and I know that as the days go bye, more wonderful feelings will be felt in the air.

Today I want us to take a look at the poor among us, the needy, those in the hospital and think of how we can be of help to them. Do you know that there are some poor people who may never celebrate Christmas for one reason or the other? Do you know that some even go to bed hungry and still wake up not knowing what the day holds for them? My God! It is different strokes for different folks.

My charge to you out there is to visit the orphanage, go to the hospitals, to the streets, take as many gifts as you can with you and make sure you help the poor this season. It is indeed a season of Love. It is a season to share and to put smiles on the faces of a lot of people out there.

The St John's Gospel in Chapter 3vs 16 spoke about the love that God has for us. It describes it as a love so strong that God offered His son as a gift unto every mankind. The whole essence of Christmas would have been defeated if having gone past the season I look back only to discover that I have not affected any life positively with my smiles and care.

How do you show love? Like I mentioned above, pay a lot of visits to the orphanage, share what you have with the poor and visit hospitals to encourage the poor and the sick. You may even extend your love to the motherless babies. All these are just few ways you could show love this season.
Merry Christmas.