LIFE, A DAY AT A TIME

  Photo/Courtesy  Hey there!  As a young adult stepping into the job market, you're probably buzzing with excitement, ready to land that dream role and make your mark. But here's a crucial piece of advice from someone who's seen it all in workplace culture: not all workplaces are created equal. Some, unfortunately, are toxic, and recognizing the signs early can save you a world of stress and heartache. A toxic work environment isn't just a "bad day" at the office; it's a persistent pattern of negative behaviors and practices that chip away at your well-being, productivity, and even your self-worth. It's like a slow leak that drains your energy, enthusiasm, and potential. The Subtle, and Not-So-Subtle, Signs of a Bad Culture So, how can you tell if a workplace has a rotten core? Let's look at some common red flags. Imagine you've just started a new job, and you're noticing some worrying signs:   Constant Criticism, Zero Praise : You're a...

 Was it written,   Was it planned?   A fleeting blip,   Or the steady hand of fate   Is this what it means to be?   When can the quiet be trusted?   When all feels staged,   A symphony of shadows  Every triumph leads to ruin,   Each step forward a siren’s call,   And the path bends backward,   As if bound to unseen design.   Why does life weave this web,   Sticky, relentless, unkind?   The fears, the doubts,   Anxieties swell like storms   In a darkened sky, unyielding.   Is this the weight of choices made?   Does purpose linger beneath the wreckage?   And if so, what purpose,   What meaning does it serve,   To fade so gently, so completely   Into oblivion?  

  We spend hours focusing on enhancing our external appearances,; at the gym sculpting our bodies, standing in front of the mirror making ourselves up. And that’s fine—because looks matter, right? Or do they? Sure, being well-groomed has its perks, like boosting confidence and improving likability.   But let’s face it: how often do we take care of our mental health with the same dedication?   Mental health deserves just as much attention as our physical appearance. Yet many of us neglect it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) "Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to pers...

Photo/courtesy At the start of the year, I wrote on my vision board: “Everything I do will be my best. Expect the very best.” This declaration came after realizing that I was wasting energy worrying about things beyond my control. I decided to surrender to whatever would come my way this year—be it positive or negative—and accept it with grace. Choosing to see it as the very best happening. Not long after, I read  W hen Breath Becomes Air  which to say  it didn’t completely shift my perspective would be an understatement. The book, a deeply moving memoir by neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi, taught me invaluable lessons: the fragility of life, the importance of living with purpose, and the courage to embrace the unknown. It reinforced the idea that while life is uncertain, we should strive to live with integrity and find meaning in the present moment. In essense to be in complete acquiescence with everything. But somewhere down the line, I lost that mindset. I slipped back i...

photo/courtesy I thought I had kinda figured it out. Yeah one piece of this intricate puzzle called life when I discovered movement. You know, the gym, working out, sweating it out, that sort of thing. .. There’s something magical about those endorphins, that post-workout glow and during the actual workout ,when you're completely lost in the present. No distractions, no yesterday, no tomorrow. Not even today—just the "now." Take push-ups, for example. Very challenging to be honest, well ..at least for me. Or When you’re counting down the timer in a plank, there’s no room to think about anything else. It’s just you, your shaking muscles, and that annoying timer. Sure, it’s painful, but it’s only painful -right now. You hold on, push through, and before you know it, the timer goes off, and you’re onto something harder or something easier like jumping jacks or something. Not caring whether the sun sets in the East or West or the variables of Algebraic equations . You know.. ...

To know when to speak and when to stay quiet,   When to act, when to pause,   When to laugh, when to sigh  This is wisdom in life's dance. When life shows its harsh side,   May I know to persevere. To measure my actions, to time them right,   Like a clock that never stops,   Its hands move forward,   Each tick achieving its essence. For you. For you, I wish this wisdom true,   To know just when, and what to do.   To dance with time, with grace and might,   Through every shadow, into the light.                                                          By Hellen M

Photo/ courtesy In the midst of youthful exuberance and the whirlwind of teenage emotions, an unexpected connection blossomed. I found myself entangled with a fellow teenager, trying to navigate the mystery  called love.  Fresh out  of the confines of high school, I felt I had found the love of my life. In hindsight, I realize was  too young to truly grasp the depth of my emotions. And so was he. Amid the whirlwind of teenage emotions, I was excited to discover that our feelings towards each other were mutual. Our connection growing quite swiftly,  credit to the fact that we saw each other quite often.  I couldn't help but share my newfound happiness with my colleagues, inadvertently hinting that they didn't meet my "tdh" - tall dark and handsome criteria like he did much to their chagrin. They would exchange knowing glances whenever they'd see us together and that sort of mischievousness was such a thrill for me. It hadn't occurred to me then that I was...

                          Courtesy The truth about malady is that it strips away your humanity, leaving you emotionally and socially  bankrupt.  isolating you within society, reducing your connections and support. Amidst the hardships, a peculiar transformation occurs. Either you start  harboring a deep-seated indignation or you  simultaneously develop superhuman abilities of empathy and compassion towards others. You become reluctant to dial numbers, to check in on as almost always , they're perceived  as desperate need pleas. You live in solitude bcz sometimes this diminished state creates room for disrespect, dehumanization and abhorrence. The illness perpetuates a vicious cycle, where it looms over you, threatening to bring even more misery if you dare to deviate from its oppressive rules, of systemic living, pills and sometimes portions. It mocks you with its relentless grimness, further alien...

 If mental disorders had physical signs, on the body's ,Like a scar perhaps.  They'd reveal that a person is  really terribly  unwell'  When you look at her, you wouldn't tell she's wrestling with wild thoughts,  a sense of immense emptiness and a mind that refuses to calm down..    No, especially not when she has some makeup on her face,  somehow it helps her conceal she's miserable  She'll look happy, inadequate to be called happiness. like it once did.   Engulfed in emptiness ,nothingness and meaninglessness.  waking up everyday to die.   Mental health conditions are  bondage, slavery ,  Running a marathon inside her head. The world ,middle of an ocean full of dangerous sea creatures..Alert mode on held prisoner by her own mind.   Always pondering on dark imaginings , Those who passed away by suicide How did they maneuver some things,  How to fasten rope properly, most lethal poison.  Did t...

                             Photo/Courtesy  When you have been through a traumatic experience ,your mind experiences negative change. As a person, you carry shame and embarrassment. When people look at you feel as if they can see right through you, right through all your secrets. As a result, you learn to sort of occupy a less space. You learn to avoid ,to disconnect. At a social event for example you find yourself isolating and  staying unseen. And you almost become invisible. But sometimes in the quest to self improve, you try seek validation by connecting. You want to be heard ,seen and understood, so you seek love, friendship because that  love is a source of validation. But the more you try, the more broken you feel. It turns into a quagmire because you thought you'd be fine if you had caring friends and a supportive partner. In the long term you realize no amount of secondary love can heal a...

In 2017, I began experiencing major changes in my reproductive health accompanied by some unusual symptoms. After consulting   with an OB-GYN, I received a diagnosis for an illness I had never heard of hitherto.  Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome One of the gynecologist's recommendations was for me to start a diet in order to manage the symptom of weight gain. I had gained weight at a very fast rate and had become overweight as a result. Upon conducting a quick research on google, I discovered a wealth of information pertaining diet that I knew I would never be able to implement. Since then, a lot has changed, including the emergence of additional disease-related consequences despite my earlier presumptions that PCOS  was a rather benign disorder. Due to the incapacitating effect of the ancillary complications, the condition could be debilitating. Until 2022  I had not been steadfast in sticking to a workout schedule despite the fact that doing so is crucial for...

My love Photo/Courtesy Greetings! I hope this finds you at least  learning a hobby or making money. period! I'm chewing sesame seeds as I write this , so we're gonna need your money for a decent living boo😍  Expect  a little resistance on showing up because you have taken forever to finding me! In fact I almost embarked on a journey to find you but gave up on it as kissing frogs was part of the process, a 'vice' I long ceased indulging in. The idea of you is  a pretty good one. I ponder about  it so much that it  could pass for my favourite hobby. 😁my diary has had enough even. By now you're acquainted to the fact that I might be a tad bit self absorbed, I mean, I keep referencing myself while all this was  to be about you. But don't you worry my love ,when you show up, you'll be the centre of my world baby. About your looks,I expect you're not a pretty boy  [wink].OK get me clear here,the whole world shouldn't think you're ugly, a few people m...

  photo/Courtesy So, I discovered that I'm obese! a couple of months ago Don't get me wrong, I knew I weighed more than I should, but obese?! Obesity seemed like such a  far away and foreign  occurrence to me. Obesity, I assumed, was a condition that only the unhealthiest individuals could have. Surprisingly, I meet folks who are substantially larger and infer that they must have poor eating habits and thus are consequently obese. But not  me? Me, who eats a primarily vegetarian diet? To obtain a healthy weight, I only needed to do a few pushups and sit-ups, as well as jog for a month, according to me. I assumed it wasn't that horrible. I'm aware of the predisposing elements that brought me here, but they won't help much with this discussion since I'm already here. I also don't get too worked up over it. In fact, I think about it about as much as I think about the form of my head's crown. That's not at all. Obesity is not merely an aesthetic issue; i...

Photo/Courtesy 10 MISTAKES TO AVOID IN  CAMPUS You bagged that high school certificate. After hours and hours of studying, You aced it and  got admitted to the university of your dreams .You want a smooth sailing campus experience?. You're at the right place. You're headed for an amazing campus experience if you avoid these mistakes. Read along to get those tips. 1.   Not studying Let's start with this one because its the primary thing you came to campus to do. I know this sounds like a statement from that "boring" teacher in primary school😂😂 but fact is , that's your main business in school. Take that seemingly boring advice and make studying your main activity in school. Do your assignments on time  in campus. Ignoring your studies is a mistake you want to avoid. Avoid skipping of classes because you will end up missing on one on one knowledge from your professors..  2. Academic Cheating It may look tempting . But you made it in high school without cheatin...

 Sometimes  It's easier to post ,say that joke about a fat person or a meme that clearly is shaming and could trigger someone. Most likely you post because  you cannot relate and do not personally struggle with the said thing. Its only funny because it is not reflective of your current condition and circumstance. The joke about  depression "ni ugonjwa ya wadosi" ( translated to depression is for the rich), you can skip it. Because that cannot be funny to a person going through it If you're amused by a  joke about a skinny person you  probably  do not relate .  If you're posting that meme depicting depression , homophobia , joblessness, the marginalized etc,as funny, you most likely do not struggle with it. Its easier to laugh about it when its not your struggle. But kindly before posting it, take a moment to analyze if it is ashaming ,especially in your circles. You owe the world, you owe people Empathy and sympathy. That said, always strive to be...