December Goals

Hey dolls and dudes, 

December has just begun and I've made a few goals to accomplish for the remainder of the year and preparing for next year. Right now school is alright. The stress level is minor and I'm actually quite relaxed. It's good because studying around Christmas time is actually quite hard for me and I've been forced to do so since I entered university. Anyways, let's move on to the goals. I hope you've made a few too. I would love to hear them :D

Personal Goals:

1. Increase overall productivity and reduce procrastination. Sadly, I'm a huge time-waster. I will know I have something to do but I will do everything under God's sun before I accomplish my daily tasks. This December   I will hopefully make my list, check it twice and strike things off one goal at a time. *fingers crossed*

2. Read 'The four hour workweek'. I have been seriously putting off reading this book for a while. I've started it a few times and actually have read half of the book but I keep procrastinating the end. This month it  shall be completed. \o/

3. Declutter December. My room is an explosion of stuff that I don't use and need to get rid of. December seems like a perfect time to do so. Look out for my online garage sale as I try to sell some of these off. They are actually in fairly good condition, never or rarely used. Please purchase something. You get them for great prices and if you're in Kingston I can deliver!

4. Have some much needed and well-deserved fun time and R&R. It's a holiday season afterall and I've had a long school year. It's definitely time for me to have a break. Go to the beach (a choice thanks to Jamaica's yearlong sun :D), go to a restaurant, road trip woo woo, or any other fun social outing with my friends and family. Fun is definitely needed and the time shall be enjoyed. (side note: I'll miss PB and Keeves when they're gone for Christmas :( but they'll be back soon I know it woot!)

Academic Goal:

5. Keep pace with current courses and complete all group work. As mentioned before, I'm on a pretty stress-free rotation right now but there is still a lot of work to be done. Especially, group work. Yikes! No need to fall behind because exams come in the blink of an eye. Trust me!

Financial Goals:

6. Complete the 52 week challenge. Do you remember the challenge I started at the beginning of the year? Well guess what I'm still on it with only 4 weeks left to complete. Whee!!! I am quite proud of myself for that one and can't wait to accomplish my long-standing goal. Yay!

7. Read financial articles and become more finance savvy. One of my life goals is to be a Philanthropist  and to have exceptional money management skills. So I keep trying to nurture my financial education with personal finance blogs and online articles. So far, so good.

8. Find ways to generate supplementary income. If you have a job for me, link me. I really want to find ways to help support my lifestyle more. I'm quite ambitious and that is quite expensive. Lol! Either way I think it's important that I gain additional income. Any ideas? Jobs? Plans? Message me. Comment. It's truly appreciated.

Spiritual Goals:

9. Meditate for 5 minutes daily. A great way to clear your mind and nurture your spirit. Meditation calms and relaxes me. And it also is a good way to reset my mind and refocus my energies. Trust me it works wonders for you.

10. Write daily gratitude list. Research says the hallmark of happy people is that they are thankful. I want to be happy so I tried it. It really works for me. It's quite easy to forget how lucky we are in life so I've just tried to remind myself

Health and Fitness Goals:

11. Get hepatitis B shots. I just have to say that it's been 3 years since I should've gotten these shots and all now. It's time! See how my procrastination has taken over my life. It needs to be gone!

12. Practice healthy cooking. Well 'tis the season to be jolly but it doesn't mean I can't also be healthy. I really don't want tot overeat or wallow in unhealthy food and then making New Year's resolutions to lose weight. I find it counter-productive so I'll be trying to cook as healthy as possible and control my eating habits as best as I can. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.


Well that's it folks. 12 Goals for December it seems quite fitting don't you think? What are your goals? Share them with me. I really would love to hear them. 

Much Love, 

Nella Bella

Put your best financial foot forward

 Are you looking for a way to get rich quick? Do you want a million dollar idea? Do you aspire to build a financial empire overnight? Are you yearning for the lifestyle of the rich and famous? Unfortunately, we don't have the magic answer to any of those questions.

 There are however ways that you can clean your financial house and improve your chances of accumulating wealth in due time. The best thing about it is, the younger you start, the more you can accumulate and the better your chances are.

1) What are your financial goals?

 To know where to start you need to know where you are heading. Identify what you want to achieve financially short-term (1year or less), medium-term (next 3-5 years) and long-term(5 years or more). It's not effective to just say "I want a house" or "I want a car". Attachment specific estimated values and a timeline to every goal you want to achieve. Make a sound plan and create a road map with smaller, definite steps for each goal. Make them measurable, achievable and specific to your dreams. This is the foundation of your financial success.

2) Prioritize

Another important step is to learn to separate wants from needs. Jamaicans tend to want to live the 'boasy' lifestyle. We tend to associate many wants into needs and neglect many needs transforming them into mere wants. Eg. You need clothes, but you want to wear designer clothes. That's a want versus need scenario that faces many. Many tend to think if it isn't 'name brand' then it "nah seh nut'n" But what they fail to realize is there are many ways to wear simple clothes that looks just as good as the expensive ones. Before you make grand splurges think "Do I want it or do I need it". If you can't decide, then wait a week or so and think about it. Then make a decision. Do whatever is in your best interest.

3) Start early

 Develop effective spending and saving patterns from early. These tend to follow you throughout your lifetime. Learn about saving options and make saving a continuous habit. A good way is to automatically set aside an amount and spend from the remainder and watch your money grow over time. There is actually this magic little thing called compound interest that works wonders in your favour. The younger you start saving, the more it works in your favour and the more you accumulate. Time is working in your favour so take advantage of it. Although it's never too late to start, the sooner the better.

4) Create a budget

 A budget is your guide to spending. It shows how much you currently have to spend and helps you allocate your money accordingly. Prepare the most important things first such as food and savings but also include the fun stuff such as movies with friends. But remember first things first. You may not have all the money for the fun stuff in week one but if you put a little aside each week you can have a day each month just for fun because you budgeted and planned for it.

 5) Create a reward system

 Budgets, goals and priorities are all important, however, what's the point in constantly making the effort to improve your finances and not enjoying the fruits of your labour. Admittedly, accomplishing your goals is a reward in itself but sometimes you need to reward the small efforts. A good way to make you more eager to accomplish each goal is to associate each with a reward. "If I accomplish goal X, then I get Y" that way you get twice the reward for every goal. Just remember not to overdo it.

 6) Know your limits

 Don't get so carried away trying to accomplish goals that you neglect yourself. You do not need to dive head first into anything but rather should start slow and develop habits overtime. These things take time and as mentioned before it is working with you. Keep an eye out for new opportunities. Research all the options available to you, options related to your goals and learn how you can take advantage of them.  Live within your means and make little steps each day towards your dreams.

 Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.-Robert Coolier

 -Ornella Green

Let us all be thankful

Jamaicans are known for our adaptive nature and culture. Especially, us the younger generation, we tend to emulate much of what we see our American counterparts do, say, act and dress on tv. This is often thought by older generations to erode our own identity as a people and we have taken on everything 'bad'.

 While this may be true in some regard, there are may good aspects of the American culture that we often forget or fail to adapt. One such thing is Thanksgiving. On November 22, 2012, the USA celebrated its Thanksgiving Day holiday. It's a holiday centered around coming together with family and friends and giving thanks for all the blessings in our lives. It's about community, charity, gratitude and family. These are the principles that many Jamaicans should adopt into our society.

And we don't have to celebrate Thanksgiving day or wait until the Christmas season to start put these things into practice. Although in these trying economic times, we can become so engrossed in our problems and forget the important things. Everyday is an opportunity to show appreciation and show that you care. 

Here are some food for thought:

 1) Do you wake up in the mornings and give thanks for life, the new day, health, family or friends?

 2) Do you spend quality time with your family members on a regular basis?

 3) Do you tell your loved ones that you love them each day?

 4) Do you take time to help others? Whether it be spending time with those less fortunate than you, helping a child with his/her homework or helping the disabled with a task?

Remember time waits for no man, so be thankful for all you have and look for the small blessings in each day.

-Ornella Green

Le muse despaire

I've long since forgotten the sound of your voice
The sound it makes when you're excited or when you've finally solved a problem
Your groans, groans and sounds of glee
The smile that drips off your lips
And the laughter that roars when someone tells a joke

To hear the 'thump thump thump' of your heart and to understand it means life
To see the motions as the wheels turn to propel us forward
Feel the cool whisper of your breath on my arms
The soft caress of you skin
And the gentle touch of your finger tips

Have you left me my dear?
Departed me in such sweet sorrow
Tiny steps ushered through the door
Have you left me my dear?
To travel the road alone

The journey less taken
A solitary path to solitude
Have you forsaken me my dear?
Departed in such sweet regret
Away from the success of me

Have you lost yourself?
Left me to fend the spirits alone
To nurture the mind
To enrich the body
On a single plane

Have you abandoned me?
Lola,
Where does your ego lie?
Shall I truly be left without thee?
The muse that serves my guide

Whereforth?
Shall thou?
Are thouest?
Answer my calls
Surrender to my pleas

Pride

Hey loves,

Guess who has been a busy bee? *raises hand* "Me! Me!" Yes my loves, the med life has taken over and it's getting intense. So much so that I just realized 3 months later that I had not shared with you my last piece of work in the 50 for 50 challenge. Imagine that? The theme was to showcase Jamaica in only 50 words.  ONLY 50 WORDS!!!!! Look how amazing Jamaica is and there is a word limit to expressing how wonderful my country is. It was truly a challenge but I did it and here is the end product. Hope you enjoy!!!! I promise to be back soon.

Pride

Black, green and gold,

Plus a little red to keep it irie

Mannish water and fish tea

Sorrel and drops

Belly haffi full

Nine-night,

Street dance,

Dominoes pon di corner

Football inna di road

Fun haffi have

Hurricane every September

Flooded streets

Combated with helping hands

This is Jamaica.

50 for 50 almost done

Hello hello ladies and gents!

Well my darlings it has been a busy 2 weeks as I'm getting closer and closer to my exams. Expect me to be MIA for the next few weeks. Anyways I want to tell you about the 50 for 50 challenge and guess what? We're in week 9. Can you believe it?! One more week and it's done. It's been a great way to sharpen the saw and challenge my skills so to speak. Anyhoo. I Just wanted to share with you last week's and this week's entries into the competition. Hope you enjoy and feel free to check out others at http://50for50jubilee.wordpress.com/2012

Mirror Mirror by Ornella Green

July 20, 2012 

Mirror mirror

On the wall
Is this what I truly see?
Is this what has become of my country?

When I marched from Stony Gut
For the sake of freedom
Was this what I was marching for?
Is this what Mas George and I died for?

Corruption
Violence
Hatred
Murder

Our children being uneducated
And worse yet
Under-educated
Left to fight in the hunger games

Mirror mirror
On the wall
Where hath thy country gone?
Where hath our love disappeared to?

Has our view been shattered?
Our visions of our future distorted
We are turning 50 and celebrating
But have we truly achieved?

Are we a place to live?
To work?
Play?
Raise families?
Do business?

Are we advancing not only our pockets
But also our minds
Turning our trials
Into triumphs
Our messes
Into messages

Mirror mirror
On the wall

Tell me what you see
Is this what there is?
A future that makes me weep?

Jamaica Jamaica by Ornella Green

July 27, 2012 

I and I is jus’

Jus’ one likkle island inna di Caribbean
Mi sunshine bright
Suh we name wi name wi netballers
Sunshine Girls

My people love dem music inno
All kinda great artist dem come from yah
Mi know yuh mussi hear bout Bob
but yuh know bout Jimmy or Peter or Yellow man?
Wah yuh know bout the Wailers?
Yes massa wi love wi music
Suh wi footballers name
Reggae Boyz

Hurricane try rock mi
Every September mi get one visit
But one weh shook mi
Did name Gilbert
What a way it did mash up mi trees dem
Wash weh mi road dem
Dem all mek song bout it
‘Wata cum een ah mi room’
Di way how di ting treat wi bad

Yahdie conscious wi seh
Ah dat wi always ah pree
Whether foreign or ah yaad
Yahdie words wi seh
‘Likkle but tallawah’
‘Out of many one people’
‘Every mickle mek a muckle’
‘Jack, man, dora mi nuh choose none’
Yes man di whole ah dem tings yah come from fi mi people mout’

Mhmm
Mi is one likkle island
But mi story tall
Cuz when Anansi ready fi land
And spin him web of tales
Or weh yuh hear bout black man, white man and chiney man
All when boyzie decide fi pop style
Yuh laugh and drop dung like mi bobsled team

Mi seh mi hist’ry set
It rhythm nice
But that is another story
Mek wi save it fi ah next time
Cuz it look like them ready fi start di fireworks
50 years free dem seh
I and I

What a way dem brite

Well as you know it's a new week and that means a new Jamaica 50 challenge. Last week I unfortunately didn't place because there was only a top 2 :( Boo! But this week I came back to get the prize so to speak. So the theme for this week is to write a short story based on a Jamaican living abroad and their experiences there compared to their experiences in Jamaica. And that's what I did in Nella zest. Without further ado........Here it goes: 

What a way dem brite

It’s a regular Thursday afternoon and as usual Suzy and Stacy haffi chat pon dif one fi labbrish dem bizness.  What way dem two can chat! Look how long dem deh pon di fone ah waste up di fone bill? How dem can chat suh pon a regular? Lawd have mercy wen dis girl and har fren ah chat. Listen to dem and how dem ah chat chat out mi daylight outta mi night.

Suzy:     Hallo Stacy. Is Suzy!

Stacy:    Wah gwan mi sistren? .

Suzy:     Mi jus haffi hail yuh and keep yuh in di link wid mi bizness

Stacy:    A wah gwan up deh?

Suzy:     Mi seh Stacy what a way dem brite? A weh dem people yah ah chat bout?  Come ah tell mi bout foreign betta dan Jamaica. Fi mi Jamaica? No man dem mussi mad to blertnaut!

Stacy:    A wah yuh nah seh? A wah do dem ediat deh?

Suzy:     Dem tink seh dem betta dan wi wid dem high rise building and dem foreign fashion. Dem feel seh chu dem have yellow school bus weh pick up dem pickney ah dem gate dem betta dan wi. Dem feel seh chu ah dem mek KFC and Burga King ah dem know fi cook? Eehayah dem fool nuh faat. A weh dem know bout rundown, curry chicken and gizzada? 20 years ah ‘Merica and mi seh mi miss sweet sweet Jamdung. Mi miss di ahackee and salt fish, di fry fish and bammy. All di rock cakes mhmmm dem sweet suh til. Mi love jonkunnu festival and jcdc festival. Mi love di Hindepence day parade. Wuss Jamaica ah tun 50 dis yah year yah.

Stacy:    Yes iyah ah brite dem brite. So wah yuh tell dem?

Suzy:     Mi tell dem no weh nuh betta dan ah yaad and mi start describe everyting f idem. Yuh shudda see how dem face lite up and dem ah ooh and ahh wen mi chat. Mi haffi wonder if dem tink seh ah coc’nat tree mi live inna? Or hammack mi sleep inna? Chu dem nuh know seh ah werk mi come fi werk ah nuh lef mi lef mi yaad fi come betta place

Stacy:    Yes my girl gwan chu and promote wi island yes. Tell dem seh annu jus weed wi sell and run wi run like lightning wi live one beautiful life all over wi country inna wi different parishes.

Suzy:     Yes man mi haffi hinform dem sed ways. Heneways girl mi haffi guh back guh werk now. Ah use mi ah use di people dem lunch time fi labbrish. Mi ah guh werk. Lata.

Stacy:    Yes my girl bless up yuh self. Lata.