THE RUTH OLLY BLOG (Lifestyle, Health and Relationship)

It's been a while here! I guess it was necessary to go on an end-of-the-year vacation. So here's me saying Happy New year officially.  In this write-up, I'd love to talk about the importance of our identity and uniqueness. On this great day, I was in a religious gathering when I looked around and reflected on the distinct lifestyle of each individual in the fellowship, particularly the workforce who carry out one function or another utilizing their diverse abilities and talents.  Two guys acted in drama in a distinctive style that people looked forward to seeing them in any drama presentation. Even though these two men are in the same unit, they have distinct characteristics that set them apart.  You are not a mistake! This observation made me understand that, just as we don't have the same fingerprints, we are not the same in every way. If scientists can infer, based on multiple studies, that even identical twins are not entirely the same, we may deduce that our differ...

There was a day I started feeling bad on my way to go and buy chicken and chips for myself. It had been over a month I gave myself a treat at that time. I wondered if I was doing the right thing because I needed money for quite many things, and there I was going to spend #2000 on food. Notwithstanding, Immediately after I got home, I took the time to eat my delicious meal over a movie so that the satisfactory feeling would hit home. I cannot comman kill myself. I could understand why some people will spend their 'last wazo' on food without thinking about what comes next. I comforted myself by thinking about how many individuals died without ever enjoying the money they worked so hard to obtain. So I told myself, why deprive myself of enjoyment once in a while? Problem no dey finish, but my body will thank me for feeding it well. Yes, I know everyone talks about saving and investing. But we need a balance to these things, else someone somewhere will die young just because all t...

  On this fateful day, as I slept in my hostel room in College of Nursing, I slipped into a dream.  I saw myself check my score in Reproductive health on the notice board. Behold, I failed! Tears fell off my face as I knew I had to prepare for a resit. It's just a dream! My God! I was so happy when I woke up. I was one of those students who swore never to write a resit throughout my stay in college. Fast forward to the semester exam. I had three papers on the day I had to write Reproductive health exam. The night before, I had prepared for two out of the three papers already. I was sleepy, so I decided to wake up in the middle of the night to read the last course. Guess what the subject was? I know right, may our enemies not catch us😂. So I told my roommate at 11 pm, pls wake me up by 3 am. She said okay. I laid my bed well, carried my cover cloth, and slept peacefully. I opened my eyes slowly after a good sleep. My roommate was in her corner with books opened in her arms. I ...

I'm not entirely sure where to begin because I just felt an urge to write on The RuthOlly Blog. Since then, I have been reminiscing on topics to write on, though many ideas flooded my mind, ENJOY THE MOMENT stood out. Yes! I know you are going through a lot, I know you are down emotionally, I know what it feels like to be depressed, I know you are going through challenges you perceive are way bigger than you. It is okay to experience all of these emotions. It is okay to feel that way.  Do you know why?  LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE!   Everyone, rich or poor, famous or not, will go through that stage sooner or later. We will all have moments of low moods, tiredness, and frustrations, moments when we feel like giving up. Sadly, when going through seasons like that, we forget one thing.  WE FORGET TO ENJOY THAT MOMENT. You would ask, how am I suppose to enjoy such a moment?  I am Down!  I am Losing myself!  I'm stuck in my world!  Ever...

While growing up, a lot of health-related misinformation kept flying around. I'll never forget one particular experience I had. Occasionally, as a child, I had an inflammation on my lower eyelids; most of the time, I didn't need to do anything because it recedes after a few days. However, I was always concerned about aesthetics, so I asked my friends what they thought I could do, and one of them suggested rubbing potash on my eyelids.  So, as naive as I was at the time, I returned home, carried Mama Ruth's potash, and rubbed it on my eyes. For the next 10 minutes, I found myself begging God not to allow me to go blind and promising that I won't try it again. I must have washed my face with 100 gallons of water in the process😂. When I was finally able to open my eyes, I promised myself that I would thoroughly vet any advice or opinion given to me before accepting it. Yes, we will receive myriads of suggestions, not only about health but also about other aspects of our l...

Give them space!  This is what our instinct tells us when our 'besties' get married Are we wrong for doing that?  Of course, the newlywed couple needs space to kick-start their marriage and find a balance in their life, and it is important for friends to respect this privacy. However, the mistake the married folks make especially after marriage is believing that they do not need  friends.  "Marry your friend", they say. So, if I married my best friend, do I still need other friends in my life?  My response to this would be a question for you to consider;  Have you had only one friend in your entire life?   If not, do all your previous pals share same viewpoints, mindsets or have they played a similar role in your life?  If you answered no, I hope you are starting to see why you need a friend other than your spouse.  Friends are unique in their ways and play a distinct role in our lives The truth is that your spouse will not always have a...

  Hello reader, how have you been? How is preparation for the last half of the year?  I'm back again with something slightly different. You know I'll always have a story to share to back my content. So in my teenage years, I was in my room one day when I noticed a strange language coming to my heart, as one conversing within my heart, I was almost slapping myself wondering what nonsense was coming to my heart, I even bound the devil 😂  Little did I know, that I had received the Holy Spirit and the evidence of speaking in tongues was trying to manifest.  Years later, I started seeking the ability to speak in tongues. I went for meetings where they called out those that want to receive the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues to be prayed for but was there watching others speak while nothing came from me, and when the ministers became tired of those of us who are not speaking, especially where time was running out, they'll ask us to go back to our seat.  I wa...

  I'm that kind of girl who writes a lot of "epistles" on her status, especially for birthday wishes, thanksgiving and all that.  It occurred to me that I had a lot to offer through writing and not just any writing but by sharing my experiences in a way others can relate with and learn from.  During the COVID-19 break, I messaged my colleague; Olabode Ifeoluwa, who had started writing on medium platform, on how I can start writing there as well, of which she put me through the process.  I wrote about 3 posts with my free trial after which I noticed a limitation especially for my readers; most of them were unable to read my posts due to the need for subscription. Then it occurred to me to create a blog instead, and then it all started.  THE RUTHOLLY BLOG WAS CREATED.  And today it is a year old.  Help came from different angles.  A big thank you to Archimedes, who messaged me about my blog and from our discussion realized I'll need a logo and then ...

What will you do if there is no one to cheer you on?  When there is no cheerleader for your team, no spectators to clap and shout your name, will you still play effectively? That is one question I want to ask football players when I get the chance😄 Is your motivation extrinsic or intrinsic? Because although extrinsic motivation goes a long way, the most important motivation for you is you. Growing up, I heard a lot of my classmates in primary and secondary school talk about how their parents check their books and monitor them as they do their assignment, I was like, really?  no one tells me to go do my assignment or check my books.  I'm my own boss mehn (lemme feel myself small😂) because my parents, mom especially, didn't have to push me to do assignments or read my books. Even when she wants to send me on some non-urgent errands sometimes, I tell her to please allow me complete my assignments and she gives me time (as per the understanding mother that she is😄). So the...

 Have you given something to the point of shedding tears.  There was a day I was dropping my offering in church and I was crying, people thought I was being moved by the ministration, na serious pain I dey feel, you would ask why?  Well, besides the transport fare to get back home, I had no money on me, especially for food.  Meanwhile they tell us not to give with the mindset of getting it back from God, but, my God! I just be like God, if you no want make I die of hunger, I have to get blessed by someone in return o 😄 I can't even remember what happened after, but I definitely did not starve😉  Anyway, let me share another moment with you. Has God ever told you to give someone something of which you barely have enough, yet they have in surplus? Kai, or do you have this constraint on you such that you even find it difficult to receive from people because all you're used to is to give even when you barely have.  Only those kind of people will understand thi...

In the spirit of my induction into nursing profession, I decided to share one particular experience I would never forget, perhaps there's something to learn from it.  It was my first test as a fresh undergraduate of nursing science in the University of Ibadan. The anatomy test, embryology in particular, was to last for 15 minutes, 3 questions. It was an essay, so believe me when I say 5 minutes was far from being enough to attempt one question. 5 minutes is probably not enough to think and organize your thoughts actually not to talk of writing it down. Anyway, I had read and prepared well, when the questions were given, mehn, I had a lot to write down even drawings to back my answers since in anatomy, your drawings earn you more marks.  The examiner said we should start, I had no wrist watch to manage my time with, yet I had this enormous ideas to write down but limited time. I had just finished answering the 2nd question in the 2nd answer sheet when I heard "time up" We ...

Since this is my first post in 2021, let me officially say, "Happy new year".  Thank you so much for reading my blog all the way. Your feedback means a lot, because whenever I feel lazy to write😆, I remember there's someone out there waiting to hear from me. I love you all. Moving on to what I have for you today, you know how we start the year with fresh resolutions and plans/ideas, in general, I found that a lot of people use the beginning of the year as a time to declutter: take out old contacts, unsubscribe from irrelevant subscriptions, leave WhatsApp group pages that are no longer beneficial to them, etc.  For me, I did the little decluttering I could do😄 and I certainly did not have new year resolutions. I didn't have a list to name "new year resolutions" because I did a lot of reviews about my life in the past year in December, and by the end of that month, I had already started living based on the modifications I made for myself from those reviews ...

  I was about 8 years old when I visited a family with my dad. I was watching TV in their sitting room when the light went off. I was disappointed initially, until the man went out and within 2 minutes, there was light again. I asked my dad if NEPA (as the Electricity distribution company was called then) restored the light, he said no, it's a generator. I had never heard of a generator before in my life and didn't get the opportunity to see one that day, but I remember leaving their house with the idea that the man must be very wealthy enough to own a generator. Years later we had our own generator, and we have used several ones since then. My cousin told me about the first time she saw a DSTV dish, her neighbours had just bought one. According to her, it was brought in with a big truck and was so big that several men had to carry it in. I could not imagine a dish that big because by the time we owned   a DSTV dish, it was so portable that I could carry it alone without ...

  While packing the Jollof rice we cooked towards my dad and mum's birthday thanksgiving that morning, this boy of about 6 years was helping us to pack the Styrofoam disposable plates. He observed there were 3 colours of the Styrofoam disposable plates; blue, pink and yellow. He looked up and told his mother that he loved the blue plates more, then he added, "I'm going to be given a food from the blue plate in church today". I looked up at him immediately because his words caught my attention. I just felt this boy spoke from a place of confidence, he was so sure of himself getting the blue plate. So I said "Make sure you come and show me the colour of the food pack you get today". Fast forward to the end of service, I had forgotten all about our morning conversation. The boy ran towards me and said "I told you so, I got the blue plate" (Of course, the kids line up while their coordinators hand over their food to them. They don't pick it themsel...

I promised to deliver! Here it comes! Sequel to my last post on "Is he/she the one?", I had a short interview session with 6 single/engaged individuals; 3 males and 3 females.  Let's see their responses on the journey to being with the one. Sit back, grab a snack and enjoy the read.   Let's take a pause😊 What do you think?  From the responses above, I can say there's no particular standard on how to know that guy/lady is the best for you. I believe you'll just know it😄 I also believe for those who trust God in this decision making, He'll help them to "just know it"😂 whether through visions, the word of God or inner witness.  I'll like to read your views in the comment session below👇 In Interview 1, my respondent said something like, they were only compatible in spiritual values, yet, they worked and walked together to achieve a good relationship that led to a successful marriage. Okay, let's get to the last. It's one of those that...

I really didn't want to put this content up because it's an understanding that dawned on me based on my conversation with a friend. I felt like it wasn't necessary. But then, I realized that when God stirs my heart to write about something, and I do strong head😄by trying to find something else to write on, nothing comes! Not until I've penned down the one currently on my mind. So here it is👇 As a lady who gets advances from admirers, some of them being your friend who wants more while others are guys who probably fell in love with you at first sight if there's anything like that😄(I think we should talk about this someday). You find yourself trying to consider at a point if you're compatible or not, and this plays a larger role in your decision making. So I realized there's a percentage of compatibility to be considered when making a decision of who to be in a relationship with or not. You can meet a guy whom you are 45% compatible with, and while you are ...

I almost wasn't going to write this, because I felt like I'm guilty of it too, but then my final decision to write is as a result of my determination to do better going forward😅, so here it is!  Several years ago, the concept of gifting people for their birthdays was regularly practiced. I remember receiving quite a number of gifts from my friends and toasters😜 and I also got some for people.  I can still remember this gift shop I do go to. Oh! Remember those gift cards (birthday, wedding and much more) some of which I bought for as little as #30/#50😄. Even though people eventually throw them away when it starts littering the house but receiving them makes you feel like you matter, yeah?  During one of my birthdays in secondary school, we were going to start our exams that day, and so my best friend, Olamide, handed over my birthday gift before the exam started. I opened the wrap and was greeted by 2 pens, 2 pencils, 1 razor blade, 2 erasers and a ruler.  I was so...

During my teenage years, I was in a vigil. After the prayers, the man of God said, "A virgin should pray for us" And he was like, don't try it if you're not a virgin lest you receive a curse.  You guessed right. The church was silent. I don't want to tell you what happened after😂 Now that I think of that day, I'm not in the position to say he was right or wrong to do that. All I can say is "Ko necesstri, my brother"😅 So the thing is, I am a Christian and an advocate of sexual purity. But, that doesn't or shouldn't put us in the position of a judge over others who are not. I remember reading an article by a colleague, Olojugba Damilola, (I think I'll get the link and put it in the comment section) she wrote that a lot of virgins are not actually virgins per se, some keep that place down there (lol) undefiled while satisfying their urges in other ways (porn, masturbation etc)  My conclusion is, if you're a virgin, thank God for your l...

This is a different piece that stemmed from a moment in my life when I felt like I needed someone to talk to but I really didn't wanna talk to a family or friend. I guess I felt no-one would really understand. And truthfully, as much as we feel we should talk to people, I understand there are situations people cannot really relate well with what you're going through.  So I found myself finding a means to express myself without locking a lot within myself while hurting emotionally and mentally.  And there came a day I picked up my phone and started typing on one of my note apps, writing a letter to God, pouring out my mind.  At the end, I saved it as if posting a mail to someone invisible. I felt like a burden had been lifted from my mind, then I realized it feels good to pour out your deepest hurts which you can't share to other people in other ways possible.  I've met quite a number of people who, rather than writing down their burdens like I did, speak to the air o...

 As a fresh undergraduate, having grown up in a family where we believe in cooking our own food, while going to restaurants/eateries isn't a permitted luxury😄... ...I found myself amidst friends while studying one day, talking about hotdogs, sharwama, pizza etc and I'm like I've  not eaten any of the above before. Imagine their surprise, they laughed ehn. And I was like, I no send jare😄. Then I took an adventure of intentionally buying each of those food items, sharwama today, pizza another day, just to mark my own register of experience and thereafter, I could do yanga to people who haven't tasted any before, especially my brothers, as per local champion😂 I realized there's this pride in knowing something someone else doesn't, and having the privilege of being the vessel of honour😄 impacting the knowledge. Now, you can be in the midst of enormous knowledge, yet deprived of gaining this knowledge by your own self.  This made me realize you don't force p...