Searching out the window Wonder catches me Where oh where is sunshine Cloud after cloud careening Patiently, I stand by Oh wait, what's this Feeling warmth and joy Reaching in my pocket Oh, there you are Sun in my pocket
Thank you for stopping by to read!
Imagine, finding the sun in your pocket! It would be a pleasant and welcome surprise on those cloudy days☀
Sun In My Pocket was written in response to the W3 weekly prompt. The guideline for this prompt is to write a poem of 10 lines or fewer that places someone—or something—in a delightfully improbable location. Think sharks in a bathtub, a dragon in a bar, or any unexpected presence where it clearly doesn’t belong.
In this video is an interview with me about the blog, Inspire By O’Nika. Why it was started and when. Connect the Dots host, Louis asks questions about the content of the blog and the motivation behind it. We talk about other ventures like the IBO Podcast and the You Tube channel, by the same name which I also started. The interview gives a little insight into the person behind the blog.
Connect the Dots interview with O’Nika-founder of Inspire By O’Nika
Inspiring and lifting other’s up is what I love. Check out a throwback post, Re-create; Dare to be You.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to watch🙏🏽 Thank you for the interview, Louis! Don’t forget to check out Connect the Dots podcast on You Tube.
November 2nd is the day I started IBO. It was in 2021 that I was moved to begin blogging. It was the middle of the pandemic and a very troubling time. Because of that I felt like people could use some words of inspiration and hope. Even if for only the time it takes to read a post.
My journey started out with quotes, and varied topics. A few articles were of heavy content. For the most part, the content of Inspire By O’Nika is light-hearted, motivational and uplifting.
Through the years I started to incorporate poetry. I have come to enjoy it and just have fun with it. I added some comedy to the blog too. Also, I have joined in various picture and word prompts.
I say all that to say; thank you. Thank you to all the people who stop by to read my blog. People who have been supportive over the years. I appreciate the comments; short, long, and even if you just leave an emoji. Thank you for the likes and shares.
4 years in the making, hoping to see another four. Continuing this writing journey with all of you is what keeps me going. I love all my readers who have been there from day one and new subscribers too. Thanks again for the love and support. 💕
The notebook goes with the pen in my hand Where thoughts come to life From my head on to paper they land The notebook goes with the pen in my hand Laughter, grief, triumphs all stand Emotions cut deep like a knife The notebook goes with the pen in my hand Where thoughts come to life
The original poem, The Notebook was written in response to the W3 prompt.
Look in the picture frame anything from clown butterfly mask imagine interpret colors shapes media too name it what you will, eyes leading shaping the mind, altering it too causing the face to smile in wonder, wow excitement takes over, positive thoughts abound, flooding your mind with questions complex linear abstract mute watercolor oil finger paint possibilities what is this image fun or scary obtuse or even sad
Thank you for stopping by and taking time to read the original poem, Abstract as Can Be. Published at Inspirebyonika.com. 💕
How to Break Out of Self-Limiting Beliefs and into Your Greatness
We all have the potential of greatness. Yes, even you. Some of us doubt ourselves and I understand at times when this can happen. It is the constant belief that we cannot achieve something that gets in the way. The negative self-talk and the constant questioning of our abilities.
I’ll give you an example. If you ever came up with an idea about a new product that you wanted to patent or an idea on a project that you wanted to start. The more you think about it, you start letting that doubt creep in. Saying things like, I can’t do this, I don’t have the capital. Or, I don’t know where to begin. Who am I kidding, this will never work because I don’t have the people skills, etc, etc.
The more days that pass the less you are excited about the idea. You started out all gung-ho but each day that this repeated cycle of negativity plays in your head, the idea is killed. Maybe it gets postponed to; someday. We all know that infamous someday.
In this video I will provide practical tips about ways we can begin breaking the cycle of self-limitations and start tapping into our greatness.
Thank you for stopping by! If you know someone who may benefit or enjoy the information, do not hesitate to share. You never know who might need to hear this message today.
A video message about how we can examine our lives and see where we can make changes for personal growth. It is easy to get stuck in the same ole ritual and routines. Before you know it, you look up and discover that 2 years have gone by and things are just as they were this whole time.
In this video, I will share some ideas to get started on a path of growth and challenging ourselves. If you find yourself feeling stuck or stagnant; don’t fret, we can always change things. The rewards are great when we do. We feel a sense of achievement, we make ourselves more open to trying new things and we also get a boost in confidence.
Get out your pen and paper and take notes. It may feel like a homework assignment, but it will be one of the the best investments of time that we can pour into ourselves!
“Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”-James Baldwin
The first thing we are going to do is compile a list. Review that list and ask yourself the following questions:
Am I learning anything from this activity?
Am I growing mentally, emotionally or physically?
Does this activity challenge me?
Secondly, seek out new activities
Do some research, talk to people you know who may make a suggestion
Try to pick something that is not your usual go-to or something that you may not have been interested in before, try it now
Lastly, challenge yourself by overcoming a fear
Ex: if you are afraid of heights, if you feel socially awkward or are afraid to speak in public.
I hope you find the information in this video useful. As always, thank you for watching.
Thank you for stopping by! Stay well and be blessed! 💖
Flying high and low Landing for a peek inside Unique beings and places Telling their stories Tantalizing hues of light Ethereal I appear to some Reassuring, you are not alone
Flutter, Flutter is an original poem written in response to the picture prompt by Sadje.
Do you like to walk, jog, use the treadmill or elliptical? Lifting weights, pilates and aerobics are other forms of physical fitness. There are many ways to exercise. Try the form of exercise that is fun, pick something you enjoy. Don’t forget about jumping rope, hula hoops, and dancing.
Exercise is one of those things that people either love or hate. The most important thing to remember is that exercise helps us in other areas of life. If you get stuck or miss a day or 2, just continue. Don’t give up! Keep pushing! You got this!
time waits for nobody waste not today tomorrow comes quick life on earth taken for granted, make not the mistake of piddling precious moments, now is the time, put your stamp on living the most meaningful and fulfilling life
Social media is here to stay. Do you think it strengthens or destroys meaningful real-life connections? It can go either way. I think it all depends on how you use it and how much of it you consume.
Some people live by social media. What I mean by that is that some people take what they see and hear online and apply it to their personal lives. They start to believe everthing they see and they lose the autonomy of their own personal beliefs.
Social media is used for a variety of reasons. Some people use it to help boost their business. Others use it for personal entertainment, recreational use. It can be a tool to use to showcase your hobbies and personal endeavors. If you are a singer or an artist. Maybe you want to share some educational information.
SM can strengthen connections because you can find useful information about some things in your life and gain a better understanding. You may be looking for a way to empathize with someone in your life and form a better relationship with them. It can open the doors for communication and bridge the gap for some situations.
It can be destructive when people are purposly using it as a means to hurt others. Trolling and saying hurtful things to others. It’s like cyberbullying. Other times people hear stories about infidelity and then they start thinking negative of their mates.
The key to it, in my opinion, is to limit the time spent on social media. Also, know what you believe in and stay true to that. We all are entitled to our opinions and that’s what it is, opinion. Sometimes we confuse it with facts. Just remember that we had real life before social media. Real life is always better than the internet. Have fun with it, make others smile, inform, share your gifts.
Trees stand tall swaying side left right fast slow breeze constructs movement leaves obeying the wind trying not to blow away maple elm fir oak spruce birch pine retaining the treescape with beauty evergreen erect regal towering
Canopy preserving abodes families cleaning the air providing shade too pine needles falling on rooftops lasting fragrance by nature beautiful to the eyes suited for picnics summer hot days play eat smile rejoice breathe
The poem titled, Sweeping Treescape is written in response to the prompt.
Procrastination is something that we have all done at some point in our lives. It is that putting off of something that we need to do. But why? The cause can be many.
Don’t procrastinate. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
What does procrastination mean?
The act of delaying or postponing something.
Why do we do it?
Fear– we put off doing things because we are afraid that we might get it wrong. We might fear being made fun of if we do something and we make a mistake. Making a mistake is not the end of the world. No one is perfect so we cannot expect to never make a mistake in life.
Not knowing what to do– If we are faced with something that we need to do, we might not know what to do or how to do it. Therefore, we hesitate or stall. Being unsure of the necessary steps can hold us back. At this point, we might consider gathering information and then making a move.
Unimportant– When the task is not important to us, we figure why the rush. No need to act on it immediately. It can wait until later. We might view it as unimportant because we do not want to do it.
Lack of managing time– We know we have to be somewhere on a certain day and we need to prepare. We wait until the night before. This puts us in the mode of damage control. Because we did not give ourselves enough time to prepare, we are now trying to compensate for the work we did not do beforehand.
How can we get over the procrastination hurdle?
Complete tasks in stages– If we know we have 6 days to prepare for a meeting or presentation. Break the project down into increments each day, so that it is manageable and less overwhelming.
Rethink the way we prioritize– Look at the tasks at hand in a different way. If you usually wait until the 25th hour, rethink it. Start on tasks a few days earlier. Tell yourself that this is something that must be done, so get an early jump on it. Start right away when you realize that this is something that is unavoidable.
Schedule specific time– Set aside an hour or two each day or once a week so that you can work on the specific task. This way, you already know that on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00am-11:00am, is set aside specifically for the task. Put it on your calendar or white board so that it is in sight. This is your reminder so there is no excuse to miss a deadline.
Get rid of distractions– Distractions like playing video games, watching TV or “doom scrolling” on the internet can be major distractions. These things get in the way and cause us to waste time when we could be working on our task. Maybe we can do the task first and then if we want to do those other things, we can put those “distractions” off until after we have done the work.
Can you think of a time when you let procrastination take over? It can get in the way of real progress at times. Making us feel like we cannot accomplish things when we constantly put things off. It is not too late though. If we recognize the signs and rethink it, we can certainly do it!
The attached article, The Game of Life; Are You Playing Offense or Defense? is also about how we manage things in life. It might provide some insight and give information about how we can do things differently. Check it out.
Remnants of hot summer days Remain in my heart Days of double dutch, tag Jacks, dodge ball, have made a depart Lessons of friendship, community Acceptance, family and humility Still lovingly lingering Hardships, trials of life Showing no immunity Gratitude, compassion, thankfulness Rising steadily
Remnants of Childhood was written in response to the W3 #164 prompt.
Life is a series of learning experiences, events and emotions. In this video message, I talk about choosing to have a good day when you may not be in the best of moods. If you have absolutely no reason to be ill, ask yourself why. This might be a good time to talk to yourself and talk yourself into a better disposition.
(Previously recorded on June 20, 2025) Video Message- Why Have a Bad Day
