NDUKA B. OJAIDE

At one time in his life, eighteen cents and two cans of sardines were the only thing that stood between him and starvation. He moved from one cheap Greenwich Village apartment to another - simply because he couldn't pay the rent. Twenty years of his life had already been spent in the military. While serving as a cook in the Coast Guard, he used nights and free time to write letters for fellow enlistees to their wives and girlfriends back home. Men who were either illiterate or found it too difficult to express themselves - at least on paper - became routine customers. It was during this time that he, too, fell in love - with writing. He didn't know it then, but his literary talents would eventually carry him to fame and fortune. But his success was anything but instant. Like so many things in his life, writing did not come easy. Creativity and composition were brutally difficult barriers. He labored seven nights a week for eight years before he sold his first article. When he r...

One of the hardest things to do when you're communicating with someone is expressing yourself. How many times have you said something that just didn't come out the way you wanted it to? How many times have we said something that we really didn't mean, but we were too frustrated to stop it from being said? What's more, some people have a fear of expressing themselves at all. They're afraid to say something that might cost them a friendship. Or they bottle everything up tight and seize up at the mere thought of sharing their true emotions. This can be a constant struggle for people. However, it is something that can be conquered. If you are struggling to express yourself to others, or you know of someone who struggles, then read on. This article will show you what you can do to open up with others. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION Every being on the planet communicates in some fashion. And the more complex the form of communication is, you will find more complex relati...

An Old African sage, wise and influential, lived on the side of a mountain near a lake. It was common practice for the people of the village to seek his advice. The old man spent many hours sitting in front of his small hut, where he rocked in a crude rocking chair made of branches and twigs. Hour after hour he sat and rocked as he thought. One day he noticed a young African warrior walking on the path toward his hut. The young man walked up the hill and stood erect before the sage. "What can I do for you?" the old man said. The warrior replied, "I was told by those in the village that you are very wise. They said that you can give me the secret of happiness and success." The old man listened, then gazed at the ground for several moments. He rose to his feet, took the boy by the hand, and led him down the path back toward the lake. Not a word was spoken. The young warrior was obviously bewildered, but the sage kept walking. Soon they approached the lake, but did no...