16 Characteristics of REAL Love: Must Read

Love. It makes the world go 'round, right? Well, at least that's the how the saying goes. But is it true? It should be, but so many people confuse love with things like jealousy or possessiveness. True love isn't either of those things. But these 16 things are.
 
So here are the characteristics of REAL love:
1. Love means letting go of expectations.
Sure, we all want people to behave the way we want them to. We want them to be more affectionate. Or more outgoing. Or smarter. Or more ambitious. All of these things are expectations. Expectations are just your requirements for "acceptability" of loving someone. But true love has no expectations. It simply loves "as is."
2. Love doesn't play the victim role or blame others.
Love doesn't think others are "out to get them." Love doesn't think their loved ones are wrong. Love works together. It takes responsibility. It forgives and allows other people's actions to be their journey. Love doesn't take things personally.
3. Love includes letting go.
Love doesn't equal possession. Just as the saying goes, "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, then it never was." There is truth to that. Love allows people their freedom. It doesn't hold tightly and crush their wings in attempt to keep them. True love doesn't want to possess. It is willing to set you free if you want to be.
4. Love doesn't require you to continue a relationship.
You may love someone very much, but you may not be compatible with them. Or they may drive you crazy with their continued disregard for your feelings. You can still love them, but that doesn't mean you have to be with them. Love doesn't mean that you have to stay, and stay and stay. You can leave the relationship and love them anyway.
5. Love has no room for jealousy.
Like possession, jealousy doesn't equal love. We think that if we're not jealous of our loved ones that it means that we don't love them. True love has confidence in the quality of the relationship. It knows that the other person is happy and content coming back to you and only you.
6. Love is the absence of fear.
You can put all emotions on a continuum. On one end, you have love. Then appreciation. After that, it's joy, happiness, contentment and satisfaction. On the opposite end of the continuum of love is fear. Other fear-based emotions include, hatred, insecurity, jealousy or greed.
7. Love is not needing and wanting.
One of the things we try to teach kids is that there is a clear difference between a want and a need. Needing someone is a feeling based in fear. You fear that you can't live without them, so you need them. And remember, fear is the opposite of love. Wanting someone in your life gives them the freedom to leave, but still shows them you love them.
8. Love is an action, not just a feeling.
Humans tend to be addicted to intense emotion -- especially when it feels good. So, when we're in love, we want to feel that way forever. But guess what? That higher than "Cloud 9" feeling goes away after a while. That doesn't mean you don't love the other person anymore, it just means that it's not new anymore. So that's where the action needs to kick in. Show the person you love them. Don't just assume they know.
9. Love is unconditional.
The word 'unconditional' means that there are no expectations or limitations set. To love unconditionally is a difficult thing, and most humans aren't good at that. But true love really does love without trying to change the other person.
10. Love means putting other people's needs equal to -- or before -- your own.
While people may be inherently selfish for survival purposes, this does not serve us well in relationships. If you don't put other people's needs at least equal to your own, they will grow resentful. Real love truly, genuinely cares about other people's happiness and will go to great lengths to make people feel valued.
11. Love is the highest vibration emotion that there is.
Science has proven that emotions like love and fear have very different vibrations. They can actually measure them. Love vibrates very fast, whereas fear-based emotions (think jealousy, possessiveness, hatred, greed, etc.) vibrate very slowly. When you love completely and unconditionally, there is no fear involved. The vibrations of love make you feel good at all times.
12. Love requires attention.
Love doesn't ignore. It doesn't look the other way. It wants to be present and be together. When people are in love, sometimes they think that they don't have to "do any more work." But real love actually enjoys giving attention to another person. It feels good, and doesn't see giving attention to another person as a chore.
13. Love understands and accepts differences.
Let's face it: We're all different. Even identical twins aren't exactly the same. They have different experiences and outlooks about the world. Real love doesn't make other people wrong for being different. When people truly love another person, they accept their differences.
14. Love varies in how it is expressed and accepted.
What makes us "feel loved" varies. In the book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, he explains the different ways people give and receive love: (1) Words (2) Acts of Service, (3) Giving Gifts, (4) Spending Time Together and (5) Touch. It's important to discover other people's love language so you can understand each other and give love in a way that the other person recognizes it.
15. Love makes you feel good, not bad.
Many people confuse being in a relationship with love. Just because you're in a relationship doesn't mean there is true love present. If there is jealousy, possessiveness, constant fighting, abuse (verbal, emotional or physical), that is not love. Refer back to #6. Those are fear-based emotions and actions.
16. Love has empathy.
Empathy is the ability to put yourself into another person's shoes and see a situation from his/her point of view. Love has deep empathy. "When you hurt, I hurt." People who truly love one another don't want to hurt them. They want them to feel good. They care about their feelings and try everything they can to make them feel valued and worthy.

Remember, love is happiness, appreciation and feeling good. Anything other than that is not love. If we all loved one another as ourselves, the world would be a better place!

6-MONTH-OLD BABY STOLEN IN JANUARY RECOVERED

A Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ajegunle, Apapa, has recovered a six-month-old baby allegedly stolen by one Charles Isiobor.

 

The court subsequently freed Isiobor after it was established that the child had been reunited with his mother.

The child, who was identified simply as Lifted, was reportedly stolen on January 4, while his mother, Rita Innocent, a resident of the Iba area of the state, went out to buy something.

 

Isiobor was said to have connived with an accomplice, who was still at large, to steal the baby.

 

It was learnt that Isiobor’s brother had dated Innocent before leaving the country for abroad. She was said to have got pregnant during the period, resulting in Lifted’s birth.

 

Punch gathered that the defendant committed the alleged crime on the claim that the woman was wayward.

 

PUNCH Metro learnt that Isiobor had denied the knowledge of the child’s whereabouts until he was arraigned by the police before a magistrate, Mrs. O.I. Adelaja, on five counts bordering on stealing.

 

The magistrate, after admitting him to bail, ordered that the baby be produced in the court before the adjourned date.

 

The charges read in part, “That you, Charles Isiobor, of Olayemi Street, Iba New Site, and one other at large, on January 4, 2014, in the Apapa Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; stealing of a six-month-old child.

 

“That you, and one other now at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did steal Lifted, the son of one Rita Innocent.

 

“That you, and one other at large, on the same date, time and place, did unlawfully refuse to disclose information concerning the whereabouts of the stolen baby belonging to Rita Innocent, which you actually know and thereby committed an offense punishable Under Section 98 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

 

The defendant, who was admitted to bail in the sum of N200,000 with a surety, was freed on Monday by Adelaja following the report to the court that the child had been reunited with his mother.

12 Problems Only Girls With Big Butts Understand

Let's be real: There's never been a better time to have a big butt. Booty celebration is everywhere you look, from Meghan Trainor's hit song to Kim Kardashian's new Paper magazine cover. So now more than ever, those of us with a little (or a lot) of meat on our behinds are being encouraged to shake it, show it off, and embrace what we've got. Awesome!

Still, all of this big booty love can't erase the inevitable problems that come with the perks. Hey, with great power comes great responsibility, right? Here are just a few burdens that the big-bootied bear.

1. No jeans fitting correctly, ever. Either you can't pull them over your butt, or you wind up with a huge gap in the waist. There is no in between.

2. All skirts and dresses are too short in the back. Oh, that office-appropriate pencil skirt you love? It's more club-appropriate on your booty. 

3. Forget squeezing between tables at restaurants. Or aisles at movie theatres. Your butt is an independent entity that will wind up in the faces of anyone in the near vicinity.

4. Every seating struggle ever. Perching on a barstool leads to booty spillage. You take up more than your fair share when sharing a seat. Sitting on someone's lap never goes as planned.

5. You've flashed a little crack more times than you care to think about. Maybe you should just embrace this part of you and become a plumber.

6. People assume you've got mad moves to go with your booty. Yes, your butt has its own gravitational pull. But not everyone with a robust backside can twerk.

7. You still have an embarrassing spiritual connection Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back." What can you say? Back before you learned to embrace your curves, this anthem gave you hope.

8. Trying to work the cute baggy boyfriend jeans trend has two results: You either look homeless or huge—and neither is a good look.

9. Your butt eats underwear for breakfast. There's no delicate way to say it. If you forgo the thong, it's permanent wedgie city.


10. Similarly, running shorts are a distant fantasy. Unless you like your shorts riding up higher and higher with each stride. Yay, chafing.

11. Finding a cute bikini is impossible. If there isn't a mix-and-match option, forget it. You have to pick between your butt hanging out or super-frumpy granny bottoms.

12. Guys are always grabbing your butt. Not that you can complain, but c'mon, your girls need some love, too.

10 Cancer Symptoms Most People Ignore - Must Read

Before you discount that persistent cough as just another part of flu season, you might want to ask your doctor to give it a second glance. According to a new study by Cancer Research U.K., more than half of adults have experienced alarm bells that could mean cancer, yet just two percent of them believed cancer could be a possible cause.

Researchers sent questionnaires to nearly 5,000 U.K. residents registered with general practitioners—in other words, men and women who have and visit a primary care doctor. Just shy of 1,800 people completed the questionnaire, and five were eliminated because they indicated they'd already been diagnosed with cancer.

They asked participants if, in the last three months, they'd experienced a host of different symptoms (some of which could be possible signs of cancer), ranging from persistent coughing and unexplained weight loss to having low energy. If they had experienced any of these symptoms, they were asked to write in what they thought caused it and whether it was serious.

"We aren't sure why, but it seems there is a mismatch between what people know in practice and whether they apply the knowledge to themselves," says study co-authorKatriina Whitaker, Ph.D., senior research fellow at University College London. "So while awareness of many of these signs and symptoms is quite high, very few people mention cancer as a possible cause when it's them who is experiencing the symptom."
Here, we take a look at the 10 symptoms researchers consider to be red flags. While they could be nothing, the researchers say the point is to recognize that they could also be cancer—and to ask your doctor to check your symptoms out.

1. Persistent Cough or Hoarseness
While a cough here and there is nothing to worry about, a consistent cacophony or a cough accompanied by blood is definitely cause for concern. "Most coughs are not cancer," says Therese Bartholomew Bevers, M.D., professor of clinical cancer prevention and the medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. "But certainly a persistent cough needs to be evaluated to see if it could be lung cancer." Your physician should recommend a chest X-ray or CT scan to rule out cancer as a possibility.

2. Persistent Change in Bowel Habits
When your bowel movements aren't as easy as they once were or your stool appears larger than normal or somewhat deformed, this could be a sign of colon cancer, says Bartholomew Bevers. "It could be a sign that there is a mass impeding the transit of the stool from the bowel," she says. "This is a symptom where a person should go to the doctor and schedule a colonoscopy to see if there indeed is a mass."

3. Persistent Change in Blader Habits
"If there is blood in the urine, that could be indicative of bladder or kidney cancer—but more commonly this is a sign of a urinary tract infection," says Bartholomew Bevers. Check for an infection first, then pursue other treatment options.

4. Persistent Unexplained Pain
"Most pain is not a sign of cancer, but persistent pain must be checked out," says Bartholomew Bevers. "If you have persistent headaches, for example, you likely don't have brain cancer—but it is still something that must be looked into. Persistent pain in the chest could be a sign of lung cancer. And pain in your abdomen could be ovarian cancer."

5. Change in the Appearance of a Mole
While not all moles are indicative of melanoma, spotting a new mark or one that has changed is something you should bring up with a dermatologist who can screen for skin cancer, says Bartholomew Bevers.

6. A Sore That Does Not Heal
If you have a sore that's hanging on past the three-week mark, you should bring it up with your doctor. "We would have expected our body to have healed itself by now," says Bartholomew Bevers, "and you should absolutely get that checked out." That kind of sore could be a sign of carcinoma.

7. Unexpected Bleeding
Vaginal bleeding—outside of your normal cycle—could be an early sign of cervical cancer, while bleeding from the rectum could indicate colon cancer, says Bartholomew Bevers.

8. Unexplained Weight Loss
"As adults, we try very hard to lose weight," says Bartholomew Bevers. "But if weight is falling off of you without any effort on your part, that is a big concern and can be indicative of a serious medical problem." One of those problems, she says, could be malignancy or a tumor.

9. An Unexplained Lump
"Any time you have a lump that is new or a lump that is changing, that is something you should absolutely have looked at by your doctor," says Bartholomew Bevers. While it could be a benign cyst (and likely is), it could also be "a cancer that is in the subterranean tissue. A lump in the breast, of course, is a very common symptom of breast cancer." See your physician to get more information.

10. Persistent Difficulty Swallowing
Two cancers may be behind this symptom, including neck and esophageal cancer. "People who see these symptoms will often start to modify their diets, eating softer foods without thinking there could be a more serious issue."

"The bottom line," says Whitaker, "is that if people are experiencing any persistent symptoms, they should go to their doctor for advice."

Stephanie Okereke's brother finally speaks on the UNILAG student's rape scandal

Daniel Okereke, the older brother of actress Stephanie Linus who was alleged to have raped a UNILAG student on Nov 6th (Read Here) finally speaks.

Find the statement below...
 

It took me a while to react to these baseless allegations about my good self because I had to investigate to know if it was truly me they were referring to or someone was impersonating me. I wouldn’t have responded but for the numerous innocent readers who may have been misled by this untrue publications which was never verified before going public. I thought that balanced reportage had to do with getting both sides of the story. What happened between me and my estranged friend was a case of a woman who claimed she was heartbroken because she discovered I am in a very serious relationship.

She flared up when she realized and started demanding that I must settle her since I was not taking her seriously not to talk of marrying her. She demanded for two million naira (N2m) and a Toyota Yaris car as settlement else she would scandalize my name and that I know I wouldn’t want that since according to her I come from a popular and wealthy background. I took it as one of those empty threats until I now read about this complete sham about my good self. 

How can someone say you were beaten up by seven (7) guards before canal knowledge of you prevailed? Someone who claimed she was sick? She must be a female wrestler in the WWE (The World Wrestling Entertainment) for such measures to be required before a strong tall guy like me will need to force her to have canal knowledge of her. Someone who claimed she was raped could also muscle out strength to destroy my properties in front of the so alleged seven guards? If I were a nobody would she be priding in saying I allegedly raped her? I know that the thought of possessing me is your dream but you didn’t need to go this shameless way.

Those that may have advised you to do this (if any) gave you the worst advice ever because you can’t have me through cheap blackmail. Let me make it crystal clear that there was never a case of rape nor assault. I have decided not to reveal more shocking details on this sad episode because her family initiated peace moves towards mine and I strongly believe in the biblical saying “to err is human but to forgive is divine”. In a country where people can use some sections of the media to publish unverified stories of even the highest offices in the land, then who am I to bother if such crude treatment is meted out to a rising star like me. Must we continue to destroy our very best because we have a very few media platforms that are willing tools to be used. This is sad and unkind. 

Why will they want to bring in a respected elder stateswoman Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, OON, into an issue where the alleged accused is an adult who should take full responsibility of his actions and in-actions. A woman who worked tirelessly day and night to develop the Nigerian Capital Market and by extension the Nigerian economy which in turn put food on the tables of millions of Nigerians and beyond. During her tenure as the DG of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Capital Market was bountiful and prospered as never before. She is an institution in this country and should please not be dragged into trivial issues like this. She should be respected as such.

Thank you all for doing so.

I appeal to those sections of the media that publish unverified stories to please verify before going public because they have the tools to make or mar peoples’ images. I hope that all the respected media sources that publicized this untrue story will be kind enough to do a retraction. God bless you as you do so. I thank all those that called me and sent text messages and said we know you did not do those things. I also thank those who do not know me that said negative things about me, and the reasons are obvious – they do not know me. My humble advice to them is not to thrive on hearsay but facts because it is me today; no one knows whose turn it might be tomorrow. Thank you for reading. God bless us all and Merry Christmas.

Signed,

PRINCE DANIEL OKEREKE.

If only I knew the content of the bag included guns, I would not have agreed to deliver it: Suspect

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a suspected robber, Amos Kuesi, who said he thought he was smuggling hemp and not guns before he was arrested.

 

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect was arrested on Thursday, November 27, by policemen attached to the Pen Cinema Division while on patrol.

It was gathered that while another gang member, identified simply as Sotin, evaded arrest, 24-year-old Kuesi was apprehended and subsequently transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, for further interrogation.

 

According to the police, two revolver pistols with four live cartridges and a bag of Indian hemp were recovered during a search on a commercial bus around the Pen Cinema/Agege Roundabout.

 

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, Kuesi, a native of Ogoni, Rivers State, confessed that he and Sotin were heading for Mile 2 when he was arrested.

 

He, however, said he did not know he was carrying any gun. He explained that it was after the police discovered the guns that he realised that those who gave him the hemp to deliver to a man in Mile 2 hid guns in the package.

 

He said, “I traveled to Port Harcourt to see some friends. I went with Sotin. On our way back, I was given a package and I was told it contained hemp. I was asked to deliver it to a man in the Mile 2 area of Lagos. I did not know the Port Harcourt boys also hid guns and live cartridges inside the bag.

 

“The bag was placed in the boot of the bus I boarded from Port Harcourt to Lagos. If only I knew the content of the bag included guns, I would not have agreed to deliver it. They gave me the man’s phone number adding that he would pay me N50,000.

 

“But while heading for Oshodi through Agege, some policemen searched us. Sotin ran away, but the policemen arrested me.”

 

Kuesi, who said his fiance had no idea he was a member of a robbery gang, added that it was some financial difficulties which forced him into joining the gang.

 

He said, “I used to work as a generator repairer. I was living fine until some months ago when I ran into financial difficulties. That was how I was introduced to the gang by one Ifeanyi. I knew them as casual friends. I did not know they were robbers.”

 

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the arrest of Kuesi, adding that investigations were ongoing on the matter.

 

He said, “Policemen on patrol along Iju Road, Agege intercepted the suspect with a bag containing two pistols with 5.56mm live ammunition. The case is under investigation at the Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.”

Taye Taiwo and his Wife stun in new photo - See Photo

Taye Taiwo and his pretty damsel is really looking nice. Cute couple!

You like it?

Kate Arrives At New York With Her Baby Bump: See Photo

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have traveled the globe and met with some of the world's most respected dignitaries.

But for all of their hobnobbing with other royals, even Will and Kate must've been a bit star struck when they finally met King James and the Queen Bey.

Yes, the long-rumored meeting between LeBron James and Kate Middleton finally took place last night when Prince William and Kate took in a Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game at the Barclay's Center.

Kate looks mildly uncomfortable being embraced by a sweaty, post-game 'Bron, but sources say the royal couple thoroughly enjoyed themselves sitting courtside for the Cavs 110-88 win.
Is the first NBA game for both Will and Kate, and they quickly learned that with courtside seats, part of the fun is your celebrity company:

Carters and the Windsors had their first meet-and-greet.
Sadly, we may never find out if Beyonce and Kate Middleton talked about designer shoes or the global debt crisis, but just knowing that they talked at all is pretty cool.

See more photos after the cut:
 n

Airlines to compensate passengers for delay, cancelled flights: Minister

The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, on Monday said plans had been concluded to ensure that passengers were compensated for delayed and cancelled flights by airline operators in the country.

Chidoka said this in Abuja at the official inauguration of the Aviation Passengers Service Portal and Helpline Number.

He said the portal was designed to enhance efficiency and provide first hand information on the operations of airlines and the activities of the aviation sector in the country.

 According to him, airline operators will be closely monitored on delayed and cancelled flights through the portal “and the Aviation Commit Initiative” of the ministry.

He added that the Initiative was designed to make the ministry and the airlines to make commitments that would enhance efficiency in the operations of the country’s aviation sector.

Chidoka said: “It is not enough to say that flights are delayed.
“We will make sure that failure to take off after 15 minutes will be considered as delay and after one hour passengers will be entitled to some compensation.
“We will force the airlines to compensate passengers after six hours delay and if there is a delay for 12 hours, airlines will be compelled to provide passengers with accommodation for the night.”
The minister said that the ministry had on its own made commitments to ensure that mails and applications from the airlines were treated within 24 hours.

He added that plans had been concluded to make it mandatory for passengers using Nigerian airports to carry a means of identification.
According to Chidoka, passengers using local flights must either have international passports or driver’s licence or the national identity card.
He said: “What this means is that any passenger that misbehaves at the airport could be refrained from using any aircraft in Nigeria because with the identity, the passenger will not be allowed to get boarding pass.
“Passengers are therefore advised to behave in an orderly manner at the airport and ensure that rules and regulations are obeyed.”
The aviation boss said the creation of the portal was aimed at removing bureaucracy of delaying flights because a signatory was not available.
He said: “With the latest development, approval could be given from anywhere in the world without having to be in the office.
“All airports and airlines across the country now have websites and if you click on any of the airports, you can see departures and arrivals.
“It will show you all airlines that are departing from a particular airport for the day, as well as the hospitals and hotels in the area where the airport is located.”
Chidoka said the portal had a platform for passengers’ complaints, observations and report of corrupt practices at airports.

 Source

Woman stabs husband to death over N10 sweet

Detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Homicides Section, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State have arrested a housewife for allegedly stabbing her husband to death over N10 TomTom sweet.

 

The suspect, Aminat Aiyemobola, 22, a mother of two, according to Source was said to have stabbed her husband, Babatunde Aiyemobola, 40, to death, using a kitchen knife.

 

The incident, which occurred at 4, Magbon Alade Street, Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State on October 12, 2014, left many residents gasping in shock.

 

The incident was reported to the police by the elder brother of the deceased.

Aiyemobola was said to have been asked by his wife to give her N10 so that she could buy TomTom for their little daughter.

 

But the deceased allegedly refused. Instead, he chided her for always buying sweet for their kid, adding that she was teaching the girl to have a sweet tooth. 

 

Soon, the couple started quarreling over the issue. The argument was said to have degenerated into name calling. And before anyone knew what was happening, the angry woman stormed into the kitchen and came out with a kitchen knife with which she stabbed her husband three times on the chest.

While undergoing interrogation, Aminat told homicide detectives that she did not know what came over her, leading to her picking the knife.

 

Aminat reportedly said to her interrogators: “I love my husband.

“He was a very caring man to me and my children.

“Oga, I don’t know what came over me.

“We love each other.

“We’ve been living happily as husband and wife.

“In fact, I don’t know whether I’m under a spell.

“God please forgive me.”

The deceased was a casual worker with an Indian company in Nigeria.

The matter would soon be charged to court.