We may know what our problem is already or why we are not chasing those dreams we so want to live but still pretend that we don't know what's stopping us from doing it. Ok, if that statement didn't make you guilty then you are on a journey of discovery of what is standing between you and your dream life.

So, these are the things stopping you from achieving your dreams.

Money

Yes, money. Money contributes a lot to living your dreams. Some dreams need a good education which costs money. Others need material or tools which costs money too. Investing in you needs money.

The lack of money may affect your dreams but this should not discourage you. You can still make it if you are determined. Find other sources of income to sponsor your dream. It may slow the process but you will surely get there

Ego

This factor is related to the first point - money. Ego may keep you away from your dreams. Most dreams require small and humble beginnings but some people will not want to start small because of their ego. if you are waiting for a huge sum of money to start that business then you may wait forever. Ask yourself how you can start with the little that you have and then grow it into something big.

If you need to take another little job at the side in order to sponsor your dreams then don't let your ego not let you. Let go of ego and do what you have to do to live your dream.

Opportunity

Some people are not either ready when an opportunity comes or they don't get the opportunity they need to realize their dreams.

Preparation plus opportunity equals success, but sometimes preparation may not meet opportunity or opportunity will meet unpreparedness.

Information

A lack of information can block you from achieving your dreams. If you can't get the information you need then you will miss opportunities to become successful.

Passport

You may need to travel or leave where you are in order to realize your dream and you can't do that without a passport or visa.

This obstacle is very common in third world countries where opportunity is limited and some people may have to relocate in order to live their dreams. If that is your case then get a passport and chase your opportunity.

School

Being a student is challenging enough. Adding your dreams to your student life can be hard. It may be hard to follow your dreams and study at the same time.

But most people start chasing their dreams while they are in school so it is not impossible. You can do it.

Time

Just like school, time is a major factor that stands in the way of you living your dreams. Maybe school or work doesn't allow you much time to do anything else.

The solution to this is to work on your dreams for as little as thirty minutes daily and you will make progress.

Lack of discipline

If you have all the time and tools and knowledge but no discipline then it is going to slow you down. Discipline is knowing what has to be done and doing it consistently. It is practising and sacrificing your time, energy and focus on the things that are important to your dreams and aspirations.

If you lack discipline then it will be hard to live your dreams.

Procrastination

A friend to lack of discipline is procrastinating will only slow down your journey to living your dreams.

What you don't do today will still need to be done tomorrow so do it today.

Responsibilities

When you already have so many responsibilities like financial responsibilities or when you have to take care of others it becomes complicated to concentrate on realizing your dreams.

But think about yourself for a moment. Think of what you want for your life.

Make efforts to share the responsibility with others and help those who rely on you to become independent so that you can focus on your dreams.

Consistency 

When you aren't consistent it is hard to succeed. stay consistent and you will see good results.

YOU, YOURSELF and  YOUR EXCUSES (You don't want to workhard)

Yes, YOU. You are the obstacle to your own dreams coming true. When you procrastinate and are not disciplined. When you keep giving excuses for not working on your dreams.

You may have all the other factors working for you but if you don't work towards your dreams then you will not realize them. That is why I think that your personal effort is the most important factor that is stopping you from living your dreams. if you change your attitude towards your dreams and dedicate more time and determination, then you will succeed more easily.

Face steaming is a process where heat from water vapour is used to treat the face or skin. Steaming can be done in beauty shops and salons using apparel made for it but did you know that you can steam your face at home? 

Before we get into how it's done, let's find out the benefits of steaming your face:

Benefits of steaming your face

- It cleans your pores and makes them ready to absorb your face products.

- It softens your face/skin.

- It makes acne soft and ready for treatment.

- It removes dirt from your face.

How to Steam Your Face At Home

This is quite easy:

- Boil water

- Pour the hot water into a bucket or a bowl

- Put your face over the vapour and let the steam/vapour go to your face

- Be careful to not burn your face. You may blow gently on the water to help the vapour reach some parts of your face.


For better results: *Apply a natural facial treatment like honey to your face before steaming it. This will enable the treatment to penetrate your skin better.

It's not easy to maintain a good relationship with your landlord especially when they are difficult to deal with. Landlord and tenant fights are very common in Cameroon and most times are caused by some misunderstandings.

Here are some tips to help you live in peace with your landlord.

Read and understand your contract very well (Ask your questions and get answers before moving in)

For peace to reign, make sure that you read and understand your contract well. Ask questions where you don't understand especially when the contract is written in a language you are not really versed with. If you don't agree with certain terms and conditions on the contract, be open about it before signing. This will prevent you from having disagreements with your landlord during your stay. It doesn't only end at asking questions but also respecting the conditions the house comes with.

Make sure all repairs are done before you move in

If there are any repairs to be done by the landlord, then insist that they should be done before you move in. Most landlords get lazy to carry out repairs when you have already moved in.

Pay your bills on time

You know how anyone will react when you owe them money, so pay your bills on time and at least give an explanation before the time when you will have to pay. This will help you avoid embarrassments and fights with your landlord.

Be kind to your neighbours and co-tenants 

The behaviour of your neighbours doesn't depend on you but try to keep a cordial relationship with them because problems with your neighbours may end up being solved by your landlord.

Repair what you broke and leave the house in a good state when moving out

Repair and maintain the house so that you leave it in the state which you met it. Landlords get angry when their houses are destroyed by tenants.

Good neighbours are hard to find. It is possible to find a good house in a good neighbourhood but your neighbours may make life easy or difficult for you. You may decide to mind your business but whatever they do will affect you one way or the other.

In order to get you prepared, here are the various types of neighbours you'll possibly have in Cameroon.

The noisy neighbours

These are the ones who party all the time. They play the loudest music, sing the loudest, scream and laugh the loudest. They always have lots of friends come over to visit them or sleepover. And guess what, their friends are just as loud as them. If you have such neighbours and you are the exact opposite of their lifestyle, living with them will be challenging.

It may be annoying to tell them to tone down the noise from time to time but it's necessary to do so when you really feel disturbed.

The quiet, solitary or private ones

This category will not bother you because they naturally don't want to be bothered. They are in their own corner living their lives and minding their own business. They interact when they want to but would only do so when it's accepted by the other neighbours. They do what is right to avoid conflict of any kind and will tolerate others for the sake of peace.

These are often the best neighbours to have, though it may be boring at times for those who love to interact all the time with those around them.

The angry and snobbish ones

There are some neighbours who are always in a bad mood. They always seem angry or upset or worried about one thing or the other. They also get angry easily and will scare other neighbours away with the way they respond to them.

Some may go for days, weeks or years without talking to you or snob you openly because of a problem you had with them or their kids.

Dealing with such people may be hard but it is important to maintain a calmer attitude in times of conflict with such people.

The neighbours who will not mind their business - gossip and nosy people

These ones are the neighbours who want to know everything about your activities in order to tell others or gossip. They will ask others about you, ask you what you are doing, how you live and even what you eat.



They always have stories to tell you about the other neighbours and don't mind telling you what other people said or think about you.

The best way to deal with such neighbours is to avoid them and not share your opinion about anyone with them.

The neighbours who must live in a community 

While it is good to be on your own, it is also good to have a little sense of community living. But some neighbours want to live a community life with you in every aspect. They get angry when you go to the market without telling them. They get upset when you sweep your front yard without sweeping theirs. They do things for you without you asking and will get upset when you don't do it to them in return.

It's hard to deal with this if you are such a private person because living with your neighbours as a community is necessary but at the same time you just want to live your own life without carrying other people's problems on your shoulders.

The best way is to do what you feel is enough and don't go the extra mile to please a neighbour because he/she is rendering services you didn't ask for. Don't let guilt make you do more than you can do.

The neighbours who beg all the time

This one is understandable sometimes but hilarious at times. These are the neighbours who beg for everything. From kitchen utensils like salt, matches, knife and oil as well as things like iron and soap. We all beg from our neighbours sometimes but the thing with this category of neighbours is that they beg for the same thing every day. The most annoying part is that they may never buy their own because they can beg from you. Some of them will purposely omit these items from their shopping list because they have plans to beg it from you.

I don't want to be the one to advise you to start sending away neighbours coming to beg for one item or the other but you know the limit of how much you can give. It left for you to judge. Meanwhile, there are some neighbours who are less privileged and genuinely can't afford the things that they ask for. While placing barriers, it is good to take that into consideration.

Those, my friends, are the different kinds of neighbours you will find in Cameroon. Can you identify someone on this list or can you identify yourself on it? What kind of neighbour are you?

Related: 8 Important Factors To Take Into Consideration While Searching For A Room / Apartment In Yaounde 

"Douala fine soteh, but na house dear". An excerpt from the song 'Djombos' by the famous singer Eriko.

Though I'm sharing from my experience of house search in Yaounde, I believe these tips will apply to other major towns of Cameroon especially in a town like Douala. Most times while house searching, it is easy to give in to anything we find good to the eye or easy on our pockets. While these points are meant to be considered, there are also other factors that will determine whether we will live in a room or an apartment for long or not.

The following points are meant to help you make a better choice of places to rent and live in within Yaounde and other major towns in Cameroon.

Here are the eight major factors to consider when renting a house in Yaounde.

1. Proximity to the main road (motorable road)

It's not new to most of us that neighbourhoods in Cameroon are not planned. This has caused the population to build haphazardly. That is why most houses are found very far from the main road.

After getting off a taxi, you may have to walk a long distance before reaching your home. This may be a problem when the area you live in is dangerous and you keep late night. It's not also very practical for someone with a handicap. So consider the proximity to the major road.

This factor of proximity to the main road has made houses which are closer to the road to be more expensive than those that are inside or further from the motorable road. Some neighbourhoods are so far inside that you may need to pay extra bike transport to get in and out of it. You need to ask yourself if would mind these inconveniences when searching for a house. And also if you can afford the privilege of living closer to the main road because it comes with some extra coins.

2. Proximity to basic facilities like health facilities, security and social amenities

This point is sometimes not really considered by many because they want a cheaper place to rent but it is very important and necessary to live close to a health centre like a hospital or even a private clinic. It is also important to have water and electricity in the area; either at home or close by.

Consider the state of the roads leading to the room or apartment. Is it good, muddy or rocky? If you have a vehicle, a bad road may be a major problem for your car. If you don't have a car think of how you have to deal with a muddy road every morning when it rains. Some roads are actually good only during the dry season so watch out when house searching during the dry season. Ask people about the state of the road when it rains before you decided to live there.

Find out how safe the place is before you accept to live there. Is it safe for you to come back home alone at night? Or are your property safe in the day?

Other basic facilities you should watch out for include; grinding machines, markets, local provision stores and technicians.

3. Proximity to your job or school

Most of the population in Yaounde or other major towns in Cameroon are either going to school or going to work almost every morning. If you are a student or worker then start your house search by selecting neighbourhoods that are close to your job or school. This will help you reduce your daily transport fare and hours spent in traffic while going to or returning from your activities.

4. The age of the house 

The older the house, the more problems it will have. For example, the house could smell if the toilets are found inside, things could break not long after you move in because they are old already (tap heads).

5. Floods and Mosquitoes

Watch out for areas prone to floods and mosquitoes. Areas which are likely to have mosquitoes are areas close to rivers, stagnant water, organic dirt and bushes/farms.

Valleys can be swampy during the rainy season and may flood if there is a river present. So ask questions about floods and mosquitoes before you agree to move in.

6. Noise 

If you are allergic to noise or you need your quiet and peace then you should avoid noisy neighbourhoods. You can visit the area in the day and in the night to know how noisy or calm it is around there.

Related post: Signs that a neighbourhood is noisy (in the day/night) in Yaounde.

7. Good Neighbours and Landlords

I can't conclude without stressing the importance of a good landlord/landlady as well as neighbours. This may be difficult to know prior to living with them but you need to be very observant and ask questions.

A bad landlord will make your life hell in his house

Related: How to live In Peace with Your Landlord

Meanwhile, if you have bad neighbours, it will be complicated to have peace as well

Related: 5 types of Neighbours you have in Yaounde.

Despite how hard it is to find a house in Yaounde, it is still necessary to find a place where you will live for at least a while. These factors are meant to help you find the best place to live in Yaounde.

My bonus tip is don't believe all that the landlord says. They may tell lies just to lure you to take the apartment or room for rent. I have seen landlords who have lied that there are no floods in the area when there are floods. Some lie that the area is quiet and calm most of the time which is not true. This means that you have to see things for yourself.

If you are house searching as you read this post, I wish you all the best as you find your new home.