Gideon Deme

Yesterday, I turned down a well-paying gig that came with a 60% deposit already paid by the client. The money was good and the timeline was just one week. But something didn’t feel right about it. Instead of rushing to start the work, I asked for 24 hours to consult with a few trusted people. After careful reflection and honest feedback, I decided that the gig wasn’t for me to take. I refunded the client promptly and moved on, even though this time is such a time for me to recover financially. Here’s what I learned and what every professional, especially freelancers, should internalize: 1. Integrity is not negotiable. Turning down good money after deposit shows that your principles and long-term reputation are not for sale. In a world where many would force it through, choose character over cash. That decision builds trust that compounds over years. 2. Consultation is professional wisdom. Never be pressured to say “yes” immediately. Buy time, speak with sound minds, and check alignment with your values, expertise, and peace. It saves you from avoidable stress and regret. 3. Money is replaceable; reputation and peace of mind are not. One week’s gain can never be worth compromising your standards or delivering with doubt. Refund cleanly and quickly; it turns a potential negative into proof of reliability. 4. Saying “No” gracefully is a mark of maturity. Especially in dispute resolution and family law practice, be selective. Only take what you can deliver with excellence. Boundaries protect both you and your clients. 5. Think long-term, always. Short-term wins tempt many, but protecting your brand as a principled professional pays far higher dividends. This is how you build a practice and reputation rooted in trust, not just transactions. Situations like this remind me why we must keep choosing principle over profit. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.

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@Iamlyday1 Very valuable and timely. Thank you for sharing this

I watched this video expecting to come away thinking about the realities of raising a child with significant additional needs. Instead, I found myself reading the comments and wondering how we still have such a poor understanding of disability in 2026. What struck me was not people acknowledging that caring for a child with complex needs can be difficult. That is simply reality. Parents and carers live that reality every single day and there is nothing wrong with speaking honestly about it. What unsettled me was how quickly the conversation moved from ‘this looks hard’ to ‘this child should never have been born.’ I saw comments suggesting she should have been terminated. Comments suggesting her life was a burden. Comments suggesting that the mother’s devotion and care were somehow evidence that the pregnancy should have been terminated. As a social worker who has spent years working alongside disabled children, disabled adults and families caring for children with additional needs. I have seen exhaustion, grief, parents worry endlessly about the future, siblings make sacrifices, families fighting for support that should never have been so difficult to access. But I have also seen is love, joy, connection, resilience, humour, achievement and lives that have value far beyond the limitations that other people place upon them. The little girl in this video is not a thought experiment. She is not a political argument about abortion. She is not a cautionary tale. She is a child. A child whose life has worth simply because she exists. You do not have to pretend that raising a child with significant disabilities is easy. It isn’t. You do not have to believe you would personally be able to cope with that level of responsibility. Many people probably couldn’t. But there is a huge moral difference between acknowledging the challenges of disability and deciding that a disabled person’s life is less valuable than anyone else’s. Perhaps what disturbed me most was realising that some people watched that mother’s patience, love and commitment and saw tragedy. I watched the same video and saw a mother doing her absolute best for a daughter she clearly adores. If your first reaction to a vulnerable child is to question whether they should exist, then the issue is not the child. The issue is what has happened to our capacity for empathy.

It's getting started. The #GlobalButterflyWeek, an initiative of the @eButterfly_org, is going on in Jos. Do well to join the walk.

Today is the Day! Welcome to the Butterfly Day in Jos, Nigeria, as part of the Global Butterfly Week 2026! Today, we celebrate the beauty of butterflies, the importance of biodiversity, and the role young people play in protecting our environment.

Congratulations to the boys. You made us dream. We go again next season.

Hand on heart, I dont feel sad at all. Im so fucking proud of this group. Won us a PL after 22 years and took us to a UCL final. Kings who will be remembered forever. 99% of Europe would want our season. Thank you Mikel and Thank you Arsenal. I recognise my football club again.

Be proud of yourself king Gabriel, You all made us proud and gave Arsenal the chance of a lifetime having won us the league after 22 years, we will forever be grateful 🙏🙏

When we lost the 2006 final, we were on our way down and we knew it. Today, despite another loss, we are on our way up and everyone will know it soon enough!

Wow! What a campaign, what a season, what a moment. Thank you Mikel Arteta for making us dream again, thank you to all the Arsenal players for an incredible final. You all fought like warriors, defended the badge with honour and gave everything. But penalties are always anybody’s game. As a fan who has supported you through everything, I want to wholeheartedly say THANK YOU!!!

Don’t let people whose teams can’t even get in the club make you feel bad. This was a great season and we will top it next season!

No one said it was going to be easy.

#GlobalButterflyWeek is almost here.

Excitement is building for the #GlobalButterflyWeek in Jos, Nigeria! Join us as we inspire students from elementary schools to explore and discover the fascinating world of butterflies, and learn why protecting them means protecting our future environments.

Butterflies are disappearing fast, and the data gap is even bigger, requiring an all-inclusive stakeholders' involvement. That’s why the first-ever Global Butterfly Week is happening May 30 – June 7, 2026

Guiding Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years 🔝 Mikel Arteta is your @barclaysfooty Manager of the Season 👏

The @eButterfly_org #GlobalButterflyWeek is a movement worthy of joining. Be part of a movement to save the butterflies.

LIFT IT UP ©️

An amazing initiative by the @eButterfly_org in collaboration with @EnvironSustaNet and other organisations to conserve the butterflies globally. Do well by joining this initiative.

If to say I no be Arsenal fan, dem for dey stress me too 😂😂😂😂