A tea-loving chatterbox, always cheerful and never out of words.
But just call me Madu.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a 30-year-old enthusiast who pours a lot of love and passion into every piece I write for Penrunners.
I’m a proud black man who loves eating crawfish all year round. You’ll often find me cruising around the city in my orange Chevrolet Corvette, or hunting for treasures in thrift stores.
But more than anything, I love crafting words — right here, on Penrunners.
This motto best describes my goal with being cheerful more often:
"Life is a party waiting to happen — you just have to bring the streamers."
With my blog I want to inspire you to be more cheerful in life.
And I hope to help you find those cheerful streamers in a world already overflowing with negativity.
Not by flooding you with unicorns and rainbows — because no, I’m not that overly cheerful type who believes life never throws lemons your way.
But I have learned how to make some amazingly delicious lemonade out of them.
On my blog, I take you along on my journey toward positivity, personal growth, and everything that makes life a little more joyful.
I do this with humor, a down-to-earth attitude, and always from personal experience — not by playing the wannabe guru telling you what you should do (that’s your call!), but by simply sharing what works for me.
Who knows? Maybe we’ll end up inspiring each other.
You are stronger than you think – always!
There’s no manual for staying positive, handling uncertainty, or navigating tough times.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: you are always stronger than you think. And it’s important that you know that about yourself.
I speak from experience. I struggled a lot during my teenage years. I was a perfectionist and an overly ambitious student who barely dared to speak up. I felt out of place whenever I (hello, introvert!) didn’t enjoy a party the way everyone else seemed to.
I used to worry myself sick, and all that uncertainty eventually caused me to lose sight of who I was. I wasn’t cheerful. I wasn’t myself.
Until one day, I realized: I didn’t have to keep being the version of me I had always known.
Step by step, I grew happier, more loving, more confident — and most importantly, more me.
And if I could do that from one of the lowest points in my life, I believe with all my heart that you can too.
What makes me happy?
If you spend some time on my blog, you’ll quickly discover there’s a lot to see — and sometimes a few quirky things too.
Okay, I’ll let you in on a little secret: a few things that never fail to make me smile…
…have breakfast.
There is no way I'm leaving the house without it. I make a party of my breakfast and start every day with a brightly colored bowl full of goodies. Or better yet: with a breakfast cake.
…Google Maps.
I have a zero sense of direction and am eternally grateful to the inventor of Google Maps.
…alone time.
I can chat your ear off, but as a typical introvert I also really like to crawl into my own bubble afterwards..
…lists.
I am a list boy. I make lists for literally everything. Without my to-do lists, I am nowhere.
…(a bit of a mess) of color.
My house is bursting with colours. My wardrobe too. You won't find much black and white here.
…sorting cabinets.
Organized jars with all the labels facing the same way? I get really happy from that.
…plants.
Lots of plants. I once thought I didn't have green fingers, but now I live in a semi-jungle with more than 25 plants in my house.
…blogging and interaction.
Blogging is my absolute biggest passion, ever since college. One of the things I love most about blogging? That you're here!.
My goal? That you leave my blog with a smile on your face.
On my blog, you’ll find heartfelt tips, food for thought, happy lists, fresh bursts of inspiration, and a whole lot of colorful ideas to brighten your life.
What some people have with chocolate, I have with self-help books and podcasts — I devour them like my life depends on it.
But more than anything, I write about personal growth.
Not because I’ve cracked the code to life (spoiler: I haven’t — none of us have!). We’re all just figuring it out as we go — you, me, all of us.
I simply share my experiences honestly and offer tips along the way, hoping we can inspire each other — through the good times and the tough ones.