SUCCESS

Different people, depending on their perception, social status and literacy level at the time will give you very varying definitions and views on success. Lots of “quick ways to”, ways to becoming… books have been written on the subject (and many are very helpful too). Some people will tell you it is a state of happiness, or satisfaction, or contentment. Others will say it is having a good relationship with your spouse and children. Yet some are sure it is when your relationship with God is intact.

In most parts of the world and in many cultures, success is regarded as gathering, acquiring, or accumulating great wealth, power and/or fame. Well, that is not entirely wrong neither is it also entirely accurate. Reason? Power, wealth or fame are not evil or bad by themselves. They are actually gifts from God (Deuteronomy 28:1-13, James 1:17). They are given to meet specific needs and solve specific lives’ problems. So, there is the very possibility that you may require one or all of the three to achieve your given purpose. And again, in the pursuance of your live purpose, there is every likelihood that you will be amply rewarded with wealth, power and/or fame, either as an encouragement or a “well-done” gift especially when you record excellent results. Remember, our God seriously rewards them that diligently seek Him. In any case they cannot be withheld from you when it is due time. The problem with us humans is that in trying to be smarter than God, we often put the cart before the horse and go after them wrongly.

What then is success? Success is attaining peace and fulfillment through identifying your God given purpose in live(which most of the time is different from that of the man next door), giving it all it takes and requires and in the process producing healthy and quality long lasting fruits without compromising: 1) your relationship with your family(because they are you first and foremost responsibility here on earth), 2) your health (dead men don’t work), 3) your integrity(which is your guiding principle and the pillar of your success), and lastly 4) your relationship and standing with God (because He gave you the success in the first place and may He not take it back).

True success is never a walk in the park, not even when you seem to have reached the pinnacle (as a matter of fact, success is harder to sustain than to obtain). It is not for the chicken-hearted because it requires strength (both inner and physical), hard work and all the discipline, dedication and diligence you can muster for you will definitely encounter some pitfalls now and again on the path. Sometimes enough to discourage us or even cause us to do a ‘180’, but they are only mostly a test of our patience, endurance, courage, determination and wisdom that will invariably boost and polish our success.

Success does not necessarily mean that one has reached the end of the journey. For someone who has a range of goals (either short or long term), the attainment of each goal is a success on its own. Success is also not a shot in the dark nor an instant thing; it requires diligence and making the right choices. Like one author puts it, “we have learned long ago that most successful people rarely get to where they want to go by making radical 90- or 180- degree change. Rather, they take one simple step after another in the right direction, make minor course adjustments over time, institute small changes, and follow a series of less-than-earth-shattering decisions. And it all starts with a few small choices made in the right direction” (Jerry Foster, 2004).

True success is very rewarding. Along with it comes peace, fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment and joy (not just happiness), and can only be attained in the pursuit of one’s life purpose. This is because life without purpose- no matter how much wealth, power and fame is accumulated will invariably lead to work, sweat, toiling and frustration without any meaningful effectiveness or satisfaction.

Tips to Success
1. discover/identify your purpose in life
2. give it all it takes
3. be focused, dedicated, disciplined, and diligent
4. learn more about it(get a cert, a degree, read books)
5. avoid distractions
6. be optimistic
7. enjoy doing it, and finally
8. have faith in God

BE INSPIRED

Our parents can inspire us to greatness, likewise teachers, coaches, politicians, literary minds and men of God. We can be inspired by nature, events or situations. We can also be inspired by a great piece of writing, a book (e.g., the bible), a speech, or a great work of art (Sistine chapel). We can be inspired by technology, architecture, religion, music or sport. We can be inspired by love, beauty, decadence, or even an ugly situation. We can be inspired by God and His attributes.

Some writers have been known to go away to a quite and lonely cabin in the woods, or a secluded place while working on a piece or a book because of the inspiration they get from nature and the environs. Some people have pictures of other people, places or things that inspire them hung their walls for continuous daily inspiration, while others listen to music, speeches, messages, or sermons of their heroes.

Brilliant, wise and talented people change time and the course of history. They are also currently in great demand. The truth is that many of us have the seed of greatness embedded deeply in our DNA just waiting for the right climate for it to sprout to live. No matter how great our gifts and talents might sometimes be, they become a waste if we do not try to be our best at it or at least use it. The use of our talents should first affect us, the owner and leave us better than we are, else we will not be able to impact others anyways.

So there, being our best can be a tricky thing if we don’t enjoy it, trying to have a little fun at something while aiming for the stars can be an even trickier feat to attain. Hence, the need for inspiration, because until we learn to enjoy using our talents we may never get the best out of them. Whatever we do on earth we need inspiration to do it well or to sustain it if we are already good at it.

The world needs more good people, more heroes and heroines. Be inspired. Come out of your shell, your cocoon. Arise and let your light shine on this bleak world. Be inspired. You are the next hero/heroine the world is waiting for. Be inspired. Don’t let negativity, your environment, ridicule, shame, criticism, poverty, loneliness, rejection or hurt hold you back. Be inspired. Know that you have what it takes and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Be inspired. Look for inspiration, something/anything to inspire you. They are all around us, in school, church, on the bus, on T.V, even in that boot camp.

Be inspired. It is the only sure way you can become an inspiration for someone tomorrow

Stay blessed

KNOW YOURSELF

Welcome back, dear faithful reader!
It is my sincere wish that you have gained a thing or two from this blog, otherwise the time and dedication put into producing will have been wasted. Before we proceed into today’s topic let me add a little to the last post, Know Your God so you don’t feel shortchanged. One thing about knowing, loving and following God is, you cannot be coerced into it especially not by a total stranger (even if you parents, guardian, or somehow your boss force you to go to church with them, they cannot force it into your heart and soul). Sometimes people stumble into it, but the sweetest way is to actively and consciously walk into it. It is a personal choice, either as a last resort (when trouble comes calling), or freewill thing (when searching for something new). My job is only to let you know that such a being exists and try to show you why we need Him. If you are still perplexed, let me point in the direction of the Christian God. You will find all you need there and next in another post if time allows us, we come to the topic. Now let’s gently walk into today’s topic.

KNOW YOURSELF

Youth is a time of discovery. A time when you have so many things suddenly thrust into your face. A time when different forces-parents, peers, the choice of school to attend, whom to marry, and so on- pull you in different directions threatening to tear you apart. Little wonder depression has become more reported in youths of all ages. This is just one of the reasons this blog was created. These pulls need to be stabilized.

Have you ever wondered what this world would be like if everybody were alike? I mean, if we looked alike, behaved alike, talked alike, thought alike, or even reasoned alike? This creator is so marvelous and obviously loves variety. He not only created continents, He also made countries. Not only did He make people of different races and different skin colour, but also tribes and clans all with different body structures and different tongues. All different. My point is that we are very different from one another, even from our parents and siblings. In knowing yourself, bear in mind first and foremost that YOU ARE UNIQUE. A lot of people might be able to do the things you do, maybe even better, but nobody can do it like you do it. NOBODY CAN BE YOU.

Know Your Likes and Dislikes

These are probably the first things you needs to know about yourself and also the easiest, but you must be concrete about them except you an “anything works for me” kind of person (this attitude can be dangerous to purposeful living). Having said that, you need to know such things as: the kind of people you enjoy ‘hanging’ with, or not. The place(s) you frequently visit- there must be something there you like that cause such frequency in visits. The kinds of movies, food, clothes, and so on, that appeals to you, or not. Whatever they are, just be certain. A note of warning though, please if they are vices, criminal, sinful, or just plain immoral, you must get help fast. Don’t be afraid or ashamed, talk to someone who can help you (peers and friend are of little use here especially if you are a teen). Talk to an older person, a father or fatherly figure, an authority in the field- like a psychiatrist, or better yet talk to a pastor, priest or a minister of the gospel. Its either you get help now or it will ruin you, your destiny, family, etc. I believe some acts and behaviours we generally consider bad or/and dangerous can be turned around and used for good. For instance, an ex-car thief can work for ‘Repo’. An ex-sex offender or drug addict can give talks to encourage people (especially youths) and warn them of the dangers thereof.

Know Your Fears

Fears are unhealthy and potentially dangerous and yet you will be surprised at the number people that harbour it. Christians believe that fear is from the devil as a door way to rob us of our potentials and our destinies. Think of it for a second, what normally happens to you when you are afraid? You will notice that you become numb, paralyzed, and sometime unable to think or act. Some experts believe that it is fear that actually kills, the fear of death, and its phobias. Even in accidents and live threatening diseases, those that believe to see another day actually live longer than those with the fear of death.

But we need to know our fears. Why? So they don’t takeus unaware, and so we can handle them appropriately either by discarding them or by turning them around for our own good. So if fear comes from the devil and the devil is known to be a liar that means our fears are not true things about us. That also means that a fear for failure in something, says academics or marriage for instance indubitably means success is bound to come out of it. One wise man once said, “if I sense fear over something I become expectant and started to jubilate because something good is coming my way”.

Fear should not be entertained, neither given a foothold else it will run a person’s live and ultimately ruin it. On the other hand, if fear is an opposite outcome of something, it can help in warning us and cause us to work harder on a thing instead "chickening out". I have discovered that humans have the tendency to be lazy, to want a short cut out of something and to quit easily when the going gets tough, but that is not the way of champions and achievers. Quitters never win anything. So know your fears (better yet, try as much as you can not to have any), know also the source and its purpose.

Know Your Strengths/Talents

One definition the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary offers about strength is, “a quality or ability that a person or thing has that gives them an advantage”. Let’s try and define talent as “a natural ability to do something well” Books have been written on this topic alone so we can only do an introduction or summary here.

I do not wish to separate these two topics, although people who are more versed than I can/may. The reason for this decision not to separate the two is because they go hand in hand and are both gifts from the manufacturer, the creator who embedded them in us at birth for our good and the greater good of mankind. One thing about strength and talent is that we must be able to exhibit them repeatedly. One can have talents in singing, dancing, writing, sports, administration, sales, etc. the point is to know and harness them. You talent(s) and strengths and their usage are what make life sweeter and more wonderful to live

Pointers to Your Talents
Most of the time we stumble across our talent(s) and sometimes we don’t see that the reason why we have been doing some things effortlessly for years is because our talents are in use. Some people are lucky and have other people in their lives like coaches, teachers or parent who can help point out areas in which they excel and help and help them develop it. But some of are not that lucky and may need to go searching for those hidden talents in our lives. Sometimes also we can discover them in emergencies. Some people may have an idea about this but just don’t give a damn. Here are just a few pointers to guide us:

1. When you can do some “impossible” things much better than most people.
2. When you can do this thing nearly perfectly, consistently and repeatedly.
3. When you have a deep yearning for a thing.
4. When it’s something you learn to do really fast.
5. When it’s something you derive ‘healthy’ satisfaction from doing.
6. Watch out also for your spontaneous reaction to things.

Please be warned that when you discover your talents, start using and excelling in them, they also have the ability to attract weeds in form of haters and discouragers. People who couldn’t do it are just jealous of you. And if you are currently one of these kinds of weeds, just know that you don’t have to have the same talents as the next guy. Work to discover yours and in no time the world will come knocking at your door (and if they don’t, don’t fret, just stay there and shine). Some talent are glamorous, while others are not, but it doesn’t one better than the other

KNOW YOUR GOD

Welcome back dear reader, I hope we are getting along fine. Don’t forget to drop your comment(s) so that we can grow together in knowledge. From the last post we talked about expatiating on the three sub-topics: know your God, know yourself, and have vision. Today we will start up with the first.

Know Your God

In spite of your previous knowledge or what you might have heard in time past, there is only one God, the maker of heaven and earth and everything in-between, both visible and invincible to the human eye. What makes Him “the God” is the fact that He is the uncreated creator (don’t let that confuse you now). Every thing or being was created by Him, everything, including ‘these other gods’

Every god demands worship, hence, money, beauty, and fame are regarded as gods. This is because consciously or unconsciously, people worship these things. As a matter of fact, anything that takes precedence in your live, thoughts and actions that takes up your attention, desires, emotion and most of your time can be regarded as your god. So, leisure, food, work, sex, T.V and /or a man- could be your boss, parent(s), relative, or even your spouse or children could be your god.

As earlier mentioned, every god demands serious worship and followership, but ultimately, every thing or/and being must bow down in worship to the Almighty god. So, the questions are: who is your god? Who is the direct recipient of your worship?

Lest we forget, this piece is not intended to incite but to shake your thinking. The reason we have arrived here at this point is because we have discovered that as products we want to know the manufacturer. This will help us know how where to fit in, what to do and where to go, and ultimately discover our purpose.

Who is He?

He is the creator.
He is the maker of heaven and earth.
He is Almighty.
He sits on the circles of the earth.
He is so mighty, from heaven his garment overflows the earth.
He measures out the waters of the earth in the hollow of His hand.
He weighs the mountains on scales and the hills on a balance.
He says a thing and it is established.
Angels bow before Him in worship day and night.
He is from everlasting to everlasting.
He has been from the beginning and is till the end of our time.

His Attributes

He is kind.
He is merciful.
He is powerful.
He is awesome.
He is magnificent.
He is God of the whole world yet is interested in every detail of our lives.
He is interested in who our parents are, what race or colour we are, and what school or college we attend.
He celebrates with us in our successes and is sad we are.
Our losses are His pain.

We must try all we can to know this God. He is worthy of our worship, praise thanksgiving.

We will talk some more in the next post.


Stay blessed

PURPOSE FOR LIVING

Since it is generally now accepted that humans did not just “evolve” from monkeys, it is then safe to say that someone or ‘somebeing’ is responsible for this master creation. Now, every manufacturer has specific reason(s) in mind for every product. Agreed? Some reasons are automatically know maybe by the use we see them put to, or perhaps someone who knows more than we do comes along and tells us. On the other hand, some require consulting the user manual.

Having established the fact that we are someone’s grand design, it is then safe to say that there is a manufacturer and we all are the ‘products’. But it is also not safe to assume one’s purpose either by guessing or by trial and error, but carefully searching it outs. This is where most people drop off because it does require the lazy bone in us. It is hard work with good, everlasting reward.

We all have a purpose for coming into this very beautiful planet. The sooner we discover this, the better life becomes. People hurt, get confused, fight other people and waste precious God-given time mainly because they lack direction, or they probably do not know a whole lot about themselves (their traits, temperaments, gifts and talents), maybe they simply do not the sheer purpose of their existence.

In future posts, we will try and explore some ways we can discover this purpose and enjoy a purposeful living.

Stay blessed.

“LOOKS ARE DECEIVING”

In many institutions of higher learning in northern Nigeria, students, mostly females, are given dress codes of what to wear and what not to. The appalling thing about this is that the people enforcing these dress codes are the security personnel at the schools’ main gates who are next to illiterates. Whether this is a deliberate attempt to ridicule the students or the authority just want to introduce radical religious measures is yet unknown, but I do know that this is unjustified.
Unfortunately, these students either do not have a voice or they are afraid they might be victimized. The authority says the females are seducing them thereby distracting them from their work. I agree, but I also think that you can only be tempted with preconceived idea or thought.
So the authority should back off these kids and change their orientation. Stop seeing their students as people they can sleep with but as sons and daughters who have come to them to tutored. There are of course some that might come to play and waste their precious time of youth in the schools hence distract others, but these kinds of people are everywhere. So my advice, concentrate on the few good ones, give their energy to the serious ones. After all, “LOOKS ARE DECEIVING”.

great time to be a youth

What a great time to be a youth.
vibrant, resourceful, creative, atticulate, energetic, caring, smart, just plain wonderful.
all the information you need(good, bad, wonderful or downright dirty) just a click away.
great laws protecting us.
parents have never been better.
more knowledge about who we are, why we are here,what to do while here readily available.
What a great time to be a youth.