Touch Down

2007-07-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Hi....

A friend sent this to me and I thought to share it with some of my "Crack Pot Friends". Enjoy it!!!

Thanks Hajara.

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream."I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them." "For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.

"Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

SO, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Strength and Honor.

Debo

2007-07-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone
Today, a colleague and I visited the ongoing Card Expo at the Civic Centre. We went in looking for something new and excitment but....

As hard as we tried, we couldn’t find anything new and exciting!
However, I think I found out why the ‘Whites’ are ahead of ‘black’ people.
As hospitable as we claim to be, the whites are still ahead in customer service.

The ‘Whites’ sure know how to woo and retain their customers.
All we needed to do was get a little close to the Visa stand to draw the attention of the two white gentlemen. Both probably managers, were very warm and smiley while they answered our questions and didn’t have a problem explaining further when we pressed. I can imagine they were like that to all the visitors to their stand.

On the other hand, our Nigerian ‘sales reps’ and their supervisors weren’t like our white friends. Some of them looked unhappy and wondered why they were there. Some just looked at you and threw their faces away. This perhaps explains why many of the exhibition booths (many of them owned by banks), were not filled.

If it were a trade contest, one will surely see the white guys smiling to the bank and their Nigerian hosts frowning home.

Perhaps a dose of courteous and purposeful customer service will help improve the way we do business in Nigeria.

Strength and Honor

The Seed

2007-06-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, a very special friend shared this with me. I'd like to share it with you.

Hope you like it!

A successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, 'it is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.' The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. 'I am going to give each of one of you a SEED today--one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO'.

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now,others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.Six months went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues. However, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going totake an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach...it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO.'

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, 'the CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!' When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, 'behold your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim! 'Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said? Then the CEO said, 'one year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed.

I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!'

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.

If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant faith in God, you will reap a harvest.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Touch Down!

Riches come in many forms...being able to recognize them, is a gift from God.

There is a reward for every act of faithfullness. Don't give up!

Don't we all?

2007-01-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

A friend sent this to me and I thought I should share it with everyone.
I learnt from it and I am sure you will too.

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times." "I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm. I said, "Thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.
I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me. "Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don't we all? I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have - A different perspective on life a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, and then said, "Go…minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help." Don't we all?

My conclusion? Extend a helping hand to someone today.
There is nothing more to say on this issue.

Strength and Honor
Debo

One Year, One Mind!

2007-01-12T02:41:00.000-08:00

It the beginning of a New Year and I’m glad I’m here. Something within me tells me that the year comes with a lot of goodies. It’s been called a year of great opportunities and great achievements by some wise people but I’d simply say it’s a year of undeniable Greatness. Greatness that comes with responsibility and that isn’t struggled for. I’m talking about Greatness that comes with grace and favor. Imagine this, you put in 10 measures and you get 1,000,000 measures. Strange? Not to some of us. That is what's happening this year.

So, what’s there to be done? I can’t say there is a lot to be done because some of us started a mind cleansing process last year and it has positioned us greatly for 2007. We sought knowledge and we got wisdom and understanding. We let go of unproductive processes and embraced THE WAY.
Key success factors? Well, it’s easy to come up with a long list of do’s and don’ts but sincerely, I don’t think people need that much. What I think is most necessary is to function with a singleness of mind and purpose. By this mean Focus! If you’ve been set on the right path, just stay focused.

I can hear the resounding voice of my childhood tennis coach saying “Eyes on the ball.” I’ll say the same thing to you too. “Eyes on the ball”.
Focus on your goal(s). Whatever it is you are occupied with just stay focused and be dedicated to it. If you are dedicated and committed to your dream, there’s nothing that can stand in you way successfully.

Don’t be fooled. There will be distractions of various shapes and ‘sizes’. Don’t be moved. It doesn’t matter what anyone is saying about you. If they aren’t adding to your life, they don’t deserve your attention.

Have a great year.

Strength and Honor
Debo

Got My Money Back

2006-11-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hello People,
I am thinking…what do I say after staying away for quite a while? Well, I must say that it wasn't intended. I have had to retreat, do some thinking and then re-strategize. A lot has happened.
Anyways, I guess I will just pick up from where I stopped.

My last post talked about the ATM fraud I experienced. Well, I am glad to let you know that I have been paid back my money. Actually, the payment was made close to two weeks ago. It came with a lot of apologies from the banks too. I had both bank managers (First Bank and Intercontinental Bank) calling to apologize for the ATM error.

Good they apologized but really what would have happened if I had not pushed? Would I have lost my money? Is there a system that protects the consumer against such situations? What if the error affected one's cash flow? (Thank God it didn't. No error ever will), would I have been stranded?

Banks are out to make money but at the expense of true and realistic service. I was concerned about the whole issue as I was almost forced to lead a class action against defaulting banks. At some point I thought of contacting the EFCC and the Central Bank but then, I thought of the humble bank manager who may be affected, I thought of the implications it would have on the reputation of Nigerian banks; then I also thought about the opportunities that could emerge from the issue. All these are by the way.

The crux of my post today, which you mustn’t miss is that fact that consumers deserve more. Product manufacturers and service providers are not doing enough to ensure that their customers get maximum benefits of patronizing them. In fact the reverse is the case.

Consumers have rights and the earlier we attend to and apply those rights, the better for us all.

Government agencies can not monitor economic institutions alone. The private individual has a role to play.

Touch Down:
The consumer has a role to play - expect ’value for money' at all times. If you don't get it, DEMAND FOR IT. It’s your right!

ATM Fraud?

2006-10-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hello People,
Happy Holidays to Muslims all over the world.
Ok… I guess I should continue my gist from my last post.

Fortunately, there were two people (a man and a woman) watching my transactions from behind me. Apparently, both of them are staff of the bank. The man works as an Engineer in charge of ATM Machines while the lady works within the branch.

Seeing what happened, the gentleman and lady both tried to assure me that the error would not affect my bank balance. Guess what it did. While they tried to convince me that everything was okay, the machine went off and when it came on, I checked to verify their sayings and just as I thought my account had been debited twenty thousand naira.

At this point, I was upset and requested to see that branch manager. The branch manager was quite decent in her handling of the matter. She initially promised to take it up personally and that the issue would be resolved in 24 hours. After two days of no progress, advised that I contact my bankers and inform and request that they contact her bank to formally lodge the complaint. I have since contacted by bankers and still awaiting their response.

The event happened on the 16th. It’s over a week and no positive response. I must admit that the thought of taking legal action against the owners of the ATM has flooded my mind more than any other thing. If I eventually do take legal actions, it will not be because of the money but because I am convinced that such errors should not be ignored; beyond the immediate, they have far reaching consequences for the owners of the ATM machine.

Touch Down:

The truth is, in the interim, what happened was nothing but a fraud. Period! It is fraudulent for a bank to place a machine that doesn’t work or that shortchanges customers up for use. All through the period I spent within the bank’s premises, there was no signage stating that the ATM machine was faulty and thus should not be used. In fact, I was encouraged to use it again. Therefore, what happened on the 16th of October, 2006 is nothing but a fraud.

Banks and bankers have decided to adopt the excuse that the use of the ATM machine use relatively new in Nigeria and that there are still imperfections. Well, to satisfy those who love to give excuses, I agree. But they also must know that a good thinking bank, customer friendly bank, value driven and responsible bank should have a system that corrects such errors within the shortest possible time and offer some form of compensation to the affected customer.

Our banks cannot continue to hide under the guise of the ATM being relatively new.

If the banking reforms are to be successful, then banks need to step up their game. Intercontinental bank might want to rethink their tag line. I am willing to offer them consultancy services in the areas of customer service and brand management.

I guess at this point, I’ll just wait for them to refund my money (in their own interest) within the shortest possible time.

Strength and Honor

ATM Fraud?

2006-10-20T12:21:00.001-07:00

Hi People,

Trust you're all wondering why I haven't posted an article in a while. Truth is, it's been a very busy week. WoW! I'm so happy the weekend is here and much more happier cos it's an extended one. Since it's an extended weekend, I'l do all that I can to make up for the dry spell and ensure that it doesn't occure again. In the mean time, I had a funny experience at an ATM machine on Monday. I needed to make some urgent transactions and didn't have enough time to get to my bank so, I stopped at the nearest bank since the ATM card can be usedin any of Nigeria's 25 banks. Getting there, I slotted in my card, entered my details and the amount I needed (N20,000) but to my amazement, the machine gave me N1,000.00 only. I was stunnded. What do I do next? Is there someone I can report this to? Will they believe my claims?

I will give you the full gist in my post. Have a blessed weekend.

Strength and Honor

Give that idea a chance

2006-10-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hello You,

I trust you are having a great day and staying on top of situations around you.

You know, not many people live to fulfill their dreams simply for the fear of failing or being rejected. This is quite pitiful.
May be for change, you could look each idea that comes to your mind as a gift-child from God. Every gift however little, should be cherished. Every child should be cared for.

Imagine your idea, that gift-child not having the opportunity to call you daddy or mommy. Imagine that idea, that gift child not having the chance to crawl, walk, run and eventually fly. Imagine missing the opportunity to watch your brain child grow.

Just as every child deserves a chance to life, so does your idea deserve a chance to see the light of day.

But what if that idea or gift-child is given a chance to life and then turns out to be problematic? My answer is very simple. The wise man said ‘train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ Strange? It shouldn’t be.

Train your idea, your gift-child in the way it should go. How? Speak to it. Mediate on it. (See my post on meditation or Deolu’s post on meditation).

You are an intelligent being; a product of God’s intelligence. Everything that comes out of you has intelligence. Your idea is only an extension of who are.

Now, you’re wishing you knew this long ago and may be thinking it’s too late. No, it’s not too late. I don’t believe in too late. If it was recorded that some dead men came back to life, then what’s stopping your dream from coming back to life? Nothing.

Truth is, even if you failed in the past, you deserve a second chance. Ok now you say you had a second chance and blew it. Then you deserve a third, forth, fifth, sixth….chance.

The successful man is not he who doesn’t fail but he who against all odds accomplished his goal.

It may have been said that there is a certainty of death or failure and only half a chance of survival or success. Take that half chance. You may be surprised to find out that all you need is half a chance for survival.

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you’ll be doomed it you don’t try.

Touch Down:

I’ll touch down with words from a text message I received from a friend some months back. She said..

“Cherish your vision and your ideas. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart; the beauty that comes from your mind; the loveliness that occupies your purest thought, for in them lies your greatness.” Thanks Ruth.

Strength and Honor.

Stand Alone

2006-10-09T03:56:00.000-07:00

Alright Guys, this might turn out to be a long one but I'm sure you will enjoy it.

I had a flash back to a day I was out of town and was determined to return to Lagos in good time. I had woken up early enough to catch the first fight out of Abuja but to my surprise, flight had been canceled through out the week due to bad weather. For a minute, I was thrown off balance but my resolve to return to Lagos would not permit me to stay a day longer in Abuja. There was so much I had to get done.

I thought of the next option and that was traveling by road. This means a trip that would have lasted about an hour would now last for seven hours. Hey...I had to do what I had to do. Off I was to a registered and travel company. I quietly joined the queue to purchase my ticket after which we were checked into a luxurious bus by the company’s security.

We departed.

While on the bus, I thought of the safety of land travel and the menace of armed robbers. As my thoughts filtered in, I noticed that the bus ran at a ridiculously slow pace and eventually stopped. I was waiting to hear the driver give an explanation but the man with tribal slashes said nothing. Instead, he peeped out through his side window and spoke to some men who apparently wanted to get aboard the bus.

At this point, I’m thinking ‘…what in the world is this guy trying to do? What if these men are robbers?’ One of the reasons I chose to travel with the bus company was that they guaranteed safety and comfort. That was why I paid more than twice the fee a public bus would have charged.

Now, my rights were being infringed and my life and those of other passengers were about to be exposed to great risk.

At this point, the driver had concluded negotiations with the men, collected some money and was about to open the door. To top it up, not a word was said by anybody. Was I pissed? May be I was but also smart enough to display some restraint. But was I going to let this guy put my life at risk while I kept quiet with my arms folded for fear of being ridiculed if I spoke against such an irresponsible act? No! No! No!

I got off my seat and approached the driver. Not sure if he had his head screwed on, I decided to be polite. I took a quick look behind me and there were the other passengers seemingly unmoved by what was going on. Then it occurred to me that I was ‘standing alone.’

‘Excuse me’. I said in a very firm but polite way. What is going on? This bus has been parked for more than five minutes.’ The man turned and looked at me and replied in a very repulsive manner ‘I wan carry passenger.’ I replied, ‘but this is not a registered motor park. Besides, the manifest was signed at your terminal with the passengers checked in by security. It will be wrong of you to pick up more passengers.’ I further stated that such an act would be a bridge of contract. This guy flared up and was ready for a fight. Sensing the danger, I softened my voice and tactically calmed him down but I stood my ground.

Bearing in mind that we were in the middle of no where without GSM network, I was tempted to chicken out but the warrior in me said NO!!! I looked the man straight in the eye and shouted at him, ‘No! Those men will not board this bus. Your company assured us that no other passenger would be picked along the way.’ The driver’s eyes were spitting fire and so were mine. I stood my ground. Yes o! I did.

At this point the other passenger got involved but to my amazement, most of them supported the driver and accused me of stopping the driver from making extra cash. I got particularly interested in addressing a teenage girl who supported the driver. In fact she talked the loudest. I asked her if she had never heard of people who got robbed, rapped and killed by armed robber pretending to be passengers and that the men wanting to board the bus might just be members of a gang? She quiet sat back in her place and bowed her head.

I was gaining ground.

Now back to the driver. I insisted that we would proceed on the journey without ‘attachment.’ Surprisingly, this guy kept quiet, wore a sober look, returned the money to the men and we proceeded.

Wow! I won! What if I didn’t stand my ground? What is those men where robbers? What if I had denied my sense of value in the face of staggering opposition? Then, I would have failed to stand for what is right and probably not be here to tell this story.

Touch Down:

As daunting as the challenge may be, stand for what you believe is right even if you stand alone

Make That Change

2006-10-05T07:07:00.002-07:00

Hi Guys,

Its 11:45am on the third day of my two weeks leave. Though I have had to struggle with changes to my schedule, I am now settled with the fact that its time to take some rest. Some rest? Yes! Some rest. I guess we never can quantify how much energy we expend when we get out of bed as early as 4.30 am to leave home an hour afterwards all in a bid to beat traffic and get to work before 7am and get back home by 8.30 or 9pm. Phweeh! It’s great to be on holiday. Guess we all we need a holiday. Don’t we all?

One thing I do appreciate about my holiday is the fact that it affords me the time to make changes in certain departments of my life and wellbeing.

Things that once looked ‘okay’ and ‘acceptable’ no longer fit in. It’s time to make some good changes and I did.

I have restructured my finances so that I can have enough to save, invest, exponentially multiply and share.

I have looked into my wardrobe. I gave out the old clothes and replaced them with new ones. That felt good. But cost me a lot too.

I have spent time doing those little but special things I love to do…like spending time with close friends, going to see the movies and maybe date. Date? Yes, date? I had a date on Independence Day after a longlong while and it was cool. Hey..it’s not like anything has happened. I'm still single and will only mingle with the right person.

Most importantly, I have redefined my priorities, drafted new agendas and designed roadmaps to reach them.

The beautiful thing about all these changes is not that I have changed or that I am a changed person but that I am perfected in who I really am.

Life is a journey. We can’t afford to travel in just one vehicle.

Sometimes, our journey may require us to cross an ocean; so we get on a boat and cross it.

We might need to fly over territories; so we get on an aeroplane and fly over.

And when we need to cruise round an island, we get in a luxury car and just cruise.

I have used my example. Hope you learnt from it.

You may want to look into your life and identify areas that need urgent change. What are those things that can no longer be left as they are? It might be time for you to change your thinking. It might be time for you to change your clothing. It might be time for you to change your eating habit or your company of friends.

Whatever it is, just make that change.

Strength and Honour

2006-10-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hellooooooo!

Happy Independence Day Nigerians!!!!!! Nigeria is 46 years today. Wow!!! It calls for some celebration.

You may ask what is there to celebrate. Why should we celebrate knowing that there are still a lot of things that have been left unattended to? Why should be celebrate when a large percentage of Nigerians still leave below the poverty line?

Well, I've got news for you. We should celebrate our unity. Nigeria's unity has been threatened several times but to God be the glory the nation has remained an indivisible entity.

We should celebrate our nascent democracy. It took a hard fight to get it. We now have it. However shaky it may to be, it's worth celebrating.

Have you thought about the fact that power supply has been quite stable? We should celebrate that also.

Have you thought about the number of Foreign Direct Investment that has come into this country (new businesses are being born and consequently more jobs created? We should celebrate that also.

Have you thought also about the educational system and how for a little over a year, lecturers have not downed their tools? We should celebrate that also.

Have you thought about the peace we have been privileged to enjoy? If you think peace isn’t worth celebrating, then please takes a trip to Dafur, Congo D.R, Burundi and other war ravaged countries and tell me if you'd prefer to leave there.

Truth is, Nigeria may not be all we want it to be but it's what we have. Let's celebrate it.

If you are a youth, the best time to be a Nigerian Youth is now! If you are an adult the best time to be a Nigerian adult is now!

For the Nigerian youth, the future style of Nigeria is in you hands and mouth; there is a lot to look forward to (improved quality of life, improved road networks, improved education, improved health care services, and improved transportation on land, sea, air and underground).

For the Nigerian adult, remember that posterity will question your actions today; lead the youths aright. Be responsible. Contribute your own quota to national development.

Our Nation; Our Heritage.

Don't forget you national flag and what it symbolizes. Don't forget the Nigerian National Anthem and the power behind it. Don't forget the National Pledge and the sense of commitment it drives into you.

Fellow Nigerians, the time for true expression is now. it's time to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities around us. Now is the time; more than even to truly make a change. What's most important? It's time to make an impact.

God bless you. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Strength and Honor.

Don't Be Cool. BE YOURSELF!

2006-09-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
I trust you are having a great day and just in case yours has gone as planned, don’t be sad; be happy. It’s all part of the grand plan. It will turn around for good. My colleagues and I had a brainstorming session at the office yesterday where we had to come up with CSR ideas for a prospect. In the course of the session, someone said something that may have appeared not to fly but when thought about critically made a whole lot of sense. I just had to develop it. I know it will help a whole lot of people. Ok by now you are on the edge and really wanting to know what it is that was said. Ok., Hey… ‘Don’t be cool, be yourself’.

Yep, That’s it - Don’t be cool. Be yourself.

Have you ever been in a place where you find yourself struggling to fit in? Have you for any reason being tempted do something (dress, eat, walk, talk or behave) in a particular way, so that other will think you are ‘cool’? Most times our desire for acceptance drives us to a point where we deny our true selves.

I have met people who told me they smoked ‘cos they felt smoking was cool without even thinking about the health implications of smoking. Someone even said ‘Oh all my friends smoke and I don’t want to be left out.’ Guess what? I think that’s a cheap way of saying ‘hey I have no identity…I have no value; throw anything at me and I will take it.’ But do you know that how you see yourself is more important than how others see you.

Do you know that you are beautiful as you are? Do you know that you don’t have to pick up vices just because someone else thinks it’s cool? Do you know that it’s more honorable to be yourself than to have the reputation of being ‘cool’? Truth is, it’s easy to live after the world’s opinion in the sight of the world. It’s also easy to be your true self in times when you are alone, but guess what?

The person with honor is the one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of his personality.

Be whoever and whatever you are without shame.

Being yourself doesn't mean you are inferior. It only means you have a high sense of personal value. No one has a right to make you feel inferior. You are not inferior.

If you are ‘big’ and people call you fat…don’t get upset and look at yourself as horrible. I’m here to tell you that you’ve got the perfect size, shape and height.

If you’re short or have a small figure and girls wouldn’t date youu cos you’re short, too bad for them, they just missed out on a dynamite. Anyone bigger than you is too big. Anyone slimmer than you is too slim. Anyone taller than you is too tall. Anyone shorter than you is too short. You know why? ‘Cos you’ve got the perfect size, height and shape. You’re beautiful as you are.

Heeeeeey...you're smiling now, aren't you 8).

Mission Accomplished!

Don’t be ‘cool’. Be yourself.

Strength and Honor

Your Dog Can Teach You

2006-09-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny how much we can learn from dogs? Who says dogs aren't lovely? Get a Retriever (Labrador, Golden or Flat Coated) and you will know how lovely and honest dogs are. A friend sent the following piece. I hope you like it & learn something from it.

IF DOGS trained people, we’d learn stuff like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them

• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy

• Take naps and stretch before rising

• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do

• No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends

• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk

• Be loyal

• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it

• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Dont Give Up

2006-09-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

I wrote this short piece three years ago. Someone might just need to read it now.

There are days when you face extremely tough situations. Days when your strength is weak and your visibility is deem. Days you feel life must be an error. You seek to weep but the tears holdback. Days you just want to give up but you know you afford to.

Hmmm! Dark days.

Yet in the darkness of those days, lies an element of light.

Life is a journey. You’re only driving through the tunnel. There’s light at the end.

Though the jewel you seek lies in the dark and deep; the darkest of all deeps; and life’s beautiful playground is turned into Pearle Harbor, you just must STAND FIRM.

YOU MUST NOT GIVE UP, NEITHER SHOULD WE GIVE IN; so that your Faith in who you are may find expression.

You were made to excel; an express image of excellence - that's You; built to win; raised to lead.

If all else fails, your Faith must not fail. It’s what you need to pull through.

Whatever the situation, it’s only a period…It Will Pass!

Your challenge never leaves you where it met you. It will either move you forward or move you backward. It’s up to you to decide which direction it takes you.

Victory belongs to those who believe in it….those who believe hard enough.

It’s all in your mind

2006-09-18T03:27:00.000-07:00

A little over a decade ago, I heard a line from a movie that literally opened my thoughts about how powerful the mind is and how if functions. Over and over again people have written about the power of the human mind. That line for a long time influenced the way and manner in which I manage challenges. Although I cannot remember what movie it was, I remember very clearly the words in the line. They were the words of a teacher who had a group of special students and in one of his sessions with them said, ‘Your Mind is Your Power House.’

Take a minute to digest that line. Say it to yourself. Whisper it to yourself…‘My mind is my power house.’

True it is. Everything you accomplish or fail to accomplish starts as a seed in your mind. Your success or failure at that project, examination, or whatever pursuit it might be, depends strongly on how your mind is set. If your mind is set to succeed, you will succeed. It is said that whatever the human mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Your capacity to hit your target lies in the way your mind is set or made up.

Let’s use the sniper as a quick example. Once the sniper locks his target within his shooting range through his lens, there is very little that can be done to make him miss his target. That’s the same way the human mind works.

Once you have your mind set on a goal and you ignore all forms of distractions, you surely will hit your target.

Success, wealth, abundance, health, poverty, fear, shyness, e.t.c are all products of a mindset.

Adenike Oke was right when she said, “there is nothing as powerful as a made up mind.”
Strength and Honour

Meditation - Speaking Your Thoughts

2006-09-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Again, I was inspired to share my thoughts on this topic after reading Deolu Akinyemi’s thoughts.

For so long the prevailing thought was that all you do when you meditate is simply slide into a state of silence. Well, I’ve found out that this is not totally true. It is true only to the point where you process thoughts but you do not release them as words.

I have discovered that meditation is never complete without muttering or speaking softly that which you truly believe, are motivated by or hope for. When you mediate, you release words; words that come from the depth of your heart; words that reflect your thought process; words capable of changing any situation; words of Power – the dynamic ability to cause change.
Now, if it is true that we speak from the abundance of our heart and that our words are a reflection of our thoughts, then, the law of attraction must be very true. The law of attraction states that we attract whatever we consistently think about and repel what we give less thought to.

Put differently, YOUR THOUGHTS + YOUR WORDS = YOUR REALITY. Your Life takes the shape of your thoughts and words. You cannot separate a man from his words. Neither can you separate a man’s words from his thoughts. As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.

God demonstrated mediation at creation. The bible records that the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the earth (God processed HIS thought) and at the point of fullness, HE released HIS thought (HE spoke). God spoke and that which was spoken became reality.

Meditation works. It sure does.

Imagine investing 15 minutes of your day meditating. I discovered the power of meditation in early 2003 and it practically fired me to the top. I moved from minimum to maximum. from scoring 17% to 71% (I will write about this some other time). I practically changed the course of my life through meditation. Meditation works. It does.

Remember ‘…ye shall have what ye say.’ Therefore, whatsoever is true*; whatsoever things are pure; whatsoever is of good report; whatsoever is honorable; whatsoever gladdens the heart; whatsoever makes you full of joy, meditate on it.

Visit Deolu's site there is a lot to learn from him.

Thanks for reading through.

Strength & Honour
Debo
*There is a difference between truth and fact.

Know Yourself

2006-09-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

Perhaps, one of the most important and life changing lessons I have learnt in my stay on earth is that of 'self discovery'.

I realized that if it is true that Knowledge is power, then the foundation or the key to the acquisition of knowledge is self-discovery.

As a child I once heard one of my Father's friends say that 'the best thing that can ever happen to anyone is for them to discover themselves at a very early age.' True! Knowing oneself means coming into a place of awareness. This happens at different levels.

The most level is what in ancient Greek is referred to as *'Epigynosko' - A kind of knowledge or a state of being that depicts full/participatory awareness. At this level, there is no shade of uncertainty. You know who you truly are. For example, a child born into royalty may not really know his true status and thus may display contrary behavioral patterns.

However, the moment it dawns on him that he is royalty, his thinking changes. The change in his thought process will influence is behavioral pattern.

Self-discovery is a process. Moreover, like every natural process, such as growth or growing up, self-discovery takes time, comes with its own twists & turns and requires a conscious effort at recording ones behavioral patterns (including responses to challenges). I have reached a conclusion. One, which I heard is also shared by Oprah Winfery and that is ‘…People don’t change, they only grow into who they really are.’

Thanks for reading through.
Strength and Honour,
Debo.

*Epigynosko is only one of the three kinds of Knowledge

A Life oF Giving

2006-09-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

This topic is one of the topics I have been inspired by *Deolu Akinyemi to share my thoughts on. I hope you learn a thing or two from it.

''All HE had was 'one son'. He gave him up and today, HE has a large family.''

Several people have come up with several ways of explaining the act of giving. Here's what I think.

I believe that in order to unearth the treasures God has bequeathed to us, we must adopt his own principle for 'having'. In giving, lies the uncelebrated path of abundance.

I believe that the act of 'Giving' is a magnetic field that attracts abundance and repels lack. However, it is important to note that our giving must be constructive, sensible and must satisfy an objective (e.g. meeting a need). I’ll give just one example and allow you reach your conclusion. Jesus (The Christ) exemplified the lifestyle of giving. He gave sight to the blind; He gave hearing to the deaf and to the dumb, He gave speech. In addition, He gave food to the hungry (remember he fed over 5000 men? Women and children not counted.) and life to the dead (remember Lazarus?). He also gave peace to the troubled (remember the man possessed by a legion?). Jesus gave and gave and gave. He was a perpetual giver. He gave all to all. At a point he had to give Himself. He gave so much of Himself; He had to give Himself.

With that single act of giving Himself, he has attracted hundreds of millions of followers, fans, believers. I am one of them.

Look at it this way; because one man gave his life, hundreds of millions of us, have ours.

My conclusion? Simple...'A Life of giving is a life of meaning'. What's your conclusion?

Thanks for reading through.

Strength and Honour,

Debo

*Deolu Akinyemi - www.deoluakinyemi.com