Self-Motivation, Personal Growth and Entrepreneurship Development on DeoluAkinyemi.com

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure – Colin Powell US general (1937 – )

Are there secrets to success? Are there hidden things that if they were open to one could make one a millionaire, progress faster at work, win, lead e.t.c? Are there things that are known to the successful that are unknown to all else? There are currently about 2000 books on Amazon.com promising the secrets of success. Searching for these secrets have become the preoccupation of many… but do these secrets truly exist?

First let me establish a definition of success that goes down well with me. I believe that success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. Key words here are, progressive, realization, worthy and ideal. I believe that the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful is not essentially knowledge, neither is it talent, it’s action. Someone once said that successful people are people who make an habit of doing what failures hate to do. The essential difference is in doing.

Lately, a mother asked me a question that has gotten me thinking. I answered her on the spur of the moment back then, but I have taken time out to really think about it, and answer practicable ways. This will be the first article in a series on “Secrets to Success”. She asked me,  how have you been able to  get to what you are now,  what did you do? How  were you like growing up?  I saw in her eyes a strong desire for the best for her children.
Continue Reading »

There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.  ~William P. Merrill

Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~Henry David Thoreau

Music is powerful, and I guess by writing this, I’m going contrary to what Henry David Thoreau said about men not giving evidence in my opinion and life that I have heard it. I don’t know about you, but some songs have had such a strong influence on me, that I can write the story of my life, by mentioning the songs that were heavy on my heart at those times.

I remember a joke we used to share back then in our university days, about the emotional life of an average unprincipled fresh girl in university. It starts at home after her final exams… the predominant song in heart then is “I’ll see you when you get there… if you ever get there”. As soon as she enters part one, there is what they called “October Rush”, you seem to be the rave of the moment, with different guys dotting over you, there seems to be so much pressure on you and within your first semester your song is “Let’s wait a while…”, by second semester, you have caved in to pressure… and it’s “Last night… I saw the moon…”. Continue Reading »

“______________ is a great (or any good adjective) person, but ___________” – Adeolu Akinyemi

Before you read further, I’ll advice you to fill in the gaps above as sincerely as you can with your name. It’s a self assessment, and trust me, you owe it to yourself to be downright straightforward with yourself. Don’t use a not so bad but, search deeply into your habits, your character defects, your vices or whatever you are sure is strong enough to be a significant but. You should have found quite a number now, don’t stop at just one…:)

Let me shock you a bit. These buts that you have discovered about your life are going to eventually destroy you, if you let it grow unhindered. That might sound harsh, but let me quickly intimate you with why I know without a shadow of doubt that that “but” will destroy the lives of anyone that has it, and doesn’t deal with it. I’ll try to intimate you with the origin of but, and what we need to do about the buts in our lives. Continue Reading »

I’m currently very far away from home, so I have the privilege of doing this without my wife being able to see me and influence me against this…lol

Someone actually called me to congratulate me and stylishly inquire if my wife traveled with me to Dubai in my visit a little over a month ago, as far as he was concerned, the news of the delivery proved him right that I went alone. Well I didn’t, she was there with me, in Dubai, South Africa, and everywhere but silently behind the scene.

Maybe if I was at home writing this, a little flavor of flattery could score me some points, but I’m too far away for it to matter, so read what I’m about to say carefully, it’s the truth and it might indeed bless your life.

My very close friends have come to know something about me, that most of my ardent readers don’t. If you think I am a great guy, a wonderful person, a promising young man or anything close to an Angel, if you think well of me, even if slightly, then I must let you know this – After God, I owe most of it to my wife. She is a pillar of strength and reassurance. As the most influential human in my life, I have gotten so far, because she has made my life so uncomplicated. In case you are wondering how this young lady I saw 17yrs ago, asked to marry me 10yrs ago and finally led to the altar 4yrs ago has moved me forward… read on… Continue Reading »

I have had a really busy week and even today I’m just landing in benin enroute Abraka.I have a speaking engagement in Delsu.

Last week my wife delivered our baby Araoluwa.The weekend we had HR-MBA, Monday naming ceremony,Tuesday circumcision and today on the road.Its been hectic, but then it doesn’t get better. HR-MBA continues on Saturday and Sunday and off we go to Dubai to prepare for BIT – Billionaires In Training. I’m also working hard on the curriculum of our 90days business college and I have been able to secure a scholarship for 15 of the first 30 participants and I’m working to secure the others.Summarilly, life will be busy we only need to ensure that busy is enjoyable.(More…)

I have many things on my mind to share. As soon as I get access to internet on my laptop expect more from me. I’m just using this opportunity to say hi to my loved ones.

So guess the answer to the first question is yes.;)

“You are what you have fed” – Adeolu Akinyemi

When we were all born, we all had a clean slate. A clean state in terms of experiences, knowledge, and cravings. We had no idea of the meals we’ll love, nor the people we’ll be friendly with, nor the books we’ll read. We had a clean slate, then we started feeding.

As human beings we are a body, a soul and a spirit, the center peice of the human being is the soul. The soul is the sit of the human will, and takes instructions from the spirit or the body. The spirit is infinite while the body is limited. The cravings of the spirit are longterm oriented, while the cravings of the flesh are short term focused. The demands of the body are louder, the requests of the spirit man is with a still and small voice. The demands of the body are usually at logger heads with the demands of the human spirit, and these two are regularly at war.

Our eventual identity is the result of what we have fed. If you feed your flesh, your results will be limited to the limits of the flesh – corruption and decay. If you feed your spirit you will reap the limits of the spirit, which is infinite and eternal. You (ideally your soul) loses power to whichever of these two potential lords it feeds. Continue Reading »

I pledge to Nigeria my country
To be faithful, loyal and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength
To defend her unity and uphold her honor and glory
So help me God.

Read that again, and think about it this time.

Today is October 1, and “Live the Dream” was the seminar topic I was given to talk about today in the “dirty green white green” seminar. Today however took off on a fantastic note for me, as my wife and I were blessed with a bouncing baby boy – October 1, 2007 11:14am a bundle of joy was born. Trust me, I am really happy.

Someone once told me that there is thin line between hallucinating and being visionary. That he feels that some of the pronouncements he hears about the future of Nigeria, sounds like hallucinations to him. Is it really possible to have the Nigeria of our dreams, and indeed live our own dreams? Is it attainable or is it a pie in the sky? Will the current challenges facing us as a country ever become a thing of the past? Continue Reading »