If today was your last!
“People living deeply have no fear of death” - Anais Nin
This is scary territory, I commend your courage for reading further, but pause a bit and think deeply about it. You went for a medical check up today, and your doctor decided to confide in you, you have the whole of today and no more, by 12 midnight today, your breath will literally cease! The question for you today is what would you wish you had done?
Many of us spend so much time chasing the wind, we never pause long enough to smell the roses. Many of us have forgotten the priviledge of smell, of touch, of sight, sound, feelings, love, care, hope and life. What would you look back and wish you had spent more time doing? What will you regret you have done? If you have a long list of to do’s, I put it to you, you are not living life deeply. Believe me, you need to! (more…)
This post was read by 642 people until now.Before you make that move
“One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” Andre Gide
We had a mentorship session on Saturday the 25th of November. It was a really good time, we had lots of fun and we were able to be of help -’Gbenga Sesan and Myself. It was a bit dissappointing that some people who by requesting for seats ahead had caused others to be turned back from this session did not show up. I guess this further confirms that people will most likely only put their mouth where there cash already is committed.
Nevertheless, it was a rich and good session, and the common theme of the day was transition. It so happened that many people were contemplating making a move, and the gathering became an opportunity for people to ask questions and share experiences. At the end of the day knowledge was evenned across the room. You might be considering making a move, transitioning from where you are into where you feel you ought to be. You may be a bit confused, “should I, should I not?”, you may feel a little nervours, a little unsure of how secure the move is, you may suddenly discover you are afraid. Don’t worry, it’s not a road that hasn’t been travelled before. There are guidelines. Don’t learn from your own experience. Read this. (more…)
This post was read by 1023 people until now.Second Step to Abundance
Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.- Jesus Christ (John 12: 24)
I have been ruminating over this thought now for some days, and the more I think of it, the more it strikes me. Your seed will remain a seed and no more until it is put to use. What is your seed? Your seed is anything you have on the inside of you that has the capacity to produce much more. Your seed is that idea you have, that potential you have, that small cash you have, that skill that you have, that opportunity, that is your seed. What particularly interests me is the fact that until it is put into the earth, until it is utilized within this realm, it remains alone, a seed and no more. So why is your seed lying around? (more…)
This post was read by 811 people until now.Is this You? Can’t it be?
This first time I saw this picture, I was tempted to post an article about it, but I refrained, somehow in my mind, its time had not yet come. I decided to allow time and thought to pass over it, to ponder what could be the reasons, stories or excuses behind this event.
I used this picture in a seminar I spoke in last week, and the immediate response after understanding the picture was laughter. I went on to ask them if they were not laughing at themselves. What had the owner of this slippers done wrong? (more…)
This post was read by 2520 people until now.Stand Out from the Crowd
The 180 degrees seminar in OOU went very well. 11 of us left from Lagos (9 of us as part of Generis Solutions) as part of the planning committee for this event. Pat Utomi also came in with his convoy during the seminar. The programme was anchored by Image consultant, Lolu Mogaji. Speakers were Pat Utomi, ‘Gbenga Sesan and my humble self. The none verbalized theme for the day was standing out of the crowd.
That crowded picuture garnished with the title “is this fair?” has been challenging my thoughts, inspiring me while being a source of concern in the past few days. While as a nation we mourn for air disasters, this teeming crowd of people queuing for the opportunity to sit test for a job opportunity beats the disaster of an aircrash. These are Nigeria’s current leaders straining for scarce resources while being surrounded by abundance. How can young children be fighting for a drop of water in a cup while the rain pours around them? I have asked myself how come majority of the people who have struggled hard to get a degree come out of the higher institutions blinded. Can it be that everybody is looking in the same direction? Must we all look endlessly for Jobs? And while we wait, must we stay idle and become TV addicts? (more…)
This post was read by 930 people until now.Interview with Temi Adedoyin
[15:52:54] Adeolu Akinyemi says: Temi, Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
[15:53:23] Adeolu Akinyemi says: Your background and present circumstances?
[16:00:38] Temi says: I am Temi Adedoyin. I reside in London Ontario in Canada where I work as a Project Coordinator for a research study on Mental Health. I am also finishing up my Masters in Public Health at Lakehead University here in Canada. I attended my Primary and Secondary Schools in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria and then moved back to Canada to attend University.
[16:01:39] Temi says: I moved to Canada about 8 years ago and have since completed my first degree, about to finish my second. After my Masters degree, I intend to do further work in the Health field, particularly Health Promotion with a focus on International Health
[16:03:42] Adeolu Akinyemi says: Good, can you give me an idea what your aspirations are?
(more…)
Overcoming Inertia 3
Here are some practical steps you can take to kill your fears and move!
Dream
Albert Einstein is quotes as saying that imagination is better than knowledge. I quite agree. Agreeing that fear is false evidence appearing real, knowledge would have been sufficient to cure fear, imagination is however even more powerful. This means that even when there is no knowledge to support what you want to do, imagination is available. Facts are good to go by, don’t get me wrong, but don’t limit yourself by them. Read extensively about your desire, but don’t be limited by facts. Facts are the results of the perceptions of authorities on particular subjects. Try on a few of these for size…they were sufficient then to create reasonable fears.
“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.” (Drillers
whom Edwin L Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil, 1859.)
“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.” (Irving Fisher, Economics professor, Yale University, 1929.)
“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value”. (Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.)
“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” (Charles H Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899.)
“Computers in the future will weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” (Popular Mechanics, forecasting advance of science, 1949.)
“I think there’s a world market for maybe five computers.” (Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.)
“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out the year.” (Editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957.)
“But what is it good for?” (Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, commenting on the micro chip, 1968)
“There is no reason why anyone would want to have a computer in their home.” (Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp, 1977.)
“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” (Bill Gates of Microsoft, 1981.)
The future they say belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Every thing you see in the world today first existed in someone’s mind. Activate your imagination, visualize your desired end. Do you want to loose weight, then put a picture of someone you admire around you, you want to live a particular kind of lifestyle? Cut some pictures and put them around you. Business? Write a huge Cheque and keep it where you can see it, or write your goals in your diary. Whatever you do, help yourself to keep the future in focus.
Be Deaf to Noisy Negatives
Uninformed people are usually the most vocal in sabotaging your dreams and desires. Tune out noise! The clarity of any communication channel is in its design to eliminate or reduce noise. If most of the successful people you knew listened to any of the negative comments said about them, fear would have prevailed and courage silenced. Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s action despite fear. It’s not reckoning with fear. Einstein was told he was a dullard too many times, Walt Disney was fired for not having good ideas, Thomas Edison was classified as having ADS. Don’t listen to the negative noise of those that surround you, tune them out! Choose to believe great things about yourself.
Meditate
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to energize yourself by telling yourself
positive things. Do you talk to yourself? If you do without knowing, it can be called insanity, but if you consciously mutter to yourself, you and on your way to living above fear. The human mind is like a slate (or paper for you young ones :)), it manifests in time what was written on it. The avenues to write on the mind are many, the senses feed he mind- sight, sound, feeling, smell, taste. While you don’t have ultimate control to any of the gates to the mind, you can take charge of what you control. One good way to get your mind geared to deliver against fear is to feed it consciously with positive words. The word meditation comes from a Greek word pronounced hawgaw…it means to mutter with emotions. It’s one of the time tested ways of energizing yourself. There is no vacuum in reality, if you tune out negative you must put positive, else negative will return with full force.
Network
It is popularly said, that you are the same person you were 5yrs ago but for the books you have read and the people that you have met. There is tremendous potential in keeping the right associations. If you want to do something, move with people who have made those decisions successfully or who have similar goals. If it’s public speaking, associate with speakers, listen to speakers. If it’s a business, choose appropriate mentors. Whatever it is, position your associations for it, not against it. Join a writers club, join a blogger’s network, Join an investment club, join an entrepreneurship network. Associate with people with a positive attitude and similar interests. If you don’t choose your friends, circumstances will surround you with losers. Remembers weeds are the only crops that don’t need planting 
Just Do it
This requires no explanations…Just wake up and start, make up your mind. Give yourself a 30 day trial
Overcoming Inertia 2
Based on a comment I recieved on the intial article posted on overcoming inertia, I have decided to write a series that should further throw more light on the issue, and have the effect of helping people dare!
The best definition of unnecessary fear I have ever heard is the one that spells it out
F.E.A.R - False Evidence Appearing Real!
This means that any fear that stops you from daring is actually caused by something you think can happen that might not happen, something you fear is real but is actually false. In this article, I’ll try to address some general issues, and give some tips on how one can overcome inertia.
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make and manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”-Authors Details: Marianne Williamson
Popularly attributed to Mandela’s inaugural speech.
Fear of heights
I remember the first time I had to walk over a footbridge in Lagos. If there is a word stronger than fear - I was petrified! Perhaps mortified! I clung hard to the sides of my uncle, I couldn’t imagine walking across with my eyes opened. I believed so strongly that the foot bridge would give way and send me into the express beneath. How I loved life
This is a fear you perhaps never had, but it’s a basic one. A classical example of False
Evidence Appearing Real. I walked over the same bridge more than 100 times after that first time. What helped to overcome the fear? The basic things that will help you in any
circumstance. The things you thought about the first time will always be possible, but you’ll make up your mind that it will not wait for you to climb before it happens. You’ll convince yourself of the facts of physics and you’ll trust the builders. You’ll just do it the first time, and by the time you are walking there the third, fourth time, it’s normal. The bridge will not change, the realities will not change, but you will.
Fear of Starting your own business
Fear of resigning to start your own business. Yeah, this is a potent fear. The fear that glues you to work you don’t enjoy, the fear that keeps you going back with no motivation. This is a real fear, whether we admit it or not. It also has within it the elements of the fear of failure. The questions underneath this fear come in different forms. Are you ready? Can you stand on your own? What will you be eating? Do you have enough money to survive for 3 months? What about people more skilled than you? What are my chances? Is this environment conducive for business? The list of questions as of excuses are without limit. And they are real. But just like the fear of heights, the only thing that needs to change is in you. No matter how well argued your points are, there are too many people succeeding in business today who don’t know half of what you are sure of.
Fear of public speaking
This is reputed to be the greatest fear in the world. Seconded by the fear of death. In literal terms it means the guy giving the farewell speech in a burial ceremony would rather be the one in the coffin The fear of public speaking is a real fear. It’s the reason why someone is an extrovert at home and an introvert out of home.
The easy cure for the fear of public speaking though is “to be afraid and still speak”. The little butterfly tingle in your stomach might be there to stay, the first experiences you’ll have will not make matters better, but if you desire to be a successful speaker confidence grows with action. You’ve go to just simply freaking do it!
It helps to join a speaker’s forum, like toastmasters, Fela’s speakers’ corner, Niyi Adesanya’s Speakers forum or 180 degrees volunteer team, whatever- Joining a group that gives you speaking opportunities helps. I have spoken in so many places for so long, that what I think about is not fear, but impact! It didn’t start today, I started speaking really early -Debates, Drama’s, Memory Verses, e.t.c. These are good places to start early.
This post was read by 305 people until now.Experience
“Experience is what you get after you needed it most” -Unknown
One of the most inspiring statements I have heard about the use of the past is this, “Learn the lessons and forget the details”. I have also heard things like, “Experience is the best teacher”, “Experience is a costly teacher, but a fool will learn by no other” and statements like, “it’s the experience and wisdom of others that the old man uses to pose as wise”. These are all statements that in their own ways place value on experience.
There are three principles that govern the study of history.
1. Things are the way they are, because they got that way.
2. Those that don’t know history are destined to repeat it.
3. Not knowing the things that happened before you were born, makes you forever a child.
History, experience or the past, holds a well of knowledge. The past is past, but the past must leave the present better, else the past is likely to be repeated. We must decide to learn from our experiences, to improve ourselves and the world around us based on what we have been through.
A fundamental difference between school and life is that in school, the test comes after the lesson, but in life, the lessons come after the test.
In school we pass or fail the test, in life we succeed or gain experience, we never fail!
In this day and age, where every employer wants to recruit experienced people, where investors want experienced business men, we must take our lives a bit more seriously. We must venture more, try more, do more, and learn as we grow. Expand your horizons, a man who has the same view of the world as he did 20yrs ago, has wasted 20yrs of his life. Experience is not experience because we were paid for it, experience is experience because we did it.
He that grabs a cat by the tail, learns a lesson he can learn no other way. - Mark Twain
Don’t let fear rob you of choice experiences, to try and not succeed places you far above those timid souls who know neither success nor failure because they never tried. Step into the shoes of successful people ahead of you. Step into the shoes of Thomas Edison, the father of Electricity, who discovered 1000+ ways of not making light bulb. Step into the shoes of Thomas Watson (MD-IBM) who said,” to increase my success rate, I double my failure rate.” Step into the shoes of Micheal Jordan, who said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Experience is not what happens to a man, it’s what a man does with what happens to him. - Aldous Huxley
This post was read by 166 people until now.Fear Factor
It was high counsel that I once heard given to a young person: Always do what you are afraid to do. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom - Bertrand Russell
I’ve once mentioned my adventurous childhood. I remember on one occassion, try as I can, I will never forget! On that fateful day, for reasons I cannot remember, I went further into a forest than I would normally venture. There was a path in the forest, so it gave some comfort, at least I wasn’t charting new terrains, someone had come this way before. My curiousity led me on. After I had walked for what seemed like 1 hour then, I decided to take shade in a nearby tree, catch my breathe, wait for a while and then continue my curious search. I bent down to take a sit, when my eyes caught a glimpse just 300 meters from me. A Lion!!!
I literally felt my breathe leave me. It was looking wild and hungry, my heart raced so fast my legs were numb. See, ahead of now, I had watched many movies, read many books and knew that Lions where not man’s best friend. Had I come to the end of my journey so soon? What will happen to my love for mathematics, my strenght in physics or my passion for public speaking? (of course i’m writing this means the journey didn’t end). I couldn’t stare eyeball to eyeball with the beast, my ears were performing at their peak as i wondered if I didn’t see what I saw of if it didn’t see me. As I stood there (withing 1second) my entire life passed before me, I wished myself away, wished I could dissappear of fly. Things happened to quickly, before I knew what, I could hear the king of the jungle move. I took off, but could hear it closing in much faster, I tripped, I fell, I rolled off and wanted to leap again, but was stopped by a sharp pain on my feet as it collided with the ladder on my bed. Whew…it was a dream. I could still feel my adrenalin raising. That seemed like a close shave. I experienced the height of fear, and was extremely glad it was a dream.
There are largely two kinds of fear.
1. The natural fear. This is the fear that is deposited in our make up to keep us alive. This is the fear that causes extra dozes of adrenaline to pour into our system when we need to bail. It’s the fear things that have the direct capacity to hurt or harm. It’s the fear that allows the hunter to know when to run, and when to stay. It’s the fear we are trained with, small dozes of this fear is good for preservation.
2. The second is abnormal fear. It’s a fear that is developed from anticipating things that we are not certain will happen. It’s the fear that keeps most of mankind average while a few souls succeed. It’s the fear that makes you pause when you should move. It’s the fear that makes you timid when you should be bold. The absolute assurance that things can go bad. This is the fear that inhibits courage, that makes you not to dare, that stops you in your tracks. This is the fear that stops you from trying.
Remember, you will fail 100% at everything you don’t try. All the discoveries and creations of man are in the conquest of fear. Courage made Ferdinand Magelan venture to see if the world was truely a cupboid and if there was an edge. Lack of fear made philosophers ask questions that have led us to greater truth. Napoleon says, he who fears being conquered is sure of defeat. Our fears are spirits which have the capacity to bring what we fear to pass in our lives.
What is your fear? Face it! Our greatest fears are our greatest limitations. Your boss is human, your future is bright, you have worth. Conquer your fear, for that which you fear will ultimately happen. Are you afraid of something? The way to triumph is to tackle it headlong, look for an action that kills the fear, and do it. Fear kills more and faster than death. Fear of the extremes limits. Set yourself free!
Post your comments, Let’s if this is helpful…Adeolu Akinyemi
