Category Archives: Happiness

Adeolu Akinyemi
December 19, 2010

So Much to be Grateful For


It’s 12:54am, 20th December, 2010. The year is coming close to an end, and it feels like just a few days ago that we said happy new year! The year has been quite eventful, we’ve made new friends, learnt new things, ventured into new opportunities and journeyed through varied experiences. There have been tough times, challenging seasons and great moments! There have been thoughts that crossed my mind, that I deliberately shut out, and there have been experiences I have savored way beyond the moment. He that thinks, thanks! I don’t know about you, but as I think about the last one week, and I think about the last 11 months, my heart wells up with gratitude, my face is flushed and my eyes teary. I’ve not had it all smooth, but there is so so much to be grateful for!

Can you think back and consciously find reasons to be grateful? Has it been worth it? You have a choice how you see the cup of your life. Half empty or half full is simply a game of perspectives. A failed attempt can be seen as one more way not to do it, or it can be seen as the basis for defining the time as wasted. Thinking back daily, weekly, monthly and yearly, there is so much to be grateful for.

Please count your blessings with me. Permit me to start from the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

1. Biological and Physiological Needs

For the basic needs of life – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex and sleep, I am truly grateful. Those who have been denied of many of these are not worse in character or less than human. Some are on constant oxygen supply, many find it difficult to feed, many thirst and many do not have places to stay. To refuse to think that we are privileged is to take things for granted. I am grateful. Can you remember anything to grateful for?

2. Safety Needs

For the Safety needs of life -security, protection, order, law, limits, stability, e.t.c. I am truly grateful. My family and loved ones have been kept from harm. Financially, health-wise and physically, we have enjoyed security, we have traveled far and wide and have been kept safe and sound. Some are unsafe and insecure, we are not better than them. For these and other blessings, I am truly grateful. Can you remember safety needs met, to be grateful for?

3. Love and Belonging Needs

For my love needs in  life – family, affection, work group and relationships brought into my life, I am grateful! Nothing beats the chorus of “daddy”, “daddy”, “daddy”, when I get home, as my children compete for their hugs. Nothing beats hanging out with my wife for more than 14hrs everyday. Nothing compares with the A2W team, that surround me, and the relationships that this year has brought my way. In the area of love and a sense of belonging, I have a lot to be grateful for. What about you?

4. Esteem Needs

For the sense of worth and achievement bestowed on me in the course of this year, I am grateful. I am grateful for the awards, grateful for the achievements, the responsibility, the reputation and even the status bestowed on me. In the area of esteem needs, there is a lot to be grateful for. I am grateful, how about you? Mind you though, we are each motivated by the level we don’t yet have, so in case you have no esteem needs, be grateful that you have little or nothing to worry about.

5. Cognitive Needs

I am grateful for the hunger for knowledge that has driven me to read, to seek to know and to have a sense of meaning and of purpose. We talk so boldly and take it for granted, we have a sense of purpose, are driven to read and don’t see it as a big deal. There is so much to be grateful for, are you grateful?

6. Aesthetic Needs

For my personal growth and an increased appreciation of beauty, of balance and of form, I am truly grateful. I have been blessed with awesome sights, been thrilled by adrenalin pumping exercises. I have vacationed in different parts of the world, and enjoyed so many views, for these and more I am grateful. Do you now have reasons to be grateful?

7. Self Actualization Needs

For giving me the opportunities and the privileges to push myself towards achieving my God given potentials, I am grateful. I look at myself a year back, and I have learnt so much, and grown so fast it amazes me. “God, I am thankful”

8. Transcendence Needs

Nothing beats the feeling of hearing a “thank you” from someone you have labored to add value to and ensure turns out better than you. There is no greater joy than the joy that comes from pouring out yourself for others. Nothing equates with that feeling of rising to the height of ones personal potential and helping another person take the same journey. For the opportunities you have given me to help others become fulfilled, I am truly grateful. Are you grateful?

Make up your mind to enter into the new year with gratitude. If we think deeply enough, we can always find 5 things everyday to be grateful for. Once you can retain the attitude of gratitude, there is nothing big heading your way that will miss you. You will suddenly discover that you have become like a magnet for the things you desire.

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Adeolu Akinyemi
November 4, 2009

What is Your Story?


What you are about to read is a piece from a new friend and sister of mine. She has been reading from this site for a while, and one day gathered herself and contacted me. Like many of you, she felt that what I was writing was for her, and that rather than let her life pass one second at a time, she needed to get herself involved in the things she truly enjoys.  She lives over 10hours away from where I live, so meeting was difficult, but somehow we met – thanks to Holidays and Cash.

After our brief meeting that had so many other people around, we communicated again on phone once and talked about what she was doing and what she would really love to do.  I encouraged her to start her blog, and to give herself an opportunity to do what she really wants to do. I counselled her to document her progress, take pictures and really take in the feeling evoked from following her passion and heart. She decided to spend her time at an orphanage, and the piece she wrote when she came back blew my mind. Amazing things can happen when people grow in their soil. Have an exciting read. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
December 17, 2008

The Why of Wealth


There are days (a lot of days these days) when I lie down and ask myself what is really the most important thing in life. What really is worth one’s energies? Is it pleasure? Money? Impact? Wisdom? “ki la n le gan gan?” I have analysed it from a philosophical point of view, I have read the views of Aristotle – who rationalized from the need for pleasure, the desire for glory and the search for knowledge. Aristotle came to a point where according to him, the most important thing in life is the contemplative life. In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle analyzes the quest of all life falls on the planes of a search for pleasurable, political or contemplative. He analyzes that all life is lived for some higher purpose, he analyzes that we all pursue happiness, and the talk goes on asking about what truly brings happiness. I would never do justice to his book in one paragraph, if you are interested, you can get more thoughts on this here, trust me though, it’s not going to be an easy read for the average mind.

I have also studied the bible extensively about the answer to the same question-”What truely is the purpose of life?” What are we here to do, and what will bring the highest fulfillment. I read the thoughts of the experiential and experimental biblical philosopher in Bible – The King in Ecclestiastes. After living a life where he pursues all that man can pursue to gain happiness – women, wisdom, fame, projects, e.t.c. He came to a final conclusion that the whole purpose of man is to fear God and obey his commandments. In my own thoughts, I have come to find out as well, that the highest priority a man can pursue meaningfully on this earth is to serve God’s purpose and desire. This purpose differs from individual to individual, but in the final analysis, life is measured against a standard, and that standard is the original intention in the mind of God for that individual. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
January 13, 2008

Uzoamaka!


Names have meaning in Africa, real meanings. African’s don’t bear names like brown, white, stone and names without significance. Nigerian names in particular like Hebrew names have deep meanings. Some of them are prophetic names, names that carry an aura and have a confidence bolstering effect on the child that bears it. In challenging moments, a Nigerian child typically draws inspiration from his or her name. My name is Adeolu Akinyemi, that literally means the crown of God and one who should be courageous. Being the crown of God means that I will be seen and I will be heard, I will not just be seen, I will be seen together with the divine, it also means there is something about me that has to do with authority, I’m a symbol of leadership e.t.c. Don’t you just want to name your child Adeolu? LOL.

Uzoamaka on the other hand, is my daughters Ibo name. It means the road is beautiful or may the road be smooth or good. It’s not a name that speaks for her alone, it’s name that speaks of us her parents as well. One word I can say most clearly describes my experience in the course of championing the course of the New Nigeria Club is Uzoamaka, the road has been smooth. The buy-in from reputable Nigerians has been phenomenal. The response from corporate organizations has been stunning and from intelligent people, awesome. The high point in my day today for example, was seeing Mrs Oby Ezekwesili (the VP of the World Bank and former honorable Minister of Education) from a distance, and wondering how to meet with her, wondering if she’ll remember me from the last time I saw her over 5 months ago. As fate would have it, we coincidentally met outside the building of the event, and I approached her. Her response shocked me and still stuns me as I write. She turned to me, shook my hands with pride and excitement and said, “wow, look at this young man, how is the New Nigeria Club initiative going?” I was shocked that she not only remembers me, but knows what we are currently working on. This is a woman I respect so much, hold in high esteem, and we had gotten a recommendation from Prof Pat Utomi to approach. She was aware, excited and only needed updates about NNC. The road is indeed smooth. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
December 31, 2006

Gratitude Attracts


Just this morning, I was opportuned to teach some teenagers about cultivating an attitude of gratitude. I think the best way to end the year is to be grateful, both for the things that were great, and the things that didn’t appear so great.

Why do you or I need to be grateful you might ask?  Well, why shouldn’t you, when there are so many reasons to be? Being alive, for one, is a good reason to be grateful.

It’s easy to be grateful for the things that go well and were expected to, but we also need to be able to show gratitude for things that didn’t go as planned. Why? Because the universe works in an interesting way. The attitude of gratitude, draws abundance and supply towards you, while the attitude of complain and ingratitude pushes away abundance and supply away from you. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
December 29, 2006

10 things I learnt this year


This year has been a great year for me, I have learnt more this year, than I have in the past years put together. I have grown and matured more this year, than all my years. It’s been wonderful for me. Don’t get me wrong this year surely had it’s rough and tough times, but each experience this year, has left me a better, more capable and wiser person. It’s really difficult for me to rank the things I have learnt this year, but I’m documenting the first ten that come to mind. Some of them may sound hard, don’t discard them because the student in you is not ready, or because you do not presently agree with them. File them away, time may tell. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
November 19, 2006

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? Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
July 18, 2006

Know thyself


“To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness.”– John Dewey

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”– Frederick Buechner

“The fact remains that the overwhelming majority of people who have become wealthy have become so thanks to work they found profoundly absorbing. The long term study of people who eventually became wealthy clearly reveals that their ‘luck’ arose from accidental dedication they had to an arena they enjoyed.”– Srully Blotnick

The Ancient Greek aphorism “Know thyself” (Greek: γνώθι σεαυτόν or gnothi seauton) was inscribed in golden letters at the lintel of the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

In order to understand the above statement well, it will be a good idea for me to shed a little light on some of the terms used in it.

Ancient Greek, this is a time in greek history, 1000 years before christianity. Historians are unaminous that the greek culture was the foundation of the western civilization.

Aphorisms, are concise statements of fact that were made as a result of experience. Axioms are similar statements that come from mere reason and require no proof, while aphorisms are developed based on experience. E.g “A stitch in time, saves nine”

Delphi, was known in ancient mythology to be the centre of the earth.

Temple of Apollo, This is believed to have the makings of an ancient university. Apollo was a god, who had strengths in poetry, medicine, and music. He was the most versatile and most skilled, in greek mythology, of the gods. In entering the Temple of Apollo, you come to interact with knowledge, the reason why you come in, is to know!

Now imagine you are at the entrance into the doors that lead to discovery, to knowledge and perhaps skill. What will you expect to see as a sign on the door? I’ll guess it will be a message telling you about the best attitude to have as a student, or an instruction that will help you make use of all you hear, won’t you? Interestingly, it is the aphorism -”Know thyself”

The first class in the school of knowledge is self awareness! If you don’t know who you are, and what you have, education is useless. The first thing you must know to be teachable is yourself. True education must be targeted first at personal discovery then personal development. “Know thyself!”

If you ever watched the blockburster -”Matrix”. There was a time when Neo had to go visit the oracle, to know if he was the one, to know what the future will be. Can you imagine the sign on the Oracles door? …….Yeah, you guessed right! “Know thyself” -Only it was writen in greek! The future responds only to those who have come to understand themselves. There is a stage for trial and error, typically it’s before you are 21! The Hebrews celebrate the 21st birthday as the age to announce your self discovery! It might be late for you, but it’s never too late until you are the late. “Know thyself”.

Your passions, your talents, your values and the things that give you a sense of destiny! You must know them. Help yourself and find help. There are many gates ahead that will lead into the worlds of your dreams, but the first criteria to enter is simple – “Know thyself”. It is the secret of happiness, it’s the source of true fulfillment. It’s the only way to enjoy your labor.

“Why do you spend … your labor for that which does not satisfy?”– Isaiah 55:1-2

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