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.

Written by Sophia Alale (sophiaalale@gmail.com)

What is your story?

It is often said that one thing people have in common, no matter their race, bank account or age, is time. Recently I discovered something else we all have in common; a story. Every experience you face in life, good or bad, is a story worth telling. Yesterday my friends’ and I visited an orphanage in Port Harcourt, and it was a life changing experience for all of us. It wasn’t my first time of visiting an orphanage, but the impact this visit had on me, will remain a story I will tell for a very long time.

It was a home filled with beautiful children of different ages, sex and ancestry who found themselves living together in a place that is now their home, under the watchful eyes of a keeper they all refer to as father and it doesn’t matter where anyone of them was picked from, in their hearts they see each other as brothers and sisters. Every child in that home had an amazing story; some of their stories would make a grown man weep, while some would only show you how wicked and callous a person can be. What struck me particularly was a little girl,  I will love to refer to as Sunshine -that had been blind from birth, she had to be led to the dining room, through the stairs, and even to a person just in case she wanted to say hello. Amazingly however, that child had the happiest smile I have ever seen in my life; everything seemed to excite her; my hair; my wrist watch; and the couch I sat on.

Little Miss Sunshine as I love to call her is trapped in a dark world, a world that cannot recognise colours, and closes its eyes to nature’s beauty. In her world you can’t tell if its day or night, cloudy or sunny, all you see is black, not grey; black. I wonder what thoughts go through her mind; does she imagine what her fingers look like? Does she long to see all the people behind the voices she hears?  She might never be able to tell the difference between blue and pink, she might never see a butterfly or admire the early morning sun; she might never see the full moon in its grandeur or the stars that twinkle in the bright blue sky.

Please don’t feel sorry for miss sunshine because in her darkness she has brought light to many hearts. Her smile opened my eyes to the beauty of life and all that God has so graciously given me.

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.

It is then safe to say, that all the resources, all the skills, all the talents, all the breathe that we have, is to be useful in whatever it is that God’s mandate for our lives are. It therefore means that we are given what we are given, not to own, not to spend, but to give. A man’s life does not consist of that which he possesses or that which he does not possess. A man’s life is measured by it’s contribution, by it’s sacrifice, by it’s giving. We do not have to amass, we are given to share and spread.

I once asked my wife a question, I think it is a question all who God will prosper must know to answer. I asked her, if all the money in the world were to suddenly leave every human being overnight and make it’s way into your bank account, what will you do with the money, and how will you ensure that money is in circulation again. She thought long and hard and said she didn’t think it would be wise to just distribute it. That she would rather find a way of creating a system where the people deserving of it and capable of getting it accross to the people deserving of it get it. Think about it, if this happens, ultimately, the money’s will still end up with the people who can be trusted with it. It will end up with the people who have value to add, and it will end up in the hands of those who will be mindful of the poor, the considerate of those who are in the situations they are without their choice.

Have you ever wondered why Bill Gates was the richest man in the world and also the greatest known giver to causes in the world? Have you ever wondered that as soon as Warren Buffet outgave Bill Gates by still giving to  Bill and Melinda Gate’s foundation he became the richest man in the world? Rather than create dollar rains that will make men the enemy of themselves, God decides to make it available to channels who will let it serve his purpose. The Bible says that if a man cannot be trusted with money, he has failed the test of being custodian of true riches. The money test, is a foundational and fundamental test.

A few weeks ago, it was brought back to my memory, that I need to give once again to the orphanage that I have come to see as closely linked to my financial prosperity. I remember that when I had nothing, I told God about my intention to sponsor an orphanage, I made this decision known to the manager, and in that same season, the doors openned. As much as one requires an open hand to recieve, it takes a willingness and commitment to keep the hands open for his resources to flow.

What we are willing to hold on to and not let go of defines our limits. You cannot be more than you are willing to lay down. Jesus earned the biggest name in the world, by laying down the most, and by taking the biggest plunge. God does not do things abitrarily, if God prospers a man, it’s because he has been found capable and it is required for the delivery of his assignment.

In this season as the year ends and you begin to evaluate how you have done, don’t measure yourself by what you have acquired and by how big your account is. Measure yourself rather by how much you have given, how much impact you have had, how many lives you have touched, what you have sacrificed, what you have contributed. Ask yourself, “What am I really chasing?”

In the year ahead, plan to be relevant, plan to support a dream, plan to give to a cause, plan to be a part of the new. Prepare to deliver the future. Trust me, your goals are likely to get the blessings of God if one of them reads for example – “To support an orphanage to the tune of N5,000,000″, than to say “To have a bank cash balance of N10,000,000″. May God give us the wisdom to understand and apply to true purpose of life, and the true why of wealth.

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.

Her handshake, smile and few words of confidence and excitement about the New Nigeria Club are positive reinforcement enough to drive things to to the limits of my abilities. It’s not only the generation of our children that expects much from us, even the generations of our parents have hope in us. We are not the leaders of tomorrow we are the leaders of the future. We are the ones who will take Nigeria into it’s enviable future.

Every time it occurs to me, that every company we have met till date, every leader we have spoken to, everybody who’s input mattered has responded to us in the affirmative. Increasingly I’m seeing that what we need from the people that see the future is not their money, but their endorsement. I remember the day we went to meet with Prof. Pat Utomi, his swift understanding of our system and his immediate action backed support dazzled me. He said two things I remember vividly… this is an idea whose time has come, and the only reward for hard work, is more work. The more I think about it, the more I see that the road has been smooth, God has been good.

For everyone who has dared to embrace the New Nigeria dream, and joined the New Nigeria Club, I have one prayer for you. Uzoamaka! May your journey be easy, may things work for you. May you encounter favor in alarming dozes, may kings rise up to support you and queens volunteer to nurse you. May your light shine beyond where you are visiby present. May it be well with you! There is a divine grace on what we have set out to achieve together, the creation of a New Nigeria is an effort backed up by God. May this grace, reach your career, your business and your future!

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.

It amazes me, when I hear business researchers say that the same circumstances that make some businesses successful is what makes others fail. In the “good to great” research, it was discovered that the companies that made the good to great transition believed that the circumstances around them made them lucky, while on speaking with the comparism companies the same circumstances were sited as basis for their ill luck. This sounds funny, but reality is this – If the spectacle with which you see the world is tinted by gratitude, you will see opportunites where others see challenges. All things, good or bad, will work together for your ultimate good, and you’ll be able to be joyous in all things, and give thanks whatever happens. By being grateful, immediate (even negative) situations begin to align to favour you.

Whatever it is you are going through, doing the following things will help you cultivate the attitude of gratitude that will bring all good things your way.

1. Gratitude must emanate from your lips daily and regularly – Make up your mind to always be joyful. This will not happen naturally, getting sad, angry or even frustrated about any situation makes it difficult to switch genuine gratitude on, but if you deliberately do, the feelings of anger and frustration will move away and you’ll suddenly have a clearer perspective.

2. Look on the bright side – No matter how thin we cut a situation, it always has two sides. There are always at least 2 angles to look at any situation from – Always! Choose to look on the bright side. Choose to look at negative events with a perspective that makes it look like in your favour. For example, if you had an accident, take a perspective that says, it was good this happened, because if it didn’t, something terrible might have happened ahead that I wouldn’t have handled so well. Don’t go through life looking for excuses for what you are personally responsible for, but if things go different from how you have planned, look on the bright side.

3. Focus on the end no matter what – You are on a journey. You are destined for your dreams. Looking at life this way, makes you see everyday as a portion of your journey. Everything that happens to you happens to move you forward, you end is non negotiable, the destination is certain, but the journey undefined. Enjoy every step of the journey by maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Don’t whine and complain, celebrate!

4. Align yourself with the Sovereign – Know that no matter what happens on earth, there is a God that rules and reigns in the affairs of men. It’s foolishness to think that the earth banged into existence when even your breakfast needs concious activity. Align yourself with the fact that the universe is governed, humble yourself under the desires of the Sovereign God, know that everything is set to make you progress, and be truely grateful for the gift of every day.

On this note, I’ll like to say a big thank you to all who commented on this site this year, thank you! Your presence was felt and your comments gave me the necessary boost to continue. I’ll like to say a big thank you to the regular visitors, thank you! Knowing that you were reading has helped to make the write-ups as good as possible. I’ll like to say a big thank you to those who actually called, chatted, and to those that I met through this forum and have become my tight pals, you know you, thank you! I also am saying a big thank you to those who referred others to this site, I’ve gotten a lot of mails with the intro, “a friend for mine referred me to this site”, thank you! From less than a hundred thousand monthly hits in April to close to four hundered monthly hits in November, from obscurity to contender for most read site, its been a blast, it has been you! Thank you! Looking forward to a better and stronger relationship in the coming 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.

1. I have learnt that the most important opinion about the direction one’s life goes is shared by one’s self and one’s creator. If I get it right with these two, I really do not need to a second opinion. Any consultation that moves you in a different direction from what you have aligned is the right direction for you shouldn’t count.

2. I have learnt that when one moves confidently in the direction of one’s dreams and resolves not to take any detour, sooner than later, one gets lucky.

3. I have learnt that failure is an essential ingredient in the receipy of success. Until failure is encountered at times, the student in one is never ready. There is so much information that floods ones mind that are useless until one is ready.

4. I have learnt that when a man lacks a plan B, his energies and indeed all his faculties are focused at achieving plan A. More often than not, he/she achieves his dreams.

5. I have learnt that in business, a good network gets you the opportunity, while good skills keep you on the job. Who knows you and for what, is more important than what you know. I have learnt that new friendships are a sign of new possibilities.
6. I have learnt that the best business ideas are the ones that utilize the equivalent of 2 loaves and 5 fishes to feed 5000 people. A great business idea is one that one steps into without having to source for funds or skills. If you idea requires more than you have, check it, it’s not a creative idea, it’s a competitive.

7. I have learnt that the best time to be happy is now. I have learnt that it is not good to postpone my happiness, joy and excitement into a future I may not be in. I have learnt to be happy today. To do the things I love, and love the things I do.

8. I have learnt that consistency works wonders.

9. I have learnt that there is a sure way of becoming wealthy. That it is possible to teach someone principles that if he/she adheres to, can make the person rich with certainty.

10. I have learnt that patience is not inactivity, but that patience is not seeking alternative directions or quitting when it seems that what one is doing isn’t working. Patience is the ability to confidently continue what you know will work, modifying your approach as you go.

What is your most outstanding lesson this year, and what is your learning objective for next year?

A lot more lessons are available here

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?

1. He/she secured his/her cheap slippers with more expensive paddlock.

2. The slippers and the paddlock can be carried away (he/she should have chained it to the closest electric pole )

3. He/she was so concerned about the security of his/her cheap slippers. (Rather than the mentality of this is so cheap, who will steal it)

4. and many more…

Try matching them with these numbers..

(1) But tell me, aren’t you using >1/3 of your life to secure and maintain in a cheap job compared to the real value of your life? Aren’t you worth more than what you have locked down? (imagine u are the paddlock)
(2) Is it not also true that what you call security is only as secure as the pole to which it is tied or untied? Haven’t you come to terms that no matter where you are and what you do, life is a risk and by being overly security concious makes you riddiculous? Are there not some things you are protecting that if they really got stolen will not be so bad? Have we not become prisoners in our own mansions? (imagine you are the slippers)
(3) That job/opportunity/business that you are compromising your values and bending over backwards for, is it that important? Aren’t you paying too much a price (perhaps your soul) for the real worth of that experience? (imagine your opportunities as the slippers and the paddlock what you used to secure it)

(4) ….I think the solution to all this is a pursuit of happiness which breaks the yoke of fear. The motivation of all such mentality is fear, other things I believe are dependants. There is a small article I believe will set you free…

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” – Alfred D Souza

So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy…Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Work like you don’t need money, Love like you’ve never been hurt, And dance like no one’s watching. -Unknown (attributed to two authors)

“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 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

If you won $1 million today, what would you do? Will you resign from your present job?

Research says that over 80% of people in the US will resign from their present jobs, do you have an idea what the statistics of Nigeria will look like? The interesting thing is, if you will resign from your present job, then you are in real trouble.

It means you have gotten the order wrong! You are waiting to make all the money you need, to begin to do the things that you love. It sounds like a good thing to do, after all, ABBA sang, ” All the things I could do, if I had a little money”. So you are waiting to have more money, then you will live the life of your dreams. It reminds me of the story of a fisher man. This fisher man was visited by an consultant from town, and they decided to go fishing together. The fisher man worked for 4 hours, caught a lot of fish, and retired for the day. The consultant was shocked, and the following conversation ensued.

Consultant: Do you know that I can show you a way to make a lot more money by doing this same business?

Fisherman: Aha…really, but what will be the need of that?

Consultant: See, if you spend 4 extra hours, making 8hrs fishing, you’ll catch double this number of fishes, you’ll be able to feed your family, sell the rest, make more money, re-invest it into your business, continue again tomorrow and before long, you’ll have enough money to buy a ship!

Fisherman: What will I do with a Ship?

Consultant: You’ll be able to go to sea, catch a lot more fish, supply the cities, and make a lot more money.

Fisherman: Then what?…Smiling happilly

Consultant: Then when you have made a lot of money, you’ll retire back to your village, work for few hours and spend the evenning chilling with your friends.

Fisherman: But that’s exactly what I do now! Why do I have to waste my time going that long route?

AHa…I hope you got that. Happiness is not the result of working tirelessly to make ends meet, then going ahead to do the things you love. Happiness is about finding the things that you truely enjoy, and following it with a passion. Successful people will tell you that they don’t work, they simply have found ways of being paid for what they love. In the words of Dale Carnegie, success is about finding what you love, and getting someone to pay you for doing it.
So take the $1million test, and be honest with yourself, what will change about your lifestyle and career? Whatever will change, needs to be changed! Start working towards it!

Where are you rushing to? What’s the hurry? These are questions I have been asked growing up, at different times and occassions. I can vividly remember a time when an uncle brought it to my notice that I was eating with close to the speed of light, talking like I had hot coals on my tongue, certainly I must be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Growing up however, I have discovered that there are things that can be rushed, and their are some things that you better allow to run their full course. A proverb says that we don’t rush up hot stew, else our mouths will get burnt, and we will not be able to use burnt mouth to lick cold stew. In other words, when the chicken lands carelessly on the rope, neither the rope nor the chicken are comfortable. I have since been able to draw up a list of what you can do in a hurry and what you shouldn’t.

In a hurry to be rich, men kill themselves

In a hurry to to grow up, girls betray themselves

In a hurry to arrive, guys end up “the late”

In a hurry to be great, many bite the hook and miss the bait.

What’s your hurry? The meal taken in haste seldom is enjoyed. The chinese say that when you eat for an hour, you won’t be hungry for long. Don’t rush the clock, savour the moment. While my search brought me to see that haste was waste, I also discovered that there is a time to crawl, walk, run or even fly. There are times you must fly!

If there is one thing I’m in a hurry to do today…I’m in a hurry to be happy!

Happiness is an interesting concept. It’s not really a matter of events, its usually a function of perception of events. Happiness is a state of thoroughly enjoying what one does. Of all things in life, happiness is not something your can successfully postpone, if you are not happy today, it reduces your chances of ever becoming happy.

“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” -Anne Frank

While in life you ought not hurry for many things, happiness is a state that must characterise you today! The seed is similar to the harvest, in fact you can estimate the fruit from it’s seed, in some cases the seed is even in the fruit. Today is a seed, if happiness is not in the seed, tell me, should it be in the future? In different ways, happiness is what we all seek. We must not however wait and wish, that by some stroke of genius or in ways unknown, we will suddenly find ourselves living lives of happiness. Happiness requires action!
Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. -Benjamin Disraeli

So ask yourself, what will make me truely happy? What will I do for the rest of my life if money was available to live my dreams. Happy futures are never a product of sorrowful pasts. Happiness is the reward of those who find happiness all through the journey on the way to happiness. Successful people are usually people doing what they enjoy, until success comes.

Don’t mortgage your happiness…find what makes you happy today…and commit your energies to it! At the end, one man said, all that will matter in our actions is whether or not it won the respect and admiration of God, family and friends. When the chips are down, what matters most is happiness.

And in case you are wondering if being happy is entirely a selfish do it now project? Try these quotes on for size
John Templeton
Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth… Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it. .

Lord Byron
All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin.

Happiness is like peeing your pants: Everyone can see it, but only you can feel it’s warmth. –Unknown –:))Are you happy today? Find true happiness…the seed is in the fruit and the fruits in the seed.