Category Archives: Motivation

Adeolu Akinyemi
July 7, 2009

The Sin of Negligence


“Advertorial – An Alliance for Progress meeting on behalf of Prof. Pat Utomi, would be holding at Golden Gates on the 10th of July, 2009. It’s a fundraising dinner organized for all who have interest in electoral reforms, and practical solutions to ensuring that the people we vote for in 2011 and beyond win! If you are interested in being a part of this dinner with the greats, the entry ticket is N25,000 and N10,000 for young professionals. For more details email : joshua.olaomi@newnigeriaclub.net”

Sitting beside the intensive care unit of the hospital in Ilorin where my mother was before she finally transited to glory, gave me a shocking realization. Every time power shuts down, some lives are endangered. I noticed with amazement that even my mother who was in the most funded section of the hospital regularly had her existence dependent on a UPS. The UPS was no different from the small ones supporting a personal computer. My mind wandered back easily to the road accidents that I have seen on my road travels over the past few weeks, and to the other thousands of lives lost uncelebrated. It is real, that we are losing people who ought to be alive daily in this country. And no, we are not to blame, it’s all the fault of the government, isn’t it? I’m here today to show you that our enemies are closer home than the government. In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the lord!

Everybody who has the capacity to lead us, who has the potential to be voted for, who is a leader and has earned the trust and respect of people in this nation, has committed a great offense. Our negligence has put the wrong people in power, made our hospitals unequipped, left our roads as deathtraps, and have assisted in killing, murdering and sentencing many young talents and future leaders to early graves! The silence of your pastor, your CEO, your mentor and yourself is the reason for our bad roads, is the reason for the deplorable state of power in Nigeria, is responsible for poverty and the deathroll in this country. If you know how it can be better or know leaders, like we all agreed a few days ago, that can make things better and don’t position them, we have sinned! Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
July 5, 2009

Life Lessons from My Mummy


mummy1

“The essence of life is to live it, not watch it” – Adeolu Akinyemi

The inspiration for this quote, is merely watching my mum, and listening out to the people whose lives she had touched. My mum was important to so many people, she was their “somebody” that made their lives better, their crosses easier to bear and rekindled their hope. My mum was a template for the virtous woman described in Prov 31, the more I read it, the more I remember her. I have not ceased to ask myself a fundamental question, “when would have been a good time for her to die?” The more I ask and think, the more I realize, that for us her children, for her brother, friend, business partner and lover – my dad, for her relations near and far and for the many lives she touched, there would never be a good time! There is never a good time to lose a loved one, even at 90, she’ll still have left us puzzled. I can remember my dad shedding tears at the burial of his 78yrs old mother, there is never a good time. One thing is sure though, life should be measured by donation, not duration. What matters is not how long, it’s how well! Thinking like this, I have every course to celebrate my mum’s temporary separation from me. I am confident that we’ll meet again at Jesus’ feet, I am confident that she has voluntarily joined the company that constitute the cloud of witnesses. I am happy that my mum lived a life that if I can set as benchmark for mine, I’ll be driven till I’m done! I know that God is all wise,  all his word is perfect and all his ways are just.

My mum had a glorious exit, and there are many things to learn from her life. I’ll attempt a few here, and if I’m so inspired, I’ll do a book in her honour. On the 21st of June, 2009, my mum dressed for her last church service. Very early in the morning of that day, she bade farewell to all of us her children. We had all come home from Lagos, for my younger sister’s wedding introduction the previous day. Even though the meeting was meant to have less than 60 people, my mum had killed one of her cows (yeah.. she has cows she’s rearing) and shared it for all her children and sibblings. We all saw mummy on Sunday, unaware of course that that was the last time we’ll see her alive and well. We hugged, waved and went. In a series of events, that led to her driving to church, and sitting, as ever and always beside her husband she decided to share her testimony. She raised a song as she stood up, and stood at the pulpit (Gbese ope me po, mi o le san tan, sugbon o sibe sibe, hun o se iwon ti mo le se, baba a laanu mi, e ma se o baba – My debt of thanksgiven is more than I can pay, but never the less, I will do the best I can, my father the merciful, thank you). Everyone sang along, and she started to share her testimony. She shared on, until she got to a point and announced to the church, I am feeling dizzy, at which point she slumped in the ready hands of my dad and her pastor. That was when the chariot that took her to heaven came, that was the last time she stood on her feet for the next 11 days that ended with her being taken. The doctors called it a hemorrhagic stroke, and showed that it was really up to God or nature. Between those days, she spoke for some and was unconscious for others. Her life flashed before our eyes and I’m sure hers as well. Her 56yrs have been more life than 200 regular years. Many hope to die in the lord, my mum was a child of God at her death, and even took her departure from his house -the assembly of his people. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
June 29, 2009

Lessons From Michael Jackson


Hate him, like him, adore him or rubbish him, we all grew up to know, like and celebrate Michael Jackson. Every school had someone who could mimic him the most, almost all of us tried. In some countries where they couldn’t speak English, they claimed they knew two words of English – Michael Jackson! Michael Jackson was a phenomenum, a rare example of a mortal who hugged limelight for 45 almost uninterrupted years. Rarely do stars shine for as long as 15yrs, he trippled the rare, he was sui generis – in a class of his own. In kiddies parties in the backside of many of the countries of the world,till tomorrow, Michael Jackson uniforms are still regular features.

I couldn’t follow the CNN regular updates on his death, I was in the hospital waiting on my mum, when it happened, thankfully she is making it! It’s been difficult for me to really get my thoughts together on all the topics that are burning so hot on my mind, but for your sake I have decided to still write. I’m currently in the sun, on a bench outside the intensive care unit  of the University of Ilorin teaching hospital. Being in a hospital is an experience that balances you, close proximity with the after life brings clarity. Today, I’ll like to share a few lessons I believe we can all glean from the life of a once living legend – MJ! Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
May 29, 2009

You are Unstoppable


 

Tonight I feel like going straight to bed, it’s 4am, and I must be up by 7am for a marathon session as I baptize myself into knowledge for creating a New Industry in Nigeria. 8yrs from now, I desire to be the most influential person on the continent of Africa. I want to have created the greatest number of empowered souls who go ahead to do the same for others. I want to have given houses, private jets, education and hope to cities and nations! I want to be a blessing to millions of people and a source of pride for Nigeria and the black race. Before I go to bed however, I want to let you know, that just like me you are Unstoppable!

Who told you that you cannot achieve your dreams? Who told you that your past is consulted to determine your future? Who told you that you cannot become all you desire to become? Who told you that your dreams are too big and too unrealistic? Tell them you are unstoppable! 

One of the things I learnt pretty fast in my life is that when you have an appetite for something, it’s indicative that the meal exists in your future. God gives us no appetite for meals he doesn’t intend for us to eat. Everything that man was going to need was made before him. God waited to make man last so that he doesn’t crave for what doesn’t exist, and the moment man craved for a companion, God put man to sleep gave him a dream and made it real. Whatever it is that lurks in our mind as an intention, a desire or a dream – nurture it, you are unstoppable! What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Go ahead and do it, you are unstoppable! Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
May 28, 2009

Good, the enemy of Great!


As you read this article I am writing, I’ll like you to think about your life, and ask yourself questions that will move you from where you are to where you are capable of being.

I remember vividly an event that occurred about 11yrs ago back in OAU -Ile Ife. We had invited this preacher to school to come address students, his name if I remember correctly was -Taiwo Adelakun. We had a great session, I guess, like all sermons, we forget! There was however one statement he made that day that I have never forgotten and interestingly a number of my friends back then have also not forgotten. While he was preaching he started talking about how some of his friends were on fire, they were extraordinary, they were gifted, they had big dreams, but most of them had settled down to the complacency of life and of staying average or good. They had settled down to having jobs, having families and following routines. Their fire had gone down, their talents were not in use, their dreams discarded, they now worked with this and that, and live here and there. He shouted a prayer from the podium, and all of us found it difficult to respond with a resounding – Amen!  His prayer was strange and shocking. The prayer was, “You will Never Settle Down!”

Today I marvel at how long and how far, I wonder if most of the ears that heard those words haven’t settled down. Even you, my friend and reader, have you settled down? Can you be classified as on fire and on the cutting edge of your talent? Have you bought into the worlds philosophy of can’t, impossibile and “make do with what you have”? Did life offer you something to fill your stomach with rather than a sumptous meal? Have you settled down to what is good at the expense of what is great? While my mind easily picks out the people we would have said were exceptional, my mind painfully sorrows over those who were not even able to discover their uniqueness back in school and had seemed to settle down since after secondary school. I’ve heard great stories that have a backdrop of a fantastic childhood and the current features of  dull artwork. This morning, I’ll like you help you address and attack a few major good ideologies that prevent us from being great! You must not settle down! Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
April 16, 2009

Is Your Future Bright?


Once upon a time a team of young people came together to have a discussion about their future. They were in their early teens, and they seemed in a hurry to know what their future held for them. The imagined and postulated on what was possible and what was not, who will likely become what and all what not. While they rambled and rumbled, an elderly woman passed by and overheard their discussions and arguments about the future.

The old woman slowed down until they noticed her and kept quiet. With a shrill voice slightly more than a wisper, she looked one of them in the eye, and asked them a question that got them all puzzled, “Is your future bright?” Not knowing whether to answer for himself, answer for everybody or not answer at all, the silence gradually grew to wispers and and sign language. Haven gotten them where she wanted them to be, she went ahead to ask them which of them was willing to look into her crystal ball to see his/her future. The reaction that ensued reminds me of about four years ago, when I was presented with a similar opportunity in Poland, questions within a wide range fly around in your head, let’s not go there. After a while, they joked and heckled and they brazed up and decided to take a peek into their futures. 

The Old woman brought out a crystal ball, but first asked them a few questions. “What do you want to become?”, “What is your dream?”, “What have you done about your dream?”, “What do you plan to do?” After they answered the questions, he showed them the crystal ball, and explained to them what she could see. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
April 7, 2009

Time


“Pls Note: I’m reposting this article, the previous one had a gap that was making it difficult to load the site, thanks for understanding.”

“Please join me in congratulating ifects. Ifects won the most commented last month. Please send me an email to get your prepaid cards for domain and hosting with Nairahost, Congratulations!”

time-flies-clock-10-11-2006

 

In my growing up years, I discovered I cut my public speaking teeth, helping as compere in people’s birthdays. This ofcourse meant that I had to keep a list of stories, riddles and jokes to entertain the audience with. It also meant that I had to sit through a number of birthday messages and good will talks. As you can possibly guess, I currently cannot be tongue tied speaking at any birthday, but more importantly I picked up a phrase that has stayed with me from one of those birthdays. The statement is simple – “One year more, is one year less!”

What that statement means is that while we rejoice about advancing in age, we should be careful to think back and know that you have one year less, to achieve all you were born to achieve. The psalmist put it in a great way, when he said “Teach us O lord, to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom”. Wisdom is knowing that every advancement in time, is a deduction from the upper sands in the hourglass of life. It is hence essential that as we celebrate our achievements, we plan our progress.. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
March 23, 2009

Where are You?


Where are you? Can you attempt to answer that question? While you are at it, that was the first question that man was ever faced with. The Bible records in the book of Genesis chapter 3 verse 9 : GOD called to the Man: “Where are you?”  I recon that since it is the almighty asking the question, it wasn’t because he didn’t know the answer. Asking however, makes the one being asked to ask him or herself a fundamental question that can help in quick recovery. 

I would have thought that the first question that God would have asked man was the question of “who are you?”, “why are you here?” e.t.c. The first question however was not any of these soul searching philosophical questions, the first question was, “where are you?”. Who you are was done and delivered before you were formed, it’s not an answer you cook, it’s an answer you find. It’s the same with why you are here, the answer existed before you were formed in your mother’s womb. Where you are however, is interestingly your doing, and you are answerable to God! Continue reading →

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