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

It’s 3am in the city of Dubai, my flight leaves here today, and I need to be awake early as 6am to be able to wish the South Africans and the English a hearty good bye. I gave them the hugs already, but who says one hug is enough when you may not see until last week in March in SA or April in the UK . There is no use reserving the best time of your life for the time when you can’t do most things. Now is life, the older you grow the fewer your options.  Enjoy your youth and prepare for your future.

I have a lot on my mind tonight, and a short time to say it. So I’m going to say it all in pictures, since pictures are a thousand words. I’ll capture a few of the events of the past few weeks, and basically summarize my lessons. Being in Dubai has been fun and exciting. It’s been a lot of great news, great progress and meeting of wonderful people. Remember, people matter a lot, time with them are your greatest investments. Continue Reading »

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It’s been a while I have been brooding on this topic, and I do not mean to personally attack anybody or any profession. What you are about to read may upset you, it may also set you free and motivate you. I have learnt however that life is made up of what we choose. Many students often attend the same class and get different grades, it’s not because the teacher  taught them different things, it’s because of the choices they made. Usually, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

These three, Bankers, Ticketing Agents and Sewing Machines have one stricking similarity. I know because I have been around many bankers and have a good number as friends,  I have also worked with an airline and even drawn up job descriptions for ticketing agents. I also grew up watching my mum use a sewing machine. Their point of similarity is a sobering reality. A reality that every one of you reading this mail must make it a point of duty to break away from. It must be your prayer point, a strong desire, infact a burning passion never to share this trait with any of these icons. Continue Reading »

I was reading a story some days ago that I had read before, but it struck me in a new way! It is a proverb, that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I have noticed this a lot in my life. That what I have seen before takes on new meaning because of the experiences that I am having. I know for how long I drove in the car with my dad for example, without paying attention to how the car was driven. It came to a time however, that the student in me was so ready, that everything that was done became a lesson for me. We are at various points in our journey, and the stories told today may not be relevant to you today, but keep them close to your heart, for as soon as the student in you is ready, the teacher will appear!

In this story, a prophet was about to die, this prophet was not a fake prophet, he was a real prophet. He was real in that he had said different things and they had come to pass, he had also done many great works, and miracles and signs. He was a respected and highly revered prophet in the land, and even the king was installed by him. On his death bed, the king came to him, and sought for him to bless him this last time. To appeal to his emotions, the king said the same words that the prophet uttered when his own mentor was departing. The prophet was touched, he decided to bless the king, but not in the conventional way of blessing, he requested that the king perform some acts of symbolism as a channel for his blessings. What you are about to read, is the strategy for ensuring that that which is yours in potential, reaches you in reality. Enjoy Continue Reading »

Development is one of the segments of my yearly goals. I usually try to have something that covers every part of my being- spirit, soul and body. In case you don’t I suggest you plan to have that this year. Make sure that your goals touch every area of your life and focus on specific areas, I’ll recommend that ordinarily spiritual goals ought to be priority. When we seek first God’s kingdom, all other things are added. Today for example I am just completing my 365 days fast, that’s a spiritual goal that I set and the purpose was to keep me in tune with God’s direction for my life and keep me involved and active. I might not be able to justify the reasons to you, but the fruits of a consecrated life are evident – now and in time.

Today however my primary focus will not be on your spiritual goals. By all means set them. Have a commitment to fellowship with God, to have daily devotion, to be kinder, more impactful to others, to add more value, to be a blessing. These are by far the most important things in my life. The ultimate test of faith is not “what does my faith do for me?”, but what does it make me do for others?” Your spirual goals set the pace, but it’s your developmental goals, which are partly spiritual but largely soulish are the things that get you equipped to deliver your spiritual goals more effectively and efficiently. As you advance into the year ahead, here are a few things you must strive to achieve, and do not forget!

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Has it ever happened to you before, that the things you used to do, the things you felt proud of, the things that were consistent in your life are now left unattended to? Do you worry that you are not as good as you used to be? Are you struggling to keep up with good habits you used to have? Is it as though your life is slowly heading downhill? Or are you one who has enjoyed a lot of bad habits but now want to do things right and it’s been an insurmountable struggle? Are you paddling hard without motion? Are you kicking your feet and splashing water yet no movement? Are you crying for help, yet no one can see your tears? Or  your case might be much milder, no one knows that anything has changed about you yet, you are still relying on the old glory and shining brightly. Are you aware of something that most of the people that see you daily know nothing of? Are you losing connection with your root and afraid that in a while you leaves will soon lose colour? Has your iron be unplugged with the world unaware? Do you know that the heat is being lost, and all else think all is well?

Today, one of my sisters (not blood, but close) came to pour her heart to me, in a bid to be helped. The things she used to do, that made her stand out, that made her desirable, that made her a blessing, she was doing them no more. She confided in me, that if she didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t know, but this is not the way she wants it to go. She felt so bad, she wanted to cry – “The good things I used to do, I don’t do them anymore”. She wants to, she knows she ought to, she can’t say it’s because she has no time, she knows that’s an excuse. All she does is work work work, and she was afraid that the source of her warmth was long gone. Continue Reading »

Hmmm… Now I need to make this perfectly understandable for people who haven’t watched season 1 of prison break -this 24 episodes attention grabber. Not being a series person myself, I got the entire season one from a friend. It’s one of those films one needs to get one’s personal copy of. I can bet that the person who wrote the script of this film didn’t have a clue where it would end when he started. It’s by every standard a masterpiece. And every chapter closes leaving questions on your mind.

I have spent close to an aggregate of 12hrs on this season one already and I’m very close to the end. It’s been very good for adrenalin, but more importantly, I have picked up some interesting life lessons, reinforced some personal beliefs, and I think I have something to share with you from this master piece. Continue Reading »

Yesterday I was invited to come and speak at a Writers Seminar. I didn’t really know what to expect there, I only made up my mind, I was going to rely on what was on my heart to speak to them. I imagined I would see a handfull of people there, you can’t imagine the internal shock I had when I entered the venue and saw they were actually many! Wow…so many writers, where have these people been? I was given the mandate to motivate them for a few minuites. To encourage them to write. After I came in a lady was introduced from Cassava Republic, her name was Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, an impressive lady…hopefully more about her later. I was later introduced (Adeolu Akinyemi owner of the most popular blog in Nigeria – wow – thanks to you!), and i approached the stage, with 4 phrases in my head, but plenty in my heart. Continue Reading »

Adeolu Akinyemi: Hello Nike, can you please introduce yourself?
Adeolu Akinyemi: A little about your background, what you currently do and your aspirations
adenikeoke: My name is Adenike Oke. I am currently located in New Jersey, United States. I just concluded my graduate studies at Seton Hall University and now hold a Master of Diplomacy & International Relations alonside a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in Public Service, Leadership and Governance. I also have a B.A in Linguistics from the University of Ibadan and attended Federal Government Girls College Oyo and Grace Children School, Lagos state Nigeria.
adenikeoke: I am currently working as the Program Manager for the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) and coordinate all the major initiatives and programs of the organization.
Adeolu Akinyemi: Interesting…that sounds like the CV of a Minister of some sort or Special adviser to the president to be. Tell me what do you see ahead?

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There is one comment I heard in a place that I went to speak 3 weeks ago that has not left my mind. When I finished speaking, a professor of the university was implored to give awards to the speakers. When he got to my turn to recieve my award, the Prof spoke for about 10 minutes. He said a lot of things about the quality of my presentation, he spoke so passionately so much so that at a point he switched over to Yoruba language. There was one thing however that he said. He said “Ah, If you were a white man and you did what you today, the world will fall in love with you (won a gba ti e), ah but you are a black man! because you are a black man you may need to struggle a bit more, but you will make it, I am happy you are a Nigerian and I am proud that you schooled in Nigeria”. He said a lot more than these…but that line about the black man has been a topic for ponder in my mind.

Some days back I wrote an article saying that we forget. The world might have forgotten the principles that moved them from 3rd world to 1st world, while they might no longer remember the equations that took them from developing to developed, Africa however is in the heat of it’s development and is at the point where you must listen to her. The spotlight is on Africa today, tomorrow’s African leaders have big visions ahead of them and their bloods are steaming with passion. They (we) are in the center of our pains and at a time when the quality of our presentations cannot be at par with when we get satisfied.

I remember a training I went to in Poland some years back, in this training there were nationals from over 50 different countries. We all interacted together in an intensive programme for 5 days. After 5 days we signed autographs for each other and shared feedback about each other. The consistent feedback I received from co participants and facilitators was about my Passion! They were all amazed at the energy and passion with which I spoke and carried myself. One particular facilitator described me as very charismatic. Listen, it is time for the Black Man. Right from within our messes are strong messages, in the middle of our pain is our potential for gain. Our position as 3rd is not a disadvantage it just means that we have an opportunity to learn from the 1st.
The solutions developed for the western world will not work as cut and paste in Nigeria! No! You will need to leverage on the knowledge, but the least you will do is edit. Some of the strongest voices in the world today are in Africa. They are pregnant men and women, their reality is far from their dreams. When they speak to you, it’s out of the depth of what they need to tell themselves daily to move on. In a few more years, they would have get the satisfaction that only now is a dream. Then, had they not documented the travails of their heart would find it difficult to instruct the next generation.

Are you black and discouraged? Are you in a third world country? Don’t give up, it’s time to listen to you. It’s time to do case studies on your success, it’s time to hear your story.

Have you ever tried listening to a successful man before? I don’t know about you, but I have one observation I have made. They always make it sound so simple! Here you are racking your brain and seeing if you can get a fomulae for success, you ask this old wiser man, what he did that gave him the great break, and what he tells you sounds so simple, and when you try, it doesn’t look quite as easy. Do you know why?

Now I know why! It’s because we forget! We forget about the nights of toil once the morning breaks with rejoicing, we forget about the pain once the beautiful babies are born, we forget about the struggles once we cross the line and hug our trophies, we forget!

I came to the conclusion that the best time to talk to a successful man is the night before success comes, the best time to talk to a hero is when he/she is still a wannabe. The best time my friend, to listen to me, is NOW! Cos I’m still work in progress.

I remember last year, when I went all out to get the 15yrs ago tape of a now successful man. Many wondered why in particular I was interested in those years. I didn’t understand it well then, but I had observed that his speeches were more forceful then than now. There was a cry in his voice then that is missing now, the pains have died, and somehow, we all forget.

Three weeks ago, I ilistened to an industry leader tell us about the story of his success. His openning line was, “I won’t tell you what and what made me succeed, I’ll just tell you my story and hope that you’ll find the nuggets therein”. He wasn’t trying to hoarde the information, he simply had forgotten.

I’m on fire now! I’m in the midst of the heat. I hear thunder bolts, see lighening flashes, the night is dark, but the motivation is high. I’m in the nights before final arrival of dawn. Now is the time to hear me out, now is the time when the commitments are being made, now is the time when I’m bargaining hard, now is the time.

5yrs down the line, except you have written them down now, you probably would also have forgotten. Let your life be instructive, write things down…start writing your own psalms, we all forget!