Category Archives: Success

Adeolu Akinyemi
October 30, 2007

Secrets to Success – 1


There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure – Colin Powell US general (1937 – )

Are there secrets to success? Are there hidden things that if they were open to one could make one a millionaire, progress faster at work, win, lead e.t.c? Are there things that are known to the successful that are unknown to all else? There are currently about 2000 books on Amazon.com promising the secrets of success. Searching for these secrets have become the preoccupation of many… but do these secrets truly exist?

First let me establish a definition of success that goes down well with me. I believe that success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. Key words here are, progressive, realization, worthy and ideal. I believe that the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful is not essentially knowledge, neither is it talent, it’s action. Someone once said that successful people are people who make an habit of doing what failures hate to do. The essential difference is in doing.

Lately, a mother asked me a question that has gotten me thinking. I answered her on the spur of the moment back then, but I have taken time out to really think about it, and answer practicable ways. This will be the first article in a series on “Secrets to Success”. She asked me,  how have you been able to  get to what you are now,  what did you do? How  were you like growing up?  I saw in her eyes a strong desire for the best for her children.
Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
August 20, 2007

I am not afraid of failure!


“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat” -Theodore Roosevelt

It’s 12 midnight already, am about to pack up my laptop and go to sleep, but not just quite yet, I have some thoughts from the events of today that have been inspirational for me, and I think it’s good I share. I have quit trying to please all, trying to please all is one of the sure ways to fail. He who will please all will lose his donkey.

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody”  Bill Cosby

There is a world of difference between saying I have failed three times and saying I am a failure. Failing is the birthing place of success.  Some of the things I have done lately has won a lot of applause, and a number of boos.  The worst that can happen is that I fail, but then, I would never be listed amongst the cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat from not haven tried. I’ll rather be an exemplary failure, than some of the timid souls whose specialization is running commentaries about the lives of others. It’s extremely easy to turn the vegetables in the pot with ones tongues…”he could have done like this…” Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
August 8, 2007

Should I, Should I not?


Should we answer a fool according to his folly?

Proverbs 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him

Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

Growing up, these two verses used to excite me, when I was taught paradox in English, this sounded like the typical example. It was open for debate, two contrasting verses placed side by side in a book that was meant to provide guidance. Do we obey the first command, or the last command? Or was this an error? Or as my studious friends will suggest, let’s check the greek root word for both fools, maybe they are different, maybe one is kesil and the other kelis…lol. But seriously, these are two opposite statements placed side by side in the greatest book of all times (my opinion – not far fetched though, it still holds the guiness book of records most printed, most sold, most retranslated and most in demand book in the world)

I believe strongly that the meeting point of any such paradoxes is wisdom. Wisdom is the right application of total available knowledge in the solution of problems. There are times to answer a fool according to his folly, and there are times to refrain from answering a fool according to his folly. The ability to know the difference in these times, is wisdom! Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
June 7, 2007

I wept


“Jesus wept” – John 11:35

Is it manly to shed tears? Should a man be seen crying, or worse weeping? I believe crying is when tears flow freely from your face, and weeping when you make some noise with it, or you shake visibly in trying to muzzle the noise. I grew up believing that crying was not manly. I believed that it wasn’t masculine to show emotions. If you love, it ought to be concealed, if you are angry, you should manage it. If you are hurt, you should never cry. As far back as primary school, we measured ourselves as mature and strong, by our abilities to maintain a calm look in the midst of 6 strokes of cane, back in those days, I got beaten (I meant flogged) daily in school by my class teacher – the formula is stand still and take your medicine like a man. Real men don’t cry, so I thought. Until one day. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
May 30, 2007

Billionaires in Training


Call it Billionaires in Training, call it Cashflow 101 retreat, Monday and Tuesday the 28th and 29th of May is going down in history as one of my best days so far this year. Not only for me, I’m sure, but also for the 19 other people that were together with me as we played Cashflow 101 at the HS Blue Ribbon Hotel on Allen Lane Ikeja. We settled in from about 5pm, started off with dinner and 7, and the game started at 8pm at night. We did not know how we suddenly looked at the time, and it was 5am! We ended the game around this time, had a little recap, and went to sleep deciding to reconvene at 10:30am.

I’m currently still expecting the pictures from the friend that took them, as soon as I get the pictures, you’ll see them here. But before you get a preview of the pictures, I’ll try and do a good job with words in describing how the event went, the learning opportunities and reasons why you shouldn’t miss the next one. Summarily, I think we have discovered the best way to hang out together in these times. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
May 7, 2007

Defining Success for You


Yesterday we had a session of our monthly mentorship session. Gbenga Sesan, myself and this time around a guest speaker – Emmanuel Utomi. It was an exciting session for me, because during the session I learnt some vital things as well. I learnt a few questions that make one’s picture of success clearer to one. Three vital questions that if you answer, will help you focus your strengths at being the real person on the inside of you that is craving for expression. I’ll use my own personal template, and I’ll hope that this will be instructive enough to help you formulate yours. There is nothing like climbing the ladder of success to the top of the sky scraper of achievement only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
March 21, 2007

Testimony of a changed Life


Of late I have had a number of calls, online buzzes and people walking directly into my office to let me know how much they appreciate the work that we are doing. It’s always a source of encouragement for me, and my team, that what we are doing is being appreciated.

I’ve got calls from people saying they got jobs through our job site, people saying their lives have changed reading these articles, and people just calling in to say thank you. I’m grateful to all these people for not concealing their feelings, but letting us know and letting us receive motivation to continue. Most importantly though, I am grateful to God, his grace and mercy have been at the heart of my progress.

I met a young man lately, he tells me he has been going to sleep every night since he came into contact with this site, reading and reading. I was shocked when he told me that reading from here has changed his life completely and what was most shocking for him, was that he has never seen me in his life, and I had so much impact on him. I took time to interview him, to understand how he has transited from scamming to legitimate business in 2 weeks. I welcome you to read this interview of a changed man. Continue reading →

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Adeolu Akinyemi
March 19, 2007

West African Idols – Counsel Wanted!


The West African Idols has become the rallying point of many family and office discussion these days. It provides a mixture of entertainment and an opportunity for Nigerians to debate and criticize. These are some of the times when not having DSTV could be really painful, as it means you’ll be an observer in most of the jokes and comments resulting from West African idols- “This is not werking for me”, “aah aah?”

Watching the West African Idols auditioning has been fantastic comic relief though. Aside of the good sides of being impressed by exceptional voices in Nigeria, one thing you cannot miss are the horrible voices who ventured to go for the audition. Why will someone make a fool of himself/herself in full public view. Isn’t it better to make the mistakes in the presence of a few friends and never again? Some people had no business whatsoever going for this event, they were either wrongly advised, deceived by their friends or lacked counsel! Talking about Counselors, do you have any? Do you have people that advice you? Is there anybody you can count on to always tell you the truth? Or are you on your own? Are you on your way to auditioning for a competition you have no chance in? Continue reading →

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