The things I used to do…
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. (more…)
This post was read by 690 people until now.7 Life Lessons I picked from Prison Break
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. (more…)
This post was read by 2585 people until now.Start Today!
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. (more…)
This post was read by 893 people until now.Interview with Adenike Oke
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?
It’s time for the Black Man
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.
This post was read by 604 people until now.We forget!
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!
This post was read by 710 people until now.Once More
Imagine that Thomas Edison stopped his attempt at making the electric bulb on the 9,999th time? You probably would be reading this in the dark (funny enough I’m writing it in the dark-Power Holding)
Suppose for a moment that Colonel Sanders stopped at the 999th place he went to present his receipy for Kenturky Fried Chicken, then the world would never have had it’s taste. The over 100 countries where the franchise exists would not have had the opportunity.
Can you also imagine what would have happened if Sylvester Stallone, gave up after being turned down the 999th time. The world would never have gotten to watch “Rocky”.( I can imagine how many dogs will suddenly loose their names)
The halls of fame are littered with the stories of greatness that required perseverance. No matter what you want to give up at, tell yourself -”Why don’t I try one more time?”
The struggles will not last for ever, the night will give way to dawn,
Don’t give up, hold on…help is on the way!
The world forgets the struggles, your audience will not remember the details. They’ll remember the victory, the crown the celebrations. Nobody remembers 5yrs down the line how long it took you to get a job, they rejoice with where you are. No one remembers the nights before the big break, they celebrate the big brake. Just like in a penalty kick, all the spectators have their thoughts and eyes on the goal post, but not the player. The player’s eyes must be fixed on the ball, he must make the decision that determines their joy or shame.
If what you are doing is not worth giving all the effort it requires and a little more, it’s probably not worth it.
Our passion and purpose will get their trials in the fires of perseverance. Nothing good ever came out of fire without staying in it long enough. The only things that die in the fire are the weaknesses you needed to identify.
Give it one more trial!
This post was read by 528 people until now.Meditation
You’ve probably heard it before and wondered, is that not psychic? Do I sit down, cross my legs , close my eyes and hum to a particular boring music? Is this what meditation is about? Of what benefit is it? You probabably haven’t meditated before and it doesn’t make any difference. Or does it?
hâgâh
haw-gaw’
The word meditate has a greek origin, hâgâh. This means to murmur with pleasure or anger. Meditation can hence be defined as muttering words laden with emotions. These emotions would come from actively imagining the words that one mutters as one meditates. Meditation is a benefitial activity, as the mind controls the reality of a life. What you think about you eventually become, your life moves in the direction of your most predominant thought. Meditation is a time tested activity for creating desired experiences. The tongue has the powers to kill and to bring to life, and mediation serves as the medium to sharpen the tongue and to give it expression.
Why not try to spend 15 minuites everyday meditating on something you want to become reality in your life, and let’s see if in 30 days you won’t be much closer there than you are today? I started some while back, but you too can join some people and start this habit here. Remember, start and don’t stop equals finish!
This post was read by 544 people until now.Don’t Stop!
“A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must….be undaunted when the going gets tough.”-Ronald Reagan
“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”-Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”-Thomas S. Monson
You might have read this quotes before, I have too. You might have passed through times before, when it seemed that the logical thing was to give up and give in, to throw away your dreams and embrace existense, I have too.
One of the the greatest lessons I’m learning today is that pereseverance is a greater percentage of what is needed for success. I am a student of success, I study people, companies, history and events, for traces of principles that can make any mortal reproduce success. I have studied it in books, and I have handled it in life. Now I understandy why one of the greatest speeches in the world had just four words - “Never, never, never Give Up!” Perseverance is a crucial ingredient in the making of a champion.
Miracles do happen, People do get lucky, Serependity is a real phenomenum, but what we fail to focus our attentions on, are the activities that had led to the night of the miracle, the events that birthed luck and the factors governing serependity.
We must all develope the attitude of the postage stamp - We must stick to it till it gets there. The walls of Jericho will not crumble gradually, they will crumble suddenly, but not until the 7th day. Albert Einstein said it correctly when he said that Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Even when you are doing the right thing, you need to keep doing it until you get lucky!
There are those times in every life, when it seems that your lack of clarity is at its peak, when the dark night lingers as you await the dawn, and it seems your sun will not arise, when you eagerly anticipate the end of your journey and your last turn leads you to a bigger maze, when fear has held courage ransom, when your soul stands in solitude and loneliness choking on its tears of isolation, when all those around you have betrayed you, when love has left your heart and refuses to return, when the questions on your heart are too bitter for you lips, when you go to bed at night in anticipation of lifes exams, when giving up seems logical, and giving ,right. There are those times, those times are the times when perseverance makes the difference between documentable history and mere history. Don’t give up!
It is in times like this, that you must believe in yourself-even if all those around you doubt you, and in your ability to rise from within the insanity in which your life now finds itself and to stand tall against the obstacles and challenges within your life-and you will conquer all recover whatever you thought was lost within your life.
It is from the darkest hours of our lives, from the depths of our despair and pain and in our greatest hour of adversity that we find an inner strength, an inner courage and an inner meaning so vast that it enables us to rise from our knees and stand tall and fight that which has made us weak.
It is after the darkest hours of our lives that we see the first glimpse of light. People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve great things because they don’t know when to stop. Don’t stop my dear, hold on to your dream.
This post was read by 578 people until now.Setbacks are for Comebacks
This morining I woke up to a disturbing reality! I finished my morning devotion with my family and wanted to start getting ready for work, I restored my laptop to check the earnings on my google account as my custom was only to discover that I wasn’t allowed access. What?? I went through all the protocols to investigate what happened and restore things as quickly as possible. All these took a while, in the midst of my search I also discovered that it might take quite a long time before I am restored. They had sent a mail to my box earlier which unfortunately was not delivered to me. Here was I completely at a loss as to what exactly was happening. You might not understand the implication of all these, but talk about setbacks? This was one, big time! If you can imagine that in the last two weeks my daily income had become 4 times what I was comfortable with just 3 weeks ago, then you’ll understand why this is a setback!
But amidst all the frustrations at being setback, my inner guide reminded me and made it clear to me, that setbacks were for comebacks! The seed that grows into a big tree, first of all dies. The grape that will win the blue ribbon must be prunned. There is no promotion without a test. Success will not happen without it’s trials. The obstacles we face in life are not to destroy us, they are there to strenghten us. Quietly I wondered how infact these had been my write-ups within the last few days. Guess I was being prepared for what I couldn’t at then see.
I was reminded of the sayings of great men before me (I’m hoping to become one) about setbacks, about problems about difficulties. I remembered them and was assured! Giants are truely he signposts of Cannan. Before every breakthrought there is a breaking. Challenges coming before success in the dictionary is not coincidence 
Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward. Henry Ford
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.- Helen Keller
Every problem has a gift for you in its hands. -Richard Bach
In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this, then begin looking for it. - Norman Vincent Peale
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.- Seneca
Do not be weary of good doing, for you will reap the reward in due season if you fail not -The Bible (paraphrased)
Are you experiencing a set back? Make up your mind to turn it around! Difficulties should act as tonics that spur us to greater exertion. Einstein also said that in the misdst of difficulty lies opportunity. There is no hero that was made without a difficulty or setback. Quit complaining! Stop steering hard at the closed door. Look around you, withing that setback lies your opportunity. I read a book at a time ” I got fired, and that was the best thing that ever happened to me”. It cronicled the stories of industry giants whose motivation and lives histories changed because of a setback. Don’t cower before that which seems a giant. Without Goliath the story of David will never be heard. Rise up, Stand tall, Don’t give in don’t give up! In the midst of that difficulty, lies your story. Watch me!
This post was read by 789 people until now.
