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

“Desire is possibility seeking expression” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is perhaps one of the most apt definitions of desire I have come across in my personal development journey. I stumbled on this quote in the book, Science of Getting Rich, and it’s a quote and a theme that has appeared quite frequently after that in my journey. Desire is possibility seeking expression or function seeking performance. This means that the desire that you have, is an indication of possibilities. You do not  have the desire, if the thing that is desired is impossible. It might have been impossible to the world before you came, but once the desire is birthed in you, it triggers a vision or is triggered by one, and it only takes commitment and time.

Just recently I listened to an audio where the speaker was narrating the story of Bill Gates from an interesting mind lens. According to him, Bill Gates had a vision while he was in Harvard.  He had a vision that one day, computers will be a household phenomena and that there will be operating systems running on them. Whether this was a vision he saw in the day or night is not clear, but there was something that he saw, heard or felt that came to him that made him believe such a future unseen possibility. Recollect, that the world vision ahead of that time, sponsored by the leader in the computer industry was captured in the quote below.

“I think there’s a world market for about 5 computers.”-(Thomas J. Watson, Chairman of the Board, IBM, circa 1948)

Bill Gates caught a glimpse of a possibility seeking expression, and that thought propelled him and his partner Paul Allen to drop out of arguably the worlds most prestigious university and to ultimately found Microsoft. I have read Bill Gates biography a number of times, I’m a fan of his in quite some regards. The concept of Bill Gates having insights into an unseen, and organizing his life to allow the unseen to have expression ala walking in faith got me to read some excerpts of his biography again. I decided to be Berean, and search out his story to see a trace of what guided him into being the richest man in the world for 15yrs+ Continue Reading »

I’m consistently irritated and angered by how many people are so comfortable with the lukewarm position of being spectators. The myriads of purposeless souls who would rather watch and analyze than engage and participate. I’m puzzled at how people can become professors at subjects their only interface with is theoretical. People earn a reputation for being critical of things they are obviously shallow about, the fear of failure robs people of the will to try, the fear of death numbs people and even though they don’t die, neither do they live.

Hear this and let it ring loud in your heart, “when all you do is watch, you are less than those who lost!” Someone once said, it’s better to change, discover that change was wrong and change back, than not to have changed at all. There is always merit in action, if a process doesn’t leave you with wealth, it’s certain to leave you with a wealth of experience. It’s better to fight and lose, than give in from the beginning, it’s better to try and fail, than to analyze fromt he sidelines. Bad players win commentaries, there is no commentary for spectators. My charge to you today is simple, don’t be a mere observer. Don’t venture only into speculation, venture into engaging and participating. Rather than join the crowd of spectators airing their opininon on plenty of reasons why failure is imminent, why not enter into the arena and win or lose and forever seal your reputation as one who is involved! Continue Reading »

We are where we are today, because of decisions that we made. Life is a journey, it’s a long road with many junctions, it’s a giant maze. The junction you and I chose to follow determine our destination, and determine our experience. Take it from me, decision making the most important activity we’ll ever engage in. Everything else stems from our decisions. He who leads, excels or succeeds does so based on decisions. The only measurable output of your thinking is your decision. Once again  however, our curriculum does not arm us at any level with how to make decisions.

“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” – Peter Drucker (Management Guru)

This reminds me of the story of an economic adviser to a great king. This king always relied on his adviser to help him with his economically oriented decisions, but typical of all economists, the adviser will offer him a detailed analysis of why to do things in a certain way on one hand, and reasons why he can do it the other way on the other hand. The king would need to make a decision, and at the end of the day will hear two possibilities, one version on one hand, and the other on the other hand. This got the king really frustrated, and anxious to end his persistent confusion. The king thought long and hard, and finally came up with a decision that is indeed the mother of all decisions. The decision that will help him simplify his decision making process. After he did that, his life became simple, and he became successful. Continue Reading »

Very early this morning I woke up with a startle. There seemed to be a strong message on my heart, for me, and for all that care to listen. I had known for a long time that the determining factor of anyones success or failure is his/her thoughts, but very early this morning it got reinforced. Our minds are the battle grounds in which our battles are won or lost, it is the last frontier before our victories. You and I can get to anywhere from where we are, we can become anything we dream or chose to become. It’s totally up to us, we’ve been given the power. Great things however do not happen to us by coincidence, to become and arrive at the right destination, we must become the right people.

If you desire the financial prosperity of Bill Gates, what you need is not his company or a financial leverage. What you need is to think the thoughts of Bill Gates. If you want to play golf like Tiger Woods, then you need to think like Tiger woods. Change your thoughts and your life will change. Think poverty and you will become poor, think wealth and it will be. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Your life will move in the direction of your most predominant thought. I hold firmly the opinion that you can change your life. That you and I have a choice in the way our tomorrow will be. I believe that inside everyman and woman, lies the keys to a better life, that no matter how bad, we can change, not matter how low, we can still rise. Do you feel the need for more, for better, for greater, for more impact? Then this is your time, and this post was written to guide you. Continue Reading »

I want to use this opportunity to say a big “thank you” to you – my family and friends for the deluge of calls, mails, messages and facebook wall greetings for my birthday. I had earlier planned that I will respond to everybody one by one, I actually started, but, with over 1000 people to reach, it became overwhelming. I have decided to dedicate a full post to all of you.

I have also wanted to do this earlier, but my packing and preparing for this trip to Mauritius has made it difficult for me to get on with it. I’m currently in Mauritius, it’s been described as a paradise, as a beautiful french island on the east coast of Africa behind Magadascar. It’s all true and more! More about Mauritius later

Being here on this island has not made it easy for me to communicate and update my blog, but even if i don’t finish this, I will ensure that today I post this article. The more I reflect on the advancement of my years, the more I try to answer the question of priority. What is really worth ones time, and what is a share waste of life and time. As I journey along, and meet with different types of people from around the world. It’s clearer to me day after day, that the essence of life is to make the most of it in serving a unique purpose. So today, while I thank you profusely, I’ll also like to challenge you deeply. Continue Reading »

Some of you were not reading this site back when I wrote “I wept”, and some of you were. If you are curious enough you can go over and read it. It makes an interesting read everytime I go back memory lane. Today’s article is however not a mere recap of why I wept back then. Today’s article is about why I wept today!

Just incase you don’t know, let me remind you once again, that I percieve my tears as precious. So precious that you are likely to find gold before you see tears in my eyes. I have discovered however, that while it might be difficult to share tears out of pain, I find myself getting moved and touched by care, concern and certain fundamental life issues.  Today I held back the tears without success, with a handkerchief in my pocket and ladies from different nations around me, I tried to play the man with a heart of steel, to watch and nod rather than allow my lacrimal glands take the day, but it happened again. Like Shakepsear said – “To weep is to make less the dept of grief”, I felt better after.

It wasn’t out of sorrow, thankfully, it was out of concern and compassion for people like you and I.  People like you and I who have the capacity to do a lot more than we are doing. People like you and I who have accepted the stereotyping of society. People like you and I who are bound for the grave with virtually all our talents and resources untouched and still loaded. People like you and I who are so quick and sharp with excuses, that we have become incapable of venturing into anything. While I listened, my heart melted, my siliva dried, my ears openned and I heard Gods’ voice in my ears, and my eyes gave way to warm tears. What happened? Follow me. Continue Reading »

The process of living is the process of dying – literally. I usually tell people on their birthday’s that one year more is one year less. As we advance in years our life reserves get reduced and we embark on the process of dying. Just like the pages of a book, as the left piles up, the right dimishes until we hit the back cover and turn the book over. Living is dying.

It is however more interesting that in order then to live life fully, one must embrace the possibility of death. Full life is impeded by the fear of dying. The pages drag slowly, the moments lack zest, when we refuse to plunge or dive because we are afraid! We have only one shot at life, yes, but it’s going to end with death anyway, so why not live it fully with no regrets? Why not enjoy the journey since the destination is sure? Why not live it the way it was designed to be lived – with passion, excitement and fulfillment?

“People living deeply have no fear of death” – Anais Nin

I shudder at the statistics of people who really live deeply? Only a few percentage of people ever live beyond ordinary lives. Many of us unconciously live with the template of Solomon Grundi, our lives follow a predictable sequence. We wake up early every morning and engage in a race to work and back. Our key motivation is not more life, but the fear of not losing the one that we have. We race to work not because of passion, love or excitement, but because to put food on the table we think we must! We hope that maybe one day we will live our dreams, one day we will suddenly have a rush of courage and give up who we are for what we are capable of becoming. One day comes one day late, and then you are late and it’s late. Yank off your life from the slow road guarded by fear, move into the lane where life is rich and adventurous. It’s not a road void of challenges, nay, but it’s exciting and full of stories. It’s also empowering and capable of actually making you a guiding light for thousands or millions of prisoners of fear.

Here are 5 things you can do to live life more fully. Continue Reading »

There is an experiment that I read about that opened my eyes to the truth about Fear. I’ll narrate the story to you and guide you into my understanding of the inner workings of fear and how to break away from limiting mind sets. There is nothing that stops living a full and fulfilling life like fear. Fear shackles, holds back, and paralyzes good initiatives. Many of our best ideas have never seen the light of day because of fear. Many of us are living way less than our possibilities because of fear. Many of us are stuck with Jobs we don’t like, relationships we don’t enjoy, dreams we haven’t birthed, desires we don’t express, all because of fear. The fear of the unknown, the fear of being wrong, the fear of failing, the fear of falling, the fear of poverty, the fear of isolation. Fear! If you can break free from the hold of fear, not only will your words be motivating, your life will be inspiring. When we break lose from our fears, we unconsciously liberate others around us to do the same! 

How fear works is quite interesting, and I think this little experiment clarifies it. Imagine a long flat board, 100 meters long, and 1 meter wide (1 meter is a little more than 3 rulers and for 100 meters, think about the track in secondary school) Imagine it lying on the ground, and you are asked to walk on it without moving off it at any point. If the picture of this is clear in your mind, walking along this board for 100 meters should be a piece of cake. In fact, you should be able to almost close your eyes and run on it. Right? Now imagine that this same flat board, was lifted up to the height of a sky scraper and fixed between two sky scrapers for you to walk on? Imagine, it and ask if you would? The truth is, you will be a lot more reluctant to walk, the board has not changed, it was the same board you would have run on confidently a few mins ago. But all of a sudden now, you are afraid, the fact that it is high up is allowing you to be clouded by the possibilities of what might happen, you are suddenly thinking more about the consequences of falling than the prospects of walking or even running. This is the way fear works, it takes your eyes off possibilities into the real of consequences. You begin to imagine things that may and will never happen, and it stops you dead in your tracks. Fear is the greatest road block to success, and except you learn to live above and in spite of your fears you are doomed! Doomed to mediocrity, doomed to average, doomed to live out a frustrated and unfulfilling existence. If you don’t face your fears, it will back you down into the corners of timidity, batter you into cowardice and leave you an underachiever. We need to understand fear and free ourselves of it’s grip, here is how. Continue Reading »

Dante Gabriel Rossetti a poet and an artist was once approached by an elderly man. The elderly man approached him to show him some of his works of art, for the great artist to make a few comments about their value and viability. The story says, that when Rossetti saw the works of art, he could not conceal his assessment of the fact that they were useless. Being a kind man however, he did not make fun of it, he simply explained to him, that he could not lie to him and felt that the works of art were of little or no value. The elderly man as you would guess, was disappointed, but the didn’t let it shake him too much. Before turning around to leave, he asked the great artist for an opportunity to get his remarks on the works of art of a student of his. The artist obliged him, and the elderly man presented the works to him. The eyes of the artist lit up! 

Dante Rossetti, was impressed with the works of art, and generously poured accolades on it. In fact, he told the elderly man to ensure that he did whatever he could to encourage the student. From what he could see, he really has real talent and something unique. Contrary to Rossetti’s expectations that the old man would feel hurt that his student had potentials to be greater, the old man seemed visibly moved, emotionally so! “Is that your son, the great artist asked?” Seeing that there must be some connection. The elderly man responded, “no, it’s not my son, that was me 40yrs ago, I only wished I had heard what you just told me now then, I would have been encouraged to paint.” Continue Reading »

Announcements: The New Nigeria Club online conference will hold on Thursday the 19th of February, 2009 at 8pm Nigerian Time. We’ll be doing the conference on skype, if you are interested in attending send me your skype ID on my deolu@newnigeriaclub.net or write it here as a comment.

I got up really early this morning, I wanted to be ready for 6:30am so I could make the Lagos to Ilorin trip on time and return on time too. My Secondary School (Federal Government College Ilorin) was celebrating their 36th birthday, and I was invited to come and speak to and inpire the students. I had done the same thing last year, so I guess I’m gradually becoming a regular item on the founder’s day celebration . It was a bit stressful for me getting up, as I was truly tired, given that I had an engaging weekend. Over the weekend I had spent about 3hrs of my Saturday in a church I was invited to speak in, a good part of the rest with the organizers of HR MBA. Sunday had also gotten me going from Church to HR MBA, and then to Realty Point office where I facilitated for IFA and then back home late. I eventually went ahead to sleep on Sunday night around 3pm and knew I had to get up for 5:30am if I was going to make the Ilorin trip and be there on time.

It turned out to be a really packed day for me, I’m on my bed now, trying to retire for the night, and I can safely say that I feel really invested (spent) today. My mind casts back at the scenery of  FGC Ilorin, everything still looks pretty the same way I left it 15yrs ago. The assembly hall is still incomplete, the sports pavilion still looks like it’s in development. Save for a few “new” buildings here and there which are actually balanced out by the buildings that have deteriorated, the school is still basically the same. I had given scholarships to a few of the students last year, but looking at their faces today I was motivated to increase the number of students enjoying the scholarship.  I had spent over 9hrs on the road, travelled long distances, risked not making money today, given of my time, my effort and fallen into the risk of being misscontrued. On my way back however, I recalled a thought that stayed with me through the weekend and gave me inspiration. It said “It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! ” – Matthew 25:26b Continue Reading »