Tag Archives: Life

Adeolu Akinyemi
March 18, 2011

Do You have a Terminal Ailment?


There is an ailment gaining grounds around the world, it’s been around for a while, but hadn’t been named until recently. Do you have this ailment? Have you checked to be sure you don’t? I just analyzed everyone in my family that had died at one point or the other, and it dawned on me that they die of this same ailment. It’s terminal, this means you are bound to die once you have it. Would you like to know if you have it or not? Checking the details of how it works and how you contact it may shock you! Only continue if you have the heart. Continue reading →

Related Posts:

Adeolu Akinyemi
January 13, 2011

5 Things You Must Build


Excuses are monuments of fools as murmuring is the language of slaves, yet it baffles me, how people participate in any of these two activities so frequently. Comparison is the pastime of fools as fear is the passion of slaves, yet it’s amazing how the greater part of society engage in them so helplessly. If the way you are living today is totally acceptable to you, then write your will, for somewhere around the corner is Elysium. Growth must be preceded by dissatisfaction, all of life’s blessings come towards one who has a burning desire. If you have cravings, and the things you crave must come to you, then there are a few things that you must build.

First of all however, what is your dream? Close your eyes if you must, but what is that one thing you will try to do, if success was guaranteed? What will you try your hands on if you knew you could not fail? What goal will you pursue, if you are assured of getting it? Dreams are the beacons of hope that guide us to new beaches far from the shores of our current realities. Do you have a dream? Or are you living your dream already?

If you want to reach beyond where you are today, if you desire more and want better, then these are a few things you need to build.

1. Build yourself

If you want more, you need to be more! Whatever you get that is more than who you are is a gift, don’t expect it next month. Quit comparing yourself with others, or murmuring about what you don’t have. If you don’t have it, ask yourself, “do I deserve it?” What value are you adding, and what will you pay for the value you are adding? To build yourself, you need to expand your mind – Read books, travel out, go on an adventure, try something new, make new friends. Look closely at your life, “what has changed in the last 1yr?” Have you made new friends? How many books have you read? Have you given yourself an attitude makeover? Are you brighter, sharper, more informed and a better person than you were before? If you don’t want to be a fool or a slave, build yourself. Don’t build just your mind, build your body, and exercise your spirit – Meditate, Pray, Sing, give expressions to your inner self. Build yourself.

2. Build Character

In this show-biz crazed world, where the virtues of modesty and conservativeness are gradually being positioned as a vice rather than a strength, you may wonder of what use is character. Interestingly, research still shows, that even crooked people like to work with people they can trust won’t con them out. The reality is that character is key. Character is the inner consistent you, it is who you are, and the sum total of all your qualities, values and ethics. In a world loaded with pressures from peers, advertising, channel O and so many influences, having an internal developed core that provides you with basic rules to guide you conduct is key. Charisma will not take you beyond where character cannot sustain you. Make up your mind to always do the right thing no matter who is watching. Guide yourself by true North principles and don’t destroy your character.

3. Build your home

Investing in your home, is characteristic of wisdom. Invest in your wife, your children, your family – nuclear and extended. Invest time, love and resources. Your home is not the house you are living in, it’s the people you are living with. Consciously build your home.

4. Build your Business

He that does not work, should not eat! There is dignity in labour, and working to earn a living, minding a business – your own, is noble and deserves credit. Don’t build a house at the detriment of your business, grow your business to build your house. Don’t focus your attention on deals and contracts, build a business. There is a world of difference between a deal and a business. Between a one-off and a system. Learn what to do to build your business and do it. Different businesses require different things, but have some generic things in common. Look for someone around you that is successful in business and if you can get, in your line of business. Learn from them.

5. Build your Brand

The Coca-Cola drink costs less than 10cents to make, but the Coca-Cola brand is worth billions of dollars. Reputation is useless if character is missing, but with character in place, build your brand. Let your name ring a bell around a theme. Be consistent. Start a Blog, sign-up on facebook, join groups relevant to you, join linked in, be visible and be consistent.

Related Posts:

Adeolu Akinyemi
July 12, 2010

Ghosts of My Girl Friends Past


It was 1 am in the morning and the TV in my room was on, I had seen the advert for the movie and had been a little curious. I had a flight for 9am the next morning, and staying awake to watch the film meant that I might not sleep until 3am, would wake up by 5-6am and pack my bags to get to the airport for 8am so I can catch the flight to Warri. It’s going to be working a tight rope, but I gave in to the temptation to watch, and guess what, it was worth it.

The key story in the movie was of a guy – a player, who did not believe in love or the institution of marriage, and had become a serial boyfriend… getting into relationships strictly for the short term value. He always ensured he didn’t get his heart or feelings involved, he had learnt from his uncle the master player, to be exceptional in the art of seduction. He had become lethal, he was great in his game, and he didn’t care much for settling down. His life seemed to go well, until one critical night. That night he was in town to attend the wedding ceremony of his only brother, there were lots of bride maids to kill time with, the wedding planner was an ex-almost-girl friend. The stage was set for one of his normal nights, but not this night. He goes into the gent, and there meets a ghost, the ghost of his player uncle, who came to show him, that this type of life he’s living does not have a good end. Continue reading →

Related Posts:

Adeolu Akinyemi
June 20, 2010

Who Will Cry When You Die?


The thought of our mortality is one of our greatest reservoirs of wisdom. When we ponder on the transient nature of life, we ask ourselves deep questions and our philosophies are formed. When the question of death is asked, our highest priorities surface. I like the thoughts of Stephen R. Covey, when he says begin with the end in mind. One can hardly understand his or her life’s priorities without extending the equation of life over the point where life ends. Those who regularly connect with their mortality live the most meaningful lives, while in contrast, those who think they would leave forever make a mess of life.

Who will cry when you die? Ask yourself this question and it might reveal to you the quality of life you are currently living. Ask why will they cry, and you’ll see the things you are living for. The days are inching close to when it would be 1yr that heaven gained my mother, the days seem fast to the observers, but the value of that time, and the many times her value was missed is priceless. My eyes have not offered it’s tears for public display, but my heart has bled over and over with tears of blood, thank God for his comfort. When life has meaning, it always leaves a clear vacuum in the lives of other people. This vacuum makes people cry, makes people hurt and makes many wish it was possible to reverse death. When you die, who will cry and why? Continue reading →

Related Posts:

Adeolu Akinyemi
November 4, 2009

What is Your Story?


What you are about to read is a piece from a new friend and sister of mine. She has been reading from this site for a while, and one day gathered herself and contacted me. Like many of you, she felt that what I was writing was for her, and that rather than let her life pass one second at a time, she needed to get herself involved in the things she truly enjoys.  She lives over 10hours away from where I live, so meeting was difficult, but somehow we met – thanks to Holidays and Cash.

After our brief meeting that had so many other people around, we communicated again on phone once and talked about what she was doing and what she would really love to do.  I encouraged her to start her blog, and to give herself an opportunity to do what she really wants to do. I counselled her to document her progress, take pictures and really take in the feeling evoked from following her passion and heart. She decided to spend her time at an orphanage, and the piece she wrote when she came back blew my mind. Amazing things can happen when people grow in their soil. Have an exciting read. Continue reading →

Related Posts:

Adeolu Akinyemi
August 12, 2009

Thank You Dearie.


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 →

Related Posts:

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 →

Related Posts:

Adeolu Akinyemi
April 30, 2009

Feedback from Unilorin


I and a team of my friends and colleagues rushed down from Lagos to Ilorin yesterday night. We got to Ilorin around 7.30pm haven kept about 500 students waiting for over 2hrs. Manchester United was battling it out with Arsenal within a few minutes from our getting there, but the students waited for us to come, and waited again for 3 more hours while I shared some thoughts and strategies with them on how to position themselves in the next few months.

Being in Ilorin and speaking to these crowd of eager youths was fulfilling and exciting for me. By the time we finished, it was 11pm, and we didn’t have so much time to answer questions. I am dedicating this post to them, to fill in their comments, and ask their questions. 

A few thoughts have run in my head since last night, I’ve been doing some thinking about what I said and what even I have learnt. I don’t know who is out there that needs to be blessed by these words, I can assure you however that if you practice what you are about to read, you will make history! These are not the things I spoke about, if you want that, buy the tapes :) , let the student body make some money :) Continue reading →

Related Posts: