Pay The Price

We live in such a competitive world where it is bidders with the highest price that succeed. There is nothing for free anymore,the days of manna from above are long gone. We are literally living in the world of the "survival of the fittest." It is for those people who are willing to lose something in order to gain something. The universe is so fair that when you offer something it will give you another in return, this is called trade. You cannot expect to get anything when you give nothing.

How much are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want? This is the ultimate question because the more you are willing to pay the price the more your chances of getting what you want. I am not talking about the price for goods here but the greatest price you pay for your dreams. Dreams don't come cheap. No big dream ever just happens, great men and women defied the odds to achieve their dreams. You cannot change the world with small dreams; big and audacious dreams pave people's ways to the history books as world changers.

The truth is you must know what is worth your sacrifice; you don't want to waste yourself on useless endeavors that are not going to make any significance in the world or bring you any satisfaction. We have enough of those already and we don't need more from you as well. You must have that one big, bold and audacious dream that you can pour yourself all out into. It must entice you, appeal to you, intimately resonate with the innermost chambers of your soul and propel you into action. Otherwise, it is not going to stretch your imagination at all and it is not worth your sacrifice. Cut your losses and look for that one elusive world changer.

What made guys like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates drop out of college? The similarity in these guys is that all of a sudden they did not see the sacrifice of going to college worth their returns and they did not see college repaying them the way they would have liked. Something else emerged as urgent to them and they were big, audacious. I mean they were potential world changers at the time and we are the witnesses of the fact that they have indeed lived up to those potentials. And these are changing the landscape of technology and computers.Surely you know about Apple and Microsoft Corporation now. They knew what they wanted, sacrificed for it and needless to say they got it.

There are a lot of such great men and women who completely galvanized and transformed this world. They simply found something worth their price. You cannot continue doing something that is tasking you, stressing you out and bringing you nothing but frustrations. The sooner you realize it is not worth the price the sooner you would release your mind to birth those big dreams that are worth your price.

There is only one thing you are brought here to pay the price for and until you figure that out, you will always waste your efforts and energy on things that are not worth it. Until you have one thing that consumes all your potentials, you will always divert your potentials and get half-baked rewards in return. It is time to focus all your energy on one big audacious dream and you will realize the power of your efforts because power is simply energy/efforts directed into one thing.

I am reminded of some of the Master's protégés (John and James) who wanted to solicit for positions without paying the price. Their mother asked for them to sit at the side of Jesus in Heaven. The Master responded overwhelmingly, He said, "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" The question was about the price, "Can you pay the price that I am going to pay?" Many are just after good positions but are not aware of the price attached to those good positions.

He knew the price that He was going to pay and He was ready to even die on the cross for His purpose. He found something big to die and pay the price for. It was worth all the sacrifice in the world. There has not been someone like Him who revolutionized the world the way He did. He died for what He believed in and that was to free humans. What are you prepared to die for?

We need your potential, we need the greatness in you, this world still lacks so many riches and some of them are only in you. You may not be aware yet but you are the change you want to see in this world.

Are you committed to the course of your dreams? Are you willing to back it up with the plan of action? You don't need to be great and all famous to start but you need to start to be great. You can start wherever you are, at whatever stage you are in.

As long as you can still dream,you have a shot at living your life in an amazing way and impacting the world in the only way you can. It's people who move from dreamland to action land that change the world. Please join their elite club, it's a winning team guaranteed! Fight for the dreams you are entrusted with, you are the only one who can give them life, don't die with them please.

Be obsessed with seeing your potential being realized and not contributing to the wealth of the cemetery. Within you is the greatest wealth that this world has yet to see.

Don't delay your dreams I am sure you have delayed for too long now, there is no time to waste anymore.

Have a fruitful month!

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Patience And Success

Life takes very little skill really, but lots of effort, when you win. Some of the most skilled people are genuinely less than their potential because they sweat too much on the small details. The big picture put together is greater than the sum of its parts alone.

Another thing, patient effort is greater than quick "getting it done now", always. If it was not greater than quick getting it done now, then nothing would take effort, and winning would not be a bigger accomplishment to people than losing.

Some of the most skilled and genius people are losers because of intemperance and impatience with situations that would make them winners.The fact is, to become a winner takes not so much skill, but patience, temperance, and a capacity for realistic understanding of what it takes. Sure, that sounds simple, but the real skill of success consists of this. For without it, it does not matter how much "book and school knowledge" you have, you will not succeed. That subtle difference in viewpoint is what made Abraham Lincoln,a supposed failure revered

Think about that and think about that deeply. To be successful in all things, you must be successfully patient, understanding, full of temperance and tolerance from the very beginning or settle for genuine failure.

Also, success is more of imagination.Visualizing success and hard work lead to success ultimately.To a failure, success is one shot without practice attempts, it is unrealistic expectations that do not work.What makes a success is temporary "failure" rather than the "lucky break" first time "success"

The real nature of success is not the instant win, it is the "built up win". There is nothing more important than creating through effort, work and making the success repeatable rather than depending on luck at the first try.

Success is ours!
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Take That Risk!

Ever sat there and thought 'I wish I had a go at that' or 'I wish I could try that'?

Do you have some great ideas and you get 50% down the path of implementing them. Then the alarm bells start to ring and the little voices in your head start to chatter: 'But can I really take the risk?'... 'What will I lose'?' Before you know it, you've lost your initial burst of enthusiasm, and you back off, returning to what you know is safe and comfortable.

There is nothing wrong with that. Being cautious is part of most people's make up. But you really don't want to go through life carrying a whole bunch of 'what-ifs' and a bucketful of regrets, do you? 'What if I had done that?' 'Do you know... I had thought of doing that, but didn't'.


It may seem a little risky when you work out how much a new idea is going to cost to put into action. Or you hit so many stumbling blocks that you think Someone upstairs is trying to tell you something. However,conquering those stumbling blocks is what separates the everyday people and achievers, and will give you a real sense of achievement. Remember: It is risky not to take risks.

So go on, take a leap, and take a few risks!

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SAY YES

So many of us are sitting on the fence of so called safety and security literally robbing ourselves of the opportunities each and every day to live a more fulfilling life. Those individuals have become accustomed to saying no to living their dreams, however they are not consciously aware they are saying no to their dreams.

The reasons for these individuals not living their dreams are anyone's guess, as their disguises are too many to mention. However there is no doubt that if one is not living their dreams, they have in some way been sold on their fears; fear of not being good enough, fear of being rejected to a fear of dying and the list is endless.

If this is you, understand that if you have not said yes to your dreams you must ask yourself what have you said yes to through your actions or in actions.

Have you said yes to a life of average?

Have you thought my dream is not something I can actually go after?

Have you said yes to settling for a life less than what you really desire?

Have you said yes to lack because it feels like all you can have?

Have you said yes to being alone because you think you're un lovable? Or are you too frightened to be in a loving relationship because of the risk of being hurt?

Have you said yes to playing safe because living an adventurous life is dangerous and you could lose your life?

If you have said yes to these things you maybe saying no to living a fulfilling life. The reasons for sustaining those no's in your life is robbing you from a fulfilling life. Your safety will never be guaranteed by living a life less than you desire, the only thing you will guarantee is living a life full of regrets; repeating words like, I could have done that.

Someone shared with me a thought that his father always shared with him and I'll pass it on to you as the simplicity of this thought spoke volumes in the way of freeing one of fear. It goes... "A man that was born to hang, can't drown" and when I heard it I thought wow I love that thought. I'm sure this thought has been handed down for many years but I will attribute it to this my friend's father because he always says along with that thought, to just live your life. How liberating it is to just live our life, fearlessly believing that we are purposeful and that experiencing life in its fullness is all we need concern ourselves with even with all the mistakes. After all playing it safe doesn't eliminate the possibility of making mistakes; it eliminates the possibilities of having fulfilment.

If our lives are to be purposeful then all we need do is say yes to the purpose, say yes to a fulfilling life. Learn to say yes because saying yes allows us to release what we think we know to learn something new and that something new will expand who we are and enable us to learn more about ourselves.

Learn to say yes to your dreams, learn to say yes to purpose. Say yes to fulfilment.

There are many keys to success like, getting our mindset open for it, having persistence and being around people who are thinking like we think and having someone on your side whose only motive is to see you operate in your full potential. Whatever it takes,be deliberate in saying yes to the life you have always wanted to live. Say yes today and enjoy fulfilment. Have a great week!!!

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The Butterfly Mentality

Recently, I stumbled on a book about the transformation of the butterrflies. It was very inspirational and really got me thinking. The stages a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly can be perfectly applied to our lives to become whatever we have chosen to be.

Maya Angelou, a renowned writer, stated that "we delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." Life is no different. Many times, people only see the successes in others. What they don't realize is the amount of hard work, dedication, persistence, and transformation required to become successful

With the butterfly mentality, anyone can master the art of successful living. Change is the only constant in life. Regardless if you're a human or butterfly, every living organism evolves. Rather than fight it, the key is to accept those changes and move on. If you're currently in a bad situation in life, you must realize that it's bound to change so there's no need to be stressed about it - just keep working steadily to resolve those concerns and have faith that tomorrow is a better day.

Please note that those who are successful must also be cautious about this fact. Instead of relying on their past successes, people must continually change and adapt to remain competitive and successful.

One of the best methods for accepting change is to realize that nothing is permanent. Not only are your failures impermanent but also your successes. Whether you accept it, or not, everything has an expiration date. This also includes humans, animals, insects, flowers, furniture, political regimes, and even business entities. The goal is to detach yourself from any emotional baggage, addiction, obsession, or fixation. Once this is done, you'll realize that accepting change is much easier and you'll be more efficient at transforming to become the best person possible.

Like the butterfly, people also progress through 3 main stages in life: birth; death; resurrection. Of course, no one is physically immortal. The death that I'm referring to pertains to the failures in life that's not only unavoidable but also catastrophic to the point where some have either given up or even taken their own lives. In essence, everyone will fail at something in the course of their lifetime.

The key is to resurrect from those failures, learn from them, and use the knowledge and experienced gained to improve personally and professionally.

Bruce Lee wisely stated that "the key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering." Many of us would love an opportunity to live forever. Unfortunately, no one is physically immortal. Instead, many legends, role models, and icons live through their words of wisdom long after they're gone from our physical world. Similar to Bruce Lee, who's still helping millions of people globally with his words of wisdom that's applicable to life, business, and success, people could also work towards immortality by helping others, thus being remembered for making a positive difference in our world.

Whether large or small, people must also learn to celebrate their achievements in life. Doing so would provide you with the additional motivation needed to continually pursue your dreams and passion in life. Remember, failure to reward yourself occasionally may result in a loss of enthusiasm that could be detrimental to achieving your goals and objectives.

One of the best part of life pertains to freedom. You should have the freedom to choose your own destiny in life. You could decide to open your own business, work for someone else, or volunteer and donate your resources through charitable contributions, etc. Like the magnificent butterflies celebrating their freedom through the flitting pollination of flowers, people also have an opportunity to pursue their own path in life.

In the end, success is a state-of-mind and directly proportional to love and happiness. The more loved and happy you are, the more successful you feel. Therefore to be happy:

(A) Follow your passion(s) and do what you love.
(B) Have gratitude, enjoy every moment, and live in abundance.
(C) Do your best to learn, grow, and help others.

Even if you don't have much, you could drastically increase the amount of love and happiness in your life if you follow the suggestions mentioned above.

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LIVING IN THE NOW

Are you here? I mean are you really present and living in the moment? Or is your life being re-lived out of the past or in expectation of the future? Do you live in the moment?

Now I am not talking here about the 'in the moment' activity of goal setting or planning, which is a conscious action made in current time to set a destination or a path. In this act, you are fully present much like the master of a ship who is determining his next port or destination. Then once determined you set off on your journey, ever present and experiencing each moment as it comes: This is a somewhat different experience to that of living in the past or future, instead of being fully present and alive NOW.


This shift to living other than in the present is not conducive to experiencing the best life has to offer. In fact it shortens and robs us of the fibre of our being and this activity should not be mistaken for the productive and valuable process of evaluating life's events for its lessons and evaluations which can be used to help us on our way.

So I guess my message is that outside of a healthful analysis of our past and an optimistic evaluation and plan for our future, our time and our life is for living now.

I read somewhere that,"in the past you hear the words your future calls for you to be happy, so be happy now." I still haven't fully mastered the attitude, but I give it my best shot. Like most things in life, our being happy is primarily a decision-made and kept.


Living in the "NOW" is the most intelligent decison we can ever take. No matter how alluring or otherwise our pasts are,they should not dictate how we live in the present. The future would be fashioned out by the way we live now,hence the need to live fully in the present.


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THE CUSTOM-MADE LIFE

Life comes once to everybody We're all in the middle of a one-time event. We get one shot to do it right. When it's over, it's over. No rehearsals, no retakes.
Why, then, do we so casually give our lives away?
How do we do that? We give our life away by living it according to somebody else's plan.
Perhaps a parent. Friend. Teacher. It could be just about anybody.

Rather than maximizing our unique set of talents, personality and intelligence, we allow the opinions of others to tell us who and what we are. Usually to our detriment since somebody else's view of life fits them, not us.

The user's manual, the Bible, explains the deal. We're each custom-created by God with the talents, personality and intelligence to do what God put us on earth to do. Our job is to determine what gifts God gave us and then use them to achieve our purpose.

So, let's think about this. If we're each custom-made, then we're each unique. Some are '"uniquer" than others, you may have noticed, but nobody's supposed to be a clone. Or even a copy. God's about the custom-made, not clones or second-best copies.

If God intends for us to be unique, then trying to make us look, think or act like somebody else is wrong. Sure, we may look a lot like Mom, have characteristics inherited from Dad and even share some opinions with others, but put all those pieces together, and they spell "unique."

Those who try to direct us down the wrong path may have innocent intentions. They may even think their efforts are admirable. Perhaps it's their misguided effort to help. Or it may simply be an unthinking attempt to relive their lives through us.

Or their intentions can be callous. They spot advantage in manipulating us to fit their purposes. Selfish people don't give a hoot about any collateral damage we suffer.

We all know how it goes. Parents insist their children, however unsuited or unwilling, follow in their footsteps. "Friends" prefer we serve their desires and plans rather than move toward our own "If you were really a friend, you would . . . " or "if you really loved me, you would . . . "
This is not unfamiliar territory.

Here's what we can take to the bank: If the plans of others contradict what God put in us, they are the wrong size and wrong style. They may be right for somebody else, but they don't fit us. It's the old square-peg-in-a-round-hole theory If we go along, we'll end up regretting that we didn't live life differently.

So, what to do? The simple-to-say, hard-to-do answer is to quit marching to the beat of somebody else's drummer.

Isn't it a little late to change? Well, it's either now, later or never. Later will be harder. Never is unthinkable.

As the saying goes, seize the day. Whatever our age, we can change. Yes, younger is easier, but as long as we're breathing, there's hope.

Most days we'll only change a little, but if we persevere, the changes will become apparent-and finally, astonishing.

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EXCLUSIVE : ONE ON ONE WITH NIGERIA'S YOUNGEST PILOT

We return to the subject "passion.". We can't seem to exhaust that weighty topic. Men and women passionate about a cause or endeavour will do anything to achieve their goals. We won't be dwelling on that topic but on a man who has found his passion and he is already taking steps to get to the peak.

The Nigerian aviation industry has been plagued with series of air-mishaps with the latest one still fresh in our memories. Despite this, a young man has found his 'love' within that industry and he is putting expression to it.

The name Kidaffa Umaru Maina might not ring a bell in your ears but it is already causing positive waves within the aviation cycle. At 19, Kidaffa is Nigeria's youngest pilot.An indigene of Borno state,Kidaffa is the first in a family of 3 children. He attended Carebears Nursery/Primary School Maiduguri, Borno state for his primary education and proceeded to King's College Lagos for high school. He graduated from King's College in 2011 and enrolled in Aptrac Aviation,Port Elizabeth,South Africa that same year.

He started his course in October and obtained his first solo on the 29th February 2012..He got his Private pilot licence on 2 May 2012 at the age of 17 and continued for his commercial licence. He finished all his commercial ground school exams in November 2012 and continued with the flying program. He passed his oral exam and flight test on 18 September 2013 making it 10days to his 19th birthday..

Talking about his choice of career,he said,"Flying has always been my dream since I was much younger in
primary school.". He acknowledges divine and parental supports." My parents have been my great source of encouragement and also God has been so faithful to me..".

However this is not to say he has had it rosy all through. He had to overcome financial challenges initially and the age factor reared its head. "One of my challenges was funding.My parents suffered a lot to raise the money for my fees.Secondly my age.........most of my coursemates were like 10years older than me and we had to face the same task."

He is currently licenced on a multi engine aircraft with instruments rating and hopes to be a Captain on a Boeing 787. He is currently in Nigeria processing his licence conversion after which he will be eligible to fly the Nigerian airspace.
One striking feature about Kidaffa is his humility. His calm disposition is also notable. He has a word for Nigerian youths. "My advice to young Nigerians out there is hold on to your dreams,pray hard and open your heart to God. With hard work and determination, the sky is just the starting point"....

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EXCLUSIVE : ONE ON ONE WITH NIGERIA'S YOUNGEST PILOT

We return to the subject "passion.". We can't seem to exhaust that weighty topic. Men and women passionate about a cause or endeavour will do anything to achieve their goals. We won't be dwelling on that topic but on a man who has found his passion and he is already taking steps to get to the peak.

The Nigerian aviation industry has been plagued with series of air-mishaps with the latest one still fresh in our memories. Despite this, a young man has found his 'love' within that industry and he is putting expression to it.

The name Kidaffa Umaru Maina might not ring a bell in your ears but it is already causing positive waves within the aviation cycle. At 19, Kidaffa is Nigeria's youngest pilot.An indigene of Borno state,Kidaffa is the first in a family of 3 children. He attended Carebears Nursery/Primary School Maiduguri, Borno state for his primary education and proceeded to King's College Lagos for high school. He graduated from King's College in 2011 and enrolled in Aptrac Aviation,Port Elizabeth,South Africa that same year.

He started his course in October and obtained his first solo on the 29th February 2012..He got his Private pilot licence on 2 May 2012 at the age of 17 and continued for his commercial licence. He finished all his commercial ground school exams in November 2012 and continued with the flying program. He passed his oral exam and flight test on 18 September 2013 making it 10days to his 19th birthday..

Talking about his choice of career,he said,"Flying has always been my dream since I was much younger in
primary school.". He acknowledges divine and parental supports." My parents have been my great source of encouragement and also God has been so faithful to me..".

However this is not to say he has had it rosy all through. He had to overcome financial challenges initially and the age factor reared its head. "One of my challenges was funding.My parents suffered a lot to raise the money for my fees.Secondly my age.........most of my coursemates were like 10years older than me and we had to face the same task."

He is currently licenced on a multi engine aircraft with instruments rating and hopes to be a Captain on a Boeing 787. He is currently in Nigeria processing his licence conversion after which he will be eligible to fly the Nigerian airspace.
One striking feature about Kidaffa is his humility. His calm disposition is also notable. He has a word for Nigerian youths. "My advice to young Nigerians out there is hold on to your dreams,pray hard and open your heart to God. With hard work and determination, the sky is just the starting point"....

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SUCCESS:THE EXPERTS ADVICE

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Success is one of the most covered subjects in the world. You will find many articles and books about how to be successful. If you do a complete research about success, you will find that success has a pattern. Success has its own laws, and these laws exist whether we know it or not. Therefore, if we want to achieve success for any area of our life, we simply need to know and apply these laws.

Laws of success exist like the law of Gravity: even if we don't realize them, they work on us like Gravity.

Many researchers and authors spent years and years studying the nature & laws of success. For example, Napoleon Hill spent 20 years studying successful people in America until he finally developed his concept of these laws. He interviewed over 100 American millionaires across nearly 20 years, including industrial giants as Henry Ford, J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison. In his book The Law of Success, , he found out that these laws are universal in the sense they are everywhere for everyone at any time. According to Napoleon Hill: "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich (1937), is one of the best-selling books of all time (at the time of Hill's death in 1970, Think and Grow Rich had sold 20 million copies).

Tony Robbins had interviewed many successful persons in many different countries. According to him " If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results." .

Brian Tracy talks in detail about the laws of success such as the law of attraction, law of expectation... etc.

Stephen Covey in his bestseller: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People demonstrates that successful persons follow a pattern to reach success, and this pattern is summarized in 7 habits.

What is common among those top experts in the field of success & human development is that all of them see a pattern or "common laws" for success.

These laws are mental / emotional. Often, they are called "the Laws of the Mind". They are like positive thinking but with more focus and more direction. If you know them well and follow them, you will program your mind to apply them automatically. This means you will apply them with relative ease, with natural continuity, and without struggle. In a way they will be part of your personality. You will begin to see opportunities rather than challenges, even within any challenge. You will take a positive look towards life. Your focus is on the solution rather than on the difficulty. Once you begin to develop this pattern of thinking, you will begin to attract success in your life. You will also attract successful persons in your life. You will attract positive energy in your body.

Your mental/emotional attitude is the basis of these laws. Once your mental thinking has become directed towards your goals, and once you direct it only positively, you will begin to expect the positive. Once you expect it, it will be much easier to achieve it.

Success starts with a thought. Henry Ford said: "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." This does not mean that simply by thinking positively you will not have any problem in your life. It doesn't also mean that if we have any challenge it is because we expected it or attracted it in our life. No, it simply means that the power of positive thinking, the power of your mind and the ability to use your mental thoughts/images will provide you with tremendous energy that helps you towards achieving that specific goal.

If you guide your thoughts towards success, the outcome will follow. Napoleon Hill calls it the master mind. Others see it as the law of attraction. Your thought attracts success. According to Deepak Chopra "Every thought you are thinking creates a wave in the unified field. It ripples through all the layers of intellect, mind, senses, and matter, spreading out in wider and wider circles. You are like a light radiating not photons but consciousness." Hmmmn!

This view is based on ""like attracts like". It starts with a thought that you create in your conscious mind. On average, you receive 60,000 thoughts every day.

Focus on what you want, rather than on what you don't want. As Norman Vincent Peale said:" Change your thoughts and you change your world."

Your thoughts are your imagination. Albert Einstein said, "Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions." Hill believes that imagination is the key to mastering all of the other lessons of his book: Law of Success. This is one of the reasons why visualization techniques are so powerful, as they are based on your imagination.

Your thoughts must be positively connected with your expectations. You have to expect the best: best of you, best of people & best of life. Many experts talk about the law of expectation as something inherent in success. When one expects with confidence that good things will happen, they usually will.

Our expectations are linked to our existing beliefs. According to Earl Nightingale"Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations".

All of our actions are the fruit of our ideas: before we act on anything we must first have had an idea. An idea is a thought or a group of thoughts that ultimately determine the conditions of our daily lives.

The order of success is like this: you start with a thought; this thought will lead to energy, energy will in turn lead to an action, and ultimately action will lead to success. This is why it is essential to have the right thought from the start.

Remember that energy follows thought: we move toward, but not beyond, what we can imagine. Success requires gradual steps. There are steps that you can take towards your success. Think of success as the stairs.The elevator to success is out-of-order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.

Finally, remember that Success is achievable, and this is within your potential. Have a great week people!

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CLAIM YOUR GREATNESS

We are still on the same "talent and passion" topic. Everyone has got one talent and passion or the other which are necessary for success in life. However,some people make one terrible mistake by comparing themselves with others. This comparison robs people of greatness. Do you find yourself saying things like:

"She always seem to have it all together, what's the matter with me?"

"He gets all the attention, why I can't I?"

Have you ever said any of the above, or something that close? We all do, at some point or another. Even the image above is that of an orange wishing it were an apple. We should stop these comparisons. Oscar Wilde said, "Be yourself, everyone else is taken".

While reading an article recently, it brought back memories of a poem I read few years ago. One particular line says, "If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself." Isn't that the truth? When we begin to compare ourselves to others, it makes us feel less about ourselves. Shouldn't we be spending time valuing our uniqueness? Meredith Fineman said, "In order to succeed, you have to be the best you."

It is a mistake to compare yourself to others. Why? Because you really don't know what's happening in the other person's life. All that portrayal of having it all together could be a farce. He or she could be 'faking it until they make it'. The article suggests that, "... when we compare ourselves to others, whether it be a marriage, a career, or a specific achievement, we are only comparing ourselves to our perception of this person." That's right. We are making comparisons against things we don't know or don't have enough information about. So, don't envy anyone. Instead, look inwards and be grateful for who you are and what you have.

During the coming weekend, instead of comparing yourself to others, reflect on these words from the poem: "Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time."

Here's my personal message to you today: Opportunities are lost on those who spend time comparing themselves to others. Quit doing so, embrace your uniqueness, and get ready to play it big and win! Claim your greatness today by stop comparing yourself with others!

NB. We pray for the eternal rest of those who lost their lives in yesterday's plane crash and also pray that the Almighty gives their faimilies fortitude to bear the losses.

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DISCOVERING YOUR PASSION

We have been talking about trading with our talents and locating our passion. The question therefore is, "how do you trade what you have not discovered?"Nelson Mandela once said "There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

If you love what you do, you'll never have to work a day in your life. But where to start? If you have no idea what you are really passionate about, here are 5 tips in discovering your passion.

1. What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up?

Cast your mind back to your childhood and tap back into the innocence and simplicity of doing something just for fun. The things you enjoyed before you become ingrained in the day-to-day responsibilities of being an adult. These are signs of your true personality.

2. What Would You Do Without Getting Paid?

What would you do simply for the sake of your own happiness? Sometimes you consider a job purely as a way to make money, but if you are following your passion, money will naturally follow once you have put in the hard work and sacrifice. A good way is to start doing something you enjoy even if you haven't figured out a way to monetize it. Test what it's like to work in an area you're passionate about. This way it will shift your idea out of your head and into reality. It will take you out of paralysis and fear mode to a place of joy which will then fuel your passion.

3. What Are You Interested In?

Finding your passion can be as simple as examining what is on your bedside table. What books or magazines are you reading? What blogs have you subscribed to? Are there any particular topics you gravitate towards? What is the thing that grabs your interest the minute you hear or see something relating to it? What is it that sets you on fire inside that makes you feel alive? What is the thing you can't wait to do again? You will know it's a passion when you find yourself spending your money, time and energy on things related to that particular topic.

4. What Makes You Feel Good?

What do you do that people notice or compliment you for having done? What do people thank you for? What are some ways people see that you contribute? What do people routinely ask for your help with? Most people's passions and talents help others in one way or another. All these things boil down to you feeling good about your own value.

5. Don't Stop Learning

Be a student of the world and consume information of all kinds whenever you can. Read up on people you admire or topics you have an interest in. When your mind is open to broader possibilities, your clarity of focus can be increased.

If you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don't stop. You're on to something big. Because hard work isn't hard when you concentrate on your passions. If you want to find your passion, it starts with trying.

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TRADING WITH YOUR TALENT 2

Yesterday we began a topic on how to trade with our talents profitably. We highlighted some key factors that would come in handy when trading. Peradventure you were not priviledged to read the first part of this series, please check it here: (http://weinspireng.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/trading-with-your-talent.html?m=1).

This is the concluding part of the series. Enjoy!

1) Courage

Courage is the ability to encounter problem, distress, disappointment, challenge, difficulty, uncertainty, danger from what you are doing without changing course. Courageous people are warriors. David as a sheep tender faced many attacks in the wilderness, he was seen as an outcast by his immediate family yet he held on what he was configured to do. According to Eddie Rickenbacker "courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared"

2) Maturity

To be of age is not to be aged; it is not in the number of years (age). It talks about maturity. David was a teen when he got this appointment. Maturity here has nothing to do with what nature has done to you(natural growth), rather what you have done to yourself to become a better person. Your maturity will determine the way you relate with people and how well you can work in or lead a team. The length of our days on earth is not the indicator of maturity(being of age). Patience and stability which are necessary tools for successful 'trading' are products of maturity.

3) Good Communication Skills

David Jesse had a way with words. He spoke well. We must learn to speak well too.This is what we call communication skill in this age.We need to improve on our communication skills, if it is not important it won't be an item on our resumes.

4) Good Appearance

David was attractive. He paid attention on his appearance and we should emulate that as well. Our appearances determine our acceptability. It is on record that Joseph, the first Prime Minister of Egypt shaved himself and changed his clothes before appearing in the presence of Pharaoh to display his gift. People are moved first by the outward appearance.

5) Divine Presence

This perhaps is the most important factor. It crowns the previously-mentioned factors with outstanding success. The presence of the Most High God is the single determinant that swings success our way. We must therefore do whatever we can to get His abiding presence. Think about these!

Have a blessed day!!!

Abiodun Sowemimo

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TRADING WITH YOUR TALENT

Everyone wants to be successful in life and the reason for this is to become powerful, having influence on others. We so much desire success in life that we pay less attention to the power we need to be successful. Recently, I asked few friends which of the statements below is true;

I need success to be powerful
I need power to be successful

The larger half of the respondents said they need success to be powerful and this is true (but not to mean other statement is wrong) . But we need to know that we've got within us the power to succeed.

To become successful and have influence on others, it must begin with you. John Maxwell in his book "Today matters" identified that the first step towards success includes starting with you. You need to put the power within to work to be truly successful and powerful. This power is the natural ability to do something(s). Yes, we call it TALENT.

Here are the steps to make your talent profitable

A) Identify The Power

What do you like doing naturally? People call your attention to the fact that you are doing it well but to you its just normal. You don't even get exhausted easily while in the act. Sometimes we use this power negatively, but there could be a positive reaction to it.

B) Put The Power To Work

Power is the ability to do work. Give response to the power within after you have discovered it. Use that power to work for people, with or without immediate pay. When we work without getting paid, we say we are working F.O.C. (Free of charge), but every work has a reward. We could get a seed or a fruit reward for the work we do. When we think we work F.O.C, what we get is seed reward which is worthless (monetarily) at the moment. Sure, it takes time for it to become fruits, but the reward is greater. I'm sure Joseph (first Egypt's prime minister) wasn't paid money for the dreams he interpreted for the king's officials in the dungeon. But after two years, the work he did for 'free' secured him a greater work which he got instant and lasting rewards for. That is seed reward for you.

C) Convert The Work To "Food"

Converting work to food means to love the work you do. Before you turn your work to food, make sure it is the work you like to do. It takes feeling to like but it takes decision to love. Turning your work to food is going the extra mile with your talent. When you move from liking what you do to loving what you do, what you get is speed in your success journey. Many people don't like the work they are doing (talk less of loving), but they stay on the job because of the pay.Today, good job is erroneously determined by good pay(money reward).

D) Give Diligence To The Work

What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. Don't just be good at what you do, always work on becoming better than good at it. Diligence at your work will bring you riches and greatness-availing you the opportunity of standing before great people. The first appointment of King David Jesse of Israel (one of the greatest kings in history) in the palace was as a result of diligence in the playing of musical instrument. The king's official that recommended him to King Saul said "I know someone. I have seen him myself: the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, an excellent musician. He's also courageous, of age, well-spoken, and good-looking. And God is with him"

David was not just into music, he was doing it well, and that is excellence. Excellence is the product of diligence. Diligence talks about practice, doing what you do on and on. Maybe you are thinking that happened in the past. Lately, I was showing a friend a musical video on the new Nigeria and he identified the musician as the personal photographer of Nigeria's President. I am certain she got the President's attention and that job through diligence with her talent (music).

E) Power (Talent) Is Never Enough

I have said so much about talent but I also believe talent alone is not enough to be successful. Power or talent can be a necessary condition but it is not in all, the sufficient condition for success. So if it is not enough to guarantee success in life, then what and what do we need to complete the success model? I believe lessons on greatness can be learnt from the account of great men. So I want us to look further into the curriculum vitae that was presented to King Saul about David Jesse. Aside from talent, the official went further and said some things about David.These are what makes the success equation complete. Join us tommorrow as we reflect on them briefly

Abiodun Sowemimo

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