Lessons that LIFE and GOD Have Taught Me

There is a thin line between humility and stupidity. Don't make yourself a footmat that men thread upon or the refuse bin for their rubbish.

Every opportunity usually looks good at first sight but not every opportunity should be taken.

Always remember that GOD is your source and men are but your CHANNEL. Never mix up these roles, so that when one man shuts his door against you, you will not cry but you'ld rather turn to God who will CREATE another channel.

The race is really not to the swift, neither is the battle to  the strong. God is the one who gives thee power to create wealth.

You must face your giants. Sometimes you should bully the bullies in your neighbourhood, and feed them in the recipe of their nonsense.

I have used all my strength to fear my God, I have none left to fear men. I can only respect and honour men (no matter who they are), they will never become an object of worship.

No matter how ungodly the world gets, you must never lose your saltiness.

Do not strive for (all) men to like you, their respect will fetch/earn you better fortunes than their 'like'.

Nothing is impossible. If you want to be exceedingly great, you must open your mind to God to receive that vision which eyes have not seen. God is not in the business of giving 'small' visions. He will give you a vision that is naturally bigger than you, and you would need faith to birth the same to reality.

When God gives you a divine revelation, do not go out to men to get validation or confidence to launch out. They will hardly be able to comprehend the vision because it is not unto them that God gave it.

I am who God says I am. I will not leave the definition of myself to men. You are the one who will tell men what to call you.

Relationships are a great key to wealth creation.

Money is a defence. It is however not an end in itself but a means to an end.

Life is a privilege. There is nothing I have that I have not received.

No matter how high God elevates you, never use your position as a tool of oppression.

Your thoughts are the keys for unlocking destiny and achieving breakthrough. I believe that 'thoughts' are things and really men can think and grow rich.

The best mentor a man can have is the Holy Spirit, in him resides all truth and wisdom.

We all enter the world with unlimited potential, anybody can be rich, anybody can be poor. We are the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls. True wealth is not only measured in monetary terms.

Do not run after made men (or women), it took hardwork to get there. Discover your calling, invest in yourself and gain knowledge, and men will also run after you.

Christ in me is the hope of glory.

Fortune favours the bold.

Are You Living the Life You Dreamt About?

We all grow up with varying thoughts on our mind, and dreams of diverse cuttings: fantasies of singing on the stage, a superstar entertaining the world, marrying the Prince Charming who could give an arm and a leg to make us happy, living in the best mansions in the world, driving the world’s most exotic car that existed nowhere else but our imagination, becoming a billionaire at the age of 25,... I could go on forever.

When we look at people of the older generation- parents, uncles, teachers, etc, we can't help but spot the frustration of a large percentage. Think of how many times an elderly person said to you, 'When I was your age, I knew I would be a very great person, it's just unfortunate how things played out...' there are millions of sour stories like this littering the universe- dashed hopes, downsized visions, tear filled eyes, untamed anger.

Sometimes people ask, 'Is it not too early to ask yourself if you're living the life you dreamt about?' Hmm...I think that sometimes, fear is the reason why people choose not to take stock of their lives, we just want to cruise along in this roller coaster called life, and do not want to wake up to our reality, we are afraid to discover that we may be failing, that our lives may be turning out to be a nightmare we always ran away from.

Taking stock of our lives is taking ownership. It is bracing up like a man and facing your acts. Remember those goals you scribbled on notepads, those lonely nights when the only thing that consoled you was that big dream in your heart, the confessions you made, your prayers to God, all those thoughts/things are expected to come to reality. I am not saying you should have had all by now, but the question is are you on the path that will lead you there?

I really think that at every point in our lives, we MUST take stock. Your breath is an investment on the earth, and it wise to track how it is being utilized. Sometimes, we need to sit before a mirror and ask ourselves, 'What is different, what has changed in my life in the last 10 years?'

For some people, 10 years is like 10months, nothing has changed: same friends, same job, same salary, same knowledge, same thinking, same perception...their lives have been freezed at a constant level, NOTHING CHANGED.

However, for some other people, 10months is like 10 years, a refreshing, energizing journey: CONSTANTLY new ideas, new knowledge, new friends, new thinking, new projects, CHANGE COMES DAILY!

If you wake up every morning feeling the same, then SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU, and please don't get spiritual with me because even the Holy Spirit never lets you feel the same everyday, he is dynamic and seeks to give you refreshing experience everyday.

As you interact with LIFE everyday, some rusted, outdated, conventional patterns and elements within your life give way to allow the NEW.

It’s time for you to TAKE INVENTORY! What are the goals you had set for yourself years ago? To what percentage have you achieved them?

Do this in 3 minutes in a state of solitude and silence within and without: close your eyes, and try to catch a picture of you in the future, WHAT DO YOU SEE, where do you find yourself, what are you doing, who are your friends, how are you dressed, where do you live, who is your spouse…WHAT DO YOU SEE?

The next question is ‘If I continue to live my life the same way I have always lived it, will I evolve into that man/woman I saw in that picture? If your honest answer is No, then what it means is that you must now shape/create the future. 

Trust me, the most important phase of your life is not the past, it’s THE PRESENT LIVED IN CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE FUTURE. The only thing you should do with the past is learn from it so you do not repeat the same mistakes over and over again. For every mistake you make, time is lost.

Digital Dating: 10 Reasons to Un-friend Your Ex

The wonderful world of online social networking adds a little more work to breakups. After you've sent back his stuff and deleted his number from your cell phone there's still one more thing you've got to do: un-friend your ex on Facebook. I know what you're thinking. You both decided you still want to be friends and you don't want to upset him by shutting him out. Plus, isn't it petty if you un-friend him? Take it from someone who remained friends with the ex on Facebook and in real life; you're better off making a clean break. 

Here are ten reasons why you should un-friend your ex after it's over. 

1. You think he's sleeping with every girl he takes a picture with 
There is a time period when the wounds are still fresh. You two have decided to be friends, but are choosing not to hang out with each other. All of a sudden, you know nothing about his social life and you swear that girl that's kissing his cheek at the bar around the corner from your apartment is having sex with him. You stare at this photo and compare yourself to her for the rest of the day. 

2. You use your status updates to try to prove you're having more fun than he is
If a man breaks up with you, your bruised pride instantly stands up, brushes its shoulders off and goes into showoff mode. You feel an obligation to prove that you're a fun and exciting woman who he just couldn't handle. You begin posting messages like, "I had so much fun partying 'til 5 a.m. last night. I love my life!" 

3. You over analyze/internalize his status updates 
This generally happens right after a breakup. You read every single status update he writes and think, "What is that supposed to mean? Is he talking about me." Then you retaliate with some really passive-aggressive status update of your own, like "Some men are so childish." 

4. Stalking him cuts down on your productivity 
If you're a fickle Facebook user, your social networking usage will increase exponentially after a breakup as you try to connect with old friends and try to keep up with your ex -- even though he's not around. We've all thought, I'll just engage in a little Facebook ex-stalking during my break and ended up clicking through his photos and reading his wall posts for over an hour. All of a sudden it's 5 p.m. and the spreadsheet you were working on is not done and you're going to have to stay late to finish it. 

5. His status updates remind you of how stupid he could be 
You don't know what you ever saw in him and every time one of his status updates pops up on your "News Feed" you're reminded that you two have nothing in common. His crude jokes make you cringe and the things he gets excited about make you nauseous. 

6. His photos remind you of how good things were 
Even if he was kind enough to take down the shots of you two canoodling in his living room, the photos of him chilling with his friends in his backyard will ultimately remind you of all the times that you were right by his side in that backyard. All of a sudden, you'll be crying to your girlfriends about how much you miss being with him. You forgot all about how he wouldn't let you touch his sacred backyard grill or how he would ignore you when all of his friends came over. 

7. His photos remind you of how lame he sometimes was 
You'll be offended every time you browse his photos and see him in that dumb t-shirt that reads "Hooray for Boobies." Remember how you made him swear he would never wear it again. It's back! Keep clicking through. There'll be another photo of him playing beer pong and he'll probably be wearing another obnoxious t-shirt. 

8. You censor your photos because of what he'll think 
Maybe you don't want him to know that you've moved on, because you don't want to hurt his feelings. Suddenly, you're wondering if you should post that picture of you and the new guy you're crushing on in your "Wall Photos." 

9. You can read what his friends say about you 
Once he changes his relationship status, there will be an onslaught of encouraging words from his friends. Wait 'til you read, "She wasn't good enough for you anyway, man," on his "Wall." You're going to lose it. Don't say we didn't warn you. 

10. It will be harder for you to move on 
While you two are not together in real life, you're still very much in each other's virtual lives. You know what he was up to on Saturday night and he knows what you're thinking about on a random Tuesday afternoon. 

by Bobbi Misick

AGDC Presents the High Potential Graduate Program (Take Advantage!)

The Afterschool Graduate Development Centre (AGDC) launches The High Potential Graduate Program (HI-PO), a transformational program which seeks to promote the employability of Nigeria graduates. It is geared towards building global talent locally, and raising a new generation of leaders for Nigeria’s economy and industries. It is an opportunity for graduates to launch their careers on a fast track, and be empowered to excel and add value to the companies they work in.

PROGRAM DESIGN
The programme content is structured after management trainee curricula used globally. The programme has been structured to meet the employers’ needs, develop insights and strategies to find gainful employment in this competitive job market.

The course modules cut across:
• Business Writing
• Maximizing Your First 100 Days at Work
• Personal Brand management
• Communication and presentation skills
• Strategic Thinking in Problem Solving & Decision Making
• CV Writing & Interviews Technique
• Leadership, Delegation & team dynamics
• Project management
• Customer Relationship management
• Emotional Intelligence
• Enterprise & Creating your own employment
• Basci ICT course and much more.

Participants will experience learning through:
• Case studies and simulations
• Lectures, videos, group exercises and discussions
• Individual and group presentations
• Input and experiences of classmates
• Assessment centre and career profiling
• Community service project
• Class Project

DATE: 3rd – 23rd May 2011

COURSE FEE: N70,000 -Per Participant (Fee covers Lunch, Course Materials, Workbook & Certificate)

VENUE: AGDC Learning Centre, 5, Maitama Sule Street, Off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

TIME: 9am-4pm Daily

HOW TO REGISTER:

Registration closes on the 27th of April, 2011 and very limited seats available. 

Payment can be made to

AGDC Employability & Enterprise LTD/GTE
ZENITH BANK Account No: 6014313101

For registration and other enquiries, please call Bolanle on 07029777474 or Victor on 08052397308, 08134973075.

Internship opportunities are available.

Do You Deserve a Salary?

I am forced to do this article because of the lackadaisical attitude I have seen firsthand whilst working with a number of youth- experienced workers and fresh graduates alike.

There are so many lazy people in Nigeria. The work ethic we used to have is fast giving way to a very strong entitlement mentality. People just think that they should be paid for leaving their house in the morning to go to work.

Do you truly ask yourself at the end of the month, “Do I deserve to receive a salary?”

Bosses have been labeled with so many adjectives such as “witch, materialistic, wicked, heartless, inconsiderate, greedy, arrogant, slave driver, selfish, insane, choleric, unfriendly, bad, harsh, disrespectful, etc”. This is a piece of my mind: when you run a business-big or small- have to pay your facility rent annually, have to pay salaries and vendors, utilize a generator on a daily basis because of crippled power supply, have no funds in the reservoir, do not rely on donations, and you have a growing liability bagged in the course of running your business, then after 1 or 2 years, come back and tell me how it feels. A lot of bosses are under pressure from the business environment (every element that constitutes it), and so they want to be sure you at all times that you are a worthy investment. My boss once said that every job advertisement put up by any organization is a cry for help. So, when you get hired, it is because the organization believes you carry a solution- the answer, and deliver you must!

Your boss does not owe you a salary, you must earn it by hard work, and please, activity is not equivalent to productivity. We are not concerned with your effort, we are interested in results. I believe it is unethical and unfair to ask for a wage when you've not satisfied the organization's requirements from you.

The main goal of every business venture is to make a profit. After all, would you be happy if at the end of the month, your boss calls you into his/her office, gives you a pat on the back and with a huge smile says, “Titi, thank you very much for your contribution to this organization. We see and appreciate your efforts. We hope that even though we would not pay you salaries in the next 6 months, you will continue to work so hard and faithfully. You may go!” Of course you would be red with anger. Now flip this scenario and imagine how your employer feels when you don't bring value to the table.

You get motivated to work when your salary is paid as at when due, even better motivated when you get a bonus. Likewise, your organization gets motivated to pay you when you deliver results, and even more motivated when you bring in money. It is an offence to sleep during office hours, stay on facebook all day, gist from office to office, go out all the time for personal business, read novels and newspapers all day at office. There are many more behaviours that are totally unacceptable.

When you go for your salary at the end of every month, ask yourself this sincere question, “Have I done enough in this office for this month to deserve a salary?” Your employer’s time should be used conscientiously and judiciously. So, every day, every week, and every month, you should set goals for bringing maximum, measurable value to your organization.

As Nigeria Makes History, Vote Your Conscience

These are the Days that will be stamped in the heart of history as the time when a people realized what they wanted and went all the way for it.

Your vote should not be given to a party but to the individual. You should not consider the popularity of the party, but the potential of the candidate. Godfatherism must be swept out of our politics, and this means that the candidate who has the greatest potential and expertise to deliver may not have as much resources as the god fathers to run a huge campaign. If you go the way of conscience voting, you will probably vote for different candidates across 4 different political parties at different levels. But in a case where you don’t know the candidates at all, you may then vote for candidates whose parties have made remarkable impact around you.

You don't have to vote for a candidate because the majority say so. Be convinced about who you want to vote for. Mind you, the majority is not always right.

This is yet another opportunity for the youth to actualize their desire for good governance.

Vote! Vote! Vote!

If you do not cast your vote for the right candidate, you do not have the moral right to complain about poor governance in the near future.

We are the FUTURE, and so WE VOTE!

Where is Your Career Heading?

I wonder if we ever get to ask ourselves this question and how often we do so. Unfortunately, the high incidence of youth unemployment in Nigeria has forced a lot of young people to take up just any job available, as long as the pay they earn caters for their feeding- 'Make I just survive, and make man pikin no die for the hustle' is a common word on the streets of Nigeria. In fact, as my colleague once said, if you ask the average youth, 'What can you do?' the answer you get is 'Anything,'  'Where would you want to work?' 'Anywhere,' 'How much would you consider taking?' 'Any amount!' and the list goes on.

You probably have heard the statement 'Decision Determines Destiny,' this applies to your career development. Your first job will determine a lot of things. Your first job can propel you into destiny and it can throw you completely off course. Take a look at the captains of industry, entrepreneurs and top executives of organizations, and the career paths they have charted over the years; You will always find a pattern: The Passion, The Apprenticeship, The Growth, The Explosion, The Institutionalization. They say the journey of a thousand miles starts with a step, but if you set out on a wrong journey or a wrong course, you may be in for a lifetime of regrets.

One classic lesson I have learnt is this, “Not Every Opportunity available should be Taken.” A lot of opportunities will come your way, but you must be able to analyze your options in the light of what your big picture is. Sometimes, you must learn to ignore some opportunities.  

So I ask, do you have a Personal Development Plan or a Competency Development Plan. In fact, do you have a picture of who you want to be and what you want? CONTROL YOUR DESTINY OR SOMEONE ELSE WILL. “Someone else” in this context might be your employer.

Let me ask this question, 'do you know how much of your life and time you spend working a job?' Let's do the math, there are 24 hours in a day. Let's assume you live in Egbeda and work in Victoria Island, you leave home at 5am so you can get to work before 8am, and you close at 6:30pm to get home at 10pm. You would directly and indirectly spend 17 hours on the job every day. And the remaining 7 hours? Sleep takes up about 5 hours minimum or the whole 7hours. In some cases, some people sometimes go to work on Saturdays and Sundays. The next logical question is 'When and how do you have time for yourself?'

I engaged in an exercise years ago, that has stayed with me and I see the effect as the years go by. I was in a meeting where the facilitator asked us all to close our eyes and see ourselves ten years from that time. Whilst I wouldn’t tell you exactly what I saw, I would say it was a really great picture of the future. I saw myself leading a consulting corporation and been looked upon even by the wisest in the land for solutions. After the exercise, for so many years even up until this point, I still see that picture. Interestingly, that picture has influenced the kind of opportunities I have embraced, the kinds of jobs I have done, the people I have added to my network, the books I have read and purchased, the trainings I have enrolled in, the sacrifices I have made, the activities I have focused my time on, and so on. There is an overriding picture, an overriding direction for my life. Self discovery and living a life of purpose is a journey and not a destination.

To take this to another level, let’s engage in the short exercise below.

Ask yourself these questions and provide genuine answers:

1.) Do you love what you currently do?

2.) Do you find some fulfillment doing what you do?

3.) Would you still stay in this job if you had another ‘better’ opportunity?

4.) What have you always wanted to do?

5.) Why are you not doing it. i.e. What is holding you back?

6.) If everything could work as you would want it, and if you could have what you desire in your heart of hearts, what would you be doing?

If you have so far said to yourself, "I am not doing what I want to do," you may then go on to ask yourself these further questions:

7.) So, how did you get here?

8.) How can you move into the career of your dreams?

9.) Do you meet the entry requirements in the industry of your dreams

10.) If you do not meet the requirements, how can you acquire requisite skills, exposure and experience needed?

11.) Can a professional examination help cover the gaps?

12.) If yes to 11, which one would you need to put in for?

If you need to acquire more skills and experience, you don’t have to quit your current job right away. Just take your time, and set structures in place to facilitate a smooth exit into the right direction. You will reach the top!