Success Drive

THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY How would you define consistency? I will start by sharing a personal story. During my undergraduate days at the university, precisely my 300 level, I became fed up with life and was almost giving up on my dream of becoming a graduate of Political Science. The only thought running through my mind then was "QUIT." This was largely because of the sudden fall in my most cherished CGPA. The decline was something I never imagined. All efforts to get my lecturers to look into the matter proved abortive. I was almost sliding into depression, but thank God for the gift of men. Ademola Adebayo, one of my favorite friends, came to visit my room in the hostel. And while I was still deep in thought, he extended one of Denzel Washington's motivational clips to me. As I began to watch the video clip, it ministered to my situation. One of the most striking parts of the clip was when he said, "If you ever think about giving up, then remember why you ever star...

Growing into the early age of your 20s can be the period of your life when your energy is at its peak. You most often than not aspire to go beyond the Rubicon. For me, it was the period when I was zealous towards any and everything that crossed my path. I was voraciously consuming all the books I could lay my hands on at this period since I have a great knack for studying. As good as all of what I gave my youthful age to was then, I failed to channel my energy to what I am discovering now that I am in my early 30s. This piece shall be a guide to many who are seeking to maximize their age 20s. I will as a matter of great importance, suggest that you give yourself wholly to "BUILDING". Yes! You got me right. Build. What to build in your 20s: ~Build Capacity. ~Build Enterprise. ~Build Others. ~Build Relationships  In building capacity , I will urge you my reader to hinge on permitting your mind to run in the direction of knowing and learning. Let this sprout in Ski...

“ Without vision, you have no direction. Without direction, you have no purpose. ” —  Steve Gilliland “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 ( KJV). Hi dear,  My heart is indicting to tell you how my day went and the lessons I learnt from a bad experience I had today. What a painful and stressful event it was! Indeed, it is true that speed in the wrong direction is only a waste of time and can be a waste of life if the change is not effected on time. It’s a story of moving with a vision but without the right direction. So, sometime last month, one of the senior administrative staff, Mr Kingpraise, called me into his office to inform me that he was recommended to the National Examination Council (NECO) as a supervisor in the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). I was so happy as I considered that an open door. Finally, God has begun to answer my prayers, I thought. In my heart, I kept praying th...

The meaning of civic education remains a mystery to many. Many people believe civic education is just a subject taught in high school as another way of making a good grade. As good as this explanation sounds, it is not sufficient enough to express the importance of this subject area. One of the aims of this blog post is to define civic education and explain the relevance of this subject matter to the national building and the development of a nation, especially, Nigeria. Civic Education first of all is a form of education. Online Etymology Dictionary expresses that, etymologically, the word "education" is derived from the Latin word ēducātiō, which means “to breed, to bring up, or to nurture, especially as regarding the mind of a person. Education itself is a process of enlightening the mind to ensure the transformation of a person. Education is also an art of teaching or learning relevant knowledge and skills necessary to make one better in an area of life. It is also necess...

 The Manger It’s another Christmas. Christmas signifies different thing to different people and groups. For most, it is a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to deliver humanity from their sin. He is God and became flesh because of love. What sort of love is that, that a man will sacrifice his own life in order to save others from death and damnation?  However, have you ever consider what happened when Jesus was to be born? Maybe the answer is “yes”. As I thought about the sacrifice Christ made for us and the birth of Jesus Christ. I began to think about the location where Jesus, where the Word of Life was born. It was in a manger, you remember? Yes! So, there was no space at the normal inns, the then hospitals, because of the surge in the number of people in Bethlehem. But, there were spaces in a manger. A manger? Why manger? Why should a king be born in a manger? These are the puzzles we must be answered.  It is agreed based on the authority o...

 Brain Banks: A story of total freedom Tonight, I watched a movie, "Brain Banks". This movie tells more than the story of 16 year old football champion that was accused of rape, served eleven years in prison, six months in confinement. This movie reminds me of the life of most Christians.  At some point, we were under the siege of the devil, we made mistakes, we messed up. Then, we were declared guilty because we really were guilty. Guilty of sins, guilty of self, guilty of covenant with devil. Then, Jesus came to set us. Hallelujah. We became free, but guilt still hunted us.  Moreover, after Brains' release from prison, he was put under house arrest and must not to move more than 200 feet away from his house. He couldn't even get a job, his dream of becoming a professional football player was dashed.  This is the story of most christian, even though, we were made free when we received Jesus, the devil still kept us in great confinement, and tied us with so much barr...

"What GOOD is LIVING the LIFE you've been GIVING if all you do is STAND in one PLACE?" Lord Huron In these last twenty-one days, I have lodged in 10 rooms, travelled 9 towns, lived in 3 cities, visited 2 renowned universities—meeting all and sundry in uncommon places. Today, I paid a cursory visit to the University of Abuja🇳🇬  . The University—‘unity in diversity’—accomodates all walks of life amidst its gigantic faculties, encompassing schools, diverse disciplines and elaborate studies—The Reason for Living. The university is the hub for molding culture-shift agents, the laboratory for testing intellectual sages, the epitome of elites and gurus in the corridors of power. We cannot overemphasize the sole purpose of this great a phenomena.  As I walk the width and breadth of the nation's capital university, I see the myriads of life's questions nailed to the Wittenberg doors of each faculty. The medical student is being trained to prescribe life's meaning by ...

  MOTIVATION: LESSONS FFROM DAVID A friend of mine, while alighting from a vehicle, fell down. While relating the story to me, I asked her, “who picked you up?” then, she emphatically, with a smile, told me, “I picked myself up”. This is more than just a statement to me, it sent a clear message to me, that in life, although, we need people to be around us, encourage us, motivate us and inspire us. However, the crowd, friends and family may not be there every time to pick us up or inspire us to continue when we fail or fall. This means that in the race of life and in the pursuit of success and the fulfillment of our dreams, we must ensure to be ready to encourage ourselves more than how much other persons or external elements will motivate us. The story of a king in the Holy Book, Bible, is a good example of this. The story, although is very old but the message is evergreen. The generations to come will still be learning from this epic story. International politics is as old as ...

 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE At times, we wonder, where did we come from? What’s our source? Some out of curiosity, have asserted that we are of the ape’s family and that we are only higher animals, better than the  other animals because we can speak different languages and are dynamic. In finding answers to these questions, some said, we are from a small god, “orunmila” created by God-an angel sent from heaven with only sand and “epuro” (palm nut). The scientists said we are products of an explosion of a big cyclical object, out of which the creatures evolved. They called it the “big bang theory”. All these theories as good as they are, they are nothing but fallacies and people that the people that believe in them are like them. The search for the origin and essence of man still continues till today despite all the discoveries of men. The emptiness in men for the meaning of their lives is evidence that there is something supernatural about the creation of man. That having gotten to ...

  Offspring Our lives like river Flowing as water without wave Beating against the storm, we move Sleeping like Jonah in the ship when the sea roar As the storm beat against our boat We fight only for survival We ask, why should we fight? If life really has a meaning that quiver Trembling, shaking, many look for exist Doors, not to the living but to the dead They think death gives life more rest This also is vanity That brings weakness to men’s hearts How will you say, I am here for nothing? When the creator said He made me in his image After his own wonderful likeness, tainted, With his glory, what an identity? Indeed I am here for something, Greater than my existence, than the breathe in my nostril To please and worship God, because I am His offspring. Ademola

 Success: Beyond Talents and Planning Thursday, the fourth day of the month of February in the year 2021 was exceptionally great with various activities in the National Youth Service Corp's (NYSC) orientation camp. That night, as the Miss NYSC and Mr. Macho pageantry was scheduled, I had lost interest in the program so I picked my phone to get updates on trending news. The first that popped up on Opera mini news was an inspiring news on the great come back by Barcelona FC against Granada in the Copa Del Rey quarter final. The news clearly stated that Barcelona came from behind to win the match 5-2 despite the obstacles encountered from the opponent. Without doubt, Barcelona is one of the  greatest football clubs existing and the captain of the team, Lionel Messi is considered to be the GOAT of football, meaning he is the greatest of all time in the history of football. This is very true as Messi has many prizes to show for this claim. He has up to six Ballon d O'r, and has bee...

 Contending For Your Joy I started the day with great vibe and utmost motivation to achieve every of my goals by God's grace. However, it was not long after our family devotion that I discovered that something else wanted to hinder me from fulfilling God's plan for me. It was anger and resentment that almost shear me of my grace. But, thanks to God for giving me understanding and grace. It was when we were preparing breakfast. I had a pending conversation with someone and also wanted to send some documents to Papa on WhatsApp, so I dialed *131# and proceeded to activate a small MTN social bundle for WhatsApp only since that's just what I needed that time. Sadly, the activation was not successful but, I was changed by MTN, so I became very uncomfortable. Anxiety, grief, frustration and anger were already coming my way. I was beginning to imagine how I will call and blast the customer care agents.  Many thoughts were already running through my mine. But, then I remember how m...

THE BENEFITS OF EMPATHY   Today I read some powerful stories and quotes about true friendship from the book, "The 10 Laws of Leadership" by Bill Newman. In the seventh chapter, the Australian writer and motivational speaker shared some great stories about friendship. One of them is about one great Indian preacher, Sundar Sigh, who helped a dying friend during their journey into the Tibet.  However, there is one story that really caught my attention. It was the story of how the famous Australian Athlete, John Landy, helped a junior athlete, Ron Clarke when he fell during a race. The athletes were actually in a race to break the then world record of running a mile within four minutes. When Ron Clarke fell over, Landy had all the chance to break the record and become the then world champion and record holder but he gave away this beautiful chance in order to pick up another athlete. This is not just humility, but it also show his humanity, empathy and concern for others.  Ma...

Introduction It is very sad to witness the existence of the so called “pandemic" that has thrown all human societies into a state of confusion, as the world undergoes a literal universal shut down. Recently, most nations adopted a gradual process to embark on social and business activities as COVID-19 cases reduced. Therefore, there is need to reeducate every Social group about reunification basically, or particularly on the principles and guidelines they have been acting towards. It is paramount to study and checkmate the aftermath of the COVID-19 so as to properly engage in the basic and necessary activities and programs that will ensure the restoration of the social and psychological well-being of the people and groups. Many political systems have started the process of restoration and the rebuilding of human lives, organizations and relationships. Notably, some States have been performing effectively to achieve their desired objectives through the introduction of new techno...

THE AFRICA WE WANT Ozemhoya Donatus I. I INTRODUCTION Vis-à-vis the African continent, there is no other continent, world-over, that the benevolence of providence has been so superfluous to. Viewing the continent from the area of solid natural resources, one discovers that Africa is home to a large deposits of Cocoa, Ivory, Gold, Crude Oil, et cetera, which are all needed in high quantities by the Northern Divide, of the global economic order, if it must flourish. Furthermore, from the area of human resource, the continent plays host to the largest numbers of youth in the world, thus setting it on the vantage of productivity with regards to labor-force. Against this backdrop, Africa should be the greatest place on the planet  Earth. However, this supposed greatness has incessantly strode the elusion path as Africa and Africans have been often categorized with the most undeserving class (Third World Countries) within the global comity of states. This brings to mind the bi...

Secret of Success: Learning, Unlearning and Relearning "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." These were the words of Alvin Toffler, an American writer, futurist, and businessman. Your success in any sphere of life is dependent on what you know about that particular thing. The famous English comic writer, Alan Moore says "knowledge like air is vital to life, like air no one should deny it." Knowledge is the facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. It is also the familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is a product of learning. Learning is a continuous process of life that never ends. Sociologists argue that human beings evolve from biological beings to social beings through the process of learning and interaction. Knowledge is...

Change is so pervasive in our lives that it almost defeats description and analysis. It's a common word and phenomenon that defies our attempts to stop or control it. On the other hand, it is also extremely implausible to deny the existence of change as one of the denominator of life. In Economics, change is a term synonymous to variables that vary and change from time; in historical parlance, change is subject to events of the past, present and future; in philosophical understanding, change can be akin to Heraclitus speculation that everything is constantly shifting, changing, and becoming something other to what it was before; in sociological review, change is seen from the lens of what sociologist consider as social change; in politics, we can talk on change based on tenure; under scientific consideration, change has to do basically with objects and the dynamics that surrounds those objects; one could go on and on, but the gist is clear that change is a constant factor of life...

A review of the book, "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki by Adebayo Ademola M. Virtually everybody have seen the book rich dad poor dad by the Japanese-American finance writer and tutor, Robert T. Kiyosaki before, but not everybody have read or studied this book because of the misconception about it. The first time someone saw the book with me, he said, " Demola, you have to be careful with this book, you must gain some stamina before reading it", and I ignorantly said "ok, I don't even think I will read the book" although, I was given as a school prize for been the best student in Painting and Decoration. But, after about three years, as I were still waiting for the result of my final semester's examination in the university, I picked up the small rectangular book and I begin to read and study the book. I haven't finish the first chapter before I got so immense in it because of the unconventional but deep eye-opening lessons it was ...

ACTUALIZING PEACE IN CHALLENGING TIME AND COMBATING HATE; YOUTHS AS AGENTS OF PEACE. By the United Nations Organization’s own reckoning, youths are persons between the ages of 18 and 24. Professor Ben Wortley (1940) once said that peace is ``essentially a state of order in the society in harmony with man`s reasonable nature``. Hate messages, more commonly known as hate speeches are speeches or verbal or written messages which attack or are directed to attack a person or a group of persons on the grounds of race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. One may easily conclude that youths are more in the times of violence than in the circumstances of peaceful co-existence. On the contrary, there are several factors raising the dust of trouble from within the youth. It is popularly said that there is no smoke without fire. The youths are angry with the injustice and no equal opportunities caused by corrupt government, and fake policies. Anger if n...