Friday, January 22, 2016

REGISTER: YALI Learns with Fela Durotoye

This February, the first YALI Learns Event for 2016 will be kicking-off on a high note and as well unleash new generation of visionary leaders who will take Africa to her next level.

Brace up as the YALI Network Face2Face (Nigeria) will be hosting a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Lagos--the commercial capital of Africa-- giving an open cheque opportunity to young leaders from across Nigeria (and Africa) to learn and interact with Africa’s Foremost Motivational Speaker, Nation Builder, and Management Consultant.

|Theme|
"Productivity Enhancement Series"

|Speaker|
Fela Durotoye (FD)

|Date|
February 20th, 2016

|Time|
10:00am (prompt)

|Venue|
University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Yaba, Lagos-Nigeria

|Registration Fee|
FREE  (only for registered participants)

|Registration Page|
Register here: YALI Learns Event with Fela Durotoye

|Enquiries|
Send email to: "eldadavid.samuel@gmail.com"

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

THIS LAND NIGERIA

This land Nigeria
Blessed with rich arts and culture
Her men are handsome, strong and industrious
Her women, beautiful and endowed with natures essence
They are the desire of king's all over the world.

This land Nigeria
Favored with great human potentials and natural resources
Yet, its people wallow in penury because of visionless leadership of some of our leaders.

This land Nigeria,
A land where the good people suffer and the bad ones enjoy good
A land where terrorism and corruption stagnates progress
A nation in dire need of peace and betterment.

This land Nigeria,
You can only get better
When your people practice absolute love and honesty
You will regain your glory when your citizens - leaders and led, renew their minds to love God and humanity.

This land Nigeria,
You are the envy of many nations of the world
Because you are loaded with goodies more than the milk and honey in canaanland.

This land Nigeria,
You are the giant of Africa
And must rise up and take your place in the league of nations.

This land Nigeria,
There's no land like you
I am proud to be your citizen
And I will always make you proud.

Written by:
Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha
[Poet | Author | Editor]

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Ifeanyi is an illustrious Nigeria making a positive difference. His life's goal is to help individuals and organizations better their best. He is a leader at Hinovelty, published author of life-enriching books, pioneer and co-editor of "THE PHENOMENAL WOMAN ANTHOLOGY: Collection of Poems in Honour of Dr. Maya Angelou."

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

WHAT IS YOUR FINAL DECISION?

A certain young man decided to quit after working tirelessly and investing all he has into his business, only to realize that none of his efforts yielded the rapid growth he had so much anticipated for...with no hope left in him, he was determined to quit at life by committing suicide. While he had already concluded, he felt a need to atleast have one last talk with an old friend of his who happen to be a farmer.
After notifying his friend about his decisions, the farmer pleaded with him to have a rethink but the young man stood his ground and remained adamant that his mind had already being made up and nothing can change it. Still, the old farmer pleaded with him over and over again. So the young man, in an attempt to understand the basis for the farmer's plea asked the question, "Can you give me one good reason not to kill myself?"

The farmer quietly responded with a question, "Look around. What do you see?”, the already furious young man answered, "I see fern and bamboo seeds. But what has these got to do with my decisions to die now?"

The old farmer then sat himself down and said, let me tell you about a life lesson I learnt many years ago while trying to grow these seeds:

"When the fern and the bamboo seeds were planted, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the third and fourth year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. I was already frustrated and at the edge of calling it quit.

Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth and my hope was rekindled. Although, compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo unimaginably rose to a height of over 100 feet tall. I would later discover that it had spent the five years I counted as a waste growing, deepening and strengthening its roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive."

At this point the young man had become very sober and having nothing to say. The farmer, looking his friend in the face, placed his hand on his shoulder and concluded:
"Young man, life does not give anyone a challenge they can not handle. Don't you know that all the time, resources, and skills you have invested have actually been helping you to grow roots and your decision to quit would mean that you'd never get the opportunity to see the little sprout that may grow to become a giant in little time? If I did not quit on the bamboo. Never quit on yourself."

Finally, the old farmer added, "the worst you can do to yourself is to compare your bamboo seeds to another man's fern seeds. We are all wired differently for peculiar purpose. Comparing yourself to others is like setting yourself up for failure, doom and frustration. The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern; yet, they both make the forest beautiful.

Your time will come. You will blossom and rise high! How fast you grow and how high you will rise will be determined by what kind of seed you have sown and how deeply rooted you can be. Perhaps you are like the bamboo, you have a chance of rising as high as you can be."

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
END NOTE
The above story is centered around four major lessons:
[1.] The need to have an UNDERSTANDING of who you are, GOD's purpose for your life and as well as the seasons of your life.

[2] The essence of trusting totally through FAITH in GOD who has fashioned out your life's purpose to bring his plans to fulfillment.

[3] Not loosing HOPE in the promise made to you by GOD even in the face of trials, delays and unpalatable experiences.

[4] Knowing how, where and when to seek out for wise COUNSEL especially in a time of confusion and doubt as this may be your lifesaver, if not, you risk missing out of GOD's perfect plan for your life.

Modified & Rewritten by:
Ebenezer O. Akinrinade
[Photographer|Writer|Social Worker]
FB LIKE - EAphotoMedia
Call/WhatsApp: +2348027701092
Tweet @gent2smile | @EbenAkinrinade

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Friday, January 15, 2016

THE SHAME, THE SHAMELESS and THE SHAMEFUL

I took a decision not to comment on what is happening in the country a year ago because commentators hardly change anything and I have kept to that stance. However I woke up with a big burden in my heart as I observed what my dear country is turning into.
I am not as bothered as the looters as I am about the same people whose collective resources has been stolen.
The rapist is a problem but when the raped starts to defend the rapist on the grounds of religion or cultural bias is the burden I have.

So there are three brothers, and the first born is called SHAME. Shame is a smart dude but has never trusted in his ability so right from his school days he would rather plagiarize even when he has the capacity to produce a better content. And that same attitude followed him to governance where he started stealing what he would never need.
Shame is when you are a leader and you are highly remunerated yet you choose to loot what would have made you a legend had it been properly deployed.
Shame is when you steal billions of dollars that is not yours while soldiers die preventable deaths in the hands of terrorists and their wives reduced to emergency widows.
Shame is when you begin to prophesy what God hasn't said simply because a sitting president is from your village. Infact shame is collecting money from politicians while you prophesy to them in the name of the Lord.
Shame is when a nation has got crude yet imports refined oil because there is no functional refinery while her leaders buy estates in other people's nation.
Shame is when a leader finds it difficult to say I am sorry when he has grossly misfired. Shame is when you steal from your boss and yet earn a salary from the same boss pretending that you love the organization.
But shame has got a big brother called shameless because while shame is being grilled in the hands of the law for stealing his nation dry his family members carry banner and placards to cry persecution even when shame never built a road or built an hospital or school for the same people.

Shameless is when you claim you are born again and preach against corruption yet endorse a thief and stand with him when it is clear he is a thief.
Shameless is when you are a bigger thief yet you are making mouth on social media all the while and defending the looters without realizing that the greatest enemies of our nation are united in looting and they never talk marginalization when they loot.
Shameless is when you come out to follow a man to hold a rally and get killed when the same man is not willing to lead the rally or put his children forward to be a part of the rally.
Shameless is when you belief the rhetorics of a so called freedom fighter without asking what he has done for you with his little resources.
Shameless is to seek to kill your president and accuse him of marginalization while your state governor receives allocation and travels all over the world or erect a bogus
Christmas tree or even organize a concert that is meaningless while you are not paid your salaries and he never builds any road.
Shameless is accusing your government of selective prosecution when you have not answered the question 'Did the persecuted steal or not'?
Shameless is when you place party above the collective interest of a people whose future has been mortgaged and may never experience what first world looks like.
Shameless is when you accuse your government of corruption yet you sell fake spare parts as original after a crusade of praise worship and preaching.
Shameless will never weep over his family members bombed in the North yet will light a candle for those killed in France and travel there to march against terrorism.
Shameless loots the economy standing, hale and hearty but shows up for prosecution sick and in dire need of medical attention.
I can go on and on about shameless but there is the bigger boy and that one is shameful.

Shameful's sense of judgement is messed up but yet he feels he is smart because he knows how to deploy the religious and ethnic tribe to get his way unfortunately the raped never sees it and falls for it even when their own life deteriorates.
Shameful is when you stand for a political office yet clueless about what you need to do to transform the polity and you give excuses all the time.
Shameful is when you have elected a leader and given him the best treatment that your family may never experience yet you start fasting and praying for him to perform in that office.
Shameful is when you have spent so much to build a religious edifice that remains locked up 5days of the week while your members come in on those 2days that is opened to beg God for an office space to transact their business.
Shameful is when you are totally sold out to a leader that you keep defending his error when it is clear to all.
Shameful is when you collective reasoning has been reduced to APC vs PDP hence your inability to speak the truth when your party errs.
Shameful is when you become a mouthpiece for a government and sell your birthright for a morsel of bread yet you still want to retain your respect when your compromise is legendary.
Shameful is when you claim muslims are wicked and hate you yet you escape to Dubai to go and cool off and receive inspiration and you come back and refuse to transform your nation.
Shameful is when you make so much noise to disturb a community with how great religion is without the community feeling your impact in good roads and lights.
Shameful is when you go and do thanksgiving and throw a party when you have just been elected and still throw another one after 4years of non performance.
Shameful is when your state rotates two individuals all your life as candidates even when they have never performed.
Shameful is when you call yourself a fountain of knowledge with the capacity to become the academic capital of the world yet settle for a leader who cuts meat with market women.
Shameful is when you tell the people prayer is all they need to make it and your own life has moved on while theirs has regressed yet they lack the capacity to see that they have been messed up.
Shameful is when you claim terrorists don't belong to your religion yet you fail to rise publicly to speak against their terror that has sent many to their untimely grave.
Shameful is when you obey every law in other nations and breaks the same in your country.
Shameful is when you tell your people to spend their life in religious houses and serve God while you covertly run chains of businesses that they are not aware of.
Shameful is when everyone accuse other people's beliefs or party when they go round yet rationaLIES your own when you go wrong.
Shame, Shameless & shameful are family members and no nation develops by courting them.
The future belongs to those who are not ashamed to do the truth, speak the truth and lead others into the truth.
Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly, who doesn't stand in the ways of sinners and who sits not in the sit of the scornful.
I hope you will think through this and examine yourself but always remember the enemies of this nation are united at a realm where marginalization, religion or ethnic cards and sentiments loses its power and that realm is the realm of LOOTING. selah

Written by:
Praise Fowowe
(President, Uncommon Man Network)
Follow @PraiseFowowe on Twitter

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