Between The Movement And The Monument - by Johnson Abbaly

I didnt do anything wrong...
I just...continued, as always...
I woke up to realise phones not ringing,
No new shows,
No cheques in the mail.
Almost as though I ceased to be...
Old clients...aint returning,
New ones...aint coming.
Then it dawned...
My yesterday's advantage...
Has been depleted by today's trend...
And I had failed to evolve.
People are attracted to the movement,
Not the monument!

#InnerRhythms

Written by:
Johnson Abbaly
[Author| Leadership Expert| Consultant]
Follow @JohnsonAbbaly on Twitter

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."

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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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The jOhN Syndrome: A Lesson for Entrepreneurs

Cinematography is one of my end games & Photography is one of the roads that will lead me there. In lieu of that fact, I've made it a habit to visit the cinemas at least once a month. Its as if I get divine revelations whenever I visit to watch a movie. I even had to borrow money from a friend last week just to see one of those true life epics. I cried to tears by the time the movie was over. I can be emotional like that sometimes but that's beside my point.

One of those movies that almost always brings me to tears is the movie titled WHITE HOUSE DOWN. Honestly, I don't think any Nigerian alive has watched that movie as much as I have. I place it in my top 5 movies of all time (right beside Pursuit of Happyness & John Q). There are at least 100 lessons you can get from watching the film.

One of my favorite scenes is when the main actor, John, was being interviewed for a position as a secret service agent in the White House. According to all the credentials he had accumulated until that time, he was not qualified for the position. He had graduated University with average scores, been divorced, been dismissed from the army, engulfed in serious debt & never seemed to finish successfully anything he started. But somewhere within him he knew he was qualified for the position.

At the end of the interview, you could see the determination & desperation in his eyes when he concluded his plea to the interviewer (who coincidentally happened to be his ex-girlfriend while he was in George Washington University): JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE. His past qualifications & misachievements was what was visible in the eyes of the interviewer. His application was denied.

Fast forward to 2 hours later. He had surmounted many impossible challenges & situations and was the main reason the President of the United States was alive. He literally saved the President. The stone that the builders, architects & engineers rejected became the chief stone wherein the House would stand on. Despite his CV, he proved to himself &  the world that all he indeed needed was JUST A CHANCE.

He had what I call the jOhN syndrome: that diagnosis that has concluded that one isn't fit for a position or post because of one's past achievements or mistakes. But it is that very syndrome that seems to have driven many into achieving the monumental success that has been ascribed to their names till date. Moses was a stammerer, Saul was shy, David was an errand boy, Ruth was a widow, Solomon was a ************* (not too sure what you'll call someone with 1000 babes), Joseph was a prisoner (though not his fault) & Seun was a deported felon.

Yet that syndrome drove them unconsciously into being qualified to be "stones" that will be significant in the building of success & greatness. It is the reason I seem to gravitate towards the person whose past or present seems to be akin to the fall of Humpty Dumpty. For History has proven that it is mostly people with the jOhN syndrome that have made History.

My encouragement to all reading this who sense they have this type of syndrome is this: do not loose hope for one day, your achievements might save/strengthen a President or a generation. At the end of the film, even John's ex-wife was obviously proud of the achievement of his John. At the end, even your ex & enemies would brag to people about the fact that they once knew a guy like you with the jOhN syndrome.

Oh well, enough of my epistle. I can hear John calling me to go watch the film for the 73rd time this year.

Written by:
'Seun Akisanmi
[Photographer & Writer]

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FROM PRISON TO PHOTOGRAPHY (Chapter 2)

Glancing through the paper in his hand, he proceeded to ask if I knew 6 other names. At this point, my heart had gotten to my mouth.

It wasn't that I had completely forgotten the names in question; the names were just no longer in my conscious memory.

The date was October 20, 2000. The auction listing I placed on eBay had come to an end. I listed for sale 12 PALM V handhelds at $250 apiece. The retails price for the gadget was $300 so potential buyers knew they were getting a great deal. PALM V was like the release of a new model of iPhone in those days and most gadget-crazed individuals were itching to get one in their hands.

My main reason for selling at a discounted rate was that I needed funds to pay for my school fees. I wanted to desperately relieve my dad of the fees he had paid for me for over 3 years. I would eventually sell the dozen gadgets within 2 days. Within moments, the buyers, including one Christopher Smith, transferred a total of almost $3000 to my Bank of Edwardsville account. I was happy. I was overjoyed.

The truth was that I did not have in my possession any PALM V gadget to mail to any of the 12 buyers. Still, I was confident they'll get the gadget they paid for.

A few days earlier (October 16, 2000), I had met one Michael Jackson on Yahoo Auctions. He claimed to be a distributor of the PALM V gadget, with warehouses in Japan and Canada. He was auctioning them for $150 apiece and I realized I could make some money buying from him at that price and selling to others at a higher price. I realized I could easily make $100 apiece on this breakthrough gadget.

Thinking of those transactions now I've become an ardent believer of that old saying: if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true. I would later discover that I was dealing with someone whose name will forever be engraved in my membrane the same way MICHAEL JACKSON (the pop star) was a fan of millions. My life will not be the same.

I ordered a dozen of the gadgets from Michael Jackson and decided to auction them on another website that my company was listed on: eBay. I would later transfer electronically $1800 (from the $3000 I got from the eBay buyers) to my new distributor. I would forward him the addresses of the 12 buyers so he would be responsible for mailing out the gadgets to their respective owners.

I would never forget that moment I clicked the button on my mouse to finalize the transfer. He was happy, I was happy. And I was about to become seriously sad.

5 seconds after I transferred the funds to MICHAEL JACKSON, I got a mail from a Yahoo Auctions seller: "I noticed you were bidding for the PALM V being sold by user michaelj.....I hope you have not paid for them because the guy is a FRAUD."

If I had gotten the mail from that anonymous Samaritan 7 seconds earlier, there's a good chance that things wouldn't have turned out the way it is for me now. If I had gotten that mail earlier, I might not have turned out to be a PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER today.

To be continued ....
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Written by:
Oluwaseun Akisanmi
Photographer |Writer |Poet |Host, NiPHEC

Facebook - Seun Akisami
Twitter - @seunakisanmi
WhatsApp - +2348120129149
Email - seunakisanmi@elophotos.com

NB: This is a non-fictional account of 'Seun Akisanmi's journey from PRISON to PHOTOGRAPHY.

Overcoming Challenges

You have to face it. Challenges are a part of life. The earlier one prepares for them, the better he or she becomes. They sometimes arise outside of your span of control. There are economic, cultural, communication, relationship and financial challenges. In dealing with them, you must be careful not to react but to strategically respond. That response first comes in the mind. Getting troubled by challenges is an additional challenge that brings more trouble.

When you face a challenge, you can ask "what is really the challenge here?"."Is it really a challenge and what kind of challenge is it?". Getting to the root cause is useful in getting an effective solution. Classifying challenges in areas of priority is also crucial to making effective decisions. When the major challenge is solved, a major trouble is averted. You can ask "what can I do to eliminate, reduce or avoid this challenge?". In some other cases, solving small challenges puts one in the frame to solve bigger challenges. Also, challenges have their peculiar nature. Some challenges cannot be eliminated, they can only be reduced. However, appropriate planning and proactive action can help prevent challenges. Sometimes, when some challenges spring up, the best response is to ignore them as addressing them can frustrate the most important tasks that you have outlined.

A master of ceremony scheduled for a wedding reception received a phone call that one of his business equipment had just been stolen. Focusing on the challenge would impair his stage performance and he just prayed to his Creator and went ahead to the event as if nothing had happened. Miraculously, the machine was found far away a day later! Sometimes challenges are present distractions that can impair future outcomes. There is no need making permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. When challenges get to you, you don't get through where you are meant to go to. Also, it is not all challenges that you must address yourself. You can delegate or hire someone to deal with them and focus on what is most important to you. In some cases, challenges are opportunities; opportunities for growth and creative thinking.

Some people thrive on challenges. Eagles fly on stormy wind. The cheetah's speed is seen in the forest of fast antelopes. Solving challenges is an opportunity for elevation. It is a criteria for recruitment. Fashola is known for turning the challenge of rowdy Lagos to a state with mega city status. Messi's dribbling skills can be shown when defenders are making things difficult. Dangote great by solving Nigeria's dependence on imports. What challenge have you identified? What challenges have you solved? What challenges have you managed to become a better you? You may have just crossed the path of something concrete that can take you somewhere. Your current challenge can well be someone's opportunity. Rather than complaining, get it fixed, controlled or managed. When a challenges begins to weigh you down, you have just discovered a new challenge, you keep moving on and up.

The future is not too far away from those who see themselves there. For those who truly see and desire it, nothing can come between them. See you there!

Written by:
Akintobi Kehinde

Overcoming Challenges

You have to face it. Challenges are a part of life. The earlier one prepares for them, the better he or she becomes. They sometimes arise outside of your span of control. There are economic, cultural, communication, relationship and financial challenges. In dealing with them, you must be careful not to react but to strategically respond. That response first comes in the mind. Getting troubled by challenges is an additional challenge that brings more trouble.

When you face a challenge, you can ask "what is really the challenge here?"."Is it really a challenge and what kind of challenge is it?". Getting to the root cause is useful in getting an effective solution. Classifying challenges in areas of priority is also crucial to making effective decisions. When the major challenge is solved, a major trouble is averted. You can ask "what can I do to eliminate, reduce or avoid this challenge?". In some other cases, solving small challenges puts one in the frame to solve bigger challenges. Also, challenges have their peculiar nature. Some challenges cannot be eliminated, they can only be reduced. However, appropriate planning and proactive action can help prevent challenges. Sometimes, when some challenges spring up, the best response is to ignore them as addressing them can frustrate the most important tasks that you have outlined.

A master of ceremony scheduled for a wedding reception received a phone call that one of his business equipment had just been stolen. Focusing on the challenge would impair his stage performance and he just prayed to his Creator and went ahead to the event as if nothing had happened. Miraculously, the machine was found far away a day later! Sometimes challenges are present distractions that can impair future outcomes. There is no need making permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. When challenges get to you, you don't get through where you are meant to go to. Also, it is not all challenges that you must address yourself. You can delegate or hire someone to deal with them and focus on what is most important to you. In some cases, challenges are opportunities; opportunities for growth and creative thinking.

Some people thrive on challenges. Eagles fly on stormy wind. The cheetah's speed is seen in the forest of fast antelopes. Solving challenges is an opportunity for elevation. It is a criteria for recruitment. Fashola is known for turning the challenge of rowdy Lagos to a state with mega city status. Messi's dribbling skills can be shown when defenders are making things difficult. Dangote great by solving Nigeria's dependence on imports. What challenge have you identified? What challenges have you solved? What challenges have you managed to become a better you? You may have just crossed the path of something concrete that can take you somewhere. Your current challenge can well be someone's opportunity. Rather than complaining, get it fixed, controlled or managed. When a challenges begins to weigh you down, you have just discovered a new challenge, you keep moving on and up.

The future is not too far away from those who see themselves there. For those who truly see and desire it, nothing can come between them. See you there!

Written by:
Akintobi Kehinde

FROM PRISON TO PHOTOGRAPHY (Non-fiction)

"Can you please follow us to the station to answer a few questions?" The Caucasian campus policeman asked me. A rhetoric question, he wasn't expecting me to refuse his request. Besides, nothing is wrong in answering a few questions at the station especially if you're sure you've not committed any crime.

It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon on June 12, 2001 and I wasn't about to remember it for the special holiday it was known for in Nigeria. I was busy with my daily work routine at my office at 50 Devon Court, Edwardsville Illinois, USA. My internet company, textbooks4less.com was just 9 months old when I heard the sound of the office bell. The policeman coincidentally happened to be one of my friends on campus.

Somewhere in my heart, I sensed this day would come; I just didn't know it was going to be that soon. Without being given an opportunity to shut down my Dell desktop and finish my work in the office, I escorted the courteous policemen to their station downtown Edwardsville.

Sitting nervously in the station, different scenes in "LAW & ORDER" played in my head. It was as if I was about to act out different scripts I had watched in different episodes on tv. I was nervous. I was scared. And little did I know that I was about to end my legal residency in the United States of America.

Within hours I would discover that June 12 wasn't just the birthday of a special lady called LB..... It wasn't just a day to be associated with MKO Abiola..... It was about to go down as the day I would begin my 164 days in 4 prisons in the United States of America. It would go down as a Tuesday afternoon I would never forget for the rest of my life.

I nervously eavesdropped as the 2 policemen that brought me in glanced through a couple of papers while simultaneously whispering to one another before approaching my table. I was nervous. I was scared. No one on earth knew at that moment that I was about to be placed in the custody of the United States government.

"Do you know anyone by the name Christopher Smith?" The courteous policeman asked me. With a heavy heart, I muttered that the name didn't ring a bell.

Glancing through the paper in his hand, he proceeded to ask if I knew 6 other names. At this point, my heart had gotten to my mouth......
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Written by:
Seun Akisanmi
(Photographer | Writer | Host, NIPHEC)
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NB: This is Oluwaseun Akisanmi's non-fictional account of a journey from PRISON to PHOTOGRAPHY. It promises to enlighten you and challenge you to live a life of purpose, integrity and vision.

Feel free to rebroadcast!

YOUTH: A Message To The Hustlers - by EldaDavid Samuel

In the spirit of keeping it REAL! I have a message for the HUSTLERS!

In the history of MANKIND, Hustlers never really make a significant impact in their Generation. Hustlers are not motivated to live for people, hustlers are only concerned about short-term pecuniary gains. Hustlers don’t think of the future. They want immediate gratification. An Hustler is not vision oriented. They are not driven by a purpose.

An Hustler will never really reach the peak of anything or be known for anything in particular because their attention span, focus and commitment to a cause is short-lived. Hustlers are not guided by VALUES, PRINCIPLES OR ETHICS in the conduct of their actions or attitudes, so long at they get that immediate benefit. Hustlers are mostly lone rangers, they don’t have the ability to develop relationships that can be leveraged upon in future. They are mostly predators. I can give you the endless qualities of an HUSTLER!

The word ‘I AM HUSTLING’ is self-derogatory. We don’t hustle, we work HARD and SMART. In working hard and smart, we clearly know what we want, our goals both short and long term are clearly defined and we are able to articulate same to people around us. As an hard and smart worker, you channel all your energies and passion into a particular cause, you are majorly concerned about making a significant impact and building a LEGACY that can and will outlive you. You are people and service conscious and will do all in your best to help others GROW.

In the game of LIFE, Never HUSTLE and NEVER even use the word to describe what you are currently engaged in. You can’t go to a place where you hope to get a million Naira contract and tell them you hustled to get here rather you use LOFTY words like I WAS DETERMINED, I WORKED HARD, I WAS SMART, I KNEW WHAT I WANTED etc...

Once your goals are clearly spelt out and you put in all your energies and resources into achieving them – Then you are not HUSTLING but working hard and smart.

One Love to all Former Hustlers who are now MAKING AN IMPACT WORKING HARD AND SMART.

Written by:
EldaDavid Samuel

Ibadan City ENTRELeadership Summit

The ENTRELeadership Summit is a gathering for the next generation of youth in Ibadan who are tired of living in the shadows of the past and are set to venture the path creativity to "CREATE" a desired future.

You are invited to be a part of this historic event.

Theme:
"Making Creative Youth Out of a Digital World"

Date:
12-14 March, 2015

Time:
4pm and 9am respectively

Venue:
Lead City University Computer Workstation, Block C, Toll-Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Training focus:
LEADERSHIP Development, CREATIVITY Workshop, ICT and Vocational Skill Session.

Convener:
Rotimi Odejayi