14.12.09

High Priority : Youth Centers Needed !


Teens and young adults today seem not to know anything about survival. 
Going to school alone doesn't seem to be sufficient any more. And what use is all the learning if it doesn't prepare you to find your own way about society without bungling things up.
It is a big developmental flaw in a human being to not be able to operate within society without brushing people the wrong side. I know some young people today play it down as 'brag-ado'. But it's not. It's a sign of poor development. 
We were lucky to have grown up in an era when civic studies was still taught in schools and church work was genuine. And school teachers seemed to take interest in the child.
Today, most young people are mis-guided and seem to lack the ability to have a valid positive mindset needed to face life. Life skills, basic home skills, career readiness, financial budgeting and intelligence, civic awareness and fairness to all in their dealings seem to be missing in most of today's young.
Oh, some of the churches hold annual youth seminars. But being a pastor does not necessarily mean you know how to mold young lives. They often leave the church seminars with the notion that they can stampede everybody through life. And of course, young people don't know where to draw the line. So they live with a philosophy as if everybody else should vacate the planet for them.
My country, Nigeria, is in dire need of youth centers. Youth centers run by people trained in the psychology of the youth, people who know what is expected of a well-developed social being and are able to groom young people to imbibe them.
Setting up sports clubs is not the answer, for at the end of the day these young people still have to go into the world to confront what they have been running away from. Often the encounter is usually messy.
The church, or other religious bodies at that, is also not the answer in themselves. Whereas youth centers may spring up through churches, schools and community resources and referrals, religion itself has become grossly manipulative these days, to say the least, and young people can see through it all. They only play along to play nice. They know this thing has to be more structured, more organized, more methodical, more explicable.
To save tomorrow's people it should be considered setting up youth centers in the far reaches of our country.

23.10.09

It Is Quite Okay to Make a lot of Money!



It is quite okay to make a lot of money! Money is the oil of life today. The more you make , the better you are able to do things. Mark you, I said ' make' not 'take' or 'steal'.
So, make the most of yourself - for yourself and for others. You can help others more by making the most of yourself. You make the most of yourself only by getting rich. So. it's perfectly al right and praise-worthy that you should give your first and best thoughts to the work of acquiring wealth.-Wallace D Wattles www.scienceofgettingrich.net/gifts/ogbaluwa.html
www.sacred-texts.com/nth/sgr/sgr06.html

You got to get rich, and you do not have to snatch it from another person. There is more than enough for everyone who wants wealth. It will never run out! Only desire it, only know in your heart, with a passion exactly how-much you want.
freepdmaterial.com/.../think-and-grow-rich-by-napoleon-hill-free-audio-book/ -     

27.9.09

Regarding Sanusi's cowboy show....



Sanusi, Nigeria's new Cental Bank governor, like Kanye West, is looking for easy publicity. And as usual our oyinbo
community have fallen for it. He had to do what no one has ever done before to get noticed. Besides, Soludo's image seem to be towering over him larger than life. Not that he himself did that much to impress me. As far as they go, it's all politics.
And our dear Mrs Waziri of the EFCC whose presence in office has barely been felt, now found a hook to chant with her long-unused voice. Matter of fact, as I write, the whole frenzy of activity seem to have cooled off. And soon, so like Nigeria, life will get back to business as usual! Some settlement will be made behind closed doors and all of them go home happy. The people never matter. They don't think they should be told the end of the matter! Farida Waziri  appears unable to take action unless the band-wagon drum is rolling. Pity that, since there are so many financial issues begging to be resolved in this country today. Something like the new trend of kidnapping for money and not even for far reaching issues affecting the nation. EFCC is dead to all these.
Well, regarding Sanusi's cowboy show, that is, his sacking of the CEOs of  some banks in the country here's what me say. As if what I say will matter.
I think it's wrong for Sanusi to berge into the affairs of the banks as he did.The shareholders own the CEOs. They should be the ones to remove them. Except, as it happens, there is a deliberate move to dispossess them of the institutions which were founded by them, in some cases. Was Sanusi under instruction to snatch the banks out of their hands?
The said uncovered loans are as good as any can be. They were lent on the goodwill ranking of prominent movers of the economy. Bill Gates shouldn't have to give any security to get any bank to grant him any facility. But I should have to, because no one knows me. That's the way the world works. Sanusi knows that there are assets more real than real estates today, such as integrity and goodwill. It is not gained easily, that is why bankers lend against it. Again, aggressive marketing requires that such should be done, else your competitors would play you out.
On another note, I've been told that Sanusi is due to re-issue the other smaller notes from N50 down to N5, the likes of Soludo's  polymer N20 note. Again, it shows how policy makers in Nigeria are far-removed from those on whose lives their policies impact. if they had done a survey to the grassroot, they'd have heard that Soludo's N20 note is the most less desired, less durable and easily defaced of all our currency notes so far. But, instead, they awarded the contract, executed the project, and just as they are about to roll-out, they come on TV with an official propaganda selling polymer notes. Tell me, how fairest Soludo's coins so energetically advertised. They always put the cart before the horse here, it seems. 
Finally, Mrs Waziri reports to us that the debtors are paying back substantially. Good. But does she know at what cost to the economy? Productive processes would be truncated or terminated for these money to be called back. Those who borrowed did not borrow to go and throw parties with the funds obviously. They borrowed to invest in further productive ventures which may not have gestated or come to fruition at this time that they are being asked to pay back..if the money was there all the time they would not need to borrow

12.7.09

Rubbishing, Well Deserved

My boss recently slighted me in a way that challeged my emotional constituents.
Though I wore a placid face he still won't let go. He had to come tell me how a certain senior director was more qualified for CEO but was side-tracked for a younger and newer director. In his words ' the man had really been rubbished, and the only thing left for him to do was to resign'. He seemed to think I did not understand what he did to me so he made sure there was no doubt.
I told him that it was sometimes a helpful thing to get rubbished so that one could refocuss properly and drive towards destiny. That shut him up for good.
Nigeria was deservedly rubbished by Obama's recent visit to Ghana. Giant of Africa, indeed, aren't we?. The leaders of my country better now learn to burn their boats. For they better not look forward to going home till they make things right at the seat of power. And they better start telling themselves the truth for once, without explaining things away. I only pity my dear President, ailing and frail Umar Musa Yar'Adua. May God quicken the honest man.

Don't we know that governance determines development? Heck , why do they think we have been hankering on the bad rulers we have been bedeviled with? Well, all of you rest of Africa put your house in order for you have been visited and found wanting!.

28.6.09

Ask For Help



Ask for help. We know we are endowed with smart brains, and it gets even better with our getting education and skills acquisition. We tend to want to do it all our self. You know what, you don't have to 'cause you have nothing to prove.
True, some people achieve in life by themselves, but they do so with a struggle. And they are always uptight and afraid to loosen-up. You achieve a lot more effortlessly when you ask for help, even God's help. The hand of God on your situation turns things out perfectly, no one else can do better.
His help saves you a lot of wasted effort. And you can take his help just by asking Him. Having done so, remember to recognize Him as you go along your doings. Some of us after praying leave God at home as we go out trying to sort things out by the use of our heads. Using our heads is not bad in itself provided we have allowed God to take over our heads. That's when we become 'sheep' to him, witless, as it were. We must surrender to God's understanding, not to trust in our mind.I believe those who know the techniques of God call it operating in grace.

The good thing is that grace is not far from us. We only have to walk in God's counsel to have it. We can also tap into the grace upon someone else's life by serving that person in the area of assisting him or her to fulfil their calling. We tap into the grace upon their lives by giving of our resources to them, even if they are worth millions already. It is not to them you are giving, rather you are connecting to the source of grace on their lives. We can also receive grace operating in our lives by taking in knowledge of our God. Miracles have a way of avoiding those who trust in themselves. Perhaps, more important than other means is the need to locate one's place in life. When you are operating in your divinely appointed area in life you most assuredly have grace working for you.
Life becomes very cheap to live, indeed, if we ask for God's help all the way.

22.6.09

Finding My Life's Unique Purpose



I desire to find my purpose in life as I believe that existence is for a purpose. Do not begin to assume that, since I write on this blog that I myself have it all together. No, we all have issues we are trying to resolve. We just do so trying to be of help to one another. It often helps to know that you are not alone in what you are passing through.


It's not so easy finding your niche in life because we all are almost always able to do quite a number of things proficiently. Yet we are called only to one of them. Which is it? That has always been the big question. It has been said that if we knew the answer we would all attain greatness easily since we would plug into destiny right away.


Someone said to me that if I do not look forward to going to my work with enthusiasm it is likely am out of purpose. I may have disciplined myself to stay on the job because of financial expediency, yet it would not be my place in life. It would appear that most of humanity spend their lives in pursuit of callings to which they were not called.


The greatest achievement one would make in life, which ultimately makes every other thing run smoothly like play, is to find out where one ought to be going on this journey of life. What should you be doing that gives you the greatest fulfilment? That would likely be your purpose, but even our hearts deceive us as to what makes for our greatest fulfilment.


28.5.09

Be bold and be free


I have always felt bad about salaries. The greatest anxiety these days is of MONEY. I hate for someone, no matter how saintly the one is, to be calling the shot in my life. And that's what your salary payer does. They determine your life.
You keep saying tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow! I'll do this or that tomorrow, but you never start because you've been caught in the salary comfort zone - the monkey trap.
Let go of it and be free. Life is short. Gees! Show some faith man! Don't be so pessimistic about your future. As long as you are not going to be loafing around, I tell you you will earn your own mouth ! Just be enterprising. Do whatever your hands find to do. You will be okay. Do not look down on any investment opportunity if it will add a single dollar more to what you already have.
Get away from that salary trap, no matter how enticing. Once you leave the job, it ends. Build something of your own instead, no matter how humble, so long as it brings in money. That's what it's all about in the end, is it not? As you stay on it you will think of new and more ways to grow in your own business. You will never get rich earning salaries alone, believe me, except you do unethical things; and doing that is not an option to an wholesome person.
Talk back to me if you agree. Give suggestions, tell of specifics. People need to know that self employment is the in thing for today. Thanks.

1.5.09

Knowing what to do with our lives


Life is so easy these days as we have so many options, yet we run a higher risk of getting it all wrong. The freedom we enjoy today often becomes our undoing if we are not focussed. I stumbled upon a blog post which touches the heart of the basic struggle we all face on our way to making something good out of ourselves. Go to it. It is titled 'What do you really want?' at
www.pickthebrain.com/blog/you-arent-getting-anywhere-because-you-dont-know-where-you-want-to-go/
We can be so many things, but as a result of confusion and inaction, we often become nothing. If we have the courage to shift from the mainstream of society, daring to be different; we may make it and we might not. But we might find happiness doing so. Having faith is a prerequisite for success. Only those who do things differently take the real risk. They are the ones who live by faith truly.

29.3.09

When Good Men do Nothing!

A man would not sow destruction and expect to reap peace in his life. If you want good, do good. Think good, say good. The spirit of goodness will alight on you and take care of the rest.
How can one be so deluded that he expects to achieve good by carrying out an evil act? Beats me! The force of the universe is an impartial arbiter which ensures that like action begets like. It is true that which we have often heard said, that we reap what we sow. So if you want to counter the reign of evil anywhere, respond to it with good. Or else there will be no end to it. Elect to let go of your rights sometimes, turn the other cheek. Don't press charges on account of that wrong. You lose nothing really because what belongs to Peter is also Paul's. We are all one family and we need to do more good to break the chain of evil. And if you have been really unjustly treated God is the one who has the prerogative of vengeance. He can do it in a way that still keeps the family together. But you, if you avenge yourself your flesh will come into play and you will destroy all things.

22.3.09

God is right, you know!

Holiness appears to be a retired injunction these days. Dear Lord, please help your children. We all need to realise that God is always right. What is right is right, and what is wrong is ..........can't be right, for sure! Did you notice that? I even played safe by not saying wrong straightly!
Heck! Day is still day and night is still night- no matter how we look at it! Call it old fashioned philosophy or not. But those who died died and we who live are living, and it feels better to live than die. We're not saying those who die are the worst people, but we who live should humble ourselves and fall in line with the owner of life, the Lord of Life.
Today we have compromised everything in an attempt to be accepted. But I ask the same eternal question ' what does it profit you to gain the world and lose your soul?' What do you gain if you are accepted by the world and you are detested by God? When you're alone, are you happy with yourself? Or do you try to hide your reality in drinks or drugs or pointless digging into things that take you nowhere? In today's world we mock the righteous and applaud the unrighteous, we acclaim obscenity and deride decency. We embrace the liar and condemn the honest.
You know, still, God is right. If we are going to get anywhere, we are going to do things the way He approves. No matter how far gone from the true direction we may have, until we make a u-turn we would not have started.

11.3.09

Having been so hard on myself myself...

Hi, today I want to tell you something about myself. I was not always smart as I seem to be today. In fact, it used to be of great concern to me back in the days. So much so that every time I turned another year I would have a private session with myself where I reviewed the past year and thought about all the things I did in the year which I felt was stupid. I'd smack myself hard on the chick for things I considered spectacular goofs! Why would I do that to myself? Well, though not under any pressure to punish myself, I felt if I did something to myself which I would remember, and which hurt; it would help keep me from repeating it or deter me from doing any such thing next time. Weird, wasn't I? But I managed to keep myself under check this way, somewhat! Looking back today, it seemed I became a father to myself and inculcated a measure of discipline into my youthful heart and head.Having been so hard on myself myself, I now expect the same military standard of those who are under me - family and work mates alike!
I know that life should be balanced, all work and no play making Jack dull and all that. But what was a kid without a father-figure supposed to do short of following his childish inclination? Somehow God took my essence out of my youthful embodiment and made it drive me through the path of right to my maturity. And today I stand, though not having arrived, knowing what is right from wrong; I have the strenght and courage to do that which is right!

10.3.09

Slow Down, Look at Yourself....

Fair judgement. Good conscience. When one is doing wrong it never helps to deny it to oneself. Self deception only hurts you more. I believe that to remedy wrong one should acknowledge guilt. We should judge ourselves and initiate corrective steps rather than wait till others pass the judgement on us. Doing so would even save us face and just might accord us honor. Our image would be redeemed and we would appear to be wise. All just because we slowed down, looked at ourselves objectively and mended our ways.
God is fair in His dealings with all. It is our own choices that determine how we turn out. If we do the will of God it will certainly be well with us. But if we follow a wayward path things will not be pleasant. It is just a matter of time.

Thanks be to God! ( who daily causes us to triumph)

I want to thank the Lord God, Almighty for causing this good work to begin. He is the author and the finisher of all that is good.
In these days when people seem to glory in themselves it will appear a hard thing to do to point you to resources beyond yourself. Yet God is all and in all . Who are we that He has not made us to be, what do we have that He has not given us; what can we really do without Him?
If one learns early to humble oneself before God one would have saved oneself from tons of heartaches and woes. Agree with God for He is always right. And you know what? We have nothing to prove to Him. As I know he is always vindicated in His ways. Walk in His ways and you will find much help doing so.