BECOMING A MOTIVATOR

Lovely people, welcome to November, the month of my birth and the month of our Motivators International Youth Summit. It’s going to be a super-loaded month. Many times, people wonder why I am a Motivator. So recently, I read the story of John Kennedy Toole and this story will tell you why I am a Motivator.

John Kennedy Toole was a writer who took quality time to write the amazing book, A Confederation of Dunces. At the time he finished this book, he was 31 years old. He was bursting with life and laughter and the prospects that lay ahead of this manuscript could only be imagined. Excitement, fulfillment, everything lay rumbling happily in his belly.

When he began searching for a publisher who will believe in this proud piece of work, no one believed in it. Days chased nights and weeks turned to months. With each passing day, his frustration increased. After several failed attempts, he did the worst thing a discouraged soul would do, he took his own life.

Well, after Toole's death, his mum found a coffee-stained manuscript which her son had concluded before his death. Mrs Toole took it to a College professor who confirmed that this piece of work was genius. And he recommended it to a publisher. So eleven years after Toole's death, his book was published behind his back through the doggedness of his mum and this book later went on to win the much coveted Pulitzer Prize in America.

This got me thinking, if only someone had believed in Mr Toole, if only someone had encouraged him, maybe he would have held on to some flickering light when he got the end of his hope tunnel. And this is why I am a Motivator, to help someone with some light to see the staircase of their next level, to help another see possibility where there is gloom, to give one person reason to believe in the beauty of their dreams, to help young people generate business solutions to poverty.

You see, when Mr Toole died, life went on, like nothing happened. If you die because your life is currently in a maze of difficulties, life will go on and you will be successfully forgotten. And if you don't have a manuscript like Toole had, which will speak for you when you're gone, people will forget you as fast as they forget an empty bottle of coke after they've drained its liquid life. So don't choose suicide, choose life. Believe in yourself. You are beautiful beyond measure. God has made you with so much wealth within you.

So at Motivators International, we inspire solutions that help your dreams come alive, we partner with God to mine beauty out of your ashes and help you maximize the deep seated gold you never knew was there. Would you like to join us? We're currently in Abuja and Port Harcourt and coming up with our Lagos presence.

Well, if you're a young person, from the ages of 15 to 40, we're inviting you to our Motivators International Youth Summit, holding in Abuja on 28th November, 2015 at Hotel de Horizon, Wuse 2, Abuja by 10am. The theme is Young People in Nation Building; The Power of Synergy.

I and the Motivators family look forward to connecting with you. To join Motivators, you can fill this online form to follow all our updates.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-o4CMAw3t_FI9-yF9BIuDwcBkVW_49n1z25xlYkJyVM/viewform




Best Regards,
D-Motivator.

WHAT IS IN YOUR HANDS?

Standing in front of a threatened people, beads of perspiration glistened on his forehead. Moses' reputation hung on the weighing balance before his people and before the red sea. It's been a long boring walk to freedom. Their destiny journey and the red sea looked each other in the eye, and together they looked up to Moses for action. He was not used to this but with the hopes of a generation strapped to his courage, he had to take action or perish. And really, you never know how strong you can be until being strong is the only option you have.

What else would the righteous do?

He looked up to God.
God asked him, "What is in your hands?"
"A rod," Moses said.
"Strike it on the water" the Lord told him.
When he did, a rumbling arose in the womb of the sea, mighty walls of water piled on each other in quick succession. It was a totally new experience and the eyes of the Israelites rolled up the high water wall. Wowed by this wonder, they began to walk through.
Yet in the midst of their miracle, came the chariot of their adversaries, hot-breathing, sword-wielding oppressors pursuing them through the parted water. But it was too late to stop a generation with a speaking rod.

A generation's walk to a place of destiny could have been truncated if the rod in the hands of Moses had not been leveraged upon. If he did not know God, the Master of creation, it would have been difficult to know the worth of his rod.
What is in your hands that you have been neglecting? A woman when asked what she had, she said 'only a pot of oil' but from that pot of oil came sustenance.

When Jesus wanted to feed the five thousand, they found only five loaves and two fish. Yet after he gave thanks, there was enough to eat and much more to gather. Are you properly exploring what is in your hands? Or could it be that you've not been grateful enough with the little you've already received?

Think about it, that thing in your hands could be the hope of a generation, that idea in your head could be listed as one the next Fortune 500 companies soonest. Nothing fails in your hands today. Have a wonderful day.

Sincerely Yours,
D-Motivator.

THE NEW NORMAL

Recently, I’ve been reviewing what makes people live an average life. My mind has not yet come up with a comprehensive answer but one thing is clear to me. All those who desired to be outstanding took their mindset above normal existence. They took a conscious decision, they worked at it and with time, they became outstanding.

There’s something common among normal people, they only work when they feel cool, they set sail when the sea is calm, they take off when the coast is perfectly clear, they wait to see the whole stairs before they can make the first attempt, and then they fall, feeling unlike it. So in waiting for perfect moments, for El dorado and bliss, the Sun goes down on their goals, the moon shines on their laziness, the stars sparkle across their indecision and this normal sluggard is yet to wake up from slumber.

According Maya Angelou, if you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be. In the Bible Story of David, when David decided to become a Lion killer, he was not looking for who to impress. When he killed a bear that came to attack the sheep he was taking care of, he was not showing off to anyone, as a matter of fact, the act was not even before an applauding audience. He was bold, daring, courageous, amazing, not because of eye service but because his convictions were real, he did not want to be normal, he wanted to be outstanding.  

The problem with most people today is that they are too busy looking for applause while lacking content; they are looking for validation but they are simply normal folks, doing normal things and getting normal results, never able to get ahead.

Truth is, you were created to be amazing, but you need to infuse this into your thinking, especially when you feel down, when your fuel dries and it seems like life does not make any sense in the immediate. This happens to everyone at some point in life but your ability to stay afloat, to refuel your passion will keep you on course to being amazing in life. Quitting normal life starts with a mindset to dare to be different, outstanding and willing to take a road less traveled by.

Join us on Sunday, 20^th September, 2015, by 3pm at Hotel de Horizon, Right Turn after Banex, Wuse 2, Abuja at Motivators Roundtable, Abuja. It’s a programme organized by Motivators International and it creates an amazing time for Young Professionals in Abuja to network, interact and activate excellence. Our guest this month is Dr Charles Ononiwu, the Founder and President of Youth With A Purpose, YWAP and also a Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon. He is an amazing personality with a heart for young people. His organization, YWAP has reached thousands of young people discover their purpose in life.

He will be speaking on the theme, The New Normal.

I look forward to welcoming you in our midst.

GROWING UP

Hey, lovely people, welcome to a new month.

Who's excited about September? It will be awesome. We will have more engaging stuff here. And also, in Motivators International, we'd have a couple of things to talk about. Hope you get to join us in any of our Motivators Roundtables in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos to connect with young professionals and also polish yourself unto excellence.


Well, this month, we'd be looking at what it takes to grow up.

Growing up could mean different things to different people, to some it means being able to secure a job and take care of one’s needs, to another, it’s being able to graduate from college and to someone else, it means being able to overcome a certain type of fear. All of this is part of what it means to grow up but there’s really much more. When we were Children, we taught like Children. But when we grow up, we put away childish thinking.

Personally, when I was a child, I used to love milk. I promised myself that once I had enough money to buy milk, I will drink and drink until the heavens draw a little nearer the earth. And because when we were growing up, daddy used to make tea look like swimming pool, nestled in a big jug - where everyone pours out the light liquid with grudges, hoping that daddy will look away so we do the needful by scooping more milk and Bournvita into the transparent liquid - I promised myself a type of tea, thick as emulsion as compensation. But now that I have money enough to buy milk, I have bigger things to bother about.

But growing up also entails disrupting old mentality, bracing up for bigger dreams, stretching and striving for significance. Everyone gets to grow up in some way. And if we fail to realize this, change happens to us, whether we like it or not. People may hurt you at some point in your life, sometimes it's even people you trust. But would you grow up? Would you grow up not to presume too much on people's love because they might do something you'd be sorry for? Would you grow up to know that if your dream has to live, it's up to you? Would you grow up and learn to control your anger? Would you grow up to know that only the bold and daring sip nectar from life's beautiful cross pollination? It's worth it, yes, growing up.

Growing up sometimes means making the move at the stirring of the waters, it means knowing when to go in for a fight and when to stand aside and allow life happen. Growing up is beautiful but sometimes, it comes with letting the scale covering our eyes to fall off and crumble, it means allowing the billowing courage in our hearts to blossom so we can see the Sun rise with a new energy in its wings and whisper to us, 'it's time to grow up.'

Welcome to September.

GRATEFUL HEART

Too many times I am so excited I want to fall out of my seat. Not because I won a jackpot but because I'm alive. It's something to shout about. Words bubble through my heart in moments like this, and pour forth in praise and thanksgiving unto God.

Too many times also, I feel less excited about life, I become burdened by the need to birth dreams and my passion for a world where people are better empowered to achieve their purpose. Many times, yours sincerely, D-Motivator needs motivation. But thank God for the Holy Spirit who helps us with joy enough to draw water out of the well of Salvation.


Truth is, too many people who you think have life all perfectly figured out have their own silent burdens. Stuff they don't bore the social media world with. You may have your own fears too, you may have your worries but the scripture urges us to cast our burdens unto the Lord for he cares for us.

I remember listening to Mark Vujicic, the man without limbs who is making waves and touching people's lives with his life of service and gratefulness unto God despite his disability. According to him, he summed up his life at some point and thought, 'I'm never gonna get married, I'm never gonna have children, I'm never gonna be able to live my dream because of my disability.' But today, all those his fears have melted away, he is married now and his second baby just arrived. Today, his dreams more than fulfilled.





So fear not, be encouraged. God knows the fears of your heart, he loves you more than you can imagine. With him, your disabilities will turn to abilities. Just learn how to be thankful for what you already have and what you are looking for will make a hasty arrival. God knows the way he is taking you through, and after you are tried and tested, you will come out purified, refined as gold.

In all you do today, Be Happy, Be Exceptional, Be You.
Welcome to a new week.
Sincerely yours,
D-Motivator

FAITH

Lovely people, I've been really busy but I can't forget to bring to you the end of this short story titled Faith. To connect better with the story, you might want to read the first one if you have not yet done so. Enjoy.

Part 2
'Make sure you tidy the kitchen before you go to that stream and swim away the whole day.' Mama tells Olanma. 'And you, Emeka, fetch water and fill up the container in the kitchen.' Mama shouts like a Police Corporal, dishes some more orders before leaving for her August meeting. I am sitting at the paIour, watching the seconds hand of the clock run a marathon. I am waiting for Toby to come. We shall finish the game and then go and try to woo Urenna, that girl that speaks from her nose.


When Mama finally leaves, I am lost in thought. 'Faith always delivers to those who believe.' These words are crawling under my skin now. Will my faith help me beat Toby's Barcelona when he comes seeing that I've never beaten him before? Will it deliver Urenna to me and grant me my first kiss ever? Will it allow Papa to buy me a bicycle on my next birthday? I have no faith experience. I think I should first learn to get some white Uri on my finger nails from the cattle egret.

I walk outside through the front door and towards the field. Luckily, I can see the Aboki standing by his cow and the cattle egret supervising their grazing. I lift my hands, stretch out my fingers, my voice gradually loses its shyness,

'Shekele nyem mbo ocha ma were mbo oji...'

There are three things I want beside a white sign on my finger nails; beating Toby's Barcelona, winning Urenna's love and getting a bicycle from Papa on my 14th birthday.

*The End*

FAITH

Olanma, my younger sister, likes waving her hands at the white cattle egret whenever they appear at the break of dawn. She looks on with the vigilant eyes of a night watchman and the helpless courage of a hopeful maid.

She is asking for beautiful patterns on her finger nails. A song perches on her lips, she is bursting with lullaby, sonorous like Ogene Ndigbo,


'Shekeleke nyem mbo ocha ma were mbo Oji.' She repeats this many times.

Her voice radiates the colour of Handel's messiah as she waves her hand up and down. Through the binoculars of faith, she sees them; through the prisms of hope, she anticipates and the white patterns seem to find a way to show up.

Three days later, we are seated on a wooden bench at the backyard, Olanma and I. The wind is whistling through the mango tree not too far from where we are seated. Mama is cooking Ofe Nsala, a kind of soup that possesses super powers . Both of us are caressed by the Ofe Nsala aroma. Olanma is examining her fingernails, a new pattern has appeared. I don't know how. I am thinking of what I would do to Messi in the unfinished Chelsea and Barcelona encounter between Toby and I. Toby is so good with PS2 he will pass for a computer cheat. I will remove Falcoa once the second half resumes, he is a vestigial part of a tree trunk. I conclude. Chelsea is my colour, PS2 is the passion. Football is the game.

The Rainbow has dispersed its colourful pride. The rain has stopped sighing and the Summer holiday is already here. Olanma nudges me. 'What are you thinking of, biting your lips? Can you see the pattern on my nails?'
I do not see anything. I pretend. I am busy dribbling Messi. Olanma is like that, she will not let me rest; 'Brother look nah, don't you like my white nails? Faith always delivers to those who believe. Can you see my nails?' Olanma says. I finally oblige. I examine her nails and see the newly acquired patterns. At ten, Olanma says some things too wonderful for the ears to understand.

'This is Superstitious,' I tell Mama at the dining table. 'Yes, it is Superstition,' mama concurs. 'No, it is faith,' Papa interjects as I imagine a ball of fufu make a hasty arrival down his throat. 'Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, it is..., it is...' He seems to forget some of his lines. Ofe Nsala is working wonders. 'Yes, it's the universe that delivers to you your expectations. Your faith activates the imagination.' Thankfully, he remembers. Papa can be like that, a magnetic field of inspiration, when food is not far-fetched.
(Watch Out for Part 2)

WHAT TIMIDITY WILL DO TO YOU.

 When I decided to learn how to speak in public, I was looking for a great platform, forgetting that there are platforms everywhere.
I did not know where to start from and my first outing had been pretty bad. I had been nominated as an Assistant Secretary in our youth fellowship and I was asked to give the announcement. I could not face our small congregation. Standing in front of everyone, bikemen were rioting in my head. The rioting bikemen in m...y feeble mind spilled the words out of my mouth. I was saying things but I could not hear myself.


To help my flustered confidence, I cracked a joke which refused to settle. Then everyone gave me this what-exactly-are-you-saying kind of look. What else will the righteous do? I began to explain my joke. But nope, I did not finish. Someone scratched his head, another batted an eye brow. I stepped down that podium, fired up that there has to be a better way.

After that encounter, the mirror in our room became a closer companion. I was always practicing, speaking, letting the mirror judge me, becoming the victor, triumphing over the vanquished. I joined the drama group, prayer group, evangelism, anything that would help. I practiced severally and my next assignment was like a stage play delivered with the precision of a well-rehearsed script.

Today I look back on those days when my lips were stuttering, when I would decide to preach in a bus I was traveling in, only to end up looking at trees and electric poles as they sped by. I see how God's grace was released to help my weakness, I see how the courage to speak up has shaped who I am. I am still becoming for according to Jim Conor, life is an unfolding process of becoming.

Many times, we want to achieve something but we don't want to do what the task demands. We want to wish the responsibilities away and embrace the result of the process. But the first task is to start the process. To ask the right questions. When we ask uncommon questions, we get uncommon answers. Yet it will take a measure of boldness to run towards the answers to the asked questions.

Today, much practice in the area of speaking has washed away my timidity. I have not attained the height I want but I am not where I used to be. Timidity rubs people of who they could be. It is the difference between schooled people getting nothing achieved and unschooled people accomplishing so much. Audacity will buy you more in the market place than timidity would give you in a life time.

No matter where you come from, no matter your religion, timidity will rub you of your shine while courage will push you a step further to the life you've always dreamed of. Which would you embrace today?
Timidity or Courage?
Stand Out, Be Exceptional.
Sincerely yours, D-Motivator.

Trusting God.

A song writer, Nicole Mullen wrote an interesting song, part of which says, 'Who taught the Sun where to stand in the morning?
Who told the Ocean you can only come this far?
And who showed the moon where to hide till evening?"
Thinking through on these important questions gives us a peek into the awesomeness of God. The creation proclaims His glory, from the earth hanging on nothing when viewed from outer space, to the ravens feeding fine, from the lilies clothed in beauty to the stars shining in silence at night. The works of God proclaim an immeasurable majesty.
And if He made these great things to be, how much more would he establish those who trust in Him. Life's stages can come with uncertainties, biting financial situation, family challenges, work pressures and many more. All of these may have the capacity to weigh you down. But before life breaks you, remember the one who clothes the lilies, who put the stars in place, who feeds the ravens and know that no one has the right to write you off except you consent. Would you accent that you're worth nothing? Keep daring and reaching for your dreams, if God has done it before, he can do it again. Trust!

No Action, Talk Only(NATO).

It's Monday evening in the quiet city of Abuja. I am rushing home after what looks like a busy day at work. The driver greets me, and tells me the fare. His face is set at angle ninety. He looks like someone to whom laughter is as costly as the fuel in his car. I don't argue. The heavens are grumbling with rain. Delay would be dangerous.

Along the road are flowers of people, and also shrubs, planted by the El-Rufai's FCT administration. There seems to have been no change in the look of the city centre since El-Rufai left.

Adorning the road side are fierce-looking, business-seeking, Jerry-Can-wielding, independent fuel marketers also known as black marketers. They spread out like electric poles, wielding gallons of hope. In front of each of them is their liquid gold with small hoses beside, with which they assist any car that might patronize their merchandise.

I am amused, everything happens in Nigeria. But this evening, my plight is not Nigeria. I am bothered because I am the one involved. How much I talk and how little I do. How much solutions are in my head and how little I bring forth. I want to fall down and wail briefly but I don't. There are goals our Organization can reach that it has not yet attained, an International Conference later in the year, the second edition of our magazine, books in my head that have not been written, the companies in my head that have not been incorporated, the people I am yet to help, our continent that is in need, out planet that is yet in peril. I cannot repair all these things, I agree, but I will have to fulfill purpose.

Lately, there's been lots of work on my table. From books to read to unfinished writing works, from letters to proposals and sundry office assignments. Sometimes it's difficult to stitch it all together. But when we were small, we used to build castles in the air, how to become a citizen of the world, live a little in America, a little in Germany, charge your phone in France, shop in Dubai, wield a passport, sagging with the weight of visa stamps. But growing up has numbed some of these imaginations, both the realistic ones and the unrealistic ones. I am waking them up.

It is true that I have hit some milestones but I find out, the difference between where I am and where I could have been is action, not talk. Even though talk, good, quality, polished talk has its place but the most positive of actions can supersede the most elegant words. Sometimes, we love people but we never say anything to them, we never show it. You want to get a job, yet you fold your hands and wait for the job to just fall. What differentiates the talker from the doer is what the doer does that the talker muses about. With little time, the difference becomes like 7up and coke, shining for the eyes to see.

Later, I wipe my frustration over a plate of Yam and beans prepared with some Orishirishi. This is how we roll. At least, man must wack to see clearly. In a few minutes, the food is working. I am a prophet. I get energy to see things more broadly. I become assured, I am not alone in this. No action, talk only group of people. We are many in Nigeria. Our minds are filled with possibilities that are shut out by realities. Our electricity supply is not constant, because we talk and don't take action, we're sandwiched in a fuel subsidy quagmire but we talk and do nothing.

This is why I am often hard on myself, because what goes around, comes around. This thing seems to be affecting me. For a split moment, I want to run away. I remember, the immigrant crises in the West. I calm myself down. I dey kampe. I open a software application on my laptop, Personal Brain, I begin to plan, strategize, restructure ways of bringing in more productivity and less activity.

I finish and I think about my friends, wonderful people on Facebook, who know all the solutions for Nigeria's problems but can't fix their small enclaves, who wear 'my money grows like grass' but know that the grass has long dried up. I remember those on twitter - who throw tantrums, with stone, weighing 140 characters, at the slightest provocation - living in glittering glass tombs, pretending that talk will solve all our problems. I also remember our President, who said he will make one naira equal to one dollar, who promised to stabilize oil price. Now he said we should have patience. But patience has just left. No action Talk only. Then, I wish myself and everyone well, Ogidichamma, Igobeta.

I repent. I quit the No Action, Talk Only group, as I am also not part of the original North Atlantic Treaty Organization, who sometimes, are plagued by no action, talk only. I know who I am; a concerned citizen of a fast-paced world.

Would you like to be all you were meant to be? Then join me, keep your fears behind you, let's walk the talk, take the step and win the race!
Be Inspired, Be Courageous, Be You.

WAITING WITH BATED BREATH.

At a time when the nation is going through a transition process, this painful metamorphosis, it's difficult to endure the dying days of this present administration. A few individuals have put the country on a standstill. In these last few days, systems are shutting down and Africa's biggest economy is descending on her knees. I wish I can hear our President speak to us and reassure us before the days ebb out. We can do better than this.

Sometimes, I'm choked by the air of current happenings. No power, no fuel, everything is rising and falling, no one is catching it. I heard the major oil marketers have called off their strike, interesting. But does this give us a lasting solution to the problem in our hands? How can we tackle this fuel subsidy problem? Can we have a ten-year plan to achieve self sufficiency in petroleum products? A ten year plan to increase refining capacity? A ten year plan to diversify from fossil fuel? What's the road map to leaving this subsidy rat race? Too many questions begging for attention.

In the last days of President Jonathan's administration, we are witnessing such a handshake with confusion. Everything seems suspended in limbo, except of course, occasional hasty sacking and appointment of new miracle workers in certain government parastatals, people who perhaps, the present administration have forgotten to appoint since its inception.But these we shall soon forget, because we are Nigerians. We don't usually remember too much, we forgive and forget as soon as the immediate evil is postponed for a later arrival. Nigerians do not usually demand so much from their leaders, just the basics and everything will be fine. But who will give us these basics?

Since the ruling party lost election, we have been served peace in chequered boxes. We thank God for Jonathan's peace-loving personality. We will always remember him. Yet, when the peace we have leaves us high and dry, hungry and angry over persistent fuel scarcity, it leaves much to be desired. From accusations to counter accusations on missing campaign funds to defections from PDP to APC and then fuel crisis, we have had a dose of activity, with little or no productivity. We have a fundamental value problem. Ours is a country where there is no political ideology, we are all crammed in like sardine, oiled by our collective poverty, wrapped up in our economic rat races.

I agree with Noviolet Bulawayo's title, We Need New Names. We need new names to redefine leadership for Nigeria. New names like Ben-Murray Bruce, who will not be afraid to speak his mind about issues, names like you and me, if we can stand up to be the change we seek and new names that will build on the good things that this present administration has achieved.

I am hoping Gen Buhari and Prof Osibanjo will change the status quo. But to how much? This is why I am waiting with bated breath. It's one thing to have good intentions just like this out-going administration, but to make that forward leap will need a strong will that can break the camel's back.
I fear there's going to be a fight soon. A fight between those who want to buy Nigeria and those unwilling to sell Nigeria. May we all be standing through the storm and the rain, to hug one another when all is said and done, with chants of 'We made it! We made it to a better Nigeria!'

Time To Man Up

When you are very kindhearted, many people will mistake it that you are weak. They often feel you won't do anything, afterall, you're meek. And the Bible says the meek will inherit the earth, right? But the meekness of a Lion does not change its identity to roar when the need arises. Many people want to shove every junk down your throat and have you say, 'Hey, brother, bless you!' You know what, no matter how kind you are, you will sometimes have to draw a line to sieve the chaff from the real deal. The Bible reminds us of something profound, wisdom is profitable to direct. Eccl.10:10
Jesus, at some point in his ministry came to the house of God and over turned the tables of those who were buying and selling, telling them that his father's house has to be a house of prayer, not a den of robbers,Matt.21:13. People would have been shocked, how would gentle Jesus be able to kill an ant. But he who is the Prince of Peace is also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. It's a complete identity, a full package.

Sometime ago, we contracted a lawyer and he commenced the registration of our NGO, Motivators International. After he received all the payment and every other document processed, he kept telling stories before the certificate would be out, apparently something fishy has happened to part of the money. After more than three months of waiting, of calling, pleading, imploring, I drew the line. I went back to report him to higher authorities where he works and in less than 24 hours, the certificate got processed. When I saw the certificate, I found out that it was supposed to have been ready more than one month ago. Nature needed me to put in a little straight face.

Along the part to your next level, you may have to man up. You may have to stop petting your problems. Confront your challenges, head on. Look your mountain in the face and tell it, "Get lost!" This is what life is. Wisdom whispers to our ears when to hold on, when to go in for a fight, when to show restraint, when to have patience.

Diplomacy is important but in the event that this fails, draw from your arsenals, confront your challenges in the place of prayer, speak to someone, make a move, back up your faith with action. If you are married to a man who keeps using you as a talking drum, making you cry like you are married to Onions, you have to man up. Don't die in silence, seek counseling.

The only way to become a hero is to demolish your Goliath. But you can't be a giant-killer when you lack the David kind of guts, that runs after giants with a sling, a rock and the name of the Lord. You have to believe that your five loaves and two fish can feed your five thousand when you give thanks, you have to switch on your faith and trust that your pot of oil will not run dry if God is involved.
Man up friend, if God be for you, who can be against you?

BECOMING AN ENGINE ROOM

When I was in Secondary School, Government Secondary School, Owerri, that congregation of going-somewhere students, I belonged to the french club. At the supervision of our french teachers, we perfected the art of la-cram-la-pour of our french script. One of those scripts says something like,

"Dire que je suis Citoyen d'un pays petrolier, dire que je suis Citoyen d'un pays qui est geant d'un continent, citoyen d'un pay supposer d'etre un des plus riches du monde. Depuis deux jours, je n'aie mangeais que cet orange" (From the script Quel Pays. A character in the play was lamenting being a citizen of a rich Nigeria, yet suffering from hunger.)

Even though we didn't quite understand what the script was saying then, we would recite our parts in the drama, run up and down the stage like marionettes, trying to shine. And we did shine, winning the State level competition for almost 6 years if not more. We took the first, second, third and fourth positions at different times at the National Stage and we traveled to many places also.

One of our teachers at that time, Mrs Ebiringa, wrote those brilliant dramas; La Jalousie, Quel Pays, Le Mystere de L'Ordinateur, among others. She is such a genius. When she writes the drama, we will start the cramming and the other teachers will start directing. It was later we would unravel the meaning of what we crammed. But Mrs Ebiringa was the engine room of those french plays. She never ceased to amaze me, her creativity and imagination. We had other excellent french teachers but the success of the french club revolved around her innovation.

Then after we graduated from the school, she became a lecturer in Imo State University and little has been known about the french club ever since. She is still a lecturer there as I write this.

Looking back, I appreciate even better her commitment, her zeal and knowledge of her craft. I wonder how long it took her. But when you have one or two Ebiringas in your establishment, you will make progress, for her type is like a gift to a generation, like the light through which others see their dark tunnels.

Becoming an engine room most of the time, is a combination of talent and training and appreciation of small defining moments. I am wowed when I watch Usain Bolt on the tracks, Lionel Messi or Christiano Ronaldo in football and other persons who are the stars of their different niches.

In every company, someone is in the engine room, in every family, in a country, where ever. In every church, someone is the Engine room, praying. In a team, it could be the coach or a star person in that team. But it doesn't always take too much to be the engine room. Fulfilling that your little commitment could be what will keep the engine going. Will you do your best so that your own part of the engine will not suffer?


Today, I remember Mrs Ebiringa, the engine room of our French club, the Shakespeare of our winning dramas. May God bless her and all the people who are the engine rooms, making things happen, people who do their best to take responsibility where ever they find themselves.

 May your days be long.

VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY.

Through out this Presidential Election period, I stood for my conscience. I wrote about the two major candidates and expressed my support for Goodluck Jonathan. It was something personal. But the Nigerian people have chosen the people's general.

The next four years will justify this choice or vindicate the people who stood for Jonathan. I'm proud to have flashed glimpses of my support at Jonathan; despite his mistakes. Yet, knowing fully well that I want a bigger and better Nigeria, I hereby congratulate General Buhari.

From the election results, we have a lot of work to do in building true bridges of Unity in our country. The lopsided voting between the North and South presents our country as a contraption of Kingdoms, Southern Kingdom and Northern Kingdom, united by the white man's language, perforated along its stitched lines by ethnicity and religion.

Congratulations to the APC, siamese twins with the PDP, they've wrestled victory from the party that boasted they'll rule Nigeria for 50 years. And will there be any difference? Time will tell. Truth is, change is never easy. For standing through the rain and the storm, victory can't be anything sweeter.



Despite the odds and the challenges, our democracy is making progress. This is a strong signal that power lies in the hands of the people and they must not be taken for granted. Nigeria is bigger than any one individual, and because what unites us is bigger than what divides us, we will keep moving forward. Congratulations Nigeria's President elect, General Mohammadu Buhari. Congratulations Nigeria. It's a victory for Democracy.

KEEP AT IT.

Hello People! Hope you are doing fine. In life, it is easy to imagine that successful people are those people who have their lives all figured out, their breads are all buttered on the right side. Hehehe...A benevolent Spirit cracked their nuts. Oh, yes! No hassles, no challenges, et al. Akuko.
Some of the most successful people are the ones who have overcome the most, they've risen above their own pains, disappointments, challenges and whatever to become successful.
If you doubt me, ask Albeit Einstein, ask Thomas Edison, or Mandela, or more recently, Malala.
It is not every time that a fighter feels like stepping out for a fight, it's not every time that a farmer is in the mood to plant. But then, a fighter fights anyway, whether in the ring or out of the ring, a farmer farms anyway, whether in the mood or out of the mood. This is how life is. If we work only when our mood permits us, we would not achieve much. In John 9:4, Jesus said, "I have to do the work of him who sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." We do not always have time but the time we do have should be put into good use.
Okay, so what do we do with our vision when we are down? When we are not in the mood? When we just feel like dropping the bulb and letting the light go off? You know what to do? Hold on one more time. Take time and appraise the journey so far. Rest, Review and Refire. God did not promise that every step on the journey will be rosy but we can trust that when we seem to be alone and hear only one footstep on that lonely part of life, we can trust that the footsteps belong to God and He is carrying us in His hands.
The best thing to do with your vision is to keep at it. Some people who have gone really far invested energy and more especially, time. How much have you invested and investing currently before thinking of giving up? Don't let people's side talks stop your bold steps on the side walk of life. For that your big, bold and bright future to live, KEEP AT IT.

SO YOU HAVE AN EXCUSE (II)

Sometimes, excuses can seem genuine, but no matter how we see them, many in the past have been able to rise above those same excuses, maximize their limitation, incarceration or whatever. Recently, it occurred to me that Apostle wrote more books in the Bible than any other person. Research shows he contributed 14 books of the new Testament! Yet he was the most jailed. My Boss' driver recently reminded me what is often said, "Things no easy for Ezekeil, if not, him for no write only one book for Bible." Of course I laughed and reminded myself how Apostle Paul had a conviction that even Jail could not deter. Prison was no excuse, instead it became the reason the books had to be written.

 While in incarceration in Rome, he wrote what is today known as the prison epistles which include Ephisians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. In 2nd Corinthians 11:23, he said, "I've been in Prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again"

 What will you find? A reason to get the job done or an excuse not to? No one celebrates excuses, rather we applaud those with reason enough to move on despite contrary evidence, those who win in spite of daunting challenges.

 So what good reasons do you have for not attaining your destiny, write it down on a paper, put it on the Atlantic and allow it to set sail to the City of Oblivion. Dust yourself and see the Sun lifting your worries, the wind beneath your wings, your excuses giving way and your destiny coming forth. Do have a wonderful day.
Happy Weekend with loads of Love!

SO YOU HAVE AN EXCUSE? (I)

Excuses are safety nets for those who revel in their shells. The nets that they cast over their courage, so they could feel safe within the borders of their weaknesses. These people are Stars, shining in the blame game, glittering over opportunities because it came looking like work. It happens to people in far away places, yes, it happens to aliens living in Mars. The thing no dey happen to us. ‪#‎Aisweh. Abi nah? If na my sister Chommy, she go say, "I pray oo."Lol.

Indeed, it does happen to us, not to aliens. It happens to yours sincerely too. We're always waiting for the rain to subside, so we can revel in the sunshine, we're always afraid and vaguely unaware that it is our dance during the rain that garnishes the drum beats of our progress.

Somehow, I've lost opportunities by procrastination while life speeds by, I've also met very pressing deadlines even when I had enough reasons not to. It all rises and settles on the dust of our convictions. It is true that while we are postponing, life speeds by but to justify our procrastination by quality excuses has never made a good sailor learn how to sail, it has also never assisted a Pilot learn how to fly. We must learn to sing our song, yes, even in the midst of the storm, we have to learn to dance, even to the beats of the rain....(To be continued tomorrow)

WHAT THE IROKO TOLD THE SEED.

Tree: *Clearing throat, sways graciously from left to right**speaking**

Hello Seed, I saw you weightless under the wind yesterday. Then later, you were tossed around by some little bird. How are U enjoying the Sunshine today?

The Seed: I'm envious of you. Whenever I look at you, I see myself, what I can be that I've not already become. Your girth swallows up my pride, your size dwarfs my courage. Birds nest in your branches, resting in what has become the glory of your strength. These same birds toss me about. I thought we have the same gene?

Tree: Yeah, we do have the same gene. Do you know how long it took me to become this big? Do you know how much summer and winter I've seen? The time when I was swayed here and there by the wings of the wind? What you see is my length and girth alone, you are missing something.

Seed: And what is it that I'm missing?

Tree: You've not noticed my foundation. What is keeping me up is down, deep down.

Seed: Why do you speak in so much parables? ‪#‎Adongerit‬.

Tree: ‪#‎Udongerit‬? Oya, stay there and be doing phoneh. #Udongerit? You know what? I was once like you. A seed, a small seed with little relevance. But until a grain of seed falls on the ground and dies, it remains a single seed.

Seed: Are you saying I have to die before I can become like you? How preposterous!

Tree: Cool down and learn, calm down and drive slowly. The death process is the transformation process, the time when the old dies for the new to come, when you metamorphose into something with a new ability to begin your journey towards becoming an Iroko that you are meant to be.

Seed: *Shrugs* Everything was going on well until you brought death into the picture.

Tree: I see you are afraid to put off the old. But then, you can't become an Iroko tree just by lying dormant there. You have to be ready to lose your old self to slip into your new self.

Seed: Okay, so how soon can I become like you?

Tree: It will take some time. But you know, it is said that the best time to get planted is 20 years, and the second best time is now.

LEARNING NEVER ENDS.

Whenever I see Professors in any field, I am excited. I want to shine light on their brain and look under its sheets. I want to survey the filaments of their professorship under the microscope. My heart runs the length and breadth of my mind, I become the questions in a questionnaire; I am searching for answers.

You see, the University of Life is not like a conventional University where you listen to a professor speak. It's a University in which everyone is a student and Life itself, being both Chancellor and Professor of sorts, takes us through tests and hard knocks and graduates us with Experiences as our certificate. 

With the rising and setting of the Sun, new hopes and dreams arise that remind us that the more we try to know of one thing, the more we know of what we don't know. Our resources are limited and time is a scarce commodity, hence the need for specificity in learning. Yet, every day gives us the grace of some new learning. But some people are like a cup laden with stale water; water that has been dormant for too long a time. 

There's need to be receptive to the fresh knowledge of innovation. There's always something to learn; from the standing and falling of a crawling baby, it becomes obvious that life is a process of rising and falling until one becomes finally able to stand. There's something to be learned from the breaking of night and day; that when your time to shine comes, nothing can stop you. There's something to be learned through the stuttering lips of a lying politician, that it is not all about what people say to you but rather, it's more about what you say to yourself. 

When Archimedes discovered what would later be known as Archimedes Principle, he was in the most unusual of places, in a bathtub when he displaced an amount of water that illuminated the puzzle that has been on his mind for some time. Then he shouted "Eureka! Eureka!"

Our greatest discoveries must not be when we are straight faced and serious but rather, those simple moments when we open our minds to learn from the simple discussions on the dinner table, to appreciate the sincere singing of a grateful bird and to hear our own inner voices remind us that learning never really ends.

TWO CANDIDATES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

Today, I listened to an interview session granted not too long ago by General Mohammadu Buhari, the APC Presidential candidate, to Ebony Life TV. It was anchored by young people, so it got my attention. It was quite an interesting time. I listened to him and then I began to think of the meaning of Sai Buhari. Many of my facebook friends who support him always say Sai Buhari. By the way, I don't know what that means but I think it means something good. 
Recently, I've spent time listening to the two major candidates in Nigeria's Presidential election without bias. I've learned a lot and I wish we can stop a lot of hate messages being spread about the contestants and focus on objective analysis of issues and what commitments and strategies each party will bring on board.
I understand this argument that all is fair in love and war and because political strategies shares same art as war strategies, the battles rages on. This, I cannot stop; but we should fight in such a way that our country moves forward when all is said and done. Yet looking through the kaleidoscope of an unbiased mind, I have watched how both candidates respond to insult and hate and propaganda; how much of shit each candidate can take and remain focused and I still hold my views that President Jonathan is the candidate to beat.
In recent times, Obasanjo tore his PDP ticket but Goodluck's reply dripped of wisdom. I have listened to Goodluck's replies to his being clueless and I see someone who understands how to take shit and remain focused. I have followed the high powered propaganda against Gen Buhari and he threatens to sue the media house, threatens to back out from peace accord and I am doubtful he will be able to handle plenty 'democratic and constitutional shit' with his military disposition and background. Buhari is a good man but Goodluck Jonathan is better as a President. Buhari was asked what will happen if he should lose the election and he said he cannot lose while Jonathan said he will hand over if he does not win. These replies speak for themselves. I stand by my earlier support for Jonathan but now, I appreciate Gen. Buhari better by listening to that interview. Yet Buhari is not alone, he is riding in Tinubu's car. **cold shivers**
Sometimes, politics can be petty but we must not fail to keep the unity and integrity of our nation intact, we must not fail in our civic duties as much as we can. The difference between America and Nigeria is not in the snow that falls in Florida, nor the yellow buses that adorn the streets of Oshodi but it sprinkles forth in the fountain of our values, what one country takes very seriously that the other takes for granted. 
A friend of mind recently told me how she discovered that her Permanent Voters Card has been sold and how she dug deeper to discover the fraud that is the PVC collection; how a PVC is sold for 5,000 naira and how Politicians are mopping up uncollected ones, equipping their armory with the PVC and waiting for elections to come. This is Nigeria.
Are we going to have a free and fair election? Hopefully. ‪#‎AskProfJega‬. Am I sure who will win? Not really. ‪#‎AskGoogle‬ For me, my major concern is a Nigeria where the thoughts of election will not call to mind the memories of disintegration but rather the possibilities of a better, bigger and stronger nation.