A FRESH START

I’m excited to see the dawn of 2021. Mercy did it, grace abound. Mine is an attitude of gratitude, to God and to you. THANK YOU. Regardless of the divide you belong in a war situation, whether the victorious side or the subdued side, if there is an attribute of war, it is the gathering of the spoils of war or the rueing of the losses in preparation for a rebuild. With gratitude, we won victory over 2020. Hallelujah. 2021 provides humanity with the opportunity of a fresh start. Welcome to a new beginning. 2020 was like a warfront when the strength and resilience of humanity was put to test. We all fought a battle that we were ill-prepared for, a battle we knew very little about. We overrated our wisdom and underestimated our vulnerability. More than ever before, now we know that we are as strong as our weakest link. We should be wiser, at least. Somehow, humanity is wading through the lessons that 2020 taught us. At least we now know that the strength of humanity is not in nuclear weapons or the most funded armoury. The mighty stumbled where the assumed Lilliputians kept fighting with their feeble weapons. Now we know that it is God over us all.

Continue ReadingA FRESH START

THE YEAR 2020

The year 2020 came with such a Big Bang. The sound of it was so unique and we all looked forward to an amazing year. What we did not suspect was that it was going to be a year of new discoveries, at least not in the fashion that we are used to. The world would have wished to have everything about 2019 gone with the wind but not with the novel Coronavirus. That was how COVID-19 (Corona Virus Discovered in 2019) changed the colour of 2020 and the world never remained the same again. The year 2020 rolls out in a bit. What an amazing year it would be remembered for. A year when positive could mean negative and negative could mean positive, depending on the topic. A year of opportunities. A year of excuses. The year 2020 would go down as the year when your social and economic status determined your risk of association. There were losses and there were gains. May God restore all that was lost. For the irreplaceable loss of lives, may humanity find comfort in the all knowing God.

Continue ReadingTHE YEAR 2020

SAFE CHRISTMAS

Christmas is all about the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Who is this Jesus? He is the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counsellor. He is the reason for this season. Christ came to save the world. What if I wish you a safe Christmas? What makes Christmas merry? The fun in the atmosphere is peculiar to Yuletide more than any other time all year through. The wining, the dining, the sharing and the exchange of love make Christmas truly merry. The second wave, even with its scare, cannot stop the merry in our Christmas but in the midst of it all, please stay safe, stay alive for this Christmas to truly be merry. I wanna wish you a very merry Christmas but before then, I have this urge to wish you a safe Christmas. You have to stay alive to feel the merriment in Christmas beyond 2020.

Continue ReadingSAFE CHRISTMAS

DARE TO DREAM

If you can conceive it, you can achieve it. I grew up dreaming how to inspire people. The dream was without form but the conviction was so strong. This day in retrospect birthed a dream of many years, not even the vicissitudes of life could stop its manifestation. It is not enough to dream. Dreams come in vision but many visions live and die as vision because they are blurred. Your vision becomes clearer when they are lettered. This was what I did in 2016 when I took my vision beyond mere wishes. It was not for nothing. I’m a living witness. Winners don’t emerge from those who intend to run the race. Winners roll up their sleeves and jump on the field of play even when it is not convenient. If my weekly musing means anything to you, then you need a copy of my new book. I bet that the hard copy will find a prominent place in your library. The e-copy will be an essential companion. I asked another friend like you what price he is willing to pay for my e-book of over 200 pages and he laughed, he asked if I’ve democratised the pricing of my intellectual property but I said why not? You’ve been a part of my long journey and I’m incomplete without you.

Continue ReadingDARE TO DREAM

THE PAINS, THE GAINS AND THE NATION

Many would wish to have an omelette without breaking any egg but there is no record of such gains without pains in ancient and modern history. Some would argue that Nigeria got her independence too cheaply and took development for granted when there was surplus, that we failed to project far into the future. It may appear a coincidence but I think it is symbolic that Nigeria is witnessing a rebirth on her 60th anniversary as Nigeria clocked 60 on 01 October 2020. The #endSARS protest opened another chapter in Nigeria’s history and I dare say that Nigeria will never remain the same again. In the aftermath, there have been pains, some quite excruciating. There are gains, enormous gains, even if not immediately visible. There are also some exaggerated assumptions that look real. I would wish that any loss is avoided to give Nigeria a rebirth but wishes are not horses.

Continue ReadingTHE PAINS, THE GAINS AND THE NATION

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

Nothing compares with Christmas. I looked for one event so universally recognised, even by adherents of other faiths, and I found none. Not even the novel coronavirus could stop the love in the air as Christ is born in a manger in a matter of days. Christmas is a season of love and giving. When I was a child, I cherished candies and assorted food that announced the birth of Christ. The tastefully seasoned chicken and turkey defined the season more than any other protein. Yuletide has exclusivity over harmattan, even now. As an adolescent, I craved new clothes and shoes to herald the coming of a new year on the heels of the birth of Christ. If not at any other time in the year, one was sure of a new addition to his/her wardrobe at Christmas. Yes, this much I could remember as an aspiring adult. What then do I crave as an adult even as Christmas approaches? I am coming. Let me be one of the earliest to wish you a happy Yuletide season and an amazing New Year ahead.

Continue ReadingCHRISTMAS IS COMING

NEW BOOK ALERT

I am delighted to introduce my new book, Feathers of Hope. Feathers of Hope is a perfect gift of hope you can give yourself or anyone you love and care about who places a high premium on self-development and relationship building. It is a practical guide to self-discovery and rediscovery. This handbook is particularly unique as it provides you with an inspirational message for each of the 365 days that make a year. Culled from my daily teachings, this book will help you navigate life’s challenges and strengthen your relationship with people towards achieving lasting success. If you are looking for a perfect gift for yourself and your loved ones, Feathers of Hope is handy, insightful, perpetually useful and it nourishes your typical day with a message of hope that keeps you going all year round.

Continue ReadingNEW BOOK ALERT

APOLOGY IS OVERRATED

If men were God, the speedy effect of apology would have been magical but because man is not God, it is not easy for him to forgive as quickly as God does. God is quick to forgive the biggest sin but not same with man. Sometimes, apology travels slowly. One of the most insensitive things I’ve seen people do is to berate someone who has been offended for not forgiving quickly. Sometimes, we say the person should forgive and forget. After all, apology has been tendered. How easy is it to forget? I often wonder. Depending on the magnitude of hurt, some wounds take time to heal, even when apology has been tendered. To be conscious of this is to be slow to say or do things that inflict wounds on others when it is within our control.

Continue ReadingAPOLOGY IS OVERRATED

THE BLIND SPOT

This is true life story. It should be about five years ago. I remember it was somewhere around Iju Ishaga in Lagos. I was alone in the car, enjoying the sweet melodies from Commander Ebenezer Obey’s collections. Imagine one of those weekend jigs when all you want to do is unwind. I just pulled out of a temporary parking on the roadside and about to do a U turn at a small opening on a dualised road. I had checked my side mirror and everything looked safe. The other side of the road was free and my mind was already at my destination. All these was in a flash. My foot was on the accelerator, ready to move. The collision would have been heavy. It might even have been fatal because the car coming behind me was on top speed. A second look beyond my shoulder saved me what could have been a calamity. I escaped what would have been a terrible accident that never was. Looking back, all I can say is to God be the glory. If you underwent training by a driving instructor, most probably you would have heard about blind spot before. If you are one of those who started driving before you got your driving license like me, you may not have heard about it but let me just say beware of the blind spot. What is a blind spot? A blind spot is an area in your range of vision that you cannot see properly but which you really should be able to see. In driving parlance, it is that spot that is too close for your side mirror to capture any image behind you. The area just behind your shoulders is often a blind spot.

Continue ReadingTHE BLIND SPOT

360 DEGREES APPRAISAL

It takes discipline for anyone to accept criticisms, even when the criticisms are constructive and objective. Very few people, if at all, enjoy to hear from people who don’t share their views on any matter. An average human being would prefer to hear himself through others who share his own views. As close as your nose is to your eyes, you will need the help of another person to see a spot on your nose except you use the mirror. A possible interpretation here is to say that the closest person to you may not be the person you need most if you care to know how well you are doing. It is the most natural thing for one to surround himself with people whom he loves and who love him in return. How would someone enjoy hearing from those who don’t like him? But he honestly needs to. It sounds like a contradiction but that is what it is. Most of your loved ones would dress the truth in sweet words and rather tell you what makes you happy to keep the fire of friendship burning. There are times you need more than that. Someone said that truth doesn’t have to be bitter and I totally agree but if you care to know undiluted truth, you need more than your fans. The truth you need to navigate stormy waters may not come from the most familiar source.

Continue Reading360 DEGREES APPRAISAL