There is beauty in personal branding but don’t oversell yourself. Be versed in what you profess. You may outwit others and get away with it but when you outwit yourself, you become your own victim. Overrating your capability limits your capacity for growth.
Memory is in two parts. There are good memories and there are bad memories but all memories relate to the past. Good memories can inspire you but you can also be restricted by your past if you operate predominantly from your memories, even if they are good memories, let alone bad memories.
It's November 28. I was born on this day. I am thankful to the Giver of life. ©️ Akin Oluwadare Jnr 28 November 2025
Be it professional, social, marital, familial, many relationships enter auto cruise mode because the parties only hear themselves but don't truly listen to what is being said. Many times, what is not being said is louder than what is being said but we apply the wrong medication to the right ailment when we think we know the answer but did not listen to understand the question.
Be it your health, career, marriage, or your social circles, some difficult questions are meant to be answered honestly, even if only to yourself and in your closet at the moment of truth.
What you consider your best idea may not catch the fancy of the next fellow, not because it is not a good idea but because he's seeing it from a broader or narrower lens. That his idea at that moment sounds stupid does not make him a stupid man. You can question the rationality of his idea without questioning the human in him, nor the brain in his skull. Be proud of your choice but don't disrespect others for their preference.
Young or old on the corporate ladder, anticipation can be a dangerous limitation to your courage to take tough decisions in your career progression. Resist the temptation to reduce your life aspirations to short term wins because of immediate comfort and fear of the unknown. The real threat you should dread is the fear of stagnation.
To say that office politics has only one face is to say that a coin is one sided. That is not true. If anyone has ever been a victim of office politics, it is unlikely that I will encourage the person to do a tooth for a tooth for reasons I will explain shortly.
Communication is more art than science because it is more subjective than objective. The diversity in human nature reinforces the admonition that you should be quick to hear but slow to speak. In other words, listen more and speak less, particularly when you forge a new relationship, the intricacies of which you are yet to master.
Before you dissociate yourself from politics, I implore you to research the expanded meaning of politics. Any activity you involve in that is aimed at improving your status or increasing your power and influence in an organisation is politics. Not many want to be called a politician but we all play politics.
Akin is an inspirational writer and author. He has published three books. He is a teacher and trainer. Through his daily teachings, he has helped a lot of people discover their potential.