THE SPIRIT OF NAIJA

In the heart of the west coast of Africa lies a very unique and exciting group of people. Each time they step out in action, they wave their magic wand and shock the world. From soccer to banking, information technology to literature, arts to music and in every other thing that catches their fancy they are a force to reckon with. More intriguing is the fact that they achieve this feat despite tough conditions. They are the largest population of black people in the world. They are called NIGERIANS.
What makes Nigerians thick? This question is easily answered when one takes a look at the chord that binds them together (NIGERIA). Naija in local parlance is a land blessed with every good thing a man can think of. The extra spice that makes Nigeria a delicious pot of soup to foreigners is the “THE SPIRIT OF NAIJA.” This refers to the set of values that shapes the belief system of the average Nigerian. This in turn determines our reaction to situations that come our way either individually or as a nation.
Firstly, the average Nigerian is a highly motivated individual. We belief that with patience, hard work, dedication and God on your side every individual is able to succeed in his/her chosen endeavour. As such, we are always ready to put in whatever it takes to achieve our goals. We also believe the future is bright despite our present condition. This hope greatly increases our ability to endure hardship without taking our eyes off our aspirations. Our doggedness and never say die attitude has being a constant source of amazement to other nationalities. We succeed most of the times by refusing to give up on our dreams despite unpleasant occurrences. W know that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
In some circles, it is said that the litmus test of the strength of a nation’s economy is the number of Nigerians involved in the economic activities of the said nation. This is because we are highly industrious who can spot a good opportunity miles afar. When we do this, we are known to grab them with both hands and legs if possible. As a result, many developing countries freely grant Nigerians residence in their country with the assurance of our positive contribution to the development of their country. On their part, Nigerians never disappoint as we continually produce top leaders in every industry. (Nollywood is proof that the world should pay attention when we show interest in anything). When we rise, YOU IGNORE US AT YOUR OWN PERIL.
As a people we are warm, friendly and welcoming. We love life and do our best to live it in full. This increases our ability to be happy despite great tribulations. We are so happy a people that we have been adjudged the happiest people on earth. Therefore, suicide is almost non- existent in our communities. Moreover, you cannot degenerate to the state where you want to take your life before someone reaches out to help. Many time people wonder why we have not broken up as a nation despite numerous leadership challenges. My answer is that the spirit of Naija does not resort to chaos as a means of dispute resolution.
Speaking of challenges, we are besieged with them in large numbers. For instance the success drive in Nigerians has pushed some of our young ones into drugs, cyber crime, robbery and other vices. Though we are sometimes at a crossroads, I believe that the elements of the spirit of Naija is powerful enough to lead us into lasting solutions. The way forward is to continually project the values of the Nigerian spirit. We should also endeavour to act in accordance with those values always and honour Nigerians that excel using the values of the Nigerian spirit.
In conclusion, our pride and joy lies in the indomitable spirit of Naija. Let us rise in this spirit and reclaim our lost title of “THE GIANT OF AFRICA”
LONG LIVE THE FEDRAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

MONEY

Many act like they do not care about it yet inwardly crave everything it can provide. Though this is not a bad idea, it does not show them how to achieve their desires. I took time to inquire of the masters how to acquire lots of it. It is my pleasure to share with you what I was taught. The difference between the rich and the poor is not ability neither is it only character. I know this because there are many men of character and ability who are extremely poor. The difference lies in how each person sees money. This affects how he relates with it and ultimately how much of it he can attract. To the rich man MONEY IS A SEED, a means to an end rather than an end in itself. To further explain, I will use the steps from planting a seed to harvesting.
Having decided which crop to plant, a farmer know firsthand that you will definitely consume the seed you do not plant. So he reserves seed from the last harvest for the next planting season. Likewise a potential rich man puts away some of his money to produce more money for him.(SAVINGS).
He also knows that there can be no harvest without seeds so he protects his seed till the day of planting. Likewise rich men do not spend their savings for whatever reasons (DELAYED GRATIFICATION).Then comes the actual planting which is known as (INVESTMENT) to the rich man A farmer knows seeds flourish under certain exact conditions so he plants his seed in such an atmosphere. Likewise a rich man invests his money where he is sure of maximum profits. He ascertains the profitability of the venture before investing his money.
After planting, a farmer knows it takes time for a seed to grow into a matured plant. He also knows that for it to grow properly and yield maximum harvest, he has to carry out certain operations on the growing seed. Therefore, he does not abandon the seed before it matures into a plant. Rather, he gives everything it takes for it to grow. Likewise rich people never abandon their investment until it matures. They stay awake to protect and nurture their investment while it takes time to grow into a huge money spinner.
In addition, farmers are very optimistic people. I do not know of any farmer who will refuse to plant this year due to a bad yield last year. Rather they find out why there was a bad yield last year and make corrections to prevent it from occurring again. They may change seed type, planting field, fertilizer etc but they never stop planting. Likewise a rich man never stops investing because the yield was bad. They learn their lessons and invest once more. They do not stop until they have achieve desired results.
Come to think of it, making money is not as difficult as poor people think. Wherever you are, you can begin your journey to riches and get there if you follow through with the necessary steps. Whether you take the journey or not, you are solely responsible for your financial state.

exceptional personalities

It is my pleasure to welcome you to our world. Here, we are always seeking for better ways to achieve better results in every area of our lives. Hence, we do not believe in traditional way of doing things. We raise the standard each time we achieve something great which happens all the time. In our world achievement doubles frequently therefore members have to be on their toes to remain relevant. We reward hard work, dedication and determination. Laziness has no air to survive in our environment.
We are bold and fearless. We believe where there is a will there is a way. Therefore no mountain is too high for us to climb. This is because there is no room for limitation in our lives. To us, impossibility does not exist. We combine faith in God and ourselves with a dedication both unequalled and unparalleled. The day may be unpleasant and the night unbearable, still we press forward to achieve our aims and objectives. This is because we know firsthand that there is no pain without gain. The more difficult the problem, the greater the joy and glory of accomplishment. In our world, challenges and adversity separates the men from the boys without breaking a sweat.
There is more than enough space for a lot more people in our world. But we are very few who share the spoils of the battle we fight. Yet,95% of people take to their heels when we extend a hand of invitation to them. The five percent who join us enter the league of the unforgettable dragon slayers of life. They know the joy of achievement butt first have to pass through the test of many trials. We are seen as geniuses and demi-gods but in reality we are a group of ordinary men who take on extra-ordinary tasks. And we achieve extra-ordinary results where others would not even dare. Join us, secure your seat in destiny and the world would forever applaud you.
BARAK OBAMA, JOSE MOURINHO,BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, RICARDO KAKA,OLASODE OLADAPO………………..EXCEPTIONAL PERSONALITIES

THE RIGHT TO BE RICH

. Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains
that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful
life unless one is rich. No one can rise to his greatest
possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty
of money, for to unfold the soul and to develop talent he must
have many things to use, and he cannot have these things unless
he has money to buy them with.
A person develops in mind, soul, and body by making use of
things, and society is so organized that we must have money in
order to become the possessors of things. Therefore, the basis of
all advancement must be the science of getting rich.
The object of all life is development, and everything that lives
has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of
attaining.
A person’s right to life means his right to have the free and
unrestricted use of all the things which may be necessary to his
fullest mental, spiritual, and physical unfoldment; or, in other
words, his right to be rich.
In this book, I shall not speak of riches in a figurative way. To
be really rich does not mean to be satisfied or contented with a
little. No one ought to be satisfied with a little if he is capable of
using and enjoying more. The purpose of nature is the advancement
and unfoldment of life, and everyone should have all that
can contribute to the power, elegance, beauty, and richness of
life. To be content with less is sinful.
The person who owns all he wants for the living of all the life
he is capable of living is rich, and no person who has not plenty
of money can have all he wants. Life has advanced so far and
become so complex that even the most ordinary man or woman
requires a great amount of wealth in order to live in a manner
that even approaches completeness. Every person naturally wants
to become all that they are capable of becoming. This desire to
realize innate possibilities is inherent in human nature; we cannot
help wanting to be all that we can be. Success in life is becoming
what you want to be. You can become what you want to. We live for the body,
we live for the mind, we live for the soul. No one of these is better or holier than the other .You can be what you want to be only by making use of things, and you can have the free use of things only as you become rich enough to buy them. To understand
the science of getting rich is therefore the most essential of
all knowledge.
There is nothing wrong in wanting to get rich. The desire for
riches is really the desire for a richer, fuller, and more abundant
life . and that desire is praiseworthy. The person who does not
desire to live more abundantly is abnormal, and so the person
who does not desire to have money enough to buy all he wants
is abnormal.There are three motives for which we live: We live for the body,
we live for the mind, we live for the soul. No one of these is
better or holier than the other; all are alike desirable, and no one
of the three . body, mind, or soul . can live fully if either of the
others is cut short of full life and expression. It is not right or
noble to live only for the soul and deny mind or body, and it is
wrong to live for the intellect and deny body or soul.
We are all acquainted with the loathsome consequences of living
for the body and denying both mind and soul, and we see
that real life means the complete expression of all that a person
can give forth through body, mind, and soul. Whatever he can
say, no one can be really happy or satisfied unless his body is
living fully in its every function, and unless the same is true of
his mind and his soul. Wherever there is unexpressed possibility
or function not performed, there is unsatisfied desire. Desire is
possibility seeking expression or function seeking performance.
A person cannot live fully in body without good food, comfortable
clothing, and warm shelter, and without freedom from
excessive toil. Rest and recreation are also necessary to his physical life.
One cannot live fully in mind without books and time to study
them, without opportunity for travel and observation, or without
intellectual companionship.
To live fully in mind a person must have intellectual recreations,
and must surround himself with all the objects of art and
beauty he is capable of using and appreciating.
To live fully in soul, a person must have love, and love is denied
fullest expression by poverty.
A person.s highest happiness is found in the bestowal of benefits
on those he loves; love finds its most natural and spontaneous
expression in giving. The individual who has nothing to give
cannot fill his place as a spouse or parent, as a citizen, or as a
human being. It is in the use of material things that a person.
finds full life for his body, develops his mind, and unfolds his
soul. It is therefore of supreme importance to each individual to
be rich.
It is perfectly right that you should desire to be rich. If you are
a normal man or woman you cannot help doing so. It is perfectly
right that you should give your best attention to the science of
getting rich, for it is the noblest and most necessary of all studies.
If you neglect this study, you are derelict in your duty to
yourself, to God and humanity, for you can render to God and
humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself

ABOUT AN ACHIEVER

Biodun Shobanjo is CEO

Bank PHB, in conjunction with The Executive Group (TEG) and Storm Vision is pleased to announce that Mr. Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman Troyka group and co-founder of Nigeria’s largest and unarguably, most successful advertising agency, Insight Grey has signed on as the CEO of The Apprentice Africa.
In his acceptance letter, Mr. Shobanjo who is popularly known as “Father of Advertising” said. ”It is most humbling for me to be chosen by your bank as the face of your proposed show. Let me confirm my acceptance of this extremely major challenge, in the hope that, together with all stakeholders, we are able to come up with a programme that we can be proud of.
By accepting to be CEO of The Apprentice Africa, Biodun Shobanjo joins a long line of distinguished corporate titans and business moguls like Donald Trump, United Kingdom’s Allan Sugar and South African’s Tokyo Sexwale amongst others whose presence, charisma, business savvy and panache have been integral to the success of the franchise.
Born some 63 years ago to a peripatetic civil servant, the Shobanjo family’s peregrinations imbued the young man with a cosmopolitan worldview and his early experience as a broadcaster prepared him for life as an advertiser.
Biodun Shobanjo, who rose to the post of Deputy Managing Director of Grant Advertising before his 30th birthday, co-founded Insight Communications (now Insight Grey) in 1979 and has today grown the company from the initial 18 man strong team into an advertising behemoth.
The Troyka Group which is the holding company for Insight, SKG2, Optimum Exposure, Media Perpective, MediaCom, Quadrant and Halogen amongst others employs over seven thousand Nigerian men and women.
Biodun Shobanjo attributes his success to his a fierce determination and a steely can-do attitude. “I was young when I left Grant advertising and young people are very daring, so it didn’t cross my mind that I wouldn’t make it. Again, without meaning to be immodest, I really have never failed in my life. If you’re not used to failing you don’t even contemplate failure."
The ever dapper and sartorially elegant man of style says there are four essential elements for success and he lists them as “Professionalism. The other is honour. The third is integrity. The fourth is passion. They come in any order but if you have these four things, chances are that you’re going to succeed."
A consummate advertising and marketing communications practitioner, Biodun Shobanjo is a perfect choice for the CEO of The Apprentice Africa because as a believer in people, his business style has favoured a mentoring ambience which has spawned protégés who are leading lights of the advertising and marketing communications industry in Nigeria.
Today, the top 10 CEOs of the top 10 advertising and marketing communications outfits in Nigeria are proud alumni of what admirers love to refer to as the “Insight University.”
Biodun Shobanjo brings to the Apprentice Africa almost forty years of top-notch corporate experience, entrepreneurial savvy, multi-disciplinary industry experience and a business maxim founded squarely on the belief that success is not negotiable.
As he loves to say: “Winning is not everything. It is the only thing!”

FOUR BELIEFS THAT ENSURE POVERTY

If there is any aim that cuts across the whole world, it is that of becoming financially independent. This makes the subject worthy of consideration. In my country, the harsh condition of things has increased the tempo at which people sing the money song exponentially. So, do not blame when I began thinking about why people in my country are so poor despite the much talk about money. I was surprised when I realized that the cause of enormous problem is first one single sentence. It is the fact that MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW THE BELIEFS THAT INDUCE WEALTH.

This means that there are beliefs that induce wealth while there are beliefs that also induce poverty. With this in mind, I set out to find out which beliefs induce wealth and which beliefs induce poverty. My findings concerning the beliefs that induce poverty are what I am about sharing with you.

1. MAKING MONEY IS DIFFICULT IN NIGERIA .

This is one of the most widely circulated false beliefs since the inception of this great country. Achieving wealth is the result of practicing some natural universal laws over a period. These laws are not location dependent. The problem is that most Nigerians do not search for knowledge, not to talk of utilizing it hence they remain poor. This means that making money in Nigeria is as easy as doing it in America if you practice these laws, instead of doing this, we blame the government and everyone else apart from ourselves. If we must change the status quo, we must change this belief and put our brains to full utilization.

2. DESIRING WEALTH IS BEING GREEDY.

This is another blatant lie. Rather, not being wealthy by not using nature’s available resources is wastefulness and lack of use of your talent. I always pity the descendants of people who claim that all they want is enough to meet the basic needs of their families. This is because if you aim at the sky, you will reach the tallest tree.” They do not know that to ensure the comfort of their dependants, they need more than enough to meet the basic needs of their family. As such, they will become frustrated in their old age due to inability to meet their increasing and they would leave a legacy of unpaid bills, heart aches to mention a few to their children who were not party to their . In conclusion, I want us to take Evangelist Obey’s advice seriously. It says DO NOT BURY A TALENT, GOD WOULD INQUIRE OF YOU THE RESULTS. I want to state that this belief helps to safely bury your talents.

3. BEING WEALTHY TAKES YOU AWAY FROM GOD.

I am always excited that our religious books have English versions. If not, some statements in them may never be fully understood. One of them is where the bible says “that the love of money is the root cause of all evils” NOT MONEY. Therefore, I sometimes wonder where my fellow citizens got the thought that money takes people from God “may be we should ask our spiritual fathers.” Rather, being poor makes it almost impossible to worship God because a poor man is always distracted by his numerous problems. Despite all the good promises of wealth in our holy books. People still view poverty as a form of spirituality. Walahi, if I were God. I will flog every poor man before opening the gates of heaven to them because they have caused my words to remain unfulfilled in their lives.

4. SOME ARE DESTINED TO BE WEALTHY WHILE SOME ARE NOT.

This is a very serious hindrance to becoming wealthy because it stems from our culture and it is difficult to tell a man his cultural beliefs are wrong. However, this is the wrongest things I have ever heard since I was born because almost all the rich people in the world now tell of times when they were in abject poverty and none of them has ever ascribed their wealth to destiny. Seriously, show me someone who became wealthy man, and I would show you a man whose destiny lies in hard work and dedication. Lets assume for a second some were destined to be great while other were not, it should still not be a reason for poverty because the bible tells of a man who got fed up and cried to God for a change. I will like to end this part by saying in capital letters YOUR POVERTY IS 100% YOUR OWN FAULT.

In conclusion, careful analysis has shown that these reasons tend towards poverty because they make good reasons to be poor. They make people so proud of poverty that they always speak and act vehemently against people who say otherwise. Some people reading this write up would hate or even curse me for it and by so doing never leave the poverty stage. If you want to make a change of heart to day, I say welcome to the land of potential wealthy men and women. In conclusion, I want to say that YOU WILL NEVER TAKE STEP TOWARDS WEALTH UNTIL YOU ARE TIRED OF POVERTY AND ASHAMED OF IT.

PEAK, ITS IN YOU

When I got the title of this column, I was overjoyed because it gives me a golden opportunity to contribute to this all important aspect of human life. I would be further overjoyed if my thoughts would help you find the joy involved in reaching the peak. In the context of this piece, peak is the highest possible level of achievement in the life of an individual. While this is a beautiful point to be in, most people do not know how to get there. For the person reading this piece, I wish to present the views of several peak achievers blended into one to become my view. I hope it takes you to the peak in your life.

What would you do if you found out that reaching the peak in your life is as simple as only one step? IMPOSSIBLE is the word that comes to your mind but I want you to carefully read this piece before you throw it out. I found out that all peak achievers in history had to do one major thing to kick start their journey to outstanding achievement.

“They located their route to the peak and followed it through “YES you are correct to conclude that your route to the peak is quite different from mine and I would reach nowhere if I attempt to go through your route. This route is called POTENTIAL. Therefore to reach the peak, you have to discover your potential (route) and build on it (follow through).

How then do you discover your potential and build on it? To fully exhaust these sub-topics, I would take them one after the other.

(a) Discover your potential.

(b) Build on it to get to the peak

DISCOVER YOUR POTENTIAL: - Your potential is a natural ability that you could develop to make you very good at something. To discover this natural ability if you haven’t, you need to do a very thorough analysis of yourself. This action would provide answers to the following questions and eventually expose your potentials.

i) Who am I? - This is a concrete description of you. It involves your behaviour your likes and dislikes, ambition, mentally and other things that differentiate you from other people in the world.

ii) What do I love doing? When Michael Jackson first signed a record deal, all he wondered was why someone wanted to pay him for singing. For him singing was something he could not do without. Likewise, you must discover that thing you can spend hours even days on end doing without getting tired. For J.J. Okocha, it is football, for me writing, what about you.

iii) What do I do easily? Another way of asking this question is what am I picking up so easily and I am having fun doing it. For some people it is an innate ability to do something e.g. singing while for others, it’s the possession of qualities that make achieving a thing easy. The combination of answers to these questions clearly points out your potentials.

However, care should be taken to give correct, un-influenced answers to these questions. It would be disastrous if you realize few years down the line that you based your actions on assumptions. You should also answer the question “why do I love what I love doing. This would show whether your answers are based on influenced by external factors. “So many people love football now because of the wages involved. Also, you could ask people you trust and respect to give you answers to these questions. The un biased answers would point put those things you have not thought about yourself. A combination of all these answers tells you to which degree you are correct in discovering your route to the peak. Through it is tough and sometimes unpleasant processes, believe me it is worth the efforts. Now, you have “FOUND YOUR ROUTE” and you can follow it with certainty.

(B) BUILD IT TO GET TO THE PEAK.

Discovering your route to the peak is where most people stop. But those who move further increase their chances of getting there. You need to do the following to move further in your route to the peak.

(A) BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND: This means determining how far your potential would take you. Since we are talking about the highest possible level, you need to strongly believe in your ability to get there. This is called FAITH. It releases the required energy to reach the peak of your potential.

Most people fail to target the very peak of their potential because they lack faith in their ability to reach it. They do not think they can get there as such they would never get there. When determining the peak of your potential, realize.

(i) You have just one life to live and one opportunity to reach the peak.

(ii) If your target is easily reach, it is nor worth much.

(iii) Impossibility doesn’t exist.

To increase your faith, you may need to

(i) Talk to your God.

(ii) Read about people who have achieved great things with their potentials.

(iii) Check your process of discovering your potential. Realizing you did not make any mistake increases your faith. Now that you have great faith and have set the peak as your target, lets proceed.

B) CREATE AN OPERATION SEQUENCE

According to my MEE 203, an operation sequence is a list of your actions in sequential order that gives you a pre specified result. When you have a target, you must determine the things you need to do and when you need to do them to reach your target. Relating this to the peak, you must determine the steps you need to take to get there. To do this, you need to first determine where you are in terms of knowledge, financial capacity, people you know, skills and other necessary ingredients. You may need to get additional qualifications, learn new skills, start a saving scheme, and meet new people before starting out. With this in place, you know where you are going, you know where you are so determining how to get there be comes a piece of cake.

One important thing you should do is set a time target for carrying out all the actions in your operation sequence. This would give you a sense of urgency and increase your dedication. It would reduce your tendency to procrastinate. An operation sequence without a time frame is just words on a piece of paper. You should also make sure you do not forget the work you have put into designing the sequence. Paste it on your walls where you will see them daily. This helps to increase your speed and eliminate distractions. Most people do this much work and then file it away where they would not see it again for the most three months at last. Before long, it would become just a piece of paper in their personal archives. There ends their journey to the peak of their potential.

(C) TAKE ACTION: This is the most important part of the journey. It is also a point where some people tail in their quest for the peak. Whatever happens along the way, always remember that it is useless to do “a” and “b” if you would not do “c”. It’s like drawing a building plan without putting bricks together. YOU WON’T HAVE THE HOUSE. However, in taking action towards reaching your peak you should note the following.

(i) You would encounter problems along the way: What you do at this point directly determines whether or not you would reach your peak. People who reach their peak have a form of resilience that helps them hang on. They analyze the problem, adjust their operation sequence and most importantly they forge ahead with their plans. They repeat this process each time they encounter a problem until they reach their destination.

(ii) There is always light at the end of the funnel: This means that reaching the peak is assured if you successfully implement your operation sequence. There is a great feeling in knowing without any doubt that you will reach your goal. Problems along the way become easy to bear, focus and concentration increases. Also there is a full supply of required energy to go the mile. This is supported by the adage “A horse is never tired on the homeward journey”.

(iii) You would definitely need help: Pre knowledge of this fact helps you to be on the look out for people who can help you reach your goal faster. When you meet them, it is important to create a relationship with them and nurture it with great care. They would make your journey a more pleasurable one.

(Iv) Reaching peak takes time: The fact that we are in an instant world creates the illusion that everything should happen in split seconds. Knowing that you need time helps reduce the pressure greatly and helps focus your energy on the tasks at hand. This is because you would set realizeable targets for all your action. The result is that you can reach your peak with peace of mind without losing out on every other thing that makes life great.

Having said this much, I want to conclude by saying maximizing your potential and reaching your peak is possible for anyone who dares to. Therefore, start making a conscious effort to reach your peak TODAY and same day down the line, you will get there, when I get to my peak, I would see you there.

Submitted to Panoply Magazene

DARE TO DREAM

DARE TO DREAM

The definition of dreams according to the Long man dictionary of contemporary English that best describes what I am talking about is to think about what you would like to happen. This is to conceptualize and visualize something that is not in existence in the physical. It brings about glorious things and as such it can be hindered but as we go through this lesson, I intend to show you why we should go ahead and dream no matter the hindrances we encounter.

Show me a man who has achieved success in all his endeavours and I would show you a man who is among all things, a very serious dreamer. In whatever facet of life you consider, everything worthy of commendation started as a dream. Therefore, I urge you to become a disciple of Joseph the dreamer.

Remember a famous saying that the worst failure does not lie in not achieving your dreams but in having no dreams to achieve. To elucidate my point, I would state the role played by dreams in the achievement of the success using the lives of notable successes as case studies. These people dared to see beyond what is happening in their lives to what could be happening and we all know the rest of their story.

WHY DREAM

Some decades ago, a young man locked himself in his room for hours on end and his mother had to scream, “what have you been doing indoors since morning.” His mother was shocked when her son’s only reply was mom, am thinking about my dream. Before you conclude the young man was wasting his time, I am pleased to inform you that the person involved is BILL GATES. The result of his dream has made it possible to type this piece from the comfort of my house. At the end of this chapter, am sure you would start to dream of something great yourself and encourage everyone around you to follow suit.

If nothing persuades you to toe this line, consider the lives of people who like Bill engaged their minds in dreams that resulted in things that make living an ultimate pleasure for them and people around them. They include Rev. Martin Luther King, Dr. Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford etc. Back home, Nigeria is an independent country today thanks to the effective dreaming habits of our founding fathers. Infact, Nigeria was on of the first countries to gain independence solely because our leaders were among the first to dream of freedom and they worked hard to make it a reality. A dream therefore is something common to notable achievers. If you want to be in the number, dare to dream

Besides that, a dream is a proof that you are living a full life. People without dreams are often without direction as such they are often enlisted in the team of dreamers to make their dreams a reality. Having a dream also puts you in the league of successful people and gives you the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to your society, (the society needs people with strong and huge dreams).

WHAT DREAMING DOES

Communicating your dreams to people will portray you as nuts (I will discuss that later). However, to you, it is a proof of your creative abilities. This knowledge brings a about a satisfaction that produces the drive to do everything humanly possible to achieve that dream. This is necessary because you are bound to face challenges and despair at a point in pursuit of your dreams. This drive is what propels you beyond this point to that point where you actualize that thing that gives you joy and happiness.

Furthermore, having a dream puts your brain in strong working condition. Because it takes a lot of mental effort to put together what does exist physically in your mind. This task puts the mental faculty completely to test such that when it is completed; your brain would be ready to do all the thinking necessary to actualize your dreams.

In conclusion, you derive boundless energy form having and working towards a dream that would be beneficial to you and everyone around you. Therefore, do everything in your power to dream big and mighty dreams.

LIMITS TO THE D REAMING HABIT

Experience has shown that there is a limit to everything no matter how good it. Having a dream is therefore not an exception. However, the limiting boundaries of the dreaming habit are explained by the acronym S.M.A.R.T.

S stands for specific:

Your dream must be specific enough for you to be able to identify it when it is achieved. There is a great difference in saying ‘I want to go to Ibadan’ and saying ‘I want to go on a journey.’ In the former, there is a known course for achievement while the latter leaves you more confused.

M stands for measurable,

Measurement I necessary for you to determine the rate you are moving towards the actualization of your dream. This helps to determine whether you need to increase or lower your working speed. It also helps to determine how far you have gone and how far you still need to go. Without this, you would be like someone traveling a route he is not familiar with and he does not have a map with which he would get there. He would end up spending forty years on a journey that should not last more than forty days.

A stands for achievable,

In order to guide against the frustration that accompany failure to actualize your dreams, it is prudent to have dreams that would not have you literarily climb Mount Everest without the necessary assistance. Always make sure that the necessary ingredients for your dreams are available and with some effort, you can lay your hands on them. This reduces the number of unfinished products on your C.V and makes you seem like a miracle worker because everything you touch literarily turn to gold.

R stands for realizable,

Another word is realistic. Setting unrealistic dreams I wishful thinking and this does not do you any good (wishes have never been horses). It is the surest route that I know to failure ad am sure nobody reading this book wants to go there.

T stands for time bound,

Having a time bound dream increases your consciousness of the enormity of the job at hand. This increases the speed at which you move towards achieving your dreams and tells people you are serious. However, research has shown that dreams that are not time bound are rarely achieved.

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

A lot has been said about this wonderful road but not everybody has found important lessons about this road. To illustrate this road from where it starts to where it ends, I would use the following analogy. The road to success starts with dreams and ends with achievement but it has other bus stops one would have to come across. These bus stops can be represented with the acronym D.I.C.U.S.

Where D – Difficulty: This is the first bus stop and it is very close to the take off point (DREAM). It occurs as one makes a first attempt to achieve ones dreams. To move forward, one has to subdue the enemies available at this bus stop. This is possible by

i) Seeking divine assistance for courage and blessing

ii) Believe in your dreams

iii) Spend time thinking

iv) Work as hard as if your life depends on it.

v) Develop a flexible game plan.

I – Initial failure

At this point, you tend to give up on their dreams. This is because either they were not prepared for the possibility or they left some things out in the preparation of their game plan. Instead of giving up, faith in the dream developed at the first bus stop should be brought into play to help see you through.

C – Come back,

At this point, you are conferred with the honourable title of B.A. (Begin Again). He can start again with new vigour, knowledge, and vitality as such; he is newly empowered to carry on.

U – Until,

In achieving your dream, you may have to come back more than once. Put your mind on the joy of achievement other than your challenges and you would discover that the stress of the journey is greatly lessoned for you.

S – Success

This is the desired last bus stop. At this point, you have actualized your dream and in a twinkle of an eye, you are bound to dump all the challenges in the thrash can of your brain.

Having journeyed with me thorough this lesson, know you have been fired up to dream of something noble. I want to advice that you add to your newfound dream positive thinking

KEEP DREAMING

first chapter of my book 'learn to succeed'. what out

How To Command, Influence And Control People

The Styles and Methods of Power

Power is the ability to get things done--your way. Sometimes it's

a direct order that you give, sometimes a suggestion you make, or

a request or the asking of a favor; but the result (if you have

power) is always that the other person acts and you derive a benefit

from the other person's actions.

One can have power in many different ways. You have it over your

employees because you pay their salaries. If you are an expert in

a special field, it's because you know the best way to handle

matters. In a legal dispute, it's because you have the law on your

side. If you have credit cards, it can be part of your life style

to go into a store, hotel or restaurant, in any city, and order

whatever you wish. In politics, it's because folks will give you

their votes, hoping that you'll work and succeed in getting the

government to serve them in their area. And there's the power

that derives from being talented, charming and capable; of being

up-to-the-minute and knowledgeable, so people know if they let

you handle things for them or listen to your advice, they'll

come out ahead.

One more aspect of power. This concerns competition. If all

the world were fair and equal, one would have no need for the

upper hand, for the advantage, for power. But, of course, the

world isn't. Which often means that in a competitive situation

you cannot merely settle for an equal chance. You must keep

your eyes and ears, and indeed all your faculties, open for

any clue or other tips that will move the balance in your

favor. Whenever possible, make sure you get more than an

equal chance.

You have to look the part

People are impressed by how a man looks. They are often not aware

of exactly why they treat one man like a VIP and another gets the

bum's rush. Their reactions maybe subliminal, below their

conscious awareness. But take it from me, if you're well

dressed, neatly groomed, hair trimmed, etc., and are driving a

snazzy car, you'll be well received; while a guy who's wearing

sloppy clothes, unshaven and unclean, and who's driving an old

heap, will hardly get any attention at all. Look as good as you

can; and back it up in other ways.

Add the other elements of power image too. Clothing--it's worth

investing some money to be well dressed. Buy suits on time

payments if you can (a credit card is very useful for this).

That way the clothes are helping to get power, and therefore

money, for you while you are paying for them. Don't forget about

the car you drive around in; if the one you have is not impressive

then rent one that is. Rental cars don't cost that much and

driving a good one pays dividends in the power sphere. Try to

join clubs and organizations (business, social, political) that

have important and influential members. If at first you can't

become a member, then maneuver a member into taking you as his

guest.

Money and power beget money and power; the more they think you

have, the more you'll get.

We must repeat that, for most people, those who belong to the

power elite are those that appear to belong to it. Unless

recognized personally, a millionaire will be turned away from

a class restaurant if he's not well dressed.

You have to consciously act the part of one who is used to

being in command.

There's another extremely important factor in appearing to

already have money and power beyond what I mentioned above

and that is your own manner of doing things. You must move,

speak and act power. Have you ever met the grandson of a man

who amassed a fortune and wondered how a grandfather who did

so much could have a grandson who seems like such a weakling?

It's true; that grandson could never get rich on his own; if

he hadn't inherited his family's money, he'd be poor because

he's week and incompetent. And it shows. The men who, like

yourself, are capable of making money now, are men who can act

in a strong style that almost seems to draw money like a magnet.

Language, and the way you speak, can say as much as the ideas

in your words. Equally important, however, is your body

language, that is the way you stand, walk, move and sit and

the gestures you make.

Be the man who's in demand

Power isn't just you being able to call someone and tell him

what to do; it's also other men calling you and asking for your

business or wanting to associate with you. If you're a man who

seems to possess a wide knowledge of the world, an awareness of

trends, if you're the early-bird who catches sight of

opportunities first, if you're the man who's capable of

handling many different kinds of situations, then people will

seek you out. They'll invite you to vacation at their country

homes, to meet their influential associates, to join their social

clubs and their business syndicates. And when they do, all of

these will enhance your image of power, and widen your power base

so you can zoom ahead even more.

When the fight for power gets harder

Everything we've said so far will be useful in just about every

situation; but when the struggle for power gets more intense,

some other methods are needed. When the person(s) you're

talking to has been open-minded and your powers of persuasion

have been working from the moment you first stated talking, the

usual techniques can be used. But what if you're dealing with

someone whose mind is closed to your ideas and influence

from the start, or who feels he is in direct competition with

you? Then things must be handled somewhat differently.

Most important, be in control of the situation at all times.

If you feel your control is slipping, do something to regain

it. You could do something vividly dramatic and totally

bewildering to the other person, like suddenly shouting or

pounding on your desk. Or you could press a secret buzzer

to have someone rush in and interrupt when the other side is

coming on too strong.

Never ever get into a power struggle when you're at any kind

of a disadvantage; if you're tired or if the discussion turns

to a subject in which the other guy is an expert. Always

focus your own mental energy and project your thoughts into

his mind. Look him in the eyes, try to gain his confidence.

Always have a picture in your mind of a victory over this

person bigger than the victory you need to achieve your aims.

And whatever you do don't lose; that is, if you realize that

you can't beat him, then leave. It's better not to have a

victory than to have a defeat.

Say Whatever does the Trick

Making a lot of money is largely a process of convincing

people, of selling yourself, your service, your product. And

the trick is to tell them what they want to hear. The problem

is to find out what they want to hear. So you'll start out by

giving them basic information about what you're selling. You

then continue with your sales approach, always watching their

reactions carefully. When you see their eyes light up and they

then lean forward with interest, then continue on the topic that

aroused that interest, no matter how odd it may seem to you.

And do the opposite when you reach any of the usual parts of

your presentation, if the prospect shows less than the normal

amount of interest; that is, shorten that part and go on to

the next.

From start to finish

You start out by telling them what the product or service is or

does. The kinds of benefits people get from using it and some

examples of ways, both usual and unusual, that other folks have

used it. It often helps to mention that "Mr. Anderson, you know,

the big shot, just bought two of them for his own use," or that

"the XYZ Corporation recently bought seven of them for their

executives." Or if you're selling a more heavy duty item, that

"Smith's Construction Company has been using them for years."

If it's almost a custom made item tell them they're one of the

select few who will even get a chance to buy it. If you have an

opportunity to talk to his wife or a friend of his, plan along

with that other person and have them unknowingly hinting to the

customer that "it certainly sounds like a good deal." If his

kids are with him, get them to needle him into buying it. Use

any method that works.

Suppose the guy seems convinced buy he can't seem to make up his

mind to actually hand over the money or sign the contract to make

the purchase. Sometimes it helps to imply that he really can't

afford it. He might buy it just to show you he isn't poor or a

cheapskate. Another great strategy that sometimes works in

desperation to close a sale is to make him feel guilty if he

doesn't buy. Imply that he deliberately wasted your time and

energy, that he's rotten and thoughtless, that he just wanted to

make a phony impression on his wife or girl friend or anyone who

is there with him. You might want to say all this very loudly,

almost yelling, so that a crowd gathers and you shame him into

buying. Or you can try another method to clinch the sale, offer

him a "special bonus." Say you'll give him a longer time to pay,

or a contract for "free" servicing or that you'll add on a bonus

of another item "free". Actually he may have been entitled to

this "extra" all along, but if you haven't yet mentioned it, then

now's the time. Try to keep one or two things in reserve as your

last pieces of ammunition.

To sum it up

Prepare in advance so you know the other man's point of view; if

you're able to benefit him, he'll practically jump at the chance

to let you make money off him. Tell him what he wants to hear.

And above all, keep eyes and ears open for any information, clues

or tip-offs, favorable or unfavorable, that will give you the

power to persuade him.

In the power battle called life, victory will go to those who find

the right weapons and use them. So keep your weapons handy; get a

head start and don't lose it. Be alert for clues you can use to

your advantage. Present yourself with confidence; broadcast your

will power, speak and move with assurance, and, to make sure they

get the message, have the clothes car, office and the other outer

appearances of power and money. People tend to believe what they

see, and if you look like you've got it made, then you will have

it made.

culled

The Power Of One

Both the living and the dead jumped for joy when the results of the just concluded election in the United States Of America which Senator Barak Hussein Obama won by a convincing majority was announced. Notable among the dead celebrating at this moment is Rev. (Dr) Martin Luther King Jnr. This is because his dream has just happened in the real sense of the word. Before now, racial discrimination was abolished only in the physical sense and black people of America still had to battle the psychological aspect of the disease. As such, Sen. Obama automatically becomes the black man with the greatest achievement in the whole world (emancipation of the black man via his election as the first black man in Whitehouse). He has become a symbol of different things to different people among which are freedom, emancipation, change, dream, achievement to mention a few. For me, the life of this remarkable human being clearly shows the POWER OF ONE.

The number one is a highly powerful agent of change yet it is the most misunderstood of all numbers due to its seeming insignificance. This misunderstanding is solely responsible for majority of under achievements in the world today. At 99 degrees Celsius, water is hot but at 100 degrees, water boils. With boiling water comes steam that can be used to power engines, generate electricity, cook and other things useful to the life of civilization we live as humankind. ONE MAN brought salvation to the world, the light bulb came into existence through “ONE MAN” the computer became a household utility through “ONE MAN” and the list is endless. Most importantly, one man radically transformed the perception and quality of a whole continent. Am sure his political opponent did not hand over the key to “WHITE HOUSE” to him on a platter of gold considering the fact that he comes from an ethnicity who percentage in America is precisely 14%. He literarily went to hell and back to win this election. We are celebrating him today because he chose to wither the storm instead of backing out due to either anticipated problems or actual problems.

Back home I think we can learn a few things from the life and political career of this remarkable man. Rather than looking at the unpleasant condition of things and throwing in the towel, expecting a magic wand to reform things, he has shown us practically that it is better to stay in and fight. This is because if everybody expects a magic wand to change things, the status quo would remain no matter the amount of vision 2020 we sing. They say that once upon a time there was a job but somebody thought everybody would do it and everybody felt it was nobody’s responsibility and in the end, it was not done.

In every aspect of human endeavour, Nigeria requires selfless people like Sen. Obama who would be willing to put in what it takes to achieve success knowing that help would come only when we one makes positive impact. People who would keep pressing on even though it seems help is not forth coming. Mega achievers that would shun the back door and respect due process where it is beneficial to the growth and development of our dear fatherland. However, the road may be rough but this people are those who would not mind a few bruises as long as the long-term goal is achieved. Without them, numerous traveling and international relations strategies would be a waste of precious time and resources. In return, they would achieve fulfillment in every area and go on to leave lasting legacies for their families and fellow country. In conclusion, I want to state that every Nigerian is left with two choices; take the path leading to achievement and attain the level of success like Sen. Obama or stay in one position waiting for something to happen from the blues that would lead nowhere. You can change your world if only you would make it a personal challenge. HOWEVER, WILL YOU.