How to leave your footprints on the sand of time!!!

According to research, the common regret most people have on their death bed is that they wish they had lived their own life and not the life expected of them by other people. Someone put it this way, “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”



Most people who fail to achieve their dreams suddenly come to realize the grave implications of their past decisions on their death beds. I have often emphasized the fact that we are the creators of our own destiny; God created us but expects us to create our own destinies with our own hands.



What I am sharing with you today is simple and straightforward – it is how to avoid regrets on your death bed. Here are key pointers that will leave you fulfilled when ready to depart this world…



Determine your end from the beginning

To start with, the ability to see your end from the beginning is the best guarantee of what you would look like on your deathbed. The time to determine the kind of footprint you want to leave on the sand of time is now; where you want to be, the lives you want to touch, the dreams you want to achieve and the kind of testimonies that you would love people to share about your life on your deathbed. If you are wise, you will get a note, or even your email, BB, Ipad or any other storage device and write out not less than ten remarks you want people to make about you; that is the starting point!



Plan daily with purpose in mind

A lot of us are very busy yet we are not fulfilling our ultimate dreams and visions. Somebody said, “Activity does not equal to accomplishment”. You can be very busy, yet wasting away your time in life! You need to ask yourself what you want your future to look like; your dreams and aspirations, your purpose and everything that has to do with your destiny. Quote me anywhere, “Men who make the greatest impact in your life are the ones who have dedicated not less than sixty percent of their time daily to their core cause”. To make the greatest impact in life, you need to dedicate not less than sixty percent of your time to doing things related to your area of impact, on a daily basis. It’s only unrealistic to dream of becoming the greatest footballer while exhausting sixty percent of your time playing table tennis. When I see your ‘To Do’ list today I should be able to determine where you will end up in future.



Live everyday as if it were your last

The best way to live is with death in view. When you live assuming that today might be your last, you will get off your butt and get things done. People have regrets about their lives on their deathbeds because they remember the things they ought to have done that they failed to do. You cannot afford to allow this happen to you – I won’t even let it happen to you as long as you keep reading #MondayInspiration on olatunjispeaks.com every Monday. Work on everything you have to do today as if today were your last day on earth, but ensure those things that you have to do are direct reflections of the future you want for yourself.



Let me know your own views and thoughts in the comment section and don’t hold this with your self – SHARE IT!



Gabriel Olatunji Legend is an entrepreneur and a solution strategist. I am open to further discussions on my twitter handle @OLATUNJISPEAKS |

How I fell in love with my best friend's ex-girlfriend

Gabriel Olatunji Legend



Hehehehe! Yes of course, I know you’ll find this very funny and you might want to predict things considering the fact that I wrote a tribute to my best friend yesterday on this blog. You can read that HERE if you missed it.



Don’t get it twisted, there are often some elements of fiction in every story – so the story doesn’t necessarily have to be real to you (for private reasons *winks*), but do enjoy reading anyways!

I was having a good time at home on this fateful day, thinking and strategizing for the next level when my phone started ringing. It was my best friend calling. “How you dey?” I inquired. And we went on ‘insulting’ each other over the phone, trying to prove some age superiority between ourselves. If you have a best friend you will understand that kind of conversation. At the end of the phone talk he asked me to come over to his place and I enquired, for what? He wasn’t going to let the cat out of the bag but that he insisted he was expecting me.



I stormed out of my room believing there was a big business idea this guy wanted to share with me again, as this has become our custom. We always find ourselves share several explosive ideas even though we mostly ended up implemented few of them, but they were well worth it as it gave us impetus to dream and dare more. If you don’t have a friend like that with whom you can share your dreams and be free, then you need to reconsider your friend circle. Your friends should inspire you and help you to dream. This was how our friendship had grown over time and, this time, I was also thinking this was another unplanned brainstorming session; like always I was ready.



On getting to his place, I wasn’t sure whether or not I knocked, the only thing I remember was that I saw an entirely different thing from my expectations; I saw my friend’s girlfriend. I couldn’t believe this! When did this happen? How did it happen? How come I never knew this young man had a girlfriend all the while? These were the questions that scanned through my mind as I was being introduced to the pretty lady. She looked innocent, young, pretty and friendly; it was obvious she was in love with my friend as she jealously defended him every step of the way, most especially every time I sought her permission to deal with the guy. That was understandable, they just started dating, they were in love; she had met one of the best men any woman could have. He wasn’t only eligible; he was handsome, intelligent, honest, ambitious and spiritual. I should mention that, at that time, he was also working with a leading media outfit and was earning good money.



On the other hand, she was young, full of dreams, and had just gained admission into the higher institution at the time but you wouldn’t see it on her mature looks. She models and does ushering jobs for agencies on the Island and across Lagos.



On that day, I was the weird and unserious guy I’m always known to be when around my core friends. When I’m seen outside, people usually think I’m the very serious type who wouldn’t say or do some certain things, but on the flip side, I play like anything, I say the kind of jokes you wouldn’t believe and I support the movement whenever someone is being put on the spot! But I only do all these things when I’m with my core personal persons.



I was in same playful mode when I was introduced to Ruth on that day. I didn’t even form anything at all, I was all jovial and this gave her a certain impression of me, which I didn’t care about either! She was a fine girl but I was never interested in her, I just wasn’t interested but I never made that obvious. I was always her friend whenever she was around my friend, and as soon as she’s off the friendship was suspended till we see again. I am not the type of friend that likes to be too ‘munchy munchy’ with my friends’ babes for obvious reasons (I leave that up to you lol), but when I see the babe and her boyfriend is there you won’t even know she’s not my girlfriend, as I would personalize her in every way I can and this was my relationship with her.



Months went by and I really can’t ascertain exactly how long the relationship lasted, but I think its either less than a year or a little over a year. My friend and this lady called it quit amicably (according to them lol). Anyway, I thought this was the end of my relationship with Ruth as the primary reason she was my friend in the first place was as a result of her relationship my friend, and who am I not to respect his wishes. After the painful breakup, we did not talk for months and I still didn’t care! I can’t remember how she got on my BB exactly but she was there and we still never had a BB conversation; what a brat I am (For everyone I have been rude to in this same manner, kindly forgive me).



To shorten the long story, I ran into her in my church one Sunday morning and she was looking extravagantly-dapper; her looks literarily swept me off my feet. If I had any doubt as to how pretty she was before, that day laid the doubt to rest. Chai! She was looking sweet that morning but as you may know, I am not moved by fine girls, only fine brains move me. I love a woman who can communicate intelligently and engage you in conversations intellectually. I love an audacious and ambitious woman who can leave you spellbound with her frame of thought, and ultimately a woman with an insatiable desire for God.



Ruth greeted me in a very special way as it’s been ages since we last saw. We left and I thought that was it until a conversation ensued between us on BBM later that day or the following week. She told me how far she has come, what she’s been upto, the defining moments in her life and how she decided to attach a solution to her name when it is being mentioned. She gave me examples of people who inspire her new purposeful living, and I was privileged to be one of the names she mentioned. It was as if she was sitting right in my front, the dreams she shared were unbelievable not because they were too big but because I never expected it from her (I had a totally different mindset about her). Would you blame her? Blame me! I never even gave her a chance either.



I knew right there and then that I wanted to know this woman, I had known her by name and face but I did not have a clue about what she had in her heart. Suddenly, I doubted my beliefs of her and for the first time since she broke up with my friend I asked, “Why the heck did he break up with her?”



I can’t go on again, it is getting too long. Watchout for Part 2! If you enjoy it PLEASE help me share with as many people as you can (Broadcast it, share it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, Google+, and others)



Lessons: You don’t really know people until you spend time with them.
You are not the only one who has a dream, the fact that people haven't
shared theirs with you doesn't mean you are better. Always give people
a chance, tomorrow may be too late. Because your friend broke up with
him or her don’t mean you should break up your friendship too – life
is too short. Make the most impact you can make in people’s lives
because you never know which one will count.

(Don’t forget to comment, what are the morals in the story? Also share with your friends)



Gabriel Olatunji Legend is an entrepreneur and a solution strategist. I am open to further discussions on my twitter handle @OLATUNJISPEAKS |

Isaac Oladipupo Unveiled!!! Who is he? Tribute on his Birthday!

N.B: This write-up is not edited for the purpose of friendship! No forming, just from the heart.

It was a bright day and we were all playing pranks on each other, we gather at the field in the evening to play football; I wasn’t a good dribbler but I can vouch for my abilities to stop any dribbler before he gets to the defense. So that left me with doing all the dirty work on the pitch; I loved to defend and I believe I still love it although I haven’t played football in a while. Isaac was one of the dribblers, he has a long leg and leg-over was the only major skill I believe he has. As a good defender all I had to do was stop the legs from going 360 degree, then pass the ball to someone else or play a shot; this was how I stopped Isaac on the pitch. It would be a lie if I deny that sometimes he gets the better of me on the pitch but that is one out of five – I was always looking forward to stopping him.

We weren’t friends! We just lived on the same street and I never liked him. He was arrogant and rude; he believed as a result of his ‘longness’ (height) he could beat up any of his contemporaries and I saw him do this over and over again to one or two boys in the street. Each time I see this or am told I get furious and this birthed a dream in my heart; infact it wasn’t just a dream, it was a prayer. You know how Jabez prayed fervently in the bible, how he shouted ‘’Oh Lord, please enlarge my coast…”, that was how desperate I was with this dream and prayer that I had but mine wasn’t that God should enlarge Isaac’s coast but that God should provide a platform where we would have to fight so that I can teach him a lesson of his life with my fist. That prayer went on for many months but the opportunity never came. I guess God knew my fist would do a lot of damage to his face and tooth that it would take a miracle to fix. How childish could I be? I only wanted to fight him because I saw him beat up some other boys – God had something different in stock for us. Did I mention we were only ten years old or fifteen years old at this time?

As fate would have it we ended up in the same secondary school but different classes in our senior secondary school days but I don’t remember sharing a friendly smile with him because of my initial resentment for him.

Because this is a very long story I will fast forward it and speak about this middle part some other time if need be.

We found ourselves on the same team in church long after secondary school and we always argued during meetings but at that time I had grown up, was more matured in my judgment of people and was willing to give him a chance. Ofcourse, he was a grown up man too, he no longer needed to use his fist when issues happened; he used his words. Before I decided to give him a chance I remember the day we were at a meeting together and when it was time to leave we had to leave together (just the two of us), I will never forget that day; we walked home for about an hour or more and we never uttered a word to each other on the way, I mean not a word. The day after our other friend who happens to be my closest friend at the time came over to my place and told me Isaac said we didn’t utter a word to each other throughout our journey yesterday. I knew this had to stop, I cannot continue to judge a man by his ways as a child and am I a saint myself?

I think that moment defined the beginning stage of our friendship; all of my anger dissolved in that period. I wanted to know him, I wanted to talk to him, and I wanted to be his friend. It so happened that opportunities kept bringing us together. He became my best friend! How?

Today is Isaac’s birthday and I am amazed at how astronomical he has grown from that little boy who swings his legs on the ball and calls it a leg-over, at how I haven’t seen him used his fist in over a decade and how I hear his intelligence and I say to myself, “what a friend I could have missed had I not given him a chance.”

Traits that won me over

• He doesn’t sit down! He is always on to something and this has kept me on my toes. He is the type of friend that challenges you to bring out the best in yourself without necessarily saying a word.


• He saves, I spend! Am trying to save now and that’s one of the things I learnt from Isaac; I can give the world my last cash but Isaac knows how to save his last cash so that the world doesn’t have to give him when he goes broke.


• Dependable; he has consistently read my #MondayInspiration write-up before any other person and his contributions to them are enormous. That is just an example!


• He craves for God; I don’t want a perfect friend, I want a friend who’s ready to make mistakes but at the end of each mistake he goes back to God and amend his ways.


• Did I mention that he can be very stingy? Yes, I know he would like this but I just thought I should say it. However, I found out that its one of the things that endears me to him; he knows how to manage resources and that is a scarce manager’s abilities.


• He’s Choleric and I am choleric but on a different dimension; he knows how to get the job done.


• A very large heart; you know how a man knows how to use relationships to help people with their problems? That’s what am talking about! You might go on trying to help people yourself but he knows how to link people to the right quarters for help and if its what he cannot do he gives up, hoping that you will understand.

Too many things to say but time isn’t a friend. All I want to say to Isaac Oluwaseyi Oladipupo (Pislok) is that I have never regretted this friendship from that day. You are the type of friend I can confidently call MY CLOSEST FRIEND after the Holyspirit o, lol! Apologies to my other friends!

The above truth is my gift to you!

Let’s hook up with Isaac on Sunday afternoon by 4pm as we celebrate with him on the same street we grew up; if you know the street, hook up with us. Lots of music, dance, food, and inspiration!



I am Gabriel Olatunji Legend and Isaac Oladipupo is my closest friend (some people call it ‘Best Friend’)!!! I tweet from @OLATUNJISPEAKS

How to plan for success - Sam Adeyemi #TuesdaySuccessPower

Success is the achievement of specific goals and planning is a fundamental key to our success. Therefore, where there is no goal, there cannot be success. The lack of goals is responsible for most of the frustration, confusion and boredom in the world today.

People with goals and plans succeed in life, while people without them fail. People without goals restlessly wander through life looking for what they cannot explain. They are frustrated, confused and filled with anxiety. Unfortunately, they do not understand why Robert Schuller, author and pastor once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Can you imagine yourself constructing a house without a plan? That would not be a house, it will be a coffin. Our lives are like buildings. We must have a blueprint if we will construct a thing of beauty.

Numerous studies have shown that only 3 per cent of all the people who have goals and plans write them down. Another 10 per cent have goals and plans but keep them in their heads. The remaining 87 per cent drift through life without a definite direction.

Now, it has also been discovered that the 3 per cent who have goals and plans written down accomplish between fifty to one hundred times more during their life time than the 10 per cent who have goals and just keep them in their heads. So decide today to be part of the people who plan to succeed.

Do not make small plans. When you expect God to help you, you must make the kind of plans that really require God’s help. Make plans that cause your blood to flow in your veins, plans that excite you. Ted Engstrom, an author once said; “If you aim at a star, you will hit an eagle. But if you aim at an eagle you will hit a stone.”

However, do not let your plans be so big that they overwhelm and confuse you. Let your plans have specific deadlines.

Now, read and pray over your goals every day. Establish a step by step plan for achieving them. Then make a move and God will move on your behalf.

Remember, you cannot succeed without planning to succeed!

Get a copy of my FREE EBOOK where I chronicled the 7 COSTLY MISTAKE I MADE ON MY JOURNEY TO SUCCESS. It is at the right hand side of this page. If you really want to succeed, YOU MUST AVOID THESE 7 COSTLY MISTAKES!

You will Succeed!

Sam Adeyemi is one of Nigeria’s most influential pastors and success coach. He tweets from @sam_adeyemi

Article Source: Success Power Blog

Create your own VIP status #MondayInspiration

Gabriel Olatunji Legend



So here in my office is seated the beautiful woman I was telling you guys about last week. Don’t get it twisted, she’s only a friend now; she’s seriously engaged to be married by another man, *awww* but very happy for her.

I remember promising to tell you guys about how I fell in love with my best friend’s ex-girlfriend but am too tired to type write now; I will find time to write and publish by Wednesday or even before then.

I just want to encourage you with a word I shared with those who attended Young VIPs Congress yesterday at Iloye community. “Your name will never be remembered until it means a solution to someone’s problem.” Many people are begging for significance when they can actually create the status of their lives. You can do a quick assessment of your life and status, where you are now is the status you have created for yourself and where you will end up will be as a result of the status you create for yourself.

If I mention Don Jazzy what comes to your mind? Music production!

If I mention TM Lewin what comes to your mind? Shirt making!

If I mention Sam Adeyemi what comes to your mind? Success or Daystar!

If I mention Aliko Dangote what comes to your mind? Entrepreneurship!

If I mention Alibaba what comes to your mind? Comedy!

If I mention Linda Ikeji what comes to your mind? Blogging!

Do you know why you remember their names? Because they have ensured their name or brand is a solution to the problems of people. Sam Adeyemi is solving poverty problem, Linda Ikeji is solving information problem, Alibaba is solving ‘sadness’ problem, TM Lewin is solving ‘naked’ problem, Don Jazzy is solving boredom problem. If I mention your own name what comes to people’s mind? You must deliberately create your own status in life by identifying a problem you want to solve for people, develop the required skills to solve it and START OUT to solving those problems with the members of your family, street, community, local government, state, country, continent and even the world.

You can be a VIP (Very Important Person) in life if you have a VIP (Very Important Purpose).

N.B: This write-up is an excerpt from one of my books titled, VIP: Very Important Purpose. You can book for your own copy in advance.



Gabriel Olatunji Legend is an entrepreneur and a solution strategist. I am open to further discussions on my twitter handle @OLATUNJISPEAKS

PART 2: How I Fell In Love With Another Man’s Fiancée

Gabriel Olatunji Legend

“I really enjoyed this, where is Part 2?” That was one of the numerous reactions and responses gotten from the last #MondayInspiration titled “How I Fell In Love With Another Man’s Fiancée”. So, just as you’ve all asked, what happened next? Read Part 1 here if you missed it - ow.ly/nUWkE 

I vividly recall gisting with a friend of mine (Olatoye of Trail Resource company – they help buy, package and deliver gifts to loved ones) by the road side on a Sunday morning. Do I confess I was actually engaging in a free love consulting for Toye; helping him nab a beautiful girl he has been eyeing since ‘forever,’ without the guts to make a move. I preached all the sermon in the world to convince this guy to write a short note, packaged with a gift, to this beautiful girl, since that is what he does for a living.



Thankfully he eventually did, and we were by the roadside gisting on the outcome of our plan when I suddenly saw this dashing, gorgeous, slim, sleek, not dark, not fair but highly enchanting young woman walking towards us. She had on a sunshade like the type Odunayo (my friend) wore to the Leadership conference I invited her for; to say she was absolutely pretty would be an understatement! At first I didn’t know who it was due to the sunshade but as she moved closer and removed the shades, lo and behold it was the same woman my eyes followed everywhere five years ago at the leadership training. I didn’t waste time in telling her how gorgeous she looked. She blushed moderately and moved on; leaving me aww-struck!



Yes, she moved on! What were you expecting? That I ask for her number or BB pin? I wasn’t planning it neither did I expect it. It just happened but there is something I can tell you about that day. It is that I fell in love with her right there and then. Maybe its not love but I felt something extra-ordinary and unusual. Some people say it is spiritual but all I know is she struck me like ‘this is my wife,’ and such has never happened to me like this before. Those who are familiar with me are aware of the fact that I am not moved by beautiful women, only beautiful minds move me. I usually fall in love with people depending on the quality of my first or second conversation with them, but in this case I already feel something deeper than normal when I had not even had a proper conversation with her. What is this, how do I define it? What do I do to this strong feeling? I knew I badly need to have a conversation with this woman. I need to know who she is; who she intends to be and most importantly I need to know her relationship status.



Now, I also need you to know that the lady I’m talking about happens to be one of the members of my densely populated 20,000 worshipper church, so you can agree we wouldn’t get to see every Sunday. She also happens to be a choir member of the same church, and the membership of my church choir alone is as good as the entire church membership of another church (I mean they are large and trying to see one of them every week is an herculean task that only the fittest can survive). Fortunately, I’ve got one or two other friends in the choir and that marked the genesis of my search for this woman who has won my heart in the space of days. I put a call through to a lady I know in the choir but she didn’t have a clue, so I spoke with another guy in the same choir he confirms he knows her! Immediately, I arranged for a meeting with him and asked him about her. I asked if she was dating and what kind of person she is. Let me quote him, “She’s single! If you are really serious you can have her”. Wow!

Having heard such affirming statement, I couldn’t sleep as I practically thought about her all through the week. I didn’t only think about her, I also fasted and prayed not because I was desperately in need of a woman but because I am not ready for another ‘play play’ relationship. My disposition was if it won’t end up in marriage let me not have it.



The following week I was in church with a serious mission to find her and possibly get her number (don’t forget I’m the shy type who wouldn’t request the number of an ‘unfamiliar’ face). I scanned through my church auditorium with my leg and my eyes, placed one or two guys at a strategic location in case they sight her, while I sat by the main gate of my church through which everyone exits the church. And guess what?! After a while, she comes out sizzling in a short and simple blue gown, chatting with friends. She later left them to chat with some others till she got outside the gate.



At this point, I had no idea how best to approach her. I looked the other way like she wasn’t the one I had been waiting for. What a foolish thing to do? But do not blame me because this is something I have never done before in my entire life – I have never even met a girl in the bus or at events and be the first to talk to her before. I walked out of church and saw her at the ATM stand by the church but still couldn’t walk up to her because she was with friends. If shyness was a being, I would have shot it that day. I walked past the ATM and stood afar to ascertain her movement. Another female friend asked me to walk her to the other side of the road and I agreed with the hope of running into this lady who has since left the ATM. On my way back with my friend a miracle happened, she was walking towards us alone and I crossed to the other side where she was with the help of my friend who crossed ahead of me. And voila, I met her and innocently inquired what she was still doing around since service was over. Obviously, she needed to use the ATM but the machines were not dispensing. She was to check the next ATM and I asked if I could get her number should in case the next ATM did not work, I may be of financial help to her so she won’t be stranded. She agreed and that was how I conquered the first hurdle of getting her phone number.

(Watch out for the final part)



Gabriel Olatunji Legend is an entrepreneur and a solution strategist. I am open to further discussions on my twitter handle @OLATUNJISPEAKS

How best to see and attract money - Sam Adeyemi #TuesdaySuccessPower

Many years ago, when I was still a young boy, I used to think that prosperity was only for a certain class of people. Those who drive big cars and live in big houses and from the look of things then, we did not quite fit into that category.

We did not have a big car or live in a big house and the reality of that was only too obvious. Back then, all I knew was what I saw. I saw lack and I thought lack.

But as I began to grow inside and out, as I began to read books and listen to rich and successful people, I realised that I had a wrong view of money.

Before you see money with your eyes, you must see it with your mind. Rich people see money with their minds but poor people see lack. What can you see?

MONEY IS EVERYWHERE

It is our destiny to be successful and prosperous. But a lot of people have come to believe a lie. A lot of people now believe that “money is the root of all evil” whereas it
is actually “The love of money that is the root of all evil.” You might be thinking, “What is the difference between the two?” I will explain.

Money is a need. You need money to feed, to cloth, to travel from one place to the other, either with your car or by public transport. You need money for quite a number of things and that is normal. You need money to even be of help to others.

Now, the love of money has to do with greed, selfishness, self centeredness, and so on. People that have these traits will never be satisfied with what they have and they would even desire what belongs to other people. It is a very dangerous thing to love money.
Whoever loves money is a slave to it already. If you love money, you cannot love God.

If you want to make money, you must first look inside you then around you. What do you see inside yourself? Do you see the desire to survive at all cost? Do you see the
desire to make money so that you will have all the materials things in this world? Or do you see the desire to make life better for those around you?
The desire to help those who are in need?

Some people may say, “You first need to make life better for yourself before you can do for others.” This statement is true, but some people get carried away after they must
have gotten to a comfortable status. They think that is where life ends; they think that is all that there is to success or making money. Not knowing that money is actually a
reward for righteousness.

What do you see around you? What you see as a problem in your house, street, place of work or life in general is an avenue to make money. Opportunities to make money may not come in beautiful apparels but you can make them into one. Look for a
solution to that problem and you will be rewarded with a beautiful apparel.

What you see inside you, will determine how you make money and why you make money. If you do not see the right thing inside you, you will end up doing the wrong
thing outside.

Sam Adeyemi is one of Nigeria’s most influential pastors and success coach. He tweets from @sam_adeyemi

Article Source: Success Power Blog

How I Fell In Love With Another Man’s Fiancée #MondayInspiration

Gabriel Olatunji Legend



(Apologies for publishing #MondayInspiration late today)

It all started some five years ago when I attended some weeks of intensive business and leadership training (name purposefully withheld). As much as the training was very powerful, engaging and highly eye opening, my eyes were more opened to one beautiful young woman who also happened to be a participant. My eyes scanned for her every time I entered the class; they followed her every step in and outside class. At a particular point during the training, I was seriously hoping she would be in the same group with me, and probably that would facilitate and fast-track some bonding but I hoped wrong. The days and the weeks went by and the training was rounding off, but because I am the shy type (only towards new people) I couldn’t summon the courage to walk up to her.



As fate would have it, we eventually we got to speak, but just as classmates. As time went by, I also had the privilege of having her number. But what did I do with it? Absolutely nothing! How dumb can I be? I can hear you say that. Well, I wanted to call her everyday and make some dramatic moves but unfortunately we were from two different worlds, two different class and two different levels, if you understand what I mean.



She was and still is a walking beauty, possessing more than one skill, trained economist and a graduate of one of Nigeria’s prestigious institutions; did I add that she was also born in England. She is the true definition of beauty for a man who recognizes true beauty.

She was already a graduate going to serve when I met her years ago. She was successful in all sense of it and, physically speaking, I wasn’t yet in her class. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in myself or that she intimidated me (maybe I was a little intimidated) but my situation was far from the kind of man I thought she could ever consider.



At that time, I was still searching desperately for success myself. Because of my strong desire to become something, I would read every motivational book my hands could grab. Then, I also enrolled as an apprentice in a printing shop, and eventually left to enrol in an Ad and printing agency. I wasn’t a staff but an apprentice entitled to only N8 000 stipends monthly though and here I was loving up a woman who already has everything going for her – I forgot to mention that I only had an SSCE at that time.



Fate happened! I lost her number (I never called the number even when I had it), I only bumped into her a couple of times and I still never said anything. A year or two after that I fell in love with another lady. She was the love of my life and I wanted it to end in marriage because I had always resolved to marry the first woman I ever date.  Apparently, I didn’t know what tomorrow holds as we broke up one year after, though she still remains my very good friend and number one fan till date, and just a call or meeting can trigger the whole emotion all over again (she is the kind of woman no man should let go of, but that is a story for another Monday).



Back to my story, its about five years now after this love encounter and, to God’s glory, I am a better man than I was years ago. I run a thriving business as some of you may know with staffs on my monthly pay-roll, I get invitations to speak at different engagements, written three to four unpublished books, being a publicist to top Nollywood actor, singer and also a top comedian, helped small businesses and upcoming artistes to create strategies for growth and branding. Apologies if I have started to sound ‘prideful’, Lol! I just wish I was all these several years ago when I first met her, at least to have some proof to boost my confidence.

To cut the long story short, on June 2^ND to be precise, I ran into this gorgeous lady again, and guess what happened?!  She literally swept me off my feet and you won’t believe what happened next…..



(Watch Out for Part2)

N.B: I’ll share with you on ‘how I fell in love with my best-friend ex-girlfriend’ next week and the following week I will share with you on “How I don’t know if to call Odunayo my first love” - (They will blow your mind)

(Please feel free to share what you think the lessons are in this story;I'll share mine in the Part 2)



Gabriel Olatunji Legend is an entrepreneur and a solution strategist. I am open to further discussions on my twitter handle @OLATUNJISPEAKS

opesays: Why bad things happen to good people

Opemipo Adebanjo



Thank God it’s Monday. Hope you had a lovely weekend ? Today’s topic is a question that has plagued me my entire life. I have tried so hard to reason it out, and make some sense out of it. Then , some weeks back, someone finally posed this question to me. That person is someone who has refused to practice any religion, and sees all religion as a sham, to deceive innocent people. He however told me that he firmly believed in God. When he asked me why God let bad things happen to good people, I was almost speechless and couldn’t come up with any coherent answer.

I mulled over the topic for days and was still not satisfied with the answers I came up with. It just didn’t make any sense. If almost all religions claimed that God is Good , why the does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why do the innocent suffer? Why do babies go through bad things? Why is there so much evil in the world? Now I haven’t come here to bamboozle you with cold hard facts or spew religious stuff in your face, but I tried to make some sense out of it, and here’s what I came up with;

To start off, I’m not going to place death in the category of bad things. Why? Because death is one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever experience. You’ll no longer fear death, only if you have come to that place , where you realize that life is for fulfilling purpose, doing your part and moving on. It’s a place where you no longer fear death because you have an understanding of what happens after it. It a place where you realize that the cause of death doesn’t matter ,only how well you lived. So I can boldly say , that I am at peace with death because I have come to that place.

But what happens if you’re not the one that dies, but you’re the one who lost a loved on? Yes, that’s a bad thing. The raw pain, the grief, the anger and fear…are almost unbearable. What happens when a girl is raped? What happens when an honest person is duped? What happens when a little baby is molested? These are all good people whom bad things happen to. Why does God allow this to happen? Why does He permit so much evil?  The truth is, God initially created the world to be blissful, free from sin and evil. What went wrong? Sin.  Now, God established the universe based on laws…the law of gravity, the law of sowing and reaping ,  the law of attraction and the law of sin and suffering. That’s the law at play here. It states; for every sin, there is an opposite consequence/ suffering…even when you have asked for forgiveness. Then I can hear you ask, “Well how does that law apply to babies, since they have not sinned?” .The answer to that is, “In sin did my mother conceive me”-Bible . So even babies carry that nature of sin. God respects laws, when it comes to laws, ‘His hands are tied.’

Another reason why bad things happen to good people is free will. God given man the free will to act, think and do as he pleases. So the people who perpetrate these evil acts do so of their own free will, God has no hand in this. Sometimes  , we want to justify the bad things that happen us by saying there’s a reason; truth is, sometimes, there is just no reason. We just happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time or simply met the wrong people. Human beings are creatures of circumstance, just like King Solomon said  ,”The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor riches to the men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all”

Finally, there is something called the law of attraction. It states, “Whatever you think about or fear consistently, will eventually become your reality. Sometimes we think about a million things that could go wrong in our lives, what we don’t understand is that we are drawing these things to us. How ? It has been scientifically proven that every thought has a magnetic frequency; so the more you think about something the more you magnetize it to you.

Those are all the answers I was able to come up with in my search. If you have profound answers of your own, kindly let me know. Have a wonderful day.

Peace

Opemipo Adebanjo

@opesays on Twitter

#StoriesThatInspireSeries; A 61 years old man did it; what excuse doyou have?

The year was 1983. In Australia, the long-distance foot race from Sydney to Melbourne was about to begin, covering 875 kilometers—more than 500 miles! About 150 world-class athletes had entered, for what was planned as a six-day event. So race officials were startled when a 61-year-old man approached and handed them his entry form.

His name was Cliff Young, and his "racing attire" included overalls and galoshes over his work boots.

At first, they refused to let him enter. So he explained that he'd grown up on a 2,000-acre farm, with thousands of sheep. His family could afford neither horses nor tractors so, when the storms came, his job was to round up the sheep. Sometimes, he said, it would take two or three days of running.

Finally, they let Cliff enter, and the race began. The others quickly left him way behind, shuffling along in his galoshes. But he didn't know the plan included stopping each night to rest, so he kept going.

By the fifth day, he had caught them all, won the race, and became a national hero. He continued to compete in long-distance races until well up in his seventies. He was an inspiration to millions and a great encourager of younger runners.

In his honor and memory, in 2004, the year after his death at age 81, the organizers of the race where he first gained fame permanently changed its name to the Cliff Young Australian Six Day Race.

What was the key to Cliff Young's success? It goes by various names: determination, perseverance, persistence, tenacity. It means keeping one's eye fixed steadfastly on a goal, and not stopping, no matter the difficulties or the obstacles, until that goal is achieved.



Source: Simple Truths

Get A Partner, Form A Team and Forge Ahead!

Nkannebe Raymond



You have heard it said every now and again that two heads are always better than one. When two people are engaged in a journey, there is a great level of comfort reason being that in the event of any eventuality, there will be a cover. Even the Good Book vindicates this in Ecclesiastes chapter 4 v.9-10 when it says, “…..Two are better than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him….” Similarly in Islamic jurisprudence, the consensus of the Sahabas was/is also a source of the Islamic law. What point am I trying to draw here?  Without much ado, whenever two or more persons come together in furtherance of a common purpose the chances at its being fruitful is always high.



The truth is there are people like you out there who share your passion and your dreams but have not been able to harness them because they probably haven’t got the ‘fuel’ to fire up this dream. Unfortunately enough, many of them find themselves dying with this dream or outlive the age they should have fanned its embers and live with regrets for the rest of their lives. Many people out there especially among the youth population are most vulnerable to this social cum psychological malaise.



You don’t have to be like them. In fact you cannot be in their numbers. Look around your friends inwardly and see those who share your passion or those who have the potentials of doing that which you are good at. Locate them, engage them in a conversation, start as little as you can and watch yourselves grow every day. Make your group or team competitive and avoid unnecessary distractions which are bound to set in from time to time. Many successful people in the world today started as a group of few intellectual minds who were able to see beyond the horizon their peers couldn’t see and have today affected their world positively.



There is no corollary to this rule. It is easy but yet hard. And why won’t it be hard? Nothing is easy but everything becomes easy to those who never give up. Go out today. Get your partners, Form a team and then Forge ahead. It’s only a matter of time and little persistency, before things start falling in place.



Raymond tweets @yung_silky

INSPIRING: Meet the 10-year-old Nigerian girl who made Forbes magazinehistory

by Isi Esene



Zuriel Oduwole, a ten-year-old Nigerian girl Zuriel Oduwole has made history as the youngest person ever to be interviewed in Forbes, the global iconic magazine title.

The interview with the award-winning documentary film maker, conference speaker and writer is featured in the August 2013 edition of Forbes Africa.

Touted as the next Larry King and Oprah Winfrey, Oduwole is reportedly committed to showcasing the positive things about Africa, and making a case for Girl Child education on the continent.



As an award winning documentary film maker and writer, Zuriel has in her quest of pursuing her goal, interviewed leading African personalities, including eight current African Presidents, Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote and Tennis super stars – Venus and Serena Williams.

Zuriel believes if she can walk a mile, then there are girls who on seeing her work and progress made, would walk a mile and a half.

That, she believes is one simple way to inspire the African Girl Child, and show the world the need to educate the  continents often forgotten Girl Child, of which Zuriel is one.



Source: YNaija

#TuesdaySuccessPower with Sam Adeyemi: Who do you believe you are? This is critical to your success!!!

Some thirteen years ago, I was a jobless graduate, confused, frustrated and unsure of what to do to get a favourable outcome. Life for me had become a mirage and so uncertain – it will look as if it would work out but by the time I got there it would have disappeared. Then I had the opportunity to travel out of the country and I thought that was the best thing that could ever happen to me. That was the only option I could see for me to succeed; and when it fell out, I thought I was finished.

I can fully identify with the young person in this country now that just wants to checkout. I know a few who have tried to go through Algeria, Niger, and the deserts of Morocco and things have gone from bad to worse. I understand, because it was like that for me.

There is a basic foundation we must start from and that is the fact that; success is who you are. Success must begin from the inside out- that is how God designed it. But unfortunately most people are trying to achieve success from the outside in.

Since success comes from inside you, you need a change of nature to be successful. If you have the nature of God, you are a success because God is a success by nature. This is the foundation for your success.

It is very important to know who you really are, because what God has made you is one thing. What God is calling you is another thing. And what you are calling yourself is also a different subject. Who do you believe you are? Who do you claim to be? This is critical to your success. There can be a wide gap between what you are and what you think you are.

Who do you think you are? That is where we get self-image. Self-image is the picture you have about yourself. From self-image we have the word self-esteem, and this is how you feel about yourself.

From self-esteem we get self-worth which talks about value. What do you think you are worth? This is derived from the picture you have about yourself.

There is also self-respect. There are people who treat themselves with respect and there are others who treat themselves without respect, who treat themselves as common people, second/third class citizens because they do not believe they have any inherent value. Your self-image will directly or indirectly control your behavior. You will never attempt to get anything that you think that person inside is not qualified for.

You wrote an examination and failed, so you believe you have become a failure. That is a lie, because before the examiner was born, it has been designed into your destiny that you should be a success. Stop trying to define yourself by the things that have happened to you or by what you have. You are not what you have come through. You are not what people call you because when your destiny was planned they were not there. If you have the nature of God you are not a failure. You are who God says you are.

You will succeed

Sam Adeyemi is one of Nigeria’s most influential pastors and success coach. He tweets from @sam_adeyemi

Source: Success Power Media Blog

What do you do when imagination does not become reality

Tosin Kayode



Sitting down all by myself with so many things in my head but very few on my hands!
How I wish the world was only about imaginations (to imagine a thing and have it right in front of you)
Hmm, some people believe this is true but some know that it goes beyond that; transforming dreams and imaginations to reality is a combination and permutation of various factors. As I write this, I try to recall how many imaginations I have had and how many I have seen become realities. Truly, if wishes were horses, I'll be riding on a golden horse!
Discipline, clear focus, direction, finance and above all the God-factor are the right combination of elements for the desired transformation. As humans, we set goals; goals in various and different facets of life such as business, academics, social, physical (weight loss) and others. It is often very interesting at the inception to go with the new plan but as time passes, we get bored and want a change! Some don't even get to that stage; they get lazy after a short while and fall out of the plan.
Having said all these, what's my stand? Is the world really only about imaginations? No, I say! Imagination is only a first step on the climb to reality!

Great imaginations sprout great realities! It is not enough to wish and not do anything or do little!
Imaginations are supposed to increase our drive and discipline towards whatever purpose we set to achieve. They are to fuel our energy, modify and define our vision and also trigger us to win!
My dear, Life is not a bed of roses! Though so many people know this saying but actually put it aside and imagine smooth sailing to fulfillment every time! They end up disappointed and discouraged!

As much as it is good to have big dreams, it is better to build them putting into consideration these very important and almost unavoidable constraints mostly encountered in human decisions; Time, Resources (human and financial), Stability of Objective. Bearing this in mind help us prepare ahead of time in order for the task to be achieved! Sustainable plans can be made and challenges can be handled easily. This moves imagination to a higher level on the ladder to reality! The difference between human beings lie in their degree of understanding and application of the following concepts; Discipline, Consistency, Determination, Supernatural (God) and Vision!

We're all created and born the same way, though with varying circumstances and opportunities but with one brain and one heart! How we utilize these two organs stands us out! These two facilitate our imaginations and other basic decisions.
I choose Today to stand out by the use of my heart and brain!
I'll leave you to - Decide how you choose to stand out - Decide how you imagine!

opesays: Why this Generation Won't Change Nigeria

I am crossing the River Niger, with nothing to do but sleep again; the raging political discussion in the bus won’t let me. You see, I am one of the few believers in the school of thought that this generation will change Nigeria. Then it dawned on me (crossing the Niger), that this generation has the odds stacked against it, and I might just be holding on to straw in a raging ocean. Social Media has brought a new era. I see young people doing great things with it and my heart floods anew with hope. The petition for the Mob Justice Bill and the Save Citizen Relief for the victims of the flood (It turns out one of the states I just passed through is one of the affected ones (Anambra State).

I see young people, who are not rich, dip their hands into their pockets to give to someone whom they’ve never seen, in a place they’ve never been, who need their help. And all this happens on social media. Seeing these, who would not be hopeful? A dying man would hold on to anything that resembles hope, even if it is a pin. So do not blame me. In the midst of my euphoric hope, it has finally dawned on me; reasons our generation won’t change Nigeria.

The most obvious reason is our inherent tribalism. The average Yoruba man won’t let his daughter bring home an Ibo boy. The Ibo man won’t stop feeling different from the Hausa man. Do you see that a house divided against itself cannot stand? How do we change a country, when we are against each other? Is it not time to discover the root causes of this evil trait and destroy it from the root?

Look at the United States, the most ethnically diverse country on Earth, still stands as one America. From blacks, to Hispanics, to Asians to the whites; Americans will still remain Americans. Though they still have their issues and separations, they have learned to live together.

The second most obvious reason is religion. I called it a curse a while back and some labeled me the anti-Christ. Religion is one of the reasons Nigerians continue to pray and do nothing. Even God won’t do for us, what we can do for ourselves. Religion is the bane of our cohesion as a nation. It has created friction even within tribes.  Nigerians are very religious people and we take our religion very seriously. While this is true, most of us only practice hypocrisy; despite our religion, we still have hatred, killings, and corruption. Who are we deceiving? How can a country of hypocrites move forward? Some even use religion to justify their bigotry and intolerance. How can we come together and build a nation with this mind-set?

The “me-me mentality” will be the Waterloo of this generation. How, you ask? We want success, money, and power. Some are even using social media as a stepping stone to getting political appointments. Nothing would have been wrong with that, if they were joining the right political parties that they didn’t criticize earlier.  It is obvious that they are joining for their own personal interests. They end up much like their godfathers dipping their fat hands in public funds. Sadly, this is where most young people today are headed. The testament to the saying: “If you haven’t been bought, you haven’t seen a man who can pay your price yet”.

Many generations before us, believed they could change Nigeria. What happened? Where did they go wrong? Is it not obvious we are now making the same mistakes they made?  Can we indeed change Nigeria, the way we are going? Aren’t we on a wild goose chase? Nigeria may slip from our hands, like it slipped from our parents, and their parents before them. If we do not pause and address these problems, the Nigeria of our dreams may just be slipping away… again.



Opemipo Adebanjo is a writer, columnist, social media lover and boundary mover. She tweets from @opesays



Source: YNaija

Gabriel Olatunji-Legend: How My Friend Got His Dream Job in Nigeria #MondayInspiration

Gabriel Olatunji Legend



My very good friend whom I shall not mention his name resumed at one of the top organizations in this country today. He is officially a big boy, works on the Island, with a department of his own; earn a juicy salary and most importantly doing what he loves to do. Did I mention that he doesn’t have a degree yet?

This testimony is what someone else is probably looking for, you have a dream, you have plans, you want to work with a reputable institution and earn good wages, you want to do what you love to do and not what is available to do. Who doesn’t want that? But how many folks can do what my friend did? Don’t envy someone’s success unless you have appreciated their investments.

Here are a few tips to put into practice if you want to land your dream job;

Volunteer

My friend volunteered with an NGO since 2010 and he dedicated one or two days of every week to helping the NGO achieve their own vision. Some people will see this as a waste of time but what you don’t know is that as much as he was helping others to fulfill their vision he was also fulfilling his own. Every human must never forget that the purpose of life is no for ourselves but for other people. If you desire a dream job and do not qualify for it or there’s no opportunity at the moment, go and volunteer yourself, do the job for free and do it well. My friend did for three years before he landed his dream job.

Build Skills and Capacity

I am also aware that in the course of all of the volunteering, my friend was involved with several businesses, he was the one to go to when it comes to registering a company, he was involved with empowerment events all around campuses and churches, he started a company that offers messaging service online, produced a magazine and was a conference speaker at every opportunity he got. He was simply building skills and capacity even though he didn’t own a degree yet. Employers don’t care about your degree but your skills and capacity to handle and deliver projects. You don’t need to be told that all the skills and capacity he acquired in all of these years will reflect on his CV. If you are not skillful you won’t be useful.

Build Relationships and Integrity

This is very important, the people you meet on your way to where you are going can either move you closer to your dreams or take you farther away from it, and it all depends on your relational skills and character. During the three years volunteer work, he had to deal with the NGO’s money weekly and proper accounting of what the money was spent on was expected of him every week; he collected money, used it for the intended purpose, record the expenses and returned excesses.

When the organization my friend is with now needed someone, he didn’t have to stress himself; one of the guys he volunteered for was the one who nominated him for the job. I always insist that every man has the capacity to achieve all of his dreams if only he knows what it takes to achieve it.

You can add to this article by adding your own opinion in the comment segment of this page.

Gabriel Olatunji-Legend is an astute entrepreneur and a solution strategist. I am open to further discussions on my twitter handle @OLATUNJISPEAKS

You’ve Got to Be Mad to Make A Difference

Gabriel Olatunji Legend



BEFORE YOU GET MAD at me for asking you to get mad I dare to say again that for you to get to the peak of any successful endeavor, for you to achieve enviable feats and for you to do that thing which will place your name on the world map you’ve got to be mad.

When you see Denrele Edun of Soundcity (now with Channel O Television) one of the first things that come to mind is madness. Every single time I come across him at events and on television I can’t help but to wonder what level of madness got this guy to this point. Today we all appreciate Denrele Edun, we are eager to get his autograph, take pictures with him or even an opportunity to be interviewed by him on a red carpet but we were all the first set of people that castigated, criticized, abused and insulted him when he was beginning to create his identity.



When Denrele Edun started creating this identity he was humiliated everywhere even by his classmates, lecturers, student colleagues, bus conductors, passengers and the common street people who just felt he needed to visit Yaba (left side), you know what I mean. If Denrele entered the class, ofcourse with his crazy looks everyone will shout and he would have to leave the class, if he knocks on the door of his supervisor or lecturer to submit his assignment as soon as the door is opened and the supervisor sees him he will shout “Get Out”, he was walked out of class by lecturers many times.



Can you imagine yourself going on the road on your campus and students driving past slowed down just to tell you that you are mad and stupid for doing what you are doing? He has been asked to come down many times from commercial buses; passengers have had to come down from the bus just because of him. Even though his story has always inspired me I decided to write this piece when he said he made his hair look that way simply because it helped him stand out of the crowd in his modeling days. He said when he showed up at the modeling station the judges were able to quickly pick him out because of his looks and I call that STAND OUT.
M-A-D is not an insult, it is an acronym meaning;

M – Make
A – A
D – Difference

I can authoritatively tell you that it takes madness to taste success. Those we refer to as success today made a difference in life and that entitled them to become men and women of history.
Go on with your plans, make hay while the sun shines, read all the self-help materials available, seek the help of a mentor and associate properly but don’t forget all of these might be a waste of time if you don’t get MAD.

If you are not satisfied with your present level (state of things) please get mad because you’ve got to be mad to make a mark.



NB: This article was written and published online some years ago when Denrele Edun rose to limelight. We just decided to inspire someone with it again.