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IS THERE A WAY TO DISCOVER YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE AND CALLING There are two most important days in the life of any man. The first is the day that he was born and the second most important day is the day that he discovers why he was born. Many people find that they are climbing the ladder of life only to realize when they get to the top of the ladder that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall. In order to avoid this mistake, then it is important that your purpose is found. When you have found it then you will no longer have to work because your work to you becomes fun. You will no longer have to force yourself to do it. You get up in the morning really excited. It is that moment that you can be said to have truly found your purpose. This issue becomes even more important because only a few schools have arrangements for counseling students who are about to make that important choice of joining Arts or Humanities department, Science department, Commercial Department, or Techno...

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS (PART TWO) At nineteen months, Helen Keller contracted an illness that left her without hearing and sight. Back then, those labelled “deaf and dumb” were classified as idiots but Helen’s parents did not agree. They hired teacher Anne Sullivan to work with her and eventually she learned to read and write using Braille. Amazingly, she learned at least three foreign languages and graduated in 1904 with honours from Radcliffe college. She then devoted her life to helping others, Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie paid her an annual income, writers Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson praised her and almost every president of her day invited her to the White House. Even though Helen died in 1968, her legacy of courage lives on. When asked if there was anything worse than being blind, Helen replied “Yes – having sight but no vision.”

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS (THOMAS EDISON AND HELEN KELLER - CASE STUDIES) At 12, Thomas Edison developed severe hearing loss that his teacher recommended him to be taken out of school. Instead, Edison used his handicap to drown out distractions and focus on his work. This boy who was labeled a slow learner made over a thousand inventions including the light bulb, the phonograph and the motion camera. Edison patented 1,093 devices at the United States office, almost all of which were turned into communal products during his lifetime. At his death in 1931, one-sixth of the American work force were employed in the manufacture and distribution of Thomas Edison invented products. My message for you dear reader is that that event in your life that looks like a breakdown could be a breakthrough if you persist. You are not your weaknesses. By channelling the power within, you can be your best!

HUMAN CAPITAL READINESS FOR SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL GROWTH 1.0 DEFINITION AND IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL “The most important choice you can make is to maximize your greatest resource, the Nigerian people. If you invest in the health, education and opportunities – the human capital we are talking about today- then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity.… To anchor the economy over the long term, investments in infrastructure must go hand in hand with investments in people. People without roads, ports and factories cannot flourish. Also, roads, ports and factories without skilled workers to build and manage them cannot sustain an economy…This is the scenario we all want; Nigeria thrives because everyone is able to thrive.” - Bill Gates (Founder of Microsoft) (Leadership Newspapers, 2019) For the sake of clarity, the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) defines human capital as the knowledge, skills and competencies embodied in individuals tha...

THE FOLLY IN THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH It is a gross misplacement of priorities to pursue wealth. Well I know that this statement may evoke some questions in you. You may be asking "Are you saying I should not work for salary at the end of the month? How then will I invest or eat? How do I survive? " Well, do not misquote me. What I am saying is that the best way to seek after wealth is not to pursue wealth. This is because, wealth is what I would describe as a "shadow" ; it is not the real image. Wealth, in itself and by itself does not last. "Riches suddenly makes themselves wings and fly away" - Proverbs of Solomon The easiest way to find wealth is not to find it at all. The easiest way to seek wealth is not to seek it. You should seek and find wisdom instead. "Through wisdom is a house builded and by understanding it is established. By knowledge shall the Chambers thereof be filled with pleasant riches." - Proverbs of Solomon S...

TO BE LAZY IS TO MAKE LIFE HAZY; ON LAZINESS “Remove far from me laziness and slothfulness. Every second, minute and hour imprint upon the tablets of my heart, the need to be diligent.” Very few tragedies can be as worse as congenital laziness  (or laziness that has been infused into the blood stream) Imagine how many opportunities you could maximize if you roused yourself up to work. The real tragedy then is not death but what dies inside a man while he lives. Scriptures actually talks about the fact that the path of a lazy person is filled with thorns.  Th----ooo---rnnnss (ouch!) but the way of the righteous (diligent) is made plain. “I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding and it was filled with thorns., nestles covered the face thereof and the stonewall thereof was broken.” – Proverbs The thorns could be in form of tumble down shacks and so on. The lazy one has the very best of intentions, He is always going...

ON THE LOVE OF LEARNING 2 There is the need to study to be steady. Destiny is to be driven to its destination and information is the vehicle. It is important to study to be steady.  The word light is actually from the Greek word “phos” and this means knowledge while the greek word for darkness, “skoltia” relates to darkness. Knowledge is therefore the light that brings illumination to your path. Paul who wrote one-third of the new testament Bible had this to say: “ Give attendance to reading, exhortation and doctrine.” He was also famous for  saying, "The cloak I left at Troas, bring with thee and the books especially the part (notes)" He was a man who had a clear thirst for information. He was even accused by Titus: “And Festus cried with a loud voice; You must be mad; too much learning hath made thee mad!’ I feel i should say that you do not read because of what you want to get out of books. Instead you read because of what you want the books to get o...

🧠 ON THE LOVE OF LEARNING 🧠 ```When you stop learning you start dying, whether at eighteen or at eighty``` A young boy wanted to know the secret of an old man's enormous wisdom. So each day, he kept on visiting the old man and kept on asking him the same question; "Sir, what has made you so wise."   For two weeks, the old man was silent. He did not say as much as a single word. Surprised by the old man's obmutescence, the young man came again. The next time the young boy approached him, the old man took him on a journey. They went to a nearby river. The old man put off his shoes and the young man did same. Holding the young boy's hands, the old man walked inside the river. At the centre of the river, the water became so high that it reached the young boy's shoulders. Suddenly the old man, dipped the boy's head inside the water like he was doing a Christian baptism, only that this time, the immersion was longer. The boy gasped for breath, stru...

HELLO!  GODDESS OF LUCK (PART TWO) Luck,  is found in attention to details and chasing excellence. It is worthy of note that excellence is in the details. Therefore, you attract luck by paying attention to the minute details in any task you undertake.  Everything concerns a diligent man and a diligent man is concerned by everything. It is worthy of note that God –after whose likeness we take is one that pays attention to details. God counts each hair on our heads; He numbers them! Amazing! Wow! Such meticulousness!   Attention to details means that you look forward to unforeseen circumstances, possible loopholes and anticipating the worst case scenarios. This way, you control the situation rather than having the situation control you. In essence, prepare well for every engagement you have ahead and fear no foe because it is only where you are ill-prepared that you are most likely to perform poorly.  Actually, winning is not what you see you see on...

HELLO! GODDESS OF LUCK Who is the goddess of luck and by what means can mortals attract themselves to her? One view is that she is to be found at the gaming tables. For instance, when a person stakes his money on a sport game and wins, can we that is a sure way of attracting luck? Could the goddess of luck manifest herself through the finding of a lost wallet? What of those who have massive inheritance bestowed upon them? Would you describe them as lucky? Well, the inherent defect in the above scenarios is that these “benefits” are ephemeral. In most cases they do not last long. Numerous examples abound of people who came into large inheritance – but unfortunately, it never lasted. Another defect in gaming and betting is that the chances of profits are usually in favour of the game keeper. This is why sport-betting companies in Nigeria keep proliferating. Where then can luck be found? Well, according to Arkad, the protagonist of George S. Clason’s famous classic (see the ...

GOAL-SETTING AND GO-GETTING ; ANY NEXUS (PART FOUR) Another principle for goal-setting is that your goals must stretch you. Write big goals that will require you to grow to achieve them. Let your goals be so big that it is doomed for failure unless God be in it. Let your goals make you a little uncomfortable. Why? The reason is because the ultimate goal is really to become a “master” at life. The ultimate goal is to gain mastery. To do this, you will need to expand / learn new your skills, gain a vision of what is possible, build new relationships and learn to overcome your fears, considerations and roadblocks. The next principle for goal-setting borders on the creative. It is to activate the creative powers of your sub-conscious mind by reviewing your list two or three times every day.  (at least, morning, upon awakening and evening, before you go to bed.) Repetition, they say is the mother of skill. You have to read your goals or list of goals with passion and enthusiasm...

GOAL SETTING AND GO-GETTING; ANY NEXUS? (PART 3) In the previous post, the importance of details was emphasized. Your goal or overarching aim should be able to answer two questions; "how much and by when?" It is better to say that "I will weigh 50kg by 5pm on August 20" than to merely say that "I will lose 10kg" The former is more specific while the later is vague. Like the idiom goes, "God is in the details"          Next, your goals should include specific features; the size, shape, form, make, model, colour, year. The truth is that vague goals produce vague results. Hence, you ought to write your targets out in  full detail. If you want to gain admission or pass an exam for example, know your specific department, the particular score you aim at or the required cut-off mark. If possible cut out your ideal results or a matriculation or academic gown   and paste them somewhere you could see them often; on your shelf, cupboard, fridg...

GOAL SETTING AND GO-GETTING; ANY NEXUS (PART TWO) Scientists have discovered that the brain is a goal seeking organism; whatever goal you give to your sub-conscious mind, it will work day and night to achieve. Goal setting refers to the art of setting specific and measurable , achievable, realistic and time-bound objective. This means that your goals must be smart and you should act on them with the certainty that you will achieve them. KEY PRINCIPLES FOR GOAL-SETTING Your goal must be stated in a way that you and anybody else could measure it. To do this, it must answer two questions; how much and by when? For instance, if you want to lose some weight, which of these seem more appropriate? “I will lose ten kg” or “I will weigh 80kg by 5pm on July 30? You will agree with me, dear reader that the second is clearer. Anybody can knock on your door by 5pm on July 30 to verify the actualization of your goals.

PARADIGMS (PART ONE) King Louis had been taken from his throne and imprisoned. His young son, the prince, was taken by those who dethroned the king. They thought that inasmuch as the king’s son was heir to the throne, if they could destroy him morally, he would never realize the great and grand destiny that life had bestowed upon him. They took him to a community far away, and there they exposed the lad to every filthy and vile thing that life could offer. They exposed him to foods the richness of which would quickly make him a slave to appetite. They used vile language around him constantly. They exposed him to lewd and lusting women. They exposed him to dishonor and distrust. He was surrounded twenty-four hours a day by everything that could drag the soul of a man as low as one could slip. For over six months he had this treatment—but not once did the young lad buckle under pressure.  Finally, after intensive temptation, they questioned him. Why had he not submitted ...

BOOK REVIEW: GEORGE S. CLASON'S CLASSIC George Classon's Classic, The Richest Man in Babylon, published in 1926 has 9 chapters all centering on financial lessons from Babylon, the wealthiest city of the ancient world about 6,000 years ago. Babylon was located in present day Asia, north of the Persian Gulf. The first chapter, The Man who desired gold, begins with Bansir (chariot builder) lamenting about his life's misfortune. Together, with his friend Kobbi, he decides to visit Arkad, the richest man in Babylon to learn possible finance strategies.  The next chapter, "The Richest Man in Babylon" describes Arkad thus: "He was famed for his liberality, He was generous in his charity but each year his wealth increased more rapidly. Prompted by his friends, he reveals that his financial success was built from lessons learnt from Algamish, the money lender. The first lesson is: “All that I earn is mine to keep.” He notes further that with consistent savi...

A CRITIQUE OF THE NIGERIAN CABOTAGE ACT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVENESS Prior to the enactment and implementation of the Cabotage Act in 2003 and 2004 respectively, the National Unity Line (which replaced the defunct National Shipping Lines in 1995) had become comatose. Its only surviving vessel, the MV Abuja, was auctioned off at an incommensurate price in 2003. Foreign shipping lines dominated the shipping business to the tune of over seventy-five (75) percent. The Cabotage Act, -the first in sub-Saharan Africa- thus became a watershed in the maritime history of Nigeria.  The desired effect of the Cabotage Act as gleaned from its preamble is to restrict the use of foreign vessels on domestic coastal trade, promote the development of indigenous tonnage and establish a Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund. At present, however, indigenous vessels still get stuck in their earlier dilemma- like a vicious cycle that informs the examination of the industry in the context of the inte...

THE PRICE FOR THE PRIZE (PART ONE) Nothing certainly comes easy. Success is rooted in the four-letter-word; PAIN. Yes, in the long run, what seems painful could become pleasurable and the reverse could also be true; what seems pleasurable today could become painful tomorrow, sometimes. This is perhaps one of the most startling paradoxes of life. You are designed for accomplishment, engineered for success and endowed with the seeds of greatness. You were born to win but to be the winner you were born to be, you must plan to win and expect to win. Then and only then can you legitimately expect to win. After all, “Geniuses are made, not born. Moreover, even if they are born, they are born out of labour” – Sunday Adelaja. We are just like tea bags that will not really bring out the juices and flavours inside of us until we have been through some kind of “hot water” – in form of demands and preparation. However, until the pain of change becomes greater than the pain of “same”, n...

       RANDOM LESSONS (PART TWO) Gratitude does really work! No use fretting over the past. The past is useless except for two things; one the lessons gained from it and two, the moments and gifts we can be thankful for.     Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the now. Take in the fresh air, enjoy the swaying of the breeze, the children at play, the music blooming from the loudspeaker. However, take nuggets from the past to apply in the present. Just like a broken piece of raw egg, you can’t bring back moments of the past and words you have spoken. Life is happening right now!  New opportunities are springing up, new moments are being created but to maximize them you must free yourself from all worries, insecurities and fears. This is because Light and darkness cannot dwell together. Next point, beliefs are really important. Ultimately, we become what we believe so you must consistently focus on positive possibilities. Anything is possible, really. ...

RANDOM LESSONS (PART ONE) Life, as it were, is a journey and along the way we pick up snippets of information, knowledge and wisdom. This is a continual process and I usually say that in life’s journey, we occasionally stop at the bus stops of learning, the check points of unlearning and the fuel stations of relearning.           One of the lessons is that anybody can change his experiences to a whole fuller and richer dimension if he or she listens to his spirit more. I call this Conscience directed living. Man is made of three components, the spirit, soul and body. The spirit is the invincible part of you while your soul consists of your will, intellect and your emotions and the body is the visible part you see.              Beyond the physical body in you lies great amount of wealth and wisdom we have not even tapped into. The unseen part of you, I believe, has a glimpse into your future, and when at cross roads o...

THE GREATEST NATION IN THE WORLD IS NOT THE U.S. OR CHINA In my opinion, the greatest nation in the world is neither the ancient civilization of Egypt nor the old Babylonian empire. It is not even the present day China or America. The greatest nation in the world is your imagiNATION. Even God recognized the power of man's imagination during the building of the tower of Babel. He had to say that the people were one and nothing would be restrained from them which they have IMAGINED to do. The imagination in man's mind is really powerful. It is in your imagination that construction takes place and ideas spring up. The United States on July 20, 1969 could send Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into the moon but with your imagination you can do more. You can send the moon into your mind. Hahaha! You are that powerful. Imagination as i see it is about forming images in the mind. Let me break it down. Imagination is gotten from two words; viz image and for...

"WHO PUSHED ME!" PART TWO Research reveals that humans do not even use up to ten percent of their potentials throughout their lifetime. Respected Russian scholar, Ivan Yefemren has said that each and every one of us has the ability to learn forty languages and memorize an entire set of encyclopedia from A to Z, among other things! Wow! All this goes to show the limitlessness of the human potential when there is a "push." This push may come from people whose actions you do not find palatable or helpful in the present. This push may come from a person who truly believes in you like Sonya Carson did to the renowned neurosurgeon, who separated the Miranda twins, Ben Carson. This push could be a book or an article – like the one you are reading now or it could be circumstances. This push could be anything! Any virtue that is to be developed in you can only grow in the soil of opposite circumstances. For instance, if the virtue of long suffering is to be develope...

There is the story of a king who had only one daughter whom he cherished and wanted to give out in marriage. He made an announcement to eligible suitors to show up in his palatial mansion for a contest. The winner, the king said would not only have his beautiful daughter for a wife but would also have a third of the kingdom and a third of the king’s personal estate. On hearing this announcement, bachelors and even married men showed up for the contest! In fact, men from other villages were part of the contestants jostling for the king’s reward. It was the D-Day already and you could see at least 300 suitors. The king came out to address the burgeoning crowd at exactly 10:30 am, thus: “Welcome young men into my humble abode; I have a little test for you all and whoever passes it gets the reward earlier announced. Come with me!” The men, eagerly followed the king; some of them running with enthusiasm. They finally got to a swimming pool at the back of the king’s mansion where the king...

LEGAL RESTRICTION ON THE CHILD RIGHTS ACT’S ENFORCEMENT; MYTH OR REALITY? Children from Africa are faced with a plethora of challenges; including but not limited to poverty, malnutrition, lack of access to basic healthcare, malnutrition, inter alia. In Nigeria, the Child Rights Act, 2003 (hereinafter referred to as the CRA) addresses these issues. Indeed, it contains laudable provisions which provides for and protects the Nigerian child, including adoption, fostering, maintenance and guardianship. Notwithstanding, there seems to be one snag with its implementation; only 28 states (as at June 2010) have enacted their respective Child Rights Laws. Despite persuasions and pressures from Non-Governmental Organizations, other states are yet to enact its provisions. This has led to the widespread view that the enforcement of the rights of a child will be impossible in those states that have not enacted provisions on the rights of the Nigerian child.      ...

ON SILENCE AND SACRIFICE (PART 3) In the orbit of divine matters, intensely religious people devote special time to commune with God through meditation. But a lot of history figures did this too. Chief Obafemi Awolowo did it. Mahatma  Gandhi used to do this. Abraham Lincoln, the 16 th president of the United States and a lawyer who  bequeathed an indestructible legacy to the legal profession and society did. There is a story that when he went to the church in Washington D.C., he used to sit in a small chapel behind the church and  some children wondered who the tall, lonely man was. One Sunday, they followed his foot-marks in the soil and they ended at the White House! So much did Lincoln seek solitude to be alone on his own. Each of us need moments of solitude; “times to stand and stare.” It helps to focus our minds and to concentrate on spiritual values. Even Jesus is portrayed in the gospels as withdrawing from his disciples into solitude. In his angui...