The Seeds of Greatness

There is at least a seed of greatness in everybody God created but everyone has to discover the unique abilities that he can use to change the world and influence his generation.

There is a popular claim that inside of every man is embedded between 500 to 700 talents and there is also an assumption that every man can multi-task, multi-function and diversify. Despite all these, there are poorer, unfulfilled, disappointed people in the world because most of us are not cultivating our natural abilities. We leave our seeds dormant. We covet other people’s gifts – and by so doing, we are easily distracted and quickly destroyed.

There is no small calling; every job is important. You can be a cleaner and still fulfil your destiny. You may be a joyous sit-at-home mom and live a purposeful life. You don’t have to be a frustrated medical doctor, pushed into a wrong profession by ill-advisers or selfish ambition. Do not drift away from your passion because of pressure and desires. Your life has no duplicate. You are so important and your work is also extremely significant; don’t let anybody downgrade you or degrade your profession.

In a typical hospital establishment, there are different types of doctors - surgeons, dentists, ophthalmologists and so on, and there are nurses, pharmacists, lab attendants, cleaners and security guards to mention but a few. There are workers that will be looked down upon by patrons and there are among the staff members, who will due to pressure, pride or arrogance, shout on their colleagues or address them derogatorily – but this should be noted; the surgeon won’t clean the hospital wards and halls. The nurses won’t sit at the desk, registering patients. The dentists will never double as the security guard. As every hospital staff is important, so also your work, no matter how insignificant it looks is valuable.

I have said this to more of my counselees; “Close your eyes and be faithful with yourself. What will you be doing if all jobs pay the same remuneration?” and I have been stunned by their responses.

If you don’t cultivate your ground and bury yourself deep into a venture; you might not excel in life. Everybody cannot be an engineer. Everybody cannot be a footballer. Everybody cannot be a graphic artist. Everybody cannot be a teacher and everybody cannot be you. Your heartbeat, fingerprints, gestures, voice, belief system, and styles are purely yours. Nobody can adequately replace you.  God made you so unique, and you alone can always be seen as an original individual of yourself. Are you playing that original or trying to be a clone?

To make a complete symphony; some of the musicians will play keyboards, others will play violins, some will play guitars, others will play drums. Why some people may have several works to do, there will be some in the crowd of musicians who will only play a note – and if he refuses to pull that string, the symphony is incomplete. Can you now imagine how your small efforts can complement God’s big plan?

You are put on earth for a reason. God wouldn’t waste His time and efforts creating a useless vessel. You are important! You may not be doing a big thing but you can do small things in a big way and your small efforts can yield a big difference.

Whenever I watch a soccer game; I marvel at all the key actors who are participating in a match. Not just the players; I look at the coaches, trainers, referees, assistant referees, the umpires, commentators, guards, spectators and several other technical crews who aren’t visible. What am I saying? If one of them is missing, something is missing. If you are not playing your role, you are distorting God’s plan.

Apostle Paul in the Bible admonishes his protégée, Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth ...” In essence, he was telling him not to allow anyone to put him down because of his age. He wanted him to act with all the gravity and decorum which befits his position as a church leader. I advise you also; do not let anybody put you down. If you do not limit yourself, nobody can limit you.

If you cut an orange into halves; you can count the seeds in it but if you plant a seed, only God can count the fruits that will come out of it. You cannot say how fruitful you can become until you’ve given yourself wholly to a venture and only God can say how far you can go if you will just take the first step. Move on ... if you cannot fly, run ... if you cannot run, walk ... and if you cannot walk, crawl ... just keep on moving until your good becomes better and your better becomes best.

Don’t forget; there are seeds of greatness for undaunted abilities lying undeveloped inside of you. There is an inner strength for unlimited expansion waiting to be tapped inside of you. There is this ability to make so much money, become extremely joyful, exhume infectious happiness, walk gallantly and become purposeful and fulfilled – but you have to cultivate your seeds.

Your seed, not mine and not of anyone else.

You might be thinking you don’t have a seed. No, that is wrong. You do have a seed; an undaunted ability for something – it is just that you are yet to discover it. Begin to ask yourself, “What is it about me that I do effortlessly?” Ask your friends and relatives, “What is so special about me?”

And when you discover it or if you have known it; don’t belittle it. Grasp it as an opportunity. Work it out as if without you the world won’t go forward.

If I should tell myself, ‘I don’t like my gift; it is like saying, “I don’t like using my legs to walk. I need another person’s legs to carry me everywhere I go. It is as impossible as driving your car with another vehicle’s fuel. It is almost impossible to make headway in life with another person’s gift or seed. Find yours! Work yours! Live your dream! Fulfil your God given assignment!

Every big thing you see out there, started small. It is better for you to start small and grow big than for you to start big and crumble. Cultivate the seeds of greatness in you. A giant oak was once a small acorn!

Mathematics and Life Issues

Right from my primary school days, I have learnt that Mathematics as a subject crawls on four limbs (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication).

This principle is so fascinating that everything I learnt on the subject from Primary One to Higher Institution was hampered on these four principles; no matter how elaborate the topic – and for the purpose of this write-up, I am going to capitalise on figure 10.

i)    Addition (aka plus) means accumulation or increment together with.

Therefore, 10 + 10 = 20

ii)   Subtraction (or minus) means deduction, taking away or less.

Therefore, 10 – 10 = 0

iii)  Division (or divide) means sharing into places, partition or distribution.

Therefore, 10 ÷ 10 = 1

iv)  Multiplication (or product) means escalating duplication or times reproduction.

Therefore, 10 x 10 = 100

Any life that is lived on subtraction will never increase. It will continuously decrease. This is the reason why some people are always sad. They are in a relationship that depletes their worth. They work in an establishment that sucks their strengths. They engage in activities that take everything from them, leave them with nothing. They go into business only to have something to go by. The minus people are only existing and not living. They have no corresponding effects for their applied efforts. They aged and not grow.

The division people are always dividing. They share what they gather and keep reducing. If they have ten incomes, they have ten ways of lavishing it – and all they can lay hold on is less than they bargain for.

The plus people are increasing at an ‘as well as’ rate. Their outputs only correspond with their inputs. They may appear to be doing great to some close allies but they themselves know they are not where they ought to be. If these people are in trade; they keep selling to the same set of people and they keep growing at a slow pace like a snail. They will get to the top but it might take eternity before they can achieve their goals.

The multiplication people are forever increasing at a productive rate that defies understanding. Their growth is rapid, swift and consistent. They are the movers-and-shakers. They are not only spreading their tentacles, they are also making use of most opportunities that come their ways.

For the purpose of this write-up; I am going to capitalise on addition and multiplication.

To excel, you should either be adding or multiplying but I will advise you to multiply.

Those who add keep their vision and expertise to themselves. They are afraid of people stealing their ideas and so they operate from a small domain for several years in order to remain the champion. It is good when people tell them about the quality of what they deliver but it is bad because they could do better and become more.

Those who multiply on the other hand are never afraid to share their visions with others. They are forever willing to teach others their expertise. They are never satisfied with small. Their targets are always massive. They want more. They involve more people. They share their benefits with more people and so others help them bear the headache. They generate more income as well because of their belief in the maxim, ‘The more, the merrier.’

When I was a grammar school chap, there was this baker that made wonderful confectionaries at a bus stop very close to my school. Students who could afford the good life would patronise her for rich meat-pies, palatable scotch-eggs and crunchy rolls. This was in the mid-80s when fast-food joints in Lagos could be counted on the fingertips. It was a shocker for me when I passed by the area recently. The woman had aged. The shop was still what it used to be; the only glaring change was that the showcase was no longer wooden but aluminium. I doubt if she had any branch anywhere. I don’t know if she had trained anyone about her secret recipes.

Many of us are like that confectionary woman. We want the fruit but we don’t want to get on the limb. We want more but we do not want to risk more. We dream more and execute less. We were just satisfied with our addition model. That woman may have made more than ten million naira in the space of 30 years that I know her but she could have made a multiple of that (say at least ten billion naira) had she involved more hands to share in the profit and expenses.

I have met some great guys who dream of riches but live in penury. There are more guys who sit on goldmine and spend nickel. Many of us are rich of ideas but poor in cash. We do not really understand the principle of mathematics and for many of us who are good in mathematics, our application of the subject to real life issue is poor.

I love Bible stories, not because I am a Christian but because it narrates the pitfalls and shortcomings of ordinary guys that became extraordinary heroes. Take for example the great Moses. He led about 3 million people out of a country in a day. He was a President without election, a Prime-Minister without a cabinet and a Royalty without nobles. He relished in unquestionable authority and whatever he decreed was final – but he lacked managerial skills.

One day, his father-in-law (Jethro) visited him in the wilderness, saw the trouble the guy was putting himself through; counselling the people and judging every case in his court from dawn to dusk. The old man said to Moses, "The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out ... this is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself ...  Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God and you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way ... and the work they must do ... select from all the people able men ... place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens and let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing ... you will be able to endure, and this entire people will also go to their place in peace.” (Read Exodus 18: 1 – 24)

The Bible says, Moses lived to be 120 years old. I doubt it if the guy would have ever lived for that long if not for his wise father-in-law’s advice.

Do you want more? Train more people. Empower more people. Don’t just give them responsibilities; give them authorities also.

It is a great wickedness if a man should discover a cure for AIDS or cancer and keep it to himself. He is not doing humanity any good and he is not adding any value to himself. What some of us need right now is applying multiplication model – by mass-producing your products to reach more people.

There is this story I heard about the popular soda drink, Coca-Cola. Initially, the drink was sold in a vending machine and the sales were limited to a certain community – but one day, one of the sales boys walked up to the manufacturer and told him, “I have an idea that can triple your sales and give you wider coverage.” The owner asked for what the idea was and the sales-boy, after negotiating for a commission said, “Bottle it!”

That singular idea was probably the reason why we could enjoy Coke in Africa today – but there are several manufacturers in Nigeria who are yet to expand their scopes, not willing to spend more on researches and are therefore limited in reaching potential customers. Since I was a kid, I had eaten groundnut cake (kuli-kuli) but each time I travelled out of Nigeria, I am yet to see kuli-kuli in their stores. Zobo (juice extract of Bissap leaf) and ginger-beer are drink that everybody – including teetotallers – can drink but Africans are yet to harness this gift of nature by turning it into mega businesses.

The key word for multiplication is mass-production. Any success without a successor is a failure.

Little Stuffs ... Funny Things That Make Couples the Happiest

The Happiest Couples do a lot of weird things together: dressing alike, having inside jokes and even farting in front of each other. These things that might seem strange to someone outside the relationship but it is actually pretty normal and healthy.

It shows that the two people in the relationship are comfortable with each other. Intimacy isn't just about sex; it's about revealing our true selves, warts and all, to another person. We're all human and flawed, and no matter how beautiful or polished you are, everyone poops. Don't hide from each other - nothing is bad when you stay together in the same facility for when it lasts.

Although, every relationship is bound to have its awkward moments, but feeling uncomfortable and discouraged every time you walk out of the bathroom is a feeling that will ruin your relationship and leads to inevitable. 

The little stuff ... funny things conversation breaks down walls and secures a level of intimacy few people get to experience.

You may be wondering what the little stuff … funny things are and how specific you have to get. Generally, they are open and very honest chat between two people in a realtionship about each other's bathroom routine, including what your loved one should expect, what to avoid, and whatever you need to discuss to obliterate any weirdness. It is not abnormal when couples joke about your bathroom or restroom habits – and be factual about them.

Little stuff … funny things may also includes jokes about your eating styles, sleeping patterns, dress codes and voice ranges - BUT - it is also important to note at this point that, it is not ideal to mock each other.

When couples talk over their disagreements, they will laugh over their mistakes – and honest conversations about little stuff … funny things will lead to happy marriage and hygienic togetherness. Let it flow!

Before You Throw-in the Towel; Try These few Defensive Skills Used in Football

DEFENDERS are generally referred to as stoppers in any soccer team

One of the greatest defenders to have worn the green and white jerseys is Uche ‘Gentle Giant’ Okechukwu. He was so reliable that other players invested so much trust in his defensive skills or abilities to stop attackers terrorising Nigerian territories. When other player moved forward to attack opponents, Uche would stand behind as a solid rock of the defence – and most goalkeepers of his time knew he had to be beaten before they could be defeated.

Defenders must be:

(a)  Good with their heads:

Their heading abilities will help them defend effectively during corner and spot kicks.

(b) Good with their legs as it enables them to tackle and wade-off offensive attacks and even outrun the opponents.

(c)  Calculative, because a slight mistake on their parts might plunge the team into chaos. They don’t jump for nothing, run for nothing or commits unnecessary stunt or blunder in front of the goal post.

(d) Strong and energetic. Weaknesses and lack of stamina should never be seen in them.

(e)  Tireless. When other players are wearied, they are the tonics that agitate them to do more.

(f)   Focused. When the goals aren’t forthcoming as expected, the defenders must keep their concentration at 100% or more because a slight turn-off on their side might spell a doom for the team.

(g)  Have sharp sights. Their abilities to see, perceive and predict the game (or teammates and opponents) depends on how far they can see the velocity or acceleration at which the ball is travelling and this ability will also enable them read their opponents tactical moves effectively.

(h) Must be agile and flexible. A strong defender doesn’t only need to stand as rock; his reflex must be agile and superb like that of a cat.

Since a goalkeeper is categorised as a defender, he should be able to keep tab on the tempo of the match. If he falls, he should rise immediately as a waste of a centi-second can be costly to the team’s success.

(i)   Defenders sometime beef-up the attacking force or even score goals when the attackers are not delivering results.  Before they can make such moves, they will ensure that they can quickly make a comeback or else their team’s hope might be dashed through a counter-attack.

(j)   Defenders have a good view of the whole pitch. They see more than most attackers and are good at distributing passes, long thrusts and can easily coordinate activities of other players from their positions.

Today:

1.     What are the ideals that you need to tackle head-on to ensure you win?

2.    What are the likely limitations to your winning chances?

3.    Be faithful with yourself. What are the likely resources you will need in order to achieve your desired goals?

4.    Have you been calculating or avoiding risks?

For example, a defender will not contest for an aerial ball if it’s too far from his reach and he might decide to stay calm if he believes he might be injured by other charging players.

The former approach is calculating risk whilst the latter is avoiding risks.

5.    If you had discovered your strongest negotiation point (SNP); where do you think you can falter and how will you curb such weaknesses?

6.    How can you overcome your weaknesses?

For example; if your marriage or business must not come to an abrupt end, what would you do to stay in the game?

7.    If your real goal is winning; what will you do when you are provoked to give-up?

Remember, an obstacle is what you see when you take your eyes off your targets.

8.    How do you see the future of your venture? Do you have counsellors, advisers or coaches for it? If not, list out those who can or should be.

9.    Have you heard of insurance, family/business savings or target account, or legal requirements for such? If not, enquire and get into it.

10. In which area of your life do you think you are too rigid? You feel undaunted, trying the same thing over and over and not really achieving success – that’s called madness.

What can you alter in order to move forward?

NB: A body continues in its state of rest or continuous motion unless a force is applied to it.

How can you become more flexible without altering your goals or rules of the game?

11. What drastic adjustments do you need to make in order to piece together the ruins of your decisions?

NB: Some wastes or by-products will make good raw materials or finished goods to earn additional income.

Increase your focus on what you do have and reduce your attention on what you want.

12.  How can you save your business, company, marriage, family, association or church from total collapse?