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One of my 2022 resolve is to follow and learn from great people who have made significant impact in their career path.  Beginning on that journey I stumbled on one of the most powerful women on planet earth.  She becomes my Newest Mother Eagle.  Her name is Indra Nooyi. She's Indian.  She was the former CEO of PepsiCo and also the Chairman of the Board of Directors.  She was CEO for 12 years-2006 to 2018. Chairman Board of Directors 2007-2019. She started her life in India. Came from a family that helped support female education strongly.  Had a degree in Chemistry and Physics.  Went on to have a Masters.  Worked with Johnson and Johnson and then a Textile company in India. Later went to the US and got a Management Degree at Yale. She then worked with a company in Boston and later Motorola where she rose to become a Vice President.  She joined PepsiCo in 1996.  By 2001 She rose to become President and Chief Financial Officer.  In th...

Last week I talked about my appointment as principal and the challenges I faced. Today let me talk about how I handled them. For the gross indiscpline and late coming, I made sure there was some punishment for late coming. It wasn't there before. Wasn't something harsh, no flogging but strong enough to send the message across. And it stopped. I now also decided to make the assembly time an interesting one. I had some outlines from my church Bible studies then that had stories of people in history who made some mark like Abraham Lincoln and the rest. So each day after the regular assembly i read those stories to them and insipired them. That also helped reduce the late coming as they were always eager to always listen to those stories. Then school fees owed. It was tough. I worked hand in hand with the headmaster on this. We sent them home and also met with some of the parents who told us why they had challenges paying. We designed a system for those of them who w...

My Dad's birthday was on the 15th of October. I write this post in honor of his impact on my life as a career person. I hope you find valuable lessons from it. -- ---- --- ---- ---- ---- ------ ------- ------- ------ ----- My Dad's  career life was in two major phases. First phase; he worked in the textile industry for close to two decades. Second phase; he went into the academia and remainded there till his demise. The first phase of his working life was in the textile industry. As at the early 80s way into the late 90s this industry flourished greatly in this country till it was grounded. He worked with the Funtua Textiles back then in Katsina state where they specialized in making plain cotton fabrics of different colors and texture and also cotton bed sheets of different kinds. Luckily for my dad he got a job in line with what he studied in school which was Textile science and technology. The job was very demanding especially since they worked with lots of ...

Diamond is the hardest subtance known on Earth. Diamond is formed from 'ordinary' coal that has undergone intense heat and pressure over thousands of years. When it is finally formed, it is worth a fortune. Only the wealthy can afford it. What are you going through today? Intense heat and pressure that won't go away no matter what you do? Watch out, your 'ordinary' carbon is becoming a diamond already. And when you're done, you'll be worth a fortune.  The size of your trials are the prophecies of your tomorrow. Don't despair. 

For over a year now, I've experienced some major shake ups in virtually every area of my life. These series of ups and downs really started getting to me at some point, which is a normal human reaction. But thankfully I slowly kept scaling through each one that came. Thanks to God. Yesterday while going back to my work station, I was thinking about some of these things and I found some answers right on that journey. Usually my route to work takes me through the Zaria- Kaduna expressway which recently have been under construction as the roads are being expanded. While looking at the work going on in the following thoughts passed through my mind; - The road under construction, was already an existing road built during the military administration. But because it had to be expanded the existing structure had to go. - Lots of scraping of the old tar with heavy equipment had to be done. As a result the road has become large stretch of red sand and no longer looked ...

Many a times the biggest set back go our progress is FEAR. Fear is that inner voice that tells us things we cannot do. It is that emotion we fell when faced with negative circumstances. That feeling of wanting to give up and run away rather than face the situation. What is it that you planned you were going to do but have not attempted because of fear of failing or losing something? As we keep running this race called LIFE, face that thing, rise up and just do it forgetting how you feel and you'll be surprised how much you would have accomplished by the end of the year. There is something great awaiting you at the other side of fear.

We live in the days of motivational speeches, quotes and talks that encourage us to pursue our goals and achieve something worthwhile in life.  While this is true and also important, we should remember that life is in phases and as such there will be need for patience when what we are hoping to see materialize doesn't at the time we hope it would. Life is a journey. Take your time. Do your best and then learn to rest and let things fall into place. Love yourself enough to be patient with your progress level. You're doing just fine, trust me.

I just want to remind you that life was designed to unfold in stages. This is why you had to begin by being conceived then you develop and nine months later you're born.  After birth you began another phase of growth, learning and development way till the day you die. This is the natural course of life. And it applies to every other area of life's endeavor.  The problem with most of us is that we are in a  hurry to get to the next stage without allowing ourselves savor all that the current stage has to offer us. Quit putting yourself under any unnecessary pressure, enjoy the stage you're currently at in life now, celebrate it and be grateful and as time as go you will naturally move to the next. Life is like a staircase just take a step at a time. You will eventually get there.

The wisest man that ever lived said "a merry heart does good like medicine." Life can be tough sometimes and these days a lot of  negative things are happening that can steal our joy. It is up to you to decide if you'll be happy despite the circumstances or not. Happiness is a choice.  When things aren't going well it's difficult to be happy but then we all have to decide to be happy no matter what is happening or not. Humor and laughter help to ease tension and stress sand releases hormones that make us feel good and this helps blood circulate properly in our brains and gives us clarity on how to handle the situation on ground. So choose to laugh a lot, it has no overdose and you'd be surprised at how things will turn out. Photo:ideas.ted.com

Hello dear friends and esteemed followers of this blog. A beautiful new month and new week greetings to you. We pray the month births something beautiful for us all. Okay, so let's get down to business. At one time or the other we must have heard or been told that one of the vital keys to succeeding in life is having a good and workable plan. While this is true and very essential to success, sometimes life in its own way just happens. Sometimes the plans don't work out as you hoped and if you're not careful you begin to lose your zest and focus. At such times just take a chill pill and let things sort themselves out. There's a little  TED talk video I'll share here that has helped me understand this subject matter and I'm sure you will find it helpful too. She says "sometimes its okay not to have a plan." Have a lovely week.

Yesterday I stumbled on a couple of TED talk videos while taking a stroll on Facebook and a particular one resonated with me so much and I'd like to share it with you just to help fire you up for the week. It's another transitional week and I wish us all a great time. Don't forget to believe that it will be well no matter the challenges.

Yesterday i was just reflecting on how far I'd come in life, the pains, disappointments, the 'you don't look like you'll amount to anything' kind of attitude, the deliberate disregard for your efforts at making your life count and a whole lot of things.  One thing that made me glad was that in spite of all that, I made sure I protected myself because I realized that's all I've got really. I've showed up and there's nothing anyone can do about it. God didn't need their permission to bring me here. I'm  glad I didn't give up, and that's why I'm here to tell you that in your journey to greatness you will encounter this. It's the price you will have to pay. Many won't believe in you or what you do. Ignore them, keep going, don't look back. If people choose to oppose you do not join them to oppose yourself. If they choose to be your enemies don't join them to be your own enemy. Love yourself. L...

As we strive daily to see that we make something good an worthwhile out of our lives, it is also important that we cultivate the habit of being content with what we have at a given time. We live in an era that is characterized by so much drive to 'make it', appear rich and successful and all of that. Now don't get me wrong, there isn't any thing wrong with wanting the goodies of life. What is wrong is when we begin to lose peace, joy and gladness because of what we haven't had yet. Contentment is a priceless virtue to cultivate if you must go far in life. It is simply an attitude that says 'I'm grateful for how far I have come and for the blessings and favors I got, while looking forward to a better tomorrow.' This attitude will deliver you from needless competition and that pressure to want to act like what you're not. It confers peace on you and gives your mind the needed rest, vigour and clear sightedness to plan for your to...

  Life is always measured in times and  seasons, the end of one ushering in the start of another. Every human being is always at a one particular season of life or the other per time. Transitions come to herald the end of one season or era and the start of another.  It depicts change of levels and growth. So as you go through life, don't be afraid of the transition or change happening to you. It is meant to promote you to the next level. Photo:forum.academica.ca

Sometimes while planning and trying to make our lives count we tend to forget to pause and notice what is currently happening around us. From time to time deliberately take time out to notice what is going on around you. Take time to just live in the moment and don't feel guilty about it. Life is in phases; yesterday, today and tomorrow. Learn not to sacrifice one for the other. Acknowledge yesterday and what it taught you but don't pitch your tent there. Live in today, know what is happening in the now, its how life is lived. One today at a time. Remember tomorrow, plan for it but don't leave today and go live there. Today is where the building block for tomorrow is laid. Live a balanced life. Let your yesterday, today and tomorrow not clash. Let each have their rightful place. Photo:styleschooltv.com

Hello friends. Happy new week once again. How did your weekend go? Hope fine? I'm glad to be back. Took some time off blogging to attend to pressing needs. Well its another week again. It's a whole new package in there that will unfold as the week goes on. Prepare yourself for whatever will come of it, good or bad. Remember that circumstances are always subject to change. Don't allow a temporary set back hold you back. And for those going through some tough times; loss of a job or loved one, failed business, difficult family members, heartbreak from someone you so loved and cared about. I just want you to know that you're not alone in your pain. A whole lot of us are going through same or have gone through and came out just fine. You will be fine as well. Grieve where you need to and move on. The sun will shine again. Have a beautiful week. Photo credit:pixabay. com

 It is important that we are aware that as we begin to make some meaningful progress, we will face some stiff opposition from those who would rather we remained in the mud together. Such people will blackmail you in every way they can, because your success is going to be a reminder that they refused to pay the price to get the life of their dreams and you were courageous enough to do so. Your success will always expose the unwillingness of some to make their lives count and so they will attack you vehemently. So as you keep at your journey towards a better life remember this will be part of the package. I just thought i should chip this in so you won't be too surprised or upset when it happens. Also remember that most often than not it will start from those who are so close to you. Therefore the way to handle it is not to feel guilty, afraid, angry or give up. The best response is to keep doing what you've been doing. Get better at it and sooner or later, the...

Some people live just for today and do not remember to, or just decide not to put some effort in making their tomorrow count and yet expect it to yield them some good fruits. While it is good to live one day at a time, it is also important to know that the future is an empty womb that will only birth when a seed is planted into it. How would you like your tomorrow to be? Let that determine how you prepare. When we say prepare for tomorrow what do we really mean? It means establishing meaningful relationships with people who will be of help in moving us towards our goals. It may mean making some financial decisions to invest to secure a better tomorrow. It may mean going back to school to upgrade. It may mean, cutting down on wrong habits that are detrimental to your physical and mental health so you can live longer. It many mean investing your time in raising your children to become great world changers. It may mean taking those steps to start that business, mak...

If you've got something valuable to offer, it won't be long before people come looking for you. Take a look at what you have, your gifts, talents, your job, the services you provide. How valuable is it? Does it meet the needs of the consumers ? If you were the consumer and someone offered you the kind of services you currently offer others, would you be pleased and want to come back another time? Make up your mind to do things in an excellent way , that is what makes your gifts and solutions valuable. Sharpen your skills, give your best and in a short time, people will come looking for you.

Happy week and Happy New month people! It's the last lap of the first quarter already. Time indeed waits for no one. Let me just share a little story today to encourage you. For some years I had this thing in mind to start a blog but usual i just looked at myself and said I couldn't. It kept coming year after year and I kept giving the same kind of excuse. Then sometime last year some friends organized an online class for those who wanted to begin blogging and I signed up not sure I would do anything with the information. But the very first class changed everything. I suddenly realized that it could be done and in two days I set up this and the rest is history. I just want to challenge today, what is that thing you've been putting off and telling yourself that you can't achieve? Step out and do it. All that ' I can't do it' is simply fear speaking. Just get up and do it even if you still feel that fear. It will eventually go away and ...