10 QUESTIONS YOU MUST NOT FAIL TO ANSWER DAILY

At any given time, life is stock with unanswered questions, but it is the courage to seek these answers that continues to give meaning to our lives.
Hopefully, after reading these questions, your mind is going absolutely crazy with all sorts of thoughts and ideas. If possible, get a notepad and pen down your answers and ideas.

1. What or who would you be if you knew you
couldn’t fail?

2. If you could get a message across to a large group of
people. Who would those people be? What would your
message be?

3. In one sentence, who are you?

4. What do you want to accomplish? And most
importantly, why — what’s your motivation?

5. Where do you expect to be in five years time?

6. Who are the 3 most important people in your life?

7. How would the world be different if you had never been born?

8. If your life was a movie, what would the title be?

9. When you’re 90-years-old, what will matter to you the most?

10. What would people say about you at your funeral?

Don't fail to answer these questions again by tomorrow. Nobody is 100% good at answering these questions. That's why you need keep answering them daily.

RECREATE YOURSELF, ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS

To succeed, you have to sacrifice most things in life; your time, resources, including certains friends ending relationship with you. Sometimes, you will find yourself in the face of fear; that is the time to prove that you're not afraid of failing because you know challenges has to be conquered in order to get to the pinnacle of success in life.

The sky being the starting point, the road being endless, this is never a time to give up. Who said you can’t do it? It's just more of hearing that you won't do it. When I hear that, instantly I think why not; when there is a will there is a way. When you feel hopeless, that doesn't mean you have to stay lost. You will find yourself in the search of being greater than you were being told. So, if you're told that you can't read, find a book and study, If you're told you can't write, pick up a notebook, find a desk and write. Prove them wrong. There should be none dictating your life for you, as to what you can do and what can't do. You might not succeed at the first trial, that shouldn't give you reasons to quit. Don't allow people to define you or shape your destiny. The most influential people you see today, have been knocked down so many times. But do you know what? They never settled for less and they never gave up. They saw that as an opportunity to become stronger to reach out for their goals. If I gave in to negative words, I would be afraid of speaking my words. Why because, nobody wants to be bored with negativities. They have heard and experienced much more than you have. So what do you want to tell them that's new under the heavens.

I have been knocked down so many times that I feel like screaming from the mountaintop to the world. I have also seen people with their heads down, with feelings and belief that there's no good in the world. I have come across many like that. The only time we should have our heads down is when we are praying. If you keep your head up and strive on, instantly you're ignited with an unusual power. That kind of power that is not measured by body physique but by the strength of the heart and the will of the mind.

My dream is to see the domino effect of how people can change their life for the good, become positive in the territory of negativities. The truth is, most people are going to fall into a pity state because of ignorance. But you really need to get to that level when your heart switches to the mindset level, reminding you that your voice can reach out to thousands of people, causing you to find your talents and maximize your potentials.

Why stay down, why think negative, what will this prove to you or anyone. Absolutely nothing. I accept that I can’t do everything I want to do, but one by one I see people changing their hearts, people getting up, people rendering and getting help. You might fall against the wall, but do you realize you have a support and something to lean on?

I found myself walking around not having enough money for my next meal. But looking at the homeless guy on the roadside, what came up next was, how I can feed him? The greatest war going on now, is in your mind. This war leads you to make choices and decisions that might either uplift you or pull you down. Still, your mind is what keeps you in bed all day. Snoozing you to accept the fact that, there's no cause for alarm. Your mind is what tells you; you can finish that tomorrow (Procrastination). Also, that same mind, can tell you to push on, to rise each time you fall and never to give up.

Helping someone in need, when you're in need of help, giving a smile to a someone even when he doesn’t deserve it, is a product of love and dream towards touching lives and causing smile. It takes the unusual to get the unusual. This can be a way to change our body and mind to be more positive and productive.

I always wish I got the best job, had the most money, ride the nicest latest model car in town and live with the most adoring wife and beautiful kids. But it never was, though am still hoping to see that special day of my dream come true. But, even when the expected didn't manifest, the only hand out there was a Sunday sermons at church, and it gave me a reasons to appreciate the live I got and to work out everything I desire in life. You have to learn to work out your destiny and shape your future. I found so much when I had so little. Why do you think the richest people are so sad, and a homeless person who gets a free hot meal is so happy? I leave you to think about that.
I have never seen a successful person say I will get to that tomorrow in what he knows he can do today or having the attitude that, it will come to me, let me relax and wait for it. All successful men have one thing in common, I call it, “The Do it Now Sprit". You have to do it now, tomorrow might not offer you same opportunity as today. Cease the opportunity, maximize the moment.

Have you been pushed before, even when you were already on the ground? How did you feel? Did you see it as a punishment or as an opportunity to rise? It doesn't end your chapter in the story. It's under your jurisdiction to re-create yourself and rewrite your story.

I learnt to live each day of my life with an attitude of challenging myself. It usually goes with questions. Questions like: How can I fix this? Why don’t I try it again and again? Can you solve that problem? Yes of course. Give me a pad and a pen and let me try? What next? I refuse to accept the statement of, “I can't" mentality into my life. If I do, it will be oxymoron living a motivated life.

Could you believe that friends got surprised when they heard I was into motivating people? They said and I quote, “Brian, when do you have time for yourself?" My reply to that question was, the time I have for myself comes from motivating people and telling them never to give in.

There's so much about you that you lack knowledge of. To discover that, generate that 'will power'. If you have physical pains just nurse your body or get your physician involved. If you are struggling with depression, write it down and talk it out. You don’t have to look back and to see where you coming from in order to see where you are going to. Don’t blame someone for your failure. It is your duty to prove wrong, the critics and theories of people about you. Remember, you have a profound ability to remain motivated. You don't necessarily have to be the strongest man in the world for you to conquer challenges and achieve your dreams. The body will conquer what the mind believes.

BRIAN FULGINITI

BARACK OBAMA'S MIND BLOWING QUOTES

1. The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.

2. We can't ever let an extreme minority derail our progress again. It's time to get back to solving real problems.

3. Hope is the basis of our nation, the belief that destiny is written by us.

4. Be careful with what you post on Facebook. Whatever it was, it will someday come up in your life.

5. Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. … Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.

6. Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

7. A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.

8. If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.

9. One voice can change a room, and if one voice can change a room, then it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world. Your voice can change the world.

10. You can’t let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you.

11. Change is never easy, but always possible.

12. We may not be able to stop evil in the world, but how we treat one another is entirely up to us.

13. There is no excuse for not trying.

14. Each path to knowledge involves different rules and these rules are not interchangeable.

14. The best anti-poverty program is a world-class education.

15. You have the ability and gifts to do whatever you want". It is your turn now to change the world. Yes we can!

16. What makes a man is not the ability to have a child but having the courage to raise one.

17. We now live in a world where the most valuable skill you can sell is knowledge.

18. We must lift ourselves up, dust ourselfs off and begin the work.

19. Our values call upon us to care about people we'll never meet.

20. Yes we can.

Don't forget to add yours in the comment box.

SEVEN STEPS TO GET YOURSELF INSPIRED

Everyone wants to be inspired. Like a rubber band stretched, inspiration stretches you out of your comfort zones. Below are the ways through which you can get inspired and live a fulfilled life.

DISCOVERY
Learn to discover inspirations around you, be it a simple greeting or even a simple smile you get or be inspired by someone’s successful story or just a simple struggling story that comes out good. Inspiration is everywhere, find it.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY
If you can’t find that, just make your family, friends and those persons close to you your inspiration. You friends and family can be a great source of inspiration to you. Though you can't change your family but you can choose your friends who can give your life an uplift.

Have you ever thought of all the efforts they made just for you to have and live the life you have got? Have you ever thought of all the encouraging words they said and their willingness to support you no matter what happens? If you can combine all of that, you can be motivated. Yes, you can be motivated. You can do it, just do your best and have a strong belief in yourself.

ATTITUDE
Attitude is everything. Don't worry if others are putting you down, don't let it limit you, don't let it quench your zeal. You can turn those negative things into positive ones. You can use it as a great source of your motivation and as a challenge to prove them wrong. Why not learn from Maya Angelou words that never ceases to inspire me:

“You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise."

DREAMS
Your dream can be your source of inspiration. Do you have dreams? Nothing worth having exist outside the world of dreams. “What are you prepared to give for your dream? If it is not everything...stop pipe dreaming”—T.F. Hodge. What you're prepared to give your dream can an immense source of your inspiration. You have to learn to give your dream all it desires from you in order to partake of it's reality. Dream the dream, but much more act on the dream.


DETERMINATION
More importantly you have to have a great determination; so great that you always on the side of never giving up. Remember a strong determination can take you anywhere. You can't always rely on people to cheer you up and to be your inspiration, determination comes from one's self. Just like the saying goes, “You can find inspiration from others, but determination is solely your responsibility." Be determined in all you do because, that's an undiluted source of inspiration you can find nowhere.

LEARNING
Never stop learning
Never stop learning
Never stop learning.

Learning is a gradual process. The inspiration you need to excel in life, business, marriage and spiritually might be on the next page of that book you are reading or even that book you have bluntly refused to read. To keep growing, keep learning. Books are great source of inspiration gotten via knowledge. Studying about someone who has succeeded in your field of endeavor can be a source of your inspiration. Find that man and study him and how he did it diligently.

SELF BELIEF
You are the best inspiration your life needs. Your inspiration can come from the level of your self belief. Do you believe in yourself? Believing in yourself can drive you crazy to work and generate a great deal of passion you never imagined. If you can't find inspiration outside, hey- inspiration is within. Inspire yourself by believing so much in yourself. This can only be possible via what you got to offer (your worth). What can you do with what you have? If you can answer that, that can be the beginning of your inspiration.

I hope these inspires you to keep inspiring yourself. Don't forget, “Everything about you lies within you"

NOTHING ABOUT YOU WITHOUT YOU

Most time, I begin to wonder why people sit on the burning coal of impossibilities in the midst of thousand possibilities for no just course. Forgetting so soon that the power of great possibilities depends on our mindset justified by our words. Same goes for impossibilities. You are either a product of possibility or product of impossibility. There exist no middle ground.

Imagine someone saying, I can't with all surety, the last time I tried, I failed woefully. Please don't involve me in matters like this again. Unfortunately, he was right to have said he can't. If you say you can't, you're right to failure. But if you say you can, you're right to success, no matter the length of time it takes you to get there. This was why Henry Ford rightly asserted and I quote, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right”. No one can soar above how and what he thinks of himself. Your breakthrough is directly proportional to your mindset and your words. Positive and negative virtues cannot reside in the same mortal. They are unlike appellations. They generates a repelling force on each other.

I can. Yes you can. I can see myself doing the extraordinary in the hub of impossibilities. Of course you're doing the extraordinary. To envisage yourself as being, you have completed half of the journey in the attainment of your goal. That's the power of Positive Mental Attitude. Who do you see yourself becoming 10 years from now? Yes 10 years from now. Becoming what you desire depends on what you think of yourself now. You must have heard of the saying, “the future is NOW". Have you ever thought of why such sayings proceeds from the heart of man, and decoded by the tongue in form of words? It is not a misnomer believing the future to be now. But a dead end, not knowing the future is now. The future is now because, it is not a product of wishes but a product of creation. The act of creating the future is the act of now. You can create the future now, not even tomorrow because it has no power of igniting the flames of determination inherent in you. Everything about the 'future', is everything about the 'now'.

Just as you're the captain of your soul, you're also the captain of your future. How do you want your future? Do you want it Great or Small, Bright or Inky? It all depends on you. Refuse to live in the minor future of this generation. To do that, it requires of you taking a proactive stance in the creation of that future. Action is what your great future requires from you in order to become a reality. You can only make it great by ACTIONS geared toward your dreams. You lack clear knowledge of how close the future is to you, so don't give up.

There's nothing about the future, that's not about you. In the creation of your future, you are the alpha and the omega. You are the Michelangelo of your future, the author of your history. If you are still depending on someone to dream the dream and create your future for you, it is time to wake up, wake up and face reality. Stop finding ways to paint and beautify excuses to suit why you never made it. The world have drifted from the era of listening to excuses to the era of listening to success stories. What story are you going to tell 10 years from now? Don't forget, you have the creative skills to create your future. If you don't, not even your closest ally will do that for you.

Like air, you need to rise
You're the dream and hope of many
Don't fail your generation
Rise to your dreams
Rise to your future and create it.

FIVE LESSONS OF FALLING TO RISE

If I should asked twenty persons, if they would loved to fail, I believe 99.9% of them if not all, will give a NO answer to my question. Even you that’s reading this article, will you like to fail? Everybody wants to succeed but none wants to fail on their way to success. Nobody wants to be a student to failure. Everyone is on the rising side, no one wishes to fall. Sometimes it is important to fail inorder to understand the principles of success. “Never walk away from failure. On the contrary, study it carefully and imaginatively for its hidden assets”—Micheal Korda.

It Reveals You To Yourself
If there’s one lesson I have learnt from failure, it remains the mien inwhich it reveals me to myself. In the midst of failing, if you leer mindfully, you will get to understand the message it’s passing across to you. Failure qualifies a man for success. You can never remain same after experiencing the teachings of failure. Either you’re being elevated or you are depressed as a result of it. It all depends on your reaction (Attitude) towards it. Have you ever asked yourself this, why do great men value failure so much? If you can answer this, then you will appreciate the lessons from the world of ‘falling to rise’. Failure marks the genesis of a new epoch in a man’s life. An epoch of self discovery and self worth.

Failure Is The Tuition For Success
Do you know success has a price? Just as we have tuition fees in Universities and High Schools paid by the students to management, same goes for success. You must be primed to pay the price of failing and never giving up if you must obtain the prize called success. No man has ever succeeded without failing. Michael Jordan once said, “I have failed over and over again-that is why I succeed”

If you are not failing, it is crystal clear that you are being passive. The man that has never failed, is the man who has never tried something new. Don’t be surprise when you fail so hard that i seems all hope is gone, know in your heart that there’s a great success ahead of you, of which you are paying the price for. Common men are debtors to failure. To be great, you must pay the price for greatness.

Failure Is Not The End
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end”—Denis Waitley. Failure is just the beginning of success for those that can uncover its true nature. Failure is neither a limitation nor a dead end to success but rather an opportunity for you to begin better.
“When I was young, I observed that nine out of the ten things I did were failures, so I did ten times more work”—Bernard Shaw

Failure is not the end
Don’t give up!
Don’t give up!
Don’t give up!

It Is A Stepping Stone
Failure is the bridge to our great future. To get to that future you must pass through that bridge. It will interest you to also know that, there is no shortcut or alternative route to that destination. Understand the so called failure and utilize it in the making of your dream a reality. This was the very reason Dale Carnegie opined that, “We must develop success from failure. Discouragement and failure are the two surest stepping stones to success.”

It Is Part Of Success
Until now, we know failure to be the opposite of success. Failure is part of success not neccessarily the opposite. Have you heard of any success story without a failure story inclusive? I believe there’s none. “Behind every successful man, there’s a lot of unsuccesful years”—Bob Brown . Learn to measure your success by the number of times you failed and never gave up.

Failure Reveals—Learn From it.
Failure Is A Price—Pay It
Failure Is Not The End—Don’t Give Up
Failure is a stepping Stone—Mount it
Failure Is an Opportunity—Seize it

Never forget the words of Pete Zafra, “People who are afraid to fail can never experience the joy of success”

10 FACTS YOU MUST NEVER FORGET

We are going to be considering ten important facts that you must never forget in order to keep soaring. The difference between great men and common men lies in these facts. The difference between you and the you you have always dreamed of becoming, lies in these facts. To get the best of it, analyze your life even as you study each points.

Challenges Makes You
Unfortunately, majority admits that, challenges are obtacles to success. I don’t agree with that. Show me a man who has never encountered challenges and I will show you a great failure. Challenges are not purnishment but rather, a great teacher stocking her students with the necessary skills to get to the top. The problem is not that there’s a problem, but seeing every challenges as a problem.

You went for an interview and your name wasn’t short listed among the selected few, that’s a challenge; a challenge that you should never to give up. What about sitting for an exam and the result turns out to be the unxpected, that’s a challenge too. How you respond to these challenges is what really defines you.

Dreams Are Roadmap
I love dreamers, no man gets to me without having dreams says Success. Dreams are pathways to a great future. I’m still searching the world to see that successful man that never had a dream. But for now, there’s not a soul. The more you dream, the clearer your route to this great future. You’re never too old to dream a new dream. Joyce Meyer once said, “A 2Naira pencil and a dream can take you anywhere”. Do you have a dream?

Attitude Sustains You
Dreams can take you to the top, but it takes attitude to remain there. It’s not neccessarily food that sustains a man, but having the right attitude does. Many has been dragged low because of ATTITUDE. The most valuable asset you can posses is a positive attitude towards your life. Bad attitude is an enemy of great dreams and destiny. It’s good to have great dreams, but much more, have a positive attitude.

Friendship Can Build And It Can Also Destroy
You cannot be associating with chickens and expect to live like the eagle. Your friends are the second you. What they say to you and how you relate with them has a way of affecting your life either positively or negatively. Ask yourself this question, is this friend really adding value to my life or bringing out the worst in me? Being social does not mean you should accept everyone that comes your way as a friend. Keep friends that uplift you up in all ramification. Always keep in mind the words of Warren Buffet, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 mins to ruin it. If you think about that, you ‘II do things differently.”

Believing In Yourself Counts
We might ask ourselves, what tools do we have? What can we count on? You can count on youself. Beleive me, yourself is your best ally. You know who you are, even when sometimes it becomes a little blurry and you make mistakes or seem to be veering off, just go deeper. You know who you are. You know the right thing to do. And when you make a mistake, it’s alright—just as the song goes, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start all over again.”—From Patti Smith speech at Pratt in 2010.

One thing that no man can do for you is, believing in yourself on your behalf. You must develop that energy of self belief if you want to go far in life. Self confidence comes from the degree of your self belief, which in turn dictates your self worth.

Loving What You Do, and Doing What You Love
Fulfilment is doing what you love doing and at the same time being paid for it. The job you are into, is it what you love doing? Doing what you love is a product of dream pursued. There’s a great joy that resides in loving what you do and doing what you love. Most successful men are men who do what they love and are being paid for it.

Failure Is Never The End
It took Thomas Edison 10,000 times before he was able to invent the electric bulb. Guess what he said, “I haven’t faiiled, I’v found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Do you have such lingering spirit as Edison?

What about Abraham Lincoln? He failed in business twice and was defeated in 8 elections before becoming the 16th President of United States. He never accepted failure as failure but he took it as an opportunity to begin better.
Failure is an opportunity, maximize it to your advantage. “The greatest glory lies not in never falling, but rising every time we fall.”—Nelson Mandela. Never forget that, tough people last longer.

Getting The Right Knowledge
The difference between a Lawyer and a Doctor is the knowledge they got and how they impact with the knowledge. Ignorance is like a cancerous cell, it can kill. Get out of your confort zones and go for the right knowledge. Your esoteric knowledge is what makes you outstanding in a crowd. Get that knowledge that makes you different from the many.

Action
If you have been following these various points critically as outlined above, you will notice that there’s no point void of ACTION. You must act in order to achieve success. Nothing comes to the docile man, the dilligent gets the greatest portion.
Act on your dreams, be dilligent towards your goals and believe me, success will come to you.

Spirituality
Above all, be spiritually inclined. Every physical being you see today, is a product of spiritual discernment. You cannot be greater than who you worship. If you worship a stone, don't expect to be wiser or greater than that stone. So, build your self spiritually and everything you desire will come to you.

TOUCHING LIVES

A colourful day filled with positivism
With the smile of a hero all over my face
My dreams are coming alive, I said to myself.

Yet another day for impact
Unique and peculiar
Purpose meeting hope
Big dreams coming alive.

I waste not this day on worries
Like a king I take charge
What an awesome day to soar great

The future is now
A time to create a lasting impact
Creating moments of love
And touching lives.

ACT, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE

To become is to act
To act is start
Bearing the end in mind

To wish is to day dream
When void of action
To have is to have worked for it
With all dilligence

To think is to explore
Merging the mind and the brain
For a voyage to the world of ideas

I am
I have
And I won
All because I acted.

THE LOST FUTURE

My bright future is gone
Tears of a wasted future running down my cheeks
Like the watershed of River Nile.

Losing focus
Losing direction
Neglecting my dreams
Oh, what a great future gone.

Reflecting back on my past
Great memories of how I started strikes me intermittently
'The future is so bright' was my motto.

What does the future hold now?
Nothing worth reckoning
Begging for a candle to lighten my world
What an irony of a lost destiny.

All because I neglected my dream
Wasted my time
And that led to my wasted future.

To all youths
Dream big
Act on your dreams
A LITTLE start can amount to a BIG end
Tomorrow might be too late.

SUCCESS VERSUS FAILURE

Are you still wondering why you have not succeeded? Here is piece from the wisdom house of Success and Failure. Just as the Holy book said, “Give {advise} to a wise person, and he will become even wiser” —Prov 9:9. I urge you to get the best from these instructions, analyze your life with them and initiate the journey to the mountain top.

Enjoy!

Success: Success means doing the best when we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be— Zig Ziglar

Failure: I haven’t failed. I’ve found 10,000 ways that won’t work—Thomas A Edison

Success: Success is practically improved failure—Acha Harrison

Failure: Failure is nature’s plan to prepare you for great responsibilities—Napoleon Hills

Success: Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure—Earl Wilson

Failure: Life’s real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up—Thomas Edison

Success: The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of environment in which you find yourself—Mark Caine

Failure: The key to failure is trying to please everybody—Bill Cosby

Success: The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows—Aristotle Onansis

Failure: There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of faiure—Paulo Coelho

Success:Recipe for success: Study while others are sleeping; work while others are
loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing—William A. Ward


Failure: I have failed over and over again-that is why I succeeded—Michael Jordan

Success: Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose—Bill Gates

Failure: Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end—Denis Waitley

Success: Success is not final,

Failure: Failure is not fatal:

It is the courage to continue that counts—Winston Churchill


Feel free to add your failure and success quotes in the comment box below.

NEVER TOO YOUNG

Are you among those YOUTHS who still live by “I am too young" mentality, or those who believe societal problems shouldn't irk their life? Such mentality is where the problem really lies. No one is too young to impact the society and be the cause of change.
If you still see yourself as being too young to impact lives and cause change, why not take your time to look into the lives of these young change makers impacting lives in the society.

Malala Yousfzai (17Years:)

Malala, now 17, was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman 2years ago in Pakistan after coming to prominence for her campaigning for education for girls. That wasn't enough reason for her to quit but she pushed on and kept pushing forward.
She won for what the Nobel committee called her “heroic struggle” for girls’ right to an education. SHE IS THE YOUNGEST EVER WINNER OF THE PRIZE.

Grace Ihejiamaizu (23years:

She is a Sociologist lecturer at the University of Calabar, Nigeria and a Social Entrepreneur and Global Changemaker with over five years of experience working in the nonprofit and youth development sector. She's the founder of Raising Young and Productive Entrepreneurs (RYPE Initiative) and iKapture Networks. Grace is also the founder and chief editor of Opportunity Desk, one of the largest online platforms for information on youth opportunities, scholarships, events, summits, etc. She was named one of Google’s 12 Brightest Young Minds in 2011. She's a role model to many African youths who are making impact and those ready to impact lives.

Toyosi Akerele (30years):

She is the founder and CEO of RISE Networks, a leading Social Enterprise with a deliberate interest in Technology and its relevance to Youth and Education Development across Africa.
She was in June of 2011 described by Mrs. Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States of America, as one of her personal inspirations in a televised address to America as a prelude to her arrival in Africa for the Young African Women Leaders Forum of which Toyosi remains the only Nigerian member till date.

Gbenga Sesan (36years):

He's the founder and Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, a social enterprise that connects Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities and focuses on consulting, research, telecentre support, youth-led social technopreneurship and capacity building. In October 2001, he was appointed Nigeria’s first Information Technology Youth Ambassador.

LINDA IKEJI (34YEARS):

Linda Ikeji who turned 34 years on the 19th of September is an Ex-model, Entrepreneur, Ace blogger, and Owner(founder) of one of the most visited sites(BLOGS) in Nigeria Today.She is highest paid Nigerian blogger.She's a role model to many bloggers both within and outside Nigeria. Today, you can't talk about blogging without mentioning Linda Ikeji.

GOSSY UKANWOKE (26 years):

Gossy is a 26 year old Higher Education Investor, supporting access to Learning and Education for young people in under-served communities. He has worked with African governments on the development of policies to assist better learning.
He is Founder at Beni American University and BAU Online – Nigeria’s first online institution.
In 2011, Cossy was named Africa’s Top Tech Entrepreneur by IT News. In 2012 and 2013, he was a finalist on the The Future Africa Awards for his work in Innovating Education on the African continent. Gossy’s work has been profiled on CNN, Forbes, The Huffington Post and more.
Recently, he was named the Young Person of the Month (November) at Opportunity Desk.


Chude Jideonwo (29years):

Chude Jideonwo is a Nigerian lawyer, award-winning journalist and media entrepreneur and the co-founder of Red Media Africa, a leading marketing and corporate communication company that is subsidiary of the Red Media Group. Chude also founded EnoughisEnough Nigeria, one of the country’s foremost civic participation groups. He is the youngest journalist ever to interview a sitting Nigerian president; securing an exclusive sit- down with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

Linda Iheme (24years):

Linda Iheme is an African Youth Activist, Social Entrepreneur, Dentist (in training), Speaker, Mentor, Certified Business Coach, & TV Host. She's is the founder of IIF YIGAD (International Initiative For Youths Inspiration, Growth And Development) which focuses on training youths on social entrepreneurship.

Her most recent work, #LunchWithLindaIheme, is a monthly Facebook photo contest with awesome rewards for winners of which Acha Harrison emerged winner of the season 2 contest (A picture quote contest on “My African Dream"). “Frankly speaking, it was a nice moment with Linda and I was really INSPIRED"—Acha Harrison.

Dr. Ola Orekunrin ( 26years):

She is a medical doctor, a trainee helicopter pilot and an entrepreneur and founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria, West Africa’s first air ambulance service which provides urgent air ambulances services to leading health institutions, insurance and private companies in Lagos Nigeria.

Philani Hlophe:

Philani is a Young Vibrant African Flame with Desperate Dreams and Deep Desires. He's the Founder of Ignite The Youth Africa; a forum where African Youth converge to and ponder on ways to move Africa forward. “He is our Madiba”— Ede Nida Eghafona.

The future belongs to the YOUTHS and NOW is the FUTURE.
Are you still feeling too young???
Wake up!
Dream Big!
You too can make it to the list of Young Change makers. Start up something you are passionate about today and keep touching lives.

CHALLENGES ARE NOT PUNISHMENT

Most often, we tend to shy away from challenges of life for two reasons:
1. Feeling that, we can do nothing about such challenges.
2. Believing that, running away from those challenges is the best option.
Have you ever thought of a world without challenges? What impression does it create in you? I'm quit sure that if I should go out on a survey on this, believe me, 90—95% of people will choose to live without challenges.

Brendon Burchard in his wisdom once said “Challenge is the pathway to engagement and progress in our lives. But not all challenges are created equal. Some challenges make us feel alive, engaged, connected, and fulfilled. Others simply overwhelm us. Knowing the difference as you set bigger and bolder challenges for yourself is critical to your sanity, success, and satisfaction". Challenges are like the mining processes in gold making. It is what brings out the true nature and quality of gold. It makes you fit, appreciated and cherished by the world. That's what challenges does to man.

Challenges are not curses or opportunity for excuses. But rather, necessary obstacle that must be conquered for success to unveil itself. If you are not ready to face challenges, then you are not qualified to dine with kings and queens. Challenge crushers are common men with extraordinary ability to subdue challenges. Do you see challenges as punishment or as a blessing?

Challenges breeds action and action build dreams. They also build our inner strength to take action. If you cherish your dream, you will at all cost face any challenge that tends to ache your dream.

To sleep and wake up is a challenge of faith. To write an exam and come out with good grades started as a challenge. To invest even where thousand rivals in the same business line exist, is a challenge. What about adapting to a new environment, is it not a challenge too? A world without challenge, is a world of want, lack and stagnation.

If you have forgotten, let me remind you again with these words as opined by Robert Kiyosaki and i quote; “If you want to thrive in today's economy, you must challenge the status quo and get the financial education necessary to succeed". Kiyosaki advices us to let our life be a challenge to challenges of life. The history of great men has always been the history of challenges.

Learn to see challenges as a pathway to your success rather than as a punishment. And don't forget, “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful" —Joshua J. Marine.

YOU TOO CAN BE GREAT

As I sat on my chair this afternoon faced up with one of my hands on my cheek and leg crossed, I began to wonder why things are the way they are. In the process, certain questions kept occurring and reoccurring to me as I was suspended in the aura of why and how? It gave me not only a sense of belonging but also a great strength from within. I would like you to take a moment of your time to search deep inside you with these questions that got me out of my comfort zone.

Firstly, are you really where you are supposed to be? If no, WHY? if successfully answered, HOW can you get there? It is more than wishing. You must ACT!

Secondly, I strongly believe you had a goal and vision for the future years back, what is the fate of those goals and vision now? Have you achieved them or you're still day dreaming? Just reflect back and if possible pen down those goals and vision again and sincerely examine them. What are your outcome? Does it make you smile or sober? Think again!

Lastly, if those goals and vision of yours were to be converted to ($)dollars, how much will you tag each? Will it be in hundred, thousand or billion dollars worth? Don't forget that, it's who you are that will determine the worth of your idea and dream i.e your reflection in the idea and dream. If you really know the worth of your goals or dreams, I don't think you will let it go.

Our dreams might look same but hey, they can NEVER be worth mate. This is where the BIG difference comes in; the difference between ordinary and extraordinary, great and small.

Build yourself, better your attitude and start making changes today! The fact that it never worked out the first time for you does not make it useless. That dream, goal or vision is ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE. Reality is at the corner, don't give up.

THE PHOTO STUDIO AND THE REAL WORLD

I was at the photo studio where I went to take a photo shot of myself few days back. As I got to the studio, waiting for the photographer to come and capture the young guy with great mind, I realized that there's something about the studio of which I'm becoming sensitive of. It was the photo studio and the real world. I was trying to relate myself, the photographer, the camera, the printer and the studio environment to what actually happens in the real world.

Here comes the photographer with his camera ready to capture Acha Harrison in his smart outfit. Firstly, he arranged the background to suit the nature of the picture I wanted. Then, I made it known to him that I needed just two copies of a “Wow" and “Superb" picture of myself.
He captured me many times (7 different images to be specific) at different angles and I went inside the dressing room to change my dress code in order to get the other desired picture of myself. As I came out of the dressing room, guess what? The guy was waiting for me to come out in order for him to altered the background of the studio as against the previous one. This was done, in order for the picture to blend with the background. I was taking note of each of his actions.
He captured me 4 different times and he was done.
The next step was for me to select the two “wow" and “superb" pictures I needed from these many captures; one from each of the outfits. I got the two pictures I needed quit right but that was not all.

I realized that the photo studio can be likened to the REAL WORLD where different people from different background dwell. The picture I had in mind is the DREAM I wish to transform to a reality.
The photographer is the ACTION, the camera the MINDSET and printer is the medium through which DREAMS are transformed into REALITY

How do I mean? It is what I feed into camera that I see and that's what the printer produces. If I smile, what I get back is a smile. If I squeeze my face like the ancient gods of the Babylonians simply because I feel there's nothing good about this world, honestly, that's what I still get in return. It is GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out).

For your future to be great, you need a dream with the right mindset towards that dream. How do you give your dream the right mindset? It's simply by believing in your dream and acting on your dream.

Did you know that out of the 11 pictures I took, I selected only the best two I was satisfied with? Those two were printed out. As I said earlier, my mind was already made up even before I left for the studio that, I needed just two photos, nothing more nothing less. So any photo that doesn't fall in line with my decision is not fit to stay. What this implies is, in your journey of life, you are going to come across distractions. That's the nature of life; you will see the good, the bad and the ugly. What you focus on the camera is what really matters. Is it the good, the bad or the ugly you are focusing your camera on? The choice is 100% yours. For me I choose to focus my camera on the good and positive. The negative is only for theoretical use, it can never be of practical importance.

I hope this inspires you to focus on the good rather than focusing on the bad and ugly aspect of life.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY NIGERIA

Today marks my country’s 54th year of getting it’s independence from our colonial masters. Nigeria, a newly created country comprised a multiplicity of diverse ethnic groups which have generated complex systems of government.

The aim of the British masters was targeted at welding together these groups and territories, with diversity of culture at different stages of growth and development into a nation. In the process, the British Administration became aware of the historical diversity and uniqueness of the country. This attracted their respect for the country’s culture and tradition even as they disregarded others.

The 1914 amalgamation was not just a history, but a milestone and watershed in Nigerian record. Sequel to that, the present shape and size of Nigeria was carved out. It was a great beginning of a united and peculiar Nigeria. This was the very reason Binyavanga Wainaina opined that, “There is no country in the world with the diversity, confidence and talent and black pride like Nigeria.”

Despite the upheavals putting off the country’s light today, we must not let go the fact that Nigeria is answering the call of change and developmental stride in a rapid manner. The momentum of a brighter future of Nigeria of our dream has been gathered and we are already moving in that direction. Most often, we tend to tell the bad side of the story ignoring the good side of it. Hence, all we see is the evil, menace and the inhumane in the society.

The civil war must not be left out in this celebration, the experiences and lessons created made us who we really are today. The war had come and gone. The story of the war and what led to it has been told, is being told and will continue to be told. Though we have learnt our lesions in hard way, we hope and strongly believe that the past will not be ignored, but rather, it will be utilized effectively to avoid the mistakes of a grievous present.



I see a bright future in Nigeria; a powerful nation with well nourished citizens, beautiful smiling faces, peace in all nook and cranny and above all, a Nigeria bonded by love.

I am proud to be a black

I am proud to be a Nigerian

I am Nigeria.

Happy independence day Nigeria.



Acha Harrison

SLAVE TRADE IS NOT SELF TRADE

Don't give up, it’s not over, even when you fail, is not over, until you give up then it’s over.
Right from the days of the holy book, the only types of youth who fail and keep on failing are those who fail to realize their God given potential. I have come to realize that the greatest thing a man should dread is a youth with self confidence. The self confident youth remains the youth of the hour.

Four things comprises a resourceful youth which makes the world too small for his exploit; Perfected Thought, Positive Words, Productive Actions, and Prominent Deeds. The greatest imprisonment one can find himself is not poverty but rather self trade of potentials.
Looking at some great men who never gave up even when conditions were not favorable, they only had hope, vision, focus which made their plans and dreams a reality.

Many people who knew their potential never failed. Daniel in the holy book as a Babylonian slave, that fact never marred his dreams for becoming great; he made a name and did exploits even in another realm. Many of them did exploit even Joseph amongst others.

Unfortunately, most youths complain that their failure is traceable to their background which is the hindering factor to their aspiration towards greatness. I want to challenge you that even children of the African slaves made history not because they were from a slave background but because they made up their mind to become great.

We will be considering some African originated blacks who made their name international figures. Black skin to them was never a limitation; they saw slavery as a stepping stone to greatness. It may interest you to know that most of the Caribbean nations were first developed by Africans including about 300 Islands.

Martin Luther king (jr.) whose great grandfather is from Edo state, today is celebrated as a hero; a former great grandchild of a slave who never sold his inbuilt potentials. Today, his dream has come to pass and the world has come to understand what he meant when he said, “I HAVE A DREAM"

Also, Chiwetel Ejiofor whose grandfather was from Delta State, an Igbo man born fatherless. He grew up a captive. To many, this alone is enough to justify failure but Ejiofor never gave up. Today, his is forever a celebrated world class figure. He never saw failure as an option even when he was black mailed as a black, but he white mailed himself because he had a vision of greatness.

Who said you can’t make it? Have you forgotten George Washington Carver? He was the son of a slave, born in the farm, but made up his mind by making the farmland his stepping stone to greatness. Just put in a stroke more you will sail through.
Don’t religiously relegate yourself, don't slothfully slew your potential, don't mournfully meander at the pool of opportunity.

Lastly, if you can’t creep, sail, if you can’t sail, walk, if you can’t walk, run, if you can't run, fly, in all, just keep moving because you are almost there.
Don’t forget that, “No one is too young to impact their society & to be the cause of CHANGE" — Acha Harrison

Kessington Okwegwali.
[Author]

THE WORLD I LIVE IN

Out of heaven's decision
The conclusion of my journey to this world was made
Through love and care between my parents
Heaven's decision was established.

Still on the journey of life
The world keeps unveiling to me
Making known the unknown
My cup overflowing with knowledge.

Living in a society of chaos
Where thousands are homeless
Human rights excessively abused
Unconscious self slavery
Racism mounted in our brother Nation
Evils roaming politics.

Hatred tearing love apart
Struggle for power exiling peace
Insecurity torturing us mercilessly
Egocentrism blindfolding human caring nature
What a total act of man inhumanity to man.

The world I wish to Live in
Where hate is conquered by love
Sorrow defeated by happiness
War enslaved by peace
Equal opportunity for both the rich and the poor
A world where man will have respect for the sanctity of human life.

ACHA HARRISON

THE VIBRANT YOUTH

We are full of life
Energetically packaged
Naturally equipped with creativity
Exceptionally unique
We are vibrant youths.

Amazingly created to impact lives
Divinely furnished with outstanding ideas
Inclined in great possibility mindset
Dynamism is our watchword
We are vibrant youths.

Engrossed in appetite for adventure
A perfect quality of imagination
Igniting the flames of a better society
Consciously and unconsciously empowering others
We are vibrant youths.

Residing in us is the courage to change the world
A burning desire to shine bright into the dark society
A strong passion towards our visions
Our dreams are big and sure
We are vibrant youths.

We are youthful and powerful
The welfare of the world is our mandate
Challenged, but not quitting
We are vibrant youths.

A time shall come
When all will dwell in the dream world
A world fashioned on the foundation of love
Devoid of racism and criticism
Polished with peace and care
We remain vibrant and Youthful.

ACHA HARRISON

NOW IS THE TIME

I am ready to get the best out of today
I am determined to change lives today
I am set to change minds for greatness
There is no better time than now.

Inspire one inspire all
Change one change all
Better one better all
There is no better time than now

Now is the time to dream big
Now is the time to let the world know of your ideas
Now is the time to creatively better the world
There is no better time than now.

You're a blessing to the world
A mountain set on a hill cannot be hidden
You are in the best moment to break records
There is no better time than now.

Be the best you
Don't let circumstances shape your Big dreams
Little by little greatness will knock at your door
The best time is NOW.

ACHA HARRISON

THE COMPLETE YOUTH

Diffferent people have different philosophy of who a youth is. And this view is dependent on specific criteria which they strongly believe on. Our perception of who a youth is, has a great influence on our abilities as a youth; because you cannot function beyond your perception.

“The world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.” said Robert Kennedy. The great future of every nation depends on its COMPLETE YOUTH
Who is a complete youth?
Does it differ from the youth known to all?
What are the criteria to being a complete youth?
What are the qualities of a complete youth?
To some, he is an individual within the youthful age bracket, others one who is neither too old nor too young to reason accurately; working with the mind.

In my secondary school days, I was opportune to have listened to a conversation between my parents. Mum used to be a member of a meeting tagged Youth. The meeting ought to be for the youths as I was made to understand by them, but the reverse was the case. The following conversation ensued between them:
MUM: I can’t continue with this so called youth meeting any longer.
DAD: I believe you are joking, sweetheart.
MUM: No, I am not.
DAD: Why do you choose to quit at this moment after many years of being a member.
MUM: My eyes has been opened to reality and truth; the youth members (as they were referred to) that were supposed to be vibrant youths of the community are not, but instead, majority (70-80%) of the members have exceeded their youthful age, and still claim to be youths.
She continued;
The unpleasant aspect of it is that, they always appear to know it all and too rigid to welcome suggestions. I believe the purpose of the meeting has been compromised and I see no reason to continue with them.
DAD: Now I understand the reasons behind your quitting.
MUM: Of course, quitting really worth it.
Mum was not just concerned about the age but the youthfulness, ideas and suggestions of these few vibrant members of the community. And the prime of her plight for quitting remains in her strong belief in the youth.

Recently, I carried out a survey on, “who a youth is”, and “the criteria on which their opinion was based on”. This survey was carried out on 50 students from different Department and Faculty of Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State. I was privileged to have listened to people’s opinion on this subject. It was indeed a great and interesting voyage.
Sequel to that, I had to write this article; to let the youth know that the society is not just in need of youths, but desperately in need of complete youths. Just as we have a youth, so we have a complete youth.
What signal does your mind interprete at the mention of the word YOUTH?
Which picture do you see at the mention of such word?
To what extent does that word strike your consciousness and imagination?
From the interview, it was discovered that in all they said, two parameters was never missing. And these parameters constitute the complete youth vis-a-vis its functionality and impact. They are:
—AGE
—MIND

A complete youth, is an individual who is young in age (18-40years) and mind, and is able to effectively and productively harness both qualities towards the betterment of the society. It is a stage of life and a state of mind. The mindset of such individual has been trained to such an extent that, age is no longer a limiting factor. Just as many would say, am too young allow societal problems irk my life and others enjoy your life when you are young to tell the “big story" when you are old. What does life really mean to you as a youth? Are you among those satisfied following the crowed? Do you see life as though nothing exist? Or do you still believe in following the crowd with no vision? Think about it.

There is no better time to begin to change your orientation about life than now. It is time to begin to see the stars in you when others are busy with affairs of the world that amounts to nothing. No special qualification is needed to put your mind to work. You don’t need someone to press the start button before you begin to move in the direction of change. You are the change, and the change we have been waiting for, and the change we need. I have heard some adults say am still a youth because am still youthful. Yes you are, by virtue of your mind being youthfully active, but not a complete youth. Why because, the age cannot be done without in this context. This was the very reason I opined earlier that, there are youths and there are complete youths
Let me remind you again that,you're Youthful and Powerful.


QUALITIES OF A COMPLETE YOUTH
Being a complete youth, goes with certain qualities. It is not something you struggle to achieve or attain; it comes as default to every complete youth.
Below are the qualities of a complete youth:

UNIQUENESS
A complete youth is a unique youth. It does not matter the environment he finds himself, his uniqueness always single him out of manny. The uniqueness of such a youth is an evidence of a trained mindset and orientation. This can be seen in character, attitude, manner of approach to life's challenges.

CHANGE ORIENTED
We have failed to know that the world will change when we do. A complete youth is never contented with the status quo. He is either making a change, or adding a value to the already existing and this remains the raison d' ètre of every complete youth. He is never satisfied with the way things are in his community, country and the world at large. And he is ready to build a team that share the same vision with him undermining the cost. Above all, he is ready to change himself, to change the society.

CREATIVE
Creativity flows in the blood of such a youth, and it is his nature to venture into the inner most part of his mind in search of ideas that will benefit the world. He finds the greatest joy in this aspect of his life. At this stage of his life, he disports his youthful exuberance.
Segun Oyeyiola, a final year student in Electrical Electronics Department of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, was able to make a difference by building a wind and solar powered car, partly from free scrap parts donated by friends and family. The difference between you and Segun is that, he used his own creative ability. You too can do better than that.

DREAM AND VISION
A complete youth is full of dreams and vision not just centered on him alone, but the society as well. Sequel to this, his actions and thoughts are based on this and he is ever ready to make it a reality by paying the sacrifice involved. They dream big with no atom of impossibility.

PASSION
Passion without action remains a mere notion. He is not a notion driven youth, but a youth full of passion. He has passion for Change; change for his country, and the society. This burning passion built on desires for a better society is a unique quality of a complete youth.

FULL OF ENERGY AND LIFE
A complete youth is full of energy and life, always excited about life and nature. A complete youth lacks patience with anything that tends to limit his vigor and excitability. Take for instance, in a gathering made up of youths and adults, you will observe that the youth tends to always be on the move as seen in charged molecules in a confined medium. What can keep an adult sited and calm for an hour in most cases cannot do same to the youth.


POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE
A complete youth has this attitude of optimism also know as positive mental attitude. Even in certain circumstances where all hope is geared towards the zero loci, the complete youth still believe that the only thing it deserves is such an attitude, the POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

DILIGENT
A complete youth is a diligent youth, always ready to work and giving in his best in whatever he finds himself doing. He is never ready to settle for the less either consciously or unconsciously; an indefatigable zealot. To every complete youth, the shortest route to success is diligence. You too can work out your success if you become an ardent disciple of diligence.

FOCUSED
A complete youth is a youth with focus. He has reasons for all he does, he has been able to curb his distractions to one thing; his desires for a better society.

GOD HEART
A complete youth is a youth with God heart, spiritually active and loving. He acknowledges God and put Him first in all he does. He is an inspiration to many; his steps, care and humility never ceases to put smile on people’s face.

Do you belong to this caliber of youths?
What is that one thing you have done to make the other person feel alive?
Do you have a dream for those around you and society?
Do you even have a dream for yourself?
It’s not too late to ignite that potential in you.
“You are only young once, and if you work it right, once is enough. – Joe E. Lewis

ACHA HARRISON

DON'T QUIT

Have you ever asked yourself how Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Kings, Winston Churchill, Harrison Ford, Martin Luther King Jr, Oprah Winfrey, Henry Ford, to mention but a few made it to the top? Have you imagined a world without the contributions of these indefatigable zealots? Has it ever come to your subconscious why their name ceases to depart the faces of the earth?
If there is one thing I learnt from them, they DON'T QUIT. Quitting was never an option or alternative. 95% of our success or failure in life can be traced to the decisions we made at the yield point of our challenges. There is never a time in a man’s life when everything happens as planned without challenges or obstacles. That is the beauty of life.

Shortly, we will be examining the lives of Leaders, genius, businessmen, and academicians who in spite of the devastating chaos that came their way, were still able to drive their dreams to reality. We are who we are today because of the challenges of yesterday and how we were able to resolve them. If we must continue to excel, we must develop that excellent spirit of not quitting. Challenges are not curses as we see it to be most often, but an important bridge between success and failure. Problems are compulsory equations of life one must solve for success to recognize you.
Study the expression below critically:

F←A+B→S

A: Dreams, Goals, Visions, Aspirations.
B: Challenges, Obstacles, Rejections, Problems.
S: Success, Breakthrough, Reality.
F: Failure, setbacks, unfulfilled dreams
The arrows indicate the direction of our dreams

At point “A”,is the dream and vision waiting to be transformed into reality, “B” is the challenges one must overcome, and “S" is the success and reality. Firstly, a Dream(A) can become a Reality(S), if we able to put the Challenges(B) in its rightful place. How? By not quitting,(A+B→S). Beware also that; if you quit, the equation of life has no option than favour the backward expression,(F←A+B). The above equation indicates that, there is never a success, dream come through without challenges. If you are able to overcome the challenges, your success is guaranteed and if otherwise, failure becomes inevitable.

“You are too stupid to learn” said Thomas Edison’s teacher to him. With that alone, quitting would have been the best and easiest option at that moment. But that was not all. He got fired in his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Perhaps that’s why he failed 1000times before inventing the light bulb. Amazing! The interesting thing about him is this; he took failure as the best route to success. He never rejected it as his right partner to his destination neither did he complain of it disturbing his pace. He was ruggedly and doggedly determined. Believe me, that route is not a funny one neither is such a partner friendly. But that doesn’t eliminate success either. I have come to understand that many don’t go far in life because they lack understanding of this route and such a friend.

He started speaking when he was 4years of age, and learnt to read at 7. He was intellectually challenged, slow witted and anti-social as was described by his teachers and parents. Was that all? No. At 16 he failed an exam that would have offered him the opportunity to be trained as an electrical engineer. Despite these Achilles heel, he never gave up. Today, Albert Einstein is forever remembered for the Theory of Relativism. The life of Albert Einstein has made it clearer that; it doesn’t matter the conclusion of others about your future but how you accept it to be that counts when he said, “If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts”.

Stephen King a renowned American Author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy got his first book rejected 30times. Guess what? He discarded the manuscript and he almost gave up. Thank God for his wife who retrieve not just the manuscript, but also, a generation of writers. Stephen King remains an inspiration to many writers including me. She encouraged him to give it a trial again. Today, his books have sold more than 350million copies. Now I understand why Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failure are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up”.

If you still believe your situation doesn’t worth more trial, let us consider the life of this high spirited man, Abraham Lincoln.

Follow the résumé critically as my friends refers to it. Picture your life and that obstacle as you study through.
1831 Lost his Job
1832-Defeated in run for Illinois State
1833-Failed in Business
1834-Elected to Illinois State Legislature (Success)
1835-Sweetheart Died
1836-Had Nervous Breakdown
1838-Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
1843-Defeated in run for nomination for U.S Congress
1846-Elected to Congress (Success)
1848-Lost re-nomination.
1849-Rejected for Land Officer Position
1854-Defeated in run for U.S Senate
1856-Defeated in run for nomination for President
1858- Again defeated in run for U.S Senate
1860-Elected President (Success).

It looks an awesome glum résumé sticking your imagination how he got to the top. Doesn’t it? He never settled for excuses even after been defeated in 8 elections. What about the nervous breakdown and the death of his fiancé? They were not enough reasons to quit. We all have all it takes to get all we desire.
Instead of thinking of quitting, why not ask yourself these few questions first:
1.How can I resolve this problem?
2.Have I failed more than Lincoln?
3.What will Lincoln, Edison, or Einstein, do if he was to be in my situation?
4.Does quitting really worth it?
5.Of what benefit is quitting?
6.What if, this is the last step to my destiny?

STOP AND GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS AGAIN
If you can sincerely asked yourself these questions in the midst of your challenges, and answer them appropriately, I believe your next action isn’t a problem.
Stop seeing every obstacle, problem, failure, rejection as a curse. One very important fact I must establish here is this; in every failure there is success, in every rejection there is projection and in every obstacle lies a miracle of greatness. Extraordinary men don’t quit, and that’s what makes them extraordinary. Why not give it one more trial. Quitting will take you nowhere.

A father once said to his boy, “Son, you have got to set a goal and never quit". Remember George Washington?
The son said, “Yes”
“Abraham Lincoln?”
“Yes”
You know what they all had in common?
“What?”
The father said, “They never quit. Remember Azador Mclgle?”
The kid said, “No. Who was he?”
“See, you don’t remember him! He quit!
To be remembered for something, you must strive on no matter what.

If you really believe in what you are doing, and you know what you want from what you are doing, quitting will only be a word found in the dictionary. Never, never, never quit, said Winston Churchill.
Lastly, challenges do not just come empty handed, but with packages of success and failure. The choice is yours. As for me, I will choose success by not quitting and I enjoin you to do same. And this can be summed up in the words of Nelson Mandela; “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising each time we fall."
If Edison, Lincoln, Ford, and Einstein could do it, you too can do it far better. Pick up the plough and never look back, buddy!

ACHA HARRISON

WAYS TO IMPROVE ON YOUR ATTITUDE

Attitude as was rightly said in one of my poetic articles; “Greatness Through Attitude”, It is who we are, how we act, our desires for greatness…to get to the mountain top, you need an extraordinary attitude. The right attitude matters a lot when it comes to tackling life challenges. It is our courage, hope and optimism when life throws blows at us; our decisions and where we stand in times like this, is a reflection of our attitude.

“There is a little difference in people” said W. Clement Stone. “But that Little Difference makes a Big Difference”. The Difference is ATTITUDE & the Big Difference is whether it is POSITIVE or NEGATIVE”. W. Stone in his wisdom, clearly classified attitude into two (Positive & Negative). The determinant factor is our actions and reactions in life.

In times when things aren’t working as planned, all hope seems to be lost, losing a huge capital sum in your business or facing rejection. What are you responses? Are you among those screaming to the world that life is HARD and being unfair to you? This brings us to the words of Martin Luther King Jr and I quote “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy”. This is where our true colour and nature is revealed; here the Big Difference comes into play and the tough people exhibiting their true kind. The Big Difference is how you fix the problem and not the blames; reflected in your success story or excuses. This is the very reason Robert H. Shuller said; “Tough times never last but tough people do”
Below are the steps you should take to improve your ATTITUDE:

ALWAYS BE OPTIMISTIC
The human mind is so delicate and unique that it accepts whatever that is fed into it. And you behave what your mind has being trained to accept. Now I understands why Henry Ford said; “If you think you can or you think you can’t, whichever way, you are right”. Optimism is something we cannot do without when it comes to positive attitude. When you speak positive words, think positive thoughts and see the first letter in the word OPPORTUNITY as letter “O” and not “ZERO”, you see the law of attraction proofreading you. To improve your attitude, you need to stay positive and live a positive driven life.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKE MINDED PEOPLE
1 Corinthians 15:33 made us to understand that; evil communication corrupts good manners. And it went further to enjoin us not to be deceived. You are who you are today because of the people that completes you. And who are there fellows? They are your friends. Maybe you would have being better than you are today if had met some kind of persons in life or still, blindfolded to your dreams if you had met some persons in life. When a lion begins to associate with dogs, watch carefully, very soon it will start feeding on grasses. Who you spend most of your time with to a large extent contributes to your attitude towards life. Surround yourself with people of same dream and vision, and see yourself a step closer to your destiny. Don’t forget this, he who chooses to dine with the cannibals, sooner or later, will be eaten.

BE YOURSELF
It is your right to be you. Don’t let what others say distract you to your second version. Be the first version of yourself. Be your real self and don’t act to impress people. Just as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”.

BE TRUTHFUL
To improve on your attitude, you need to say the truth always. We have to remain truthful even in times of trials and challenges. This factor will not be complete if the words of Mahatma Gandhi are left out, when he said; “Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind even if you are a minority of one. The truth is the truth”. We must learn to tell the truth at every slightest opportunity because you can’t change the truth but the truth can change you.

DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS
You don’t have to compare yourself with others, simply because you want to belong. Never allow the success of others hinder you from making your own plans. They are not you and you are not them, stop making it look same. To be beautiful connotes BEING YOUSELF. You don’t need the acceptance of others. You need to accept yourself. This was the very reason Bill Cosby said; “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone". Just be the best of you and you will dwell in the midst of great people.

REFLECT ON YOUR SUCCESS RATHER THAN FAILURES
The thoughts of success gives you edge over failure, it makes you happy and joyous. Let your thoughts be success powered rather than killing your happy moment with past failures. You have to let go. Let the foundation of your mindset be based on these two rules:

1.Reflect and focus ONLY on success
2.Don’t forget rule 1.
YOU CAN STILL BE THE BEST YOU CAN IF YOU CAN PRACTICE THE ABOVE STEPS. YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD TO GROW OR TOO YOUNG TO CAUSE CHANGE.


ACHA HARRISON.

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