UNDERESTIMATION - "A Motivating Tool for Success".

We often hear when people say... "There’s always a first time for everything”. That's  like a constant reminder whenever I feel skeptical about trying something for the first time. You know that fearful feeling of failure, when a certain group of people, maybe your classmates or colleagues, tell you they have tried getting the best out of a particular project, yet it never worked out for them and they try to talk you out of it. I won't lie, it gets to me sometimes. It even sounds worse when they say “If Debby, the smartest of us all could try and fail, who then are we?” Hmm! Isn't it funny how we inevitably underestimate our value when comparing ourselves to others? Just because the smartest couldn't pull through, doesn't mean it wouldn't work out for the rest. We consciously or unconsciously tend to quantify human intelligence and/or effort with God’s unquantifiable grace. When His grace abounds upon a man’s life, it really doesn’t matter if you were the smartest or dumbest kid in class or if you stuttered so much in that job interview, what matters is that God breaks all human protocols for his children’s sake.

A friend shared a wonderful testimony with me on how he got a job in a highly reputable establishment, a place he never imagined to work someday. According to him, he initially felt reluctant to submit his application, but he was like ..... "You know what? It wouldn't hurt anyone if I did. Besides, it's just a application. The company will eventually select their best fit at the long run". Surprisingly, he was called for an interview and was eventually hired. Wow! During his 3 months probationary period, he stated how it got tougher by the day as he was not making enough sales (profit) for the company.

They called you UGLY! So what?

This blog post is dedicated to all those out there who at some point felt insecure and settled for less than they truly deserved. Know that without your consent, no one will make you feel bad or inferior. Be the judge and the jury of your life.  It’s in your power to have full control of what comes in and goes out of your life. If you let your mind become a garbage zone where people dump their waste products and all manner of nonsense, you are indeed trading your happiness for their sake.  

Day-to-day, a lot of our young girls and even boys lose their self-confidence all because of the false impression the society, friends and even class mates want them to forcefully consent to. Some are being called retarded, fat, ugly, scruffy, unfortunate, underprivileged and all manner of names. As a child born in the 80’s and attended elementary school in the 90’s, I had a fair share of the word ‘ugly’ directed at me and often times, I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered why I was being called such name. But you know what? As little and as stubborn as I was, even though I had a quiet outlook, I would  call them even worse names, making sure the tone of my voice overpowered theirs in return. Ridiculous right? I believed everyone must have a piece of the same pie. You can’t just call me ugly and expect to go scot-free. That’s just impossible!

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Doesn’t it just feel so wrong and even more tiring that whether you like it or not, your alarm still has to wake you up in the next couple of hours even after you just retired to bed like half an hour ago? Yeah, that sucks right?

That’s the same feeling I get when I’m right on my bed, underneath my warm cozy duvet, positioned myself properly and all set to embark on my journey to dreamland, then all of a sudden, I realize that I forgot to turn off the light. Gosh!! At this point, the burning desire to scream someone's name to come to my aid is all that comes to my mind. How I wish I had a bedside switch to turn the light on and off. No matter how hard I pretend to close my eyes hoping that in few minutes, I'll fall asleep without even noticing the lights, I’ll end up tossing and turning till I  grudgingly crawl out of my bed to turn off the light.

My 2014 Journey - Sharing my Successes and Failures

Hello Lovelies, 

So i was inspired to share my ‘2014 journey’ after reading a related post from a fellow Nigerian blogger, Adaeze Obiako, the Founder and Editor of "Deserve Your Great Life". Adaeze is a writer, vision coach, copy-editor, public speaker and also an ardent contributor for Bella Naija Magazine. 

What intrigued me the most about her write-up was that she was open to the truth and told it as it was... a.k.a.. not trying to portray a perfect, spotless, 'holier than thou' image as many would. She took out time to share her successes, failures and lessons learned from the previous year, not failing to admit that growth is a gradual process which takes time to develop. I was really inspired by this, so here i am sharing my own experience with you guys.

 A lot of people might find this weird, sharing success / failure stories to the entire world. Reasons being that they are afraid of their competition copying them or that what’s working for them will stop if everyone starts doing it.

Well, is this perception wrong?

From my point of view, i would say 'IT IS'.  Sharing your successes and failures are a way of encouraging and uplifting others who are at the verge of giving up. The more you teach, share and help others, the more you learn as well. It's a give-and-take, not a one-sided affair.  And heck yeah, even if your competition starts doing EXACTLY what you do and how you do it, remember they won't execute it the way you do. The world is full of people who don’t take action. You can give someone the blueprint to success and they’ll find a reason it won’t work for them. You must have an abundance mindset and understand there’s enough out there for you and your competition. 

So, without further ado, let's get started!!!

Picking Up Your Broken Pieces

Hello loves,

I can’t help but SCREAMmM!! 

It’s our year of unlimited celebrations so fasten your seat belts ‘cos I see God escalating us to greater heights...  In fact, 10x better than where we were last year. Twenty-fourteen was indeed awesome. This blog was instituted and I had the pleasure of knowing most of you, my wonderful readers. You guys always keep me motivated, energetic and right on track. Love it! Love it!! Let’s keep the flag flying and trust me, I’m very optimistic this year is gonna be more glorious. 

So, back to business…lol.

I’m here today with a blog post I titled “Picking up your broken pieces” 

I know during this time last year, a lot of you had a 'lonnnng' list of expectations. Some were met while some didn’t really turn out the way you planned.  Some of you must have set realistic goals which you didn’t meet, entered into the wrong relationship or business partnership, lost a job, career opportunity or a loved one. You must have been faced with several difficult challenges one way or the other but God is here to assure you that he hasn’t given up on you. Your file is right before him now and you are the NO.1 priority on his list.

So..... stop brooding and tearing yourself down. It’s time to pick up your broken self and start putting your life together. When hard times knock you down, get back up, dust yourself and brace up! Those who thought you wouldn’t amount to anything reasonable will see you in a different dimension this year.  They might have seen you as good for nothing, rejected you, back-stabbed you, said so many despicable things about you but God thinks you are to die for. Begin to release that negative energy and shut down that voice in your head that keeps telling you can’t make it and get positive and upbeat again.

God is no respecter of person and needs no permission from anyone to elevate you. The righteous man falls 7 times but yet he will rise again. It’s not a time to be downcast or downtrodden. Stop attracting pity-party. I'm sure even the sun's mood was dampened sometimes by the rain, but hey, it didn't stop the sun from rising and shining again. There was a reason for all the trials you passed through in the previous year. God set them all up to mold you for what is ahead of you this 2015. So get ready! It's coming and it's coming fast!

This is the second day of the year. Start off with a positive attitude. While waiting for your breakthrough to manifest, begin now to praise God in the hallway. Usher in this year with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving. The book of Psalm 22:3 says “God inhabits the praises of his people”. That’s one way to draw God’s attention and your problems will be solved. A thankful and praiseful heart is a way to abound in faith. Anytime we operate in high degree of faith, praise is always present. It’s an intimate communion with God.

Are you broken in shambles? It's time to reflect, reposition and restrategize. Re-align yourself with Christ if you have backslidden. There's no better time than now. Imagine God putting you on hold the same way you do to him on a regular basis. You'll be out of breath in less than a minute. Why not give honor to whom honor is due? A life outside Christ, come rain, come shine, will still generate negative results. Ask God for his leading today and watch him project you far and above your imagination. 

May God bless you as you ponder on these words.

I'll see y'all in my next post.

Lots of love,

Ada. 

The 'EGO' Syndrome

Ego! Ego!! Ego!!!This is the beginning of man's downfall. It's an unhealthy baggage that must be dropped if we truly need to succeed and go to great lengths in life. A lot of people say it's man's nature to be egocentric! Well, that's absolutely not false. 

As a matter of fact, we were born into sin but Christ died on the cross a thousand years ago to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He died that we might be set free from every bondage, sin and reproach. Egoism is bondage! It is captivity!  It is man's greatest enemy; not that witch in the village. It creeps in gradually when we think we have arrived. When we assume it was by our own power and strength and not recognizing that God was the ultimate reason why we were able to scale through in that situation.

An egocentric heart is always bitter and resentful. Never appreciative of anything. Always striving to out-do. Never stands to be corrected. Such people think the world revolves around their needs and wants.  

Have I been a victim of this syndrome? Oh yes! times without number, especially during my days as a teenager. I have fallen head down and guess what? It’s not a graceful occasion. I’ve ended up with so many regrets as a result of lashing out on friends even before they tried to pass the actual message across. This however, affected my decision making which resulted in drastic outcomes.

Reminiscing on this, I won’t fail to admit that I am a work in progress. Like fine wine, I got better with time. Really, some things need to be overlooked as they are not worth the sweat. For peace to reign, let them slide and let life go on. Do not let your egocentric nature hinder you from diverse opportunities that might come your way. Our tongue needs to be regularly tamed. As small as it is, it can cause a lot of havoc. It can break trust that has been built for years in a split second. We need to be mindful of how we respond to people and situations around us.

Constantly put your heart in check... Ego comes with a heavy price and trust me, it's not a cheque you can easily take to the bank and cash. It costs more than you can ever fathom. Are you suffering from this syndrome? Remember, a broken and contrite heart, God will not despise. Psalm 51:17. Ask God for his leading today.

I'll see you guys in my next post..

Until then, stay blessed and enjoy the festive season.

Happy Happy Holidays!!!

Lots of love,

Ada..

               

Sieving Ungodly Weeds

'Abstaining from the Counsel of the Ungodly'

Weeds are plants that are considered undesirable especially when they grow where they are not wanted. They are plants like any other, but when they grow in our lawn or garden, they can overpower the real plants by reducing its soil nutrients and moisture. If no restriction is imposed, they can increase the cost of cultivation and further cause health hazards to humans and animals as well.

Tailoring this to the real world, weeds are considered to be toxic people who unashamedly, are the major carriers of ungodly counsel, the devil inclusive. They never bring good news. These are people who find a purpose in your weaknesses and fall out of place in your strengths. They constantly criticize your goals and ambitions and try to hold you back and not let you grow. The easiest way to identify this caliber of people is by knowing the kind of void they fill in whenever they are around you. If they absolutely have nothing edifying to say, nothing encouraging and uplifting to keep you moving and on track, then they are obviously weeds and must be sieved out.