Value points of life

A couple of weeks back, a friend of mine put up on social media group thought-provoking questions on articulating and auditing our belief patterns. The questions she posed revolve around a tripod stand - GOD, BUSINESS, MONEY and I've chosen to add PEOPLE on the second leg. It is believed that what we believe, imbibe and do about these key points will go a long way to determine how we fare in life.

I have begun my own journey into the audit exercise, it's ongoing. Find below my attempt at the exercise, its definitely not a standard nor is it final! As I learn and know more in life, I believe that my belief patterns also will be updated. 

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"

These are the points for thoughts:~

• Identify Five (5) personal beliefs about GOD.
• Identify Five (5) personal beliefs about PEOPLE.
• Identify Five (5) personal beliefs about BUSINESS.
• Identify Five (5) personal beliefs about MONEY

Personal beliefs about GOD:  

• I believe God is all in all, creator of heaven, the earth all that is in it and all that will yet be, He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.
• I believe Jesus Christ is the beloved son of God given up for our sake in order to gain life here and yonder (eternal life).
• I believe God's passionate love is expressed through His Holy Spirit, He'll not allow us fall or falter and when we do, He picks us up.
• I believe I am Christ's and Christ is for me and I have same authority and victory that He earned, not by works but by grace.
• I believe God has His plan for our lives and He's got unique deals He unravels by and by.

Personal beliefs about PEOPLE:  

• I believe people - humans were created in God's image and likeness and have same invaluable worth of life irrespective of color, race or ethnic group.
• I believe what we become is not a function of color, race or ethnic group but a function of level of knowledge and depth of opportunities.
• I believe every human is made of more and made for more!
• I believe we were created to belong at home; with families, friends and folks and our best is when we are at peace with all.
• I believe the best style for living is loving.
• I believe existence and survival of every institution, system and group can only thrive with people 

Personal beliefs about BUSINESS

• I believe that ideas and visions rule the world and that businesses are a by-product of ideas.
• I believe for every idea and vision, there is provision; the beginning of wealth is identifying people's needs as stimulus for ideas and solutions generation in exchange for currency.
• I believe that solution to diverse human needs are hidden in humans and that we all have significant contribution to offer as solutions to the myriads of problems now and in the future.
• I believe success is never ending and failure is not final, with continuous innovation, invention and creativity, the world will keep going round!
• I believe that every enterprise and business is to be worked at, built upon, structured, organized and recreated for sustainability, systems and processes. I love order and structure!

Personal beliefs about MONEY.

• I believe money is a tool. Money has no character, it takes on the character of the holder.
• I believe money answers all things but cannot replace all things.
• I believe the absence and lack of money (poverty) is the foundation of many vices.
• I believe the volume of money one will have is dependent on the size of problem s/he is willing to solve, solve big problem and earn big.
• I believe true wealth cannot be gotten from monthly wage or salary! Riches and wealth come from cumulative of consistent and progressively increasing earnings, streams of income (active, passive & residual), returns on investments, savings.

These exercise feels like an opportunity to articulate values system and keep it as an active reminder. And as the end of season for 2016 rounds up and 2017 beckons. Let's start thinking, let's start seeing and let's start doing. . . 

Learning Up and Down

Becoming old is something that is perceived to come with a level of consciousness especially when in contact with folks in the younger category. The old sends out serious vibes while the youth simply catches fun! The instinct to generate and let out the sense of being more or having more on many fronts is as innate as societal. The higher the age difference, the more the demand on rights with palpable air of superiority.

The pattern of drawing barriers between old and young has created endless stereotypes of how interactions should be, roles and rules on what should be, it even fixed the old to be the guide for the young in most facets of life! This order endows the older with so much authority and rights to pass irrevocable judgments on the younger. This arrangement fixates the older leaving them stuck in the familiar, old order, norm and way of life passed down to them from their own superiors. The burden of responsibility on the older often remains for long added to the endless cries of becoming a model and an example in household. All of these often put the older in a position to act in a given mold and prove superior while the younger ones just like to have it adventurous, fun, real, trendy and fabulous. While these trends obtain in families, it’s not left out in other platforms of human interaction.

I have younger ones who continuously and tirelessly challenge me and keep me update on many aspect of life that I would naturally have been secluded from if not for them. Their pep has always been an encouragement to me! what will life be without them! I once attended a training geared at building my lifelong passion (exactly what I’m doing here - writing) facilitated by a young lady and a pretty soul – Adedoyin Jaiyesimi of Sparkle Writers Hub, I left the training feeling the training was worth a lot more than the fee! I felt as much as I would feel in any professional training classes as this young lady shared her wealth of knowledge, experience and opportunities; the momentary thoughts in my head was – damn! Where have I been? I couldn’t but acknowledge that knowing has nothing to do with age! I dare say I’m learning a great deal from many of these youths who make life go round.

It's amazing how the cycle is rapidly changing, altering the course and direction of knowledge, expertise and competence clouded in technology. We have learnt traditionally from up to down (i.e. older to younger) for too long, the trend is fast becoming down to up (younger to older). The infrastructure that will back up future tasks, skills and competence are hidden in the youths of this generation and their strengths. I’ll agree they often need direction and some molding but I bet they've got so much to offer in terms of creative energy, innovation and thinking out of the box, they're quite fearless and they've got gut! They won’t hesitate to turn the world around. The latest technology of running things is their hobby. 

The next time you have a project or a drive consider the perspective of a younger individual and be willing to submit to superior ideas. Learning from these ones is fluid, dynamic, more of an adventurous journey usually without barriers and without stereotypes. They consider the easiest, shortest and fun means of getting around a difficult task and they bask in understanding the latest trend of things.

Tag with a youth, be youthful and stay forever young!

Happy Teachers' Day

I got loads of picture today celebrating Teachers Day and the one that tickles my fancy most is the one with this caption:~ "The best Teachers teach from the heart,not from the books". So, I decided to post this tribute to all the teachers in my life no matter how late the time is, better late than never!

Many invaluable treasures in life are appreciated in retrospect. You appreciate the resources and people that has lined your pathway long after you've had them and you have been able to draw up an upward looking graph and connect with many positive links. Many times in life we only appreciate great people long after they've been in existence in our lives. One of such to be appreciated on a day like this is a people that we've all encountered at one point in time of life or the other. 

At every level or social status, whether formal or vocational schools, primary, secondary or tertiary or even the workshop by the roadside, most of us have benefited from the magnanimity and the "other side" of teachers. The magnanimity been their aptness, their depth, effort, passion and the strength of their skills while their "other side" is the toughness that seem to always be an ally! 

The privilege of been raised by my first teacher - my mother, a teacher of teachers and a teacher per excellence afforded me this opportunity for reminiscences, a lot of throwback motion pictures in my mind and deep thoughts on a day like this. While I can confess that I didn't grow up being this appreciative, I can say I have stored up so much appreciation to start letting out and that's the essence of this tribute.

As a mother, oscillating and trying to adapt to follow up teaching for every grade, I can say it's not a mincemeat! It feels more like I'm meant to install all-in-one encyclopedia, dictionary, all the textbooks and Google application in my mind! Having also become an occasional teacher by providence, I can say it's a tall order to keep learning and to keep teaching as the cycle goes on and on. It takes a lot of gut, grit, energy, passion, time and many other resources to stand in front of a class with confidence, content and coherence all at the same time transmitting hope on the subject matter no matter how difficult. It takes a heart that seeks to know and learn to transmit same knowledge as you can't give what you don't have.

To every gem 💎 who has taught me at one point in time of my life or the other - from primary, secondary, graduate, postgraduate, in and out of school, on-the-job and out-of-job, career and vocational, I salute and express my high regard for your commitment, effort, energy, gut, grit, passion, sacrifice, time, zeal, zest, and a part of your life that you shared effortlessly and ceaselessly! I say a huge Thank you, Arigato, Danke, Merci, Gracias, Munchos, Obrigado!

Welcome to October

I heartily welcome you to the month of October, the tenth step on the 2016 ladder.

Gratitude for the previous nine steps through the nine months as rough as it has been, 

Never forget that it could have been worse .

Its a privilege to be alive and alive and well.

Savour now and make it the best it can ever be.

Make October all the adjectives you can think of - awesome, beautiful, fabulous, fruitful, remarkable, rewarding and the list goes on (make your own list and personalize it). 

Photo credit: Dear October