THINK BIG (Part Five)

Now, having thought through and structured your dreams, the next thing is to start pursuing them. At times, it may require you to start small. Some people could really detest starting small. But it is worthy of mention that starting small is not mediocrity, it is continuing and ending small that makes it so. Please note that any road that leads "there" starts from "here (where you are and what makes the difference is "TIME”). So, it may only take time but you must surely get there with time even if you started very small. If you cannot survive the "down" then forget about the "up". Many small bricks laid on each other with purpose and consistency eventually makes a whole building.

THINK BIG (Part Four)

For every delicacy prepared, there are vital ingredients and for every good building erected, there are specific materials needed. Your thinking has to be constructive, focused at an endpoint that is eternally rewarding. The vital ingredients for this all profiting venture are as follows.

1.  A clear sense of vision and purpose: The first step to real success is the clear knowledge of what you want to succeed in. A clear sense of vision prevents your thinking from stinking and saves you from sinking in the ocean of mediocrity. Making a clear cut definition of your vision prevents you from being cut up in the web of complacency and stagnation. It enables you to navigate through the hazy and gloomy circumstances without losing focus of where you are going. It saves you many distractions. It points you towards a higher ground than you've been.

THINK BIG (Part Three)

Why you should dream big: Dreaming big especially within worthwhile life principles is not pride nor greed but a way of life of the great. Dream big because;

1.  Your God is big and with Him nothing shall be impossible.

2.  You deserve more: God created you so special and has endowed you with potentials for unlimited greatness. You have every right to place higher demands on life and life will offer you what you demanded so long you are ready to pay the price. So, confining yourself to what prevailing circumstances will ordinarily allow is the height of self-shortchanging and self-deprivation.

THINK BIG (Part Two)

Some reasons why people don't think big:

1.  IGNORANCE: Ignorance is not just a disease as it is popularly said, it is a killer. It kills faster than you can imagine even while you are still breathing.

The size of your dreams will always be commensurate with the size of your wealth of knowledge; how informed you are about yourself and your environment. You will always find it difficult to dream bigger than you know you can ordinarily achieve. The more potentials you discover in yourself to achieve greater fits of glory, the more you will be prompted to expand your dreams. You can't do more if you don't know you have more inner energies to do so and having something without knowing it is suicidal.

THINK BIG (Part One)

"As a man thinket in his heart, so is he..."

This is a fundamental truth that cannot be gainsaid in the pursuit of greatness. The whole destiny of man is influenced by several working principles and chief of these is the principle of THINKING.

Life is such that the result in your hand today has been in your heart since yesterday either knowingly or unknowingly. There is nothing achieved in this world that was never conceived afore time. However, it is not enough just to think; thinking big is a more profitable venture.

THE POWER OF BEING INFORMED

In life, we live as we know. We go the way we know and how far we know.

Now, when you are informed, you will be transformed and when you are transformed, you will be in form to reform the formation of your world. But when you are not informed, you will rather conform to the form of your world and consequently be deformed. And when you are deformed, you cannot perform.

THE MENTAL EYES

The lens through which you see determines how you see things. The broader and clearer the window through which you view life, the broader and clearer the field of view.

Our perception of life issues influences our attitudes towards them. Our behaviors are greatly in response to the way we see things in our mind. Every situation we go through leaves an impact on us which is always a product of how we see and respond to those situations. True, what we go through each day is not as important as what goes on in our mind. We either win or lose in our daily struggle depending on the way we see and hence respond to the challenges that confront us.

SEEKING HELP

We all need help as humans in one way or the other. No matter how great, strong and versatile you are, you still can't meet your needs all by yourself. No matter how long your hands may be, you will still need somebody to rub your back for you. No matter how sharp your eyes are, how far you can see and how vigilant you are, you still need somebody to watch your back.

ON EXCUSES

      Chances may not come under the labels we anticipated. There may not be clear indications showing which one is the "negative" and which is the "positive" terminal. We wake up each day with expectations in mind. To see these expectations come to pass, we reach out daily in pursuit of one thing or the other. Nature, however, provides us with different circumstances that influence the outcome of our pursuits only that these circumstances, if you are not careful, you may plug in wrongly. So, we are left to look critically to identify and label circumstances the way they are in reality.

Some circumstances may carry what we really need to succeed but may not come in the likeness of what we expected. It then takes looking through the eyes of vision and purpose to discover what every situation holds for you. When you lack this mental capability to identify and place things where they belong, you begin to commit errors of commission and omission.

ON ADAPTATION!

      It is good advice that "when you are in Rome, behave like the Romans". But my advice is, don't forget who you are if you are not a Roman. 

Whenever we find ourselves in critical situations, we may either adjust ourselves to suit prevailing circumstances or adjust circumstances to suit ourselves. In the process, we may lose alignment with our core selves and our dreams, and get lost in the crowd if we are not well guided by our intellect as well as our instincts in balance. Since the events of life may not conform all the time to our expectations; since uncertainties must come, we then need to be ready to adjust and adapt as occasion may demand. But ensure never to alter who you are at the very core. Don't give room for things that are not in line with your original making. You can't be too helpless to accept another man's life leaving your own life unfulfilled. You can't be too hungry to the point of eating your own tongue. Know who you are and never forget it!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

BEFORE YOU JUDGE!

      Every action carried out is always prompted by a prior motivation and the prevailing circumstances at that moment, both circumstances within the person in question and the ones without. Behind every act, there is a "heart". And you may end up misjudging the act if you don't understand the "heart" behind the act. Whether your judgment will be right or wrong, it all depends on what you know or did not know before passing your judgment. All the time, be curious and patient enough to find out and understand what really happened and the circumstances surrounding the incidence before making your judgment. At times, assumptions can be very costly. It can make you pull down what and who you are supposed to build up and build up what and who you are supposed to pull down. It can make you kill who you are supposed to save and save who you are supposed to kill. It can make you see enemies as friends and friends as enemies. Always remember that there is no second chance to make a first impression. Be sensitive!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

YOU HAVE A MESSAGE!

     Hey..., you have a message! 

Most times, our phones and systems do give us signals whenever we have a message either as text, mail or any other. To know the content of the message, you must care enough to open and read the message.

You see, every situation we go through in life remind us of the message we are born to deliver to our generation. They tell us the purpose we are born to fulfill. To a large extent, what we suffer in life is a reflection of what we are born to offer to our generation. Most of the remarkable things we experience as humans whether positive or negative are being attracted by what we carry within us and the essence is to point us to the glorious destiny we carry. Like in the game of football, all attention is always on the player with the ball at any particular time. So, the several attacks you've suffered in life affirm the fact that you carry something big within you. If you were not important in destiny, you wouldn't have suffered those things.

       There are times our experiences may conflict and contradict what we carry. You could feel the heavy weight of great potentials within you, yet all around you is mediocrity. At times, you could hear a voice speaking from within you telling you, "you can make it"; you could feel an upsurge of strength within, yet you find yourself in such a helpless and weak circumstance. But which one will you believe? The voice of prevailing circumstances or the voice of destiny calling from within?

True, life presents us daily with opportunities to live our greatest self, but these come in the disguise of hardship, problems and all kinds of negative circumstances around us. Maximizing your potentials therefore involves identifying a problem around you, looking inwards to discover what you've got within you to meet the need and then beginning to take small steps daily to make it a reality. The challenge could be something that has been that ought not to be, or something that has not been that ought to be. 

To succeed in life, you have to look beyond what is ordinarily visible to see the great opportunities for advancement carried in the womb of prevailing circumstances. You may be born to bring hope and restoration to your world, yet everything around your life looks so hopeless and helpless and it seems you are a born loser. You may be born with a message of love, yet it's all hostilities around you - no one cares about you and it seems you are just on your own in the wilderness of life. Just imagine the one destined to help people in more need of help than the people! Think of the deliverer in bigger chains than those he is born to deliver! You see issues around you that are very touchy and you are moved with compassion to respond, but the means is not there - your pocket is dry, you can't even feed yourself either spiritually, physically or mentally not to talk of feeding others.

Now, whatever you might have gone through in life, don't give up. it's only telling you, 'you have a message' and guess what the message is..."you carry greatness within you", "you are not a failure", "you are a champion, a hero, a trailblazer, a pacesetter, a world changer..."

There is something in you that is more important than what you are going through. It is called "greatness" and this must not be sacrificed on the altar of prevailing circumstances. So, dare to take advantage of every situation you find yourself to live your greatest self. Again, YOU HAVE A MESSAGE!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

SET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT! (PART ONE)

     Every seed planted needs some specific nutrients for maximum yield. The more of these essential nutrients available to the plant, the more the yield of the plant (all things being equal).

Each of us as humans carries seeds of greatness within us from birth and there are some things that must be in place for us to manifest this greatness. But of course, you know that resources for all human endeavors are always in limited supply. Then how do we forge ahead in meeting up with the demands of time?

Scarcity is basically the root of all problems- where there is something missing or insufficient. All human desires and cravings are developed based on scarcity. These cravings push us to reach out daily for something more and something better. As we reach out to our dreams, we come across so many things, both the things we need and the ones we really do not need all looking alike most times. But how do we know the difference between these two sides? This is where the power of CHOICE comes to play and it can be very dicey at times getting it right with our choices.

Choice, however, is a decision between two or more alternatives competing for the limited resources at your disposal in a bid to satisfy a desire or a need. Making the right choices involves allocating the limited resources at our disposal to satisfy our utmost needs at a particular time. It involves prioritizing and you cannot really set your priorities right until you know precisely what you really want in life at the very core of your being. 

Getting it right with your priorities is the beginning of the journey to success and missing it is the beginning of the journey to failure.

Prioritizing essentially involves a lot of mental struggle that goes on within you, and until you win this battle, you cannot win other battles.

(To be continued)

#eyafimoniemmanuel

SET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT! (PART TWO)

      As mentioned in Part One, prioritizing involves a lot of mental struggle - a moment of self-interrogation. To do this, you have to sit down and ask yourself:

Why was I born in the first place?

This is where it all begins. The sower sows every seed with an expectation in mind. The more the seed grows to meet that expectation, the more the sower pays attention to it both to weed, prune, water and fertilize it. You see, you can only enjoy the fullness of God's blessings if you are living to achieve the essence for which you were born.

Where am i now in the journey of life?

True, having spent some years on earth, you must have made some steps either forward or backward relative to your original predestination. So, critically appraise and ascertain your present station. If you can't tell exactly where you are on the road, it may be difficult to find your way to your supposed destination.

Where am I supposed to be by now? 

Deep within you, there is a place your soul long to be, something your heart pants after, a life you are being driven to and have been wired from birth to live - the life of exceeding greatness, maximum impact and an unending excellence.

Having pictured this potential but possible height, now find out in clear and practical terms, the reasons why you are not there yet. Try to find out the circumstances that make the difference between where you have been and where you ought to be: why is the marriage/relationship not working? Why are you still unemployed? Why is that dream in your head not working? Why is the business not growing? Try to find out the things you did or failed to do that has kept you where you are and then the things you must do or must not do to get to desired destination. Make a list of these "dos" and "don'ts" necessary to actualize your desired future and plan your life around them.

For the things you need to do, do. And for the things you need not do, do not. Living each day pursuing things that are not bringing you any closer to your dreams is the height of carelessness. If you know what you really want in life and go after it persistently enough, the world will soon come after you because you've got what they need. You can't continue to live the same way, with the same set of people, with the same mindset and expect things to be different. Set your priorities right!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

ON LOVE (Valentine special)

          Love is one of the strongest forces in humankind. It acts both within a person (love for one's self) and outside (love for others). A bond that can be made and can also be broken depending on what constitutes it. The elements of the bond determine the strength of it and this, in turn, determines it's durability. Love itself is a force that can bring both the strong and the weak together into a stable state whereby the weaknesses of the weak is being compensated for by the strength of the strong thus making both parties appear strong. It is a uniting force that can bring different parties that are not "perfect match" into a stable state of harmony. In fact, every relationship that must be durable and fruitful must be founded on love. So, it's absence in relationships always breeds frictions and crisis.

                 LOVE IN HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

       

Mark Twain Quotes

Mark Twain defines love as "an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."
True, part of our human desires is the desire to be desired by others. It is always an uninteresting life experience to be in an environment where nobody pays attention to you. It is this desire to be desired that brings people into relationships and this is why we are social beings. Relationships birthed in the desire for one another are the connecting rods which make one a true partaker of life events. When you are not being genuinely loved by those within your sphere of contact, you feel disconnected from the real essence of life. Observation has shown that you are irresistibly drawn to those who desire you whether for their own good, for your good or for the common good. Even in marriage, whenever the attention and affection of both spouses are turned away from each other, the marriage begins to lose taste.

                                 LOVE IN PRACTICE!

The practice of love is theoretically simple until you come to the reality of making it an attitude and a lifestyle. It comes with a lot of sacrifices and demands. The intricacies involved in understanding what makes love real and true makes it elusive and impracticable at times. The better you understand the concept, the better you are in loving and being lovable.Often, the difficulties experienced in putting love to practice could actually stem from the intention of loving in the first place. And the key is: DO NOT LOVE TO EXPECT, BUT TO RESPECT.The truth is if you love a person because of what you expect from 
him/her, the day he/ she fail to offer that thing probably because he/she don't have it or have too little of it, your love for him/her may begin to wax cold.
You see, there are times we really expect too much from people that they could offer too little and this is often at the bottom of most 
frustrations, disappointments, and heartbreaks suffered in most 
relationships. You have to understand that we are humans with imperfections and weaknesses. No one has it all. So, instead of loving people because of what you expect from them, love them because you respect their revealed personality. Loving people for who they are and not who you are and what you expect from them will save you so many pains that plague most relationships. It will help you to give and invest in people without necessarily expecting a return from them. And this is the essence of love on Valentine.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
#eyafimoniemmanuel

THE UNLIMITED!

   From the undeniable testimonies of some great souls who attained heights that were once termed impossible, we can draw an inference beyond doubt that the greatest limitation of mankind is that of the mind. No one is as limited as the man who cannot stretch his mind further per time. 

In life, you go as far as you can see, think and believe is possible. The better you think, the better you become and the better you think as a result. No matter the size of your achievement in life - either big or small, you can always do more and better, depending on how you see it in your mind. You must think progress to make progress in life.

Now hear the verdict:

...you cannot only increase, but grow and grow bigger

...you cannot only receive but give.

...you cannot only fly, but soar.

...you cannot only win rather you can subdue, conquer and be in control.

...you cannot only acquire, but possess in consistent abundance.

...you cannot only be good, but become better until you are at your very best.

...you cannot only look, you must see, observe and imagine.

...you cannot only like, but love and be loved.

...you cannot only smile, but laugh in joy.

...you cannot only dream, but envision with reality.

...you cannot only hope, but believe beyond the norm and the ordinary.

...you cannot only discover, rather you invent, create and recreate.

...you cannot only talk you must listen.

...you cannot only read, you also have to lead.

...you cannot only..., but...!

You are welcome to the world of THE UNLIMITED, where anything is possible to them who dare to believe.

Wow...what a nice place to be!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

GO BACK TO THE PITCH! (Part Three)

      Having been challenged to go back to where you failed and succeed in Part One, and enlightened on the challenges you may face in Part Two, you still need to take note of the following as you go back:

1. A winning mentality: You must develop the winning mentality if you must survive it again. Don't see it as a "trial by error" thing. Tell your mind loud and clear enough that it is either you succeed or you succeed and your mind would agree with you. And if your mind agrees with you, situations will also agree with you even if it is not immediate and in an easy way. You need to program your mind never to accept defeat even when there are no visible signs of victory ahead. Know why you missed it previously: If you don't know why you fell, chances are you may fall again perhaps in a greater way. Find out why the marriage has not been working; why the business is not growing; why people keep turning you down, why that ugly incidence keep occurring.
2. Change your game plan: You can't play the game the same way you've been playing it and expect a different result. You have to up your game. If you've been sitting down in one place that's why you failed, now stand up. If you've been standing but in one place that's why you failed, now start running. If running is not taking you closer to your destination quickly enough, then fly. And if still, flying is not enough, then begin to soar. Anyhow, just do everything to keep going. You have to keep making changes until you see the change you desire. Check and change your company as necessary. Also, work to improve on your skills.
3. Be patient: As you start again, don't expect too much from yourself per time. Please take it easy. Slow and steady they say, win the race. You may peradventure make some mistakes again along the line, but don't get frustrated that it's never going to work. Just learn from it and carry on while you strive to minimize mistakes as you go on. Always appreciate yourself for every bit of progress you made. It will help you to do more. Ensure to maintain a high level of love and enthusiasm towards what you are doing. Always tarry longer. Don't wash your nets and quit fishing in the middle of the night. Tarry till morning because the great catch you couldn't get in the night may come in the morning.

Now, the utmost cry of my heart is to see you fulfilling destiny against all odds. So, don't give up, instead stand up and take action now. You can still make it because YOU ARE TOO LOADED TO FAIL!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

GO BACK TO THE PITCH (Part Two)

      I must be sincere with you here. To go back to the same pitch where you conceded those goals in the first half and still stand before those same fans who witnessed how you fumbled may not really be easy. It comes with a lot of challenges. Let's look at some of these challenges.

1. Shame: Facing the same people before whom you failed, those who witness your fall could really be very shameful. But you have to close your eyes and do it anyhow. No matter their opinion about you, they will change their mind seeing that you made it against all odds. In fact, it is more shameful not to attempt because of shame than to face the shame and succeed. Even if it is true you made the mistake, that does not make you a mistake. So don't remain with the mistake. Change it. Correct it. Never mind what people will say because they must surely have something to say, and they are entitled to their opinion. Their opinion could only stand if you cannot prove them wrong by becoming who they never thought you could be in life.
2. Pride: When you fall especially as somebody who people used to look up to, rising up again may require you to start afresh, at times, on a low key. And it will take absolute humility to accept your fate and face reality. It will require self-humility to start crawling all over again until your bones are strong enough to stand up and then start walking and running. People remain so helpless after some ugly experiences not because there is nobody to rescue them, but because they find it difficult to reach out to people who could help them. They may reason; how could they be asking for such help at this age in their lives.
3. The fear of failing again: Indeed there are some things you never expected that may happen and they could leave you in such a great shock that could be very difficult to recover from. The memories of the ugly incidence may keep ringing in your ears that you begin to feel attempting again is an invitation for another bad omen. You may become tied down with fear always doubting your chances of making it again. Although, it is human to feel this way but you have to dare to attempt even while that voice of fear and doubt keeps speaking in your head. The most courageous men in this world are not those without fear, but they are those who moved against their fears.
4. Impatience: You see, it can really be very difficult to attempt again when you look at the time it will take you to start building up again especially knowing fully well that age is no longer on your side. But you have to take your eyes off the clock and focus it on the road ahead. At times, it is better late than never. Also, note that you are old as you think. You are never too old to start all over again after missing it severally. It is more heroic for death to meet you in the process of trying to rise up than to meet you on the ground where you fell.

More so, it can even become more frustrating and discouraging having started, things are not working as you anticipated. But what do you do then? Fold up and quit? Not at all. You have to keep pressing until you breakthrough.

(To be continued...)

#eyafimoniemmanuel

GO BACK TO THE PITCH! (Part One)

     Life can be very funny and unpredictable at times. There are times it may look very promising getting signals you are close to landing just to spend years more still trying to find your feet. There are times, the more you look, the less it seems you see. The faster you think you run, the slower you go. At some points, you may take a sigh of relief hoping the battle is over just to be faced headlong with another hard nut to crack. It can be very humiliating at times having done all to stand, you still find yourself rolling on the ground being blown off your feet by that small "strange wind" you couldn't resist. You started the race on a brighter note hoping for things to get better with time and over time just for things to turn out into what you don't understand anymore and you are wondering what's going on. Friends are now foes, and it seems hell is yelling at you....the catalog of experience continues and you may add yours. But no matter how bad your experiences might have been, don't quit the game. 

Don't be overwhelmed by how things have been and lose consciousness of how better things can be. No matter the number of goals you conceded in the first half of the game- the mistakes you've made, still don't give up and quit. You may leave the pitch on halftime but don't remain in the dressing room. Go back to the pitch and ensure you play and win the game.

No matter where and how many times you got it wrong, simply discard that script containing your failures, pick a new script and start afresh but ensure history doesn't repeat itself. Even when prevailing circumstances conflict with your instincts, still be sensitive enough to follow that inner voice calling you to reach out to higher summits. Dare to go back to where you failed and succeed.

When people label and stamp you as a failure, don't try to pay them back in their own coin. Instead, pay them with a better coin and that is becoming the person they never thought you could ever be in life. This is the best revenge. Be free to remove any label placed on you that is not consistent with your original identity. Know who you are and be who you are without apology to anybody. If they have written you off, open a new page and rewrite your story, and make it better.

(To be continued...)

#eyafimoniemmanuel

YOU ARE A CHAMPION!

Champions are not made on the scene, they are made unseen. 

...They keep building even when they are not sure they will live to stay in the building and who may peradventure inhabit the building if eventually, they are no more. 

...They keep rehearsing even when there is no audience to applaud them. 

...They stay awake working out something great when others are far asleep. 

...They don't crave for attention; instead, they crave for things that will make the whole world crave for their attention. 

...When others are busy pursuing daily bread, they are busy daily building bakeries. 

...They are not bothered about renting a room in the world of champions -pursuing vain prosperity, instead, they persevere even in the gloom to create a room for themselves in the world of champions. 

...They could still see their vision as an undeniable reality even under the dim light until they come to the limelight.

...Yes...! He is a CHAMPION..., never giving up and ever winning..., that's who you are..., YOU ARE A CHAMPION!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

TAKE RISK!

      Do not be scared of scars, its part of the making of stars. The same reasons why some people remain ashore, others see them as opportunities to launch out deep to catch bigger fishes. Taking calculated risks is the daily manna of champions.

#eyafimoniemmanuel

ON HARVEST!

You can always name your harvest. But then, you have to first consider the quality and quantity of the seeds you've sown. If your desired harvest has no bearing in the seeds you have sown, then you must be joking.

#eyafimoniemmanuel

ON IDENTITY!

     At times, you may need to "borrow a leaf" from people in order to meet up with the demands of time, but don't borrow their root. Maintain your root. Also, ensure the "borrowed leaf" is consistent and compatible with your own root. Borrowing a leaf that is not compatible with your root or changing your true root may corrupt the nutrients supplied and may get the whole plant withered on the long run. Stay through to your source and your identity.

#eyafimoniemmanuel

INVEST WISELY!

    It is more difficult to help a man with blind mind than a man with blind eyes. The blind-eyed man who is open-minded will see what you are doing as a blessing and as a result become responsive and appreciative. But the blind minded person even with his eyes open will see what you are doing as a burden and as a result become unresponsive and unappreciative. You can't help everybody in life and don't try to do so else you begin to waste your precious seeds. Sow only on good soils!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

BIGGER OR BEGGAR!

    We all grow each day to become something in life. And the extent we grow depends on what and how much we sow. we all have seeds in the form of potentials. Great minds sow their seeds for a greater harvest even in posterity and they end up bigger. While average minds sow their seeds for immediate gratification and they end up as beggars. Great minds sow for the sake of prosperity in posterity and not just for immediate prosperity. The Transgenerational harvests they produce thus make their name outlive them. We all have seeds. What you make of your seeds today will determine what your seeds will make for you tomorrow. Remember, any quick fix to success will only give you bread for today and take away your bakery. Whether you will end up bigger or as a beggar is your choice to make! Remain blessed!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

FIGHT A GOOD FIGHT!

    There is really no need trying to pick up a fight with somebody who has nothing to lose: somebody who has no reputation to protect, no relevance to maintain, no dream to guard, no vision to build... somebody who has lost his mind. You are still at loss even if you defeat him. Let every of your daily struggle be worth the labor, with an endpoint that is eternally rewarding. Stop wasting your energies fighting the wrong battles. Even the greatest victory won in fighting the wrong enemy is still defeat in disguise. To let go at times may be costly, but it's still cheaper than fighting back especially aiming at the wrong target. Be wise!

#eyafimoniemmanuel

WHEN YOUR EXPERIENCES CONFLICTS WITH YOUR INSTINCTS!

WHEN YOUR EXPERIENCES CONFLICTS WITH YOUR INSTINCTS!

Each of us is born with an inner longing deep within us. There is something our soul pants after which we are continually drawn to even unconsciously. Something that inspires, stirs and stimulates us into taking a leap out of our comfort zones into the wilderness of uncertainties to explore invisible but achievable possibilities. There are things both in content and context that fascinate us. Our attention is irresistibly drawn to them either when reading or listening to the news headlines on radio or television, going through the pages of the magazine, book and other materials, during a discussion or when taking a walk down the street. We meditate upon them and wished they were already realities. When we are able to live in these realities, we have a sense of fulfillment. But of course you know that expectations and realities are distance apart.

  There are prevailing circumstances conflicting with and contradicting our inner longing. At times, you may have the instinct for wealth creation, yet born into poverty and grew up in an environment of financial scarcity. Your inner desire may be to love and care for the needy, yet you grew up in an environment of hatred and hostilities being neglected in the jungle to either struggle on your own to survive and success or die and be forgotten.

You are naturally liberal and generous, always ready to sacrifice for the good of others, yet nobody cares when you are in need. You desire to be strong, yet struggling helplessly with some weaknesses and addictions. You don't like bending issues, yet you get fired and hurt each time you say the truth. You desire to lead a very simple life even to relate freely with the common man in the street, but your social status wouldn't allow you. Your heart longs for a peaceful and loving relationship but all you get is frequent heartbreaks and fall outs....the list continues and you may add your own experiences. But however your experiences might have been, you've got to be strong to scale through all the unwanted circumstances and follow your instincts, your inbuilt compass and wiring to succeed in life.

Now, deep inside every negative circumstance are great opportunities to explore and exploit the inventory of our innate potentials and this is the road map towards maximizing opportunities around us. Never allow prevailing circumstances to limit, inhibit and prohibit your drive for greatness and sense of purpose. Never succumb to the dictates of negative circumstances to let go of your dreams. Instead, dare to listen to that inner voice calling you to reach out to higher summits. You can always do far more than what prevailing circumstances would ordinarily allow. If your environment wouldn’t encourage the fulfillment of your dreams, then create a new environment even if you don't relocate from where you are.

  It is suicidal to have something without knowing it. It is suicidal not to know that you have all it takes to either build a bridge to cross the deep and stormy waters of life or at least swim through. You must dare to go beyond the norm, feasible and visible to achieve something extra than the ordinary. Don't allow yourself any excuse to remain ashore when you have all it takes to launch out into the deep to catch bigger fishes. Follow your heart and circumstances will follow suit.

Enlarge your heart enough to embrace the needed change to live out your greatest self. Subscribe only to ideas, principles and traditions that resonate with your inner drive. Only work and walk with people whose passions align with yours. Never get too used to how good it has been to lose touch with how better it could be.

   Even putting this write up together wasn't easy. I had to write in a highly mosquito infested, poorly ventilated and poorly lighted room in the middle of the night. But I just chose to be motivated by the inspiration to write and ignore the discouragement of the circumstances at that time.

Listen, if what you have now is not what you desire, then make what you have now a raw material to create what you desire. Refuse to yield to the suggestions of settling down for the comfort of where you are now and respond to the beckoning of your natural inclinations to navigate through the hazy and gloomy circumstances to a world of new discoveries. FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS!

By Eyafimoni Emmanuel

NEVER GIVE UP!

...The past might have been funny,

...the present is still being sunny,

...yet the future is horning and coming.

...Will you fold your arms and allow it meet you unprepared? Not at all!

...So, get under the sun even when there is no fun and work on your dreams.

...You may at least get a face towel to take care of your sweat,

...it may not be sweet, but you can still sweep through.

...Don't wait for too long, because you may waste your chances.

...It will soon be sunset,

...so, change your mindset to that of a winner instead of being upset things aren't working.

...When things fall apart, set yourself apart to take part in a moment of self reinvention.

...The harsh weather may only make you sweat, but it will not kill you.

...Give no excuse.

All the best!

#eyafimoniemmanuel