7 SMART WAYS TO START THE NEW YEAR

Happy New Year.

Wow. Like the freshness of the dawn comes a newness of season! It's like sun regally coming out of its chamber in the morning time fresh, bright and pleasant ready for a great day. I have here 7 guides to help you plan the new year so as to have bountiful harvest when it runs quickly to an ebb.

1. Gratitude, Celebration and Reflection.
No better way to start new year but to be thankful for who you are, what you have and where you are. You've go to use what you have to get what you want. Celebrate and be grateful to those who have been part of your life, business and success. Never forget to say thank you to myriad of disappointments, No, Yes and testimonies you got last year. Reflect on how last year was spent and how to make new year a more productive one. Last year disappointment will make you do it this year reflectively, novelly, diligently, and more enthusiastically. Never keep gratitude in your luggage, it's not yours.

2. Total Commitment to Creative Goals or Visions.
Goal is like roadmap; it gives direction all the way. Those beautiful dreams of your heart become goals when you write them down with set time. Then do something everyday (or every week) that will move you closer to your goals.
To desire or wish for great things in new year is inherently human but to achieve great things is not spontaneous. Dreams are better lived than told. As beautiful as your aspirations are they cannot achieve themselves. Successful people set goals and give themselves wholly to their goals. If you have a vision which seems not working; stick to it, it will work. That's characteristic of visions especially at the beginning.

3. Build Healthy Relationships.
The best memories in our lives may not necessarily be in our aloneness. Life is designed to be lived in association not isolation. In new year, make some adjustment in your personal life such as dressing, habits and character. Be determined to be a better friend, husband, wife, father, mother and citizen. Share yourself and build values into others.

4. Networking and Partnership.
One simple principle that have been proven effective in almost all fields of endeavour is networking. The principle says: Iron sharpens iron. Look for people who share common convictions. Look for people you can complement whether in business, ministry, education, entertainment or sports. You will always see people who will help you or those you will help. Networking gives you opportunity to expand your coast and see with other people's view.

5. Search and Prepare for Opportunities.
One of the saddest moments in our lives is that awkward one when an unexpected opportunity springs up but you don't have the required criteria which you should have. It is usually good to always wash the pot in case it rains over the night. Some opportunities may decide to stay in a distance. You have to build a bridge when opportunities stand aloof.

6. Intentional Personal Growth
You have to let go of comfortability and security if you really want to grow. Nobody is too old to learn. In fact, one of the closet companions of great people is learning. Anybody can easily find excuses for being a dwarf since learning on its own is not palatable. But understanding that life itself is serious, as Jim Rohn observed, will make you take responsibility for your life. I personally keep a Growth Journal. In new year, learn new things, read great books, go for workshops or seminars, volunteer at NGOs, go for internships or find a mentor.
Have you heard about StrengthsFinder which helps you detect your top strengths? Are you aware of the ground-breaking work of Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligence? These will help you to grow productively.

7. God in the Picture.
I deliberately make this the last on the list of ways of starting a new year. It is the most important because God is the planner of ages and in Him all things find meaning. He created time but He is not affected by it. An outstanding way of starting a new year is to make commitment to walk with God.

I Wish You a Prolific 2017


Apostleayoks Blog wishes you Happy New Year 2017

 

Pharm 'Yemi Adekunle

He shares inspirational insights with youth and purpose-driven individuals through his simple writing and speaking styles. He has earned a degree from Nation's Premier University of Ibadan where he banged distinction in Pharmacy. 'Yemi also keeps a watchful eye on humanitarian needs and community works.

+2348136194649

Email: yemiadekunle03@yahoo.com

Watch out for mind blowing articles from Ayokunmi in this year 2017. Thanks for visiting our blog. 

 

Pain of the Heart

I remember spending few years at home after my secondary school education. Gaining admission into the University was not a problem then but a challenge. I had a very close friend; in short my best friend then was privileged to gain admission before me. After few weeks on campus, she developed strange attitude towards me. She became another person entirely, she was no longer a friend I used to know. She no longer visit me at my house unlike before despite the fact that I visit her regularly . I asked her what the problem was, she opened up and told me she was no longer comfortable associating with me since we were no longer on the "same page".  Ayokunmi, how will you expect me to mingle with you when you are still at home, struggling to gain admission! she said.

Honestly I was pained with her actions but decided to take heart.

A year later, I gained admission in that same school, and eventually graduated before her.

Some of us are equally guilty of this. Don't ever look down on anybody if you can't lift them up.

Life is dynamic and not static. Many times things aren't the way we see them, they might move and change within a twinkle of an eye. No condition is permanent. When you condemn a situation along with the person in the situation, you are only playing "god" in a condition you don't have power over.

There is this common Yoruba adage that says "A masquerade that dances first will become a spectator before the end of the contest". He who laugh last laugh best.

NB: This Story isn't fictional but my true life personal experience.

Ayokunmi Solomon Jimoh

@apostleayoks

Restructure Nigerians, not Nigeria!

Map of Nigeria Showing the Geo-Political Zones

Many have come out to boldly call out for the restructuring of the country. They claim its a way out of the myriads of problems confronting us as a Nation. Lot of notable names have lent their voices to the regionalizing of the country so as to give each part full control of its natural resource especially the Niger  Delta Region. Many have stood up to claim that the country as it is now has derailed from its past glory when we had it regionalized. Nigeria doesn't need to be fragmented further or restructured in order to live up to our status as the giant of Africa. This article is all about how we can achieve greatness without further compartmentalization, but by addressing some common issues which we haven't paid closer attention to as a Nation.

Tribalism in Nigeria now is at a very saddening high. We see different parts of the country label those of other tribes with derogatory names. The youths are worst hit by this tribalism epidemic. We are ever ready to conjure a plethora of inhumane appellations for our brothers and sisters from tribes that are not ours especially on various platforms of the social media.

Another issue to be addressed is lack of the spirit of Nationalism amongst the Nigerian polity. Majority of Nigerians are only Nigerians by nomenclature and not by the heart. Nigerians do no longer believe in the Nigerian project. I bet most Nigerians would readily change their nationality to any country with better prospects who offers such opportunity. This is partly why Nigerians prefer to patronize foreign goods and emphasize all the bad things about made in Nigerian merchandise. The death of Nationalism gave birth to and is responsible for the growth of tribalism.

 

I love Nigeria
 

 

 

This is why a Nigerian would first identify himself as an Igbo, a Yoruba or Hausa man including the over 250 ethnic nationalities before identifying as a Nigerian. The death of Nationalism also took another casualty and that is, the spirit of patriotism. Very few Nigerians are patriots. Most Nigerians wouldn't go the extra mile for the country if there's nothing in it for them. This is further shown in how Nigerians treat government property and even how politicians treat government infrastructure and institutions e.g. dilapidated schools, stadiums and poorly equipped hospitals and death trap roads that abound in the country.

 

This is also responsible for the wanton destruction of oil and power installations especially in the South south because they do not feel as part of the Nigerian project . Government at all levels should embark on a major campaign to eschew away the spirit of tribalism and ethnic sentiment and for all to embrace nationalism . Government should also introduce the history of Nigeria into the curriculum of schools in the country.

 

Nigerians need to know the story of the independence and how the dreams of our founding fathers can be actualized. Nigerians need to know the story of the Civil War. We need to know the sacrifices made from all divides for our unity and what lessons we can learn from the war. Nigerians need to know the great political icons that have made positive and meaningful contributions for our sustained growth and how the upcoming generation can draw strength from their determination .

 

Nigeria Flag

Nigeria can be better if it conquers corruption. If the current crop of our greedy, selfish, wicked and uncreative leaders were at the helm of affairs when we had the regions, I bet we would not have anything to say about those past glorious days. Fellow Nigerians rather than restructuring our nation, we need to restructure our values. We need to evaluate what's important and what's not and this must start from the very foundation of every society-the family. It should be of note that leaders during the regional times in which Nigeria flourished were a product of a balanced family system which promoted the right values and virtues of hard work, honesty, creativity and selflessness.

I've heard many a Nigerian youth complain bitterly about how we've been short-changed by the older generation in our social contract. The older generation deem us unfit to handle Nigerian affairs aright. There are more than 30 million of us roaming the streets jobless and hopeless. When it comes to election times, we shy away from doing the needful or even accept to short-change ourselves by taking peanuts from the older generation to install their crook friends in power instead of we taking charge. Dear Nigerian youths, the older generation would never give us a chance if we do not SPEAK TO BE HEARD.

 

We speak to be heard when we do the needful during electioneering-vote credible people and defend your votes. We speak to be heard when we say no to stomach infrastructure and request for developmental governance. We speak to be heard when we submit ourselves to serve our fellow compatriots. Most Nigerian youths are ignorant of the fact that we are truly the leaders of tomorrow. when the older generation is gone, we have to take the lead but the truth is we are not ready and we don't really care and with that fact, the future of Nigeria still looks gloomy. If we do not collectively desire and work towards a new Nigeria, we have no future to look up to. The youths of today are the Nigeria of tomorrow just like our inept leaders of today were once irresponsible youths of yesterday.

Nigeria belongs to we all whether we like it or not . What ever we make of it will be borne by we all whether we like it or not . Let us all eschew tribalism. Let us show love to and support our brothers in the north east and donate towards the young ones starving and dying off there . Let us plead with our brothers in the Niger Delta region to quit bombing oil and power installations and sheath their swords because the use of violence will destroy more than the good we can ever achieve. Let us all demand for accountability on behalf of our Niger Delta brothers from the political elite in the region to tell us how the billions invested there has been spent.

 

Let us demand for justice from our political class that cannot pay pensioners and salary earners but can still afford to live in stupendous wealth. Let us demand for a new Nigeria brothers and sisters. Nigerian youths obey the clarion call and seize your own future. Nigerians, old and young let us restructure our mind-set, eschew tribalism and embrace nationalism, shun corruption and start believing in the Nigerian project because without restructuring Nigerians, restructuring Nigeria will only be an exercise in futility.

 

Tolu Olakanmi
toluolakanmi007@gmail.com