MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 17: They learn from Experience

Today I was preparing the next in the series on Loyalty. Somehow, I came to remember that the last time I posted on the Actions of Successful People was on last December, two days to Christmas. I don't seem to know why but I feel pressed to pause the ongoing series and resume the long-standing one. Hopefully, I will finish it this time with 7 more bi-weekly posts. If you've never read any of the previous posts I suggest you simply use the search bar on the sidebar with the text MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED. That is the standard prefix I have used for all the articles in this series.

 

 

Success comes from good judgement
Good judgement comes from experience
Experience comes from bad judgement  (Tony Robbins)

The most successful people are those who learn not to repeat mistakes.  Procedures may be worth repeating but only dullards repeat mistakes.  It’s allowed that everyone make mistakes but it’s not allowed that they make it every time. These is nothing as good as doing things right the first time.  And this is where the experience of others comes in.  You can’t do things right if you don’t know how. And you can’t know how if you don’t ask how.

Risk taking is primarily about defying the odds to go ahead. But the best risk takers (and who have pulled it off most often) are those who have seen others (or who themselves in the past did) make some mistakes in the past, and are wise enough to avoid repeating them.  In fact, the best and quickest way to learn is to observe and then repeat or avoid, depending on what is seen.  That is the default mechanism of learning built into man by God.  That is how babies learn.

Observe what others have done (or are doing) and make meaningful deductions. It’s much safer and less costly to do that. Why must you make all the mistakes yourself, even though you can’t avoid some?  That’s why Sam Adeyemi said that the experience that is the best teacher is someone else’s experience.

As it has been said, if a man cheats you once, it’s his fault; if he cheats you a second time, it’s the fault of both of you; if he cheats you a third time, it’s all your fault. Learn to make them count: what you've seen, heard and been through.

Two Major Things Part I

In today's world, we miss two major things everyday.

One, the value of quiet.

Everywhere is so noisy and everything is moving so fast that it is next to impossible for people to retreat daily, observe nature, take in some deep breath and savour the beauty of the one life that the benevolent Creator has given them, and follow after their purpose (or at least, spend time discovering that purpose).

It is quite unfortunate that parents and the school system contributing to the noise around. A typical child is engaged from the time he wakes up till he falls asleep at night. We are just preoccupied with work, assignments here and there, meetings and countless activities, with little or no time left for daily assessment. Not that these things are bad in themselves but there is an inherent danger in not being able to stop and think: distraction and frustration.

Little wonder life is becoming clumsy by the day and people are losing focus consistently. From an engineering standpoint, I understand that the faster a typical machine runs (and more especially if it does that with little or no break or lubrication sessions), the more heat, noise and vibration it tends to generate and the shorter it ends up living. How wise is the saying that "...in quietness and trust is your strength..." That saying of a great prophet of old ends with "...but you would have none of it." That describes our generation aptly. We just don't want to stop! And the reason for that is that most people are simply purposeless. 

Reading Rick Warren's "The Purpose-Driven Life" recently, one of the profound truths I have learnt is that in the serious matters of life, simpler is always better. Why? Because the more purpose-driven you are, the less you veer off your lane, the less you get distracted, the less you will want to do, and the less will be your perceived need for speed.

Come on, you are not competing against anyone but yourself in the race of life. The ultimate standard against which you will be measured is the standard that was set for you, and you alone - and that's why being purpose-driven helps you to keep it simple. Purpose helps you to know the difference between what you really need and what you merely want. Purpose shows you the line between what matters and what does not.

Unfortunately, as important as it is, purpose is absolutely noiseless. It associates only with the quiet. Perhaps much more unfortunately, many of us erroneously believe that when we are achieving our purpose, we should generate some noise in form of ovations and loud events. That is not necessarily true - but it is not necessarily false either, only that it is more false than true! In innovation studies it is understood artifacts are not innovation themselves, they are just the embodiments required to sell the innovation. So events and activities and accolades and whatever are not purpose in themselves, they are mere artifacts that serve to embody purpose, they are vehicles through which purpose is expressed. It is rather important to pursue purpose than artifacts. A life that is purpose-driven will announce itself, taking along with it the artifacts.

What then does one do to maintain some level of quietness in this noisy age? First admit the need to cut down on your excesses as an individual. There are so many things you do each day that you can do without. Then take time off each day to do nothing but think. You have to decide on your own what to think about, but remember - good or bad, you eventually produce what you think predominantly about. Above all, be committed to your purpose, in case you have found it. If not, then that's where to begin. 

Whatever goals you set and even achieve do not count much towards your fulfillment if they don't contribute to your reason for living. It does not matter how many times you can use an axe to peel oranges, until it hews wood, it has not achieved much.  

As the year begins...

'...a deadly blast, just after midnight. Nearly 72 were killed and many more were injured...'

Did you hear that? It took place in an Egyptian church! In Nigeria on Christmas eve and New Year's eve it also happened. Remember the words of Jesus in Luke 13:2,4. No one is better than anybody...'but time and chance happens to them all'

As the year begins, thank God for where you are - wherever that is - and stop complaining!

If you're dissatisfied then do something and don't just stand there whining like a kid!!!

Going...going...gone!

Happy New Year.

If you have ever been at an auction before, then the statement that forms the title of this piece is not new to you. I have heard it a couple of times before and I think I understand how it works. The person directing an auction waits for people to call out their bids in turn and when he is satisfied or a higher price seems not to be coming, he shouts 'Going...going...gone!'

During the two 'goings' a bid would still be valid but once 'gone' is said, a bell usually sounds and that's it, the price is fixed and it does not matter how high a price anyone calls, it is invalid and cannot be taken into account. Why? Because the time of bidding is gone, and in fact the item on sale is 'gone' to whoever called the last bid before the bell was sounded. A new item then comes on and everyone interestd starts to bid.

There are two important things to note here.

1. There is a time when it is too late to do anything about the outcome of an event.

2. The end of an event necessarily marks the beginning of another one. 

If you are reading this now, then you're in 2011, no doubt; but you should also know that the time that you can do anything about how your 2010 ends (or rather, ended) is gone. If you don't believe that, try to alter what you earned in November 2010 in the books and see if you would not be charged with fraud! The moral here is that once an era is ended, you can't influence it any more. That's why past history cannot be re-written. It cannot be changed, for instance, that Thomas Edison 'perfected' - and is generally credited with inventing - the incandescent light bulb. 

Someone said that you may not have a brand new beginning but you can start afresh from where you are and have a brand new ending. The wisdom here is that if you want to change the outcome of an event, the time to do that is not after the event. Does any coach change the result of a match after it's been played? So, if you want 2011 to end in a way different from 2010, then start doing things differently now. Do you realise that from 12 midnight today, the first 'going' sounded. The year 2011 is already hours short (and maybe days, weeks or even months short by the time you are reading this) so 'what you have to do, do quick', like that old poet said. Therefore, if you think your 2010 could have ended better, why don't you start doing the things that will bring about the improvements you desire now. 

I tell you this, if you repeat exactly the same things you did in 2010 from now on, you will get exactly the same results by the time this year is ending - maybe even worse due to diminishing returns! I totally agree with the sage who wrote that a definition of madness (or insanity, if you like) is to keep doing the same things and expect different results. Something has to change in your approach if the results you get must improve. Read that additional book, walk that extra distance to take that extra class, pay that extra amount to take that extra course, work a few extra hours or spend much less time lazing around; just do it, whatever you need to do to make this year different.

Believe it or not, it is never too late to start. Sam Walton was already 44 when the first Wal-Mart store opened, Larry King started 'Larry King Live' at 52, Allan Stewart was 91 when he got his LLB, Jenny Wood-Allen completed the London Maratohon at age 91, Edgar Dowse got his PhD at 93...and the list continues. For you it should not be that late, so if someone asks you what time it is, you should answer, 'It is my time!'

But the only time you've got is NOW, and remember, once it's 'gone' you can't help it anymore.

MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 16: They serve

Hi. As the year 2010 draws to a close, I believe you will also be taking stock. Taking stock of the things you did and did not do, the thinks you thought and did not think, the things you said and did not say and the places you went and did not go. I am doing that and in my thinking I ask my self one critical question: For how many people did I make things happen?

I can count a handful of those but as I reflected further, I came to the conclusion that making things happen for people is probably not the most important thing. Of much greater importance is making people! How many dreams have I helped to realise? How many people have I slowed down? How many people have I inspired or discouraged?

I am still taking stock and I reckon you want to do the same. For that reason I have put up the 16th part in my series on personal success. I have chosen this time for this because I strongly believe that it's all about service, whether we will find fulfillment or not. So I charge you to look back and see how well you've served and take a decision to do better in the coming year. 

What follows is the post MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 16: They serve. In it I have placed a few books that helped me and that I think might help you too. The quotes in the post do not necessarily come from those books but they are by/about the same men whose quotes I have used. Feel free to leave your comments or questions. See you on the other end!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

‘None have one chance in a billon of being thought of as really great a century after they’re gone except those who have been servants of all’ 

(Harry Fosdick)

True success is in service: Being for others what you want others to be for you. Your willingness to serve others determines how much others will be willing to do for you. You will never find anyone who will do anything for you if you never do anything for anyone.

‘Life is a lot like the game of tennis. Those who do not serve well end up losing’ (John Mason)

Believe it on not, the more you desire to serve (and the more you actually serve) and serve well, the more you will be served.  Whoever you are, you must put others before yourself if you want to amount to something.  Imagine a manufacturer thinking of profits from the sales of his products before thinking of what his consumers will like.  You know as well as l do that his business is headed for disaster. 

Happiness and satisfaction come from knowing that you are making someone better.  Albert Schweitzer got it round when he said that the only ones who will really be happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.  Greatness, according to Martin Luther King, Jr., is truly measured in servant hood. ‘

' The measure of life is not in its duration but in its donation,’ says Peter Marshall, ‘everyone can be great because everyone can serve.’

‘The greatest secret of success is to find a need and fill it’ (Robert H. Schuller)

MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 15: They Prize Counsel

‘Sometimes, a single conversation with the right person can more valuable than many years of study’. (John Mason)

Counsel does not mean advice. Most people take them to mean the same thing. They may be synonymous but they’re not the same. While advice is the adviser’s opinion, counsel is simply the counselor’s analysis or appraisal. Advice comes in pieces but have you ever heard anyone speak of a piece of counsel? An adviser tells you what he thinks you should or could do; a counsellor shows you the options and helps you understand them, then the choice is yours to make!

Anyone who is serious about success will care to know that the most important things are not people’s opinions (honest or not) but their sincere analysis or appraisal of you or what you do. That’s why sportsmen keep coaches. Imagine you are a sprinter. You just ran a race and came last. You meet your coach and all he has to say is, ‘You should have run faster.’ Days turn into weeks and he says nothing more. I can bet you won’t keep that coach.

But if he approaches you and says, ‘You didn’t make it out there because you didn’t run fast enough. Your steps were stiff and your thighs didn’t pump high enough. Again, you were landing flat footed.’ And then he goes on to tell you how to correct those errors. I bet you’ll keep that coach.

By now you should know how counsel differs from advice. People don’t succeed on only pieces of advice - just like you can’t live on pieces of food. You need meals. You need counsel. Your peace depends on it.

‘In the multitude of counselors there is safety’ (King Solomon)

VISION 20-2020

I've been away from here for some time now - it's nothing but some other work I've had to pay attention to. It's good to have you back there.

Here now, I like you to consider with me one of the main issues of our time in Nigeria - the VISION 20-2020. For those who don't know, what that means is that Nigeria would be one of the 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020.

Did I hear someone say it's impossible? From a vantage point I dare say that it's possible. My only concern is that it's not going to be possible if we still do business as usual. Like Zig Ziglar said, the height of insanity is to do what you've always done and expect different results. But that's what we're doing in Nigeria. Or how do you explain the fact that we keep recycling the same old hands - whose "deeds" or "misdeeds" brought us to where we are today - in leadership. No wonder ministers have to resign on allegation of corruption - just about 1 year in office. Na wa o!

Have you ever wondered what the source of the whole 20-2020 "visioneering" is? It came as a fallout of the Goldman Sachs Report in 2006 which suggested that Nigeria would grow to become one of the 20 leading economies in the world by the year 2020. The government of the day - then led by President Olusegun Obasanjo - caught that and sold it to the public through the brilliant Frank Nweke, Jr. Not surprisingly, the somewhat "directionless" government of Yar'adua just imported it into its "development agenda". This was so convenient to do for a President who did not even have a clear idea of what to do with his presidency.

What our "champions" did not notice - or maybe they know but are not admitting it - is the fact that the same report noted that the predication will only be valid IF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY CONTINUES TO GROW STEADILY at a certain rate. That rate has not changed and rather than moving towards it, we are actually drifting away. For instance, for a nation to develop industrially, its manufacturing industries MUST contribute at least 25% to its GDP annually. I ask, is that the case here? Furthermore, the economy has to grow at an annual rate above 9%. The highest we have attained in recent times is around 7%.

Besides, the report made it clear that it also assumed that the countries which are presently above Nigeria on the development ladder remain where they are. For God's sake how is that possible? While it is true that some might actually fall or remain stagnant, it is also true that some will rise beyond their present levels too! In fact, independent analyses have shown that Nigeria has many countries to topple for the prediction to hold true. One of such analyses by Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka and co showed that we have about 50 countries to topple for that prediction to happen. You might like to know that those countries include South Korea, India, China, Malaysia, Israel, Brazil and South Africa.

The foregoing clearly shows that the dream is a VERY tall one. But I said I believe it is possible. Ask me how and I'll just point you to a 2020 that I know. In the second part of 2 Chronicles 20:20 we read "Believe the LORD and you will be ESTABLISHED; believe His prophets and you will PROSPER." Without being unnecessarily optimistic, I dare say that if we, at least, the so-called CHILDREN OF GOD make this our own REAL 2020, we will be contributing in no small measure towards making our Nigeria realise her 20-2020 vision. I must let you know that we hold the key to convincing - by example - our leaders that the real 2020 is not what we are presently amplifying, it's in our turining to God and taking His words seriously.

To be continued

WELCOME TO 2008

I have seen the Lord's goodness, mercy and compassion and I know from personal experience that He's such a good God. I don't know about you but the fact that I am here on the other side of December 31st, 2007 tells me that God's still got one or two things for me to do here.

If you think the same way, then I charge you to let's stay together like we did this last year and let's together see how far we can go. I'll be focusing a lot on leadership, moral and ethical issues this year and your comments are, as always, very welcome.

Once again, Welcome to 2008.

UNIQUE THOUGHTS

It’s so amazing that another year is almost quarter way through now. I mean, only 6 weeks ago we all hailed ‘Happy New Year”, and here we are – almost at the end of the second month of that same year. Maybe more amazing is the fact that many folks are still preparing to get started; and more amazing still is the fact that many who have started don’t even know where they’re going. Even more amazing is the apparent confidence with which these folks are getting on JUST FINE – as if they can’t be more right.

I beg you to pause and think
Ø Have you started – on your goals, your dreams, your aspirations, your desires – this year?
Ø Are you sure you know where what you’re doing now will take you?

Or better still, do you know why you want to do what you want to do?

Each time I’ve thought about these issues since the beginning of this year, no better illustration comes to my mind than Zig Ziglar’s experience as described by Tony Jeary in Success Acceleration (that’s the third book I’ve read this year, apart from my academic stuff).
According to Tony, Zig went to his gym one day and found the place so packed that he hardly found a space to park his car. It was even more serious inside the gym as the whole room was filled with people sweating it out on the machines.

Surprised, Zig approached the manager of the place to make enquiries about the sudden rush. The manager’s response was somewhat like this:
“It’s no problem, most of the people you see here are new, they’d be gone in about a month or two. It’s just the New Year resolution crowd.” (emphasis mine)
Two lessons I learned from this bit of experience. One, most people, in fact every average man/woman/child makes good decisions. Two, most people are gone in about a month or two. If you think it’s a fallacy, compare your church attendance figures on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and last Sunday…

… And then the challenge … how many months will it take you to go?


Last year I raised the issue of the determinants of success and started by showing how, like mathematical equations, the value of one’s life is determined by the operator and the operand and not the constant. We’ll pick up from there and go on to see other dimensions of the matter … welcome.

DETERMINANTS OF SUCCESS

What determines the valve of a mathematical expression - the variable or the constant?

If you are familiar with mathematics, you will probably know that an equation comprises five main components: the equality and operator; and the variable, the constant and the result. In several instances, there is more than one of each of these components in an equation. Nevertheless, an equation still retains its basic form – the performance of some operation on some constant(s) and variable(s) to yield some result(s). LIFE IS JUST LIKE THAT. As we go about, we accept and make inputs into our existence, apply specific processes and then obtain results.

Now, let’s take a closer look at this equation concept and how it comes in useful to our discussion on SUCCESS. Consider the following expression:

y = x + 2

Let’s start by identifying the components. The variable is x which takes on any value we choose to give it; 2 is constant and does not change unless the entire equation changes; and y is the result which takes on the value of the result of the operation performed on 2 and x.

When x is 3, 2 remains 2 and y equals 5. When x becomes 4, 2 still remains 2 and y goes up to 6. If x drops to 1, y will also come down to 3 but 2 remains unchanged. Interestingly, if + changes to X and our variable x still takes on the value of 3, the result, y will be 6 as against 5 when the operator was +.

So let me ask again, “What determines the value of an expression?” Obviously it is the variable and the operator.

The LESSON?

Simple. The magnitude of the result of any endeavour depends on how large a variable is operated upon with the constant and what operator is used. We can then conclude that if we want higher results, we need to magnify our variables and change our operators.

I understand from sound teaching and experience that God does not change, that is, He is constant. Does that then mean that He does not influence our success as much as we do? The answer is YES? If you think of what He said to Joshua then you’ll probably agree.

Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

So, what you get out of your life depends directly on how much of yourself is added to God!. And then who’s the operator? You, your finances, your spouse, your job, your boss, your….just name it. As long as these things decide for you, don’t expect the best.
Summary: the principal determinant of success is you, yes, YOU and YOUR OPERATOR.

MY POWER WORKS BEST IN YOUR WEAKNESS 2CORINTHIANS 12:9

At 19 months, Helen Keller contracted the illness that eventually left her without hearing and sight. Back then those labelled deaf and dumb were classified as idiots. But Helen’s parents didn’t agree. They hired teacher Anne Sullivan to work with her and eventually she learned to read and write using Braille. Amazingly, in 1904 she graduated with honours from Radcliff College, and then devoted her life to helping others. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie paid her an annual income; writers Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson praised her and almost every President of her day invited her to the White House. When asked if there was anything worse than being blind she replied, “Yes, having sight but no vision.”

At 12 Thomas Edison developed such severe hearing loss that his teachers recommended he be taken out of school. Instead, Edison used his handicap to drown out distractions and focus on his work. As a result, the boy who was labelled a slow learner gave the world over 1,000 inventions, including the light bulb, the phonograph and the motion camera.

Who gets to define normal anyway? Is it being short versus tall, or rich versus poor? The truth is God’s given all of us unique abilities that He expects us to explore. And interestingly, the real handicaps don’t belong to those who are born with physical and mental challenges. No, they belong to the so-called normal people who’ve accepted lethargy and limitation as part of life.

God said, “My power works best in your weakness”; so you can let your difficulties impede or inspire you. Which will it be?

courtesy Grace So Amazing Foundation

DESPITE ALL THESE THINGS…ROMANS 8:37

Composer Gian Carlio Menotti said, “Hell begins the day God grants us a vision of the gifts we’ve wasted, of all we might have done but we didn’t do.

Wilma Rudolph, who won three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics, would agree. What she accomplished isn’t as impressive as what she overcame. As a child Willie contracted polio and couldn’t walk without braces. Then at age 13 she regained the use of her legs and went on to become the fastest woman alive. But her challenges weren’t just physical. One of children born to a poor black family, she inspired us by transcending poverty and racial animosity. She said, "I can’t" has never been in my vocabulary.

At age two, Scott Halton, another famous Olympian skater, stopped growing because of a childhood illness that almost killed him. But his parents encouraged his rehabilitation by teaching him to skate; and the rest is history!

In 1976 when Brad Parks was injured in an accident that left him in a wheelchair, he strengthened his arm by whacking tennis balls against his garage door. Three years he formed the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis.

Paul said despite all these things victory is ours through Christ.

Rick Warren writes: Why does God use our weaknesses? Because when He does, He gets all the glory.

If God only used your strengths, others would look at you and be jealous or discouraged. But when God uses you in spite of your weaknesses they realise God could use me too! Your weaknesses aren’t an accident. God allowed them for the purpose of demonstrating his power through you.

courtesy Grace So Amazing Foundation

IT ALL DEPENDS

This poem I'm sure you're likely to have seen before but I just want you to think about it again. Have you ever wondered how many times we attempt to get things done on our own. I've always asked one question: What does it matter what effort you put in if God was not going to do it in the first place?

I honestly think the greatest weakness we have to overcome as humans is our ILLUSION about ourselves- we tend to think more of ourselves than we really are, and that's why we find it hard to learn to trust God. But as you'll see, whatever turns out of whatever, IT ALL DEPENDS...


A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Mark McGuire's hands is worth $19 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Venus Williams' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

Two fish and five loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and five loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears,
your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships
in God's Hands because ...
...it depends on Whose Hands it's in.

NAIL IN THE FENCE: a new perspective about tempers

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.

Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. "

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us." Please forgive if anyone ever leaves a hole. And be careful not to leave holes...

YOU TOO CAN MAKE IT!

Dearly Beloved, I got this message in my e-mail from Pastor Bayo, host of spiritual digest via e-mail. I'm sure you'll be inspired reading it. The message is simple: YOU TOO CAN MAKE IT!

"We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure" -Apostle Paul(Hebrews 6:11, NIV).

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life" -Elder Jude(Jude 20-21, NIV).

I read a story of a popular Yoruba dramatist recently in a national newspaper that touched my heart. It is about a 60-year-old dramatist who, with his second son in the same lecture room, got his first university degree at age 49, but now a doctorate degree holder and lecturer in one of the leading universities in Nigeria. He was able to have primary education because of the compulsory free education in the then Western Region of Nigeria. Apart from a kind of post-primary education then known as "modern education," the man could not go to secondary school because of the poverty of his parents. With determination after acting as dramatist both on stage and in movies for over three decades, he becomes an academic and an authority in his choosing profession - the theater. His life is indeed a challenge to many of us.

Have you lost hope that you can no longer make it in a particular pursuit? Do not lose hope! Continue to persevere with determination that, one day, you will make it. Are people looking down on you because of your humble background or your seeming failure in your endeavors? Do not worry yourself about them. Continue the struggle. Remember that old proverb, "Aluta continua, victoria acerta," meaning "the struggle continues, the victory is sure." Victory is sure if you do not give up. Another popular saying goes thus, "Winners never quit; quitters never win."

Paul the apostle admonished, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9, NIV), and "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV).
You also can make it!

In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

If you were blessed reading this and would like a consistent supply, contact Pastor Bayo (spiritualdigest@e-mail.com)

FANNY J. CROSBY: Tell Me The Story Of Jesus

The next time you sing an old, familiar hymn, look at the small print at the bottom of the page, and you probably will read the name of Fanny Crosby. Throughout her long career, she wrote more than 8,500 gospel songs and hymns, many of which are still popular today. "To God Be The Glory," "Praise Him, Praise Him," "Tell Me The Story Of Jesus," "I Am Thine O Lord"—every song is a testimony of her love for Jesus Christ. However, this gifted poet, unknown to many, could not actually see light. She was totally blind.

In May of 1820, when she was six weeks old, she caught a cold, and her eyes became slightly inflamed. The regular physician in Putnam County, New York, was out of town, and a man posing as a doctor gave her the wrong treatment. Within days, her eyesight was destroyed, and the man fled town in a panic. Fanny was never bitter about the stranger's intervention. "I have not for a moment in more than eighty-five years felt a spark of resentment against him, because I have always believed...that the good Lord...by this means consecrated me to the work that I am still permitted to do."

Her devoted Christian parents raised Fanny to be a confident, happy child. She dressed herself, did her own hair, and had impeccable table manners. Known for being a mischief, Fanny spent as much time as possible climbing trees, riding horses, and playing practical jokes on her many friends. One of the strongest influences in Fanny's childhood was her grandmother. An intelligent and patient woman, she took Fanny on nature walks, describing every bud and leaf in meticulous detail. She exposed her to great literature and poetry. Most importantly, she read her long passages from the Bible every day. Even with such attentive teaching, Fanny's thirst for knowledge was not satisfied; her mind was phenomenal. Before she was ten years old, she had memorized most of the New Testament and more than five books of the Old Testament. However, since schools at that time were not equipped to teach blind children, she was unable to receive a regular education.

Fanny knelt with her grandmother beside her rocker and prayed: "Dear Lord, please show me how I can learn like other children." It wasn't long before her mother gave her the exciting news about an opportunity to attend the New York Institute for the Blind. Within the year, she was their best student and after graduation became a teacher. As she grew, poetry became her passion, and she filled every spare moment with writing verse. By the time Fanny was twenty, she was famous throughout New York and a sought-after speaker for poetry recitations and official ceremonies. In spite of this popularity, she still felt something was missing from her life, and it took a severe cholera epidemic in 1849 to show her what that was. More than half of the students at the Institute died, one of them in her arms. After helping to nurse the sick for months, she almost succumbed to the disease herself and fled to the country.

The deaths of those close to her shook Fanny greatly. Deep in her heart, she knew she was not ready to die. On November 20, 1850, Fanny knelt at the altar at a local revival and gave her heart to Jesus. Biographer Basil Miller tells her response: "For the first time I realized that I had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other," she said. Finally, the God of her grandmother had become real to her. Her poetry immediately reflected this change in her heart, and songs of praise took the place of regular poems. When she met the Christian composer William Bradbury in 1864, the friendship was almost instantaneous. Bradbury furnished the tunes for many of Fanny's hymns; and though she worked with several composers, their partnership was the most enduring.

Fanny usually composed dozens of songs in her head before dictating them to a secretary, but no matter what she created, she used the same approach. The book More Than Conquerors tells what she said about her method: "It may seem a little old-fashioned, always to begin one's work with prayer, but I never undertake a hymn without first asking the good Lord to be my inspiration." She had more speaking invitations than she could keep, and famous men such as President Polk called on her often. With so many friends and associates, she was never lonely. Then in 1858, God brought a special man into her life, the blind musician Alexander Van Alstyne. They were married forty-four years and had one child, who died in infancy.

Even in her later years, Fanny stayed as busy as ever, and not just with song writing. Always on her heart were those less fortunate, and she volunteered much time at local ministries. Whenever someone approached her with a question or need, she witnessed to them one-on-one and shared the light of God's Word. Fanny died peacefully in her home in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on February 12, 1915. The crowds at her funeral were a testimony to the wide-spread influence she had for the Lord. These words from one of her final hymns express the foremost hope of her life: "And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story - saved by grace."

TRUE LIFE STORIES part three: W. PAGE PITT

Page Pitt was someone who should have failed. From all indications, it was easier for him to resign to fate and failure but instead he succeeded. After losing 97% of his eyesight at age 5, he refused to go to a school for the blind. He was accepted into public school where he played baseball and football. Remarkably, he went on to complete college and become a top-notch journalism professor with a reputation for demanding excellence.
A student once asked Pitt which he thought would be worse; blindness, deafness or not having arms and legs. He replied, ‘NONE OF THOSE THINGS! LETHARGY, IRRESPONSIBILITY, LACK OF AMBITION OR DESIRE: THEY’RE THE REAL HANDICAPS. IF I DON’T TEACH YOU ANYTHING BUT TO WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIVES, THIS COURSE WILL BE A MAGNIFICENT SUCCESS.’
Often he told his journalism students, ‘YOU ARE NOT HERE TO LEARN MEDIOCRITY, YOU’RE HERE TO LEARN TO EXCEL. IF I SEND YOU ON A STORY AND YOU DON’T GET IT BECAUSE YOU’VE A BROKEN LEG, CALL ME FROM THE AMBULANCE AND I’LL FORGIVE YOU. BUT DON’T GIVE ME EXCUSES! THEY WOUND ME AND YOUR EXPLANATIONS POUR SALT IN THE WOUND.’
Your biggest enemy is not the challenges you face; its complacency, negativity, self-imposed limitations and self-pity. We’ve got all kinds of excuses for not doing more with our lives. Can we say with Paul, “I can do everything through Him who gives strength.” That means with God’s help you can rise above circumstances that ordinarily spell failure.

Courtesy GRACE SO AMAZING FOUNDATION wordfortodaynig@yahoo.com

JONI'S STORY: conclusion

I should say that it's been some time since I put something up here. At times, I wonder how easy it is to get so disturbed that you forget some meaningful things. Anyway, thank God we're back together. We conclude our story (at least for now) of Joni...story courtesy HISTORY WOMEN

Joni Eareckson Tada (1950- present)

Joni Eareckson Tada is a remarkable woman. Injured in a diving accident at the age of 17, Joni has had to endure more physical suffering than most of us ever will. Though she suffered a deep depression and lost the will to live in the aftermath of her accident, she gradually came back to a deeper relationship with God. Because of her early struggles, she has become strong in her faith and is a testimony to the world of how when we are weak, God is strong. Her story is not one of bitterness and despair, as we might imagine it to be, but one of love and victory.
Joni Eareckson Tada was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1950 to John and Lindy Eareckson. She was the youngest of four sisters, Linda, Jay, and Kathy. Her name is pronounced "Johnny", being he named after her father. Joni inherited her father’s athletic and creative abilities, giving father and daughter a special bond. Her childhood was an extremely happy one. She grew into a young adult surrounded by love, happiness, and security in her parent’s home. The Eareckson family shared a great love for the outdoors, which promoted family togetherness. They shared in various outdoor activities such as camping trips, horseback riding, hiking, tennis, and swimming.
In 1967, after graduating from high school, Joni had her fateful accident. It was a hot July day and she was to meet her sister Kathy and some friends at the beach on Chesapeake Bay to swim. When she arrived, she dove in quickly, and immediately knew something was wrong. Though she felt no real pain, a tightness seemed to encompass her. Her first thought was that she was caught in a fishing net and she tried to break free and get to the surface. Panic seized her as she realized she couldn’t move and she was lying face down on the bottom of the bay. She realized she was running out of air and resigned herself to the fact that she was going to drown.
Her sister, Kathy, called for her. She ran to Joni and pulled her up. To Kathy’s surprise, Joni could not support herself and tumbled back into the water. Kathy pulled her out and Joni gasped for air. Joni was puzzled as to why her arms were still tied to her chest. Then to her dismay, Joni realized they were not tied, but were draped lifelessly across her sister’s back. Kathy yelled for someone to call an ambulance and Joni was rushed to the hospital.
Joni’s life was changed forever that July day in 1967. She had broken her neck - a fracture between the fourth and fifth cervical levels. She was now a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down. While her friends were busy preparing to go to college in the fall, Joni was fighting for her very life and having to accept the fact that she would have to live out the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Joni’s rehabilitation was not easy. As you might imagine she was angry and she raged against her fate. She struggled with depression and often times she wanted to end her life. She could not understand how God could let this happen to her. Before the accident she had felt that she wasn’t living the life she should be so she had prayed that God would change her life - that he’d turn it around. After months of staring at the ceiling and wallowing in her depression, Joni began to wonder if this was God’s answer to her prayer.
This realization that God was working in her life was the beginning of Joni’s journey to wholeness as a disabled person. She participated in various rehabilitation programs that taught her how to live with her disabilities and she immersed herself in God’s Word to become spiritually strong.
Joni’s life has been a full one. She has learned early on to compensate for her handicaps. Being naturally creative, she learned to draw and paint holding her utensils with her teeth. She began selling her artwork and the endeavor was a great success. There was a real demand for her work. She kept herself very busy with her artwork and gained for herself a degree of independence. She was also able to share Christ’s love in her drawings. She always signed her paintings "PTL" which stood for "Praise the Lord".
Joni has also become a sought after conference speaker, author, and actress, portraying herself in the World Wide Pictures production of "Joni", the life story of Joni Eareckson in 1978. She has written several books including "Holiness in Hidden Places", "Joni", which was her autobiography, and many children’s titles. But her most satisfying and far-reaching work is her advocacy on behalf of the disabled.
In 1979, Joni moved to California to begin a ministry to the disabled community around the globe. She called it Joni and Friends Ministries (JAF Ministries), fulfilling the mandate of Jesus in Luke 14:13,23 to meet the needs of the poor, crippled, and lame. Joni understood first-hand the loneliness and alienation many handicapped people faced and their need for friendship and salvation. The ministry was soon immersed with calls for both physical and spiritual help for the disabled.
JAF Ministries thus uncovered the vast hidden needs of the disabled community and began to train the local church for effective outreach to the disabled, an often overlooked mission field. JAF Ministries today includes local offices in such major cities as Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix, and SanFrancisco. The goal of the ministry is to have ten such offices in metropolitan areas by the year 2001.
Through JAF Ministries, Joni tapes a five-minute radio program called "Joni and Friends", heard daily all over the world. She has heart for people who, like herself, must live with disabilities. Her role as an advocate for the disabled has led to a presidential appointment to the National Council on Disability for over three years. Joni also serves on the board of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization as a senior associate for evangelism among disabled persons. Joni has also begun Wheels for the World, a ministry which involves restoring wheelchairs and distributing them in developing nations.
Joni has won many awards and commendations throughout her life. In 1993 she was named Churchwoman of the Year by the Religious Heritage Foundation and the National Association of Evangelicals named her "Layperson of the Year", making her the first woman ever to receive that honor. Also among the numerous awards she has received are the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award, The Courage Award of the Courage Rehabilitation Center, the Award of Excellence from the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, the Victory Award from the National Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Golden Word Award from the International Bible Society.
In 1982, Joni married Ken Tada. Today, eighteen years later, the marriage is strong and committed and they are still growing together in Christ. Ken and Joni travel together with JAF Ministries speaking at family retreats about the day to day experiences of living with disabilities. At the helm of JAF Ministries, Ken and Joni strive to demonstrate in tangible ways that God has not abandoned those with disabilities. And they speak from experience.

I promise to give you some pictures of her works in subsequent postings before we go on to another character.

TRUE LIFE STORIES part two: JONI EARECKSON TADA

THIS IS FROM MY DEVOTION THIS MORNING

When God calls you to do something, His call comes in several ways

1. You feel moved. There's a moment of certainty when God puts His hand upon you, nudging you toward a particular need, usually an unmet one. You know it in your knower.
2. It's confirmed by others. People will discern that God's at work in your life. People who know you well, watch; they volunteer comments such as You shine when you're doing that; You're at your best when you....
3. You'll be gifted to do it. There are times when a person starts off with seemingly no specific capabilities at all, but this is rare. With a call comes giftedness, that special empowerment God gives to the callee. When you're in your calling, you soar in spite of obstacles. And people tend to stand back in amazement. Ever seen Joni Eareckson Tada speaking to an auditorium full of people in wheelchairs? The whole place comes alive when she rolls up to the microphone in her wheelchair.

I'll stop there though that's not all. But I just wanted to underscore the fact that one can still find and fulfill a calling in spite obstacles. Today, Joni has live a quadriplegic for many decades, yet she transforms lives. What's that SCAR you think you have? Take it to the cross and leave it there. Consciously press ahead. See you in the next part...

Welcome to the new month

JUNE, month number 6 in the year 2006. Never to come again once it goes away. I'd just keep challenging myself towards my goal. What about you.