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In my growing up years, I discovered I cut my public speaking teeth, helping as compere in people’s birthdays. This ofcourse meant that I had to keep a list of stories, riddles and jokes to entertain the audience with. It also meant that I had to sit through a number of birthday messages and good will talks. As you can possibly guess, I currently cannot be tongue tied speaking at any birthday, but more importantly I picked up a phrase that has stayed with me from one of those birthdays. The statement is simple – “One year more, is one year less!”
What that statement means is that while we rejoice about advancing in age, we should be careful to think back and know that you have one year less, to achieve all you were born to achieve. The psalmist put it in a great way, when he said “Teach us O lord, to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom”. Wisdom is knowing that every advancement in time, is a deduction from the upper sands in the hourglass of life. It is hence essential that as we celebrate our achievements, we plan our progress..
As I write today, we have fastly secured one quarter behind us in 2009. One quarter celebrated, is one quarter less. This is a good time to pause a bit, think about the goodness of God in the last 3 months, and plan ahead for the days ahead. They called it a year of downturns and crisis, but what I have experienced is lifting ups and new opportunities. The months and quarter ahead hold loads of promise, here are a few things to do to make the most of the remaining 3 Quarters in the year.
1. Be patient
Patience is not holding off on decisions you ought to make promptly. Patience is not being sluggish. Patience is the character displayed in the presence of pressures of what we have no choice about. The market turn of the last year, pushed many people into the reds, some stocks are presently illiquid and unsellable. Patience is the ability to wait through the storms, to hang on in faith and belief that after the night comes day, and that after the rain sunshine.
2. Realign your Dreams and Goals
Our dreams grow with us, as we progress in life, we become more realistic. There is an element of realism that is not wholesome, but there is an element that is vital. Our dreams must become more clearly defined as we approach it, the bones of I want to be great must add the flesh of details. We need to sit down on our goals and recrystalize them. Yank out your diary that is gathering dust, or if you use an electronic one like I do, go back to Dec 31 and Jan 1. Find a way to keep your goals consistently before your eyes. If your eyes can see it, your hands can reach it. If you throw your mind over, your body will follow! Review them then realign them.
3. Seize Opportunities
The opportunities that are yours are not the ones you talk about, they are the one’s you take advantage of. We win some, and we lose some. Don’t let the ones you have lost dissuade you from attempting new opportunities. The guy that failed is the guy that stopped. Don’t stop, keep walking!
4. Commit
Somehow it’s second nature for human beings to dodge commitments. Guys are forever trying to avoid anything more serious than lady friends, “come and see my mum”, is too much commitment for he yet unserious guy :). We dodge to make decisions, we procrastinate, we delay. Someone once said, to move in the right direction all you need to do is go against the direction of the majority. Commitment is difficult for the majority, but to succeed, you must make choices and commit to them. You can achieve anything in this life that you want to achieve, if you will only commit to doing what you need to do. Excellence is not an event, it’s a habit! Learn to commit!
5. Connect and Consult
It’s not who your friend is, or who your mentor is that counts, it’s what you are able to derive from the relationships for that counts. Connect with your great relationships and consult them to assist you. People suffer atimes, not because of a lack of friends or ideas, but out of a lack of taking the initiative to give help a call. It’s not who you know that counts, it’s who you know, who knows you, and for what?
6. Give thanks
Even though you have not achieved all you set out to achieve, even though you didn’t hit the big deals you desired. One things is clear though, you are alive! You are not only alive, you are well, well enough to read here, well enough to show up for work, well enough to steal have dreams and desires! Give thanks to God, the one who spared your life without your qualifying for it. Better people than you have died, but you are alive. You are alive, because there is something you still have that is relevant to your world. There is value you can still add, and there are goals to yet achieve. Be grateful!
25 thoughts on “Time”
Reading this again has brought new meaning to it. God bless you.
Thanks for this Birthday gift. It was so timely. God Bless you sir…
Thanks for this message. God bless you.
Great One Bro, Looks nicer. Most of Us are guilty of item 6, We think some things are just natural. I realized that recently and it has helped me a lot. NOTHING HAPPENS BY CHANCE
I feel energize reading this piece.Thank you Deolu for adding value to my life.
I feel energize after reading this piece.Thank you Deolu for adding value to my life
i know this thing that we should try that our each coming day becomes better than the previous day for us and for the people around us.
this is what i’m talking about!!! i feel refreshed
welldonw sir for the message. the message is simple.TAKE ACTION!.If we must advance as a country, let us do act.God bless you sir.
Thanks once again…
Thank you for this refreshing and reviving article. God bless you real good.
wao! this is something else i’m getting. so much that i can’t digest now but will have to sit down t and read over and over again. as an individual i feel re-energized to face the future again after reading this piece. Nigerians needs to read this so as to create another thirst for greatness. if only the Nigerian can devout time to reading things like this i believe strongly that re branding Nigeria will be a success. thanks a million times.
my MENTOR.
Great lessons you have got there,sir! God bless you!…but how about d electronic diary,I will like to know how to get one.
Inspiring!
Brilliant piece! thanks a Million for this post.
Deolu, do have a blissful Easter.
cheers PJMastery
i can vividly remember when to you said poor people are those who:
p-passes
o-over
o-opportunities
r-repeatedly.
this really made sense to my life and since then, i have always learn t to seize opportunities as often as they come.the average Nigerian youth is known to wait for things to be done for him. But when Fela Durotoye said: they are three kinds of people.
1-those that watch things happen
2-those that wonder why things happen
3-those that make things happen;
i immediately decided never to be a spectator.
thank s for always bringing out the best in me. i owe Nigeria a lot.
Hi Deolu, Great re-awakening to act, its a well-timed message. Interestingly though, we are not all going to be wealthy but for those of us that decided long ago to be wealthy (and in control), this is the way to go.
“It’s not who your friend is, or who your mentor is that counts, it’s what you are able to derive from the relationships for that counts”
this is head spining! i wonder how many youths have go their futures drowned because of this issue of mentorship.
i believe it is not a crime to have mentors but it becomes a sin when when you do not have a choice u settle for from your mentors.
all that glitters are not gold. every mentor is prone to flaws and could be imperfect
time waits 4no one…..good one .
thanks
bro D
Hey Word!….Great piece! How can one clap and be seen on tyour blog ! ====[]==== ! lol.. No 6 is the summary/highpoint of the whole matter! Thanks to the one that will help us do the other 5 !.I need to digest this piece some more and come back and comment again! lol
“Commitment is difficult for the majority, but to succeed, you must make choices and commit to them. You can achieve anything in this life that you want to achieve, if you will only commit to doing what you need to do. Excellence is not an event, it’s a habit! Learn to commit!” Excellence requires commitment, consistently doing what we have to do even if we fail, till success shows up. Sir, Thanks again.
i call this a short agenda for gaining fulfilliment in a short time. thanks baba dee
“…Better people than you have died, but you are alive. You are alive, because there is something you still have that is relevant to your world. There is value you can still add, and there are goals to yet achieve. Be grateful!”….’DEOLU AKINYEMI. this did not really make much meaning to me untill now. sometimes last week, i lost my closest friend and i am having a very hard time thinking about the impact she made because i can’t belive she is dead because she brought out the best in me and i am grateful to God that at a time when i needed value she brought it out in me. she developed my writing, speaking, singing skills and lots more. it is true that there is someone God will use to bring out the best in you but they may not be there forever, so utilize every opportunity you have to be the best. i’m grateful to God i’m alive to do my HIs bidding. I DEDICATE THIS PIECE TO HER.
I’m nonetheless learning from you, as I’m trying to obtain my goals. I definitely liked reading everything which is written on your website.Keep the stories coming. I enjoyed it!