Abigael is a lady I have know for some months because she was staying with my neighbours. It took a while before I warmed up to her but after I did, we started talking little by little. The first time I asked how her work is going on, I was replied that it is not work but tutorial center. Being the time for JAMB Examination, I concluded she was preparing for her the examination.

I started getting baffled considering her age because she was in her late twenties. The next time I asked why she was just preparing for JAMB and she told me she left Secondary School in the 90s but had some personal issues that didn’t allow her take her education seriously. I had no reason to doubt her but the next day, she came told me we needed to talk about our last discussion because she didn’t tell me the full story. I told her she is welcomed anytime she wish to talk to me.

The opportunity came when I walked up to her and started sharing my own story and also my philosophies and the lessons I have learnt in life. This spurred her to open up to me and it is one of the most amazing stories I have ever heard. She first started by telling me all she told me initially were cooked up by her. I will try as much as possible to share the story she related to me but I am not assuring you of accuracy but you will still get a lot to learn from the story of this amazing lady.

Abigael grew up in a family, in a town in Ogun State, that believed it is a sheer waste of time to invest in the education of a female child. To complicate issues, she lost her father at an early age and her hope of getting educated at all was thrown out of the windows because her father was still contemplating sending her to school. The next head of the family told them point blank that no female child will ever go to school. Every attempt to make Abigael attend school was rebuffed by this man. She said seeing other kids go to school is a sight that pains her but she is too young and helpless to do anything about her situation.

At about age 11 or so, she was apprenticed to a soap maker so that she can learn the trade but she was turned to an errand girl or better still a house help by this woman. She said she did so many odd jobs for this woman throughout her stay with her and when it was four months to her rounding up her apprenticeship, the woman told her brother she is yet to master the “trade” and she will have to spend more time with her. Her brother promised to come for her at the expiration of their agreed period, which he did. At the end of her apprenticeship, she couldn’t make any soap and she was asked to go into trading. She started with buying and selling of fresh fish and later turned into frying fish and then to frying Garri (cassava flakes) but all the businesses didn’t turn to success because a lot of people were buying on credit.

At the end of the day, she got frustrated and she decided not to do any form of trading again. Succour came in the form of her cousin that came to the village from Lagos in 1995 or so, this cousin facilitated her coming to Lagos and she was apprenticed to another woman that promised to help improve her entrepreneurship drive by investing in her soap-making experience. It turned out that this woman didn’t keep to her promise and she was turned to a sales girl.

Being in an academic community, the fire of getting educated was rekindled in her. Don’t forget that she has NEVER being in the four walls of a classroom for even a second in her life and she was around 15 years old then. The customers of her boss were also encouraging her to go to school because they noticed she was intelligent. Luck brought a lady across her path who told her to tell her boss she operates a coaching center for kids. As fate would have it, her boss and her family was transfered inside Unilag Campus and they had to stop operating the business they were running. When the woman asked her what she wanted to do afterwards, she told her she would love to go to school.

She started attending the lady’s coaching as a special student and she had to start from ABC at the age of 16 years. She was not perturbed by anything and she took everything serious. At a point one of the ladies on campus asked her what she was doing at the lady’s place and when she told her, she was told an evening school exixts somewhere around. She immediately asked the lady to take her to the place and that was how she started in Primary two.

Abigael finished primary school at about twenty years and started an evening secondary school afterwards. She was forced to quit the home of her boss because there were so much pressure on her which were causing her to lose concentration on her studies. She went through a lot after that and even had to pick up a job at a pure water factory just for her to be able to pay her way to school. People that saw her determination to complete her education, came to her aid and she was helped in various degrees to the attainment of her goal.

As there is always a light at the end of every dark tunnel in life, Abigael, completed her secondary education. She even passed all her papers! The interesting part is that she completed her education at around 27 years of age, an age a lot of people have started working after their University education. She is now preparing for the University Matriculation Examination.

I was speechless for a long time after she finished narrating her story. I kept looking at her and was wondering what could have kept her going despite all the challenges she faced while pursuing her dreams. I have met people who use their parent’s inability to send them to school as an excuse for not moving forward in life and here is someone that took her destiny in her hands and ensuring nothing stopped her from fulfilling her dream. I went to bed thinking about the lesson I have just being thought and I even woke up with the thought on my mind.

What will the world be like if we all follow our dreams? What would we have achieved if we have never allowed anything to stand in our ways of achieving our heart desires? As a dreamer, what price of discomfort are we willing to pay in order to achieve our dreams? This story calls for serious thought and decision as well. What are your excuses? What have you learnt from this story? What are you going to do about the lessons learnt? This is up to you.

My last challenge to you is this: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND AT ACHIEVING IT!

I am looking forward to sharing your story on this website SOON! Make your life count.

ShareThis

I am sure it will inspire someone

“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up again” - Vince Lombardi

Life is all about being knocked down but not out. As soon as you allow circumstances to knock you out, you become their slaves and they keep knocking you about till you are sent into your grave. Have you ever heard of the phrase “the path less traveled”? That is the path that the successful people are comfortable in taking. Though the road is rough and tough, yet they are willingly to take it because they know what awaits them at the end of the road.

Those who take the road most traveled are those who want to have things easier in life, those who believed life is meant to be lived without facing any form of obstacle, the lily-livered type. What do you think is awaiting these ones at the end of the road? Penury, obscurity and things related to them. These are the people that will end up blaming everything, apart from them, as the source of where they have ended up in life.

Our perception of failure needs to really change. It is something that is just a temporary event but people who dwell on their failures always make it a permanent thing. All they do is just give that as a source of excuse for them not moving forward. We all must fail at one point in our stay on this planet but our decision must be to march on no matter what life throws at us. I want you to know that the greatest failure in life is to stop trying. It is better to fail attempting a great deed than to attempt nothing and succeed.

Another thing I see about challenges, is that they make us become a better person. The mistakes you made yesterday, you find it difficult to make today. The wisdom we gain from our challenges will always be useful to us and those who listen to us. Why do you think people will pay huge amount of money to listen to people like Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Anthony Robbins, John Foppe, Michael Angier, Les Brown and several other speakers? It is because of the wisdom that is oozing out of them and where do you think they gained all these wisdom from?

Do you think they learnt it at an institution of learning? Or do you think by just sitting down and doing nothing that is how the wisdom flew into them? No! They really went into the world and experienced all that life has to throw at them. They went through tough times in their lives and life dealt several blows on them, but to life’s surprise they took everything and were still able to ask it if that is all it has to offer! Life, I am sure couldn’t believe it, it has to give them everything they required from life.

The wisdom they have didn’t come cheap! They fell several times and still dusted their pants and move on they did! Who won’t listen when these men talk? Have you ever lost a million dollars? How will you react if you happen to be in the shoe of someone who has? Won’t you listen when, someone who has passed through that experience and still made it back, talk?

That is simply what tough times and challenges do to us! They make us better, wiser and more resolute to succeed more than any other thing. Why is it that there is always a light at the end of a dark tunnel? If you know this is always so, why then do you think of giving up when you are passing through tough times?

Remember Sir Churchill’s advice to those kids then? PLEASE NEVER GIVE UP!

ShareThis

1. What’s your highest priority this lifetime?

What’s most important for you to experience, explore or embrace this time around? Until you answer this question, your life goals will be off purpose. Unaligned with your inner passion, your intentions will lack the power to attract the people and situations necessary to become a reality.

Get clued into your true joy. What activities turned you on as a child? What are your hobbies now? When your goals are aligned with your soul purpose, synchronicity kicks in to guide you to your target. When you intuit and own your unique essence and calling, assistance will flow to you from every earthly and heavenly source.

2. Is this your dream, or someone else’s?

Are your goals your own choice, or what others think you should strive for? Do you want to look back in your old age and wish you had followed your passion? Will you regret having “played it safe?”

Is it selfish to go after your own dream? What joy can you give to others if you haven’t given it to yourself first?

You have a divine right to listen to your heart. You have a social obligation to follow your dream. Only then can you fulfill your destiny and make the earthly contribution you were born to make.

Tell a friend about this article!

3. Do you really, really want this dream?

Do you bound out of bed every morning to pursue your vision? Or is it a lukewarm dream you chase because it sounds meaningful? Only the Real McCoy will generate enough energy to manifest itself in the world.

4. Are you settling for less than?

Are you resigned to accepting less than your full share of love, health and success this lifetime? Have you compromised and sacrificed your dream to death?

Anything short of living your true passions will never make you happy. Do you want to arrive at the Pearly Gates with the regret of not marrying that one captivating person, starting that fun business, or seeing that exotic part of the world you always wanted to visit?

5. Is your dream actually just a means to some other dream?

Is your goal the ultimate end in itself, or merely a limited means to that end? Isn’t it really the new car itself you want, rather than the money-the means-to buy the new car? More to the core, isn’t it really a renewed sense of self-worth you desire, rather than the new car or house to impress the family and neighbors? And isn’t it really happiness you want, rather than the picture-perfect mate, job or body?

Focus on the experience you want to create, not the physical form that may-or may not-bring you that experience.

6. What will you feel like when you reach your dream?

Personal passion fuels a vision. Dive into the thrill and exhilaration of the feeling of living your dream. Every moment you can, drink in the joy of having your goal.

The Hawaiian Kahuna say, “Where your creative attention flows, so flows your life.” Is your daily attention feeding your dream? As the TV public service announcement reminds us, “It’s midnight. Do you know where your children are?” Hey, in your life, it’s high noon! Do you know where your creative excitement is flowing?

It’s high time you manifested your aspirations. Dynamic, satisfying creations are nurtured with love and care as a flower in a garden.

7. How will you benefit from getting your dream?

Get specific about the benefits you’ll receive from achieving your vision. Write down these pluses so they will sink in as motivators. What exactly would happen if you made a lot of money doing something you love? How would you approach your life differently if you allowed people to love and support you? What would you do with more vitality and health?

8. What steps can you take today toward your dream?

Don’t defer your dream. Set up supports and systems around you to instantly translate your intentions into action. Jump on every opportunity that is in line with your purpose and vision.

Keep the momentum going. No matter how hectic life gets, pledge to take at least one action a day. Even the smallest actions-jotting down a new idea, reading a single page, or making one phone call-can start to add up.

Are there smaller projects that lead to your larger dream that can give you pleasure in the meantime? If the dream is to run a marathon, train for a local fun-run first. And find a way to measure your progress. Track those little wins-by writing in a journal or telling a friend.

9. Are you telling yourself: “I can’t have my dream?”

Most people don’t believe they can live their dream. Either their belief system has them believing they can’t make a living doing what they love, or they feel they don’t deserve their dream. To avoid the pain of feeling they can’t have their dream, people often keep their dream so buried they can’t remember they ever had a dream.

Everyone has a dream! And everyone is destined to fulfill that purpose. Why wait?

10. Are you afraid of getting your dream?

Statistically, more heart attacks occur when “good” things happen, than when “bad” things happen! Getting your dream is life-threatening! Of course, realizing your dream is only threatening to your old experience of yourself and your life-you know, the one that’s boring-or paining-you to death!

Change is scary. Find a way to move the energy of fear. The only way to avoid feeling fear is to avoid living altogether!

11. Do you really need to accomplish your dream?

Do you really need to achieve your goals to be happy? Enter the “hootless state”-where you no longer give a hoot if the exact “picture” of your dream comes true. Without the interference of the ego’s push, pressure and micro managing, you have a much better chance of being in the right vibration-space-to attract real happiness. When you relax your grip on the exact way your future “has” to unfold, you give the Universe more flexibility in how it can fulfill your wishes.

And, on a higher plane, what if our true task here on Earth is simply to be who we already are in our essential nature-with or without manifesting our specific goals? What if the essence of who we are is enough?

(c)2004, Keith Varnum. All rights in all media reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Drawing from the wisdom of native and ancient spiritual traditions, Keith Varnum shares his 30 years of practical success as an author, personal coach, acupuncturist, filmmaker, radio host, restaurateur, vision quest guide and international seminar leader with “The Dream Workshops.” Keith helps people get the love, money and health they want with his free Prosperity Ezine, free Empowerment Tape and free Coaching at http://www.TheDream.com

ShareThis

The decision paid off because I have a platform that is encouraging Nigerians to reach for the greatness within them and a lot of lives are getting changed now. You can take a look at the link below to understand what I am talking about here:

NaijaMotivation.com

“How time flies!” Did I hear you say that, when you realised we are now in June?

Time not only flies, but it determines a lot of things in our lives. It was just like yesterday that we were all celebrating and backslapping our friends for seeing the brand new 2008. We made a lot of decisions or should I say resolutions at the beginning of the year. I always wonder at the rate people talk about their New Year Resolution when it is obviouss the resolutions won’t even survive the first month of the year.

Dear friend, my question to you is this: What are the things you decided you will do this year? What promises did you make to yourself? What were your resolutions at the beginning of the year? Are you still pursuing them or they have been abandoned in the bin of forgetfulness?

I have always known that talk is cheap and people don’t really evaluate anyone by what they say anymore but by what they do. A lot of people made promises to me at the beginning of the year, but I always wonder where they have all gone to now.I set up blogs/websites for a lot of people that were brimming with courage and passion to conquer the online world at the beginning of the year, but lo and behold about 99% of them have fizzled away.

We are in a world where ACTION is what matters because without it there will be no result. In case you have abandoned your dream for the year, it is not too late to pick it up. Start acting on your dream now and you will be amazed at where you will be at the end of the year.

As it has been said, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START OVER AGAIN.

What promises did you make to yourself?

As a way of announcing my comeback, I will be tagging all my friends in the Personal Development blogosphere and also to say I am sorry for disappearing unannounced
It is GREAT to be back anyway

Missed you all

Rick Cockrum, Priscilla Palmer, Bob , Corinne Edwards, Abu Aremu, Jean Browman–Cheerful Monk , Personal Development for the Book Smart

ShareThis

I saw an interesting and soul lifting story somewhere and decided to use this as a relaunch pad. This is a story that confirms all I have been saying about the non-existence of impossibilities.

Enjoy it

Let me tell you about a little girl who was born into a very poor family in a shack in the Backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of 22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever - a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in having a mother who encouraged her.

Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very bright, that despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and and indomitable spirit.

So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally. In four years, she developed a rhythmic stride, which was a medical wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion, that she would like to be the world’s greatest woman runner. Now, what could she mean - be a runner with a leg like that?

At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last - way, way last. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Everyone begged her quit! However, one day, she came in next to last. And then there came a day when she won a race. From then on, Wilma Rudolph won every race that she entered.

Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained her so well that she went to the Olympic Games.

There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the 200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olympic gold medals.

Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma’s team made perfect hand offs with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma, she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph had earned three Olympic gold medals.

ShareThis

I have always believed that the mind of man is so powerful and he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to achieve. There are simply NO IMPOSSIBILITIES and we must all believe this.

In 2008, give yourself a dream to live for, a vision to pursue every passing day of the year and believe that you can achieve this dream before December 31st. Do not allow anything to derail you from your heart desires this year. There will definitely be situations that will want to make you abandon your dream but it is your duty not to allow anything to derail you.

Start off the year on a positive attitude and you will discover GREAT things happening to you in the year. This is how I have been living my life for years. I have always expected the best out of any year and at the end, I have always had reasons to be grateful. Last year is no exception and that explains why I am telling you this.

I have decided to make myself available to anyone that desires to follow his/her dreams this year. When I started my life as a dreamer, I told myself I will build myself up in such a way that I will have a story and will turn around to share my story with others so that they can also live their dreams. That is all I want to do this year: encourage people to follow their dreams.

I have highlighted so many things for the year and I will be unfolding them one after the other. What I want you to be assured of is that we are moving to greater heights, together, this year. If you want to achieve so much this year, then you will need to befriend me and this website So many life-transforming resources will be issued out and events will also be planned to achieve my vision for the year. Expect 365 days of motivation from me

No matter where you are today, just believe things can be BETTER for you by December 31st 2008. Don’t mind what the statistic is, just BELIEVE and you will RECEIVE!

Once again, WELCOME TO THE YEAR OF POSSIBILITIES!

Click the link below to read a post I made on my birthday last year:

There Are No Impossibilities

ShareThis

If there is a job you need to be good at dear friend, it is the job of an architect. I am not saying when you want to build your own house; you should draw the plans yourself. No! What is at stake is bigger and far from building house. There is a building that we all need to be good at planning for and thereby transferring our own brief into action. The planning for this building is often neglected by not a few and it is what determines what result we get. This building is our own life! We must learn to draw a plan for our own lives.

I have an uncle who happens to be an architect and I used to be fascinated at the amount of time and energy he devotes to drawing a plan of a client’s house. At times, I hear him speak out loud to no one in particular followed by a lot of gesticulations. Unfortunately, majority of us do not put enough time and energy into planning our lives like the professional architects. It is saddening seeing people live their lives without a plan. Most people who are living out a plan, are unfortunately living out other people’s plans for their lives.

The greatest joy one can have is to live according to one’s plan. Setting your plan and living it out brings an inner peace you can describe and this cannot be experienced if you are living without plans or living another person’s plan for your life. Living other people’s plans for our lives always lead to discomfiture and absolute frustration later in life.

When an architect is about to draw the plan of a house, he takes so many things into consideration, which may mean little or nothing to a lay man. Same goes for us. Nobody knows us better than we know ourselves therefore nobody should know what is better for us than ourselves.

If I were to draw the plan of a house, I will draw it according to how I wish it will be but an architect will not make such a mistake. He will draw it according to how it should be drawn putting into consideration so many factors. If you are going to plan your own life, will you put in things that will inconvenient you later in life? Will you draw up a plan to do things that you know will not be of any use to you?

If you decide to put the plan of your life in someone else’s hand, then you are courting trouble in the future. Nobody knows you more than you know yourself. I may just be seeing your shining face but I don’t really know who or what you are inside. I may not know your abilities and your weaknesses, so asking me or anybody else to help design your life is going to be a mistake that will surely lead to regret later in your life. You know your potentials and your inner dreams more than anybody else and you are the best person who can plan and design your life and future.

When you design your life in line with your dreams and abilities and things don’t seem to be working out according to the plan, you can still alter the plan since the “original copy” is still with you but if it somebody else’s plan you are living, changing may not be that easy. If you are living other people’s dreams and things don’t work out as planned, you will still take the blame. So why don’t you assume the responsibility of becoming an architect of your own life.

Nobody has the right to know how your life should be spent except you; not your parents, so many parents have misled their wards just by telling them they know what is good for them. Not even your relatives, friends, boss or any other living creature. If it is going to be, it is up to you. You have a choice to design your life and live according to the plans or borrow someone else’s. It is your choice! It is up to you and you should know that it is the end that justifies the means.

PLEASE TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!

ShareThis