Often your tasks will be many,
and more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
and the hills insurmountable, too.
Always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with faith in your heart start upward
And climb 'till you reach your dream.
Nothing in life that is worthy
Is ever too hard to achieve,
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the faith to believe...
Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.
Faith is a mover of mountains,
There's nothing that God cannot do,
So start out today with faith in your heart
And Climb Until Your Dream Comes True
I so much believe that it is possible, you will reach your God given destiny.
Don't give up!
A star connotes outstanding performance, supernatural distinction or uncommon achievement. It also connotes uncommon exploits, outstanding results, record breaking, pace setting and unequalled performance. It has been gathered according to a study that there are a minority 5% of the world that controls the majority 95%. These 5% are not men who attained lofty heights by sheer luck but men who gave themselves to certain principles of success and took uncommon steps to be among the topmost 5%.
By all holy means possible, a believer who possesses the mind of Christ must strive to be among the best 5 in any field of human endeavour in which he or she finds himself or herself. Whether as a student or in a chosen profession, whatever you do must spark of excellence, intelligence and sharpened literacy. Stars are people who possess rare accomplishments. They are stars simply because they dare the odds to reach the heights where others dream to climb. They are men of swift and calculated actions. He is a star in the world who is first a star in his mind.
For you to become a star there are two things you must never lack:
1.Ability to answer questions that life will present to you: Every expression of stardom is a product of answered questions. Life will always present you with questions, the way you answer such questions will determine which direction you will go on the ladder of success. Stardom is never accidental. It comes by preparedness and connotes excellence; you must pursue excellence as a way of life in order to remain a burning and shining star.
2.Ability to solve problems: The level of your problem solving is the level of your shining. The more problems you solve, the more of a star you become. Every area in which you desire shine, all you need to do is to solve important problems. You must understand that you can never shine until you bring down the Goliath in the area.
Steps to Stardom
1.Overcome Intimidation:
Everyone that must be great must first conquer intimidation. Intimidation would always be a force you must war against as you attempt to climb the ladder of greatness in your chosen sphere of influence. This happened to David. The first thing Goliath did on sighting David was to intimidate him; the scripture says in verse 42 of our text that when Goliath ‘looked about and saw David, he disdained him’ and went further to intimidate him with words. Anything that intimidates you is the thing that God has called you to tackle.
2.Take Charge Spiritually:
Believers must begin to realise that the enemy understands the power of the spiritual reality of things and would first take advantage of the spiritual before they would attempt to launch out an attack in the physical. Though Goliath had observed that David was a small and inexperienced lad in the art of war, after intimidating him, he switched on to the spiritual. In verse 43, we read that he cursed him in the name of his gods. Goliath knew that no matter how small David looked in the physical, he must ensure that David is disfavoured spiritually before he would be able to defeat him physically. A curse is an empowerment to fail, so Goliath cursed David in a bid to ensure that David fails in the spiritual so that he can fail in the physical. As believers, the ‘Goliath’ we want to bring down must not be wiser than we are in spiritual matters. As soon as Goliath engaged spiritual forces against David, David also engaged a higher spiritual force against Goliath. He made confessions against Goliath in the name of the God of Israel. You must be conscious of your spiritual strength in battle. In order to uproot any force in the physical, you must first uproot it in the spiritual. Any believer who is spiritually disconnected will suffer constantly in the hands of the enemy.
3.Maintain a Right Attitude:
To become a star, you must give God the glory so He can give you the victory. In verse 46 of our text, David declared that he wanted to bring down the Philistine so that the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. The reason why you are going to solve the political problems of your nation must be because you want men to know how wise and mighty your God is. The reason why you want to solve the educational problems of your nation must be because you desire that men would know that you serve a God whose power is unlimited. You are into sports and entertainment, industry, medicine, science, entrepreneuring etc. because you want men to know that you serve a living and sovereign God. If that is your reason for facing the ‘Goliath’ in your chosen sphere of influence, then you can be sure of your victory. If you are doing it because you want to enthrone self, you will certainly fail. God is a jealous God. The glory belongs to him alone. Anyone who wants to take the glory and the victory will lose both. You start falling from the very point you start struggling with God for His glory. Any victory you get that does not give glory to God is not from God. Any gift or talent you have that does not give glory to God will eventually be taken away from you.
4.Make Wise Decisions:
There is need for you to develop the Ability to Form a Structure and System that will Work. Develop the ability to make sound and productive decisions based on sound spirituality, objective reasoning and emotional balance. Also develop the ability to discern and know what will work for you. In verse 40 of our text, the scripture records how David went to the brook and carefully selected five workable stones among the thousands of stones that were in the brook. In the end he did not just have five stones but he also understood the mystery of what he had. Though five stones may seem insignificant to meet a giant in battle, David made use of his carefully and strategically selected stones. Learn to strategise intelligently and make good use of what you have. All that you need is in what you have. You must know what will not work even as David knew that Saul’s armour will not work and rejected them early enough. Take calculated steps and see what others cannot see.
5.Be Proactive:
In verse 48 of our text, David is seen hastily and speedily moving against Goliath. In life you must be proactive; there is a place for prayer and another place for strategic move. You must be smart. You must understand times and seasons, chance and opportunities, privileges and advantages. You must be intelligent.
Bring out your skills and use them for God, it is what God will use to give you the victory. Seek real knowledge and not general knowledge. Real knowledge is what makes you a voice in your chosen area of influence. Real knowledge is what you need to become an authority in a field and take that field for God.
You will not fail destiny, but you have to take your life in your hands now. God bless you
To My Children (Biological and Spiritual),
Some of you are very young that you wont be able to understand this now what I’m going to share with you in this letter. But I've been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as I reflect on what I’ve learned, and I’m still learning in life and most importantly about my role as a father in trying to reiterate to you, the trials that you are facing or that you will face in the ahead in life.
Like I said earlier some might not be able to understand this letter today, but someday, when you’re ready, I hope you will find some wisdom and value in what I share with you.
You are young, and life has yet to take its toll on you, to throw disappointments and heartaches and loneliness and struggles and pain into your path. You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life. I will like you to know that strong faith and possibility mentality is the only key to sailing through unexpected disappointments especially when you least expect one.
For this, be thankful. You are at a wonderful stage of life. You have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils. But be rest assured that God can and will carry you through.
I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I’ve learned. As with any advice like I will always do, take it with a grain of salt. What works for me is an indication that it can also work for you too; if you will pay the price. Most importantly as you cling to God’s word, standing in the need of prayer; He will always show up on time for you.
Life Can Be Cruel
There will be people in your life who won’t be very nice. They’ll tease you because you’re different, or for no good reason. They might try to come your way with various deceits or even hurt you. There’s not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself and about what you do. When you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them.
There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success. Life won’t always turn out the way you want. This is just another thing you’ll have to learn to deal with. But instead of letting these things get you down, push on. God will be there to carry you the through on His wings. The godly man may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. Accept disappointment and learn to persevere, to pursue your dreams despite pitfalls. Learn to turn negatives into positives, and you’ll do much better in life.
You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love. I hope and pray you don’t have to face this too much, but it happens. Again, not much you can do but to heal, and to move on with your life. Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life, and learn to use them to make you stronger.
But Be Open to Life Anyway
Yes, you’ll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life … but don’t let that close you to new things. This, I have learnt over and over again. Don’t retreat from life, don’t hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things, new experiences, new people. You might get your heart broken 10 times, but find the most wonderful people the 11th time. If you shut yourself off from love, you’ll miss out on those good people, and the happiest times of your life.
You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet … and then after meeting dozens of jerks, find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people, and don’t open your heart to them, you’ll avoid pain … but also lose out on meeting some incredible people, who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life.
Always know that “failure is a stepping stone to success”.
Life Isn’t a Competition
You will meet many people who will try to outdo you, in school, in college, at work. They’ll try to have nicer cars, bigger houses, nicer clothes, cooler gadgets. To them, life is a competition — they have to do better than their peers to be happy. Here’s a secret: life isn’t a competition. It’s a journey. If you spend that journey always trying to impress others, to outdo others, you’re wasting your journey. Instead, learn to enjoy the journey. Make it a journey of happiness, of constant learning, of continual improvement, of love. Don’t worry about having a nicer car or house or anything material, or even a better-paying job. When you dwell on your purpose and improve on it per time, those things will flow to you. Diligence is the only way to a better life. My point is for you not to attach your happiness to things. You’ll acquire these things and then only want more. Instead, learn to be satisfied with having enough — and then use the time you would have wasted trying to earn money to buy those things … use that time doing things you love. Find your passion, and pursue it doggedly. Don’t settle for a job that pays the bills. Life is too short to waste on a job you hate. b
Love Should Be Your Rule
If there’s a single word you should live your life by, it should be this: Love. It might sound corny, I know … but trust me, there’s no better rule in life.
Some would live by the rule of success. Their lives will be stressful, unhappy and shallow.
Others would live by the rule of selfishness — putting their needs above those of others. They will live lonely lives, and will also be unhappy.
Still others will live by the rule of righteousness — trying to show the right path, and admonishing anyone who doesn’t live by that path. They are concerned with others, but in a negative way, and in the end will only have their own righteousness to live with, and that’s a horrible companion.
Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, with all of your heart. Give to them what they need, and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment, but only love. Open your soul to them.
Love not only your loved ones, but your neighbors … your coworkers … strangers … your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile, a kind word, a kind gesture, a helping hand.
Love not only neighbors and strangers … but your enemy. The person who is cruelest to you, who has been unkind to you … love him. He is a tortured soul, and most in need of your love. Forgive faster than you ever get hurt.
And most of all, love yourself. While others may criticize you, learn not to be so hard on yourself, to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love … but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being, worthy of happiness and love … and learn to love yourself for who you are.
Finally, as you journey again through this year 2010. I see God’s Unusual speed rest on you now and always. I commend you to the unusual grace of God which is able to keep you and sustain you in times of need.
Love,
Pastor Korede Komaiya
Innovation is very much a capability in its own right. For an individual or an organization to be innovative, all aspects of a capability must be considered and must be well honed. And as the level of sophistication in the innovation capability increases, so does the value the organization reaps. Most people are at the “innovation as an event” level. They have brainstorming sessions or hold contests to generate new ideas. If the idea is a good one, there is some value added to the organization.
I am God, I am not a man. I will take a verb over a noun anytime
I myself am a Verb
“I am that I am”
I exist in all times and out of time
I am the eternity, in fact I am self- existent
I am in the present;
I am also in the future, for this, you need to ask me.
Because I know all things and in me there is all things.
I was here before the world began
In me was everything made and without me nothing exist
I can be who and what I choose to be to you per time, I am a verb!
I am alive, dynamic, ever active and moving;
I am a Verb. I am more attuned to verbs more than nouns.
Verbs such as confessing, repenting, living, loving, responding, growing, reaping, changing, forgiving, sowing, giving, working, running, walking, dancing, saying, worshiping, praising, believing, interceding.
You humans on the other hand, have a knack for taking a verb that is alive and full of grace and turning it into a dead noun or principles that reeks of rules – then something growing and alive dies.
Even though I formed you in my image and my likeness, I do not live like you humans
Even though I do everything to let you know I want you to live by me, I still leave you with the power of choice on what to do per time.
Even though I want to relate with you, I still leave you with the zeal to make it a relationship
Even though I am the same yesterday, today and forever
I choose to be who/what I want to be to you per time
• To some, I am the cornerstone that they rejected
• To some, I am a pillar of fire
• To some, I am a mighty rushing wind
• To some, I become bread so that I can be their sufficiency in dare needs
I am God, there is no other. Simply put, you can have me as your faith carries me to be.
My relationship with you
Well, I don’t have expectations and responsibilities from my relationship with you. All I have are expectancies. Expectations are set and specific in nature. Expectations lend themselves to static systems that are easily managed and defined.
This is where expectancy enters the equation. My relationships with you are made for expectancy. With expectancy there is freedom instead of law, there is fluidity instead of rigidity. There is an expectancy that should exist within your relationships also with other humans. Whether you are together or apart, there is an expectancy of being together, of laughing, and talking and experiencing life with one another. That expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from your being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. This I do with you every time. With this, every time you spend in my presence is a time of various revelations of unique things that’s unique to you. You cant really predict what i will do per time. With this, I can also be who I choose to be to you per time.
The idea behind expectation requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control behaviour to get the desired result. You humans try to control behaviour largely through expectations. I know you and everything about you. Why would I have an expectation other than what I already know? That would be foolish. So because of that, I have no expectation from you- all I have are expectancies, and you don’t disappoint me. I am God- all knowing. I finish the journey then; start all over to start again. I delight always in creating the end before the beginning.
The heart of the matter is that my relationship with you is not meant to be of priorities, hierarchies, or pyramidal structure-like. It is not that I want you to give me the piece of your life first and you taking the rest. I really do not want to be the first on your list of values. I actually want to be at the center of your everything. When I live actively in you, then we can together live through everything that happens to you. Rather that at the top of your pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life – your friends, family, occupation, ministries, thoughts, activities- is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being. And my Spirit is “the Wind”.
Right where you are I am closer than you think I am; but I am so full of principles that I live you to decide to relate with me because my Spirit will never force Himself on you. Never! I will never force you. So if you are ready to start making a mark in your world, you can start right now where you are and we can reawaken the ever dynamic relationship that I maintained with your forefathers even now. You are the only constraint to the height you will reach in life through me. The more you are ready to give in, the more I am ready to carry you throughout your lifetime; even till your hair is white with age.
I am the Verb God – I am always doing!
The journey to the actualization of one’s destiny is full of so many bumpy roads. Everyone who has journeyed through this path at one point or the other will agree with me that life has a way of throwing many intimidating and discouraging set backs. Oprah Winfrey may be seen today as one of the most successful women on planet earth, but she battled with deluge of rejections on her way to the top. Through it all, she did not give up on herself, and these made her who she is today. Thomas Edison is known today as the father of many inventions, but he did not become this over the night. He also experienced series of major failures in his pursuit to becoming an icon of repute when it comes to invention. I can go on and on, but time will not permit me to elaborate a lot on the account of Abraham Lincoln, who emerged a winner of the presidential election after a series of losses in the previous elections. All of these people have tenacity and great internal motivation in common: Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Edison and Abraham Lincoln.
Failing forward is about leveraging mistakes; making a realistic assessment of risks and the ability to live with the downside and experiment with new approaches. FAILING FORWARD is an investment in human success (Marilyn J. Tellez, 2007).
Look at it this way:
1. Failing forward is really about achievement as a series of trial and error opportunities.
2. You, as a person, are not a failure. Failure is a state of mind.
3. You are not a vicim. Take responsibility for what you can control and into a position of power.
4. You can control how you let a trauma affect you.
5. The present is the only place real opportunity exists and where you can take action.
6. Lettting go of limiting beliefs may be hard on the ego, but your ability to move forward will increase dramatically.
7. When you have a vision, you have a view that puts failure in its proper perspective.
8. There is always uncertainty when you try something new.
9. You can't make significant progress by doing it all yourself. Let your environment and network do some of the work.
10. Often, the only difference between success and failure, is simple persistence.
11. Knowing when to let go and try something else is important. Failing forward is about getting up and moving on
In conclusion, life will always throw various difficulties, rejections, and some other constraints at one, but it will take a daring spirit, a failing-forward attitude, and a possibility mentality to pull one through to the shores of success.
A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are for. (John A. Shedd.)
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