HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND?

“It is useless to warn one who has made up his mind” (Angola)

A mind that is already made up is 99% locked up. It takes only the creator to use the remaining 1% to pull it down. So, as you set out this week, always watch out for those who have made up their mind towards anything. Instead of wasting your time by trying to warn them to desist from whatever they do, why not think of possible alternatives of helping them out instead of warning or advising them.

There are some people who need to learn from being a victim of certain circumstances, until they face the consequences, your warning or advice would mean nothing to them. But if you discover that what a partner, colleague at work or a stranger has made up his/her mind to do is likely to put many people in danger, it is advisable that you take a bold step by reporting to the authority or whomsoever that can prosecute or restrict the person from causing disaster.

This week, may you never be a victim of disaster. It’s going to be a favourable week for you.

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DON’T JUST SWALLOW!

“A dog swallowing a bone is confident of its power to break it” (Zimbabwe)

You can’t just conclude that a dog can eat a bone by just putting the bone inside its mouth. Until a dog is confident enough to break a bone, swallow it then digest it, no one can say it has consumed a bone.

Also in life, it would be wrong to conclude that you are successful based on the number of jobs that you do, the number of prominent people that you know, the number of books that you write, the kind of books that you read, the number of children that you have, the number of wives that you marry or the number of years that you have lived on earth. Success is not only achieved by the number of things that you do but by how you do them and how confident you are to break loose from the ‘number mentality’ and convert the numbers to value. Success is not by asking ‘how many?’ but by asking ‘how valuable?’

Instead of biting more than you can chew, then end up vomiting everything in your mouth; it is better to select the best. What is the essence of too many certifications without value? You can have many low grade cars; you can do many jobs and still not afford to maintain a steady income, you can have plenty children without having the financial strength to take care of them...

As you set out to embark on any project this week, ensure that you place more emphasis on quality and not quantity. Choose one thing that you can do well and ensure that you are skilful, powerful and confident enough to break it into success. Go for the best!

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WHEN THE BAG TEARS...

“When the bag tears, the shoulders get a rest” (Ghana)

 Hurray! It is June 1, 2014. The ancestors are here again after a long period of silence. Henceforth, we will all be privileged to learn from the feet of our ancestors every Sunday. So, relax as you read the words of our ancestors for this week. Remember to drop your comments and share with friends.

To every human on earth (young or old), there is a bag assigned by nature. To some, the bag is a burden, to others it is a luxury, some take it for an ordinary carriage but only the few wise ones see it as an essential part of life. Yes, it is essential!

In life, there is no absolute rest for any living being. Until your bag of life tears, you can never have a permanent rest. So, this means that your bag is meant to be with you right from birth till you die (or till it gets worn out). In other words; the stronger and lighter you keep your bag, the greater your chances of staying long in life.

Your bag may be your mind, watch what you deposit inside it. If your mind is filled with hatred, alcohol, bitterness, malice, stones, broken bottles and other harmful objects, it may end up being torn unexpectedly. There are many people who suffer from different health disorder today because of what they allow or had allowed into their mind. Remember, a healthy mind is a healthy being. Your bag may also be any form of your livelihood. It may be your health, your family, your major investment, your career, etc. Don’t just drag and drop anything into your bag, never take it for granted because when your bag is torn, there is no reason to be alive any more.

In whatever you do this week, always remember that there is a limit to everything you keep in the bag of your life...when the bag tears, the shoulders get a rest. May your bag never get carelessly torn.

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THE RIGHT THING

‘It is better to do what is right than to do big things’ (Gambia-Mandinka)

There is nothing as big as doing the right thing for the right person at the right time. No matter how big you start, if your foundation is not based on the right principles, you may soon fall greatly.

As from today, don’t be bothered about the size, quantity, propensity, volume, status or any physical measure of whatever you do or give to humanity. As long as you continue to do the right things rightly, nothing else in the world would pull you down.

Instead of giving the same excuse of insufficient resources to do something big; today, try to do something in the right way (no matter how small or insignificant it is), then watch as it becomes bigger. There is no big deal anywhere; you only need one deal, that right deal that would propel you to the world of wonders. Go for it now!

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STAND UP AND MOVE!

‘The man on his feet carries off the share of the man sitting down’ (Guinea Bissau)

There is a very big difference between someone who sits and someone who stands. It takes a lot of physical strength to keep standing on one’s feet. Apart from the strength, you need to be mentally alert while you stand. This explains why people rarely sleep while they are on their feet. So, anyone who stands is in a good position to move, run or jump at any time.

On the other hand, anyone who sits has to stand before he/she could move, run or jump. This means that if you stand, you are a step ahead of anyone who sits.

In life, if you always strive to be ahead of others, it shows how prepared you are for success. You may never get the best out of life if all you do is to sit, relax and expect a sudden miracle in your life. It is only the people who are prepared for success that nature allows to get the best in life.

Don’t be deceived, any good thing that comes to you suddenly or mistakenly may soon disappear suddenly. If the wealth, luxury, position, property, fame or reputation that you have today came to you impromptu (i.e. without a proper preparation from you), you may soon be disappointed by nature because in no time, you may suddenly or mistakenly lose it.

As from today, endeavor to do whatever you ought to do in order to be the best you had always wanted to be in life. Keep working; don’t mind the stress as long as it is targeted towards the best. Don’t just sit back and relax while the day is still young. Come on, STAND UP and MOVE!

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KILL THE LION!

‘When a lion eats a bad person and it’s not killed, tomorrow it will eat a good person’(Zambia-Lozi)

Lions are not human; they can’t differentiate between a good man and a bad man. So, if you choose to spare the life of a lion because it kills your enemies; one day it will eventually kill your friends or even you. Yes, I mean you!

In life, there are many things around us that are as dangerous, deadly, destructive and harmful as lions. If you fail to destroy the lion in your life or around you because it looks friendly to you and terrible to your enemies, tomorrow the lion may show you its other side.

As from today, always endeavor to support a course against anything that is harmful or hazardous to the community; don’t just mind your business or sit on the fence because it doesn't concern you. Say no to abortion, drug abuse, child trafficking, child molestation, rape, inhumanity, corruption, war, cancer, HIV/AIDS, terrorism and the rapid increase of child mortality in Africa.

Let’s join hands to put an end to these deadly scourges (and many others) in Africa. Save a life today.   Help someone who is about to be killed by one of these terrifying and merciless lions ravaging Africa. Please, do anything you can to stop the lions from killing another person today. Remember, ‘when a lion eats a bad person and it’s not killed, tomorrow it will eat a good person’.

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ARE YOU FRIENDLY WITH WOLVES?

‘If a man wants to be friendly with wolves, he must first sharpen his spears’

No matter how friendly you are, it is very dangerous to be too free with wolves. Wolves are not like dogs or cats that you can see in the neighborhood, they are wild animals. It takes a very smart person to relate freely with wolves.

In the world today, there are many people who behave and live their lives like wolves. Many of them are fearful, terrifying, cunning, wicked, deceptive, wild, merciless, inconsiderate and too dangerous to relate with.

You need to be conscious of the existence and presence of the people who are the wolves in your life. There is a big lesson to learn from everyone you meet in life (either good or bad), so it pays to take time to study people and ensure that you learn from them by being friendly to them; instead of avoiding them unnecessarily.

Today, examine all the friends that you have in your life, separate those who are truly and genuinely friendly from those who act like wolves. Ensure to deal cautiously with the friends that you have identified to be the wolves in your life. Never hesitate to sharpen your spears and guard your heart with all forms of diligence while dealing with your friends (both the true ones and the cunning ones). At times, a true friend may turn out to be the wolf you had never identified.

Always open your mind to learn from every relationship with people; don’t just do things for fun. Keep being smart and wise. Remember, ‘If a man wants to be friendly with wolves, he must first sharpen his spears’. Happy Valentine's Day!

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GOING DOWN FOR THE NEEDLE!

‘When a needle falls into a deep well, many people will look into the well, but few will be ready to go down after it’ (Guinea)

Have you ever seen or used a needle before? Oh yes! Today’s message is specially meant for you. Keep reading and ensure that you don’t get distracted.

As tiny as it may look, a needle is usually appreciated as a veritable and valuable tool by those who make good use of it. However, despite the large number of people who use the needle, it takes only those who understand and appreciate its value to go down after it when it falls into a deep well. Other people may love to use the needle, but they may not be bold enough to go down after it when it falls into the well.

It is not enough to look into the deep well, if you really love what you have, you need to summon all courage and go after it when it goes away from you.

Like the needle, is there anybody that is almost insignificant in your life but useful and valuable to you? If someone you truly and genuinely love walks out of your life, do you stand and watch as the person leaves or do you go after him/her to re-affirm your love?

Today, never hesitate to go for what you truly want. Don’t allow anyone or anything to hold you back. Don’t be too proud to apologize or compromise some of your principles for the sake of the people you love. Be careful, if your needle stays too long in the deep well, you may never see it again. Remember, ‘when a needle falls into a deep well, many people will look into the well, but few will be ready to go down after it’. Why not take a bold step and go down for your needle today?

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HE WHO LOOKS FOR HONEY...

‘He who looks for honey must have the courage to face the bees’ (Congo)

There is no honey without bees and there are no healthy bees without stings. It takes courage to capture the bees that would produce honey. So, anyone who chooses to extract honey from the bees must be ready to endure the pain that comes from the stings of the bees.

Like the honey, whatever that is good, sweet, valuable, precious, beautiful or original is usually very difficult to get. Until you summon the courage to pay the best price, you may not be strategically positioned to get the best of whatever you aspire and dream to get in life.

Anything that is valuable and long lasting doesn’t come easily. In fact, you need to be valuable before you can easily attract values to yourself. Common people attract common things with their common sense but uncommon people command and attract uncommon things to themselves with their extra ordinary mind.

Today, if you want to attract uncommon things to yourself, try to do common things uncommonly. You can marry the best wife or the real man; own the best house, cars, estate, property, company and be the best in the world if you are ready to face the uncommon challenge of being different from others. The man who intends to achieve what others have never achieved or can never achieve shouldn’t be a normal man. So, are you normal at all?

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SHARING THE SAME GOAL

‘The people sailing in the same boat share the same goal’

Do you really understand the words of our ancestors for today? Relax, you may need to meditate and reflect on the words again before reading further.

Truly, the kind of people that you choose to sail in the same boat with, would determine your goal and how far you would go on a particular journey.

You need to be very careful about the kind of people you mingle or relate with. In the boat of life, it is either you attract and influence your friends to share your goals or you allow them to attract and influence you to share their goals. The basic thing is that a goal has to be shared.

Today, you need to re-examine yourself and your goals in life. Are you really the man or woman that you had always wanted to become? Can you easily identify your goals or are you lost in the world of other people around you? Think twice about your goals in life; don’t be too comfortable by living in other people’s dream. Retrieve yourself and jump out of any strange boat that leads you to nowhere.

Always ensure that you are in the right boat with the right people at the right time, sharing the right goal. Go for the best!

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WHAT IS LOVE?

‘Love is love only when it affects both sides’ (Kiswahili)

Have you ever been in love with someone who doesn't really care about you or love you as much as you do? Really, I must confess that it hurts, it’s killing, it’s crazy and disheartening to see someone you love, loving someone else.

Love is not love until it’s mutual. Don’t be deceived, there is no way you can entice, seduce or force someone to love you. You can’t buy love, you can only build it. If it is not love, it may only look like it, it can never be lovely. If you love someone so much and he/she does not reciprocate your love, it is better for you to step up, take heart and move on with your life. The longer you keep holding yourself down in a relationship without love, the greater your chances of getting hurt or misbehaving.

You can’t fake love, you can’t act it and you can’t even hide it, but you can create it. Love comes naturally. The first step to creating love, loving someone or being lovely is your ability to love yourself. If you don’t love yourself, how would other people see reasons to love you? As from today, take time to love yourself for whom you are (irrespective of your physical, social and psychological challenges or deformity), if there is anything you need to change about yourself in other for you to love yourself, please start working on it now.

After loving yourself, the next step is to love other people around you genuinely. Don’t condemn people because they think and look differently; appreciate them for whom they are. Instead of focusing on people’s weaknesses or shortcoming, try to concentrate on the good qualities that they possess. In whatever you do today, always remember that ‘love is love when it affects both sides’. Have a lovely day!

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TRACK ON THE SAND

‘Friendship is like a track on the sand, it vanishes if not consistently re-done’      

(Cameroon- Douala)

Don’t be deceived, friendship is not designed to last forever by default. You need to update and upgrade your friendship in order to make it effective, reliable and long lasting.

Like a track on the sand, the friendship that you have not been able to revisit for many years will soon lose its imprint and value in your memory. If you could observe closely, you would notice that it is usually very difficult for you to easily flow or relate with the friends that you had seen for many years than the ones that you see every day.

As from today, always learn to realize the need for consistency in friendship. Endeavor to keep in touch with your old and new friends. Always take time to appreciate the people that mean so much to you (i.e. those that have made impressive impact or influence in your life) take time to let them know that they are always remembered; don’t just keep the thought to yourself when it flashes in your mind.

Remember the words of our ancestors for today, ‘friendship is like a track on the sand, it vanishes if not consistently re-done’. So, take time to create some new tracks and never forget to re-visit the old tracks. Have a splendid weekend!

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WHERE FOOD IS FREE…

‘Where food is free, many will come’ (Nigeria-Yoruba)

No matter how cultured, civilized, rich, exposed, principled or learned you are, you would most likely not want to turn down the offer of any of the sumptuous FREE meal above. Yes, they are for free. It doesn't cost you any dime to have one for yourself, all you have to do is to sit conveniently and eat; nothing more. Now, if you could easily accept this FREE offer, imagine the number of people who would do the same.

No doubt, whatever comes freely attracts many people. If you want to attract people’s attention, try offering them something valuable for free. Don’t care about the initial loss, consider it as a sacrifice. The greatest asset in life is not the houses that you build or the cars that you drive but the people you can easily influence. No business idea, political regime, policy, institution or religious belief can succeed without commanding the attention of people. Once you can get hold of people’s attention, the closer you are to success.

As from today, try to focus on how to attract many people to whatever you do instead of considering the profit that you would make from it. Don’t be afraid to offer something very valuable for free; remember, it is just a sacrifice, you would definitely see the reward very soon. In whatever you do, don’t forget that ‘where food is free, many will come’ and wherever there are people, there is always money in abundance. So, why not make it FREE?

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HOW MANY ARE YOUR FRIENDS?

‘If you have no friends, you are really poor’ (Somalia)

Please, kindly do something for me before you read further. Make sure you do exactly what I say. Relax for some minutes and start counting the number of friends that you have; I mean your genuine friends. How many are they? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… are you still counting?

Truly, genuine friends are very difficult to get; it takes a genuine person to attract genuine people to himself/herself. If you decide not to have any friend because nobody around you seems to be genuine, it means that you are either not personally genuine or you don’t have any genuine qualities that can attract the few genuine people around you to yourself.

Everything in this world revolves around people. No one can succeed in life without the influence or contribution of other people. It is either you make the people around you your friends or your enemies. Your ability to achieve many things in life and become successful depends on the number of friends you have and the way you manage them.

Today, try to do something unusual. Write down the names of your genuine friends, then start calling or contacting them one after the other; appreciate their influence and contribution in your life and let them know how richly endowed you are because of their presence in your life. You will definitely be surprised with what you would get in return. Just try it! And in case you’ve got no friend, admit to the fact that you are poor; then start taking some bold steps from today towards building a strong network of genuine friends. Work on your self and start making yourself assessable and friendly to the people around you. May your riches be plenty!

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WHAT MAKES A CHIEF?

‘You do not become a chief simply by sitting on a big stool’ (Ghana)

We do not determine if someone is a chief by the size of stool he/she sits on. Anybody can sit on any type of stool that he likes (either big or small) and that does not make him a chief. It is not anybody that becomes a chief. Before anyone could be made a chief in any kingdom, society or community, the person must have been regarded as somebody and not just anybody.

Being a chief has to do with what a person knows about the society (i.e. the transitional knowledge from the predecessors which is usually hereditary) or what a person can contribute to the development of the society.

Also in life, you do not become successful or an achiever by the type of cars that you drive, the cloth or jewelry that you wear, the wives/husbands that you marry, the children that you reproduce, the houses that you build, the degrees that you acquire, the position that you attain or the money that you have in your bank account. You can only become a successful person or an achiever by what you know, the application of your knowledge and by the number of lives that you have touched (i.e. the people you have helped to become successful)

As from today, if you want to become an achiever or a successful person in whatever you do, always ask yourself these two questions:
(i) How much do I know about what I do?
(ii) How many people have I been able to influence and make successful as a result of what I do?

Remember, ‘you do not become a chief simply by sitting on a big stool. Why not jump up now and start doing something positive with your life? It’s only one life you have got.

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DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO?

‘It is a short way in the forest if you love the people you are going to visit’ (DRC-Mongo)

No matter how far the journey to the people you love is, you would always want to go there again and again. The love you have for the people you go to visit usually serves as the force that pushes you forward and makes the journey worthwhile.

Also in life, no matter how difficult any task is, it would always be easy for you to execute, if it is what you love and enjoy doing. Instead of seeing the difficulties, the stigma, the challenges, the risk, the stress and pain associated with what you do, it is only the love and passion that you have for it that would keep you going.

As from today, try to do the things that you love doing; irrespective of the monetary benefits or comfort that you may derive from it. Note this today, when the cash stops flowing in, the task may become uncomfortable for you; it is only the love, zeal and passion that you have for the task, job, project, etc. that would sustain you and make you successful. Remember, there’s always a short cut to creativity and productivity for people who do what they enjoy doing. Do you love what you do?

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AN EMPTY MOUTH

‘The one who is too talkative leaves his mouth empty’ (East Africa)

Being too talkative does not really mean talking too much, it refers to the situation where a person lacks the ability to control what he or she says.

People who are practically talkative usually have no secrets. They say whatever comes to their mind whenever and don’t care what may happen as a result of what they say; hence they easily get into trouble.

Today, if you want people (your friends, colleagues at work or family members) to value what you say and respect your words; you need to avoid being too talkative. Watch what you say, don’t just talk, don’t make empty promises and don’t brag about what you can’t do. Instead of being the only one talking; be calm, learn how to listen to people and appreciate their contributions. Don’t just allow anybody to get access to your life as a result of what you say. Remember, ‘the one who is too talkative leaves his mouth empty’. May your mouth never be empty.

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THE MAGICAL WORD

‘A gentle word sends the sword back into the scabbard’ (Nigeria-Igbo)

Yes, our ancestors believe that soft words are usually magical. Do you know that the words you speak have the tendency to make you or destroy you? The greatest victory in the world is not determined by the thrusting of your sword, the triggers that you pull, the missile that you drop or the weight of your fist, but it is by the gentle words that you speak.

A gentle word hurts no one, it isn’t irritating, provocative, pompous, lousy, rude or abusive. It is practically gentle. You can’t fake it; if it isn’t gentle, it can never be spoken gently.

Today; if you want to win big in whatever you do, try using the gentle word approach. You would be surprised with the magical effect that this approach would have on the people that you relate with. Remember, don’t fake it, allow it to come freely and gently. Feel free to share your experience here. Have a great day!

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CROSSING THE WIDE RIVER

‘The river may be wide, but it can be crossed’ (Cote d’Ivoire)

Have you ever attempted to cross any river before? How was your experience? Really, it could be very challenging to cross some river in life. You are not expected to be frightened or feel intimidated by the size of the river or its depth; if you don’t believe that you can cross it, you may never get to the other side of the river.

The river of your life may be anything that you need to do before you get to the next level in life. It may be the project you are currently working on or the crucial decision you need to make in your life in order to be great.

Anything that represents a river in your life today may be very deep and wide but it can always be crossed. No matter how challenging your current situation is, you can always cross to the next level as long as you are focused and determined.

Don’t be discouraged, always believe in yourself and never allow anyone to deceive you that your present problem, sickness, weakness or shortcoming will overcome or destroy you. If you continue to do the right thing at the right time, there will surely be a way forward.

Never compromise your standard, aim for the best today and don’t just only aim for the best; GO FOR IT! May you not be drowned in the river of life. Today, you will surely cross to greater level of your achievements in life. Believe it!

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A BROKEN RIB

An elephant does not die of one broken rib (South Africa-Azania)

If you think you can kill an elephant by just breaking one of its ribs, then you must be joking. An elephant is not just like any other animal in the forest that you can afford to pull down or frighten anyhow.

Like the elephants, you need to see yourself as a creature that can never be pulled down by any challenge, problem, trial or hindrance on your way to success in life. You need to be always conscious that no matter how though your problem is, it can never kill you. Even if your closest friend, your partner, your greatest idea, your ambition, your employer, your employee or your family fails you, don’t be bothered; they are all like one broken rib which can’t kill you.

As from today, take time to believe in yourself and the power that lies within you. Today, try to do the things you have always been afraid of doing. Though you may encounter some challenges on your way, take a bold step forward and ensure that you do what will make the world proud of you. Please, start NOW!