Category: Motivational

The Hedgehog And The Fox

Hello there!

I’ve been so busy over the past couple of weeks, and as such, I’ve not been able to post as frequently as I would have loved. Anyways, I was able to squeeze out some time today to churn out something for your reading pleasure. (N.B: I might sound a lil’ bit ‘rusty’. Please bear with me)

Okay, so I stumbled on an interesting story last year. It was about The Hedgehog and The Fox. A lot of you might even be familiar with the story. I hope you’d get a few deep insights from the short story I’m about to tell:

The fox is a very, very cunning creature. Very powerful. Sleek. And extremely fast-paced.

The hedgehog, on the other hand, is a very weak animal. It’s slow and sluggish. It seems to be content with foraging shrubs in search of sweet plants and maybe small insects.

Now, it must be noted that the fox is carnivorus (i.e, it feeds on other animals, e.g, hedgehogs!).

From the look of things, it seems that the fox has everything going for it.

So, the fox finds the gentle hedgehog searching for food. The hedgehog is totally oblivous to the danger posed by the fox. The fox carries out all its feasibility studies and raw data analysis and feels confident that THIS TIME, it would catch it’s prize.

The fox makes for the prey.

And again, as usual, the hedgehog senses the imminent danger. It shakes its head, wondering why the fox would never learn it’s lesson!

Nonchalantly, the hedgehog activates its defensive mechanism and curls itself into a ball of pins, just as the fox is about to pounce on it.

Needless to say, the fox is flabbergasted, to say the least. It shakes its head, licks its wounds and trots away to its den to restrategize!

THEN THE CYCLE REPEATS ITSELF….

The fox is good in so many things, yet it does not get its desired goal. The hedgehog on the other hand is only good in ONE THING. And that ‘one thing’ continually saves its life from the jaws of death.

You might be wondering how this applies to you.

The truth is that it concerns you, even more than you think.

It bores down to ONE word: PURPOSE!

How many foxes do you know? You don’t even have to look so far, because they are all around. They seem to have all the connections in the corridors of power. They might even have loads of money. But that extra ‘something’ is absent in their lives. They feel that they are nearly attaining what they want, but like the fox, they land on a ball of pins!

The hedgehog’s life is simple and uncomplicated. It is an expert in one thing: Forming balls of pins! People with a vision and a sense of purpose are like that too. They might not have connections or affluence, but they are fulfilled.

The question now is: Which would you rather be?

Targeting A Goal: A Poem By Alonge Adeyinka Joseph

Close to the pole of life, i set my ball
Aiming to get a goal.
But getting a goal
isn’t as easy as it seems

Through storms,
Through struggles

My life keeps abiding to those roles
I have to play
My mind keeps following the rhythm of success

My aim is to get a goal
My attention refuses to be diverted
along the slippery paths of life
’cause all I’m targeting is the goal.

Though I’m on the pitch,
pains will come
Through the fatigue that the game puts on me

But all I’m targeting is the pole,
And keep dancing to the to the tune of the game,
to get the goal and win the match

By perseverance, I bear the stress
’cause I say to myself
“Winners never quit,
Quitters never win”

The fear of failure makes
my heart to skip some beats
And at times, I get some sleepless nights

All these do to me
is just to keep me on my toes to get my goal

I’m so close to getting this goal,
I’m not done trying

Because, finally, in the end,
the stress would be worthwhile,
the trials would end,
and victory will be achieved!

P.S: Joe gave me this piece on the 5th day of February, 2013. So, this particular poem is almost a year old!
Well, Alonge Joseph Adeyinka can be reached via email on: cacprince03@yahoo.com.

Happy Sunday

Human Relations 101

A couple of years ago, I stumbled across this uniquely simplified article on Human Relations. I believe it is an interesting read that could change a lot about how you relate with others:

¤¤ The LEAST important word: I

¤¤ The MOST important words: We

¤¤ The TWO MOST important words: Thank You

¤¤ The THREE MOST important words: All Is Forgiven

¤¤ The FOUR MOST important words: What Is Your Opinion?

¤¤ The FIVE MOST important words: You Did A Good Job

¤¤ The SIX MOST important words: I Want To Understand You Better

Now, I’m not going to expantiate on the aforementioned nuggets. Instead, I want you to ruminate on them and let the points get fully formed in you. Don’t be fooled by their simplicity. Therein lies their potency!

I’m serious.

You know what I feel?

Many of the world’s problems today arise from our propensity to complicate simple matters!!!

Just imagine what would happen if just 1 in every 10 individuals made it a point of duty to relate with everyone in his/her sphere of influence with this kind of simplicity.

Just picture the peaceful society that we all could have had the chance to exist in!

Yet, it’s so funny to see how something so simple could be so hard.

I guess it all bores down to our freewill.

Yea, our freedom of choice…

‘Para’ Mode, aka, ‘Boys Are Not Smiling!’

They are three seated in the living room: A father, his son and the son’s friend.
The friends need to share some ‘highly sensitive’ information that must not register any meaning in the older man’s mind.
They succeed!

How? By these ingenious inventions fathomed by every generation at that period when they decide not to be as stupid as the older ones.
(I’m sorry, but that’s how the youths think)

These inventions are Colloquialisms.

In this part of the world, one of the most frequently used colloquialisms in the youths’ parlance is ‘Para’. This is totally different from what you’d find in Chemistry’s 4-paranitrobenzene. (By the way, I’m not sure that compound exists)
‘Para’ here simply means ‘angrily serious’ or ‘seriously angry’, whichever makes more sense to you.

You’re probably sitting leisuredly, skimming through this post.
But haven’t you had enough yet?
No! No!! Not this blog, of course!
I mean your status quo.
That routine you are already enslaved by.
Yes, it’s safe, tested and trusted. But it’s boring too.
It feels like you’re forced to do it.
All indicators are pointing to a dire need for change.
Creative juices flow no more. Instead, you’re squeezing yourself like an exhausted toothpaste tube.

You’ve got to ‘para’!

Anger is harmless when it is directed at one’s self or situation. That way you’re motivated to do all in your power to get things moving.

God has equipped you with all you need for success. You were not created to be entangled in a web of boring routine.
Imagine 80 years of mechanical predictability.
That doesn’t sound like abundant life to me!

Don’t fold your hands and watch your life waste in an eventless fashion.
Get angry and challenge yourself.
Don’t just sit there, waiting for a miracle to happen. Oh yes, miracles do happen.
But they require you to get angry with your current situation and have an expectant heart.

Unless you throw aside the garment of complacency..
Unless you desire more than suffering and smiling…
You’d probably remain at the same spot.
For a long time!

You are delaying your progress by your stubborn refusal to move out of your rut.
God isn’t going to move until you do. By the way, He doesn’t even have to move, as all things are contained in Him.

The ball’s in your court.
How hard are you going to hit it???

‘Para’!

F***? Not A Chance!

You’re probably wondering whether I just implied the forbidden ‘f-Word’, right?

I sure did. But it all bores down to perspective

But before you unsheath your swords to skin me alive, here’s a reality check for you:
There are probably thousands of words that qualify to be the so-called f-Word. And there are hundreds of 4-letter words that would seamlessly fit into ‘f***’.

If you still have any doubts, you can consult your dictionaries! 😉

Without further ado, my ‘f-Word’ today is…

F A K E !

Seriously, that should be a taboo word amongst the Children of The Light. Especially in our actions!

If only your eyes would be open to see your capabilities for what they really are.
If only you’d enjoy the thrills of your journey towards purpose.
If only you’d stop focusing on what God hasn’t done (or wouldn’t do) for you but has done for your neighbour.
If only you’d stop blending in and pretending to be what you aren’t.
If only you’d realize what a rare specimen you really are and your uniqueness is no mistake.
If only. If only.. If only…

It would be a shame to waste your years being someone other than yourself. You can admire the strengths of others but that shouldn’t be an excuse to copy them, shortcomings and all.

Make up your mind to stand out.
Decide not to be a regular guy off the ‘mass production’ line.
God created you to be much more than a complement to another’s purpose and needs.

God needs you to be you. The World needs you to be you.

Be your God-given self and adopt ‘FAKE’ as your taboo ‘f-Word’, especially in your actions.

Peace!

Life 101: Finding Your Purpose

There’s nobody alive today that is without a reason for existence. Yet, the percentage of people that identify that purpose for their existence is astonishingly infinitessimal. And those that go on to fulfil that purpose are even smaller!

As believers, our general purpose is to please God with our lives. But again, there’s a specific purpose for each individual. And without finding that purpose, one would just be a bundle of untapped potential.

Well, I’ve got some good news for you. You CAN find your purpose for living. NOW!

Yes, there are long questionnaires that could help you with that. But you don’t have to go through all that ‘STRESS’.

Below are 3 tips that can help you locate your purpose, so you can be set on the right path for fulfilment:

1. Look Upwards:

Looking for your purpose? Why not ask your maker, after all, He is the one that created you. As I’ve mentioned before, God is not the author of random and haphazard confusion. He created you for a purpose. Ask Him for that purpose!

2. Look Inwards:

You are unique and specially wired and shaped with specific qualities that make you what you are. Others might be similar to you, but none is the same with you.
You have certain talents and spiritual qualities that make you stand out.
You have a heart for something that no one else gives a thought about.
You have certain abilities and capabilities that others do not possess.
You have a personality that is unique to you.
You have had some experiences that have moulded you into who you are today.
A combination of these qualities I have mentioned to you could be a pointer to where your purpose lies.

3. Look Outwards:

Around you, there are certain issues and challenges that your peculiarities would address satisfactorily. Settle down and carefully be on the look out for what these challenges and issues are. Who knows, you might be on the road to identifying purpose!

What I’ve highlighted might look like fast tips to finding your purpose. But in the real sense, they are anything but that! These steps would take considerable time and must be taken carefully and prayerfully. I wish you God’s best as you step out to please Him by finding and fulfilling your purpose.

Possess Process To Progress: Joshua’s Tale

It was now the thirty-second day.

He was lonely, tired, bored and extremely hungry. A screeching eagle had just circled round the clear cloudless sky above. Joshua adjusted his posture so as to be a bit more comfortable on the rock he was lying on. Instantly, he wished he hadn’t. A searing pain jolted through his back…

What was taking his master so long? Joshua’s emotions were now bordering on depression. He cast his mind back to the cold nights and hot afternoons of the past days on the mountain. He knew he had the psychological toughness to survive his current ordeals. Compared to slavery in Egypt, this was paradise! So, to while away time, Joshua closed his eyes again to recount how everything started thirty-two days ago…

“And Moses rose up AND HIS MINISTER JOSHUA, and Moses went up into the mount of God” (Exodus 24 vs 13)
[Exodus 32 vs 17-18 also proves that Joshua too climbed the Mount of God, though, it’s very likely that Moses climbed to a higher level than Joshua].

Life had been hard for Joshua. Yes, he became Israel’s leader. But that was after process had taken place. A lot of it! In fact, many of us today can’t live with what Joshua had to live with:

Psychological and physical turmoil of loneliness while Moses was enjoying God’s Presence on the same mountain. Not for a day or two. But forty whole days! It could have been longer had it not been that Israel rose up ‘to play’.

However, the zeal for God was there, and soon, Joshua also started basking in God’s Presence, having a relationship with Him (Exodus 33 vs 11).

When the time came to spy the Promised Land, Caleb and Joshua were the only spies that brought a positive report. But guess who got most of God’s public accolades? Caleb!
Normally, this should have bred bitterness in Joshua’s heart. But converse was the case. Instead, he served God with even more vigour, winning countless battles for the Lord, under Moses’ leadership.

Finally, it was time to pass the baton of leadership. And God picked Joshua to lead His People. Joshua eventually got due recognition for his patient travails for God. He went on to conqueur and divide the Promised Land.

Tough times don’t last.
Tough people do.
There’s every chance that the bigger your life purpose, the more preparation God allows you to go throuph. That ‘wilderness’ experience would only bring out God’s best in you. The beauty of gold is seen after it has passed through the processing fire of affliction.

Possess your process now and watch how smoothly you’d progress into the next step of fulfiling purpose!

Who Needs Idols? We Are Gods!

You know what I consider the most powerful statements in the Bible?

‘So God created man in His own image…’

Do you know the gravity or import of that statement?
It means that you are a product of God’s imagination.
You were created in God’s image.
As a result, you have the ability to exhibit God’s own characteristics too. Another portion of the Bible is more succinct: ‘You are gods…’

All these doesn’t mean that one day, Man would become Omniscient, Omnipresent or Omnipotent. No! Instead, it means we also have the power of creation in us.
We have that ability to call those things that are not, as though they were.
The proof is all around us. The TVs, mobile phones and computers and other inventions you now see, once existed before.
Yeah, as an image in someone’s mind!

Knowledge of this truth is what true power is all about. I’d never forget these quotes:

‘The only way you can predict the future is to create it’
‘The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible’

Nothing is closer to the truth!

How many of us have consigned our destinies to the cold hands of fate? It doesn’t have to be that way. After all, you are a god! You don’t need to have an ‘idol’ as a role model or compete in the ‘American Idol’ before you make things happen.

By faith, God spoke the heavens and the earth into existence.
What is wrong with you that you can’t do the same?
By faith, you too can create your world of possibilities by the words of your mouth.

You are a god.
Act like one!!!

Feet Crushed And Eyes Plucked Out!

We notice them all around us. It’s simply impossible to miss them. Yet we are oblivous to certain lessons that Nature is trying to get into our skulls.

The Lame can see their destination, but they are unable to get there because of the weekness in their legs and feet. On the other hand, the Blind can’t seee their destination, despite the strength in their feet and legs. The bottomline is that both parties are unable to get to their destinations!

Let’s redefine THE LAME and THE BLIND, shall we?

To me, the ‘lame’ are people who have a purposeful vision about the direction their lives are headed. They

¤ have no zeal to carry them to where they want to be.
¤ are characterized by character flaws.
¤ have the ‘head knowledge’ of the right things to do but are weak in the spirits of their minds, so they still end up doing the wrong things.
¤ know The Word but still have serious issues in their closet lives.
¤ have the ‘will’ but cannot ‘do’.

As a result, they can’t maximize potential, fulfil purpose and please God.

The ‘blind’ do not have any clearcut vision or sense of direction for their lives. They

¤ have zeal and fiery passion which is always unguided.
¤ are characterized by 99% perspiration and less than 1% inspiration.
¤ have the mental ‘toughness’ to do the right things, but the don’t know the right things, so they up doing the wrong things.
¤ misinterpret God’s Words and cling to the traditions and customs of men, more than life itself.
¤ do not have the ‘will’ but can ‘do’.

As a result, they too can’t maximize potential, fulfil purpose and please God.

Sad, eh? I know. And I’m not even done yet!

The Bible is full of types and shadows. Like, David could be said to be a type of The Christ. So, when he embarked on the conquest of the Jebusites in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5), he was told that his mission wouldn’t be possible. Until the land had been cleared of THE LAME and THE BLIND. Interestingly, it was said David’s soul loathed the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ (vs 8) !!!

Now, if David was a type of The Christ, and he didn’t like the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’, how much more Jesus Christ Himself? Why wouldn’t Christ loath those who can’t maximize potential, fulfil purpose and please God?

But I’m still not done. Because I’ve got some good news for you.

Yes. There’s a ray of hope.

It’s God’s will for man to DO all that pleases Him.

You see, when Christ restored order to the Temple in JERUSALEM the second time (Matthew 21 vs 12, Oh my gosh! Jerusalem, again? This is more than coincidence!), guess those who came to meet Him for healing?

THE LAME AND THE BLIND!!!

Yeah! Not the mute, or the deaf, or the maimed. No! Just the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ came to meet Christ for healing. And He healed them. Why?

So as to qualify them for service in the House of God He had just cleansed! Now they could maximize their potential!
Now they could fulfil purpose!
Now they could please God by ‘willing’ and ‘doing’ His good pleasure!

What category do you find yourself today? The visionless and purposeless ones. Or the passionless and apathetic ones. Good news is that He’s still in the business of restoring vision and zeal to ALL who desire to please Him. God wants you, yes you, to walk and work with Him.

Hop in!