gOiNg aGaiNsT tHe tiDE!

Blind Bartimaeus teaches us how to sing a solo when the chorus is against you. Mark 10:47-48.

— Tera Carissa (@teracarissa) July 19, 2015

This tweet from Tera Carissa got me in deep thought about what it truly takes to be an achiever. In reality nobody ever achieved any great feat by doing exactly what every other person around them did. Over the years i have come to one solid conclusion that the common denominator in every winner's life is simply an 'EDGE'. My  childhood gaming days comes to mind as a good example of what it means to have an edge. Back when the video game 'Street Fighter' was a thing i only knew how to use two moves  and one player (Dhalsim) in all my games. He was the grown Avatar looking dude who could Extend punches and kicks beyond his reach, teleport and stay suspended in the air. All i knew to do was throw those long punches and teleport, and i became so good and fast at those two moves that was all i really needed to win.

The story referenced in the tweet above covers the story of a blind man in Jericho named Bartimaeus who during Jesus' visit against all odds and public opinion regained his sight. We only read about him today because he was bold enough to do something about his situation howbeit yelling like a mad man on the streets.

There are 3 things Bartimaeus had that made a difference to his situation which we can also learn from:

1. Information: He had heard of the exploits and knew of the power Jesus carried. He also heard that Jesus was in town, he also recognized the opportunity of a life time.

2. Faith/Conviction: Armed with this information, He was convinced that an encounter with this Jesus would solve his problems. In an era when Miracles and Christ was considered uncool he wasn't ashamed of his Faith and conviction.

3. Tenacity: Against all odds and pressure to be quiet while he called for Jesus to save him he persisted until Jesus heard him and called for him to come close after which he miraculously re-gained his sight.

These three (3) things can be generally summarized in one word: PASSION. what dreams, ideas or courses do you feel driven to achieve? what challenges do you have to contend with on a daily basis?

The story of blind Bartimaeus teaches us that in the choir of life, only people bold enough to sing solos get the chance get noticed..

In the history of humanity, every great man from Einstein to Walt Disney; from Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg; has had to swim against the tide of popular opinion to attain greatness. whatever you find yourself doing sometimes the best path to that destination is the road less travelled.

-@gozzim

dOoRs..

Imagine for a minute that your mind is a heavily guarded (skull) fortress with various entrances (eyes, nose, ears, etc..). Also imagine that your very existence and quality of Life, depended on how well you develop and protect this very mind.

When you think about it, every possible man made convenience from Aircrafts, to something as simple as a spoon, to the tallest skyscrapers on earth; these were once a product of some innovative mind. Everything in existence were once intangible in the human mind so much so that a persistent belief in the possibility of its existence pushed individual inventors to bring  these things to life.

What exactly do you believe about yourself?
What kind of thoughts do you encourage?

Indeed whatever the mind can conceive, the hand can achieve, for the fact that your very mind could it is enough evidence of the inherent possibilities.
You are and will forever be the architect of your own fortune or worse - misfortune. The God given power to make choices is what ensures that in addition to His freely give grace to excel in Life we have to make conscious efforts to make a difference in every situation we find ourselves. So every chance you get to develop your mind or shield it from any form of social trauma enough to make a difference in Life should be embraced. Guard your thoughts with all diligence..

-@gozzim

LiViNg oN bORRoWeD tiME

Some mornings i wake up feeling like i'm living on borrowed time. Well maybe i am 'cos these days it all seems like one minute you are making jokes with friends and then the next minute you read from on a blog that your friend is gone. 

There has to be more in this Life than just subsistence. Yeah i said that, no matter how much wealth you have amassed for yourself or are hoping to amass, if you haven't given any thought & action to how much that wealth will touch or change the lives of people in your sphere of contact (and not just your family) you are just subsisting.

I have come to learn that 'our time here on earth is indeed a transaction'. You have breathe in exchange for a chance to live a life of impact using your gifts as a means of basic exchange and a chance at Eternal Investment. A typical scenario:

You are a gifted singer, somehow you rise to fame and become a world renowned pop icon, and the big bucks roll in faster than you can spend it, Yes! you have arrived but there is indeed a lot more that you can do than buying cars, paying sibling school fees, or even hooking your friends up. The best courses are the ones that outlive you and your gifts. People are dying every second in Liberia, Guinea all from Ebola, perhaps there are communities who before the Epidermic were followers or your music, but these people don't trust the government agencies perhaps adding your voice to that of the government will help them listen to how they can survive this epidermic. Surely having a million followers on social media is not just for bragging rights...

You see it may all seem like 'YOLO' and 'One life to Live' and then death, but i'm sure most doubt that you won't give account of the time you have spent here on earth. So as you go about your activities remember that every second of every day you are privileged to be alive you should constantly seek to exchange that breathe for a life of impact. You only live Once but if you live right Once is enough.

-@gozzim

tHe thiNGs tHat mAtteR.. mAysoOn ZaYiD sToRy

i found this TED video very inspiring. Meet Maysoon Zayid, an arab American who has a very inspiring take on living with Cerebral Palsy. The Audience went wild, see why.

wHAT HaVe i bEEn uP to?

almost a full month into 2014 i have found myself biting a lot more than i can chew and nothing about that thought makes me uneasy. I am currently working on two projects i consider a lot bigger than me in so many ramifications but I trust God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all i can think or imagine. Even as i write this in my mind's eye i can see that everything i would work on this year would have a global effect some how.

Sometimes complaining about the situation of things in your environment is a waste of breathe. So i have opted for the option of making a difference in my immediate sphere of contact. Like someone once said be the change you would like to see in others.

Finally i would just like to encourage you to endeavor to go beyond just dreaming Big by taking small daily steps towards achieving your goals. There will never ever be a perfect time to achieve any worthwhile feat.

@gozzim

CoBHams iNtERviEw oN hOLyHoLLa- 5th JaN 2014

That Cobhams Asuquo is a phenomenal individual is not in doubt. This very vocal and visually impaired genius has continued to be an inspiration to the world, through his life, music and inspirational talks. I had the unique privilege to setup an interview with Cobhams on our show holyholla on Rhythm FM93.7 It was indeed an insightful interview where he talked about his wife, his 2 year old son, the lessons he learned from his time at QuestionMark records way back and how he got to be penned down to perform at this years World Economic Summit, 2014 in Davos, Switzerland. This interview exposes a different side of Cobhams the world is yet to see. Find below an audio podcast of our interview with cobhams.

- @gozzim

foOtpRintS oF hOpE

Imagine rocking these slippers that just lets you leave these words of encouragement with every step you take.

#iMbiBe

courtesy Peg Fitzpatrick

scREw yOuR aNcHoRs!

you ever get in those awkward positions where people try to make you feel bad 'cos finally you got your shit together and moved on positively with your life? Maybe you finally found God and your old friends you used to drink and smoke pot with get on your case 'cos you were once birds of a feather; or you get a fantastic job opportunity and then your psycho girl friend/Boy Friend does all she/He can to discourage you cos the job requires you to leave town?

Truth is the whole concept of progress in life entails overcoming some form of hindrance (inertia, friction) I understand that sometimes the history we share with people make it really hard to move on from them. One simple and very obvious fact at the end of  the day is this: 'no one ever achieved any worth while feat by being toooooo considerate to everyone around them well at least not to themselves.' If you were too careful about hurting your fingers how would you become a good farmer. The best feats are attained through some level of compromise to self.

So in conclusion i will say this: some people are anchors and you have to learn to cut them off when you have to. Screw Your Anchors!

~g.d

we are our worst enemy!

You are your worst enemy! as i have always maintained: we are what we make of Grace, time and Circumstance. As far as certain aspects of our lives are concerned God has blessed us with an unimaginable amount of control and choices. Nothing ever happens by accident ever, and sometimes the best things in our lives come into existence as a spinoff of the worst times of our lives. 

Its been quite a while since my last post. over the years i have tried to train myself to be alert to the good (lesson/benefits) of every situation i find myself no matter how unsettling (*easier said than done right*)....

Let me put my ramblings into perspective:

In October 2002, a young music producer from a middle class background while working late with some world class artistes like the black eyed peas, left the studio at 3:00am to head home. While in his rented vehicle he was cut off at an intersection by another driver and was involved in a near fatal accident which left his jaw fractured into several pieces. while in recovery at the hospital he composed several singles from his first album which formed the basis for the next phase of his life. Fast forward 18 Grammy's and several other awards later he is without a doubt one of the most successful artistes in the history of music. His  is Kanye Omari West.

No matter the rumors you may have heard concerning Kanye you gotta admit he had to make certain choices on his recovery bed that set the stage for all he has amounted to today. Its all up to YOU! God has blessed us all with abilities in accordance with his perception of the big picture you are a cure to a certain pain, a plug to a certain leak.. What you do about it is all up to YOU!

~gd

the expert manifesto

(via The Expert Enough Manifesto | Expert Enough)

Love is not enough...

Remember that popular definition of Love that says: " Love is a feeling you feel you never felt before" ok now FORGET THAT! Yeah! you read that right. As far as the concept of marriage and relationships go, Love is never enough. It may sound like I'm about to put out a collage of psychotic ramblings but the plain truth is: genuine Love as we should know it cannot exist without a clear recognition of weaknesses in our partners- which as far as I'm concerned is the starting point of Love. 

Love alone is never enough to guarantee a happy marriage or relationship, for the sake of being crucified before i rest my 'keys', When i say Love i do not in any way refer to the God kind of Love (Agape) which is a whole new level of perfection which also only God can give, I refer to the form we share as humans & which has evolved into a diverse mix of dilution. In its purest form Love can only inspire a healthy level of patience and tolerance & affection that becomes happiness over a period and subsequently bliss. As far as i can tell any one who writes about Love being the only requirement for bliss is a scam artist.

I rarely write about subjects like this but from my experience in relationships it all starts with certain attributes, or characteristics which can be experienced at face value, and then moves on to who we are essentially, it is by understanding what our strengths and weaknesses are we can then embark on that journey called Love which by the way is not a destination. There is no such thing as Love at first sight. The former concept is at best a heightened sense of attraction which could evolve into the real form of Love. I can only love you if I can live with and be happy with helping you over come your weaknesses. Its not just about the good looks, the fabulous boobs and ass its a lot more of the internal mixed with a little of the external.

Patience, Wisdom, Strengths, Weaknesses, Tolerance, Affection and loads of other factors are compulsory ingredients of relationship Bliss, but above all God's Grace. It is that grace that makes a man do dishes with his spouse, that makes a woman nag less, that makes a woman turn her spouse away with wisdom while he stays faithful despite.. so when i say Love is not enough, this is what i mean.

~gd 

@gozzim

Lessons from my Russian Billionaire Friend - I

Last night i met a Russian billionaire, and don't even ask me how...lol apparently after spending about 25mins with him i also became a billionaire.- don't believe me? then read on.. As i have learned true wealth is measured in time and not in currency as riches. that said when you picture the so called 'billionaires' in our beautiful country and take to heart that earlier definition we then come to the conclusion that there is a huge scarcity of wealthy men within our shores.

'In reality the amount of time a man can can consistently maintain his current standard of living if he stops earning, is a clear indication of how wealthy he is. The term wealth is therefore relative.'

According to my Russian billionaire friend, "being wealthy is indeed a state of the mind, it all starts in the mind. it is the very reason a wealthy man can afford to get into his Jaguar XJ or gulf stream jet in the morning without actual cash in his pocket, cause within him there is a subtle confidence that he can never get stranded. After taking years of calculated risks you soon get into the realization that the fastest way to make financial progress is to be untethered to material things. luxuries are mostly a means to an end, they provide comfort and were made for man's use and not the other way round."

these were words from my new friend shortly after we met, after he was introduced to me by a young Nigerian CEO, we kind of got into a discussion about Kasparov- on time world chess grand master, and then to Russian politics and finally I asked him why it is that Russia has too many young billionaires, this is what brought about the lesson i will be sharing in these series. For the next two days of his stay in Lagos, we had interactions that blew my mind. I will go into more details in my next post but be prepared to live dangerously.

cold fire!

i recall a few years ago while back at school, i made a trip every month to attend a very popular inspiration session in V.I hosted by a foremost motivational speaker. a friend of mine and I would come all the way and head back to school all 'fired up' 'cos we had supposedly heard and rubbed shoulders with the wealthiest & most influential motivators within and outside Nigeria.

In my honest opinion if i had to do it all over again i would probably have been satisfied with just one of those sessions, subsequently i would go on to read volumes of inspirational books all 'cos i thought i would hit it big along the line.

"what good is getting all fired up, if you cannot transfer that fire or passion to a meaningful project?"

If you are in the habit of networking you would agree with me that sometimes its not worth meeting people especially if they won't remember you the next time you meet. The best way to keep you networking memorable is to be known for a form of unique project/feat. It doesn't matter how many seminars you attend, or how many books you have read or will read, to attain a certain level of relevance you must apply your self positively to whatever passions you nurse.There will never be a perfect time to do anything meaningful. 

START SOMETHING NOW!

~gd

money talks, bullshit walks

As the popular saying goes: "money talks, bullshit walks".. well bullshit can only take you as far as getting an oppurtunity to prove yourself. The thing about such a strategy is for the smart people while bull shitting their way to the top they make conscious effort to have some level of substance, On the other hand the fools only stick with the bullshit so long and sometimes get so fortunate to be ontop only to come crashing down like a pack of cards.

So you have a hit single on rotation, or you have a traffic driving blog or website 'cos you offer juicy gossip and unravel scandals, or for some it may be your role in a movie that blew up.... which ever the case, people aint as stupid as they seem.At some point they would realise how much of an air bag you are.

Finally in a sea of huge potential and talent, bullshitting is a hard job, in a sea of mediocres its pwetty easy...

do what you love<<>>love what you do

illustration by ugmonk

The thing about doing what you love for a living is it never feels like work. I believe the best way to find successful balance is when you get paid to do something you love. There is obviously a place for delayed gratification when one's passion is discovered & The fact that you are passionate about what you love won't make you mind doing it for free and doing it so well that your passion eventually speaks for you. 

Finally when you have achieved that state of public recognition doing what you are passionate about you get the right to place whatever premium you want on that passion. "Don't sell yourself short"