#teamOAU Why You Should Be Grateful For The NASU Strike
I could give you reasons why we really shouldn’t be happy about the NASU strike but that would only be me reopening closed wounds (or, almost closed wounds). I know you hate to have to go home as a result of a struggle that has nothing to do with you. I do, too, but then I have just learnt to see the bright side of things even in the darkest of days. I mean, there is always a silver lining in every cloud. So, amidst a thousand reasons to be sad and disappointed about the issue of the school closure, let’s find a reason to be happy about it.
You know, what if this is an opportunity for you to develop yourself regarding the activities that really matter to you? What if this break is an avenue for you to grow, to improve? The reason a lot of students give for not improving at what they would like to improve at is lack of sufficient time due to the need to study hard, attend classes, group discussions et al. And of course, that is so understandable. But now, there are no classes to attend, no group discussions, no notes to write. This is the best time for you to learn that skill, read that book, take that course, and whatever else it is that you would love to do. I have learnt from bitter experience that you don’t expect OAU to resume one week after a strike or even, a legitimate holiday. They would most likely spend a month or two or even three! Don’t sleep away and be patiently waiting for OAU to resume whilst doing nothing worthwhile with your life.
I have a suggestion for you as you start your break; PLAN! Really, plan! Most of us are home now without knowing the next step to take. For a lot, this break will not be wasted not because you don’t want to make optimum use of it but because you have no definite plan for it. Don’t tell me you want to improve at this and that. Show me HOW! Set goals! Show me how you want to achieve these goals. Write your plan down so it is possible for you to follow up with it. If you want to work, for instance, write the type of work you would like to do, how long you would like to work there. If you want to learn a skill, write down the skill, how do you want to learn it? Who do you want to teach you? If you want to read books, what type of books do you want to read? For how long do you want to read a book? What do you want to have achieved after reading each book? Our problems can be solved by asking the right questions and by planning to solve them.
I hope this has helped you. Any questions? Or is there any way I could help you achieve your goals this break? Please feel free to mail me at [email protected]
Today is Day 13 of the Improvement Challenge. The Improvement Challenge (#TIC21) is an initiative aimed at helping people improve at things that they do and would like to improve at. Learn more about the Improvement Challenge HERE. You could also view previous posts:
The Improvement Challenge – Day 2
On Leadership : The Improvement Challenge – Day 3
Isn’t Wanting to be Perfect a Waste of Time? #TIC21 Day 5
The Improvement Challenge – Day 7
Thank you for reading. Please share your thoughts as they are very valuable to me. Thanks!
Follow on Twitter; @Orifunke
Add on facebook; Orifunke Lawal
Bbm:
The Improvement Challenge- Day 7
Say “Yeah Yeahhh!”
It’s the 7th day of #TIC21 and I feel really fulfilled about that. It’s been a long, not-so-easy challenge mehn. The uncertainty that stared me in the eyes while starting the challenge could have made me decide not to go on. I am grateful for those who believed in me and in my ability to do this. And I am really grateful for those who joined in the challenge right from Day 1 and those who joined along the line. It is Day 7 and even though this is just a fraction of the whole program, I do believe it is worth celebrating.
When we take up responsibilities that seem very enormous and we succeed at them, we’re motivated and convinced that we can keep doing great things. The second part of this challenge would be greater than the former in Jesus’ name. If you’re wondering what the Improvement Challenge is all about, your answer is here
You will also be blessed by previous posts that have been posted in the past days of the Improvement Challenge:
The Improvement Challenge – Day 2
On Leadership : The Improvement Challenge – Day 3
Isn’t Wanting to be Perfect a Waste of Time? #TIC21 Day 5
You could share your experiences with us on Twitter using the hashtag #TIC21. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Orifunke Lawal
@Orifunke on Twitter
Orifunke Lawal on Facebook.
Isn’t Wanting to be Perfect a Waste of Time? #TIC21 Day 5
Some years ago, you had this amazing idea that got you all excited whenever you thought about it. As a wise person, you sat down to think about it and plan for it. Then it occurred to you that you weren’t perfect enough to conceptualize the idea. It also came to your notice that the conditions that surrounded you at that time were not perfect enough. Years down the line, that idea is still in your kitchen cupboard, waiting to be remembered. Just a few months ago, you refused to work on that business idea or take up that project that could have helped to positively impact lives in your community because you thought you weren’t capable enough or that the conditions weren’t perfect enough for you to do something about it. Months after, that idea is still under your bed, forgotten, because the perfect conditions are yet to arrive and you are yet to become perfect.
I understand how this happens because it has happened to me a lot of times. The chord of pain that strikes your soul when you see that someone who doesn’t even know you is carrying out your idea is not something I think I could describe. And all that, because I wanted more perfect conditions to start something perfect.
Listen up! If everyone waited till they were perfect before doing something that they thought was great then nothing great would ever be done. Nothing! Perfection is insuperable. And so are perfect conditions. I believe there is no such thing as a perfect timing to start something right. You have to seize the timing itself and make it perfect. Nothing would be done in the next ten years if you keep waiting for you to be perfect. There has never been, and will never be a perfect you for a perfect project. And situations may never be more appropriate for you than they are now. You’ve got to stand up and stop waiting for a better time to do that important stuff that’s still lying on your shelf; start writing that book, take steps towards starting that business, start that project, take that course, start something! For if you don’t, in ten years time, you will still not be a perfect man.
P.S: I started an Improvement Challenge last Friday, 3rd July, 2015. The Improvement Challenge, which spans for 21 days, aims at helping you develop habits towards achieving your goals by doing them every day for 21 days. Looking forward to having you join us. Learn more about the Challenge here
Orifunke Lawal
@Orifunke on Twitter.
Orifunke Lawal on Facebook.
On Leadership: The Improvement Challenge- Day 3
Welcome to The Improvement Challenge, Day 3! It has been a purposeful ride all through. I appreciate all those who have committed to this challenge with me too. I am positive that it is going to be worth it! If you have no idea what the Improvement Challenge is, read it up here
My Day 2 of #TIC21 was fulfilling. I did everything I was supposed to do; studied my Bible, wrote something and I started reading the book I intended to read. For my 21 days Improvement Challenge, I’m reading John C. Maxwell‘s “5 Levels of Leadership”. Although I started reading it some weeks back, I felt the need to start reading all over again. So, I would be telling you one or two things I learnt from this book yesterday. For those who have read John C. Maxwell’s “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, this might look familiar.
P.S: I am not doing a book review. If you want to know all that is in the book, gaan buy it *tongue out*
The first lesson I learnt from this book is that making a positive impact in your world is dependent on your ability to lead. Contrary to popular belief, Leadership is not being in position. If you think leadership is position, how then will you lead effectively if you do not occupy a position? The only way to enforce that change that you so much desire in your country and in your immediate environment is by learning to be a better leader. And this, of course, requires intentional efforts. Read books, listen to messages, find ways to learn how to lead without being in a position. And if you would like to learn Leadership, the Improvement Challenge of 21 days might just be exactly what you need. *wink*
Thank you for reading. Have a purposeful week ahead!
Orifunke Lawal
@Orifunke on Twitter
Orifunke Lawal on Facebook
The Improvement Challenge- Day 2 #TIC21
Yessss! It’s the second day of The Improvement Challenge! Are you excited? The Improvement Challenge began yesterday and it is a project aimed at helping people improve at things that they do and would like to improve at. I have been surprised at the number of people who have showed interest in the Challenge and I celebrate you all.
My Day One of #TIC21 was good. I wrote an article that I would publish later on. Since my goal is to be a better writer, I have resolved to write something everyday for twenty-one days. For those who started the Challenge yesterday? How was it? What did you do? What did you learn? Could you tell us your story? Please, we’re looking forward to it.
Still yet to join the Improvement Challenge? You’re quite on time! How to join?
1. Write out a particular thing or list out a set of things that you really want to improve at. For me, one of them is my writing and so, I would be writing everyday for the next 21 days. I would advise that you have a small number of things to improve at so you can focus and measure your growth/improvement. Too many of them might make you “burdened” along the line.
2. At the end of each day, please share your story for the day to encourage all others who are also in the challenge with us. If you please, you could send me your story to share with others.
If you have any questions and comments, and if there is any help I could render to you with regard to this challenge, please feel free to message me personally. Thank you!
Orifunke Lawal
@Orifunke
Orifunke Lawal
JOIN THE IMPROVEMENT CHALLENGE
Are you sure this is not the opportunity you have been waiting for?
You have often wished you could get yourself to write a page of that book everyday, w ished you could get up earlier than normal everyday so you could adequately prepare for the day ahead, wished you could take some time out everyday to study your Bible and pray, wished you could take calculated steps everyday towards the achievement of a particular goal. However, it seems as though you lack the human will to make resolutions and keep to them. You’ve tried and tried but it’s not just working. Or, you probably have never seen the need to daily work towards a particular goal.
Well, The Improvement Challenge might be JUST FOR YOU! YES! The Improvement Challenge is a 21-day journey towards getting better at a particular thing(s) that you do. It starts today and we’re waiting for you to come on board. Joining us is easy!
1. Write out a particular thing or list out a set of things that you really want to improve at. For me, one of them is my writing and so, I would be writing everyday for the next 21 days. I would advise that you have a small number of things to improve at so you can focus and measure your growth/improvement. Too many of them might make you “burdened” along the line.
2. At the end of each day, please share your story for the day to encourage all others who are also in the challenge with us. If you please, you could send me your story to share with others.
If you have any questions and comments, and if there’s any help I could render to you with regard to this challenge, please feel free to message me personally. Thank you!
Orifunke Lawal
@Orifunke on Twitter.
Orifunke Lawal on Facebook.
A Problem Buhari Cannot Solve
At long last, the dispensation of Change that Nigerians have so anticipated for a long time has come. Hardly could members of the opposition party wait for May the 29th to arrive and now, it has come, and gone. And here we all are, trusting and hoping that this would truly be the season of change we have protested and prayed for all these years. It is of no doubt that every citizen expects the new government to look into the problems we have in this country. And while that is not uncalled for, I am quite afraid that there is one major problem eating Nigeria up hard, that President Mohammadu Buhari might not be able to look into or solve.
Over time on twitter, there have been sessions of uproar which have transpired between people of different tribes (The Igbos and the Yorubas, specifically). I am totally fed up of the unseeming bants the Yorubas throw against the Igbos and vice-versa. You know, this has driven me to think. Perhaps corruption isn’t our greatest problem. Perhaps the lack of love is. Perhaps tribalism is. Furthermore, I ask, if we truly want a better Nigeria, are we looking forward to achieving it this way? Do you ever wonder if the last line of the first stanza of our National Anthem would ever come to pass? How this infuriates me every now and then, not because I am yoruba, but because I hate to see that the so-called great people of a great nation can not even join hands together without thinking of or calling out the faults of other tribes. It is even alarming to think that the open hatred and condemnation amongst Nigerian tribes on the social media is but a shadow of what truly is in reality. If we want to build Nigeria, can we build Nigeria without building one another? And can we build one another without loving one another? I would like to know.
This might mean nothing to you, but I am plain tired of the twitter bants. So, this is what I believe. Buhari might be an agent of true change but this is not a problem I think he would be able to solve because the problem lies in the hands on every Nigerian (you and me) to solve. I know the tribal conflict will come up again on Twitter or on Facebook or anywhere else but I believe that with every Nigerian who will take the effort to love his neighbour without segregating, and without hypocrisy, an effective step will be added to the national journey towards peace and unity.
@Orifunke
To the “FreshWomen” #teamOAU
#DearFreshwoman
There have been cases of freshmen (females) who have either been sexually or monetarily exploited by guys who were stallites (in some cases, both). These cases occurred because the girls were perceived as naïve. Permit me to bring to your notice that there will be guys standing at AngloMoz every night, some with cars or expensive gadgets that could catch your eyes, observing carefully like lions looking for a prey(or preys) to devour- young, beautiful, ignorant and fresh-blooded girls. They come, at first, like those who come in peace and harmlessness but the end of their mission is pain and regret.
Remember, first and foremost, that you are too precious to be carried away by the sugary words of any guy. You are too big to be moved by the “accolades” that he could present to you- like being nice, having a cool car, having a house in town, or even being able to speak impeccable English.
While I’m not asking you to run away from guys or push your face up when someone walks up to you or assume that all guys are out there to ruin your life, I urge you to be careful. Be as wise as a serpent and as gentle as a dove. Set your standards and stick to them. Don’t be shaken. Don’t be moved. You’re worth more than rubies. You are priceless, not worthless. You are greatly-sought after. You are a great woman. You command respect. Don’t let anybody deceive you. SHINE YOUR EYE. Have a wonderful stay on campus!
I Love You,
Orifunke Lawal.
@Orifunke
The Change We TRULY Need
Change, they say, is constant. Every being is susceptible to change. Even the most resistant to change is likely to experience one form of unconscious change, or the other, at a point in their lives. People want change. In 2008, when President Barack Obama was contesting for the Presidency of the United States of America his mantra was “Change” and, of course, we know the outcome of the elections. Presently in Nigeria, one of the country’s leading political parties – the All Progressive Congress(APC) – has won the hearts of millions just because they have promised them what they so crave for – ‘Change’. So, you see, the desire for change is not esoteric but is common to all individuals.
This want for change is not left out in our personal and interpersonal relationships. We are continually, and unavoidably, surrounded by people who we always think could do better or get better, people who we strongly believe should change a habit that we think is unacceptable. We, sometimes, wonder why a certain individual would act in an annoying manner. Employers are constantly baffled as to why their employees choose not to work better. Spouses constantly sigh, in frustration, at the thought that their partners seem not to want to grow. We all want someone, somewhere, to stop doing something we hate with our entire being. And when this doesn’t happen (probably not as quickly as we want it), we throw our hands up in the air, in frustration, asking: “why don’t you just want to learn?”; “why don’t you just want to grow up?”
But then, perhaps the conflicts we have with other individuals are not as a result of what they can’t do, or don’t want to learn, but as a result of who we are. Perhaps our own characters are so flawed that we can’t see that these people are probably better than we are. We want others to change. We coax and coerce them to do things in a way which we think is better. We don’t focus on ourselves. We don’t put ourselves in the equation of change we so badly want to implement. Maybe, just maybe, if we invested in our character, we would begin to see others in a different light. We would begin to understand that we badly need the change we want for them ourselves. Maybe that little step of introspection could make us see what or who exactly needs to change, or be changed. And maybe, if everyone focused less on changing the other Nigerian and focused on changing himself more – in character – Nigeria would not only be a changed country but a country with changed people.
More than the need for others to change, more than the need for even our country to change, is the greater need for our person to change. I want change. And I know you do too. But before we ask for change in others, let us seek for change first in ourselves.
Edit Credit: Damilola Yakubu (@DamiYakubu)
An enemy named E
Hello, folks! How are you doing today?
To my wonderful first-timers, regular and irregular visitors, welcome. Thanks for visiting. This post would be short so you would be able to read through and go on with other things. So, enjoy.
“Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses”- George Washington
For every good and important decision you’re going to have to make in your life, you would be faced with two conditions: One, a reason why you should do it, and two, an excuse why you can not do it. More often than not, the force of the excuse outweighs that of the reason. I believe it is absolutely safe to say that excuses are the greatest hinderances to achievable goals. Most people give excuses for almost everything they’re supposed to do but do not want to do or do not feel like doing. I do too. It most probably is the reason why we have far more failures in our world today than successes.
Perhaps it is just a natural inclination for people to put a blame on one thing or give an excuse for another. We blame our poor backgrounds, insufficient funds, lack of resources, incapability, little or no support from people and any other irrelevant thing we can get our hands on. If there was ever a great idea that once crossed my mind, or a great opportunity that once crossed my path that later didn’t materialize, it was most probably because I found an excuse that did not make it work.
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it”- Jordan Belfort
Why haven’t you drawn that business plan that you thought of yet? Why haven’t you started writing that book yet? Why haven’t you learnt that skill yet? Why haven’t you enrolled for that class yet? Why haven’t you recorded that song yet? Why haven’t you started developing a close relationship with God yet? Why haven’t you…? I could keep asking you a thousand more questions and you would have excuses for each of them. You know what? You will always have excuses not to achieve your goals, but all you need is one reason why you should. Excuses are enemies of progress. I bet we would achieve more if we stopped making excuses. Make a commitment today to find a reason to do something good and worthwhile amidst a hundred excuses not to do it.
“It doesn’t matter if you come from the inner city. People who fail in life are people who find lots of excuses. It’s never too late for a person to recognize that they have potential in themselves.”- Benjamin Carson
Thanks for reading. Please, don’t forget to drop your thoughts- your comments and in fact, constructive criticisms. They’re important and would be appreciated. And don’t forget to share too. 😉
Follow on twitter: @Orifunke