You Can Do It!

Everyday we meet people who are doing great things, attaining new heights and climbing new stages of ages.

How do they do it? You are tempted to ask. 

The short answer is yes, you can!. 

There’s absolutely nothing you can’t do. 

Here’s why:

1. You’re Special:

You and I and everyone else is a unique blend of awesomeness. We have unique experiences. A unique voice. A unique mix of ideas, examples, and stories. Sadly, most people don’t recognise their uniqueness. 

This reminds me of something I saw some weeks ago when I was surfing through my Facebook news feed. It was a post that read:

“We all need constant reminders of our ingenuity in order to dig up our potential.”

And that was it. I was totally lit up after reminiscing on some great moments. Indeed we all are special and that’s what helps us deal with life’s problems in our unique ways. 

2. Life challenges everyone

Life’s full of challenges. Ups and downs. Hills and valleys. Pits and peaks. 

Unique as they may seem, these challenges are common to all. Everyone faces one situation or the other. 

But beyond these challenges you must travel everyday. You must burrow your way out of these pits in order to make it to the peak. 

This fact helps us adjust to life easily knowing that we are not the only ones going through bumps. 

Ending Notes

Bear this in mind: 

Although times are hard and the roads you tread are rough, you can still succeed. 

It’s a function of your thought line. 

Henry Ford says it best:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t…you’re right.” –   Henry Ford

So go, think possibility. 

Embrace your quirks. Be bold. Be YOU.

You can do it. Yes, you can!

My Friend 2

I woke up scared and shivering. I didn’t know how to get out of bed as it was still the middle of the night. Thankfully, my other cousin was lying in the same bed with me. She happened to be living with us at the time. She woke up and called my parents.

You are wondering what scared me in the dream? Nne, I just got off a full time initiation! You needed to be in that dream.

So I got to my parents room and narrated my dream amidst shivers. We read Romans 14:7 and it just read

“if I live I live for Christ and if I die I die for Christ. So then whether I live or I die I am Christ’s”.

That’s crazy because I haven’t read it that way again ever since. I now read “no man lives to himself and none dies to himself.”

That just made some connective sense right now as I write.

Well, for someone like me who started seeking a meaning to life very early, I think I got a road map early with that dream. I’m obviously supposed to be saying to everyone “Believe in Jesus or die in Satan!”
Alright, listen everyone! I nearly gave up on my “Christian faith”. The expectations of the Christian faith were more than my strength could carry.

I had pains and disappointments that my faith asked me to sweep under the carpet, sorry, forgive. I couldn’t, not even to save my life. I had insecurities I didn’t know how to deal with.

I read “motivational books” and listened to “motivational speakers” and they brought more hope. So I was going to walk away- from the faith.

Until HE came through for me. My friend, I mean. He began to teach me some things I hadn’t known.

I soon realized that I was focusing on the wrong thing. I was focusing on the people of the faith and not the Faith. I was focused on the body of Christ and not Christ himself. So we decided to do this walk together – no, I agreed to walk with Him.

So it gets easier by the day because I am aiming to please him and not them. When it gets tough, I talk to him. When I make a mistake, I talk to him. When I am confused and unsure of my decisions, I talk to him. He’s my present help in trouble. I learn to love him better as we walk together, as much as I learn to be like him.

Hey, friend, let me introduce you to MY FRIEND. His name is Jesus Christ, the first born son in the family of God. He is such an amazing and interesting friend. Join me in this walk – study your Bible and pray without ending!

MONUMENTS OF NOTHINGNESS

“The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!” Prov. 22:13 (NLT).

I remember my first foray into professional writing. I had visited a friend who wrote articles for clients and gets paid for them. He asked me to help him out with one of the articles, as he had a lot of them to do. Prior to that moment, I have been writing just inspirationals and motivationals (still my forte).

When he made the request, I obliged, totally oblivious of what makes a professional article. Within the next 30 minutes, I had done a little research on professional writing. I had also researched on works done on the topic of interest. Within an hour, 30 minutes or so, I came up with an article.

Obviously, my friend was elated and decided to take me through the rudiments of professional writing. Today, professional writing has become one of my alternative sources of income.

Rewind to that day when my friend asked me to help out. The easiest thing I could’ve done would’ve been to tell him “bro, I am not a professional Writer, I only write inspirationals and motivationals”. Just maybe, I would have never improved on my writing skills nor enlarged my writing territories. When my opportunity came, instead of giving excuses, I took responsibility.

My local church has this mantra and I repeat it to myself anytime I try to give excuse for my laziness and mediocrity: “EXCUSES ARE TOOLS FOR THE INCOMPETENT, USED TO BUILD MONUMENTS OF NOTHINGNESS. THOSE WHO USE THEM ARE NOT WISE”.

If you are going to excellently manifest all that God has designed you to manifest, then you need to part ways with excuses. They will never help you attain great heights, rather they will continually send you down the drain of mediocrity.

Today, subdue every laziness and mediocrity by not making excuses for them.

 

MANIFEST!

 

 

My Friend

I talked to people struggling with some form of pain a while ago and I said I’d introduce you to a friend. Yeah, I know, these religious things. Everything doesn’t have to become God, right? Yeah, I know, we are humans biko. I get it, but come with me.

I was in JSS1 when I first stepped out to answer the “altar call”. I am not sure I really knew what I was doing then, but I did it anyways. I came out with some friends for it that day.

Another day was the call for “Holy Ghost baptism” and I went. I remember one of my friends saying to me “you went out the last time with us and you’re going again. Do you lose your salvation everyday?” I corrected him quickly. “It’s baptism of the Spirit we are heading out for, not salvation.” I felt really proud and special to have been more attentive than they were.

But I answered other altar calls after that. It changed nothing though, as some I answered out of fear. And then I stopped answering them. Haba!, you are asking why? You nor dey tire on top one routine? I been learn nah.

I visited my village and slept over for the first time when I was 12. I know. I still better pass some of you. One of the days, my cousins came visiting; you know those kind of cousins that are almost your father’s generation? Yeah. Those kind came visiting with one of their sons. I wondered what to say the young man was to me because he was older by every dimension. We ate, they had fun, I watched.

That night, I became a Joseph- only this time, no one was bowing to me or my star. On the contrary, I was defending who I was.

The dream guy called me “Queen” and “Princess” and I said “I wasn’t”. The name came across in that dream as meaning “an authority in the marine kingdom”. This was a position I always desired in real life, but there I was refuting it in my dreams. But here’s the gist! I asked him “do you go to church? Do you know what Romans 14:7 says?”

My dear, this is not a “bible student” thing, I didn’t know at that time what was in Romans. I didn’t even know how many chapters there were. I was going to wake up to something bigger than me.

WHO’S FAULT?

““Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”. The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Gen 3:11-12 (NLT).

 

Whenever you ask a question, there are a number of possible answers that you expect to get from your respondent. When you ask a question like “how are you?”, you expect the respondent to either answer “I am fine” or “I am not fine”.

Sometimes, the answers do not come as straight forward as the question. In some cases, you could even get a question as a reply. Well, I’ve come to realize that they are all dynamics of being human. Most people usually try to present themselves as faultless and inerrant. But for all I know, fautlessness and inerrancy is an exclusive attribute of God.

As I come to my thoughts today, I’d take a trip down memory lane. I used to work as a salesman for an IT and gadgets outfit. Everytime The Boss comes to the office and notices something that is out of place, he’d ask “who did this?”. Interestingly, whoever that is close to him begins to scamper to find the culprit. In the end, he will call the person back and ask him to fix it. That taught me a life lesson about taking responsibility.

It is mediocre to always look for who to blame when something goes wrong, especially when you have the capacity to fix the problem.

Adam was a culprit of this. He resorted to playing the blame game when he was confronted with his actions. It was irresponsible and mediocre of him to blame the wife for a decision he took.

A good number of young men that are frustrated today is because they refused to take responsibility for their outcomes in life. They blame their parents, society, government etc. for their misfortune. Unfortunately, blaming anyone has not and will never change their predicament.

Away with the blame game! Take responsibility for the things that concern you. Only then will you be able to manifest the potentials God has domiciled in you.

 

MANIFEST!

 

 

One Day at a Time

I try to be as bold as I can when I go about my daily activities. I’ve had as much life issues try to put me under, but that’s my opinion. I speak with some people and they think I just exaggerate my experiences so I don’t talk to a lot of people. I’m a whole lot withdrawn most of the time but I have some awesome moments of excitement.

One day I had an argument with my friend. We were talking about someone’s withdrawal issues and she (my friend) thought this person could do better at healing from her issues. I was going to agree until she said “after all she isn’t the only one who has been through that!”

I went RED!! Trust me, if I’m passionate about something I act before I think and I could “over-act”.

“Have you been through a thing in your life?” I lashed. “Have you ever tried to recover from something and found yourself unable to? Have you ever tried to find out from those ‘who recovered’ how they did it? How do you know the efforts this person puts in to overcome this issue of hers?”

One of the things I worry most about is people’s state of mind. I mean it shouldn’t be my business but I worry by default. Maybe it’s because I have my own issues that put me in mind conditions that aren’t quite healthy, but seeing people emotionally or physically distressed is a distress on its own.

Okay, this isn’t about me. It’s about someone having a hard time at recovering from a certain hurt. You can’t even speak to anyone about it because you are afraid of being tagged. You sincerely are struggling, you’ve fasted and prayed, read your bible, made resolutions but this thing won’t go away.

Maybe you’ve resigned on yourself. Maybe you’ve even tagged yourself, accepting the life that you wish away.

There is HOPE! You can have your life back again.

I want you to know that we all have our individual process: some are slower than others, but after all we all can get on the path of healing.

How do I know? I’ve had my share of ups and downs, times when there was no one around. But I take my days one day at a time and that’s how I heal from all the hurts.

I’ve been tagged by people who don’t know my story, people who haven’t been through jack yet believe they can tell me how to hurt. Forgiving them and letting my heart and mind recover has been work, but I’ve learned to walk this path one day at a time.

You too can have freedom by learning to live one day at a time. And what’s more? There’s a friend you can always talk to. I know him, and I’d love to introduce you if you don’t mind.

BEAR YOUR BRUNT

“But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor. For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load [of oppressive faults]” Gal. 6:4-5 (AMP).

The greatest tragedy that will befall you is to live your life at the mercy of another man. You depend on men for everything, including the littlest of things. Every decision you make in life can always be traced back to what someone else wanted you to decide. The career you are pursuing now is because you want to please someone, even though you are struggling to be your best. The wife you married was to make your mother happy, not because you were ready to take responsibility. I’m really at a loss of adjectives to qualify you. Possibly you will kill yourself to please someone else.

You are so engrossed in living another man’s life that you have put a peg on the potentials that would have made you relevant in life. You have been living a mediocre life when you have been destined to live an excellent life. You need to stop on those tracks and take a recourse. You cannot afford to take your destiny through further collosal damage.

You cannot manifest all that you have to offer creation when you cannot take care of your own business. You can no longer afford to hang your destiny in the guillotines of your irresponsibility.

I simply wrote this piece to challenge you to bear your brunt. It does not matter how deplorable your state is now, you can always retreat, retool and restart. Take responsibility of your destiny and become all that you have been created to be.

It’s time to stamp your feet on the ground and take personal Initiative. I’m not saying you should turn deaf ears to good counsel, but you just got to say “NO” sometimes.

 

MANIFEST!

 

 

Sleepless Nights 2

I woke up from sleep suddenly and followed the sounds to the sitting room.

I was now a senior student at a boarding school so I wasn’t always home to deal with the noise. I thought I’d prayed enough for these things to pass so I was surprised to find that mama still had sleepless nights from Daddy’s unhealthy disturbances. As I approached, I wondered if God didn’t hear my prayers and why these issues were still here.

“Ada! Ada!! Ada!!!” I heard him beckon me between laughter and heavy heaves, “Please come o, your mother wants to kill me.”

Wait, did I perceive him laughing? Really these late night disturbances are fun to him? I see.

I walked past him without saying a word to him. Okay, I greeted him. But I wondered how he managed to get away whole if mama actually made a move at him.

“Mama what happened?”, I asked as I sat beside her. I would believe her own narrative more. She never told a story to justify herself nor did she try to make up her part of the story. At least from my perspective.

“He wouldn’t let me get some rest”, she began. “I’ve pleaded with him and I have to be at work in the morning so I raised this stool to hit his head. God saved him he went away”, she finished.

I sat smiling at her. Here was my heroine. She finally took action after all these years. I gave her a hug and told her it’s alright. She had peace, a well-deserved peace.

Years later, I asked daddy why he gave mama so much trouble.

“I didn’t know how better to handle issues. Beating your wife is a convenient part of African marriage, I did what I knew best to do,” he responded.

I don’t agree with him on the subject of African marriage, but how does that change the past? We’re moving ahead into better times and we’d teach our sons right.

 

DIARY OF A CHURCH GIRL

© Transforming Words Series

SOLVE A PROBLEM!

“And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh”. Gen 41:13-14 (KJV).

I was in a discussion with one of my clients one day and we were talking about how they managed to scale through the ravaging effect of a flood that hit their neighborhood. We talked about a lot of things that happened, how people were displaced from their houses and properties worth fortunes were lost to the flood. It was a very bad time for them, but they managed to pull through.

One of the stories he told me got the hairs at the back of my head standing. He told me about this young man that used an improvised boat to help people evacuate their properties from the flood-ravaged area. He got an old refrigerator, removed the door and converted it to a boat. The young man made a killing from that venture during that period. People didn’t mind paying any amount he charged, provided he was going to help them evacuate whatever was left of their properties.

This reminds me of the men that will get mud and fill-up potholes along major roads. What they do might not be perfect, but they try to proffer solution to a problem. A good number of motorists show their appreciation for their efforts.

A lot of people complain that nobody cares to help them, or to be more precise, give them money. This is because they fail to understand the dynamics of money. Money flows in the direction of value. Value comes from problem solving.

Everyone has been given the same measure of grace, what you do with yours determines the benefit you get from it.

Stop throwing a pity party that only celebrates your mediocrity and inability to put your gifts and talent to work. God has given you gifts so you can profit with them. However, you can only profit from your gift when it is solving a problem.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground”. Exo. 14:15-16 (NLT).

The staff in Moses’ hand was a divine tool to solve the problem that faced the children of Israel. The only issue Moses had there was unawareness of the fact that he had a solution with him. It is tragic that a lot of people are endowed with potentials that can solve global problems and yet they are living beneath their privileges.

My friend, it’s time to stop wallowing in self pity over the areas you are disadvantaged. You have something in you that will solve a problem around you. Find it and work on it. You create value when you solve a problem, and when you create value, you make money from it.

 

 

MANIFEST.

 

 

 

 

Sleepless Nights 1

I got out of bed and followed the voices to the little passage that linked my room to the sitting room. The bathroom and toilet were on the right, while the sitting room was on the left. They were at the passage struggling with each other.

“Please, leave me alone sweet”, I heard her saying. But he continued.

I went over to help her. I picked up my shoe making to hit his head with the heels but she intervened, even in her distress.

“Ada m stop!”, she said even though distressed, “He’s your father. Don’t do that.”

I was disappointed. He was hurting her, yet she was considering who he was.

“You asked me to leave him? He’s hurting you. Are you sure about this?” I asked her.
“Go into your room Ada m, we’ll sort this out”, she said.

I went back to my room aware of extents I couldn’t go. The nights continued. Several of them. But I had learned to intervene differently – PRAYER.

Mama taught me to pray about everything. She showed me that part of scripture that asked us to “pray about everything”. So I added peace to my list.

Every morning and night, I prayed. I went back on my knees if I missed praying for a peaceful home. In church, prayer meetings, devotions, I prayed.

But peace never came until….

 

Diary of a Church Girl

©Transforming Words Series