MALT

” There is no challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself.” Michael F. Staley

Advancing your Personal Effectiveness

I would like to introduce to us a philosophy that has lingered on in Japan for many years now and which has enabled them build their economy to an enviable height. This is known as Kaizen Process, which borders on continuous learning, growing, innovating, improving, training and upgrading our effectiveness and achieving a meaningful competitive advantage as well as long term business or academic success.

To advance our personal effectiveness and strategically position ourselves for the inherent gains; we need to set the following factors in motions:

i) Decide where you want to go -
Set direction for yourself. What career path have you set for yourself? Is this the time to change the place and position you are presently? Is it time to do the MBA/PHD you have been dreaming about? Perhaps its time to start that business or probably consolidate your position where you are. Once you have set a direction for yourself and have taken some steps, it gives you a real sense of control, you feel in charge of your life. This keeps you level-headed.

ii) Accept your limitations and rejoice in your strength
Mirror yourself and picture out the real you, de-emphasize your limitations and place premium on your strengths. Develop it and become a don in what you do. Write out your dreams and sieve out the unrealistic ones and develop or work on the achievable ones. Remember that building your personal image involves setting SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely) goals. So don’t celebrate your weakness but magnify your strength with all that is in you.

iii) Develop the needed skills to enhance/facilitate the attainment of your dreams -
If you are to be relevant in whatever it is you plan to be, then there is no time like the present to develop the skills required to be that. You need to make yourself marketable. Train, retrain, get the required qualification, write proposal, develop business plan, meet the required investor or the people on the corridor of the kind of field you want to go into. Remember that luck is only opportunity meeting preparation. You need to be ready for when the spotlight turns on you, and then it is your turn to make the pitch. Good friends for you tomorrow learn to give you today.

iv) Don’t be an idea speech-maker -
Some people are good at talking about what they intend doing but never ever doing anything about it! What idea have you got? What proposal have you written? Pursue it as if there would never be tomorrow! You will definitely succeed. The Truth is Impossible is DEAD!!!

v)Set your goals and make definite plans -
For each dream, make a definite plan or action. Take a specific action for your dreams everyday. Learn to be a master of your beliefs and conviction. Stay there until you have achieved that dream

vi) Be flexible at your dreams and pursuit -
Always have alternative ways of achieving your vision. Decide that you are willing and open to change plans, direction and even paths, so long as it all leads towards the attainment of your goal. Take a cue from the Yoruba adage;

Several roads lead to the marketplace

If your mission or goal is to get to the market and buy groceries, you definitely have several options and choices. Thus, its only wise to adopt this concept to life as we set our goals.

vii) Create a network of people-
In any business organization, the people are the greatest asset. Why? This is simply because they drive the business and determine the stability of its customers. Ignore them, and face bankruptcy. So it is in the impact of human relations; they encourage you; steer you to your greatness, stimulate your hidden potentials and provoke your readiness to change. My dear friend, you need people, find them and keep them. You’re only four people away from the people you need. You just need to know where to look for them, and if you don’t please look everywhere and build a solid network.

Credits

: Celebration Digest (A Publication of RCCG Celebration House, Ogun Province 1 Headquarter, Abeokuta)

The Historic and Epic Election of the First African-American; Senator Barack Obama as the President of the United States of America marks the beginning of a new global era and by extension a change of guards (my opinion) in world order.

It sets the stage for a totally new paradigm in the history of human race and politics. The events that would follow in the months to come will manifest in true terms, a new generation of leaders, change-agents, youths, men and women who in their sphere of influence have been unveiling uncommon wisdom for the world to see. This victory is a challenge of the status-quo, what has never been, what many, even when it was glaring that it would be still doubted whether it would be! This feat can be compared to the feeling a thirsty person gets when he/she opens the lid of a chilled drink. Even though the content has not been consumed, he/she is rest assured that there’s more to come.

The world will begin to experience such feats because it is a change of guards, especially for the bold, courageous, persistent and proactive individual who believes that Impossible is Dead.

Welcome to a new day, the unveiling of great minds, great innovations, possibilities, equity, fairness and unraveled display capabilities by the the generation that has been hitherto pushed to the rear.

It is a new day

This is an inspiring piece from a friend and brother. He was the pioneer guest on ‘Straight Talk with Lanre’ on this site.

Enjoy!!!

Exodus 4: 1 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”

Many times in our lives, we doubt our divine assignment, instructions and direction because we feel as though we are unfit and unqualified. This was exactly how Moses Felt. Is God really calling me? Am I qualified? As a matter of fact, Moses questioned God in Exodus 3: 11 and 13, Why Me??? Why me of all people. Like Gideon, who felt totally out of place, Moses felt unworthy of the calling. We sometimes find ourselves in this situation where we give reasons such as our height, colour, or even gender and background as excuse for being unworthy.

Furthermore, even after God gave so many signs to Moses, in Verse 13 of Exodus 4, He said to God – Can you pls use someone else – Can’t you see the other guy there. Why did Moses say this; probably He thought – didn’t God know He was a murderer. Didn’t God know He had made mistakes? Didn’t God Know He was a failure? Didn’t God know He was bad tempered? Wasn’t God aware of His character problems?

God Knew. He knows our name and our reign. He knows our foundation. He said to Jeremiah – Before I formed thee, I knew thee. And whom He has called – HE JUSTIFIETH

Many times I feel so unworthy, I consider the mistakes I have made in the past! I thought what would this people think when I come to them that the Lord has sent me, would they believe me or think I was just following my impulse.

Hence God said to me, “Son, I chose you because you made mistakes and couldn’t depend on yourself so I can be strength to you – I chose you because you recognized me in your imperfection so that I might make you perfect”.
Many times when the storm of the journey rages a lot, in my secret place I weep and cry out Loud to the Lord. I make comments like “Lord please take this cup away” or when it hurts the most I say “Lord why Me, Can I quit this assignment and just be a normal Christian without a Mandate”; then comes the silent voice of the Holy Spirit – MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU - DAYO
I encourage myself in the Lord with Gospel songs and Hymns – my favorites being “Near the Cross” composed by Fanny J Crosby. It goes ……

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

And when that sinks deep, I move to the famous hymn also by Fanny Crosby – Pass me not – which goes
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

So when the storms of life rage around you and feel the lonely winds blows on you….just remember – Jehovah See, Jehovah Knows. He knows your name, He knows your every thoughts, He sees each tears that falls and hears you when you call.

Be true to whom you are, walk away from your past mistakes and focus on the new assignment – because whoever He calls – HE Justifies/////
We might not be the perfect choice in human thinking, however when He justifies us, that says it all. Haters can go to abyss….As long as we are perfect enough for Him

See you in His Kingdom

Dayo Israel
www.dayoisrael.com
www.frontlineyouth.org

I came across an article today which really inspired me and I would like to share it with us here. This is the story of a young Nigerian; Jonah Ayodele Omajeun who was among the finalist of the 2008 World Bank International Essay Competition which was just concluded in Cape Town South Africa. Jonah Ayodele Obajeun, is a 400-Level student of Chemical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) . He spoke with NGOZI NWOZOR of The Nation Newspaper.

A full text of the Essay is available here for your reading pleasure and possible action i you believe in change.

One thing that caught my attention was the underlining theme in his Essay that booked a place for him in the group of eight contestants that made the final - our roles as individuals, arms of government, corporate bodies as well as non-governmental organizations in making a paradise from the slums we live in (this is with reference to some countries in Africa and other parts of the world).

This is the excerpt of the interview he granted Ngozi Nwozor of THE NATION after the Essay competition: [Read more →]