Where are You

Hey, where are you? No, is not about your physical presence, am talking about the promise you made to yourself, the desires, the goal, the plan you made in the first week of January 2013. Are you achieving that resolution? Are you in pursuit of that excellence?

The Roman writer said “I can do ALL things through Christ that strengthen me.” For most of us, we do not need to do all but FEW things! Few things that are done properly and consistently will get us there for consistent exercise on a low scale shapes the body better.

Where are you? It is the same question that God asked Adam – the first man, and do you remember what his answer was?

“…and I was afraid…..”                        

Like Adam, fear and doubt prevent us from achieving much in life, they are enemies of man, and many will continue to say “I do not think I can do it,” “can I do it?” it is not enough to dream but to act.  

John Mason said “Doubting yourself is like committing treason against your own life and purpose,” he quoted James Allen to say that you are the handicap you must face. You are the one who must choose your place. Frank Tyger said “your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.” Therefore, doubting yourself is a foundation for failure, please shake off that foundation and build another one. 2Tim1:7 says God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind.

MAN- A CALL to manAGE

It was a beautiful morning morning and Chief Ade was set for work. As usual, he was elegantly dressed, with the features of a perfect gentle man until his phone rang.

Ade: Honey, please, I need help with my tie, I think am getting fatter

Wife: Your phone sweet! You have a call

(As Caroline adjust and re-adjust the tie on Ade)

Ade: (speaking into the cell phone mouth piece): Good morning, Chief Ade on the line

Voice: Quite unfortunate that you are unable to finish the wheat bread and the Chinese slim tea because you are mindful of your look

Ade: Who are you Mr.? Go straight to the point, I am a very busy man

Voice: of cause, my apologies which may not really be necessary because after today, you will not be so busy any longer! Spirits do not do business.

Ade (now getting more impatient has Caro left him): ok, whoever you are, you are neither doing any of us any good by stalling. What do u mean I will not be so busy? How did you get my number? Are you God? Even if you are, I do not think that anything will make me less busy! I worked for what I earn; it took me years and hard work to get to this position in life and I am not done until I say so!

Voice: You are not done, of cause; you only need to move on! Nobody is ever done, they only need to relocate!

Ade: Relocate to where? What kind of game is this, you know I like games

Voice: Ask your beautiful wife! Even if you don’t want to relocate, somebody wants you relocated. Your bread and your Chinese tea had given you the ticket for relocation. All thanks to your angry wife

Ade: What!

Voice: She was aware; she saw the content of the will before and after you made the change! She saw how you have distributed your properties.

Ade: OMG

Voice: which God? The last time I Checked, you said you do not believe in God.

Ade (trying to vomit): threw his phone away, shouting: Carol, Caroline

Has he was trying to vomit, he saw a man at the entrance of his beautiful house with a long white beard

Old man: Better do not waste your time. That poison was bought with your money from Dubai with an exorbitant amount of money which you have gotten from different government construction contract you refused to finish.

Ade: please give me the antidote, call somebody, call my doctor old man.

Old man: Which antidote?  Is late already, even if you shout, no one can hear you now. Your doctor will make it look like hypertension and heart disease. Poor you!

Ade: Who are you? How did you entered here?

Old Man: Not even your body guard can hear you! Imagine all the money you have stored, the houses you have built, imagine all the resources you have worked for, you will be leaving them for your illegitimate children.

Ade: Ah, you are calling my children bastard?

Old man: Yes Ade, Tomiwa and Michael who you changed your will to favour that earn you your relocation are not your biological children! Just like both wives are not your wives.

Ade: what do you mean?

Old man: The woman you called your first wife abandoned her husband because you are rich, the second wife which you think you married; she is not your wife because the father of her children which you fathered is still alive.

Ade: (Sobbing): Aha old man, what is then my gain?

Old man: nobody gains anything in life except death. We all don’t gain a thing in life for whatever a man thinks he has gained in life is a mirage because nothing leaves the earth with him. Naked we came, naked will leave.

(The old man started walking toward Ade’s bedroom, Ade ran toward him with the remaining energy left in him)

Ade: Where are you going, that is my bedroom.

Old man (Checking through his cloths): Is a pity you will not need any of these again! Yet the ones you don’t wear before this time, you refuse to give out. Your drivers, your security men, your messengers are not blessed with them.

Ade (sobbing): I need a second chance! I do not know that life can be empty

Old man: Life indeed is empty at least if not for today, it will be empty one day. You had your share of it, it is time to let go. Man, why is it difficult to let go what you are borrowed? The money, properties, cloths, time and even life are not your own, they are given you and you are privileged to manage them before they are taken from you.

It was a dream!! Ade woke up from his single bed, in his two room apartment where he has rented for himself and his wife.

Ade (talking to himself): So, it was a dream! The beautiful apartment, elegant furniture,…. He looked at his wife who was in deep sleep and told himself. So life can be so empty?

The Success Manual

Sometimes, books do fail, theories will have no use and laws seem like beautiful words without any meaningful use! As it not occurred to you before? Haven’t you faced some bottlenecks in life that the solutions to them seemed not to exist in theories or in what people teach that you have heard? There are tapes, books on how to and what to… but sometimes, the challenges will face appear to have eluded the explanations we have in books, what our friends advise or what our mentors know. I heard you say ‘true talk.’

Really, I have faced such situations in life when it seems all the acquired knowledge and facts are hopeless in solving the problem. Even at times, you can have all the wisdom at your disposal in solving a matter or counseling others, yet, the depression oozing from the depth of your heart; the disarray of facts and truths on your mind can prevents the solution at the time you need it most.

If you have not noticed, let me quickly say this happens in all facets of life and more often in our relationship with others.  At a time when all indicators are pointing to the fact that a particular relationship is parasitic; sucking away your ability to smile, love and care, raising your temperature, yet, the ability to quit such relationships sometimes seemed to have long stolen away. 

I met a friend on a social site, he was depressed at the time I got to know him because he was passing through some bottlenecks. When I saw the gravity of his bottleneck, and I could not provide a solution, I introduced him to a friend higher up who I know can solve his problems because he has solved many more!

In every facet of life, as leaders, we are faced with problems to solve, sometimes entangled by the challenges surrounding our goals in our respective positions. In my last article, I wrote that limitations sometimes are required to make us stronger, in this article, I want to share my opinion that at times when all hope is lost, there is one more thing to do, there is one more step to take.

I always remember this, a book cannot know more than its author, and nobody can give what he does not have! Now, the whole grammar boils down on the fact that “preparations of the heart belong to man but the answer of the tongue is from the source.” Books may fail, theories may not work, and mentors may disappoint you! One strategy that has 100% effectiveness is to remember that orders, in this world, the laws, the inspirations, the histories and the historians, the principles of life and life itself are all from one source!

The question is not to question its effectiveness but to ask if you know the source and if there is an established relationship.

What is your source called? I have compiled a book that explicitly dealt with this strategy of solving all bottlenecks of all areas of life. It is titled ‘The Creator’s Success Manual.’ You can order your own online. Call +2348038462097 or email: samcokerwrite@gmail.com for your copy The Creator’s Success Manual - a proven strategy for the present generation.

Others books are also available by different authors but I will start recommending books or other resources that have been read, reviewed and with proven strategies therefore, J’BEC is introducing this new page called King Books and Resources for your reading pleasure and training for the old cliché still hold for the present generation; A reader is a leader.

If I have 8 hours to chop a tree, I will spend 6 hours sharpening my axe

WHAT MAKES SUPER EAGLE SUPER

Many studied history, many saw history while many made history. As I was watching the grand finale of AFCON 2013, where Nigeria and Nigerians made history, I realized, only one SINGLE thing is common to all achievers. Only one single thing! Only one secret, only one name, only one rare treasure is common to them all.

Like every other achiever within the hall of fame, prior to its achievements, the Super Eagle team was nothing to write home about. Even their own brethrens were all expecting them to fail; many Nigerians called them different names; Super Chicken, Super this, Super that. But like Spartacus of the Roman army, they fed on the light of other fighters on the battle field, some only preventing them from dying. But the blood of the Elephants of Cote D’ivoire propel them to lime light, as if it was a fluke, we all waited for their light to dim, but no it shines and shines killing that of Mali and Burkina Faso to the end. Like Spartacus, they went weak, they fed and became strong ruling in Africa for the next two years.

I noticed, that the same treasure the Super Eagles had before their success, was similar; in fact, the same to what those who made history had on their way to success. What the Super Eagles had before their success was a rare stone important to the development of any solution to a particular problem.

It was seen among achievers, among scientist, among astronomers, among people who made and had an indelible print on the globe. So I heard that this stone was used as a stepping stone to their achievement.

I realized that those extraordinary monuments, those technologies, those laws and principles of daily living, those solutions to man’s problems that made life easy would not have surfaced if the rare stone was not found by these exceptional people. They found it and they conquered. 

Different fame, different achievement, different history but one secret and same story; the story of success.

JK Rowling, the writer of Harry Porter could not gain admission into Oxford the first time because she failed her English entrance exam, Tyler Perry had a humble beginning, Gani Fawehinmi had a third class, Goodluck Jonathan said he had no slippers, Robert Kelly was a basket ball drop out, the Wright brothers were to told to drop their ambition to invent a flying object, My wonderful friend, the owner of Dickson land, Charles Dickson was told to quit drawing because he cannot compete favourably in the field. To mention but a few, something is common to them all, one single thing!

Without it, there is no excellence, without it, there is no success, without it, there will be no witty innovations, without it Super Eagles of Nigeria may not have been super! Without it the world would have remain the same.

What is common to them all?

Limitation! 

All in yesterdays’ history were all limited! The Chinese to a friend will say may your road be rough! Limitations are blessings in disguise.

I searched and searched, they were all limited and the desire to break the jinx of limitation brought them excellence!

THE SPIRO’S SYNDROME

He could not fly! All the efforts directed to make him fly was excruciating and shameful, for him and for all his newly discovered friends.  It was very surprising and humiliating to other birds of its kind when they discovered that Spiro could not fly! Was it because of a faulty wing? Or was it because of his legs? No, for nothing was wrong with Spiro’s wing or his legs as they were checked by his friends to be perfect. Spiro was neither a hybrid of their type; they knew it couldn’t be, since in all aspect, Spiro’s structure was similar to their own.  What could have happened? That among birds that soar high, Spiro was unusually a disappointment! It was a case of a professor of mathematics who could not find x in a simple algebraic equation

2x=3! Rather he said, why find x when x is already given!

Why was Spiro unable to fly? How could an eagle lost its ability to soar high without any injury? Spiro condition is a new disorder which I call Spiro syndrome.

It is not just about Spiro, because what happened to Spiro was a terrible disease that could also affect human beings! Before I let the cat out of the bag on what type of disease affected Spiro, I will tell you about my encounter this year with this disease of the mind.

I enjoyed the yuletide period very well! I had fun without any emotional baggage of the penultimate year. On the 7^th of January, I decided to pick my pen and plan for the days within the year 2013.

Before I could write any great goal for the year, I decided to review what I wrote down as goals in the beginning of 2012. Alas, the result was devastating! Many of those goals never saw the light of the day. My manuscript did not turn out to a book before 2012 runs out, my………any way, goals are supposed to be personal, you know what I mean. 

After that review, my spirit was brought down, the inferno within was quenched, and my desires were watered down. In a short time, I made up my mind that I would not so much desire much or write down goals this year. I caught Spiro’s disease; I caught the disease of the mind. It was the inertia of the year 2012 about to prevent me from climbing the higher grounds of 2013!

Sorry for taking your time, Spiro though an eagle was unable to fly because he grew up as a domestic animal who never thought it wise to fly let alone discovered his ability to soar high as an eagle. He was taking from the bush as an eaglet, grew up as a pet within the house of his owner. It was sudden and new for him when he found himself in the bush where he actually belonged and realized that he was actually designed to fly.

Rather than fly, the inertias; the force of his background did not allow him to fly. His experiences has never taught him to fly, he told himself, I have never flown before, how can I fly now. His potentials to fly had never occurred to him until now.

So also are many of us. Our failures hunt us down. Our experiences about life are to make us stronger and push us forward, but sometimes, they are like weights that pull us down. Rather than climbing, we are drowning, rather than looking forward, we are looking backward. Experiences of failure in life are to be reviewed and the lessons are to be learned and the mistakes never to be repeated. Spiro syndrome is a disease of the mind. As a man thinks in his heart so is he! Don Juan in his book, the tale of power said “the basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curse.”

I told myself, past failures are to ginger the swagger and not to water it down!

I will never allow the inertias of 2012 to prevent me from climbing the higher ground of 2013.

Spiro solved his problem and I learned from it. Spiro flew at last and I will fly! How?

Firstly, I will locate my position. Review of 2012 achievement is for me to know where I am presently which will determine the level I will take off from in 2013 and ipso facto determine the length of my destination. “The most terrible feature of a mad man is his inability to determine who he is and where he is at a moment.”

Secondly, though the scientist will always say the higher you go, the cooler it is, I will put in more energy even on my higher ground knowing that staying aloft is more demanding than standing on the ground. 

Thirdly, I will change my strategies if the old strategies did not work. Fighting a war in the 21^st centuries is a suicide mission with a samurai sword in the presence of this generation’s technologies.

Then, I will build my hiding place with the manufacturer! Welcome to 2013!!!

IT IS NOT FOR KINGS! O PEOPLE!

Have you noticed? That the giants are now in dwarf forms! The ugly ones are packed in beautiful costumes! Just like hidden thorns of a beautiful flower, they are appealing to the eyes, their outfits are adorable, and they are attached to good milestones in life; graduation, prosperity, success in examination, good family life, marital bliss, celebration of births and even the celebration of death.

But the fact still remains, no matter how impeccable the packaging, no matter how friendly; how serene the surrounding atmosphere, no matter how beautiful the content, the sting is ever painful!

Illustration

It was a terrible event to remember! Adeyemi was a young man with a promising future. As a medical student, he had waited patiently for this day to come so he could be free from the 6 year intense training that must be fulfilled in order to become a doctor; passing the part six medical exam was a dream come true for Adeyemi and his colleagues.

Before the examination, Ade and his colleague have discussed several times on the best way to celebrate the success in the forthcoming exam.

Have you guys noticed the bill board in front of the university gate? Asked Segun, I can’t wait to be like that guy!

What bill board? The bill board Segun was talking about is a very big bill board in front of UI gate. It holds a glamorous picture of a young guy on a graduation gown with a beautiful lady beside a beautiful car, holding a bottle of an alcoholic brand. The picture depicts a successful graduate that was associated with a particular alcoholic brand; a perfect alibi for a terrific killer.

Just like a host of other forms of making the criminal a saint, the big bill board is working for the work it was employed to do. They all were happy. They immediately left in Segun’s car after the part 6 medical examination result was pasted.

In the spirit of celebration, they drank; never knowing they were drinking their lives away! After passing much time in a club house in the art of the town, Femi tried to gather everybody so they can get back to the college teaching hospital where they resided. Already, Segun the car owner was unconscious and had been behaving funny. So, Ade volunteered to drive the car, a mistake he would never make again! After some few minutes on the road, the car had a head on collision with an on-coming 911 Man diesel trailer.

It was already late, people were unavailable to help; the doctors became victims and the helpers were unable to receive help themselves. These doctors fulfilled their dreams half way! Not only did their families invested in vain, even the country had lost valuable assets.

Thanks to the killer in a beautiful skin.

Now, as Solomon described it

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup, when it moves itself aright, at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

When a man beats his wife, check very well, alcohol has hands in it, when a young man suddenly remove his cloth on the road in an abnormal way, alcohol has a hand in it, when a young lady is raped, alcohol has a hand in it, when a man kills his mother, blaming her for his unemployment state, alcohol has a hand in it.

Like a thief in the night, little by little alcohol steals the mind away! Sometimes, it invites any or several of its accomplices to complete the havoc; cigarette, kola, and other psycho active drugs.

It has been associated with cancer, road traffic accident, violence, and the likes!

It ranges from 3mls small sachet to larger bottles. It can be local like ‘burukutu’, palm wine ‘emu’, sepe, ‘ogogoro’ or modern.

It has been argued that little quantity is not bad for the body, the questions that people have raised is how little is little?

The conclusion of the matter is found in the book of proverbs:

It is not for kings, O people, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink

RECOGNISE THE VAMPIRES!

Sometimes ago, I read about the life history of Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great was the Herod that ordered the killing of infants at Bethlehem when he heard of a child (Jesus Christ) that was born to be king in the future. According to the story, Herod Antipas was legally married to the daughter of a very powerful king— Aretas the king of Arabia Petræa.

Herod Antipas later in life married a second wife named Herodias. Herodias was formally the wife of Herod Philip- Herod Antipas half-brother. In those days, Herod Philip (also known as Herod Philip I) became inconsequential because of his mother’s treachery. He was excluded from all shares in his father's possessions, and lived afterward in a private station. As a result of his condition, his wife, Herodias left him to marry his brother Herod Antipas.

Herodias was a cancer in the life history of the Herod family! She left the broke Herod for another powerful Herod; an unlawful union that began the fall of Herod Antipas.

The moment Herodias entered the life of Antipas, like a cancer, she began to have negative influences with negative results in the life of Herod Antipas!

The fall of Herod Antipas started with the murder of John the Baptist under the influence of Herodias. John was against the marriage of Herodias and Antipas and described it as illegal. Though, Herod would have had John killed before Herodias influence, but he feared the people knowing that John was regarded as a prophet. 

As a result of Herodias marriage, Aretas (father of Herod Antipas first wife) was annoyed for his daughter’s sage and invaded Herod Antipas territory. History has it that Aretas was able to defeat Herod with a great loss because of the murder of John the Baptist- an offense committed by Herod due to the influence of his new wife Herodias.

As if the damage Herodias has caused Herod was not enough, at a later time, the ambition of Herodias proved the cause of her husband's ruin. She urged him to go to Rome to gain the title of king, but he was opposed at the court of Caligula by the emissaries of Agrippa, and condemned to perpetual banishment. Herod Antipas died in exile.

What an end to the life of a king! 

The lesson

The lesson is to be careful with Herodias descendants! Be wary about Herodias sons and Daughters! They are who I prefer to call vampires that suck life out of other fellow human beings. They can be in form of friends, relatives, boss, etc.

Recognize the vampires! How?

By their attributes! Vampires

·         Are those who want to get favour from you at all cost even when it means your ruin!

·         Are those who encourage or embrace you when you do evil!

·         Are those who belittle you, telling you, you can never make something out of life!

·         Are those who deny you of help at all cost!

Practical examples of  vampires

Illustration1:

Boy friend: baby, you I need the money urgently; it is just 2million! I know you can afford it.

Baby: you know I cannot raise that kind of money; how much is my salary, beside, the ones you have collected, you never pay back!

Boy Friend: ok ok! I will pay you back soon especially after you borrow me this money! Anything you can do now for me. Why don’t you sell your car which I know will not be up to the amount I requested, and …eh, but you can do something now! You are the bank manager! You can technically take the money without record! And return it when I pay you back.

Baby: are you telling me to steal!

……

Illustration 2:

Baba Taju: (came to greet mama Bisi her immediate sister in her house): Good evening Taibat (mama Bisi), how was the market?

Mama Bisi: Fine Jare bodami (my brother). Thank God you came! I was about to visit you at home so I can pay Bisi (her eldest daughter) WAEC exam money directly to you being the principal.

Baba Taju: (with an expression of disgust): mama Bisi! Why do you like to waste money on a girl! As a girl, let her go and marry, or who will train her up to the university? Use your small money for the male children; stop wasting money on something unimportant!

…….

Solution

If you have discovered you have a vampire around you, then the following are my suggestions

·         Learn how to say I cannot

·         Learn how to do without them

·         Learn how to lean on God

Thanks for reading; you can add other solutions or comments on my facebook page: or on this page of the blog.