I presume it is now stale news that our very own pride: the Black man who has defied all odds, surpassed even the wildest dreams of the oppressed black Americans, and the fruition of the turmoil’s of the great blacks in history, Barack “the pace-setter” Obama, has finally visited Africa: his supposed “home-continent”.
But He did not come to solicit with world powers, or bring aid to our “desperate” nations; rather he came to deliver “the speech of speeches,” a speech abundantly flowing with allusions to the corruption, and poltical instability of our great continent Africa. Indeed He visited only one country out of the fifty-something African countries. President Obama went to neither the great nations of Africa nor his “roots- Kenya”, rather he went to the tiny country called Ghana.
Trust Nigerians to live up to expectation: Talk about his boycott of our “important” country began. Rumors were flying all over the place, and the media had a field day. All sorts of comments were made: even the illiterate ones felt like they had some sort of imaginary bone to pick with President Obama. But wait, have we stopped to analyze the significance of his visit to a nation that was virtually unknown ten to fifteenyears ago? Have we caught ourselves and thought “Why would he ignore countries like Kenya, South Africa, and so on?” Have we stopped to read the implications of his actions? Well, I have.
Ghana Ghana Ghana: A nation blessed with productive, hardworking people filled with humility, justice and kindness, a nation which Nigeria still supplies electricity, has within a few years managed to transform its very obscure public image. Through Hard work and strong conviction, the leaders of this nation have managed to celebrate 10 years of stable democracy, years of stable electricity, and so on: A feat that no other African country, save South Africa, has managed to achieve. Even Obama applauded their perseverance, and determination to fight corruption, labeling them as “a model for other African countries to follow.” Our very own Nobel Laureate, The Professor Wole Soyinka, very publicly expressed his support of Obama’s choice, and then went on to lament (as usual) the deplorable state of our nation: the “Giant of Africa.” He even went as far saying that He would have “stoned” Obama if he had come here. Why lend support to a nation whose leaders are not willing to help it?
Within the last 7 years, political office holders in Nigeria have received (spent) over 100 billion dollars. This is a nation in which the political office holders dip their hands into treasury like it is their personal account. This is a country in which corruption is skyrocketing, and one has to be careful not to step on the wrong toes: this could cause a chain reaction of disastrous failures. This is a country where electricity is so erratic that the people have stopped complaining: Generators have become our means of surviving the stress of Nigerian life. This is a country where even the Local government chairman on assumption of office, changes his address from Number 250 ordinary street to Number 1 affluent close, and changes his car to the latest BMW model. We are a corrupt nation, and it is now so deeply entrenched in us that these atrocities are no longer committed in secret, but rather in broad daylight.
But there is hope, or is there? We are a unique nation, blessed with divine intelligence. We are smart, sharp, and know our stuff. Most of us excel in our chosen fields of study, bagging awards wherever we go, making giant strides in our fields. But all of us are being snatched up by companies in greener pastures, we are all mostly working abroad, and even those in Nigeria are looking for ways to leave Nigeria. My fear is that by the time we realize that Nigeria is not for us, but rather for our legacy (the youth), it may be too late to amend our ways.
Forgive me, I have digressed. What is my synopsis? It is only commonsensical that President Obama chose to visit with tiny Ghana, a country that if care is not taken, would dethrone Nigeria from its “Giant of Africa” position. Even he, in his speech, conceded that one of the reasons why he visited Ghana was because it had stable democracy, and was making giant strides. Nigerians in all parts of the world hear my plea: We must stand together and fight against our very own leaders who are devouring our resources. We must fight for Nigeria to become a better place for our legacy. We must unite!!! We must!
More power to your elbows, our very own Obama.
Sincerely,
Akolade
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Love: The essence of Life
Love is a gift that has been bestowed to each and every one of us. However some people have been robbed of the gift to love. They have put so much trust, faith, and love in the people around them, only to be let down over and over again. Some have had their loves snatched away from them by the cold hands of death. Some have undergone so many unfortunate incidents, and have experienced the horrible side of men too many times to give love a chance. Don’t get me wrong. I think that such people have every right to be angry at their situations, and the people who caused them so much grief. But in the end, what gain do they get from holding grudges? What purpose does it serve? Indeed Forgiveness is not for the other person, but rather it is for you.
Most people are so angry at these unfortunate circumstances that it ends up clouding every decision they make. Doors of opportunity open right before their eyes, but they refuse to walk through them because of the hurt that they might have experienced earlier. Others simply feel that by not walking through those doors, they are repaying all the “sorrow-causers” in their lives. Some others are just too scared to walk through them.
My advice?
Wise up. We only have one life to live. Take the most of it. Rome was not built in a day. Great men are not born, they are made. Grab every opportunity that comes your way, find whatever work your hands can do, be adventurous, and experience life to its fullest. Never give up and don’t give in to your sad situation. Love one another, Love your life, and Love yourself.
Sincerely,
Akolade
Most people are so angry at these unfortunate circumstances that it ends up clouding every decision they make. Doors of opportunity open right before their eyes, but they refuse to walk through them because of the hurt that they might have experienced earlier. Others simply feel that by not walking through those doors, they are repaying all the “sorrow-causers” in their lives. Some others are just too scared to walk through them.
My advice?
Wise up. We only have one life to live. Take the most of it. Rome was not built in a day. Great men are not born, they are made. Grab every opportunity that comes your way, find whatever work your hands can do, be adventurous, and experience life to its fullest. Never give up and don’t give in to your sad situation. Love one another, Love your life, and Love yourself.
Sincerely,
Akolade
My Favorite pieces of Spring 2010 runway shows
Amidst all the different designs, styles, and beautiful creations of exclusive designers, I felt somewhat drawn to but a few. All the others? Some were hilarious, some were too tight fitting (only for extra skinny models), some were plain stupid, while others looked like pieces of junk sewed together.
Enjoy:
Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo
Roberto Cavalli: I absolutely love this jacket!
Dolce & Gabbana: Fresh, unique, yet rugged.
Bottogna Veneta: My personal pick
Sincerely,
Enjoy:
Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo
Roberto Cavalli: I absolutely love this jacket!
Dolce & Gabbana: Fresh, unique, yet rugged.
Bottogna Veneta: My personal pick
Sincerely,
Akolade
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Fabulous Life
My Pick
Watches have always been an essential part of a mans style. They are fashion pieces to be invested in. They also tell a lot about who you are, what you believe in, and what interests you. Some people are elegant, flashy and love having the best things in life. Some are simple, classy, and unique. Some are futuristic, and artsy. Others are just stuck in the middle.
My style?
I prefer simple, yet elegant.
Thats just me,
If you were to invest in a watch, what kind would you buy?
Sincerely,
Akolade
Monday, June 8, 2009
Who am I?
My intentions are pure, my heart is seemingly right
Yet, Why do I return to my vomit?
Like a child desperate for attention, I repent of my sins
and promise to turn a new leaf. I feel satisfied with my
new state. I turn my attention to other things in hopes
of keeping my promise. At least for a while.
Then suddenly, the temptation rages, my flesh like a skilled
Hunter prompts me. I am being drawn to the bait:
Just one more time, everyone else is doing it. Who cares?
We each, our personal battles we must brave. But I
I give in to the lies, to the flesh, to the sin, I give in to death.
Why cant I be like the ant that prepares itself for the winter
While its still summer?
Why cant I be like a bird who prepares its nest far in advance?
Why cant I learn the ways of the faithful dog who remains true to
Its master? Help me because I have no idea.
But you, my refuge and my intercessor, are always faithful.
You were tempted just as I am, and yet, your ways are blameless
You love me for who I am: an unfaithful, un-trustworthy part of
Your creation. You seek me, even when I have no desire to return.
Your arms are always outstretched, at least for a while.
Who am I? Why am I the apple of your eye?
You alone know. But I will trust in you, over and over, until when I
Overcome, I will trace my roots back to you, and it’s going to be worth it.
It has to be.
Yet, Why do I return to my vomit?
Like a child desperate for attention, I repent of my sins
and promise to turn a new leaf. I feel satisfied with my
new state. I turn my attention to other things in hopes
of keeping my promise. At least for a while.
Then suddenly, the temptation rages, my flesh like a skilled
Hunter prompts me. I am being drawn to the bait:
Just one more time, everyone else is doing it. Who cares?
We each, our personal battles we must brave. But I
I give in to the lies, to the flesh, to the sin, I give in to death.
Why cant I be like the ant that prepares itself for the winter
While its still summer?
Why cant I be like a bird who prepares its nest far in advance?
Why cant I learn the ways of the faithful dog who remains true to
Its master? Help me because I have no idea.
But you, my refuge and my intercessor, are always faithful.
You were tempted just as I am, and yet, your ways are blameless
You love me for who I am: an unfaithful, un-trustworthy part of
Your creation. You seek me, even when I have no desire to return.
Your arms are always outstretched, at least for a while.
Who am I? Why am I the apple of your eye?
You alone know. But I will trust in you, over and over, until when I
Overcome, I will trace my roots back to you, and it’s going to be worth it.
It has to be.
Sincerely,
Akolade
Monday, January 12, 2009
the uniqueness of relationships
This is my first post of the year 2009. As the days rolled by, I began searching my heart for something to write on, and I realized that I have often pondered on questions such as: Who am I? What is my purpose on earth? Who are we?
I believe these are questions that God expects us to discover for ourselves. He dosent want to just divinely show us our purpose on a gold platter. Rather, he expects us to diligently seek these answers. The Bible says " Seest thou a man dilgent in his business? HE SHALL STAND BEFORE KINGS AND NOT MERE MEN" From studying the life stories of the rich and successful, I have been able to identify some important concepts that are central to all of them: Persistence, diligence and patience. Not all of them are christians but yet, they are all successfull. Not all of them believe in God, but yet they flourish. What are their secrets? Persistence. Diiligence and Patience.
We are not born with maps, we have to make them and map-making requires efforts. The more efforts we make to appreciate and percieve reality, the larger our maps will be. If you are not ready to put in effort, your map will be small and filled with rough sketches, your perception of this world will be dim, narrow and misleading.We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny but what we put into this frame is ours. Have you got what it takes to begin plotting your map?
We are not born with greatness, we have to seek out our own path to greatness.
We are on earth to basically build relationships. We are expected to build relationships with the people around us, jobs, schools, academics and in essence life.Look at Water in any given situation: It builds relationships. It has a relationship with the rocks on the waterfall, the ground, the plants and earth. Why this analogy? When you build relationships, you have one objective in mind: friendship. Once you become friends, things will begin to work out. You will do favors for one another and you generally begin to get fufilled. My point? Build relationships with people, with academics, jobs, and you will be amazed at how far you will go in life.
Who am I? The Bible says that " I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthoood and a people chosen by God" It also says: "Ye are gods". As a chosen generation, I am destined for greatness, I am chosen by God to make a difference in my generation. As a royal priesthood, I have the priviledges of royalty and I am priestly: I am free from the curse of failure, disease and poverty. As a god, everything I decree in the name of Jesus must come to pass. Even the sucessfull non-christians have tapped into this hidden truth: " Ye are gods" They have faith in their ideas, believe it will come to pass, and generally rid themselves of sorrowful things, negative enviroments and people with limited visions. Why do they do these? Because they understand that negative enviroments have a way of negatively impacting people. They know that as gods, they must speak positive things about themselves and their futures.
I once heard Loraine Livingston say: God will never put you in a comfortable situation neither will He put you in your dream situation. Why? Because he dosen't want you to be comfortable" My first reaction was rejection. I thought: why wouldn't God put me in my dream situation? And it dawned on me that God wants me to grow. Consider Water: When obstructed, it tries to flow around it. It finds new ways, and it never gives up. My point? When God puts us in uncomfortable situations, He expects us to find ways to triumph, he expects us to find the solution. He expects us to never give up. He expects us to be like water. The Bible says " consider it joy when you go through trials because it tests your faith and brings endurance, patience and steadfastness" Faith here not only applies to christianity, it also applies to academics, virtues, behaviors, friends and situations in life. God does not put you in your dream situation because he wants you to grow.
Patience and consistency are very important virtues. When I say consistency, I do not mean doing the same thing over and over expecting to get new results. You will become a failure! I mean determination to always suceed, determination to succeed in life. Patience to see your dreams come to fruition. It may take a while, but Rome was not built in a day. So do no expect to be the richest man in the world in one year. Oh, but how do we succeed when we do not plan for the future? Failing to plan is a plan to fail. In the beginning, God had a plan for the world. It was through this plan that he said " let there be light". It was because of this plan that Jesus came throught the lineage of Abraham to fufill the promise. He even planned your parent's marriage and your conception. You are not a mistake! Nothing ever is a mistake! He knows the beginning to the end.
So, then, the conclusion is: You are on earth to build relationships, to connect your ideas with the rest of the world, You are a god, and in order to achieve your dreams, you must develop patience, determination and endurance.
Sincerly,
Akolade
I believe these are questions that God expects us to discover for ourselves. He dosent want to just divinely show us our purpose on a gold platter. Rather, he expects us to diligently seek these answers. The Bible says " Seest thou a man dilgent in his business? HE SHALL STAND BEFORE KINGS AND NOT MERE MEN" From studying the life stories of the rich and successful, I have been able to identify some important concepts that are central to all of them: Persistence, diligence and patience. Not all of them are christians but yet, they are all successfull. Not all of them believe in God, but yet they flourish. What are their secrets? Persistence. Diiligence and Patience.
We are not born with maps, we have to make them and map-making requires efforts. The more efforts we make to appreciate and percieve reality, the larger our maps will be. If you are not ready to put in effort, your map will be small and filled with rough sketches, your perception of this world will be dim, narrow and misleading.We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny but what we put into this frame is ours. Have you got what it takes to begin plotting your map?
We are not born with greatness, we have to seek out our own path to greatness.
We are on earth to basically build relationships. We are expected to build relationships with the people around us, jobs, schools, academics and in essence life.Look at Water in any given situation: It builds relationships. It has a relationship with the rocks on the waterfall, the ground, the plants and earth. Why this analogy? When you build relationships, you have one objective in mind: friendship. Once you become friends, things will begin to work out. You will do favors for one another and you generally begin to get fufilled. My point? Build relationships with people, with academics, jobs, and you will be amazed at how far you will go in life.
Who am I? The Bible says that " I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthoood and a people chosen by God" It also says: "Ye are gods". As a chosen generation, I am destined for greatness, I am chosen by God to make a difference in my generation. As a royal priesthood, I have the priviledges of royalty and I am priestly: I am free from the curse of failure, disease and poverty. As a god, everything I decree in the name of Jesus must come to pass. Even the sucessfull non-christians have tapped into this hidden truth: " Ye are gods" They have faith in their ideas, believe it will come to pass, and generally rid themselves of sorrowful things, negative enviroments and people with limited visions. Why do they do these? Because they understand that negative enviroments have a way of negatively impacting people. They know that as gods, they must speak positive things about themselves and their futures.
I once heard Loraine Livingston say: God will never put you in a comfortable situation neither will He put you in your dream situation. Why? Because he dosen't want you to be comfortable" My first reaction was rejection. I thought: why wouldn't God put me in my dream situation? And it dawned on me that God wants me to grow. Consider Water: When obstructed, it tries to flow around it. It finds new ways, and it never gives up. My point? When God puts us in uncomfortable situations, He expects us to find ways to triumph, he expects us to find the solution. He expects us to never give up. He expects us to be like water. The Bible says " consider it joy when you go through trials because it tests your faith and brings endurance, patience and steadfastness" Faith here not only applies to christianity, it also applies to academics, virtues, behaviors, friends and situations in life. God does not put you in your dream situation because he wants you to grow.
Patience and consistency are very important virtues. When I say consistency, I do not mean doing the same thing over and over expecting to get new results. You will become a failure! I mean determination to always suceed, determination to succeed in life. Patience to see your dreams come to fruition. It may take a while, but Rome was not built in a day. So do no expect to be the richest man in the world in one year. Oh, but how do we succeed when we do not plan for the future? Failing to plan is a plan to fail. In the beginning, God had a plan for the world. It was through this plan that he said " let there be light". It was because of this plan that Jesus came throught the lineage of Abraham to fufill the promise. He even planned your parent's marriage and your conception. You are not a mistake! Nothing ever is a mistake! He knows the beginning to the end.
So, then, the conclusion is: You are on earth to build relationships, to connect your ideas with the rest of the world, You are a god, and in order to achieve your dreams, you must develop patience, determination and endurance.
Sincerly,
Akolade
Sunday, December 14, 2008
It all depends on you
Where does life begin and where does it end? Does it start in the womb, does it start when the little brat just born starts crying? Or does it start from the earliest memory you had? I mean, really?
Where do friendships start, and where do they end?
When do we take the next step, and when do we need to let go?
Who are we? Why are we who we are? Why was I ever born? Does it matter whose family I was born in?
Why am I still alive? Why am I so happy? Why am I so depressed? Why?
So many questions, so little answers.
Consider the trees. They remain strongly rooted, yet their leaves sway whatever direction the wind blows. A tiny seed planted in fertile soil will in time become a giant tree. Yet, it is subject to its immediate environment. It is subject to nature.
I believe thats who we should be as humans. We should be strongly rooted in our faith, yet we should be flexible enough to withstand pressure and temptations without losing our bearings.
We are tiny plants, guided by our parents, by friends, by life, and by God. If we are planted in the right enviroments, we will grow into towering oak trees. Yet, change is imperative. There will always be a time of drought, a time to flourish, a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to be wise, and a time to be foolishly wise! The Bible says "For every thing, there is a season."
We are also, like the plant, subject to our environment. If you grow up in a negative environment and stay in that environment, you will end up negative. We say, that as Christians, we have been given the power to change our worlds. but we cannot do this if we remain in negative environments. Ultimately, we will get affected by the negativism. Why do you think Jesus couldn't do much miracles in his hometown? Negativism.
It is imperative for us to impact our worlds. But a plant cannot grow much in a negative environment. However, if it is constantly watered, and fertilized, it may take longer, but it will eventually yield fruit. In essence, if an outside force changes its environmental conditions, it will flourish. Is this where God comes in? Or is it where our parents, or friends come in? Or is it a combination of both? I believe it is a combination of both. Before Adam could multiply, he needed a partner, and God gave him one. No man is an island, we need encouragement, support, and a shoulder to lean on in order to succeed. We must seek places where the conditions are right, we must seek friends who share our focus, we must seek ourselves, we must seek God, we must then help others seek themselves.
It is a process that we must be willing to endure, it is one in which we must be willing to sacrifice our time, effort, friends, and sometimes; lives. The journey to the promised land is not easy. It takes patience, effort and trust in God. A successful man is one that knows his purpose, is achieving his dreams, does not limit himself, and is reliant on God. Ultimately, the only thing stopping us from achieving our potential is ourselves. It is the choices we make on a daily basis. It is the decisions we make: the decision not to pray, the decision to remain in an infertile environment, the decision to have loser friends (lol), the decision to be focused, and goal oriented. It all depends on us. No matter who we are: christian or muslim, arab or jew, black or white, there is an underlying principle to success: it all depends on us. It is a choice God gave every single person. And that is what makes life so beautiful, yet so unattractive.
Sincerely,
Akolade
Where do friendships start, and where do they end?
When do we take the next step, and when do we need to let go?
Who are we? Why are we who we are? Why was I ever born? Does it matter whose family I was born in?
Why am I still alive? Why am I so happy? Why am I so depressed? Why?
So many questions, so little answers.
Consider the trees. They remain strongly rooted, yet their leaves sway whatever direction the wind blows. A tiny seed planted in fertile soil will in time become a giant tree. Yet, it is subject to its immediate environment. It is subject to nature.
I believe thats who we should be as humans. We should be strongly rooted in our faith, yet we should be flexible enough to withstand pressure and temptations without losing our bearings.
We are tiny plants, guided by our parents, by friends, by life, and by God. If we are planted in the right enviroments, we will grow into towering oak trees. Yet, change is imperative. There will always be a time of drought, a time to flourish, a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to be wise, and a time to be foolishly wise! The Bible says "For every thing, there is a season."
We are also, like the plant, subject to our environment. If you grow up in a negative environment and stay in that environment, you will end up negative. We say, that as Christians, we have been given the power to change our worlds. but we cannot do this if we remain in negative environments. Ultimately, we will get affected by the negativism. Why do you think Jesus couldn't do much miracles in his hometown? Negativism.
It is imperative for us to impact our worlds. But a plant cannot grow much in a negative environment. However, if it is constantly watered, and fertilized, it may take longer, but it will eventually yield fruit. In essence, if an outside force changes its environmental conditions, it will flourish. Is this where God comes in? Or is it where our parents, or friends come in? Or is it a combination of both? I believe it is a combination of both. Before Adam could multiply, he needed a partner, and God gave him one. No man is an island, we need encouragement, support, and a shoulder to lean on in order to succeed. We must seek places where the conditions are right, we must seek friends who share our focus, we must seek ourselves, we must seek God, we must then help others seek themselves.
It is a process that we must be willing to endure, it is one in which we must be willing to sacrifice our time, effort, friends, and sometimes; lives. The journey to the promised land is not easy. It takes patience, effort and trust in God. A successful man is one that knows his purpose, is achieving his dreams, does not limit himself, and is reliant on God. Ultimately, the only thing stopping us from achieving our potential is ourselves. It is the choices we make on a daily basis. It is the decisions we make: the decision not to pray, the decision to remain in an infertile environment, the decision to have loser friends (lol), the decision to be focused, and goal oriented. It all depends on us. No matter who we are: christian or muslim, arab or jew, black or white, there is an underlying principle to success: it all depends on us. It is a choice God gave every single person. And that is what makes life so beautiful, yet so unattractive.
Sincerely,
Akolade
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