So far so good, it has been an amazing ride with you guys and today I am very happy because my week has been splendid. How are you? Hopefully you are feeling just as amazing as I am. Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim friends and I am sure we all enjoyed the short holiday.

A wise man once said NO pain, NO gain. We all want the amazing things and pleasures life has to offer yet we are not ready or willing to work for it. Many people would rather chill and wait for things to be handed to them on a platter. How many can boldly say I am ready for whatever challenges that may come my way. I will compare it to wanting the beauty of the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. You sit around moping, wondering why your situation is different, day-dreaming about the beautiful life you should be living. Yes, you deserve the best but only if you stop self-pity, self-comparison, low self-esteem and unhealthy criticism of yourself. Instead sit up, brace yourself and face the world.

You don't die if you fall in water, you die only if you don't swim; success is a sweet word that rolls off our tongue several times a day but we always forget that the best things don’t come easy. To enjoy the benefits of success and wealth you need to be brave and take risks, because the problem is irrelevant - it is how you respond to the problem that matters. Someone I met this week told me that it is so common to see unsuccessful men with talent. He added that even education is not enough to succeed because the world is full of educated people roaming the streets jobless and homeless. Only Persistence and determination together are omnipotent!

This made me realize that there is nothing special about having a brilliant idea if I cannot find a way to make this brilliant idea a tangible reality that will affect those around me. We cannot all be facing the same struggles, yet there is nothing new or different about what you are facing. Somebody somewhere has been through it too (you're not the first, you won't be the last). Success at anything will always come down to: Focus & Productivity; and you control both. It isn’t always about greatness, it is majorly about consistency.

The world you desire can be won; it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours! Right now, the picture might not be so clear; things might be looking tight or even impossible. Just make up your mind and be ready to win. The can-do spirit is all you need, because trust me there is no joy when your success is handed to you on a platter. Sure, Freebies are nice, but you need to also know that whatever is acquired free will not last very long.

So, start saying YES and stop with the condemning NO. Your best stories will come from your struggles; the seeds of your success are in your failures; your praises will be birthed from your pains; keep going!

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In the spirit of pursuing our dreams, I will be starting a YouTube Channel soon… I’m pretty nervous and excited at the same time (I wonder how a bold person can be shy, Lol). I would so love your opinions, ideas, thoughts and views on this. And please get ready to subscribe. Thank you! 

Hello,

How are you? Before I start, let me take a moment to thank you all for being so supportive and amazing. All that love I got from my first post was truly encouraging, and now that I know you are on board with me I feel relieved. I was scared and worried. Scared that what if these people don’t read, what if they don’t share, what if they don’t like it? The list was endless, but thankfully all my “what ifs” have been put to rest.

Let’s get down to why you’re here. Did my last post stir something inside? If it did, then I’m glad but if not… hmmm… I might know why.

Why so scared?

Fear is being afraid of something or someone. It is that feeling you get when you are scared something bad is going to happen and it is a very common feeling. Fear comes in levels and grades, some worse than the others but I’ll start with my fear. Personally I’m scared of failure, scared to try something and not do great at it (take note I said great not good). So scared that I have missed opportunities simply because I didn't try.  One day, a friend tagged me on a post on instagram, a radio station was hiring but one of the criteria was that each person would post a video of themself pretending to host a radio show. Ah! I just told my friend, sorry I can’t do it. He said, “Rere, this is exactly your type of thing, just try.” I told him I just wasn’t interested, but I’ll tell you the truth, I was scared. I was scared that I’ll post video on instagram and all my friends and family will see and if I don’t get picked they’ll probably gossip and laugh at me.

Many people (young and old) are so scared of failing that the thought of even taking a step towards their dreams is not even an option. But one thing is certain no one knows how they will end up when they begin. No idea will come out fully formed but as you work on them they begin to take shape and become clearer. You just have to start. There is no one that will say “I have never been scared to fail”. In fact failure can be a drive to success but that only happens if you brace yourself and take the risk. Yes, that failure thing can be demoralizing and demeaning but I have found out that there is no success story without a failure story. Even Uncle Mark said;

“It is good to be idealistic. But be prepared to be misunderstood. Anyone working on a big vision will get called crazy, even if you end up right. Anyone working on a complex problem will get blamed for not fully understanding the challenge, even though it’s impossible to know everything upfront. Anyone taking initiative will get criticized for moving too fast, because there is always someone who wants to slow you down.”

The only difference between you and that person you see as a role model is that, every time the person failed, they tried again and now you are celebrating them for accepting their shortcomings. If you are busy worrying about “people” and what they will say, life will pass by in a flash, and sadly by then your pile of regrets will be so high. You used to worry about what they will say but in the end, you will regret not even trying in the first place.

We live in a society that criticizes and as a result, we do run away from big things because we are afraid of making mistakes. If we complain from now till tomorrow, it doesn’t look like Nigeria will provide the cushion to fall on if we fail. My advice is, cushion the floor and pursue your dreams, if you fall, cry small, wipe the tears and try again.

The reality is anything we do will have issues in the future but that should not keep us from starting. It is time to push our fears aside and try new things. Start that business, marry that guy/girl, go for that master’s program, let the mighty you shine bright.
False Evidence Appearing Real

So what are you waiting for?