They're Leaving God Out of Everything! (The God Omission by Tobi Ogunfusika -@cutendpetite)

When I got home last year after school for the Christmas break, I was watching TV one random day. We were flipping through channels trying to look for something entertaining to watch. We stumbled on African Magic and then for a few minutes we were watching the movie. I noticed that some words were censored and I remembered that they started censoring swear words and curse words a while back and I shrugged my head and continued watching the movie. Something very interesting happened there and then, I noticed that the actress whose present words were being censored wasn’t cursing or saying anything wrong, she was not even angry or pissed with anybody in the movie. She was shocked and she said “Jesus” and after a while she said “oh My God”. It was so hard to read her lips considering the fact that it was a Nollywood movie and those words are the usual things we expect when a situation like that comes up in the course of watching a Nigerian movie.

My Addiction (by Ehidiamen U-Mark)

ADDICTION. Whenever the word comes up, it brings to mind images of junkies and alcoholics, passed out on some high. Indeed, as one dictionary puts it “It is a habit or practice, that damages, jeopardizes or shortens one’s life but when ceases causes trauma”. If you are being truthful to yourself, most of you agree with this definition as this is what most of us think about addiction. We hear addiction and all that comes to mind is negatives. Well here’s a shocker, I don’t fully agree with that description. If this were a questionnaire, I would tick the box that says “strongly disagree”.

I would rather align myself with the definition that describes addiction as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice that is psychologically or physically habit forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes trauma”. Pause. Now go back and read that sentence, it makes mention of habit forming. I believe that addiction can either be good or bad, positive or negative. ~as we all know, there are always two sides to a story, two sides to a coin and the same can be said for addiction.

Inviting You to the Startup Grind, Lagos

Startup Grind, the popular event series for entrepreneurs and investors announces the opening of its Lagos chapter and its inaugural event to be held March 9th, 2014 at the Iroko’s headquarters in Anthony Village. The featured guest will be a panel of founders of Irokotv, Africa’s largest internet streaming company supporting Nollywood. Tickets are on sale online now for $10/N1500, or at the door.

 More information is available on the event webpage. www.startupgrind.com/lagos

Jason Njoku, co-founder and CEO of iROKOtv has been credited with igniting Nigeria's internet and tech start-up scene, as well as revolutionizing Nollywood's global distribution system. In 2012 he was touted by Forbes Africa as one of Africa's Top Young Millionaires to watch and has also been named as one of London's Top Black Men of Power in Black Enterprise Magazine.

Praying to a God I Don't Trust

So I woke up this morning to the darkness of my room. The darkness that has characterized my life for quite a while now. I stared into nothingness for a while before turning on to my right side to stare at the wall I could not see. Immediately, my brain alerted me that it was time to pray. I sighed. Not again. But by reflex I got up, put my t-shirt on and stepped outside to the corridor and before I could say Jack Robinson, my personal prayer session had begun. I knew I didn't want to but I just felt I should. I had no reason to, I thought. I'm tired of doing this every morning and still nothing has changed. Last I checked, none of my prayers had been answered. Could it be that all this was just fake? That religion is all but a blatant lie? I mean, I had read somewhere that someone said that religion is just man's excuse to explain what he can't comprehend. Nevertheless, I had this scratching feeling deep down that I should banish that thought.

LIFE LESSONS 2: MUM IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT… by Austin Queensly (@AustinQueensly)

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”

                                                                                                                           

James 1:19 (NIV)

‘No! We should stay in this bus until it gets to its park at Oyingbo before getting a tricycle to his house...’ I tried to let my mother see reason. ‘…it will save us time and stress and…’

‘Oh, you forgot about the cost part right’ my mother cut in. ‘Hiring a tricycle from Oyingbo will cost us more money, so let us just forget about it and alight at Ojota bus stop, take a bus to Yaba and from there we can get a tricycle to your brother’s house’

‘Oh…ok mum’…I said resignedly like I always did when I did not want to cause a conflict. There is obviously a flaw in our relationship. You guessed right…Communication!

How to Overcome Pornography: Employ the Aid of Accountability Partners

I’ve always heard that a problem shared is half solved. Well, the statement may not be entirely true but I know that in this context it does apply. What I’m saying in essence is that you should have a group of people you can talk to and you can report your progress to. These people are referred to as accountability partners. You are accountable to them.

Your accountability partners should be friends you can trust, parents who can understand you, your pastor to give you sound spiritual guidance and maybe even fellow addicts who have been able to overcome their own problem too. You may not necessarily hold meetings with these people but you should talk to them regularly. The truth is, the journey out of porn addiction is not easy and there will be time when you will feel dirty again God will seem far away and you will feel unworthy to talk to Him so these are people you can always turn back to. They will advise you and help you through the rough patch.

Your accountability partners will also help you monitor your progress and see how far you’ve come. Remember to be very honest with them, and despite the temptation to try to look good before them, remember that that will not help you either. So you must come clean before them. That is the only way they can help you.

Managing Oneself...Life Lessons from Peter F. Drucker

I didn't know how little I knew and how incompetent I was until I came across Peter Drucker's article for the Harvard Business Review titled 'Managing Yourself'. We all want to live a good life. You might not want yours to be a 'big' one but at least I presume everyone would like to live right. For these reason I have done a breakdown of the subtopics Drucker discussed in this article and I will be pointing them out one after the other.

The first thing Drucker made mention of was 'Knowing Your Strengths'.

Insanely Different: Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

Be different. Don’t try to be better. Be different. These were the words that caught my attention most from the movie: Jobs. The movie produced as a tribute to the departed Steven Paul Jobs who was the CEO and Co-Founder of Apple Computers Inc. As I watched the movie I learned a lot as I have always strived to do from every good movie I see. Here are some of the lessons I have learned from Steve Jobs:

1. Whatever your dream is, as long as you believe in it and as long as you have passion, you can achieve it regardless of the opposition you face.

Know Your Weaknesses...Now Work On Them

Until recently I was always an angry person. Anger was my biggest weakness. Not money, not food, not women; anger. I would always easily blow up at the slightest provocation. I would always carry a long face. I only smiled with the people I knew and wasn't always welcoming to strangers. I had other weaknesses but anger was the most notable. And this is simply what today's article is all about. Know what your weakness is or weaknesses are and work on them. This way you become a better person for it.

For example, if your weakness is eating too much, you can meet someone who will help you out.

WHAT I LEARNT FROM A CRICKET by Austin Queensly (@AustinQueensly)

Swoosh! Swish! The water came in from all directions to drown this annoying little pest but it was apparently to no avail. This little thing held on to dear life like it had a family somewhere in its little cricket world. Or it had a job that it made a lot of money from and/or derived fulfillment.

What my fascination with this cricket was, I could not really place. However, reflecting on it a few hours later, I realized that it bordered on ‘pride’; pride that I could not get rid of an insignificant insect/pest easily. I definitely took the scripture from Philippians 3:12b out of context in my determination to get rid of this cricket from what I considered my personal space at least for the moment.

“Finally! Victory!!”… I shouted excitedly when with a final gush, I flushed the cricket down the laundry drain.

Perseverance is a word that has many synonyms and has been used severally by humans when describing themselves and is especially recurrent in resumes and cover letters. But in the real sense of the word, it is a rarity to find humans who possess that attribute regardless of gender, age, or race.

How to Deal With Difficult People

You will agree with me that people are different. This difference in personalities makes some people compatible while some others aren't. You will also agree with me that no matter where we find ourselves -at work, in school, at home and in public places- we will always come across people who are difficult to relate with. Some of these people are proud while some others just lack good communication skills. You will also agree with me that it is important for you to know how to get along with people so that life can be much easier for you. The more able you are to adapt to people's personalities, the better your chances are at living a freer life. Here's how you can deal with such difficult people:

Lost- A Poem by Ibukun Awosika (@Aunty_Hotstuff)

I'm lost,

Not the kind I used to be;

Lost and hopeless,

My future bleak.

Blinded by the world's lusts,

Sinful desires; my everyday muse.

Torn between light and dark,

The dark taking over.

I could not see it,

I did not know.

Ignorance lay in bed with me at night,

Regrets sat at the table with me by day.

I was lost and I didn't even know it.

Let's Talk About The Conscience...Your Conscience

I heard the story of a married couple who lived somewhere in town (obviously). They trusted each other so much. They had 2 cars and both of them possessed keys to the 2 cars. So one day the wife was driving by a hotel- a very notorious hotel.- and she saw her husband's car. That hotel was so notorious that anyone who lodged in did so to commit wrong. That's how bad it was. So the wife drove home, took a cab, came back to the hotel. Then she drove her husbands car and went on to hide it somewhere. When the husband returned late in the night her lied that he was involved in a robbery attack and his car was snatched. Unknown to him was that his wife knew the whole truth. He was cheating on her. His wife just pulled him by the nose and showed him where she had hid the car. He felt so ashamed and embarrassed. That's the world as we have it today. People lack good moral compass and their consciences are weak or even dead.

Help! I'm Addicted to Watching Movies...

Someone asked me to write a piece on how to curb movie addiction so here it is. I'm not much of a TV fan so I guess I may not know much about this but one thing I know is this "where your treasure is, there your heart lies." That's the basic principle that guides this sort of thing. You've got to search deep and ask yourself: "what are my priorities? what are the most important things in my life?" Once you're able to answer this question you're on your way to freedom.

Furthermore, the more time you spend doing more important things, the less time you have to watch movies. Also, it is important that you discipline yourself and learn how to pray to God everyday and study your Bible as well. In the process of doing this you begin to gain perspective on how important times is how much you need to invest and preserve all the time you have. You haven't got all the time in the world.

HOW TO ENJOY WHAT YOU DO

I know you’ve seen a lot of articles and heard several people say that you should do what you enjoy. However, I am glad to announce to you that that won’t always be the case. We are now in a world wherein you have to learn how to motivate yourself regardless where you find yourself. The other thing is that we know life isn’t fair enough to give us all what we deserve so many are times we have to learn to motivate ourselves even if we may not enjoy our environment. Furthermore, you are going to have to learn how to enjoy your work even if you feel all is well at the time. Here’s my own little formula on how to make sure you stay motivated and enjoy your work no matter what you’re doing- even if it’s school work or menial chores, you’ve got to enjoy it. So I'm going to this bit by bit. A new tip for each new day. ENJOY!.

TIP FOR TODAY: The first and easiest way to make sure you stay motivated and enjoy what you do is to turn it into a practical learning experience. Most of the steps I’ll be giving you will require proactivity on your path so it means more often than not you’re going to have to instigate action. Thus, you have to learn how to turn what you do into a learning experience. Make sure you are learning something from it, no matter what that thing is. This step also needs you to always have an open mind. Don’t assume. Be open to new things and new ideas.

WORK! WORK!! WORK!!!

There's no other way to become successful in life except through hardwork. No matter how good or talented you think someone is, they will never amount to anything good if they do not put in a certain level of hardwork. The same goes for every one of us, including you reading this article.

I don’t know anyone that is consciously satisfied with being a failure but I also know that no one will ever become great if they do not work hard. I read an article on Ofilispeaks that talks about how to make work disappear and the only way I know how to make work disappear is to face the work and finish it. Don’t ever think your talent is good enough to get you that gig you want. Your talent is never enough to get you into the upper class and keep you there but hardwork can.

So whatever you are doing and whoever you are, get to work immediately. If you don’t like what you’re doing change your environment or quit but if you can’t quit then I suggest you better start forcing yourself to enjoy what you do if not you will remain a mediocre forever. Do you want to learn how to enjoy what you do? Then check back on this blog by tomorrow. I’ll have something especially for you. Have a wonderful day ahead and don’t forget to work. It’s the only way I know you can become truly successful.

LET'S TALK ABOUT INTEGRITY

This topic of integrity is one topic that we definitely do not hear much about anymore or so it seems. This morning in our university chapel, our Pro-Chancellor talked about it. Listening to him made me realize how much of this virtue we are lacking nowadays. Few people can actually stand as persons of integrity when we look at it in the real sense of what that word means. And please don't tell me that it is hard to judge a book by it's cover, it ain't. In this present times it has become a norm for people to tell lies and cover up the evil happening around them. It's so sad. Furthermore, integrity should not be limited by situation. This means that holding on to your integrity should not be as occasion serves you. Rather, it should be constant. Integrity should be embedded in your personality and not your actions.
In case you have doubts on what integrity is, let me give you some definitions of integrity:

How to Overcome Pornography Series: How Pornography Ruins Your Sex Life

Read this, I got it from Mark Manson's website:

According to science, porn trains our brains to release more endorphins (a chemical in the brain that relieves us of pain in some ways) than is natural in response to an overload of sexual stimuli. After a while, our brains become less and less sensitive and develop a need for higher and higher stimuli in order to reach the same arousal and excitement. Thus begins the spiral into more hardcore porn and higher quantities of it. In some cases, people can develop a psychological addiction to pornography and it can begin to interfere with their sex and social lives. In rare cases it can be weakening in both.

New Music- The Takeover- 4 Runner (@4_runner116)

 

This is a new song from the artiste 4 Runner. It's good music. Download it here.

New Music: Life in the Limelight -J-Swiss (@Yimi_X_Cross)

This song has a bit of T.I.'s rap style and some good John Legend vocals. It's really nice though. Do enjoy it and make sure you download it here.