LEADERSHIP WITHOUT SELFLESSNESS AND SACRIFICE IS HARDSHIP

Every person should serve their society to the best of their capacity at their levels per time but, citizens that benefited the most from their countries should give/sacrifice the most for their countries. Remember, "to whom much is given, much is expected". 

It is so disheartening that most of those who enjoyed free education, free healthcare, free transportation, free meals, free clothing, free housing and good jobs from their society during their time are the same people ripping off the same society that gave them those benefits. 

Sustainable national prosperity demands unbroken selflessness and sacrifice from entire citizenry but much more from every national leader and stakeholder. Any place leaders do less, followers are incapacitated to do more. When leaders demonstrate higher levels of patriotism and statemanship, they inspire others to do likewise. 

Excellence births excellence. Every leader reproduces his/her kinds. Corrupt and bad leaders raise corrupt and bad followers. There is no smoke without fire. Wherever corruption or injustice or insecurity reigns, check out the leaders and you won't be surprised. By thoroughly assessing the attitudes, conducts, practices, habits and lifestyles of all leaders of all nations across the world (from inception of each country to date); you will understand why every nation is exactly what it is at the moment. It is leadership quality that differentiate nations from one another. 

In a country where all outgone/outgoing governors, legislators and presidents usually get crazy retirement packages and newly elected leaders are sworned in with mouth watering packages in millions of dollars (in a place presented to be suffering and struggling); where there are numerous retired public servants who served for over 30years without receiving their due gratuity/pension promptly (and some among them for over a decade), where is fairness and sacrifices on the part of both old and new leaders? Yet we expected those deprived people to be unwavering in their commitment to nation building, we must be joking. People that are cheated, disappointed and failed by their leaders and their nation find it more difficult to seek the progress of their nation. Hungry citizens are hurting and angry citizens. Happy and satisfied citizens are happening and active citizens.

Leadership without selflessness and sacrifice is hardship. Sensible, Selfless and sacrificial leaders deserve double honour everywhere they are found.

©05112023

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday 

...living life at best 

BIG FOR SOMETHING

To be big is to be big for something. It is disgraceful to be big for nothing.

What is big head without brain?

What is beauty without relevant life skills?

What is education without elevation?

What is activity without productivity?

Acceptance and patronage of a well packaged container with bad content don't last. Even the producers or sellers won't use it. 

When you buy a bad product for the first time, it is a mistake but buying the same again is a proof of your foolishness.

Why will you be given so much yet, have nothing to show for it?

Anybody or any people blessed with everything needed for prosperity is not expected to languish in lack and scarcity of resources.

Huge population without relevant institutions amount to chaos and commotion.

Vast land mass and numerous natural resources without proper management equals to nothing.

Disoriented and disorganized people cannot birth/build a well organized society.

Country whose key handlers and stakeholders are not loyal to her is bound to suffer.

Victims of bad leadership who are only good at perpetrating jungle justice to deal with any of them guilty of petty practices (like stealing a module of grains or pos service overcharge) but heartily cheer on perpetrators of bad leadership, prolong their misery.

Failed leaders are proven enemies of the people and aren't supposed to be in power regimes after regimes. 

Wherever clueless and reckless leaders always go scot-free, vast majority of the citizens are likewise clueless and reckless.

Identity and realities of people are defined and determined by their orientations, mentalities, thinking patterns, attitudes, practices and lifestyles.  

Irrespective of your nation's population, location, composition, formation, association/affiliation and conditions; due process, diligence, faithfulness, fairness, justice, equity, unity, accountability, creativity and good governance are non-negotiable for her to have stability, security, productivity, peace and prosperity.

Greatness is beyond material possessions, wealth, power, position, fame and education. It doesn't matter who you are, where you are from, what you do, what you have, where you live, your religion, your political views and the heights you have attained; if you lack value for human lives or all you have achieved are ill-gotten, you are big for nothing. 

To be big for something is to be big in well doings regardless of your level per time. You cannot live above your potentials but don't live all your life below your potentials.

©️19022023

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

TIME AND YOU

Time really matters. Matters of time are matters of lives.

Sound understanding and proper alignment is highly required to make the most of time.

Every time has its meaning and purpose.

You cannot do just anything at anytime.

Specific things are meant for specific moments.

What is not done in its time could become impossible thereafter.

Among other factors, when we meet people determines what we can do and achieve together.

Time comprises of the past, present and future.

The past is gone forever and should not be allowed to negate the best of the moment. All you needed to do is to learn from it to always do better and be better.

The present is the most powerful tool needed to shape the future.

The future should be expected, prayed about, prepared for, thankful for, rightly planned, joyfully received and well lived.

Time should be invested and not wasted because it can be lost. Once time is lost, it can never be retrieved. Loss of time is loss of life. Your time is your life.

Time is beyond every creation. It preceded and will exceed existence of all created things and beings. No man/woman created time and no man/woman can control time. The best every man/woman can do is to manage time.

Effective time management is a life skill everyone must cultivate to achieve a life well lived. There is  no great achiever with unquestionable traceable track record that is not an astute time manager. Poorly managed time is poorly managed life.

Whatever you continually give yourself to becomes evident at the long run. Every stage of our lives is very important but our prime is in a class of its own which we should pay keen attention to. How we handle our prime dictates what becomes of our old age. If you want (your life) to count, make your time (and your prime) count. Remember, 'your time is you'.

©️ 03/02/2023
Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh
Advance Everyday
...living life at best

ARISE AND SHINE FOR YOUR NATION TO RISE AND SHINE

Many citizens of backward ridden nations around the world keep looking for well organized and developed countries to migrate/relocate to without understanding that no country has ever advanced beyond contributions of her citizens. 

All the countries that caught your fancy and eagerness to go for vacation or medical tourism or greener pastures or security are made prosperous, peaceful, pleasant, protected and praiseworthy by their patriotic populace. Take a cue from that and give yourself fully to the advancement of your country which begins with having a renewed mind and attitudinal change towards national affairs.

In nation building, mental/attitudinal transformation is very vital because it determines the kind of citizen/leader you becomes and those you allowed to become leaders. The people you supported, nominated, sponsored, campaigned for, voted for and enthroned as leaders is a revelation of the kind of person you are and an exposition of your level of patriotism. Mind you, corrupt, biased, clueless and incompetent citizens ensure their fellow corrupt, biased, clueless and incompetent citizens become their leaders.

Whenever your nation is preparing for the next election, ask yourself the following questions and be sincere to yourself.

1. Who are your preferred candidates at all levels?

2. What do you know about each of them?

3. Why will you vote for them? Are you voting for them because of your love for your country or merely for the love of your candidates (or their political parties, religions, regions, statuses) or because you don't want to waste your vote?

While I leave you to search your heart on those questions, I leave you with this simple but loaded admonishion.

Place your love for your country above your love for your preferred candidates and/or the connection/relationship you shared together. If the only or major reason you are voting for any contestant is just because you love him/her or his/her politcal party or religion or race/tribe/ethnicity or gender or status; you are a major enemy of your fatherland. 

Likewise, do not be caught up in the web of voting for anyone in order not to waste your vote. Virtues like capacity, capability, creativity, commitment, competence and correctness are different from connections, popularity and general acceptance. 

Leadership requires only capable hands. Refusal to vote for a capable and right candidate because he/she is likely to lose (due to the fact that majority of the citizens won't vote for the right candidate) and decision to vote for a wrong candidate because of his/her likelihood to win considering his/her large followers/lovers is the greatest wickedness against any nation by every citizen in question. Why will you have, see and know the very right person for the job yet, opt for the wrong person to get the job? You cannot handover your country to wrong people and expect everything to be alright. Think deeply about it.

For the sake of our children and their children's children till the earth is no more, let us always vote rightly.

©️01/02/2023

Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

"KO TI I LO" (IT'S NOT GONE)

 "KO TI I LO" (IT'S NOT GONE)

Focus on what you should achieve and who you should be in its time. Never ever envision or fantasize with and/or pursue what/who you can/will never be. 

For instance, dreaming/planning to become a professional football star on global stage at age 30 without active participation in the sport from childhood is an impossible pursuit. 

Wake up and do the needful. Yours should not be (like a saying in my mother tongue - Yoruba Language that goes thus): "igba yi ni aro ti arugbo nko igba". That's a statement generally used as a remark when someone embarked on a task/pursuit he/she ought to have done way back and probably it is now too late and/or totally impossible. 

Always live at your best from now forward. Be wise to pour your passion, zeal, energy, resources, faith, prayer, commitment and skill on only what you can still make happen that you should still make happen at every phase/stage of your life.

To everything and everyone you have missed and you can/will never get back because it is too late to do so, "so pe o ti lo" (i.e. "it's gone") and move on at your best. But concerning what you can and you should still achieve, "so pe ko ti i lo" (i.e. "it's not gone") and step on it with everything in you for it not to slip out of your grasp.

©21/01/2023

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

#sopeotilo

#sopekotiilo

#focus

#dream

#pursuit

#best

NEVER LOSE YOURSELF

A man was planning to make his side chick his second wife. Knowing that his wife would resist to the last drop of her blood, he decided to bring her in as their new domestics staff. When his wife discovered and couldn't bear it; she took her own life.

Another couple had been married for 6years and had 2children together. It seemed they enjoyed bliss all through until something tragic happened. One day, the husband discovered he was not the biological father of the 2 children. The wife had the children for 2different men right under his roof. When he couldn't handle it anymore, he killed the wife and the children and himself.

Ganiyu was an upcoming fish farmer. With the encouragement he got from the profit of his previous year's harvest sales, he decided to do it bigger the next year so he took bank loan to expand his fish farming business. Having invested so much in the business with bountiful harvest in sight in less than a month to come, there came a heavy downpour that flooded his fish farms resulting to total loss of all his investments. The occurence was unbearable for Ganiyu and he decided to end it all by taking poison.

Susan was unable to secure university admissions for 5 consecutive years. She braced herself up to give it another shot but unfortunately, she was denied admission the 6th time. As a result, she became hostile to everyone including herself and lived a reckless life without getting back on track until she lost her life to drug overdose.

Folake, (just as her name implies); used all of her heart, resources and life to love and care for her fiance. Even when he lost his job and couldn't secure another job for a year, she went to borrow money from friends, family and foes in addition to her personal savings to enable him relocate to another country in search of greener pastures. Both agreed she will join him after one or two years. On getting abroad, the guy gradually reduced his communication with her until he became unreachable for her. Folake felt used, defrauded, jilted and concluded in her heart that all men are scum. That was how she went on a revenge/vengeance spree on innocent men that came her way for a relationship over what only one man did to her and she lost countless angels in men. 

In a bid to become king, Uche lost it by offering bribes, employing violence and killing his major opponent. Though he went uninvestigated and unarrested for his crime because no traces was left and became king but, he lived as a lost soul within himself. 

This issues of losing one's sanity, doing the needless to achieve good things, going haywire and/or committing suicide over relationships or any problem isn't pure 'rara'. 

Every thought and temptation to consider losing your mind, hurting or killing yourself (or someone else) in response to negative realities is a demonic manipulation of the mind to see oneself as worthless and unneeded anymore alive.

Nobody's unfaithfulness and unfairness is worth losing your peace and life over. Loss of anything/anyone isn't strong enough for you to be robbed of soundmind. Without soundmind, there is no soundman.

To lose oneself is not only by death. Once you let negative realities get into you and make common sense evaporated from your brain; you begin to do shit. Though you are alive yet, you have lost yourself within yourself. Just like Folake in the  narration above who didn't kill herself or anyone but developed wrong mindset towards all men and began to exhibit wrong attitudes. 

Avoid anything that can rob you of your confidence, self-esteem and faith that you will finally succeed unlike Susan who gave up and became a shadow of herself due to her inability to secure university admission after series of attempt.

Be visionary and never let go of your valid visions. To lose sight of your essence/purpose, uniqueness and possible best is a collosal loss. 

There is more to life than relationships and marriage.

There is more to life than properties and possessions.

There is more to life than money and opportunities.

There is more to life than positions and power.

There is more to life than status and class.

There is more to life than popularity and fame.

The loss of admissions, jobs, money, contracts, opportunities, properties, possessions, businesses, promotions, positions, power, connections, relationships, people and time shouldn't lure you into losing yourself.

No matter what is lost, if you are not lost, everything is not lost. You lose everything by losing yourself. To lose oneself over any loss (or lack or disappointment) is an unaffordable and unrecoverable loss. 

Always be the one doing things not the one things are doing. Let nothing shock you and bounce you off guard. Irrespective of the struggles on your path and what people did or didn't do to/with/for you; you can always win and still live a super amazing life through it all if you don't lose grip of your right mind. 

Be wise! Never punish or kill yourself for the wrong you suffered in the hand of another person or the things you failed to achieve. Whoever offended you did bad; hurting yourself (or another person) afterwards makes you your greatest offender. Heal from your loss, don't kill nor continue to bleed for your loss.

(Disclaimers: The stories in this piece are imaginery scenereos explaining some real life events).

©16/11/2022

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

#love #disappointment #yourself #marriage #admission #opportunities

MAY BE NIGERIAN LEADERS ARE NOT NIGERIANS

Yes! You read that title correctly. Many negative realities in Nigeria often makes me wonder if all Nigerian leaders are truly Nigerians considering their handling of national affairs. They are crafty at protecting their own interest and welfares. Once the happenings don't affect them negatively, they don't give a damn. 

Isn't prolonged ASSU strike, (incessant terrorism, prevalent kidnapping, poor healthcare, outrageous unemployment rate, inadequate and unevenly distributed infrastructures, poor manpower development, theft/burglary/robbery, incessant borrowing, misappropriation/mismanagement of public funds and alarming rate at which Nigerians are running out of Nigeria for their sanity, safety, security and prosperity in recent times just to mention a few) enough to conclude that handlers of this country don't mean well?

Aren't Nigerian leaders and stakeholders perturbed at the rate of 'outflock' of highly productive Nigerians to other nations considered better than Nigeria in terms of quality education, standard healthcare, peace, safety, security, infrastructural amenities, advanced technology/science, career success, economic/financial prosperity, political stability and leadership excellence? Nigerians are running away from their fatherland and the rulers/leaders of Nigeria are still cool, calm and comfortable as though everything is fine.

Can you imagine what some stakeholders/leaders turned Nigeria to! A place where the sons and daughters of the land don't want to stay anymore because of artificial hardship, insecurity, leadership failure and uncertainties. Even as a parent, you won't want your children to derive pleasure in going to other people's houses while they hate being in your own houses. Only a vagabond parent will do nothing to change the narrative and make his/her home precious to his/her children so much they will always feel at home.

How can young, strong, promising, professional and most enterprising/productive Nigerians detest living in Nigeria and be trooping out in millions to foreign nations in search of greener pastures under your watch as a leader at all levels and you don't see the need to change the narrative to do all it takes to ensure Nigerians are comfortable and satisfied in Nigeria than elsewhere around the world?

Population growth has a positive way of affecting economic growth of a society. The more people exit the shores of Nigeria, the more our national economy nosedive. There is no way we will have enough professionals in every field at the rate numerous experts in their fields are relocating from Nigeria to other countries because of in-house self inflicted woes in Nigeria by Nigerians especially, the leaders.

There is a saying in my Yoruba language that: "agba kii wa loja ki ori omo tuntun wo". Meaning: in as much there are elders in the market square, a new born baby's head cannot bend on his/her neck. Some things aren't supposed to happen wherever there are elders. Come to think of it, it seemed this is not applicable to vast majority of Nigerian leaders/elders/stakeholders. Series of events have proved that most leaders of our country are worse than the worst of colonial masters in the history of human existence.

The dream, pursuit and commitment of every well meaning leader anywhere is to ensure that everyone under his/her watch is safe, secured, productive, successful and prosperous but I doubt if all our leaders shared that noble mindset. It won't be wrong to say most of them are "arije nidi ibaje" (i.e. they feed fat on malpractices). Infact, how those in question sleep and wake up comfortably is incomprehensible.

Nigerian nurses, doctors, pharmacists, artists/entertainers, accountants, engineers, IT professionals, teachers/lecturals, technicians, articians, clergies, celebrities, students and the rest relocated to other nations in throngs and we still think this country is very fine. 

Have we ever imagined why Americans, Arabians, Europeans and others aren't trooping to Nigeria on daily basis? It is impossible for that to happen now because the best life possible and achievable in their places aren't in Nigeria. 

We cannot attract foreigners to relocate to Nigeria like the way Nigerians are attracted to their countries because we aren't doing what we are supposed to do to make Nigeria exactly like or better than their countries. Since Nigerians aren't comfortable living in Nigeria, foreigners cannot be inspired and motivated to relocate to Nigeria. 

In a saner clime, relocation to other nations in search of greener pastures is never an option for consideration because nothing is chasing them out of their own countries. For citizens of those prosperous nations, to travel out is never a prayer point or a call for celebration eventually they have to travel out since their countries have no match in the company of nations. What a shame that the contrary is the case in Nigeria as traveling out has become a luxury and breakthrough. The only prayer point of some Nigerians living in Nigeria is to get their visa approved for them to "japa".

Wisdom demands that: "ibi ti eyan ti n ri nkan je, eyan gbodo ma tun ibe se ni" (i.e. you should ensure the prosperity of wherever you are benefiting from). Since Nigerians leaders are feeding fat on Nigeria and Nigerians, they should ensure their contributions to Nigeria is commensurate to what they are getting from Nigeria and Nigerians. Sugbon ti won ba ko ti won o se atunde, oju won to ma ja nigbati gbogbo ilu ba tun mo won lori tan (i.e. their eyes will soon be clear when there is no one left for them to govern anymore if they refused to timely make amends). 

These people have travelled round the world, seen how well things are done and enjoyed the best of advanced nations yet, they didn't replicate the same in Nigeria. They preferred to always go for vacation, medical care, acquisition of properties, businesses, investments and send their wards to school in those nations at the expense of Nigeria and Nigerians. Their attitude is: "igi da, eye fo lo". They don't care whatever happens to Nigeria and should the worst befall Nigeria, they've already mapped out their escape for them not to be consumed. 

©07/10/2022

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

TO TAKE IT, DO WHAT IT TAKES

Could it be that you are yet to have enough of good things you needed simply because you don't do enough of what you should do to have them? To have more than enough, do more than enough of what you should do. You don't achieve so much by doing so little. How can you be a full time success by being a part-time pursuant of success? Your strive to succeed should be on and on not on and off. 

Truly, we have grace, favour and mercy but those alone aren't enough without you actively doing the needful. Diverse testimonies of divine breakthroughs are everywhere but there is no consistently successful and highly prosperous person whose track record is traceable and unquestionable that is not up and doing in his/her crafts, jobs, businesses, professions or careers. The provision for divine assistance/intervention and miracles is not a provision for slothfulness, irresponsibility and mediocrity.

It is very possible to suddenly have a big hit or major breakthrough on a silver platter or platter of gold (with little or no significant input of yours) which is grace at work but; it is impossible to sustain, maintain, multiply and reproduce it without your active participation and expertise. Success that happened without competence, disappears afterwards. That is how notable opportunities and possibilities slipped out of some people's grip. Some folks met angels in human forms without doing anything spectacular to be attracted to them but their bad attitudes chased those good people away over time. 

Preparedness/readiness is a very powerful activation force for possibilities to take place and be retained. Refusal to build capacity ahead of expected opportunities and future responsibilities makes failure inevitable. Lack of capacity brings calamity (emptiness, poverty).

Before you cry foul and blame everyone else for being unemployed/jobless; are you employable? Are you highly skillful? Do you have solutions to people's problems? Are you a team player? How innovative, creative, resourceful, useful and productive are you? Your usefulness to people/organizations/nations determines your engagements by them. "If you don't want to be replaceable, you have to be extraordinary" _ @Kevinolearytv. Step up your game and improve your selling point. Be indispensable! 

©05/10/2022

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

MA SE GBE OMO OBA FUN OSUN

(GIVE NO MAN'S CHILD TO ANOTHER MAN)

In the wake of a case featured on "The Jeremy Kyle Show" involving 2 Nigerians by the name Oscar and Valentine. For 32 years, Oscar had thought Valentine is his biological son until when Valentine's mother dropped the bombshell during a phone conversation with Valentine that Oscar is not his father as related by Valentine. He (Valentine) also added that his mother was crying profusely while making the confession.

In a bid to ascertain the truth, both of them (Oscar and Valentine who had enjoyed a father and son relationship ever since Valentine was born and taken to USA by Oscar) decided to appear on the show for a DNA test which proved that they are not biologically father and son. 

While watching the video, I could not imagine the despair of Oscar at knowing that Valentine is not his son though the 2 assured the audience that the DNA result would not affect their father and son relationship but, one cannot deny the fact that such case could be so damaging. 

As a result, below are some of many questions that came to my mind after watching the video.

1. Why would the woman in question conceived for another man under another man's roof? 

2. Why would she concealed the matter for that long?

3. What prompted her confession?

4. Is she aware of the possible negative impact of her confession on Oscar? Or she is not aware that Oscar could be rendered heartbroken for life?

5. How was she able to suppress her conscience for that long? 'Chai, she get liver o'!

6. What is in it for her in the first place? 

7. Why can't she keep the secret forever considering it's possible damaging impact on Oscar?

8. Or she intended to punish Oscar by saying the truth?

9. Or may be she was tired of her insincerity and wanted to set herself free by saying the truth? 

10. Or she too didn't know that it wasn't Oscar that impregnated her? If yes, when did she discovered? 

However, I suppose truth is meant to set both the speaker and the recipient free. It is not to set the speaker free and put the recipient in bondage.

Thank God Oscar, though heartbroken but it seemed he was able to handle it at that moment of discovery with an impression that he would soon get over it as shown by his response and expressions after the whole thing. 

On the other hand, there was another case of a man who couldn't bear it at all when he discovered he was not the father of a 4 year old boy his wife had in his house as a result, he slaughtered both his wife and the boy and eloped.

This is just few of numerous similar cases involving a woman giving her pregnancy to another unsuspecting man as the rightful owner of the pregnancy for whatever reason best known to her. 

In all of this issues and sharp practices, the major questions are: 

a. why do women commit such crime by giving another man's child(ren) to someone else who is not responsible for the pregnancy?

b. how can we bring an end to such bad deeds? 

c. how can the victim(s) in all of these cases be assisted to maintain their sanity and not result to violence/crimes against their offenders?

d. how can a man prevent such from happening to him?

Your relevant contributions to this article are welcome!

©17/07/2022.

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

THIS IS 21ST CENTURY

21st Century is far from stone age. It is modern times. A highly civilized and enlightened dispensation. A time that offers so much insight, truth, clarity, direction, education, revelation, ease, fairness, correction, inspiration, discoveries, creativities, opportunities, possibilities, excellence, progress and advancement than ever before since creation. 

If you are still clueless or ignorant about how life and living should be in this dispensation, you are the one at fault. You chose to live in the dark in the midst of great light having refused to gain required insight. The right information about everything is vastly available, accessible and affordable everywhere at this time. Whatever you don't know that is worth knowing to live life at best as a human being is right at your finger tips once you are ready. 

Save yourself from living with stone age mentality in this 21st century. 'Eyes aren't on the knee caps anymore'. Evaluate your thought patterns. Weigh your orientation, dissect and fine-tune it. Pay close attention to what and who informs your perceptions, ideologies, principles, values, actions, practices, habits, lifestyles and attitude towards your fellow human beings. 

It is no longer what you are told is right or wrong or who told you something is good or bad. It is all about what is truly right and wrong which you should be deliberate to find out. You can and you should know the truth by yourself, for yourself and for generations to come.

Never take in every information thoughtlessly lest you are misled. To swallow everything hook, line and sinker is destructive. Take time out to ask relevant questions and get right answers. Analyze, compare, contrast and connect the dots to make valid inferences. That is how to empower your sense of good judgement. 

It is not everything written or spoken or done/promoted by every scholar or leader or celebrity that is right, beneficial, noble and worth doing. There are loads of written, spoken, widely practiced and highly promoted destructive misconceptions, misinterpretations, misexplanations, misinformations, misexpressions, misapplications, misappropriations and misrepresentations.

Live in the reality of 21st century. Be a thoroughly refined, renewed and redeemed version of human being. Make a difference, your breed is different. Alter every negative narrative by knowing the truth. When you know the truth, you will not only set yourself free; the whole world will be set free from all evils. People are still doing various evils due to their ignorance of the truth or rejection of the truth. 

This 21st century is the game changer century. It is meant to be an Evil Free Century by all standards. A 21st century person anywhere across the world ought to know better and do better. People should have outgrown unwholesome believe systems, customs, traditions and practices. Robbery, terrorism, dirtiness, corruption, bad leadership, maltreatment, discrimination and killing of people for ritual purposes, financial gain or gender supremacy, racial/tribal/ethnicity supremacy, political supremacy, business/economic supremacy and religion supremacy ought to have passed away with the past centuries. Whoever still indulges in such is not 21st century compliance.

"The 21st (twenty-first) century is the current century in the Anno Domini era or Common Era, under the Gregorian calendar. It began on January 1, 2001 (MMI) and will end on December 31, 2100 (MMC).[1]" _Wikipedia. 

©14/05/2022.

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

RESIST THE FOE

Empower nothing and nobody against you. Do not fight for what and who don't worth fighting for. Things and people that ought not to be in your life should not win your heart. 

Timely detect if a person is truly for you or not lest you commit your resources, time and life to wrong hands. Somebody can be with you and still be against you. Connect the dots by paying close attention to their attitudes and how they treat you. 

Anybody that terrorizes you, don't have your best interests at heart. Whatever and whoever works against you should be resisted to the hilt not assisted to hit their evil target in your life. 

Be mindful of what you do, how you do it and who you do it with, to and for. Who you build friendship, business, relationship and family with really matters. 

Never do the right thing with wrong people. Marriage in itself is right by all standards but having a wrong spouse puts you in harm's way. Likewise, having a wrong business partner is jeopardy.

No matter how good, (peaceful, patient, nice, kind, loving, caring, loyal, faithful, just, forgiving and tolerant) you are; there are people you cannot and should not yield yourself to to do life together. They will wear you out of your virtues and make you appears like the bad one. Some things and some folks should not be kept, endured and tolerated.

©06/04/2022.

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

YOU ARE NOT WRONG FOR DOING RIGHT

 

Doing the right thing in every situation is always the right thing whether it is requested, expected, accepted, appreciated, commended, publicized, celebrated and rewarded or not. 

Never allow possible rejection of right deeds hinder you from always doing what is right. Your commitment to doing right should exceed what you get in return.

Even when your well doings don't earn well deserved appreciation in return, don't be discouraged. The revenge for not being celebrated and rewarded for having done well is to do more. 

Negative responses/reactions of others to your right deeds do not make you wrong for doing what is right. Likewise, acceptance, celebration and rewarding of your wrong deeds don't make you right for doing wrong.

Do not be ashamed incase you are shamed for uprightness, trustworthiness, faithfulness, decency, modesty, diligence, excellence, nobility and patriotism. Such virtues are not shameful, it is the opposite that is shameful.

Take note of this truth: To return lost items (especially valuable ones) found by you to the rightful owner(s) or appropriate authorities is not foolishness (with or without reward) as some thought in some places. It is doing otherwise that is gross foolishness not smartness.

©14/03/2022.

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

CONNECT AND STAY CONNECTED

The account of 38years old Joyce Vincent who died of an asthma attack or complication from peptic ulcer in her north London flat in December 2003 with her television left on and her bills getting auto deducted from her bank account for several months before her death was discovered in January 2006 is one disheartening story out of many similar cases of prolonged solitary lifestyles and total disconnection with the rest of humanity. 

For that duration of time, it is very obvious that nobody checked on her probably she completely shut herself out of the reach of everybody - relatives, friends, admirers, co-workers and neighbours. Though what actually caused her disconnection is still unknown but no matter what, it shouldn't be that bad to the extent that she died unnoticed to everyone (including her immediate neighbours) for more than 24months.

After reading her story for the first time on Facebook Wall of Susan Olofu, I proceeded to read more about her on Wikipedia and other sources on internet. In all, everything about her life and demise further established the fact that person-to-person contact and communication should not be downplayed (or ruled out).

Therefore, irrespective of your challenges or hurts from past relationships, bitter experiences and maltreatment from anyone; refrain from total isolation of yourself in a bid to be shielded from possible human cruelty. Because some people have proven unworthy to pitch your tent with is not enough to give up on all others. The misdeeds of only a person or some persons shouldn't make you disconnect with everyone else. 

Deliberately initiate, build and maintain healthy relationships with your relatives (both immediate and extended), neighbours, schoolmates, students/trainees, teachers/trainers, faith members, co-workers, superiors/colleagues/subordinates, clients, group/union/association members etc. Never lose touch with everybody. Everybody is not difficult, wicked, insensitive, unreasonable, unreachable and inaccessible. 

Be valuable, understandable and accessible for right people and maintain good contact with them in order to watch over one another. We are made to coexist not 'soloexist' for association not isolation. To rightly connect, communicate, cooperate, congregate, comfort, collaborate, compliment, cheer, celebrate and complete one another. 

At least, let there be someone checking on you that you always check on too. If you live without anyone knowing that you are living, you may be dieing without anyone knowing that you are dieing and you may die without anyone noticing that you are dead. Never leave this world without anyone knowing that you have left.

Although, you were created and birthed alone but you are not supposed to do life all alone. It is a great deservice to shut yourself out of the reach of others and to shut others out of your own reach. Healthy relationships and good contacts with well-meaning people have a way of promoting happiness, shared opportunities, good health, peace, ease, sanity, resourcefulness, safety, security, prosperity and long life. Get in touch and stay in touch with the right people.

©20/03/2022.

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

POVERTY OR PROSPERITY - THE CHOICE IS YOURS; SAY YOUR OWN

A pastor confidently declared without apology that he will soon become the richest man of God in the world and some people were demanding for his head. 

Why are those people in question like that?

In their own minds, being a pastor exempted those who are pastoring from desiring, saying, having and enjoying good things. As if they themselves would be cool to be poor if they are pastors. "Awon ki eni mani gbogbo". 

If a man is bold enough to declare what his destiny as a pastor would be which it should be, why can't they also declare theirs as lawyers or teachers or politicians or musicians or carpenters or traders etc that they will soon become the richest in their respective fields? Or better still, they should have declared that they will soon become the poorest among their contemporaries to register their anger against the man of God.

 

Somebody says his own life will be productive, beautiful, successful and enviable and you are displeased; are you okay? He has made a good choice and if you like, you can say your own life will become miserable and horrible.

It baffles me what some people criticize, who they criticize, how they criticize and why they criticize the things and people they criticize. A prosperity oriented person will never criticize anyone for deciding to be successful and declaring himself prosperous.

Prosperity is in everybody's DNA but it takes individual's comprehension of this truth to effect its activation and actualization. Nobody anywhere (male or female, young or old, artician or professional, cleric or politician etc) is exempted from living a prosperous life. 

All heights of success are attainable for whoever dares to pay the price and paying the price of prosperity begins with thinking, speaking and practicing prosperity. Success in itself is infinite or limitless (i.e. it has no end). So anybody can succeed to any level as far as his eyes can see, his mind can conceive, his mouth can declare, his practices/habits can produce, his contributions can earn,  his personality can attract and his capacity can contain.

Each of us is designed for growth and progress; if you believe otherwise, embrace your retrogression and abject poverty instead of revolting against people that understood they are meant to be prosperous and are living it for real. Incase you don't know, there is something called 'the right to succeed' which is also known as freedom to be prosperous being given to all human beings by God. That is; everyone has the freedom to desire, pursue, achieve and enjoy real success. 

If you are successful, you are simply exercising your God given human right because it is your right to succeed and live large irrespective of your location and profession or occupation. Let nobody and nothing take that away from you. Once you are against people who are making real progress, you are guilty of committing human right infringement.

Ti iwo o ba fe ni owo lopolopo jaburata, ma se da enikeni lekun lati ni anito ati aniseku (i.e. if you hates riches that's your own knockout, don't oppose those who love it and wanted it and and have it).

Life presents to you on daily basis both poverty and prosperity; I bessech you to always choose prosperity. 'E get why'. May your eyes of understanding be enlightened in Jesus name.

Selah!

©18/10/2021

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

MY MUSINGS ON THE WAY FORWARD FOR NIGERIA

 MY MUSINGS ON THE WAY FORWARD FOR NIGERIA 

As no one should give up on his/her life, we should be strong as a people not to give up on our society. 

The way each person's life is what he/she has made it, every society is exactly the way the citizens made it.

The wrong we do and their consequences won't stop until we stop wrong doings. Darkness prevails for as long we hold back from shining as lights.

We have put up long enough with mediocrity, sentiments, malpractices, nepotism, criminality, immorality, corruption, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, bad leadership and all evil deeds common to us as Nigerians for us to know there is no gain in them.

We wouldn't wake up anyday to have a country that is in the league of global best if we refused to birth it now.

When all of us begin to go about our works, our lives and our dealings with others rightly within and outside the shores of Nigeria; our country will be better for it.

Simply because you are not affected by the challenges of Nigeria (insecurity, bad leadership, poverty etc), doesn't mean you should be unconcerned and/or in support of further deterioration of Nigeria. Love and care for self isn't complete without genuine love and care for your fellow country people.

The transformation of Nigeria is in the hands of every Nigerian everywhere. However, Nigerians that are hardest hit by the wrong system operating in Nigeria have much work to do to be victorious because the beneficiaries of the rottenness in Nigeria would never work for the progress of Nigeria.

When victims of poor handling of Nigeria take sides with those who are mishandling Nigeria; where will their deliverance come? He who has refused to be helped cannot be helped.

A free, fair and prosperous Nigeria where all Nigerians count is possible if every Nigerian is willing and committed to its realization.

Citizens of well to do countries that many Nigerians will do anything to visit, work, live and/or invest didn't have better heads than us. The difference is their excellent mentality and right attitude towards their national affairs. 

Let's take a cue from nations that have gone ahead of us to develop right attitude towards our collective affairs instead of merely going there to look and enjoy the good in there. The proof of exposure to excellence is established by delivering excellence. What is the essence of seeing it all and enjoying it all elsewhere without doing it at all in your own country?

To be sweating profusely where there is chilling cold air conditioning system shows that something is wrong with you not the environment. It is unexpected and unacceptable to have everything and lack everything! That we are blessed so much (with favourable weather conditions, natural resources and human resources) yet, suffer so much is our own making. 

We may be sick and tired of Nigeria and being a Nigerian, if we are not sick and tired of our wrong deeds that rendered Nigeria impossible; we aren't done with being sick and tired of having an under performing country. 

For as long there is a country called Nigeria as ours, let's keep hope of a better Nigeria alive and actively work for it. We cannot continue to be suffering in the midst of plenty. None of us should continue to be a threat to the safety, security, ease, peace and prosperity of any (or some or all) of us. Nigeria can be great if all Nigerians do their bit.

©20/10/2021.

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

PRIORITIZE LOVELINESS ABOVE SEXINESS

Some female folks think what make them a real woman is being sexy (and that's all). So, they prioritize being sexually appealing/attractive to guys/men above all other things.

Some took it to extreme by reducing themselves to mere sex object having nothing of real value to offer men except sexual pleasures. They project themselves in such a way that the only thing that comes to mind at sighting them is sex, sex and sex as shown by their usual provocative/seductive dressing, appearance, carriage and conduct in public.

Since constructive thinking and corresponding actions is not part of them; advancement of thier communities/nation and humanity is not their concern. What am I saying 'sefu'? How possible is it for someone that takes pleasures in self devaluation to always add value to others?

All their investments is on cosmetics, wardrobes, nudity and unnecessary body reconstruction to make them more sexy in their own eyes as a packaged sex object.

Anybody may argue it to any lenght by calling it civilization and freedom of dressing but of what benefit is nudity in the real sense? What message is whoever lavishly exposes parts of her body (that should be modestly covered in public) passing across to others?

Public nudity cannot be separated from immorality, frivolity, promiscuity and prostitution. If you say there are women who dresses seductively but are still very decent, you need to check out the meaning of decency.

Modest dressing don't outrightly connote modest living (but modest living includes/covers modest dressing). There are people that are modestly dressed whose mouth, conducts and lifestyles are immodest but for whoever has modest mouth, conducts and lifestyles; it will also reflect in his/her dressing.

If you don't engage in immoral practices and you always advertise to opposite sex to lust after you following your suggestive appearances in public; what is that? By paying keen attention to your heart, you will realise that you are already projecting yourself wayward.

However, there is another set of women whose price is more than rubies. They are the wise women, the precious jewels and highly distinguished among women who placed premium on virtuous living and nothing else. For this honorable women; their own investment is on capacity building to be solution providers thereby, enhancing their womanhood with unwavering commitment to becoming more and more lovely not merely sexy.

What makes a woman a super woman is not her height or the size of her breast or the size of her buttocks or her hips or her frame/structure/stature/shape or the colour of her skin or the contents of her wardrobes or her jewelries or her cosmetics or the numbers of parties she had attended or her age or her nudity in public or her virginity or the number of men she had mated with or the number of abortion she had committed or the number of her children or her marital status or when she got married or her background or her race/tribe/ethnicity/nationality or her past.
The worth of a real woman is in her values and virtues as she is devoted to all that is right, true, pure, good, noble, lovely, admirable, beneficial, praiseworthy and excellent.

Nudity is not nobility.
Jewels are not made by jewelry. As a heart of gold is not birthed by wearing gold.
Loveliness is profitable than sexiness. Thus, lovely women are highly preferred and revered than sexy women.
Real celebrity (whose conducts and lifestyles are worthy of emulation) are not made by frivolity, nudity and promiscuity.
If sex is the only thing a man/woman is good at, he/she needs to go back to the drawing board and build relevant capacity to make him/her a super man/woman.

Super women are intelligent, independent, industrious, productive, prudent, peaceful, patriotic, just and decent/modest. They don't get things done (or succeed or become influential and prosperous) through ''bottom power''. They are not 'adara masuwon tabi awelewa masefe' (referring to beautiful women with pissful conducts).

Anyone with physical beauty without inner beauty is a beautifully packaged calamity thus, whoever embraces him/her has embraced life wire. To be outwardly beautiful and inwardly ugly is a mess. It takes inner beauty to enhance, amplify, maintain, sustain and nourish outer beauty. "When a girl has beauty without Brains, the Private parts suffer the most." (I got this quote attributed to Pete Edochie on internet)

No one else best described a super woman like the Biblical Poet and Royal Majesty - The wisest, richest and most successful King in his time; King Solomon as he wrote in Proverbs 31:10-31(amp)

"10A capable, intelligent, and [b]virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.(D)

11The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.

12She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

13She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it].

14She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country].

15She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks.(E)

16She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. [S. of Sol. 8:12.]

17She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.

18She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust].

19She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit].

21She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet.(F)

22She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made].(G)

23Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.(H)

24She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles [or sashes that free one up for service].

25Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]!

26She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].

27She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.(I)

28Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying],

29[c]Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.

30Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!

31Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!(J)"

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh
Advance Everyday
...living life at best

THE ENGINE ON YOUR INSIDE

(Image Credit: Unknown)

It's not now
to stoop so low.
Don't wake up tomorrow;
weak, broke and shallow.
No time is proper
to relinguish your power.
It's always too late
to indulge in foul play.

Having done well for so long,
don't cease to be strong.
Go on without doing wrong
to always sing new songs.
From you people draw inspiration
to live above their limitations.

You have come this far
to soar higher and higher
Never to be conquered
by things you have conquered.
Though the storm rages stronger,
it's not an excuse to go haywire.

No trial should take away your victory.
Always unlock your productivity.
Yours can be the best success story
in the history of entire humanity.
I give to you the words of PB;
"the engine on your inside is of a heavy duty capacity".

(Image Credit: Extramadness.com)

Take away insights:

Every hardship, every trouble, every lack and maltreatment shouldn't get your life shattered.

Make all the wrong/evil you have done/suffered and those you didn't do/suffer in the past to be 'crossed over' not 'carry over' - (never again to do/suffer them).

Every time is inappropriate for you to compromise your good standing for any reason.

Always resist the pressure to embrace misleading thought patterns and negative counsels lest you take wrong steps.

In a bid to solve/prevent problems, do not create/cause more problems or compound already existing problems.

Your pride, your honour, your prestige, your integrity, your good name and your glory should not be lost in any move to meet a need.

There are different ways of getting things done but always employ the very right way to make good things happen and get going from glory to glory.

Never forget that; "the engine on your inside is of a heavy duty capacity" as declared by Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo.
You are above and beyond every adversary. You are well able to do valiantly in every way.
Regardless of how bad it is, you can always do well and be exceedingly great without messing up your dignity even in politics (as impossible it may seem), private practice, civil service, unlikely places and in 'toughest times'.

Selah!

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh
Advance Everyday
...living life at best

CHANGE YOUR DEFECTIVE BINOCULARS

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Every time you tell me the truth

Nothing but the whole truth

And I don't usually believe

Overtime, you will see it as a proof

That lieing to me is a welcomed virtue.

The other day it heavily rained

I couldn't bring your plantain

Though I tried hard to explain

But you won't believe I was very plain

That's how you makes sincerity a migrane.

Whatever is wrong with people

However anyone takes a view

Don't be robbed of real value

By whoever's negative attitude

Lest you treat them like they do.

Whoever rejects the truth, embraces falsehood.

For as long you don't appreciate honesty, you will always attract treachery.

Given that you are not trustworthy doesn't mean others lack integrity.

To be unnecessarily doubtful and unduly suspicious of everything and everyone is not a virtue but an attribute of fools.

Inability to trust what/who is exquisitely trustworthy is unprofitable.

Negatively demonstrated carefulness is carelessness.

When caution is exercised out of context, it exposes you to the very danger you aimed to avoid.

A feeling, thought or view that the truth before your face is not true doesn't make it false. Probably, you need to adjust or change your binoculars, microscopes and the lenses through which you view things. Endeavour to perfect the parameters, yardsticks, hypotesis and systems you often employ to do diagnosis, analysis, evaluations and draw conclusions. Watch out! You are most likely a/the major suspect of everything you wrongly accuses people for all of the time. It is wrong to continually see others through magnified lenses of your own instability, unreliability and negative practices.

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

I TAKE THE BLAME

Image Credit: Shutterstock

There is no point feeling sorry

You need not to be worried

What you did is really worthy

You owe me no apology.

I understand why you didn't stay

My cluelessness drove you away

Though it is very late to make up

I take responsibility for the breakup.

If I had known better

I would have done better

My mind wasn't together

So I couldn't put it all together.

Like Akon humbly sang: 

"...put the blame on me".

It's all my fault

It's not your fault.

Take away:

If each person courageously takes responsibility for his/her shortcoming instead of shifting blame on someone else, devil or God; no life will fall short of glory and the world at large would be made better by far.

The real change needed anywhere will swiftly become if everybody in the system refrain from self righteousness. Nations where both the leaders and followers take the bull by the horn to admit and timely correct their personal flaws without pointing accusing fingers, usually thrive. 

_Stephen Olamilekan Jimoh

Advance Everyday

...living life at best

SAY BIGGEST AMEN AS WE PRAY FOR NIGERIA

I decree and declare violent confusion and bloody disagreement in the camp of the enemies of Nigeria in Jesus name.

May everyone on a mission to destroy the glorious future of innocent Nigerians never have peace and joy in Jesus name.

Beginning from now, people using our national destiny to fly kite shall never know what they are doing to themselves until they clean up the battered system by consuming one another in Jesus name.

Those who sought for and got power and leadership to advance selfish interest shall end up using their power and stolen fund against themselves in Jesus name.

Nigeria shall win in every sphere and those working against collective success shall bury their heads in shame in Jesus name.

If you are well meaning and well doing and patriotic and just and incorruptible; may you never suffer for the consequences of the wickedness of the wicked in Jesus name.

May the spirit of righteousness take over all Nigerians so much every Nigerian will expressly lose appetite for mediocrity, indiscipline, bribery, examination malpractices, yahoo yahoo, kidnapping, theft/robbery, land grabbing, piracy, ritual murder, corruption, tribalism, religion excesses, invasion, terrorism, propaganda, lack of creativity and all evil practices in Jesus name.

May all Nigerians begin to think and do all that is right, pure, good, holy, noble, lovely, beneficial, necessary, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy so much they become exemplary to foreigners in Jesus name.

Nigeria is delivered from past, present and future unprofitable alliance, merger and union in Jesus name.

Nigeria shall no longer run out of just and fair people so that a just and fair government will always be a possibility and reality in Jesus name.

May you eat the best of the land in as much you are praying and working for the good of all Nigerians at home and abroad in Jesus name.

_Stepehen Olamilekan Jimoh
Advance Everyday
...living life at best
http://stephenoj.blogspot.com.ng/