CELEBRATING YOU!

You need to be celebrated! Yes, you!

This year may not have turned out the way you had hoped it would but the mere fact that you made it through from January till now is a testimony in itself.

When we don't get what we want, especially if it's something we desperately yearn for, the tendency to feel dejected and depressed is usually there. And we get caught up in all the things we've missed or couldn't achieve, it's very easy to overlook the things we did achieve or the things we do have.

For everything that didn't happen for you this year, they're all in the past now. Don't let your hope(s) die with them. Don't bother yourself comparing your achievements (or the lack thereof) with those of others. It will serve you no good purpose. A friend of mine recently told me that sometimes we're so busy counting other people's blessings instead of our own. 

And I agree.

I've come to realize that after all is said and done, we still have life, which is the most important thing we need. Cars, houses, spouses, children, jobs, businesses and other desires we may have will be of no use if we didn't have life in the first place.

So be grateful for life. Because when there's life, there's hope; and when there's hope, there's life. Hope is the foundation that drives dreams and your dreams will happen for you next year!

Let's all be grateful and thankful for the little or much we were able to attain this year and get ourselves ready for what the future holds for each of us. I perceive that 2019 will be an awesome year for you!

Permit me, therefore, to celebrate you this year as well as for next year. You will succeed in the coming months, for sure.

I celebrate you!

Do have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year ahead!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! And May 2018 Meet You Well!

ABUJA AND THE EFFECTS OF RECESSION by Usman Baffa Nasser.

A friend of mine recently sent me this article to read. After I was done, I couldn't hold back the urge to place on my blog for my faithful readers to read. It is insightful and thought-provoking and I hope you enjoy it as well as I did and learn a thing or two as I also did. Happy reading.

Abuja is probably the worst-hit of Nigerian cities by this recession. It is only understandable: Abuja works at nothing but revels in wanton opulence, fed strictly from pens adding zeroes behind a whole number. It's buildings are populated with straw companies gliding on patronage and privilege, not rights, merit and productivity. Most of its inhabitants are currently in what seems a state of disbelief, if not shock.

My son and I walked lazily to Sheraton two Saturdays ago and from the gate you got a surprise: no line of traffic! The lounge was empty as the car park was vacant. We sat in surprise at the little corners of decay creeping on the lounge, part of which was even poorly lit. Of course, even Maitama and Asokoro are wrapped in thick darkness these days at 8pm if grid power fails.

I was surprised at the black silence I met in these desolate palaces. Everywhere signs hang on homes and high-rise office buildings begging for tenants. I called a number on one and the voice that answered said it was for sale:N 3.6billion, seven-story building with a footprint of about 250sqm. "I see".

There is good hiding in evil and sometimes you don't even have to look too deeply to see it. Too many wealth in Nigeria is strictly in figures without any underlying source or feeder spring. If you got your money through work and creativity; if they put you in a desert, you will still replicate the feat.

What is called a recession in regular economics is but a dethronement of false money, the overthrow of pretenders and wealth built with the tip of a pen so that reality and productivity can take over. It is an inevitable passage if nature is correctly programmed.

In a hilarious circle I was told about a typical Abuja moneybag whose fortune has now turned around. He was in money - and you know what I mean. In height of his affluence he collected two more wives to make a total of three. But the noose had been getting tighter and, all streams gone dry, he applied for a loan from a bank. Not so well exposed to the hazard of seeking credit from Nigerian banks, he was exceedingly positive he will soon be credited and so went with gusto to the manager's office on an appointed day to get the final answer on his application.

When he was told that he had been turned down, he lost control of himself so completely that he pooped on himself right there in the bank. He was helped into the bathroom and offered a ton of tissues and when he had become manageable, they led him into a taxi and gave him a thousand naira to the bank's happy ending of the personal tragedy.

The story teaches us that wealth without foundation will end in sudden failure. It is not only Abuja or the typical, overweight Nigerian big man, Nigeria itself is a victim of lazy wealth: oil is not a result of hard work or creativity. We don't even as much as have local capacity to drill the oil! If we don't build our economy by adding value through processing and developing our human resources, we won't end up much better than that poor individual you just laughed at.

My view:

It is time to start building real and sustainable wealth, enough of what used to be...The difference between the poor and rich nations is not the age of the Nation. This can be demonstrated by countries like India and Egypt, which are more than 2000 years old and are still poor countries.

On the other hand, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which 150 years back were insignificant, today are developed and rich countries.

The difference between the poor and rich nation does not also depend on the available natural resources.

Japan has limited territory, 80% mountainous, unsuitable for agriculture or farming, but is the second in worlds economy. The country is like an immense floating factory, importing raw material from the whole world and exporting manufactured products.

Second example is Switzerland, it does not grow cocoa but produces the best chocolates in the world. In her small territory she rears animals and cultivates the land only for four month in a year, nevertheless manufactures the best milk products. A small country which is an image of security which has made it the strongest world bank.

Executives from rich countries who interact with their counterparts from poor countries show no significant intellectual differences.

The racial or colour factors also do not evince importance: migrants heavy in laziness in their country of origin are forcefully productive in rich European countries.

What then is the difference?

The difference is the attitude of the people, moulded for many years by education and culture.

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When we analyse the conduct of the people from the rich and developed countries, it is observed that a majority abide by the following principles of life:

1. Ethics, as basic principles.

2. Integrity.

3. Responsibility.

4. The respect for Laws and Regulations.

5. The respect from majority of citizens by right.

6. The love for work.

7. The effort to save and invest.

8. The will to be productive.

9. Punctuality.

In the poor countries a small minority follow these basic principles in their daily life.

We are not poor because we lack natural resources or because nature was cruel towards us.

We are poor because we lack attitude. We lack the will to follow and teach these principles of working of rich and developed societies.

We are in this state because we want to take advantage over everything and everyone.

We are in this state because we see something done wrong and say - “Let it be”

We should have a spirited memory and attitude …only then will we be able to change our present state..

If you do not share this message, nothing is going to happen to you. Your prized animal is not going to die, you wont be sacked from your job, you wont be having bad luck for seven years, nor are you going to get sick.

But, if you love your COUNTRY, try and circulate this message so that as many people may read and see what our problems are and hopefully move to change themselves to change the country.

THE 7 REALITIES OF MONEY

In this life, those who do not have much will always be more than those who do. That is the stark reality. And it is not necessarily because the few are better than the many, but instead because the few know certain things the many do not. It is also because the few are willing to run with what they know while the many, most times, prefer not to do so aside from stand from afar to sometimes deride the few who, through what they know, always seem to be ahead of the pack.

What you know more than another will certainly always keep you ahead of them. That's how it works in every area of life. And when it comes to money, if you know the truth about how it works more than me and work with what you know, you are guaranteed to always have it more than me. It's that simple. However,for some, the world of money is one maze of headache they can hardly understand nor wish to, since to them it's just a spiral of complications they could rather do without.

Yet we all need money and so must strive to understand certain basics about it; after all, it's what the few who seem to always have it in their possession know and it has helped them to continuously have a hold over it. The minority know a few basic realities about money that we either don't know or simply just ignore, and I've made a little attempt here to list a few out to help enlighten us. It's the report the minority know about and you really also should know about too.

1.  ANYBODY CAN MAKE MONEY
Yes, anybody can make money. And the reason is quite simple...everyone has brilliant potentials stored up inside their brains that can be harnessed to ensure money comes to them. Making money really isn't an exclusive preserve for just a few, but then the few that seem to have more than most people have actually accessed their potentials and so tend to stand out from the rest of the crowd. You can actually make money whether it be consistently or occasionally and that is one reality you must consciously carry about inside your mind.

2.  ANYBODY CAN HAVE MONEY

In the same vein also, anybody can have money. There's no rule under heaven that says you cannot have it. As everyone of us have the ability to make money, so also do we have the ability to have it. Those who seemingly have more money than others do not carry more than one head and neither are their brains of a different colour from ours. So believing in the truth that you too can have money is one reality that must constantly be on your mind.

3.  ANYBODY CAN MAKE AND HAVE MONEY BUT NOT EVERYBODY WILL
Despite the above two realities though, there is another reality that evidently is more apparent than those. And that is the fact that though anyone of us can both make and have money, not everybody will. And the reason for that are varied, principal among them being that quite a number of people don't believe in points 1 and 2 above and so hardly exercise any effort to ensure that money comes to them or even stays with them. Once you start thinking that you don't deserve money or that it's just for a few or that it's even an evil to be avoided (which really is very absurd!), then you stand no chance of doing what is needful to ensure that you can always have the money you need to be able to always meet your needs.

4.  YOU HAVE MONEY WHEN YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE AND KEEP IT
Making money and having money aren't exactly the same thing. Quite a number of people make money from their jobs, businesses, investments and sometimes hobbies, but can hardly tell where all that money they make has gone at the end of the day. Making money is your ability to get money to come to you, while having money is your ability to keep all or a portion of what you make to ensure that you always have something left. Having money is all about control for it is only that which you control that you can direct, and only that which you can direct that you are a master over. So, control is what you must learn to master to be able to make and have money.

5.  MONEY CAN NEVER LEAVE YOUR HAND WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION EXCEPT IT IS TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU BY FORCE
An understanding of this truth will immensely change your concept about how money works. Money will never ask you to do anything that you don't want to do. It will never buy anything that you  don't want to buy; and can surely never leave your possession without your approval except someone else forcibly takes it from your possession or without your knowledge (which is what we call stealing). So, the master of your money is you and the way you want it to operate. Be rest assured that if you don't spend the money yourself on something or if someone doesn't take it from you without your consent, your money will always remain where you originally kept it no matter the length of time that passes by until you eventually make the decision to make use of part or all of it. Yes, money is that loyal.

6.  TO MAKE OR HAVE MONEY, YOU MUST HAVE VALUE TO GIVE 

To make money, someone must have to give it to you. So, assuming you don't steal it from someone else, the only and best way to get it is for someone  to hand it over to you. However, for that to happen, you must have some value to give in exchange for the money you expect and once that is possible then you're guaranteed money. So, if you have some value to give me which could be defined by what I really need but cannot provide for myself but which you possibly possess, then once I am willing to accept your value offer I should also be willing to compensate you for it. Money then exchanges hands and you make money.

To have money, I must have value to give to myself  because it is that value that is able to ensure that what I make is constantly not thrown away recklessly. So, educating our minds become paramount and very important because it's from our minds that we make the decisions as to what we intend to do with our money. If our minds are more patient than impatient whenever money enters our hands, the probability of us being reckless with it and spending it frivolously will be quite low. And the less of the money we make that we spend, the more it is possible to have more in our reserves to use whenever we need to.

 

7.  MONEY IS SIMPLY THE TUNNEL THROUGH WHICH COMPENSATION IS EXCHANGED FOR VALUE

Money in reality is just a representation of value received. It's just the channel through which we compensate people for handing over a certain thing of value to us, be that a product or a service. That is why money is defined in financial terms as an acceptable means of exhange. And that is also why money is co-notated in various ways; it can be coins or bank notes or cheques or drafts or credit and debit cards or bonds or stocks and shares, etc. 

You want to know how to make and have money? You're in luck. You can order  my bestselling eBook, HOW TO MAKE AND KEEP YOUR MONEY by sending an email to michaelibiorika@gmail.com

THE FIRST SOUP I EVER COOKED.....AND WHAT IT TAUGHT ME

I recall very vividly something that happened to me in my teens. I was fresh from secondary school and, like my peers, was at home waiting on my results. With plenty of time on my hands, I spent most of it dreaming of many things, going out to play football and, of course, eating as much as I could.

Things weren't that easy in those days and I belonged to a polygamous family, with each of my father's wives having a timetable to cook weekly for the entire household. Sometimes it was a peaceful house and sometimes it wasn't; but that's not the reason I write.

On one of those weeks that it was my mother's turn to cook, she called and told me that I must learn to cook. That it was wrong for me to just be in the house and do nothing but be engrossed in fruitless ventures. She said cooking was not the exclusive preserve of women/girls only and that all her sons must learn it, beginning with me. I was annoyed and a wee bit cocky because I felt she was impinging on my personal space and time, but I agreed to not to be stubborn that day. She said we'd get to it once she returned from the market. The smiles on my sisters' faces were teasing but I told them I would surprise them.

When Mum returned from the market she informed me that she would be preparing Okro soup that afternoon and that it would be my first cooking lesson. So I stayed with her all the time in the kitchen staring at what she was doing and listening to what she was saying. My cockiness was all over me as I behaved as though what she was cooking I could repeat easily in my sleep!

I should have paid attention!

Days later, it was my turn to prove that she had taught me well. My sisters literally refused to leave the kitchen entrance, eager to see what I had to offer. My Mum had to chase them away repeatedly. When I took a look at the ingredients before me with the pot on fire, my brain froze. I couldn't recall a thing. Actually I did, I just didn't remember the sequence in which my Mum had prepared the soup some days earlier. With my cockiness still in charge of my being, I went ahead and poured everything all at once into the boiling pot of water on the cooker, oil,  pepper, salt, fish, meat and vegetables! Then I stirred and stirred and stirred. My heartbeat increased and I could feel it literally ringing in my ears! The aroma from the pot after a while tried its best to calm me down but I could tell by merely looking at the contents of my cooking pot that something just wasn't right!

After a few minutes the soup was done. The result of my arrogance was about to be displayed. And voila! I had managed to prepare what my Mum famously called okro peppersoup!

My sisters laughed uncontrollably, some falling on the floor and others either colliding into the wall or into each other. Even my Dad didn't know what to say to me. I thought I saw a smile but who can interpret whether it was a smile of wonder or of pity for his firstborn? My shame was sure and I disappeared into my small room for hours, tears flowing and my cockiness broken. Later that day, my Mum came to console me and then painstakingly took her time to again show me the steps to preparing that delicious okro soup.

So what did I learn that day?

1. Pay attention to what you're doing and what you're being taught. Don't ever assume that you can know it all. Just drop your ego.

2. You may have all the tools you need (gifts, talents, education) at your disposal, but you will still need the skill on how best to utilize them.

3. The right timing makes all the difference and your efforts worthwhile.

4. Always be open to learning.

5. You will always need someone to guide you in the right way to go.

6. Don't be afraid to fail, it's only a learning curve.

7. There comes a time in your life when you should stop pushing responsibility for your life unto others and instead take responsibility yourself.

The next soup I prepared after that was a whole lot better! My confidence rose and now I can cook the okro soup as though I've been doing so all my life!

(Did you like this post? Do please let me know what you think and also if you've ever had a similar experience. Also kindly subscribe to my blog so that you don't miss out inspirational posts. Thank you.)

RESPECT YOUR HUSTLE by Ebuka Anichebe

Do you find yourself constantly seduced or blackmailed into giving free advisory services or consultation to family and friends and sometimes friends of friends?

I have a number of doctors and lawyers who are close friends of mine. Many struggle with this one thing. They have a reprehensible fear of charging family and friends for personal services.

Young consultants just starting out, coaches of every shade and type whether its fitness, lifestyle, fashion, money, youth, marketing and even finance coaches; as do so many other service-professionals in many industries who also suffer this affliction needlessly.

Listen up, please if there’s any lingering remnant of moral repugnance stopping you from asking for payment for services rendered I implore you to expunge it from your soul.

May these pathogens die by fire!!! Recieve brain I pray.

Listen my good friend! People value more of what they can pay for! Call it equal to the effect of a powerful placebo, the expensive type.

Even the subtlest self-hatred or lack of worthiness of your profession is enough to make you disadvantaged in any sales-conversation or what had the potential of becoming one…. but no. Instead subconsciously, you had to sabotage yourself and entirely discount the power of framing the mindset of your friend-turned-client-in-need into fully appreciating the subtle power of equivalent payment for services rendered.

Yes, give a generous discount, if you must, but please demand a fee in cash or equivalent kindness.

Just ask yourself, who is to say whether or not it is okay to charge for your personal services. And if you feel its okay to use your talent for charity, please feel free to. But I dare say that an accumulation of concerted efforts of your several years of experience and knowledge acquired through hard-work, study and talents is definitely worth charging a decent amount for.

Come on, they (your friends) pay their mechanic to take a look at their car engine, they also pay their barber, the street hawker who sells them vegetable and the butcher who supplies meat and all the others get paid.

Why not you?

If you keep thinking your talent or skill is free and so why charge a fee. You’ll nearly always provide less than your best. Not to mention soon go broke and embarrass your family and friends.
Is that fair?

Most malaria patients appreciate their doctors service in the middle of the night. By the time the danger has passed and they’re back on their feet, the hospital bill looks ludicrously expensive.

It’s the law of diminishing appreciation.

Show some respect for what you do straight up. And others will too respect your hustle.

What’s more? You will then speak about your chosen profession with even more confidence and pride. And those kind of emotions are infectious and cause even more sales, bookings and referrals, thereby creating a virtuous cycle.
It’s okay to be charitable but make sure it’s for the less fortunate and not some friend looking to take advantage of free labour.
No….not good….not good my friend….give discount instead. Be cheap labour not FREE labour.

Do us all a favour my friend. Respect your hustle. Plus we (needy clients) may also need the additional placebo effect or mental edge to fully believe in the efficacy of your services and fully appreciate the advice far better than we would were it given free like beer parlour gossip.

We all value the 100 U.S dollar more than our 1,000 Naira simply because we place more value on it. Its our own perception.

How much value do you place on your personal service?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEND?

A Question for You...

YOU'VE GOT TO GET THIS!

I'm very eager that you get your hands on my bestselling e-book, HOW TO MAKE AND KEEP YOUR MONEY.

Why?

First, it will show you why you don't have the money you so desperately need!

Second, it will show you how to make the money you need!

And...

Third, it will show you how to keep it!

Wouldn't you love to know what you need to in order to get out of this "lack of money" quagmire?

If you want to, then rush and get my e-book that will certainly show you how.

And for the whole of January 2017 only, it's going at a 50% discount for just N1,000 only!!!!!!

For details on how to order your own copy, kindly INBOX me on Facebook at Michael Ibiorika. Or send an email titled "MONEY E-BOOK ORDER" to michaelibiorika@gmail.com

Don't start the year without a clue as to how your money will behave all through 2017. Get this e-book now!

I guarantee you that you will love it.

A TEAM OF HEROES!

Leicester City FC have just won the English Barclays Premier League title for the 2015/2016 season following Tottenham Hotspurs' inability to beat Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge. It was unexpected and inconceivable at the start of the season that this would or could ever happen; yet a bunch of players who were never rated as champion material did the unimaginable! They succeeded Chelsea as champions of England and denied the so-called Top 4 from getting their hands on the trophy. They were a team of cast-offs and bargain buys written off before the season had even started, and led by a manager who had been sacked in five of his previous jobs!

But what was so special about this team anyway?

1. Never seen as possible threats to the more established teams in the Premier League, not much attention was paid to them. While other teams were willing to grind themselves to the ground when playing against the big teams like Chelsea, the Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Liverpool and the rest, nobody took them seriously until it was too late.

2. The players all played for each other. No egos, no seeming stars with cockiness on their shoulders, just a bunch of guys who only wanted to play football to their hearts' content. And, boy! how they did! From the skipper Wes Morgan to Kante, Robert Huth, Jamie Vardy, Mahrez, Okazaki, Ulloa, Schlopp, Fuchs, Drinkwater, Simpson, King, and the rest of the squad....everyone just put in a shift that was selfless and plain admirable.

3. They had a Manager in Claudio Ranieri who was a massive calming influence to the team. His strategies just seemed to click in every game. So far, with two games still remaining, they've lost only three. And even if they go on to lose the remaining two, it still won't matter none. While everyone else hardly gave his team a peek, Ranieri steered his wards brilliantly all the way to the top. With the right game plans and team talks he kept his boys grounded and they just kept shocking the Premier League week after week!

4. Their fans were just terrific all season. Never mind the narrow escape from the jaws of relegation the season before, they were still as passionate, committed and loyal to their darling team as they'd always been. Through thick and thin they stuck with them, and what a reward they got this season! Every Leicester City fan will probably not sleep for days to come and their die-hard support for their favourite team has definitely adorned their passionate hearts with pride.

Undoubtedly, this is a team of heroes. A true testament to what a true team means, togetherness, selflessness and commitment. These qualities could help bring out the excellence in a group of people. And it is also proof that money doesn't necessarily buy true success.

Let's give it to the new Champions of England! Leicester City! A team of heroes!

Where are the Hollywood movie producers?

HOW TO MAKE & KEEP YOUR MONEY

Learn how to tackle your money problems head-on in this season of seeming money dryness in our country. Learn how to make money for yourself.
Learn how to keep the money you make.

In my hot e-book, HOW TO MAKE & KEEP YOUR MONEY, you will definitely learn the above. And you will be glad you got your hands on this book.

It's just N1,500!

To get this book, you can pay into the account:

MICHAEL IBIORIKA....GTBANK.....0022782000

And after payment, kindly send me an email to "michaelibiorka@gmail.com" with the title "E-BOOK PAYMENT".

Once your payment is confirmed, you will receive your e-book within an hour.

40,000 AND COUNTING!

Someone once said to me that, "Your dreams cannot come true when you're asleep but when you're awake; when you get up and do something about them."

And God knows I dream too much! From when I remember being a small boy running all over the place announcing my myriads of dreams, things I hoped to be in the future - a pilot, boxer, footballer, an engineer, a doctor, a rich man, a cab driver (oh yes, I had that dream once, but please ask no further!) - till date, I cannot but wonder why I had so many. Maybe it's just in my DNA. Yet dreams truly don't just happen because you're the one who has them, it takes far much more than that to see them come to pass.

I've always wanted to express my thoughts through my writings and through the airwaves (radio and TV), and though it hasn't been as smooth sailing as I would have loved it to be, that it can even happen in the first place is something to be glad about and to give God unreserved praise for. So you can imagine my stunned mood when I heard a few days ago that my radio programme PAUSE & PONDER MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL IBIORIKA on 99.9 KISS FM ABUJA has an average weekly listenership of about 40,000! Yes, 40,000! I honestly thought it was around like 100 or a bit more...but 40,000 hit me hard! And I'm told the number could increase!

Which in itself is good news, truly; a vindication that the dream isn't just something that I wanted to do but something that needed to be done. I've always been motivated by a desire to help people improve their personal and financial lives by helping to improve their minds. And I realized that for me to do so, always providing quality information in its simplest form that can help people with positive decision-making was very necessary.

But then it is also humbling to know that so many people tune in weekly to hear what I have to say because their expectations will definitely put a weight on my shoulders to always deliver something of value to them regularly. And for me to be able to do so, only God can empower and guide me through with His abundant grace. I pray for His grace! And for everyone who wishes me well, your prayers would be most appreciated. And I must surely appreciate some people who have always believed that this could go far....Yinka Akinsulie, Michael Oladipo and Samuel Sofoluwe, three guys who kept prompting me. Thanks loads. Deborah Ekara, Solomon Ekene, Elias Bassey, Martins Damisa, Blessing Alfa, Eyza Icha and Pastor Temi Odejide all have warm shout-outs from me. Thanks for being great friends and motivators.

Dreams can be fun to have but what's more satisfying is the achievement of those dreams. Never relent in the pursuit of that which God has blessed you with especially when it's targeted at blessing and empowering people. My mission remains the same whether it's through my books, the radio programme, possibly TV in the future, or my other products that you should eagerly look forward to.

I am Michael Ibiorika and I really like people to always take out time to pause and ponder. Because in so doing, you could end up having a better perspective about your possible next action which in turn could benefit you more.

You are worth much more than you think!

P.S.
For those who reside in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, why not tune in to 99.9 KISS FM Abuja every Monday morning by 9.55am.... You will be blessed! 

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

We all dream of a good life. We all feel and believe we deserve it. We all want a step-up from our present level or circumstance to something better, something way, way better than what we presently experience. And it doesn't really matter where we presently are in life, both the poor and the rich always want a better life.

Everybody wants a status change. The poor want to be rich and the rich want to be richer. Some seek societal influence and so aspire for political, business or educational power. Politicians want to be gods over men, businesses want to be sole suppliers of goods or services, while academicians want to be respected for being the "best' brains on planet earth. The list is endless.

Quite a number of people with dreams really think their dreams will just come to pass because they are the ones who have them. They believe that because they have some great ideas in their heads it automatically equates to success about to happen as their ideas cannot be faulted as they most likely must be the best ones around. Imagine then the frustrations that follow when they're hit with reality, that just because you have a potential world-conquering idea doesn't mean you will actually conquer the world. For in truth, only the ideas that work will actually rule.

Serious effort must be made and a price paid for dreams to truly come to pass. My acronym for PRICE is PAY RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS COSTS EXPECTED. There is a cost we must pay at different levels and to different institutions if we truly desire to succeed....you must pay the cost of proper study if you want to excel in your exams; you must pay the cost of building sincere friendships if you want to excel in your relationships; you must pay the cost of delivering true and enduring value to clients (potential and actual) if you want to excel in your business, etc. 

We cannot expect to get something for nothing. It's like gambling with your life's dream. Nothing just happens in this life. It takes time to build anything good because to build involves a process and that process involves effort. 

Locate the relevant price you need to pay for your dreams and determine to pay it to the fullest. Then watch your dreams happen for real.

·      

WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?

A simple question.

But is your answer going to be that simple? The major goal you have in life, does it have just one challenge or a multitude of challenges? What you set out to achieve in your life this year, has it been an easy ride so far, a wobbly one or it just hasn't kicked off yet? Who or what do you think is to blame if things haven't yet moved at the pace that you would have really wanted them to? You? Other people? The government? The economy? Your physique? The area or house you presently live in? Your background? Your family? The school you went to or never got the chance to attend? Your employer? Your employees? The type of cloth accessories you have? Everything else that I haven't mentioned?

What's stopping you?

We should all ask this question to ourselves because our candid answer(s) to it will determine a lot for us. Real as some or most of the above obstacles may seem to us, no obstacle goes out of the way except you either push it aside or step over it or simply go round it. And whatever you choose to do, running away from any obstacle is never a positive move.

People abound the world over who have stepped over their challenges and pushed their lives' fortune to another level. I've always wanted to write books ever since I was a teenager growing up years back and I certainly have had my own share of obstacles and challenges, from family members to so-called close friends. But I knew that an excuse for not pursuing a strong lifelong dream would forever leave me miserable for as long as I live, so I finally bottled up the determination to write and publish the books I believed were residing inside me...no matter what. As at today, I have two books out and the possibility of one or two more being released later this year. I also have been able to go on radio with a special programme that had first resonated in my heart some five or so years ago. There are many people in the world today who have all overcome various adversities or challenges to eventually achieve their dreams and are now successful.

I haven't yet achieved all I'd like to but I know that life isn't a sprint and I'm willing to take it one positive step after another. I'm willing to ignore the obstacles standing before me and instead concentrate on where I'm going until I eventually get there. And I know I'll get there...soon. I no longer give myself an excuse.

You have so much going for you that you just won't be fully fulfilled except you accomplish what is laid up in your heart. The world is waiting for your unveiling, but it's not the world that will unveil you to it. You will need to look those obstacles and challenges in the eye and decide how your future will be.

Will anything still stop you?

P.S.
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A LITTLE MONEY HOMEWORK...

Money, money, money!

I need it and so do you. We all have bills to pay and things we'd love to acquire. Places we'd like to travel to or businesses we'd like to start. Without money we really can't buy or pay for something we want.

For many money is an enigma and an intriguing thing. One moment we have a bit, the next moment that bit has gone...and we can't really say where it went! In this article today, I will try and give you a little help on how best to account for the little money you have and how to possibly ensure you stop losing so much every time. It's just a simple homework.

Every year for the past seven years, I've always had a target of savings I would love to have by December 31st. Because I've always been aware of the reality that money speedily leaves my hands to deal with a myriad of things, I realized that if I wasn't careful I would end up having little or nothing by the end of the year and subsequently nothing to kick-off the new year. I couldn't really explain why my money was always either not enough or even non-existent by year end! 

So I came up with a plan to first of all track all the money I was making and all the money I was spending. I realized it was the only way I could be close to being certain as to how my money was moving. And to do that I got myself a book, which I now demarcated  into half. The first section was to record every  money that entered my hands, whether as salary, a loan, a gift or from any small business I must have done. And the second section was to similarly record every money that left my hands irrespective of what I spent it on or to whom I gave money to; as long as it left my hands, it entered that section.

If you're able to do likewise, what will become very glaring to you as it was for me, is that quite a lot of money actually passes through your hands in a whole year, but because the money doesn't come to you in one major bulk, you rarely realize that some good money had been in your possession over time. But once you can as much as you can keep a record of every naira and kobo that comes into your possession, you see it clearly. When I did it, I was pretty surprised at how much went through my hands in one whole year! You should do the same thing with the second half of the book, recording as much as you can all the money you spend no matter what it is spent on.

Collating both what comes in and what goes out on a monthly basis helps you to have a good idea of how you're using your money, and then you can now critically look at the things you've been spending money on and ask yourself if you truly need to spend money on them. There's a good possibility that you will see and identify a few items that you really could do without and that you may just need to stop wasting money on. And once you're able to do that, money usually spent in that direction on a steady monthly basis will stop going there and can now be saved every month. Imagine being able to identify one N20,000 somewhere that you spend monthly (as was in my own case) that you really don't have to...in 12 months that will be a whopping N240,000 saved!!!!

The pleasant surprise that gave me further emboldened my resolve to continue keeping my records and subsequently helped me to identify some unnecessary spending habits of mine, which further helped me to put a stop to such spending, and instead redirect such money into savings.

I really think you should try this for yourself because the inherent reward is quite immense and very satisfying. You will be surprised to find out that you've always had the money you anxiously always look for in all your daily or monthly hustles.

P.S.

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YOU NEED TO PAUSE & PONDER A MOMENT...

In this world we all presently live in, everybody is in a rush to meet up with many things that are themselves a rush! We are in a hurry to get to work, in a hurry to get out of work, in a hurry to dive into relationships and in a hurry to dive out of them! We are in a hurry to gain admission into higher institutions of learning and in the next breath very eager to quickly finish. We are in a hurry to decide what professions our children should pursue or what status of persons they must end up marrying. The list is very long indeed. We are just so much in a hurry and make decisions every day quite oblivious of the repercussions of every single one, the repercussions on others or on our environment.

We truly need to slow down. No matter how hasty we are to do something or to get anywhere, we will never be able to outrun time. No matter what we do, time will never stop for our sakes. So it is in our own best interest that we slow down, pause and properly think about what we are either rushing after or rushing into, for we could very well just be saving our lives or futures by doing so.

Taking full control of our lives begins with actually being able to control how we behave in the face of pressing or calm situations. Every time we have is actually an opportunity to make a mark, whether positive or negative, and the decisions we make therein are very key to the results that follow therewith.

Knowing where to go or what to do per time is very important to every human being and so one could understand the reason behind some of our haste, especially if we feel or believe we simply cannot afford not to do something quickly or get an expected result soonest. But the fallout may not be favorable to others around us or to the vicinity in which we find ourselves.

It will cost you nothing to calm down a bit to properly weigh up your available options before you eventually go ahead with what you've planned. In some cases, if you do slow down a bit, you would eventually realize that your original option wasn't the right one to take but that you had allowed the pressures of either time or other people or possibly circumstances dictate what you really should have done. 

You want to feel relieved and fulfilled when you've taken a decision, don't you? So my personal suggestion to you is that you simply pause and ponder before you make that decision; it could be really worth your while in gold!

P.S.

In a few days from now, one of my pet projects and dreams will hit the Abuja radio airwaves. It's aptly called PAUSE & PONDER MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL IBIORIKA. So for all inhabitants of Abuja and its environs, be on the lookout for this radio programme as I'm very sure it will bless and benefit you richly every week. You can afford not to bother but do you really want to take that chance? Kindly pause and ponder a moment and be blessed beyond your wildest dreams. I promise you, you will love it.

DANCING WITH GOLIATH

Merely looking at his burly figure, I knew that if he punched my face, my handsomeness would be distorted; and that if he grabbed my neck, I was more or less dead! So, going toe-to-toe with him wasn't anywhere close to being a very good idea. I needed another tactic to tackle him, to take away his strength advantage, to not lose the fight.

I chose the element of surprise. It was a calculated risk. It was either going to work or I was going to pay the price of failure. Either way, I had little or no time to settle down and come up with another plan; and, besides, what other tactic would work against the boy mountain in front of me, whose desperate spoil for a fight could already see him hurtling towards me in anger?

As he came in to tango with me and possibly hand on me one of those powerful fists of his, I crouched under him and grabbed him by the waist. Then, in one full swoop, using his momentum towards me, I moved slightly back, put as much strength in my legs as I possibly could, and lifted him sky high. And still in the same swoop, I banged him against the ground with all the force that I could muster!

Everyone was stunned...the bully, the crowd and even me! It even took me a while to realize my victory. But in the instant that it took me to realize it, I knew victory wasn't complete until I had stuffed the mouth of my fallen adversary with sand. So I started scooping and pumping sand into his mouth as he dazedly and frantically tried to fend me off. Within seconds my friends and some of his supporters had yanked me off him, and I found myself riding on the shoulders of my friends. It felt very good to win...for once!

True story. It happened when I was in elementary school.

We all have goliaths to face in our lives, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a person; it could be anything that causes us untold and painful distress. That we have such opposition though does not mean that our lives are over or that we can never make progress; neither does it mean that we must always cower in the face of whatever person or circumstance is bullying us. We cannot afford to give up.

I'm not implying that adverse situations that we face are powerless against us or cannot harm us. No. I'm instead advocating that every giant we come up against must have a weak point, which we can locate and take advantage of. If no such weak point exist, then it would imply that such a giant is perfect...but in truth there are no perfect people or perfect situations (good or bad) on this planet. So, the giant can be beaten, we just have to find out how. 

Running away from our challenges with the hope that someday or somehow they will eventually disappear is an illusion we simply cannot afford to have if we truly want to live satisfied or fulfilled lives. In reality, life itself isn't a joy ride until you're able to conquer your challenges and ride on them! We stay with what we accept and fight what we don't. And the giants before us we really cannot afford to accept, we just need to fight.

But our fight must be guided by wisdom...

1.  We should learn how best to apply our own strengths to any situation.
2.  We must never go toe-to-toe with our challenges but instead always look for better ways to tackle the problems.
3.  We must be willing to fight till the end and give it all we've got.
4.  We must show no fear and be confident in ourselves otherwise we would have already lost the battle before it has even begun.

This year, we need to resolve in our minds that those things that constantly bullied us in times past will stop being a recurring decimal in our lives. We've had a dance too many with them and it's time the dance came to a permanent stop.

Everybody Has a F.E.A.R!

Some people may choose to deny it and try to be all macho about it, but the truth is that every one of us have one fear or another constantly tugging at our hearts and minds from time to time. And there is a veritable reason why that is so...it's simply because no one has the power to do everything. We are imperfect beings and all have limits. We are all gifted, no doubt, may have ambitions or visions of what we would love our lives to be like, but it does not take away the reality that we all have limits. 

This awareness makes us skeptical about our plans at times, whatever they may be, and can really put pressure on our minds and lives. And if we're not careful, we could end up dreading certain days, moments and situations. We could end up believing that some things may never ever work in our favour or that we may never amount to anything. Well, in truth, that just shows that we are mere human.

The reality is that, irrespective of how we feel, we are responsible for what happens next in the midst of our fears. And, interestingly, fear itself carries within it acronyms that we could look at and decide if we want to make progress or if we want to stay put. We could either FORGET EVERYTHING AND RUN.....

 or FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE.....

The difference between defeat or victory in our lives will depend to a great extent on how we choose to handle our fears. We can decide to stop working towards our dreams or goals because of the foreboding we may have based on whatever facts or experiences we may have had...or we may decide to use our fears as the springboard to go forward no matter what. The choice ultimately is up to us individually.

But we must never forget...that nothing good and enduring in this life truly comes easy and that we will need to push ourselves a little bit more if we are ever going to excel or achieve some of our dreams. This life doesn't offer free lunches, it's one reality that we must all be willing to come to terms with. Every one of us will have obstacles to face, mountains to climb and battles we just have to win. If we truly value our lives and our dreams, we must be really ready to soldier on irrespective of the pains we may suffer along the way. Besides, any fear we have is what we choose to have and not necessarily what we should have. It's up to us.

This year, resolve in your heart and mind that you will give a few things a better go this time around. That exam you've been dreading for a while now because you've failed it a couple of times; that business you so love but somehow still has refused to pan out well for you; that relationship that keeps failing to be because you keep losing your guts; that job that you keep missing because you always lose your way at the last minute.

Everybody has a fear. But the presence of fear doesn't mean something is impossible to achieve. Fear is just a material that cloaks the reality of what is obtainable. I would rather you face your fears and rise up to the occasion that only you can.

What will you do now, my friend? Keep on running and stalling or take the bull by the horns and climb up your ladder of victory and success?