Category: Inspiration

Love Yourself: The Path to True Happiness.

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Personal DevelpomentLeave a comment

Love yourself even when you’re not at your best:

  • When you’re not going hard at your goals enough…
  • When you’re too tired to keep going
  • When you’ve lost focus and discipline to put in the work
  • When you messed up and everyone else in the world seems to hate you
  • When… Whenever.

 Just love yourself… 🧡

Because love is a healer and a builder. You don’t build anything solid and lasting and beautiful with hate or indifference.

You can have a strong dislike for flaws because they hinder you from being your best self but the path to overcoming them requires that you love yourself well enough to go about it in a healthy way. Not out of an obsession for perfection but because you truly love yourself enough to want the best for yourself. 

To pick yourself up from that low point to a much higher, more fulfilling point, you need to love yourself because love creates the right mindset and environment you need to become your best self.

We tend to look on the outside for love so often and then whatever feedback we get determines how much love we feel or have for ourselves. 

When the world isn’t hyping you up and telling you how much they love you, you start thinking, “maybe I’m not that lovable”.

You begin to ignore activities that require you to spend time alone with yourself and develop habits that neglect your self care and well-being including working on your goals to achieve a more fulfilling life.

Truly…

We accept the love we think we deserve.

— Stephen Chbosky

When you don’t think you deserve that much love, you’ll sabotage every opportunity to receive love from others.

Love your neighbor as yourself but many don’t even love themselves that much. So then, how much love can their neighbor get?

If you aren’t good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you’ll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren’t even giving to yourself.

— Barbara De Angelis

People who love themselves enough, healthily, not in a  narcissistic way, are more prone to radiate love and warmth and are more open to giving love to others.

And the more love you give to others, the more love you’re likely to get back (although you can expect that not all love given will be requited because, remember, some people don’t even love themselves enough to give love to others).

Loving yourself is a daily requirement. It requires intentionality and self awareness. Life can be filled with so much activity— it’s so easy to forget or be mindful about how we treat ourselves and how we see ourselves.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the urgency of life and not take time to reflect and appreciate yourself.

So how do you infuse loving yourself deliberately into your daily life?

  • Pay attention to your needs, don’t dismiss them or push them away
  • Prioritize your well being
  • Use gentle words on yourself: Don’t speak to yourself in a harsh or negative tone. 
  • Train your mind to always look for the good in yourself instead of focusing on your flaws
  • Pay attention to the energy you receive from the outside and how it’s affecting you internally. If it makes you bitter not better, it’s time to consider moving away from that space.
  • Spend more time on activities that help you discover yourself: your strengths, weaknesses, talents and inspirations.
  • Keep a journal to stay mindful and reflect on your experiences. Sort your thoughts to keep your mind clean and refreshed rather than carrying around baggage from external sources beyond your control.
  • Self care of course, is a great way to express self love. You care for the things or people you love. So spend time taking care of you:
    • Eat healthy food you love
    • Use great body care products to keep your body radiant
    • Exercise and stay fit
    • Wear nice clothes
    • Read nice books and consume great content that improves your mind and soul
    • Go to places that energise you in a healthy way and inspires you to be your best self
    • Spend more time with people who make you happy.

Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Fall in love with the path of deep healing. Fall in love with becoming the best version of yourself but with patience, with compassion, and respect to your own journey.

— S. McNutt

 

Put great effort into acquiring valuable skills and being of service. This helps you develop a sense of purpose and meaning— when you know you’re not just all about yourself but are also helping to improve the world in the best way you can.

Loving yourself daily takes deliberateness of effort. Life wouldn’t always be rosy and filled with happy moments but by being deliberate and prioritizing what matters, you can infuse love into your life without waiting for others to hand it over to you…

You can be genuinely happy or content without relying on external validation or approval. You can truly become better and radiate more love and warmth to others.

Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home.

— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The world needs more love. But love begins in you…

🧡

— Olajumoke Ola

Kindness is Much Deeper Than You Think.

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Community Development, Inspiration, Personal DevelpomentLeave a comment

Kindness is a really deep word. So deep that we humans can never fully comprehend what it takes to be “Kind”. Kindness covers so many other attributes that we typically don’t associate with it.

  • A kind person is a honest person.
  • A kind person is fair and just in their judgement
  • A kind person honors their word and wouldn’t deliberately disappoint those who trust them.
  • A kind person is quick to forgive because they know being unforgiving will bring suffering to those who hurt them.
  • A kind person apologizes deeply for their wrongs because even a kind person can make mistakes. He/ she’s still human you know.
  • A kind person speaks up for those who can’t speak for themselves and shows strong support to those who can’t support themselves.
  • A kind person looks out for the good in others.

A kind person always has work to do because kindness can be a full time job. There’s always someone or something in need of your kindness.

Kindness goes so deep that if a human were to embody it 24/7 they’ll probably never have a moment of free time or a single penny left in their bank account.

Kindness is so huge a responsibility that we humans can never really have it 100%. Why?

Humans feel fatigue.

We get tired; we lose motivation. We get discouraged. Beyond these, we all have our own issues and needs that may distract us or make us mentally/ emotionally unavailable to express true kindness every single time.

To fully embody kindness 24/7 would be like trying to compete with God for His role. But we DO need to keep trying. Kindness remains one of those traits— just like humility— that we can only keep aspiring to and keep working at being.

It is an ongoing effort.

A person may do great acts of kindness today and then follow up with unkindness or indifference the very next day. Or even, the very next minute.

It takes commitment to be Kind. But we also need to remember that kindness begins from within.

Remember to be kind to yourself. Because showing kindness to others without being kind to yourself is the greatest form of unkindness.

Kindness is the bedrock of righteousness.

The effects of kindness has such a strong ripple effect beyond what we can imagine. A simple act of kindness to one can inspire many to be kind and the one who received such kindness may become even more motivated to show kindness to others.

One of the reasons why people become unkind is because they have gone through so much unkindness or grew up in an unkind environment.

Most crimes committed in the world are called crimes because they are acts of unkindness that ended up causing hurt to someone or people.

If there’s one thing that needs to be dominant in prisons and rehabilitation centres, that thing would be kindness— reforming these minds by showing them what kindness really means.

We can reform these kinds of people not by total condemnation but by simple acts of kindness done repeatedly and consistently.

Kindness is a builder and a reformer. We can build truly great communities when we make kindness a bedrock for our actions.

🧡

— Olajumoke Ola

Man’s Search for God

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Life Lessons, Personal Develpoment, Reflections, SpiritualityLeave a comment

Man is constantly given an opportunity to search for God— to experience his neediness of Him, to discover his own awareness of Him and submit his helplessness to Him.

  • The uncertainties of life
  • The quiet moments…
  • When nothing significant is happening
  • The moments of perceived stagnation
  • The moments of setback
  • The moments of fear and anxiety
  • The moments of regret and self-condemnation
  • The moments of undeserved miracles and deep inspiration…

These are all moments when that opportunity shows up. Everyone of us carries that question somewhere in our hearts:

Could there be more to this?

Maybe there truly is.

  • Is there someone behind all these?
  • Why do I always want more?
  • Why do I feel an emptiness sometimes, like there’s a void in my heart waiting to be filled?

Maybe there truly is a void. And indeed, it is waiting to be filled. But you will have to decide when— when you want to embark on the journey…

The journey to filling that void.

Because it is a journey…

One that will last a lifetime— a lifetime of learning and unlearning; a lifetime of contemplation and reflection; a lifetime of worship and service; a lifetime of recurring peace and tranquility…

A lifetime of satisfaction and fulfilment— of bliss, of pure hope and faith. And deep down in your heart, you will know with all conviction and gratitude…

You have finally found Him.

🧡

Educated Entrepreneurship: The Pain Reliever to Nigeria’s Economic Headache

On By Olajumoke OlaIn InspirationLeave a comment

Source: Sell and Succeed

Education here is not restricted to “education” in conventional terms: going to school or getting a degree, rather any kind of education that fosters self and community development- the ability to seek and utilize [keyword: utilize] knowledge through every ethical means.

Education is not limited to the four-walls of any school. It is simply a process of acquiring relevant and useful knowledge be it under a mango tree or in the massive Amphitheatre in Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U.) in Nigeria.

Yes you have a degree but are you educated though?

You can’t claim to be educated until you can truly add or create meaningful value with what you know. A lot of people went to school but cannot create or give meaningful value with what they learnt and that’s our problem!

Continue reading “Educated Entrepreneurship: The Pain Reliever to Nigeria’s Economic Headache” →

Laziness is a Sin. Live on Purpose

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Personal Develpoment, ReflectionsLeave a comment

Someone-To-Pick-It-Up-For-Me-Funny-Lazy-Meme

 

Have you ever wondered why you’re so good in mathematics? Highly artistic and intuitive? Or so curious and intelligent?

Have you ever wondered why you find it so easy to interact with people and influence them to take decisions meanwhile your close friend is pretty timid and can hardly initiate or hold a conversation?

Have you ever wondered why you detest disorderliness and would rather take the pain to get things organized and well done?

Have you ever wondered why coming up with (legal) money making ideas come so easily to you while your hardworking, intelligent friends struggle at it?

Have you ever wondered why your kidneys and lungs are still functioning properly while someone your age somewhere is on life support?

Have you ever wondered why you’re still alive and not on a sick bed or six feet under?

“There is something only you can give and without it, someone is being disallowed a healing, a laugh, an uplift to a better quality of life.”

– Asha Tyson (How I Retired at 26) Continue reading “Laziness is a Sin. Live on Purpose” →

THE EASY WAY TO LIVE AND LOVE LIFE

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Life Lessons, Personal DevelpomentLeave a comment

THE-EASY-WAY-TO-LIVE-AND-LOVE-LIFE

Sometimes I think that I am not qualified to give personal development tips and advice, I mean I haven’t broken any world record neither have I fed 5 thousand people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

However, I have benefited greatly from my moments of self awareness and reflection. They have helped me ace exams, execute projects successfully and make better/ more rewarding decisions in life.

As such I have come to convince myself: Even if you do not become the richest or the most successful woman in the world, by sharing your stories and positive thoughts, you can support and encourage others in their own journey through life; You can help someone else achieve much more.

And from my experience in writing so far, I have come to discover the truth in this quote:

“Form the habit of encouraging others, and you will find it a wonderful tonic for both those encouraged and yourself, for you will get back encouraging and uplifting thoughts.”

– Theron Dumont (Author: The Power of Concentration)

It is with this uplifting thought that I write this post. I sincerely hope that you’re able to tap into the positive energy and then let it flow graciously to those around you.

 

THE EASY WAY TO LIVE… Continue reading “THE EASY WAY TO LIVE AND LOVE LIFE” →

WHEN HUMILITY BECOMES THE ENEMY

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Personal Develpoment, Reflections3 Comments

WHEN-HUMILTY-BECOMES-THE-ENEMY_MC

 

You don’t value what you have.

 

Everyone sees gold in you except you.

You give excuses to explain why you’re not as great as people think.

You see down-talking yourself as being humble.

You try not to excel beyond the normal.

You don’t enjoy the attention that being excellent brings you because:

 

you’re scared of becoming proud.

you’re scared of not being able to keep it up.

you don’t think you deserve the commendations.

you think it’s just a flash in the pan.

 

But you want the success, and every good thing that comes with it;

The money, the love, the recognition and so on

As long as you stay humble and God-fearing.

 

Well then, you’ve got to decide now!

To have all of these and more, you have to value what you have:

The God-given gifts and abilities you have been blessed with.

 

Let the world know that God didn’t bless you so that you could throw it all away.

You have been blessed for a purpose;

Find it, Cherish it, Make the best of it.

 

Stop hiding now, let your inner light shine through and illuminate the world!

 

WHY KILL A CHILD BEFORE ITS TIME?

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Life Lessons, Personal DevelpomentLeave a comment

WHY-KILL-A-CHILD-2
Photo Source: Huffington post

I read a book today.. about a child that grew up in a home unfit to grow a child. He was molested, maltreated and nurtured to become the worst version of himself. Then everyone started calling him a bad boy, a menace to the society.. and guess what? He actually turned out to be the greatest menace that society had ever seen.

This got me thinking…

Why would we give up on a “difficult” child and abandon all hopes of his or her salvation? Wouldn’t it be way better to throw that child into a den of ravenous lions to be devoured and forgotten than to give up and condemn him or her to the worst of treatments (verbal or physical), in which he or she is reminded constantly of how his or her existence is a curse to the world for in truth, that would be the end result.

No one knows what the future holds for anyone be it a child or an adult. Even the good and pampered child, loved by all can turn out to be a murderer, drug addict and adulterer in the end. You ask how?

Life is made up of seasons (seasons of happiness, joy, love, sorrow, discomfort, pain, success and failure) and in each of these lie the test of our character and strength. Some fail woefully along the way, unable to stand the test of whatever values and discipline they have acquired in life.

No matter how much discipline a parent or guardian tries to instill in a child, eventually the child  maybe an adult now, would have to develop and rely on his or her own self discipline to conquer life’s temptations and unavoidable challenges.

A child except condemned by God to end up a disaster, is still a child and childhood remains the easiest time to influence a life, a soul, a destiny.

As a parent or guardian, a great step in the right direction would be to make sincere and consistent efforts to get that child away from the “devils” (all forms of negative influence either in form of humans or technology), anything that could render your efforts useless. Emigrate if necessary but get that child away!

God has placed a destiny in your hands and whether you like it or not, you will answer for whatever role you played in his or her growth.

Never give up on a child, for that is the fastest way to condemn him or her to destruction and ruin. Sooner or later, the child will come into his or her own, a fully grown man or woman, fully responsible for his or her own decisions. What will be your own contribution? What gifts do you have to share to make this being the best he or she could ever be?

THE QUEST FOR PERFECTION: A NEVER ENDING JOURNEY

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Life Lessons, Personal Develpoment, Reflections2 Comments

THE-QUEST-FOR-PERFECTION

We like the beautiful and handsome; the one with all the swag and physical perfection.

We are attracted to the ones with the best diction and accent, the one with the perfect smile, the perfect speech, the perfect ideas and the perfect belongings, properties or acquisitions.

However, in the midst of all that “perfection” lay cast in the shadow the “imperfect ones” longing for love and affection; for a friendly word of hope and encouragement, an uplifting smile or a shoulder to lean on.

We are not even aware of their existence; we pay little or no attention…

  • When was the last time you said hello or smiled randomly at a beggar or a helpless kid you see every day on your way to work?
  • Have you ever stopped to chat with the errand boy or security guy in your work place?
  • Have you ever helped an old man or woman who’s weak and feeble with their bags or baggage on your way out? Do you even notice them?

Most of us in one way or the other are on a quest for perfection: the perfect job, the perfect spouse, the perfect boss, colleague or employee, the perfect friends, the perfect life! And thus we complain when the imperfect happens or is encountered.

We seek perfection in all our endeavors thereby failing to appreciate the little twists and turns that makes our journey more fulfilling and rewarding in the end.

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Every day in this world represents a great new opportunity in countless ways: a new business, a new investment, a new positive habit, a new job, a new home, a new idea, a new solution, a new friend…

Amidst the hustle and bustle to make ends meet we do not fail to notice the “perfect ones” among us; the ones with an “extra dose” of blessings that just seem to captivate us all the way.

We fail to recognise and appreciate the fact that life would be lacking greatly in meaning and substance if everyone and everything around us were perfect.

The poor and needy, the neglected kids, the elderly, the physically challenged, the slow learner in your class, the “black sheep” of your workplace or family with all the character flaws in the world- all these and more contribute to the awesomeness of life if only you knew.

The imperfections are God’s way of making us grateful for all that we have and all that we do not have. In the midst of all the imperfection in the world lies our opportunity to show gratitude and to enrich our own lives through reaching out to those in need of our good words and actions.

THE PERFECT ROLE WHICH IS OURS TO PLAY

  • Maybe we were made strong so we can help the weak find their strength.
  • Maybe we are physically able so we can help the physically disabled.
  • Maybe we are rich and successful so we can help the poor and needy live comfortably and probably discover their own path to a great fortune.
  • Maybe we are wise and intelligent so the world can be made a better place by our insights and ideas.

All in all, the lesson to be drawn from this is:

Be it in form of our words or our actions, we all have a favor to do for the man or woman, boy or girl next to us and most times we really shouldn’t wait to be asked before we do it.

We shouldn’t expect to be compensated for doing it.

We shouldn’t expect gratitude either.

We should, however, look up to the One who gave us the wisdom, strength and capability to do all that we have in gratitude and in hope for the grace to do more.

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SELF LIMITATION: WHY YOU MAY NEVER “GET THERE” [SUCCEED]

On By Olajumoke OlaIn Inspiration, Life Lessons, Personal Develpoment2 Comments

Self-limitation
Source: Pinterest

There are so many ways by which we limit ourselves without knowing. Some of our thoughts, beliefs and lifestyle are the reasons why we are not where we truly want to be. They are the very reasons for our standstill or set back in life.

To get rid of every ounce of self limitation in you, you need to have a self awareness session with yourself: a moment of deep reflection and assessment of your character and personality, your beliefs and lifestyle.

How have you been holding yourself back from greatness? Have you been shooting yourself in the leg all this while? How have you been engaging in self-limitation? Let’s find out…

–  You cherish your ego way too much

Opportunities for greatness can come from any source, at any point in time and in any situation. Having a personality that exhibits pride and arrogance can greatly hold you back from getting access to these opportunities.

What are the signs of an overblown ego?

  • You find it difficult to apologize even when you are wrong
  • You find it difficult to associate with others
  • You are too shy- yes, being overly shy can be as a result of being excessively self-aware and overly conscious of one’s self and ego- which is caused by the fear of making a fool of yourself.

Most people prefer to work and play with someone who is easy going and humble. Don’t limit yourself by choosing to satisfy your ego in all situations.

  • What would it take to apologize to someone you have wronged?
  • What would it take to make the first move to greet or say a friendly hello or hi to your neighbors and colleagues at work?
  • What would it take to start a meaningful conversation with a fellow attendee at an event or seminar?
  • What would it take to ask those who are more enlightened or knowledgeable than you for solutions to problems or answers to questions you have?
  • What would it take to cast your ego aside and make that move to live a richer and more rewarding life that appreciates the good in others and therefore, opens you up to the countless opportunities for greatness that abound in life?

–  You have little or no faith in God’s ability to move you forward (not atheist)

Faith in God keeps us going in trying times, it gives us hope that all things will work for our good in the long run. Faith in God helps us to stay on track and remain optimistic even when the situation around us is greatly demoralizing.

For some, however, faith only exists when things are rosy and greatly promising. Send a little storm their way and alas, their faith will disappear into thin air. Their once optimistic personality becomes a thing of the past, their daily routine becomes whining and complaining about how the world has turned against them, how God has deserted them with no ray of hope of a breakthrough.

Well, how worse can it get? What or who else represents hope and greatness if not God? God is the origin, the beginning and the end of hope, of positivity and of all things good. If God doesn’t move you forward, who will? The Devil?

–  You don’t engage in personal development

Personal development is a never ending journey. You can never have enough of it.

No matter how high your level of education is, how great your financial status is or how influential your network of friends and associates are, without actively engaging in personal development, all these might just fizzle out before you know it.

Personal development helps you to upgrade the good you already have to greatness and also helps you to get rid of negative attitude, beliefs or character that can hinder your path to great achievements.

Someone who doesn’t engage in personal development has more or less set a limit for his or her own growth and development. It’s like saying “I have it all, I don’t need any more than I already have”. Let’s be realistic, can you ever have it all? Can you ever know it all? Is it possible to never be in need of anything?

School might be over but you should never stop learning. Read books, watch videos, listen to relevant audio tapes, attend seminars and events with great messages to help you grow and be better physically, financially, socially, spiritually and in all areas of your life.

Form the habit of finding out the lessons in your experiences. What have you learnt so far in life? How much more are you willing to learn?

–  You don’t seek and keep good network of highly impactful people

The popular saying goes: “Show me your friend and I’d tell you who you are.”

But with the present age of internet and social media, I’d say: “show me your contacts (or social media connections) and I’d tell you who you’re likely to become.”

Your experiences and associations have a very high probability of influencing you, whether you like it or not. When you go online, the kind of sites you visit, the things you read, watch and hear on these websites can greatly influence your character, beliefs and overall lifestyle.

When you follow or associate with people who don’t add value to you, people who post negatively influential information online, you are not only limiting yourself, you are also opening your mind up to destruction and ruin.

Seek actively for association with people who can potentially move you forward through an exemplary lifestyle and inspirational personality. Whether online or offline, let the personality of your friends and associates reveal whom you truly want to be in life. Choose positivity over negativity any time.

– You have low self esteem and no self confidence

You need self confidence if you truly want to explore the opportunities for greatness that abound in life. You need to have a moderate level of self esteem to start with if you really want to go for gold and not stones.

Signs you have a low self esteem are:

  • When you constantly give reasons why you are not good enough for one thing or the other
  • When you constantly shy away from responsibilities and commitments
  • When you think you need to lower your standards or under-rate yourself just to fit in or gain acceptance of friends, colleagues or associates.
  • When you constantly compare yourself with others in a way that makes you feel they are better than you (even when that’s not the case).

Having a low self esteem is greatly self-limiting as you are never really able to make good use of opportunities that come to you not to talk of going out there to grab one for yourself.

If you do not believe in your own ability or potential to thrive and be successful, who will?

– You live in fear

Many have surrendered to a life of sadness and despair caused by unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. While many claim to want success and financial breakthrough, only a few have taken up the challenge to conquer their fears and go for it.

When you allow your fears to thrive, you are engaging in self limitation.

Fear is what tells you that you will fail even before you have begun. Fear is that negative energy that sucks you dry of all elements of positivity and motivation to embark on your journey to greatness.

It is okay to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and be realistic about them. However, you should remember that your personality is not permanent and positive changes can be made where necessary in order to move your life forward.

Don’t let the fear of the known or unknown to hold you back from setting great goals and working towards their achievement.

Make a commitment today to get rid of all self limiting thoughts, attitude/character and beliefs that have kept you from achieving success in all areas of your life.

Your opinion of yourself matters a lot. If there’s anything in this world that can limit you, just make sure that it’s not You!