Sunday, 18 January 2009
I AM STILL AROUND.
Hey, I know if you've been following my blog, you'll have wondered why I'm not publishing new posts. 2008 was a year of discovery for me. I went through some lows, but the good lord did not forget me. I overcame some obstacles and had to face the prospects of living on my own. I am now staying on my own. With the help of God, this blog will continue to develop in an amazing way. I have a lot of dreams I want to share with you. This is 2009 and it is a year that requires us putting in a lot of effort to get our dreams achieved. I am with you all the way. This blog will resume very soon. I intend to put more pictures and videos on the blog. Also let me know what you think about TOLU'S PARADISE. I wish you a productive 2009. Amen.
Monday, 25 August 2008
MY LIST OF BOOKS. THE TOP 20.
Hi there, I am a voracious reader and reading has always been something I've always engaged in since I was young. I started reading at a very early age. It should be around age 4. I have always read books that were considered above my level. My mum encouraged me in that direction. Okay, let me get to the business of this post. Here are my top 20 books. I hope you'll like my list. I'm influenced to write this piece my the great song of the rapper, NAS- My Book of Rhymes. Check it out on Youtube. Cheers.
1. The Holy Bible Revised Standard Version.
2. The Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
3. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
4. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
5. Business At The Speed of Thought by Bill Gates
6. The Road Ahead by Bill Gates
7. The Stillborn by Zaynab Alkali
8. Ibadan by Wole Soyinka
9. The Last of The Mohicans by J Fenimore Cooper.
10. Washington Square by Henry James.
11. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
12. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
13. The Passport of Mallam Ilia by Cyprian Ekwensi
14. An African Night's Entertainment by Cyprian Ekwensi
15. The Boy Slave by Kola Onadipe
16. The Lonely Londoners by Samuel Selvon
17. Animal Farm by George Orwell
18. Encyclopaedias of all kinds
19. Little Women by Louisa M Alcott
20. The Biography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley.
1. The Holy Bible Revised Standard Version.
2. The Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
3. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
4. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
5. Business At The Speed of Thought by Bill Gates
6. The Road Ahead by Bill Gates
7. The Stillborn by Zaynab Alkali
8. Ibadan by Wole Soyinka
9. The Last of The Mohicans by J Fenimore Cooper.
10. Washington Square by Henry James.
11. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
12. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
13. The Passport of Mallam Ilia by Cyprian Ekwensi
14. An African Night's Entertainment by Cyprian Ekwensi
15. The Boy Slave by Kola Onadipe
16. The Lonely Londoners by Samuel Selvon
17. Animal Farm by George Orwell
18. Encyclopaedias of all kinds
19. Little Women by Louisa M Alcott
20. The Biography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley.
THE LOST ONES.
I decided to title this particular post- The Lost Ones, after a track in Lauryn Hill's outstanding album, THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL. Lauryn Hill is an artiste I really admire. She's good at what she does and she is very frank about her feelings towards different issues. Having lived in England at different periods of my life, I have come across different people and I've walked through lots of Neighbourhoods. I have seen people who I believe have their origins in Nigeria. I call these people the lost ones. I'm not in any way trying to despise them for living in the western world where they are sometimes not appreciated. I am also not trying to say they don'y know what they are doing or have become stranded in Europe, America or Canada. I am seeing them as the precious human resources that Nigeria has lost due to bad and visionless leadership.
When will the lost ones return home? Can they ever return home? Can they ever forgive the Nigerian Government for sending their parents into the Western world as refugees, or for letting them leave to seek greener pastures outside Nigeria? When I come across black or multi- racial kids in Britain, who bear Nigerian names like Dayo, Funsho, Jide, Ikenna, Chukwudi, Musa, Fatima, Jumoke etc etc, I become sad and angry with those that put them in the situation that they are. This is because even though they were born in a developed society like Britain, they have to struggle to gain recognition which is easily given to their white, fairheaded and blue eyed counterparts. It seems as if the blackman is destined to fight for everything if he wants to make progress in life. Another painful thing is that they could have contributed to the development of Nigeria if a conducive environment had been provided for them there.
I see the lost ones on the streets of London and Essex daily. I've seen some of them in Bristol, Maidstone, Folkstone and other areas of Kent. Some of them were born in the UK while others were born in Africa. Some of those that were born in Africa have become British citizens through marriage, Ancestry, switching nationality due to their possessing a special talent or ability, or serving in the British Armed Forces. I also want to note that some of ' The Lost Ones ', are what the Government of the western countries term as illegal immigrants. However, this set of people I have mentioned are mostly treated in the same way. They are seen as foreigners who have come to contaminate the pure racial make up of the indigenous white people. It is a veiled kind of racism that blacks face in the Western world.
I often wonder about what the Nigerian and other African Governments are doing to help the lost ones return home. The development of Africa lies in the hands of her children who are outside her shores. What is making it so difficult for Africans in the diaspora to return home? Why do the The Lost Ones prefer living in countries where they are discriminated against and seen as scums, criminals and never do wells? I feel that Africans in the diaspora don't want to return to their continent of origin because of her underdevelopment. African leaders are mostly visionless and very greedy. They are also bad leaders who wont let those that want to change things get into power. There are so many intelligent africans abroad that can give Africa the creative leadership it needs. Africa needs creative leaders that can take the continent to the next level. The shocking truth is that many of the creative leaders we need are in the diaspora. The President we need might just be washing plates in a restaurant in London, or might be driving a Taxi Cab in New York. The Lost Ones need to be brought back home. Africa needs them more than the Western economies. However, the Nigerian Government has to wake up to its responsibility. President Yar'Adua needs to get the ball rolling by tackling the Electricity problem first and other things will follow. We need serious leaders at the moment and I hope our curent leader is serious enough. And how was your day? Cheers.
When will the lost ones return home? Can they ever return home? Can they ever forgive the Nigerian Government for sending their parents into the Western world as refugees, or for letting them leave to seek greener pastures outside Nigeria? When I come across black or multi- racial kids in Britain, who bear Nigerian names like Dayo, Funsho, Jide, Ikenna, Chukwudi, Musa, Fatima, Jumoke etc etc, I become sad and angry with those that put them in the situation that they are. This is because even though they were born in a developed society like Britain, they have to struggle to gain recognition which is easily given to their white, fairheaded and blue eyed counterparts. It seems as if the blackman is destined to fight for everything if he wants to make progress in life. Another painful thing is that they could have contributed to the development of Nigeria if a conducive environment had been provided for them there.
I see the lost ones on the streets of London and Essex daily. I've seen some of them in Bristol, Maidstone, Folkstone and other areas of Kent. Some of them were born in the UK while others were born in Africa. Some of those that were born in Africa have become British citizens through marriage, Ancestry, switching nationality due to their possessing a special talent or ability, or serving in the British Armed Forces. I also want to note that some of ' The Lost Ones ', are what the Government of the western countries term as illegal immigrants. However, this set of people I have mentioned are mostly treated in the same way. They are seen as foreigners who have come to contaminate the pure racial make up of the indigenous white people. It is a veiled kind of racism that blacks face in the Western world.
I often wonder about what the Nigerian and other African Governments are doing to help the lost ones return home. The development of Africa lies in the hands of her children who are outside her shores. What is making it so difficult for Africans in the diaspora to return home? Why do the The Lost Ones prefer living in countries where they are discriminated against and seen as scums, criminals and never do wells? I feel that Africans in the diaspora don't want to return to their continent of origin because of her underdevelopment. African leaders are mostly visionless and very greedy. They are also bad leaders who wont let those that want to change things get into power. There are so many intelligent africans abroad that can give Africa the creative leadership it needs. Africa needs creative leaders that can take the continent to the next level. The shocking truth is that many of the creative leaders we need are in the diaspora. The President we need might just be washing plates in a restaurant in London, or might be driving a Taxi Cab in New York. The Lost Ones need to be brought back home. Africa needs them more than the Western economies. However, the Nigerian Government has to wake up to its responsibility. President Yar'Adua needs to get the ball rolling by tackling the Electricity problem first and other things will follow. We need serious leaders at the moment and I hope our curent leader is serious enough. And how was your day? Cheers.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING.
I know who I am, I know who I'm not. I can never forget where I come from, I know where I am going. To reach for my dreams and conquer the challenges, I will dare to be different, and with proper guidance and direction, nothing is impossible. I am indeed a future leader- A quote for young, black and gifted men.
THE INTERNET: THE NEW CONTINENT.
I grew up being told that there were six continents in the world- Africa [ My continent which I hold dearly to my heart ] , South America, North America, Asia, Oceania and Europe. Today, there are arguments that the continents are more than six. To some Geographers, we have seven continents. The Geographers include Antartica on the list. Some scholars also believe that we have eight continents. In some other countries like the United States [ I call the USA a salad bowl ], High School students are sometimes taught of the existence of Five continents. The two American continents being lumped together as one. In recent years, another continent has been discovered. That continent is not physical like the others discovered before it. While other continents have boundaries and are governed by political organizations, with numerous Nations led by Politicians, this new continent has amazing characteristics.
It is a continent that has no leaders and physical boundaries. This continent has no borders and cannot be measured. This continent exists in an undefined space and it could be ubiquitous. It is a continent that is rich in information, images and width. This continent lies at the mercy of those who travel on it. This continent is full of opportunities for those who can dare to possess and creatively exploit it. This continent I'm talking about is the internet. Have you ever sat down to think about what you can do with this mighty tool at your disposal? Yeah, the internet is at your beck and call. You don't need a visa to travel to this continent. You don't need to think of boarding a flight across the atlantic and the deserts to get to this continent. This continent is just around the corner, at the nearest cybercafe. If you can afford to get connection at home, it is just at your front. The possibilities of the internet are endless. It depends on what you want to do with it.
I am not going to bore you with what human beings have been able to do on the World Wide Web. As you know, the internet has changed the way we live. It has changed the way we relate to one another and it has changed the way we do business. It is clearly up to you to use the internet for either positive or negative things.
We live in the information age where business, according to Bill Gates, is done at the speed of thought. What Gates is saying here is that Business these days is powered by Technology. And the technology that powers Business is the internet and Personal computers. They both work together to make business defy borders and bureaucracy. The internet has fostered a new generation of internet entrepreneurs. Think of Amazon [ The Bookseller ] and Jeff Bezos, Think of Ebay [ The Auctioneers ] and Pierre Omidyar, Think of Microsoft [ The software leviathan ] and Bill Gates and Think of Gumtree, London's spectacular site, which has spread like cancer to other countries. Then think of MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, Aol, etc. I want to ask a question here: What are you doing with this continent that lies in your hands? Do you know that you can power your business with the internet? Do you know that you can change your life with this unique technology? Think about what you can do with the internet. Don't be left behind. As for me, I am an infopreneur and I have gradually started treading on this continent. I am looking at the road ahead with optimism. I can't say this is exactly what lies ahead of me, but I have my creator backing me. God is alive. I place my hope in him. Are you on Facebook yet? I'm not on this popular social networking site for now. Don't laugh at me, please. Anyway,how was your day? Cheers.
It is a continent that has no leaders and physical boundaries. This continent has no borders and cannot be measured. This continent exists in an undefined space and it could be ubiquitous. It is a continent that is rich in information, images and width. This continent lies at the mercy of those who travel on it. This continent is full of opportunities for those who can dare to possess and creatively exploit it. This continent I'm talking about is the internet. Have you ever sat down to think about what you can do with this mighty tool at your disposal? Yeah, the internet is at your beck and call. You don't need a visa to travel to this continent. You don't need to think of boarding a flight across the atlantic and the deserts to get to this continent. This continent is just around the corner, at the nearest cybercafe. If you can afford to get connection at home, it is just at your front. The possibilities of the internet are endless. It depends on what you want to do with it.
I am not going to bore you with what human beings have been able to do on the World Wide Web. As you know, the internet has changed the way we live. It has changed the way we relate to one another and it has changed the way we do business. It is clearly up to you to use the internet for either positive or negative things.
We live in the information age where business, according to Bill Gates, is done at the speed of thought. What Gates is saying here is that Business these days is powered by Technology. And the technology that powers Business is the internet and Personal computers. They both work together to make business defy borders and bureaucracy. The internet has fostered a new generation of internet entrepreneurs. Think of Amazon [ The Bookseller ] and Jeff Bezos, Think of Ebay [ The Auctioneers ] and Pierre Omidyar, Think of Microsoft [ The software leviathan ] and Bill Gates and Think of Gumtree, London's spectacular site, which has spread like cancer to other countries. Then think of MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, Aol, etc. I want to ask a question here: What are you doing with this continent that lies in your hands? Do you know that you can power your business with the internet? Do you know that you can change your life with this unique technology? Think about what you can do with the internet. Don't be left behind. As for me, I am an infopreneur and I have gradually started treading on this continent. I am looking at the road ahead with optimism. I can't say this is exactly what lies ahead of me, but I have my creator backing me. God is alive. I place my hope in him. Are you on Facebook yet? I'm not on this popular social networking site for now. Don't laugh at me, please. Anyway,how was your day? Cheers.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
DNA: WHAT IT MEANS TO ME.
I know that the acronym DNA is seen as scientific by many people on earth today. The media has popularized the acronym in Movies, newspapers, magazines and music. The term DNA has become a regular word in the spy novels that are being churned out in large numbers today. Talk about James Patterson and his contemporaries. Normally, the term DNA is associated with the human cell system and anatomy. I don't know much about science, and I am open to corrction here. Anyway, Science apart, I don't think conventionally. I think out of the box. So to me, DNA connotes something else.
I believe in natural talent so DNA means DYNAMIC NATURAL ABILITY to me. I came up with this acronym while thinking deeply last year. I always like thinking deeply because I believe the future belongs to individuals who think before making decisions. Do you believe you have a natural ability? Do you know that our natural abilities are dynamic? Have you realized those whose names are worth mentioning in today's world are people who make good use of their natural abilities. There is a reason why God planted unique abilities in us when he breathed us into existence. Scientists have not been able to come up with explanations as to what makes us creative and having the ability to do amazing things. Yeah, they could relate our intelligence to the functioning of the brain, but the question is: What is the force behind the working of the brain?
The force behind the working of the brain is Jehovah God. Anyway, you have a dynamic natural ability that cannot be taken away from you. The natural ability I am talking about is your talent. Have you discovered your talent or talents? Who knows, you might have more than one talent. What is it that you do easily that people compliment you about? What is that creative thing that you enjoy doing? Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you're not worthless. You need to check your DNA and rediscover yourself. It is worth doing if you want to amount to anything in life. When it seems that nobody appreciates your value or your hardwork at your place of work, it is time to check your DNA and take action. Your dynamic natural ability can lift you out of poverty, joblessness, poverty and boredom. Your Dynamic Natural Ability is your passport to success and fulfilment in life. You need some other factors to enhance your DNA. You need prayers, focus, hardwork and networking to guide you on your road to achievement.
Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Oprah Winfrey, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Jordan, Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Jay Jay Okocha, Chimamanda Adichie, Dan Brown, Barack Obama etc are men and women who make good use of their Dynamic Natural Abilities [DNA]. We read about them daily but we need to strive to make use of our own abilities. The hours should not pass us by. It is time to take action. When will you be celebrated? Cheers, and how was your day?
I believe in natural talent so DNA means DYNAMIC NATURAL ABILITY to me. I came up with this acronym while thinking deeply last year. I always like thinking deeply because I believe the future belongs to individuals who think before making decisions. Do you believe you have a natural ability? Do you know that our natural abilities are dynamic? Have you realized those whose names are worth mentioning in today's world are people who make good use of their natural abilities. There is a reason why God planted unique abilities in us when he breathed us into existence. Scientists have not been able to come up with explanations as to what makes us creative and having the ability to do amazing things. Yeah, they could relate our intelligence to the functioning of the brain, but the question is: What is the force behind the working of the brain?
The force behind the working of the brain is Jehovah God. Anyway, you have a dynamic natural ability that cannot be taken away from you. The natural ability I am talking about is your talent. Have you discovered your talent or talents? Who knows, you might have more than one talent. What is it that you do easily that people compliment you about? What is that creative thing that you enjoy doing? Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you're not worthless. You need to check your DNA and rediscover yourself. It is worth doing if you want to amount to anything in life. When it seems that nobody appreciates your value or your hardwork at your place of work, it is time to check your DNA and take action. Your dynamic natural ability can lift you out of poverty, joblessness, poverty and boredom. Your Dynamic Natural Ability is your passport to success and fulfilment in life. You need some other factors to enhance your DNA. You need prayers, focus, hardwork and networking to guide you on your road to achievement.
Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Oprah Winfrey, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Jordan, Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Jay Jay Okocha, Chimamanda Adichie, Dan Brown, Barack Obama etc are men and women who make good use of their Dynamic Natural Abilities [DNA]. We read about them daily but we need to strive to make use of our own abilities. The hours should not pass us by. It is time to take action. When will you be celebrated? Cheers, and how was your day?
Saturday, 12 April 2008
HITTING THE BULLSEYE BY 40.
I can't remember the day the day these wild thoughts jumped into my mind. I have always been a deep thinker right from the day I first encountered failure. That was in 1991 when I received my report card in Secondary School. The Secondary School happened to be Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. I was expecting to move on to JSS 3 the next term. What I saw shocked me to my bones. I was told to repeat Form two. Tears welled up in my eyes and I was so down in my feelings, that I had a tough time packing my luggage for the onward journey home. It was the last day of the term and all boarders had to vacate the hostel and head back home for the two months holiday. To make matters worse, one of my classmates blamed me for being unserious with my studies. I can still remember his name. Ayodele Samaiye.
Anyway, due to a twist in my situation when we resumed, I was promoted to Jss 3. I don't know what happened to this date. However, that incident which nearly saw me repeating a class [ something which had never happened to me ] created the desire to succeed in me. I have since come to the understanding that every great man or woman, must receive his or her wake up call at a period in life. I also believe that we don't need to wait till we are 40 years old to start striving to achieve our goals. We can be made before we are 40. It all has to do with how early we start on the journey to success. It also has to do with our focus. Life throws a lot of challenges before us and I also know that plans fail. I'm not trying to paint a picture of life being a bed of roses. The path to success is full of thorns and people staying on the sidelines mocking you. However, you have to keep going on. You need to keep moving. It does not matter if you take two steps a day, just keep on moving. You will get to your destination before you know it.
Whenever I read about people like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Christiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Chimamanda Adichie, Jimoh Ibrahim et al, I often can't help but wonder when they started their journey to success. They were all comfortable and famous before they became 40 years old. Some of them are still far from being 40 years old. It is not good to be struggling to survive when you record two scores. I don't pray for you to be struggling to pay the school fees of your kids at that age. I think a lot about the topic i'm discussing today. It is an issue that makes me sober when it crosses my mind. I have this belief that nobody owes you anything. It is really good for a man to take care of himself and be independent. However, we cannot do without support from others. We all need each other. Which brings me to the scourge of Self Centredness that is threatening to eat up the world today. We might not be able to hit the bullseye by the time we are 40, without help from others. No one that became successful did it all alone. There must have been some assistance along the way, in whatever form it was received.
We need to share our ideas and learn from others. Networking is the key to financial independence and success. Information cannot be gotten in solitude. It can only be received when we are in constant communication with other people of like minds. What are you doing now to ensure you're comfortable by the time you're 40? How much time do you spend thinking and working on your goals? Do you have a goal in life? Have you ever had this feeling that you are born to be a change agent to people you know? Have you also had the feeling that you were created to do something specific? I don't know what calling you have, but I do know that God created us all for different reasons. Hmn, to be made by 40? It is possible. I know I can. I can do it with the help of God. What about you? What do you think? And how was your day, mate?
Anyway, due to a twist in my situation when we resumed, I was promoted to Jss 3. I don't know what happened to this date. However, that incident which nearly saw me repeating a class [ something which had never happened to me ] created the desire to succeed in me. I have since come to the understanding that every great man or woman, must receive his or her wake up call at a period in life. I also believe that we don't need to wait till we are 40 years old to start striving to achieve our goals. We can be made before we are 40. It all has to do with how early we start on the journey to success. It also has to do with our focus. Life throws a lot of challenges before us and I also know that plans fail. I'm not trying to paint a picture of life being a bed of roses. The path to success is full of thorns and people staying on the sidelines mocking you. However, you have to keep going on. You need to keep moving. It does not matter if you take two steps a day, just keep on moving. You will get to your destination before you know it.
Whenever I read about people like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Christiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Chimamanda Adichie, Jimoh Ibrahim et al, I often can't help but wonder when they started their journey to success. They were all comfortable and famous before they became 40 years old. Some of them are still far from being 40 years old. It is not good to be struggling to survive when you record two scores. I don't pray for you to be struggling to pay the school fees of your kids at that age. I think a lot about the topic i'm discussing today. It is an issue that makes me sober when it crosses my mind. I have this belief that nobody owes you anything. It is really good for a man to take care of himself and be independent. However, we cannot do without support from others. We all need each other. Which brings me to the scourge of Self Centredness that is threatening to eat up the world today. We might not be able to hit the bullseye by the time we are 40, without help from others. No one that became successful did it all alone. There must have been some assistance along the way, in whatever form it was received.
We need to share our ideas and learn from others. Networking is the key to financial independence and success. Information cannot be gotten in solitude. It can only be received when we are in constant communication with other people of like minds. What are you doing now to ensure you're comfortable by the time you're 40? How much time do you spend thinking and working on your goals? Do you have a goal in life? Have you ever had this feeling that you are born to be a change agent to people you know? Have you also had the feeling that you were created to do something specific? I don't know what calling you have, but I do know that God created us all for different reasons. Hmn, to be made by 40? It is possible. I know I can. I can do it with the help of God. What about you? What do you think? And how was your day, mate?
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