Category Archives: Parenting

General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

Valuable Parenting Lesson from Doughnuts History (Hint: True story that proves it pays to let our kids use their creativity in helping us out)

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We love eating doughnuts: they are delicious! But how many of us know that the first doughnuts (made “waaaay” back in the mid 1800s) NEVER had holes in them…and that they ended up not cooking thoroughly, and were NOT so tasty, as a result??

Do YOU know why doughnuts have holes in them? If no, this article will interest you – not just because it gives THE answer to that question, but also because the story behind it offers a parenting lesson you may find useful.

Photo of doughnuts.Image credit - wired.co.uk

Image credit: Wired

History credits a teenage boy – Hanson Crockett Gregory – with “inventing” the hole we associate with doughnuts today, back in 1847.

Below is a short version of the story from an old newspaper clipping I cut out over a decade ago [It ends with a URL to a more detailed online source that confirms the story.]

****STARTS****

Why does a Doughnut Have a Hole?

The dougnut didn’t always have a hole. These round, flat, fried cakes were once filled with soggy centers.

Then, in 1847, a 15 year old boy – Hanson Crockett Gregory – was in the kitchen watching his mother make these fried cakes. Hanson took some of the uncooked cakes and poked out the centers with a fork.

When they were friend, they were delicious for the hole let the dough cook more thoroughly.

Today, doughnut makers use special machines that punch the centers.

And the house where Hanson was born now bears a plaque commemorating the day that a boy invented a hole.

****ENDS*****

Click to learn more about the doughnut history, as it relates to Hanson Crockett Gregory’s contribution .

[Read also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut]

Old newspaper clipping about the history of doughnuts, that I cut out over a decade ago

How do you relate with your kids when they come around you as you carry out your tasks?

In Gregory’s case, he was “watching” his mother make the cakes in the kitchen.

But many parents in this part of the world, do not not really think to let their kids come around so much. Indeed in some homes, where parents have the means, the domestic servants do virtually everything, so that the children in the home end up not having to be involved at all, in doing stuff!

Based on my personal experiences as a parent, I argue that letting your kids get involved as much as possibel can do wonders for their self-awareneds and confidnce.

That is in addition to periodic benefits to YOU, when they may come up with, or stumble on creative improvements you may find useful to adopt.

For instance, I once taught my kids to bake my no-oven, charcoal stove baked cakes in September 2013, when I came down from Cotonou to see them in Lagos.

Today, they’ve come up with several creative modifications to the procedure I taught them, that has led to a much better product that what I began with.

The same thing has happened with their mother, as they have helped her in the home.

If you don’t already do it, Hanson Crockett Gregory’s story should inspire you to let your child get more involved in doing what you do

At least at a level where s/he can cause minimal permanent damage if anythign goes wrong.

The benefits to be had, are multiple, for the child, and you…and judging from Hanson Crockett Gregory’s example, even the larger society as well!

Yes. I mean your workplace. Every now and then in paid employment, workers find themselves having to bring their kids to the workplace, due to peculiar circumstances.

In most cases there wil be a need to try keeping the child from making a mess or creating a disturbance.

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No. 206: [NEW BOOK] Defeating The Devil Inside (Subtitle: Travails of a Young Believer, and His Misguided Female Convert)

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On the surface, my new book’s title – Defeating the Devil Inside – and its story line, suggest it’s primarily about religion i.e. the devil, angels and Christians battling evil (It’s actually based on the script for a play I wrote in 1987 at the age of 17 – which was dramatized during the Youth Week of Christ Baptist Church, Gbagada, Lagos-Nigeria).

The truth is however that the story teaches adults – regardless of religious preferences – who wish to LIVE right before the Creator, that they WILL be continually tested in various ways, in their efforts to achieve their goals and dreams.

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Click now to view the latest issue of Tayo Solagbade's Public Speaking IDEAS page

Tayo K. Solagbade’s
Weekly Public Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 17th August 2015

No:206

Title: [NEW BOOK] Defeating The Devil Inside (Subtitle: Travails of a Young Believer, and His Misguided Female Convert)

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets

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1 of 2: PUBLIC SPEAKING – [NEW BOOK] Defeating The Devil Inside (Subtitle: Travails of a Young Believer, and His Misguided Female Convert)

On the surface, my new book’s title – Defeating the Devil Inside – and its story line, suggest it’s primarily about religion i.e. the devil, angels and Christians battling evil (It’s actually based on the script for a play I wrote in 1987 at the age of 17 – which was dramatized during the Youth Week of Christ Baptist Church, Gbagada, Lagos-Nigeria).

Click now to make an enquiry

The truth is however that the story teaches adults – regardless of religious preferences – who wish to LIVE right before the Creator, that they WILL be continually tested in various ways, in their efforts to achieve their goals and dreams.

So, the message in this book is NOT really a religious message as such. Instead it is one for ALL who wish to connect with the Creator and let Him direct their affairs daily.

You can be an adherent of any faith.

What matters is that you BELIEVE in the almighty God, and in His ability to reward you for living a life worthy of His approval. Adversity will be visited on you from far and near. Friends, even loved ones, may let you down or even plot to bring you down. But if you have unflinching faith in God, NOTHING they do will make you fail or fall.

“Defeating The Devil Inside” illustrates the foregoing, based on the narrative of the travails of a young believer and his young female convert.

Click now to make an enquiry

In spite of a series of painful setbacks in his personal and work life, the young man remains courageously faithful to God, and supports the young lady with unconditional Christian love even when she strays off the path, into bad company.

Lessons to be learnt from this young man’s example include:

> The importance of staying strong in times of adversity, keeping faith that God is in control

> The value of loving others unconditionally, and supporting them no matter how badly they fall or fail, or how hard things get for YOU, or them.

> The need to take diligent personal action, with prayerful faith for God’s guidance, to turn bad circumstances around for the better.

> The understanding that sometimes hardships befall us because God wants us to learn something important i.e. not all setbacks are negative.

> The insight to know that when we’re going through adversity, some tempting offers of help we get may NOT be from God. Sometimes accepting such “help” may lead us to bigger problems.

> The foresight to develop competencies that boost one’s ability to achieve financial security, without needing a job (Mention is made in the story, of the real world Vocational Skills Training programmes provided by Omowale Ola’s Foundation for Skills Development in Lagos-Nigeria).

It goes without saying that when I wrote the original script almost 3 decades ago as a teenager, I was NOT thinking like I AM now!

Click now to view full size version - This is a photo of the original handwritten script from back in 1987, which I stumbled upon while doing some packing in the house in Lagos. As you can see, the pages are really worn out. It took some effort to type out the first 2 pages, as the writing had almost faded out completely.

[Above: A photo of the original handwritten script from back in 1987, which I stumbled upon while doing some packing in the house in Lagos. As you can see, the pages are really worn out. It took some effort to type out the first 2 pages, as the writing had almost faded out completely.]

Years of exposure to the realities of the real world as an adult have influenced me to use that same story in this manner.

For instance the original story ends with the young believer and his convert finding better jobs than those they lost. This book’s version ends with the young man attending vocational skills training after a futile job search, and then starting a small business – after which he then gets a job. But he continues running his business part time.

That’s more consistent with the realities of today’s world compared to 1987!

Now, despite making slight modifications to the story line to reflect current realities (e.g. use of phone SMS) as well as deliberate emphasis on the wisdom, in today’s world, of developing competencies and nurturing talents/abilities to gain financial security (via references to Vocational Skills Training programmes run by the Foundation for Skills Development – FSD), I have retained most aspects of the narrative regarding the DEVIL in their original form.

Click now to view full size version - As I said, my thinking in this book differs from when I wrote the script as a 17 year old in 1987.

Above: Photo is of page 8 that I cut and kept, from Sunday Punch of 11th July 2010 – it’s a special report on Omowale Ola’s Foundation for Skills Development (http:// www.fieldofskillsanddreams. com/). In the book, I deliberately used FSD as a reference in the revised story line, for the main character (John)’s self-transformation – he attended a 7 month “carpentary” program at FSD and launched his own venture.

As a green-eyed first year undergraduate in Nigeria’s University of Ibadan, I wrote the original story with a VERY different conception of the “Devil” (a key character in the story), to what I have now – 28 years on.

In this book therefore, the “devil” is NO longer really the devil in the sense of the “biblical fallen angel” – lurking around trying to lure believers to sin.

The message I want to pass about the “DEVIL” is a bit deeper now.

Today – for me – the “devil” as presented in this story is not the one commonly talked about.

Instead THIS devil is the kind that gets to us in real life, in form of a “naughty inner voice”, as well as via “naughty people” we encounter daily (e.g. friends, clients, even relatives) in society, who may try to make us do wrong in thought, words and actions!

The story’s characters are made to engage in serious internal dialogues when faced with adversity.

This illustrates the battles we often fight INSIDE ourselves (hence the title “Defeating The Devil Inside”) when going through hard times or dealing with temptations.

This book’s narrative therefore gives YOU an opportunity to consider how you behave under difficult situations, from the perspective of an observer.

Hopefully it will help you realize the need to maintain absolute and unquestioning faith in the Creator’s ability to SAVE you, no matter how much trouble or tribulations you face, so you never resort to doing things you’ll be ashamed of.

Final Words: I recommend you order a copy of this book for yourself, and a loved one…

I intend to use the money from sales made to organize dramatization of the story by young children, by liaising with socio-cultural organizations everywhere I travel – even here in Benin Republic (a French language version will be written).

Like I mentioned earlier, I actually acted the role of Devil when this script of mine was dramatized in Christ Baptist Church back in 1987.

It was great fun for all the kids involved, and I personally came away BELIEVING that the happy ending of that story was destined to be the case for ALL who acted in line with God’s will.

It’s why today, I live my life that way (i.e. acting in line with the Creator’s will). That’s why I want my kids to do the same thing.

Drama is a powerful medium for communication and instruction.

The process of reading their lines, and acting out their roles, will help them internalize the message, and hopefully imbibe the morals/values being advocated for adoption.

The purpose is also to build their confidence and skills in reading, comprehension, critical thinking as well as public speaking, among other benefits.

In case you wonder, I happen to be blessed with six (6) kids. Except for the youngest who is a year old, the others are of ripe enough age to play the different characters.
The three eldest of the 5, are boys aged 16, 14 and 12 respectively, while the girls are 9 and 6 years old.

It’s also why I share this script with YOU…so that you and your kids can do the same thing.

Get the ebook(click) or the paperback (click) from my online store.

PS: If you’d like to make payment directly to me e.g. via bank transfer, click here to send me a message

*******

This newsletter (which I use to promote Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Products/Services) serves

experts-who-speak. Starting – Monday 13th April 2015 – it MORPHED in name and content served, to a 2 part Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS newsletter, to better serve them.

You just read the “Public Speaking IDEAS” part above. What follows below is the “Web Marketing IDEAS” part.

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2 of 2: WEB MARKETING: To Achieve Sustainable Success, Closely Monitor News About Current Affairs and

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And for as long as that stable sociopolitical climate does not exist, every person running a business will probably have to sleep with one eye open.” – Tayo K.

Solagbade

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Burt helps those he mentors (experts-who-speak) to Position, Package, Promote, and Present* themselves successfully to clients (*He calls

them the 4Ps). That’s why it’s no surprise that on Burt’s website, considerable space capital is devoted to useful business marketing articles as well as products.

It might also interest you to know that MANY years back, Burt established himself as one of the best marketing minds in the world. To really put this FACT in

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That’s ample proof that (in addition to Public Speaking), Burt would be a great resource to learn business marketing from!

Full Disclosure: I represent Burt as Sole Agent for his products/services, which means if YOU buy from him, I get paid.

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Before we teamed up in 2011, I’d been studying his work and adapting it to succeed in my work from way back in 2002. It does not matter what part of the world

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Learn about Burt Dubin’s speaker mentoring products (books, audios etc) below…

If you need help purchasing ANY of Burt’s products (like “Presentation

Magic”), call me on +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic, my base) or +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria)  or email tayo@tksola.com

Have a great week :-))

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Useful Resources for Speakers

Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters.

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THEY WROTE…

“(Tayo Solagbade) is amazing and I think he is going to produce some impressive results online…” – click here to read full comment by Patrick Meninga (US based 6 figure income blogger who gained fame for building a $2,000 per month adsense website and selling it for $200,000).

—————————–

“Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard

work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones)*

*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to

start his own business).

———————–
Click here to contact Tayo… 

SD

Nuggets Blog™

 New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:
No. 205: Should You Request an Advance or Not?

[Tuesday]:
N/A
[Wednesday]:

THE FARM CEO (Issue 10): 19 Steps to Efficient Catfish Breeding, Tropical Catfish Diseases and Treatments: Bacterial, Viral and Fungal, Fish Farming – How to exploit the rewarding potentials of the African Catfish and Tilapia, How to Start a Poultry Farming Business – for Beginners, The Value Chain of Farmed African Catfish in Uganda
[Thursday]:
Get FREE: Poultry Farm Manager (N75k), Ration Formulator (N12.5k), Feed Formulation Handbook(N8k) & Farm CEO Newspaper (N7.2k) – Expires tomorrow Friday 15th Aug.2015
[Friday]:
New Book: “Defeating the Devil Inside” (Goes LIVE on Sunday 16th August 2015)!
[Saturday]:
Here’s wishing my wonderful Beninese friend, Salifou Moumouni, and his heart throb – Zuliha – Happy Married Life, as they tie the knot in Parakou, Benin Republic TODAY Sat 15th August 2015!
Want me to write for you? Click here to send me a message

www.tayosolagbade.com - Invite me to Speak...click here!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement

Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to

Farm Businesses and others.

Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organizations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting,

freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the

popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm

Manager™ software.

He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in

various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods

and others.

In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly

traveling across the West African region.

His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars

and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).

In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training

& Technical Development Manager, and then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.

He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’

competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy Limited.

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes his Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS

newsletter(which he uses to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African

continent).

You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your

personal and work related productivity.

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====

On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.

Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.

But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts

he’s published.

If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.

Click “Tayo, What Happened to

SpontaneousDevelopmentDotCom ?” to read a detailed narrative about how the above event occurred :-))

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

Succeed by Emerging from Adversity Like a Phoenix

(TayoSolagbade.com launches extra Hosting plan with FREE Web Marketing!)

And he wrote the one below, to explain why losing a domain name, no matter how old NO LONGER determines your online success or otherwise:

A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name

==================

View Tayo Solagbade's video tutorials and demonstrations on Facebook Productivity Tips, Web Marketing, and for his Custom MS Excel-VB driven software applicationsJoin the SD Nuggets community on Facebook.comConnect with Tayo on Twitter.comConnect with Tayo on Google Plus

 

 

1 Hour Talks, Career Development, Clients, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking, Recommended Websites & Articles, Self-Development, Short Stories, The Farm CEO, Writing/Blogging

New Book: “Defeating the Devil Inside” (Goes LIVE on Sunday 16th August 2015)!

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My new book’s title – Defeating the Devil Inside (photo: inside page) – will raise eyebrows…and that’s (partly) the idea.

However, unlike past efforts, this is a work of fiction, and it’s based on the script I wrote for a play in 1987 at the age of 17, which was dramatized (I played the “Devil”!) by the youth wing of Christ Baptist Church Gbagada, in Lagos-Nigeria.

My new book's title - Defeating the Devil Inside (photo: inside page) - will raise eyebrows...and that's (partly) the idea.

I actually stumbled on the badly worn handwritten script (photos will be posted along with the book cover on Sunday), few months back while doing some packing. After reading through it, I knew I needed to turn it into a book, but with an invitation to interested persons to dramatize it, if they wished.

If you’ve been following my writing for any length of time, there’s a good chance you know I’m NOT religious.

That probably makes you wonder what I’m doing writing a book that for all intents and purposes reads like a protestant preacher’s story based sermon!

The truth is I was born and raised in a strong Christian home – by deeply pious parents, who still attend church today.

Indeed, I should point out that when I wrote the original script back in 1987, I was still a strong member of Students Christian Movement (SCM), in UNIBADAN.

However, from 1989 I stopped attending church formally, and have not done so till date.

Yet, my life’s achievements since then are PROOF that I have NEVER been more connected to the Creator that I am today.

So, what went wrong? Why did I stop attending church before I turned 20?

Well, that’s a story for another article, or book.

Suffice to say, for now, that I’ve written this book because I am a diehard Extension Services Provider!

In other words, I do whatever it takes to communicate successfully with my intended target audience. Even if it means using religion as a “sweetener” to pass across  what I feel may be a potentially “bitter” message across.

Now, on the surface, this book’s title and the story line itself may appear to be primarily about religion i.e. the devil, angels and Christians battling evil.

But in fact my core purpose is to communicate a message about the following:

a. the importance of upholding the time honored values of honesty and integrity, no matter what.

b. the need to pursue part-time or full time business ownership as the path to achieving financial freedom in today’s world.

So, I’ve only used the wrapper of “religion” to make it more appealing to the majority of people, in my target audience, who I know to be partial to “religion”

It goes without saying that when I wrote the script almost 3 decades ago, as a teenager, I was NOT thinking like I AM now!

It’s the years of exposure to the realities of the real world as an adult, that have influenced me to use that same story in this manner.

It’s now designed to teach adults – regardless of religious preferences – who wish to LIVE right before the Creator, that they WILL be continually tested in various ways, in their efforts to fulfill that goal.

So, the message in this book is NOT really a religious message as such.

Instead it is one for ALL who wish to connect with the Creator and let Him direct their affairs daily. So, you can be an adherent of any faith – what matters is that you BELIEVE in the almighty God, and in His ability to reward you for living a life worthy of His approval.

Adversity will be visited on you from far and near. Friends, even loved ones, may let you down or even plot to bring you down.

But if you have unflinching faith in God, NOTHING they do will make you fail or fall.

This book’s story illustrates the foregoing, based on the narrative of the travails of a young believer and his young female convert.

In spite of a series of painful setbacks in his personal and work life, the young man remains courageously faithful to God, and supports the young lady with unconditional love even when she strays off the path, into bad company.

Lessons to be learnt from this young man’s example include:

A. The importance of staying strong in times of adversity, keeping faith that God is in control

b. The value of loving others unconditionally, and supporting them no matter how badly they fall or fail, or how hard things get for YOU, or them.

c. The need to take diligent personal action, with prayerful faith for God’s guidance, to turn bad circumstance around for the better.

d. The understanding that sometimes hardships will befall us because God wants us to learn something important i.e. not all setbacks are negative.

e. The insight to know that when we’re going through adversity, some tempting offers of help we get may NOT be from God. Sometimes accepting such “help” may lead us to bigger problems. So one needs to stay connected to the Creator – and it’s crucial to have a confidant to consult at times like this. That’s why parents need to get close to their kids, so they feel safe confiding in them.

Once again I emphasize that this book’s story, though based on Christian religious practice, is meant to provide guidance for ALL who strive to live right before God

My attitude is one of keeping an open mind towards all possible sources of spiritual enlightenment, as directed by the spirit of God inside me.

So, I learn from ALL – and I share with ALL who will have me.

The Dalai Lama (the great Tibetan spiritual leader) has been an inspiring role model for me.

In fact, he is someone I think ALL of us need to learn from in terms of how to RELATE with others who have religious preferences that differ from ours!

NB: The above is a verbatim reproduction of the PREFACE of my forthcoming book, titled “Defeating the Devil Inside” which will go LIVE in my online store at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts on Sunday 16th August 2015.

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

Deciding What to Study Must Be a Conscious Process

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Deciding What to Study Must Be a Conscious Process. Sadly, many people get pressured by parents/society to choose.

Little wonder that we continue to see Medical Doctors who become Fashion Design geniuses; Mass Communication graduates who become IT gurus, Lawyers who establish thriving farm businesses etc!

Those people arrived adulthood only to discover post school, that their interests and dreams were FAR away from subjects they spent years studying!

But why does this happen?

The answer is simple. Our educational system does NOT empower our children, or learners in general, to be intelligently involved in deciding what to study.

Now, in order to effectively and accurately find fault with a system, you MUST first of all gain a competent understanding of its nature and function. That is what I believe makes me – and any others who arq products of conventional schooling – uniquely equipped to identify the flaws in our conventional educational system.

I am a product of that system… and I know with a certainty from first hand experience, as well as observation of others, that it does a lousy job of preparing those who go through it to succeed in the real world – especially financially.

The evidence is glaring in societies across the world.

That’s why it irks me that more people today continue in the same mindlessly resolute manner their own parents did in the past, to push their kids through the same educational system, that has failed them!

Isn’t it said that madness is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different results?

I argue that every society needs to develop and encourage a culture in which members are taught to intelligently acquire knowledge and skills in line with their interests and passions.

The batch production system of education does not work – because it works against the natural human instinct.

People cannot be treated like catfish fingerlings or poultry chicks to be forced to GROW or MATURE at the same rate, by feeding on the exact same diet, under the exact same conditions etc!

Human beings are individually unique. In other words, no two people are alike – and that applies to the way they learn, as well as the things they are interested in learning, and doing!

Our conventional educational system is unwilling to accommodate those peculiarities in individuals – and tends to punish or discriminate against those who fail to fit in its mould.

The above was why Einstein had major problems fitting in at school, as did Edison…and Richard Branson…as well as many other people who went on to achieve greatness by developing their geniuses outside the school system!

Final Words: That’s why deciding what to study must be a conscious decision making process!

It must NOT be what happens often today, in which social pressures are used to force a child to choose what others feel would be best for him/her!

For instance, science should not choose your child.

Your child should be the one to choose to study science on her own. She must SEE and BELIEVE that doing so will help her pursue her passions/nurture her talents, towards achieving her dreams.

That would make her interested enough to want to devote his/her time and effort to studying it, and then DOING it in the real world, post school!

Otherwise, she’s likely to look finish school with formal qualification in a field that does not excite her, and decide to follow her heart/dreams in a totally different field e.g the Psychology graduate who dumps consulting to build an award winning musical career.

The point to take away is this: If we want their products to do better in the real world, our educational systems need to accommodate the human need to choose based on what interests, excites and inspires learners, in line with their interests, passions and talents.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development

A Tried & Tested Strategy For Achieving Financial Freedom (Hint: Get My Audio DVD Information Product titled “Proven Ways to Generate Useful Passive Income”)

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I recently shared a quote by Robert Kiyosaki on Facebook, stating – in part – that his Rich Dad often said “If going to school made you rich, then schoolteachers would be millionaires‘”. A friend – Ernest – later posted this question: “What is the way forward towards earning financial freedom? I don dey tire oooo“(see screen shot below).

I recently shared a quote by Robert Kiyosaki on Facebook, stating - in part - that his Rich Dad often said

Now, you could argue that my friend meant it as a joke, and that would be true. However, the truth is that MANY adults today actually WANT to know the answer to THAT question!!

That’s because our conventional schooling systems – including business schools – rarely offer the needed information and education that helps one develop the kind of financial intelligence most needed to achieve true financial freedom!

As a result, most people after leaving school eventually find themselves struggling to make ends meet as they get married and have kids.

I say this as one who excelled at tertiary education, and also in paid employment (which conventional schooling best prepares people for)…ONLY to became the butt end of jokes, and an object of ridicule, once I stepped into the business world to make money outside salaried employment!

Ernest (who posted the question on Facebook), is a family friend – and can attest to veracity of the claims I make above (which I’ve stated many times in previous write-ups on this blog/website)

He knows my story. How I started out as an entrepreneur…how I became the “Bambiala” (slang for “beggar” of the Solagbade family …despite my brilliant academic background and my excellent career achievements in paid employment with Guinness (which I quit to pursue my business dream).

When I got  into the real world, where the safety net of a monthly salary was removed, and fewer checks and balances existed to control “WURU WURU” (aka “crooked”) people and situations, I began to struggle.

It took me years, but by studying financially successful passive income earning experts like Burt Dubin, and especially Robert Kiyosaki, I have been able to dramatically transform myself…

Today, I earn over 80% of my income via passive channels from what I call Digital Cash Flow Generating Assets (e.g. my information products and software).

Using creative marketing strategies I am able to make sales: even on public holidays!

For instance, those who are my friends on Facebook (or fans of my business page) often see the many blog posts I share …sometimes with promotional/sales offers.

What most may not know is that I DO get responses, directly and indirectly to some of those offers, and ultimately make sales. That’s in addition to earning that come from people who find me via Google search results, pages, Youtube, and even Guest Posts I’ve published on third party websites.

The above mentioned are examples of ways I earn income, even when I do NOT have client projects – or indeed when I am sleeping…!

The implication of all of the above is that even when I do not work, I earn income…and that’s the path Robert Kiyosaki is saying leads to financial freedom!

In other words, the ultimate solution to achieving financial freedom is THIS:

Build and nurture cash flow generating assets that continually put money in your pockets, without your needing to WORK.

Details about WHAT to do, and “HOW” are given in elaborate, easy to understand, storytelling fashion in Robert’s books!

The best part is that he says you do NOT need to quit your 9 to 5 job to do what he advices.

In fact, he recommends getting and KEEPING a day job, then using the salary from it, to fund the acquisition and nurturing of the cash flow generating assets you acquire, so that they put more money into your pockets!

Now, what I have discovered is that many people in my part of the world, are so bogged down working too long, for too little, that finding the free time to READ as many of this man’s books as I do, is difficult for them…

If truth be told however, another reason they struggle is that they do NOT like reading, or are simply more interested in reading sports, politics, comedy and other fun stuff :-)

Having said that, I refuse to judge anyone regarding what they choose to do with their time.

Instead, I want to help any who are willing to listen and learn.

Here’s why…

Like I keep saying in more of my new write ups, I have recently been experiencing a DEEP and persistent feeling of compulsion to give back, now that I am recording MORE tangible and consistent success from applying the principles I have learned over heartrendingly prolonged, and humiliating period of years.

I sense that the Creator wants me to HELP as many others out here, as show interest, to discover how to do what I do, which is…Work LESS, while Making More Money, which consequently makes me Worry LESS, and Sleep Better …thereby living a HAPPIER life!

You’ll agree with me that the ABOVE are what virtually every person wants today, but most do NOT know what to do to be able to LIVE that life.

Robert Kiyosaki’s books offer LOTS of information and education a person can use to get started and ultimately succeed.

What I’ve however found from years of trying is that NOT all of his ideas can be put to direct and immediate use here in Africa. I know because I have read several of his books (cover to cover, many times over – when I BADLY needed them to work for me!

It took me many painful years to distill the wisdom from his writings, and adapt them to come up with my own variant of what he proposed, which I now use to GROW my own income, while actually working LESS or not at all.

For many years before I got it right, I could NOT make money as an entrepreneur, if I did not have a client project in hand!

Those were truly terrifying days for me and my family.

But all that is now in the past, as I’ve since developed a tried and tested system that enables me make money without needing to take on client projects.

It all began to really come together for me, from around 2012 – when I plucked up courage to STOP hunting for client projects and focus on working 100% from home, to find buyers for my products and services.

By the time I relocated, on 1st April 2013, to Benin Republic’s Cotonou, in order to be able to clock MORE tangible hours, building my Web Marketing System online to promote my work, things really began to take a MAJOR turn for the better, in terms of passive income sales.

Since then I have NOT looked back!

What makes it even better is that I periodically get clients who reach out to hire me – from remote locations – without requesting to meet face to face. As a result, every now and then I complement my passive income with a little extra from LIVE client projects!

Simply put therefore, the success I enjoy today, is proof that my adopted strategies work.

To do the Creator’s will, I have NOW created my Audio DVD Information Product titled “Proven Ways to Generate Useful Passive Income” to share what I know with others…

I launched it for my 45th birthday anniversary on 6th July 2015, and have since had several FREE LIVE coaching sessions (meant to be 1 hour, but often lasting approximately 3 hours) for buyers of the DVD.

Venues so far have been either Sherryville Arcade at Berger Bus stop, Ikeja-Lagos or Tantalizers Fast Foods Restaurant, along Ojodu-Berger road (not far from the former).

The DVD sells for N5k, and delivery is FREE in Lagos.

Buyers who want it, get to agree a date/time to meet with me for the FREE LIVE coaching session.

If you’re interested, click here to request payment details.

Below: Photograph of my Audio DVD Information Product titled “Proven Ways to Generate Useful Passive Income” (sitting on my copy of Robert Kiyosaki’s “Why ‘A’ Students Work for ‘C’ Students, and ‘B’ Students Work for the Government”)

Photograph of my latest Audio DVD Information Product titled Proven Ways to Generate Useful Passive Income (sitting on my copy of Robert Kiyosaki's Why 'A' Students Work for 'C' Students, and 'B' Students Work for the Government)

 

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Recommended Websites & Articles, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

The Secret to Making Research/Science Careers More Appealing to Black Students

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Last night, Chima Ejiofor posted a cheering link on my Facebook wall with a query ( screenshot below). It was for a BBC interview granted by the renowned Prof. Geoff Palmer (OBE) – which brought back memories from my 7 year career journey in Guinness Nigeria (1994 to 2001).

palmer-guardian-pix

Chima is of course right in assuming that I would know Palmer.

No one who claims to have been active for any reasonable period in the brewing industry during the past 3 decades can claim NOT to know Prof. Palmer!

His pioneering research work on the potentials inherent in Sorghum for instance, provided a useful foundation for companies like Guinness to respond to the Nigerian government’s ban on importation of Malted Barley back in the ‘90s.

Many brewery trials were done till they successfully developed a system for brewing international quality beer using 100% local raw materials i.e Maize & Sorghum. It was a significant achievement at the time, because Maize and Sorghum had historically been regarded as inferior ingredients in the international brewing industry. They had before then only been used sparingly, as “adjuncts” to complement the Malted Barley.

It was an exciting time to be in the company back then. I learned a lot that I apply TODAY, in helping farm businesses develop Best Practice systems to boost performance.

I have even written several articles documenting some of those lessons. Click here to read a recent one posted last year (2014).

But, here’s what really triggered my writing THIS article…

[NB: I discuss what follows below, with specific focus on Prof. Palmer’s on-going efforts in collaboration with others, to raise the interest of young blacks in becoming scientists, like him.]

You see, after reading the story Chima shared on my wall, my curiosity made me Google for more news about Prof. Palmer.

That was when I came across a September 2010 Guardian interview (read here) he granted.

palmer-guardian-pix

It was however an anecdote shared by Palmer himself, in that Guardian story that really got me thinking…because it EXPOSED a weakness in conventional schooling systems that Robert Kiyosaki (whose work has GREATLY influenced me) has been WARNING parents about for years.

palmer-guardian

 

Above: Screenshot of Prof. Palmer’s anecdote, in which one of the kids he spoke with said “Rio Ferdinand could earn your annual salary in a day!”…and his response.

In my view, Palmer’s response to that comment about his “salary” is unlikely to convince most of today’s young black kids – anywhere in the world – to follow in his footsteps.

It’s true. One cannot argue with his achievements – and the many honours they have earned him.

However, the reality about what today’s world demands, stares kids in the face much earlier in life, than it did those who were kids some decades ago.

They learn much MORE quickly that money makes the world go round – and they see proof of that daily (I know I don’t need to give you examples, I’m sure)!

Kiyosaki said that as a kid, he never liked the fact that his parents never had enough money…and he always wondered why that was so – eventually asking. When his real Dad could not tell him why, he went looking to his friend’s Dad, who had LESS schooling but seemed to know how to make MORE money.

It took him time, but he eventually compared the views of both Dads and decided to LISTEN more to the man he later called Rich Dad in his book.

The problem we have today, as indicated in the comment made by the young boy about Prof. Palmer’s salary – compared to Rio Ferdinand’s earnings as a footballer – is that the life of a researcher effectively promises less security on the financial front.

When Palmer responded that despite not being wealthy, his scientific achievements had earned him “respect”, I believe he missed an opportunity to see things from the perspective of the kids.

What do kids see on TV and in society?

They see people who make a lot of money getting the most attention and recognition…and even respect, from the larger society – including heads of state (Read: Michael Jackson, Pele, Tu Face Idibia etc)..

Robert Kiyosaki wrote that his top educationist father, a presidential award recipient, struggled financially and that money (or the lack of it) was often at the centre of most fights between his parents.

Many people can relate to that from their own childhood, and as parents today!

The above is why I believe that the best way to “entice” or “attract” young blacks to become career scientists, will be to SHOW them that ways exist to get around what they may see as THAT major deal breaker i.e the possibility of significantly LESS monetary rewards.

Ideally, high profile black professionals excelling in scientific fields (like Palmer) would probably be best placed to DEMONSTRATE this via their own lives.

They could – for instance – read and apply recommendations by Robert Kiyosaki about Minding Your Own Business i.e. using MONEY you earn from the profession you are engaged in, to intelligently acquire and GROW Cash Flow Generating Assets, in your spare time, till you become a Cash Flow millionaire – who will keep making more money, long after s/he is retired…without needing to work.

Specific details will be found in Robert Kiyosak’s books, like Rich Dad Poor Dad, Why A Students Work for C Students and B Students Work for the Government, and others. [Full disclosure: I refer to these books because the results I get convince me the ideas they teach work. I do NOT get paid for this. In fact, Mr. Kiyosaki most likely does NOT know I exist!]

Today, in most societies, it does not matter how much you know, or how well recognized you are. If you don’t have ENOUGH money, life (and people!) may not to be so gentle with you.

In other words, you will NOT feel happy or fulfilled IF you lack money to do what you want to do.

Some people like to rationalize when it comes to this, but the fact remains that even the Creator wants us to be rich, because that way we are best able to GLORIFY him!

Our kids today are VERY uncompromising when it comes to choosing careers based on monetary rewards. That is why influencing them requires that we LEARN how to make enough money, and then SHOW them how to do same.

As one who is successfully applying Kiyosaki’s recommendations in my life, I share what I read from his books with as many people as will listen, all the time…

You MUST develop your financial intelligence, and use it to HOLD ON to money you make/earn…and also to make that MONEY work for you, by bringing MORE money into your pockets or bank accounts – without your needing to do more work.

That is the core of Robert Kiyosaki’s message. And he says – correctly too – that what he recommends can be successfully done by anyone, in or out of paid employment.

He also argues that today EVERYONE who wants financial security needs to do it. This is because with very few exceptions, most people will NOT save enough to be able to stop working when they retire from paid employment.

Indeed, if the signs of the economic times are anything to go by (as per welfare systems, and pension packages across the world), many people may retire and find themselves unsure of having enough money to spend in their retirement.

Kiyosaki explains that adopting his recommended approach can help anyone build his/her own financial fortunes, even while in paid employment, to achieve a secure financial future.

To make the idea of becoming scientists command the serious attention and interest of today’s young blacks, we MUST prove to them it CAN give them ALL THEY NEED to be HAPPY.

Being happy ultimately requires having enough of everything you need, to be able to do what you want, when you want, and how you want.

Achieving the above state of being, will often directly or indirectly depend on one’s financial situation i.e. whether or not you have enough money. People cling to poorly paying jobs today, because they want to feel secure that the little they earn from there WILL be available to meet their needs.

But they desire more at the same time, and if sure they will NOT lose, will take up any alternatives that offer more money.

Young people naturally feel the same way as adults, regarding the above. Little wonder their thoughts often readily touch on issues relating to “salary” and money, when they are considering career options!

Unlike the past, in today’s information age, rapid technology based developments make it possible for even 5 year olds to own businesses that make millions.

I once watched an edition of Oprah Winfrey’s show around 2004, in which she interviewed several child (some under 10) millionaires about how they developed their talents and ideas to into big money making ventures – even while still in early stages of schooling.

That was about a decade ago. It goes without saying that more is possible for such kids today!

The point therefore is this: Today’s child may NOT need many YEARS to find prosperity – especially if s/he is helped to discover and nurture his/her God-given genius early in life.

The reality is that most of today’s kids already know this (see sports/entertainment industries)!

Therefore, if we want today’s kids to LISTEN to the suggestion that they follow what their peers may regard as a less appealing career path, we must SHOW them doing so would be worth their while.

Telling them they will earn respect and honours is unlikely to convince many young blacks in today’s world.

You need to develop a solution/formula based on what Kiyosaki recommends.

Then let the kids SEE/MEET someone they admire LIVING well, based on use of that solution (e.g. a “researcher” earning much more than his/her “salary”, via EXTRA passive income – that lasts a lifetime – from cash flow generating assets that s/he continually GROWS in his spare time).

Once you do that, convincing them to follow in the footsteps of that person, will NOT be as much of a hard sell as it currently appears to be, when compared to proven alternatives!

PS: Everything I’ve said here is NOT to detract from the stellar achievements recorded by Prof. Palmer, or the great humanitarian work he’s gotten a lot of recognition for.

My purpose here is simply to offer what I hope will be considered a potentially useful perspective regarding the efforts to “excite black students” about careers in science, as mentioned in the Guardian article I read.

 

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

3 Things You Must Do to Succeed in ANY Area of Life (Advice from Thomas Edison)

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“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile in life are first, hard work, second stick-to-itiveness, and third, common sense” – Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931), Inventor

Many people will read Edison’s words above, and readily claim they understand the quote. In fact, some will even recite those words in a bid to teach or mentor others.

However, my experiences and observations of hundred of people – in different societies – over 2 decades in and out of paid employment, convince me that VERY few people actually APPLY the wisdom of Edison’s quoted words in their daily lives.

How do I know?

I know because I am a student of human behavior, with regard to personal success achievement.

One thing that remains of never ending interest to me is why people SEE the truth about what they need to do to succeed, and yet continue doing things that are bound to deny them the success they claim to seek.

Look around at those you know, who have told you the valued goals they want to achieve in life.

Study them carefully, in terms of their daily actions and habits.

How many of them are applying anything close to the 3 simple rules spelt out by Edison in his quote?

If my experiences are anything to go by, you will not need more than a few days to a week to come to a reasonably accurate conclusion about any individual you choose to scrutinize in the manner I propose here.

Now, having seen others for who they are, in terms of their demonstrated commitment to personal success achievement, HOW DO YOU assess or rate yourself in terms of your adherence to EACH of Edison’s 3 rules?

Like I said at the start of this piece, I have noticed that a large majority of people in society are guilty of NOT adhering to those simple rules. Even those who have read the rules or at least heard about them.

People who have read the amazing stories about Edison’s achievements as an inventor despite what should have been the limitation of ONLY 3 months of elementary schooling!

These people, who often possess superior academic qualifications compared to what Edison had, still fail to follow the simple rules he shared as the secret for personal success achievement!

The above explains why today people who achieve exceptional success are in the tiny minority across the world, while those who live average, ordinary lives, unworthy of special mention are in the large majority.

The question to ask then is: what group do YOU want to belong to?

One could argue that there’s nothing wrong with being average. However, being average equates to being mediocre, because in EACH of us exists the potential to be EXCEPTIONAL.

EXCEPTIONAL people are those who take action towards, and ultimately achieve outcomes that the “average” majority do not – resulting in the former being the object of admiration (sometimes envy) bythe latter!

That is how the Creator made every single one of us: To be like Him. And He is exceptional…like no other. We can therefore NOT be anything less, if we are to truly glorify him through our presence on this planet.

The truth is that we cannot actualize our God-given potential by sleeping in worship houses, praying round the clock, without going out into the real world to ACT along the lines we have prayed to Him about.

No matter how religious you are, no matter how many affirmations you recite, YOU cannot become exceptional, if you fail to TAKE PERSONAL ACTION to get what you want

You MUST take action to get what you say you want. And you must do so with diligent persistence, making intelligent modifications to your efforts as you continue.

This is where some of the average majority, who fail to fulfill their God-given potentials (despite being religious) are missing the point.

I recommend you start today taking personal action to achieve your goals, by adhering to Edison’s 3 rules as follows:

a. work hard (in my case I work hard to create passive income generating assets once and reap the rewards forever e.g. my Ration Formulator software, my Feed Formulation Handbook, my Audio DVD on Passive Income Generation etc)

b. stick-to-it (i.e. persevere till you make it),

c. common sense (make intelligent changes to a. and b. as/when needed)

If you do, it will ONLY be a matter of time before your EXCEPTIONAL achievements cause others to recognize and celebrate YOU!

 

General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development

The Kind of Parent You Need to Be, to Keep Your Child From Going Astray

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Photo: My 16 year old son and I stand outside a GT Bank branch in Lagos, after I showed him how to use the Fast Track service (with an ATM card issued by the bank), to by pass long queues and quickly withdraw cash in the banking hall.

Photo: My 16 year old son and I stand outside a GT Bank branch in Lagos, after I showed him how to use the Fast Track service (with an ATM card issued by the bank), to by pass long queues and quickly withdraw cash in the banking hall

Like I always say, I LIVE for my kids. Every day of my life is spent THINKING of how I can share with them, ALL that I know about how to function competently in EVERY aspect of life.

In the case of my son, for instance, I know he will interact with his peers, when I’m away. So I pay diligent attention to the kinds of friends he keeps (I request to meet them). We have had HARD sessions in which I got him to stop seeing certain friends who were a bad influence.

I do this because I know kids in their teens can be easily misled. The many mistakes I made when I passed through that phase remain vivid in my mind – and I’ve told my kids about them.

In spite of all my experiences however, I was shocked to my bones by the news story I read this morning, about the teenage boy (same age as my son!) who killed a 4-year-old boy In Lagos, removing his kidney and intestine”…

It was shared on Facebook by my friend Chima Ejiofor…

I was still trying to process that bit of news when another friend emailed me this link (click) to a news report from Ogun state titled “Baby stolen at naming ceremony”. This second story had a wicked twist to it because as the baby was being looked for, freshly cut human body parts were discovered in the compound next to the venue of the naming ceremony!

If truth be told, this kind of macabre news has become commonplace across Nigeria for several years and it’s only getting worse as the offenders are getting younger!

Even in Benin Republic, where I live amongst people who are 80% animists and therefore do not attend church or mosque, I have NEVER once heard  of anything remotely resembling this – talk less of it happening with the frequency it does in Nigeria!!!

The above is what drives me to maintain a firm parenting hold on my kids, and to empower them with real world relevant knowledge, attitudes and skills.

Painful memories of the VERY humiliating experiences I had in the initial stages of my career as an entrepreneur, as well as the progressive societal decay mentioned above convince me I MUST do this for them.

Incidentally, this societal decay did not happen overnight. It’s been incubating for about 2 decades…

I don’t know about you, but I saw the signs…over 15 years ago. Others saw them too, but most of us ignored them since we were not involved. We failed to appreciate the negative impact it would later have on the society at large.

Today, the decay that began many years ago has turned Nigeria into a hell on earth for most people who would be considered NORMAL in other sane societies.

In my case, up till the time I chose to leave paid employment, I’d been able to leverage my formal schooling related abilities to excel. The environment in the corporate multinational I worked in particular was quite well managed to ensure that most times the MOST competent and deserving employees moved UPWARDS in the company’s hierarchy of positions.

Before then, during my time in the university, and before that time as well, I’d also experienced a reasonably normal society where lecturers rarely misbehaved (and if they did they got called to order accordingly) and one could be reasonably sure of the quality of learning to be had.

Then I went for my National Youth Service Corps assignment in Niger state…

There I found myself getting mocked by SS3 students for saying I would NOT come to tell them the answers during the exams proper.

When I got back to Lagos and raved about the fact that I saw the head teacher of the school I served actually standing in the middle of the hall reading out answers to the students (just like they’d told me he would).

My sister who I told laughed in my face and told me Lagos had even more graphic examples (she had just taken the exams herself at the time), and that it was “normal”.

But I still refused to believe it was that bad: this was way back in 1993!

Well if I was shocked by what I saw back then, what I see today, in 2015 simply leaves me numb – every time.

Just when I think I’ve seen or heard the worst story of social decay, someone hits me with news of yet another one on a higher scale.

If you’re a Nigerian living in Nigeria, I am sure you know what I mean by the above.

When I got into trouble between the ages of 10 and 16, adults who did not even know me or my parents were the ones who disciplined me and notified my parents I was keeping bad company.

Today, I am a positive change agent because those (mostly nameless) Nigerian elders/adults chose to set me right, when my own parents were not there.

In contrast to what obtained back then however, today it’s difficult to find adults with the strength of character to set young people on the right path, when they stray…

If anything what we tend to see at an alarming rate, are adults who CORRUPT innocent youths by engaging them to do all sorts of wrong things.

It’s happening at all levels of Nigerian society too!

What most people fail to realize is that many who were corrupted by BAD adults, 10 or more years ago as kids, are TODAY now parents to their own kids!

As you can imagine, most of them cannot but teach their kids the BAD things they learnt from those corrupt adults. In many cases, it’s often all they know how to do. Indeed many of them would have used those BAD habits to get to their current stations in life.

That’s why today we see people in various positions in public and private sectors of Nigeria misbehaving in unspeakable ways.

The LOVE of money is ONE major reason why this mess is happening!

Our collective unwillingness as a people to look beyond material possessions, and carefully scrutinize the moral character of every member of our society, has led us to this DARK place.

The worst part, for me, is however the fact that the few among us who still retain our sanity now find ourselves to be an endangered species.

Those who do the rubbish that’s killing our society see those of us who do NOT conform as a threat, and they instantly make us a target to be dealt with at the slightest opportunity.

I have experienced such discrimination and attacks VERY many times…

In my earlier years as an entrepreneur, I suffered major harassment and abuse at the hands of certain clients in the mould of the idiots I mentioned above. It took me great courage and determination to fight back and free myself from their clutches.

Those experiences, which I vowed I would never expose myself to again made me POUR my heart and soul into building a Web Marketing System that – today – enables me earn 80% of my income online, without having to work on client premises or meet face to face with most of them.

The above is what makes me determined to equip my kids with knowledge, skills and abilities that will make it UNNECESSARY for them to ever have to work for anyone.

Yes.

That is my goal. It is the best protection I can give them against the MADNESS I see taking place daily in the Nigerian society that they have had to grow up in.

It’s also why I am resolved to ensure they relocate with me to Benin Republic so they can experience a contrasting socio-cultural environment to Nigeria’s insane version.

Since many of their peers in Nigeria have already been sucked into that MAD culture (note that it begins with the THINKING HABITS they adopt), I know my kids need something to enable them RESIST the pull.

That “something” is a healthy level of self esteem based on sound awareness of their spiritual connection with God for guidance.

That “something” also includes the experience based confidence and ability I will help them develop to get whatever they need by themselves, without cutting corners.

The key to successfully coaching a child to succeed in life, is to SHOW him/her – via practical involvement – as often as possible, and as early as possible in life – how to do EVERYTHING s/he will need to do in adulthood.

Smart parents of today teach their kids as much as possible about life early on in their lives.

Let them SEE the world through your eyes, and let them LEARN through you how to DEAL effectively with pressures that will be imposed on them as they grow up and relate with peers.

You will periodically NEED to PUSH them HARD (e.g. scolding even punishing: my son and I have boxed and wrestled!) at various stages, when they display character FLAWS you know can be exploited.

You will need to do the above so as to toughen them up. When they leave home, that is ALL they will have to draw upon. And if nothing is there to draw upon, they WILL go astray!

Stop thinking they have to finish school before you tell them about people asking for and giving bribes at job recruitment centres, examination venues or police check points.

Don’t wait till they finish school (NOT even primary school!) before you start teaching them about money and what they can do to earn it…especially outside salaried employment.

In other words, waste no time in helping them develop entrepreneurship abilities.

Why? Because the MADNESS we see today in Nigeria is mostly due to people desperate to make money by any means!

You see, if you coach your child to develop his/her talents and abilities to MAKE money – especially outside paid employment – s/he will feel no pressure to use crooked ways to get it!

Only parents who do this hard work when it matters most, during the formative years of their kids, can look forward to having reasonable peace of mind when their kids grow up.

They are the ones who will be reasonably confident that their kids will do the right thing, even when others do the wrong thing. They will be confident that their child is telling the truth (and therefore support him/her) when s/he says “I did not do it” if/when falsely accused by others.

That is the kind of parent I want to be: I want to CLONE myself in each of my kids so that they can go into the world and function as positive change agents in every society they venture…like I DO or even better than me!

If more Nigerian parents were to adopt a similar philosophy, ALL this madness that we see around us – like the 2 news stories mentioned above – WILL die out in no time!

My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development

Help Your Child Profitably Monetize her Genius (Ideas You Can Use)

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Below: Image of branded audio DVD label bearing 2 photos of Chika, my 3rd child, playing the Recorder and Harmonica respectively: gifts he got from me, when he clocked 12 years old, 4 days ago, on Monday 13th July 2015.

He’s the one I’ve written about as being gifted at fiddling with – and often – fixing electrical devices, and even building useful contraptions from junk parts (click to read an example).

A week earlier, when I’d asked him what he wanted for his birthday…

He’d requested that I buy him a brand new replacement for his Recorder. He also asked me to buy him a Harmonica (aka Mouth Organ).

Now, I had no idea he could play the latter, but I granted him both requests without hesitating.

It took me till Monday evening (on his birthday) to find a music shop with the Harmonica on sale. But I persisted till I did – following directions through Ikeja all the way to Music instrument shops at Oshodi, where I finally got it.

…and I am so glad I did, because it’s been such a delightful experience hearing him play familiar tunes (including the signature tune for a popular local TV comedy show) often spontaneously and fluently!

You see, I went to all that trouble because I’d seen/heard him play different tunes by ear on his old Recorder countless times, with no help from anyone since he learnt to play it at school.

His 2 older brothers also took classes but have never demonstrated any serious interest or proficiency close to his.

If he hears a song on radio for instance, he can, within a matter of minutes practice and begin playing it on his Recorder. For this purpose, he even keeps a notebook of song lyrics, notes/compositions, which he refers to as he practises (usually whenever he’s not making/fixing things).

[NB: The above gave me an idea…and I’ve acted on it (see FREE MP3 Downloads – below]

The point I’m making here, is that Chika never needs to be chased around to do these things. They come naturally to him!

This young man is so intensely driven to self directed learning (which I’ve ALWAYS challenged them to do), that coaching him to explore and develop his talents has been a unique privilege for me as a parent!

All I have to do is simply make subtle suggestions to point him in the right direction to improve himself, and he’s off. Then when next he sees me, he’ll often have something to show, or tell me, along the lines of improvement he’s made.

The results he’s getting convince me he’s building a powerful foundation to achieve sustainable life long success by developing his natural talents and abilities in a way that enables him/her achieve self actualization and fulfillment.

When this happens, a person can become literally unstoppable.

I believe that’s the best gift a parent can give a child.

Suggestion to parents:
You are best positioned to educate and empower your child to achieve self discovery that equips her to achieve sustainable success in adult life

Today, now more than ever, you simply cannot leave that role to outsiders. What I do with my kids takes a few minutes daily of conversing and guiding.

Every now and then we have 30 minute to 1 hour sessions.

No matter how busy you are, you can create time to do same for your kids, if you want to give them the best stab at life long success and fulfillment.

Watch for those times when your child gets so engrossed in an activity, that she ignores all else around her till she’s done.

That will often be a sign of where your child’s vocational passions lie.

Use that to guide the coaching conversations you have with her, and watch her genius emerge!

FREE MP3 DOWNLOADS…

To illustrate the points I’ve made above, I share below, 2 of 10 MP3 audio recordings I did of him playing each of his new instruments, a day after I presented them to him on his birthday.

On No. 2, you’ll hear the – slightly timid – background vocal support provided by his 10 year old sister :-))

1. http://tayosolagbade.com/uploads/ckika-on-Harmonica-with-temi.mp3

2. http://tayosolagbade.com/uploads/ckika-on-Recorder-with-temi.mp3

NB: You can download and listen offline on your PC or mobile device.

I’ve now edited MP3 audio recordings of ALL 10 popular children tunes/songs I got him to select and play (fun renditions), and made them into a special compilation available in 2 formats:

1. As a downloadable zipped folder, containing the audio clips

2. As a DVD branded with a photos of him, containing the audio clips.

Branded label for DVD containing 10 MP3 audio fun renditions of children's songs/tunes played by Chika

Click here to request details of how to get the FULL compilation either via website download or on DVD.

I practise what I preach, so I’m doing this to show him how to monetize the skill he is developing.

Not surprisingly, he’s gotten all pumped and has been practicing more songs – especially from his little Songs Of Praise book.

This is a passion of mine: That’s why I often say I LIVE for my kids, literally speaking.

And my ultimate purpose is to use everything I know, and that I can learn, to prepare them to succeed to their fullest potentials in life. By way of interest, I will be teaching Chika to create these recordings, and package them for monetization purposes by himself.

It will NOT matter if s/he makes sales or not at this stage.

What matters is giving him the EXPERIENCE via the simulation of what I do in real life (selling my own monetized audios), so as to inspire him to invest more time and effort to create products that will eventually command the attention and interest of persons willing to pay to get them.

[NB: Click here to watch a video of Chika Mixing Butter, Sugar & Eggs for Our Trademark “No Oven” Charcoal Stove Baked Cakes. You can also read about how I taught him and his siblings “Practical Problem Solving” Through a Cake Baking Mishap!]

It’s instructive to note that the reason I share my stories on this theme is NOT to brag about my kids.

Instead, my purpose is to challenge – and if possible inspire – other parents to do what I’m doing for my kids, for THEIR own kids as well.

If you need help, I offer a Personal Achievement Coaching for Kids (PACK) program. Click here to request details.

Final Words: An Interview – and LIVE Challenge – With Chika (MP3 Audio Recording)

This morning (Friday 17th July 2015), before coming online at the Cafe, I did an audio interview with Chika, in which I deliberately challenged him to play – without previous warning – any of the songs in his notebook that I picked.

He struggled, as I expected, especially initially – but after the first song, he was soon in his elements and playing away.

I did that in the interview to TEST him, for the benefit of whoever will listen to the audio clip, so they see how REAL his abilities are. In other words, this was not some sort of arranged talent display. Another thing I did in the interview was to ask him how he learnt to play the Recorder as well as the Harmonica. He claimed he did it all by himself.

However, further discussions with his brothers have revealed that he got exposed to the basics in school, during a few music classes he attended. And he also learnt via notes he copied from his brothers and classmates, who shared with him.

On that front I had to impress upon him the need to acknowledge the IMPACT made by others on his learning process, even though there was no doubt he had done a wonderful job developing himself well above that initial level.

I did that to encourage him to give credit to others, who may have contributed, sometimes in subtle but significant ways to his growth. It’s important to be able to do that if one wishes to achieve long term success and self-actualization.

If you’d like to get a copy of/listen to the interview clip, click here to send me a request.

RELATED ARTICLES/FURTHER READING

1. Introduce Your Kids to the Philosophy of Personal Success Achievement (A Real Life Example) – Part 1 of 2

2. Introduce Your Kids to the Philosophy of Personal Success Achievement (A Real Life Example) – Part 2 of 2

3. Selling Skills Development in Tayo Solagbade’s Personal Achievement Coaching for Kids (PACK)™ Project [Hint: Finding Buyers for Cakes Made Without Oven]

4. Teaching Kids “Practical Problem Solving” Through a Cake Baking Mishap!

5. 10 Year Old Uses Dead Laptop Battery, to Build Home-Made Rechargeable Lamp

6.To Achieve Success, Be Prepared to Give, In Order to Get (Lesson from an 11 year old boy, and his 13 year old brother)

 

 

General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development

Sometimes The WRONG We See Are Symptoms of a Deeper Root Cause or Ailment

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The Yorubas have a saying that goes thus:

“Amukun eru e wo, oke le nwo…e o wo isale”.

Contextual Translation: A distorted state of affairs can often be traced to an equally distorted foundation on which the affairs are being conducted”

This 670 word piece is my “contribution” to recent debates about President Buhari’s performance so far in office. I argue that Buhari’s seeming reluctance to proceed with RAPID governance may be a reflection of distortions he’s having to deal with in establishing RELIABLE systems to ensure success.

Today, I visited the Nigerian head office of an (over 50 year old) international organization, with branches across the world.

They’ve been in Nigeria now for about 11 years or so.

My purpose was to investigate certain assertions/allegations made by some individuals I’d interacted with about the transparency and integrity of their business operations.

Some claimed the company was unethical in its rewards and recognition scheme implementation – denying them of worthwhile financial rewards for their efforts.

Others claimed the opposite was the case.

By the time I left ONE hour later, I’d gotten a VERY clear impression of what the actual problem was:

Those who had failed to ACT in accordance with the laid down rules and regulations of the organization, had over time forced the company to modify the manner in which it administers its rewards and recognition scheme differently from what obtains across its other branches across the world.

The top officer I spoke with gave me graphic examples of how individuals/groups employed crooked tactics to reap undue rewards for themselves to the detriment of the company’s finances and image.

This included trips organized for them to travel abroad. Nigerians were doing things that people from other countries had NEVER done. That forced the management to change its rules for NIGERIA!!!

Now if I had any doubts about all that he told me, the various WARNING notices I read pasted on the walls as I walked out of the premises helped to lend credence to the defense he put up.

One that stuck clearly in my memory had to do with members of the organization being warned against making false claims to their banks about payments received. Basically, these individuals connived with others to make false claims designed to get them unmerited product issues!

I share the above to point out something that I have seen even in religious organizations as well as across Nigerian society.

There is an unwillingness to put the team, or group or organization’s interests ahead of the individuals.

Each person, no matter how much “preaching” is done to him/her continues to THINK “self” first and actively explore opportunities to rewards him/herself FIRST (or ONLY).

This is why Nigerians are difficult to lead. It is also why it can be very difficult to find people who can lead selflessly to work with selfless others in a government that is committed to delivering change.

I have learnt the hard way from 7 years of working in a large corporate manufacturing multinational that “politics” can cripple the most talented assembly of achievers.

All it takes is one negatively minded person who decides to ONLY act if/when his/her vested interests are taken care of, to SPOIL the efforts of the others. I saw a lot of this in the corporate world.

And I saw just how skilful those who did these negative things were at concealing their actions, and making others who were innocent look either guilty or incompetent or both!

Now, consider the fact that the corporate workplace is still a CONTROLLED environment with rules enforced more firmly than is the case in the real dog-eat-dog world we live in outside paid employment….

Maybe then we will begin to understand the scary variables/dynamics that political office holders with honest intents may have to deal with, in order to build and manage a WINNING team to deliver the promises rewards – and that, over a 4 year period or longer.

I personally believe Obama, when he took over at the height of America’s economic crisis had LESS to worry about on the HUMAN RESOURCES front (in terms of people to choose to work with him) than PMB is having to deal with.

This is why I believe it’s still too early to demand much from Buhari…

But that’s not to excuse what is being called the snail pace at which he seems to be moving. Instead, I feel it may be better to move at snail pace and get it right, than move faster and fall flat on your face.

All of the above is of course MY opinion.

Having said ALL of the above, it is worthwhile to add that NONE of what I’ve said above is to be taken to imply I support a perpetual snail’s pace to governance by Buhari.

What I’ve instead tried to say here is that I feel it would be good to give him MORE time to settle in.

PS: It goes without saying that you do NOT have to agree with me…that’s the way the world is – sometimes we have to AGREE to DISAGREE!