L-R Olamitayo, wife, Mrs Nike Monica Okudaye, professional Textile Artist and the author

The author and Pa Tunji Oyelana, renowned Nigerian folklore musician

The author and Gbenga Adeyinka, Grand Comedian of the Federal Republic

The Author With Marcus Sorour, General Manager, Waggener Edstrom Communications, South Africa

The Author With Jahman Anikulapo, Program Chair, Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA)

19 Feb 2014

TOKEN VS BULKY

Eyin temi,

This is the Yoruba saying that means, My Own People. It is with joy that I am dropping these few lines again today. I hope we had a nice weekend? Hopeful of a great week! I wish you the very best and it shall be a blessed week for us all.

Let’s look at today’s title, token of appreciation vs bulky appreciation.

Token of appreciation is when one gives in bit to the society, to the parents especially and to the needy. This is this saying in Yoruba, “ko to nkan niso ni dahun” meaning it is not sufficient that turns one to a tightfisted person. In the little, we have, we have to know how to share. People assume that they cannot help because they do not earn what is sufficient for them, friends do not help friends financially because they assert that their pay is meagre and children consider that their parents are comfortable enough to take care of themselves.

Bulky appreciation is the assumption that one day; one would pay back all that one owes his parents, friends, colleagues, and in fact, to one’s religious affiliation. We are encouraged to think big everyday but this thought do not materialize immediately. There would be a need to sacrifice greatly till one gets to such point. This quote from Kevin Heath says, "Small and Random acts of kindness can make the world of difference in someone's life".

In that little, learn to share with others with a token regularly; that token makes a lot of sense; that little might be remembered forever if given at that time. Who knows the span of life to determine if that person would still be alive till you become very great for the person to enjoy your benevolence. I have often seen many people who became great and wished their parents could enjoy the wealth they have made but alas, they are dead. Let’s learn to appreciate with token and not keep waiting endlessly for the days when we would appreciate in bulk.

I will appreciate you always with my token.

Enjoy your week.

Best regards,

17 Feb 2014

BEGINNING VS END

Ewe so,

This is the way Ijebu people of Western Nigeria ask, how do you do? I am asking as well, how do you do? How was the weekend? Hope you enjoyed it.

Today, we would be considering what we have always known with little or no difference but just as a reminder so that we would guard our lives, our thoughts and actions.

The beginning is when you are starting something, a career, a marriage, an academic program. The beginning is usually very humble and simple. Many people spite those who are either beginning or attempting to begin. The beginning requires a lot of sacrifice, one must be resolved to start.

11 Feb 2014

CAREFUL vs CAREFREE



Country People,

Let me come in the Nigerian parlance of greeting people in pidgin “country People”. I welcome you to another week. I hope everything is fine with you, work, school, family and loved ones? I am good and I give all glory to God. I want us to consider something fundamental this week, I hope you will find it interesting, are you careful or carefree?

Careful is when you are systematic in your approach, being careful is when you exercise caution; carefulness is when you don’t want to miss anything out. A careful person could be tagged a perfectionist by some people, a careful person does not commit mistakes anyhow. When something goes wrong with a careful person, a lot of people would sympathize with him or her because they are sure they really went out of hand.

Carefree on the other side is when you hardly care, you do all spontaneously. Nothing matters to a carefree person; just getting solutions when things go wrong is the mindset of a carefree person. I remember going to a hall of residence in a University and I found out that majority of the windows close to the door had broken nets. Basically, many of these boys are carefree as such they prefer to break the net, open the door and gain access to the room than keeping the key to the room carefully.

Being carefree is a challenge for many families; men burden their wives; women turn their husbands to nagging people. Let’s train our children right from the beginning. Let us not turn caution to the wind, being careful does not mean there would be no accident but it guarantees it’s reduction and being carefree does not equally mean everything would be mistakes.

Being careful is cheaper and safer while being carefree is expensive and wasteful. Being careful can prevent geriatric medical treatment as a result of what we eat and drink while being carefree opens the door to many terminal diseases.

Join me in creating a careful world where we cherish orderliness.

Best regards

3 Feb 2014

On Your Feet vs On Your Seat

Hello Chaps,


It is an opportunity reaching you through this medium. I hope you will find this few lines helpful as we advance in our lives.

Since, we are youths, it will be relevant for us to do a discussion around this, today, let’s consider being on your feet and on your seat.

“On your mark, set go” is a phrase for those who are ready and willing to partake in a race. For them to be able to do this, they are on their feet! When we look at those who want to learn something from someone more knowledgeable, in our computer days, we go to the person who would be seated while we remain on our feet! Something keeps us restless at night, we would stand up on our feet, attempting to figure the way out of it.

On your seat is usually associated with old people: grandpa armchair tells a parable about the man who had labour when he had the strength and he is now relaxed. It could also connote being comfortable, complacent etc.

For someone who is on his seat, he could also be busy, doing some productive things but when you are on your feet, you will definitely be at alert. Now that we have strength, let us be on our feet, let’s be ready to move and attain heights, an age is coming wherein compulsorily, we would stick to our seats.  An old person once said, “I used all my strength when I was young and now I am not doing anything again. She was once on her feet and now on her seat.

There are heights to conquer, let’s go conquer, remember, we are more than conquerors (dependent on many factors resident within us)

Advancingly yours,

26 Jan 2014

PROTECTIVE LEADERSHIP VS IMPERIL LEADERSHIP

Hi,

I am happy coming your way today. I was on about to reach you last week because I am currently writing examinations. Unfortunately, nobody asked why I was mute, thank God for the opportunity to come your way in our short weekly gist. I am looking at leadership again today because that is the stage of life in which many of us are already or will be entering into shortly. It will be beneficial to know what it entails from the beginning. Let’s examine this: Protective leadership vs Imperil leadership.

Protective leadership is the form of leadership that stands for the subordinates, protective leadership is what a husband does to his wife to keep her from all dangers, protective leadership, in fact, makes some bosses get punished for their subordinates, protective leadership is when the interest of your team is paramount within you as a leader. Even when the sky is falling, the protective leader will make everything be in your best interest, he shields you from the heat of the business, he gets the first hit of the hammer and ensures the impact is reduced on you.

Imperil leadership is when the boss seeks to exonerate himself from any danger within the team, the Nigerian slogan, “On Your Own: OYO” is what he keeps mentioning. Instead of fighting for the general welfare of the team, he keeps his own interest, he wants to keep his job, such leaders are for themselves, by themselves and with themselves. They do not resolve issues but escalate issues for subordinates. These are the type of leaders that threatens subordinates, these are the leaders who want to show their “position”, these are the leaders who send mails and copy everyone, and these are the leaders who send queries by the second.

The protective leader eventually gets loyal, committed and dedicated team because they know that he would keep them from all “official” evil, they are sure that they would not be left to grope in the dark and they are sure that he would help them to achieve their collective goal.

As from the imperil leaders, people do not like him, in and out of the job, he might keep the job but not his integrity. He would then discover that he is “On His Own”. Even when your subordinates are relieved of their jobs, it does not add a dime to the imperil leaders salary. The organization sees this as a shortcoming on the part of such leaders. Let’s be a protective boss who share the pains and the gains of the corporate environment with our subordinates and not someone who will endanger his subordinates.

I pledge to always be a Protective boss, what about you?

Enjoy your new week.

13 Jan 2014

Hands vs Legs



Hello,

It is a great opportunity coming your way again. I hope I am neither boring you or clogging your mailbox weekly?

 Let's see things from the perspective of a baby this week.


The hands are appended to the shoulders, the wrist adorned with watches, bracklets, bangles and all sorts. The fingers with wedding bands and other decorative rings according to the discretion of each individual.

  The legs is the source of movement for other parts of the body. The legs hinged on the waist, sometimes adorned with anklet by women, some toe-rings that is believed to be a charm however it is now fashionable. It is the source of livelihood for footballers.

The lesson of today, in the development of a baby, from the first day on earth, a baby would be carried. The baby seeks support by extending his hands to someone. The baby wants and gets support, care and security via his hands. A Yoruba adage supports this by saying, it's a child that stretch forward his hands that is carried, "Omo to ba sipa ni a gbe" The leg is the last part of a baby's body that gets strengthened. The timing varies from seven months to two years in some extreme cases. The baby does not learn taking to his or her heels early.

Let's learn to hold tight, to care, to seek security in the hands of our loved ones. Let's learn to stay close and not always take to our heels. Taking to our heels damages our relationship, it does not help to resolve issues and in fact, deepens issues.

  Please lend a helping hand, please be a shoulder to cry on.

Please do not walk out of this relationship & do not walk out of my life.

Enjoy the week.

Cheers!

6 Jan 2014

Have a Sweet Day!


It's a pleasure welcoming you into a new week.

Defeats remain us that we are human but let's be rest assured of a victorious outcome of past defeats. Let us not be weary, let's not wane but let us keep our energy at it's best for there are many strides to make this week.

That strenght to excel lies within you, those who are have succeed had obstacles to those heights but with patience and perseverance, they made it.

You and I have all it takes to be successful and to also be the best. Remember, many people are looking up to you.

In all, have a Sweet Day!

Motivation​al Talk vs Sermon

Pleasant week wishes to you from me.

This title is an interesting one but I want us to ruminate on it together.

The thin line between motivational talk and Sermon is getting thiner daily, does it mean people no more know the difference or they have merged it?

Sermons are suppose to purely religious, while motivational talks are to gear up, encourage and incite and they have principles that apply to all human regardless of religious affinity. There could be sermons with some elements of motivational talk but it should not be mixed up. The scriptures should be interpreted on broader perspective beyond motivational talk.

As for motivational, any audience will accept it, use the principles and succeed.

The thrust of this explanation is to implore you to GET IT RIGHT & DO IT RIGHT. There is no need to muddle things up or trying to do things without clarity. Getting it right might not be a day's job but it will be good to get it right before showcasing it.

In all you do, do it to the best of your ability.

Have a great week.

Works to Imaginatio​n, Imaginatio​n into Creativity

Hi,

During Inyanya’s birthday, the maker of the cake designed it based on his song, ‘All I want is your Waist”

This is the end product, watch your words for it could translate to another person’s creativity which is not always positive but negative.

That is the picture above.

Kind regards

Consistenc​y vs Inconsiste​ncy

Welcome to a new week.

Consistency is about being steady, being unshaking and persisting but inconsistency is associated with doubting, timidity and lack of focus. There are many people who had nothing but through consistency they had made great impact in life and made money while someone who had started on a great note without consistency would soon go into oblivion and would not be reckoned with in that field of human endeavor.

Let's learn from the Yoruba saying, "Alagbede to n lu irin loju kan na, oni oun to n wa" meaning the smith that is striking a metal at the same spot is in search of something. Be focused, steady, resolved to persist and you will emerge powerful at the end of the race.

Great people of impact are consistent people.

Best wishes,

New vs Tokunbo

Hello,

It is another Monday morning when I come your way in comparison.

What is it that we are comparing? Brand new vs Tokunbo.

Brand new is buying something new from the manufacturer, unraveling it by oneself after purchase while tokunbo is using something that had been previously used by someone. I remember a joke by a friend about tokunbo, it goes thus, "ur car na tokunbo, ur cloth na Acube, ur phone na london used & you want your GF a virgin. Bros u sure say ur brain sef no be followcome?" New products are cheaper on the long run, while tokunbo products are more expensive.

The long run cost should make us exercise patience in the procurement of things. We would avoid lots of headache associated with tokunbo things. Poverty makes us compare the two state of any product, believing tokunbo is of higher quality.

Things come in grades as such lower grades of new products makes one feel higher grades of tokunbo is better. Let us pray for sufficiency to afford new items always. Remember the saying, "whatever you gain at the corner, you will lose at the bend".

Have a swell week.

Grateful versus Challenges

Hello,


This is another week that leads to the first day in December.

As customary, November is a month of thanksgiving and this brings the question to bare, Are you being grateful? Grateful for the accomplishments, the disappointments, the increase, the decrease and everything in general.

Considering your challenges is a situation when you roll call of events for the year is the disappointments not the accomplishments, the decrease and not the increase and everything. Can you just see the difference in the two situations? It is just a twist and you have the opportunity of either seeing the cup as half full or half empty. It is a left to us to be grateful for small goodies received than always just waiting to be grateful for mighty goodies.

Draw a careful list of all the challenges you have and outline all the things you are grateful for, this will make you see that there are many things that are skipped when we get depressed. Write down your challenges, keep the piece of paper wherein it is written somewhere, then go to it after some months and you will see that there are answers to it from time-to-time.

Be grateful to God and men, leave your challenges to God and he would send men to help you. This will make you know that you need to be grateful for everything.

Expect and move into the new month with a heart of gratitude.

With love and best wishes always.

Selfless leadership vs Selfish leadership

Hello Boss,

Welcome to another week. This week is a great week because it is opening up the month as well. Let's walk/work up for the journey of 2013 is short. If you still have goals for the year don't give up, you will have it through faith. Let's look at this week's word in a different way.

Selfless leadership is when you do things that extends beyond your wish to receive a benefit. Selfless leadership is when you pay your staff to do a task and you still carry out the task with them, selfless leadership is when you also get to the nitty-gritty of the it yourself and being selfless leadership is experiencing the same challenge. Selfless leaders defends subordinates.

Selfish leadership is when you are so protective of yourself and getting things done must be to your advantage. Selfish leadership is when you are a slave-driver for subordinates. Selfish leadership is when you look to receive encomium for what you do not know how to do. Selfish leaders exposes the subordinates.

Which of the two are you? I have defined these words a little out of the routine definitions giving to it. Selfless people achieve greatness more than selfish people.

Selfless people acquire more knowledge over time than selfish people and selfless people are better Leaders while selfish people are dictators.

Have a nice week.

Kind regards

Launching into the deep vs Staying by the Deep

Hello,

Best wishes this new week. We are looking at what is evident in our lives today in another way.

Launching into the deep is taking a risk to delve into what we really want. Launching into the deep is taking the bold step and being who we should be, launching into the deep is burning the bridge behind you and hitting the rock till you get to the rock.

Staying by the deep is waiting at the comfort zone, not ready to take the risk, believing so much in the seafood brought by the waves. Holding on to the piecemeal. Enduring the available.

There is a need to get out of this comfort zone and give it all it takes to move on.

Launch into the deep and make your dream of being great come true. The stereotype that we have give ourselves too include saying we cannot live in particular areas or do particular jobs.

Risk takers are ice breakers.

Have a nice week.

Hurts of the past versus the deprivatio​n of the future

Hi,

It is almost a new year and I feel it is time to evaluate the past, then make a new turn for the future. We would be looking at it from the point of our relationship with other people.

The past is being defined today as the people you have met previously as a student, neighbours, colleagues and friends. 'A o le rin ki ori ma ji', a Yoruba saying meaning we cannot walk without the head shaking. As such, you might have had bitter experiences with them, the offence could be either ways. These hurts have varying degrees and there are times when we prefer to stay away from such people as long as we live.

The future is the days in which we are now, we have got the hurts of the past to dictate our relationships, associations, at times, events and functions that we attend. It has become a resident poison in our soul that we hardly wish the people we had such issues well.

Unfortunately, our religious affiliation encouraged us to be at peace with all men. Leave the past behind you, move on beyond the past. I remember someone once said that our position determines our reasoning, if we have advanced past those situations, we should behave maturely beyond it. Another Yoruba saying is 'ti a o ba gbagbe oro ana, a o leri eniyan ba sere' meaning if we do not forget the issues of yesterday, we won't find someone to play with.

Don't destroy your health, greater associations and bigger family ties with hurts of the past which deprives mostly of the future.

Have a great week ahead.