JUST FOR YOU, SON

 

My dear son, I have been reading about love and forgiveness lately. Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, I have decided to write to you, so that you will have a fuller understanding especially of whom and what love is. Love is about expectations, acceptance and forgiveness and love does not work alone. It works with knowledge and the power to love. Love is not one sided, it’s about relationship. It is much easier to forgive others than to forgive oneself. A lot of people take it out on themselves without even realizing it. In fact they even go as far as justifying the hurts as you would found out. Don’t be surprised.

How else would one explain a lady who was molested by her dad in childhood stage, she later forgave and showed love to her dad in her adult age but today she is a prostitute? She does not believe in marriage any more. She is never ashamed to be a prostitute. She claims, she was born that way and besides God loves prostitutes. In fact, she is championing a course that prostitution should be legalized. It was never meant to be so, my son. Let me also tell you about a young man from a very rough family background and who probably at some point was sexually molested as a teenager, he has forgiven those who were not very nice to him while growing up but today, he is gay. Yes, he has showed love to others but not to himself.

God loves prostitutes. God loves gay people or lesbians. But God does not expect them to maintain these lifestyles once they embraced the love of God. Sometimes in life, we run faster than we think, that is why God allows some bumps on our way to slow us down and bring us to order. This letter to you could be a bump on your way to slow you down to consider the whole picture of God’s love. God’s love is first and foremost about you and not others. You are the one to love others and that is why God loves you. If you do not love yourself, how can you love your neighbor as yourself? Let me shock you for once, people do not respond to your love, they respond to who you are. God loves because God is Love.

Do not be deceived. If you are not love, you cannot give love. Love is not a task. Love is not a burden. You do not use love as bait for people to accept you. God has a very high standard for us. He expects us to be holy. But because God has already accepted us, it is easy for Him to forgive us even when we fall short of His expectations.

So my son, when you fall short of God’s expectation, repent immediately and sin no more. Do not take it out on yourself or be a stumbling block to others.

Yours sincerely
Dad.

Financial Intelligence plus Savings Equals Investment

Another way of saying this is knowledge plus understanding equals wisdom; or character plus attitude equals personality; or purpose plus vision equals mission. Ideally, the essence of all these is for us to be successful in whatever we are doing and helping others to be successful too.

Every result (Whether investment in product or services; Wisdom; Personality; Mission as stated above) must have a purpose and a vision. The challenge is not in what to invest in but in knowing the specific to invest in and having what it takes to invest. Knowing what to invest in is financial intelligence while having what it takes to invest is savings.

There are five major things people should invest in nowadays. Top on the list is Self. The second is fixed deposit. The third is buying and selling; the fourth is stock market; the fifth is property or estate etc. There are three factors that make investment profitable. They are consistency, persistence and passion.

Profitable investment improves on the way you look, sound, smell, taste and feel. It also enables you to empower people and for more profits. People are interested in investment not for its sake but for what profitable investment can perform. Performance is the solid foundation for relationship. In fact, performance is for relationship and relationship is for performance. Since we are human, we are bound to err in relationship, that’s why we need the elixir for human connection. That elixir is what people refer to as ‘swaga’. It is the passion that comes from consistent saving of money, energy and time.

In summary, profitable investment improves on your looks (Your gifts) and makes you more attractive for relationship. It takes ‘raps’, ‘swaga’ and looks to have a unique relationship. The ‘raps’ is financial intelligence; the ‘swaga’ is the elixir that comes from saving of time, energy and money while the looks (your gifts both natural and divine) are your investment.

It’s about our people

It was his fine face that got my attention. Yes, he is an old friend I have not seen for quite a while now. You know how it is, seeing the picture of someone you know on the pages of a magazine. I had just finished reading my article on: “Are you satisfied with life” published on vol. 7 of M2 (Marketing +Business Intelligence), I decided to glance through the news page when I saw him.

I know you are already wondering and curious to know who I’m referring to. What I read about his recent achievements and the how, which he stated, inspired this write up. He said; “Our people are the reason why we are where we are. From the base to the peak, we believe we have the best crop of hands in the industry. We invest heavily in personnel development.”-Ikechi Odigbo, Managing Director, DDB.

Really, it’s about our people. Who are your people? It takes people to connect with people. I mean, it takes people on the inside of an organization to connect with people outside of the organization. When an organization makes it a goal to help the people on the inside to arrive, they in turn will help the people outside the organization to arrive and at the end of all the transactions; the organization will have a better share of the people’s heart, minds and pockets( both internal and external)

The three major or critical success factors in any organization are: the people; contents and processes. These three may stand alone but they are inseparable. Contents and processes are very important; they form what you are as an organization not who you are. They are your products or services and networks. The people drive both the products or services and the networks. The people are the core or essence of any organization (organization is about people for the people and by the people). They are the human brand agents. They are flexible and responsive unlike the physical brand agents like products or logo, colours etc.

What makes people committed to any organization is a combination of good salaries; good health scheme and good mentorship. Any organization that is skillful in the administration of these key factors in motivating staff will definitely achieve excellence as reflected in the awards won by DDB. I have observed that most organization by default, lean on providing good salaries while neglecting good health scheme and good mentorship. They believe that, salaries are just enough. Without mentorship, people can misuse or misdirect the proper use of salaries to the detriment of their health.

Any organization that does not have the right mix of the above factors will find it very hard to have profitable relationship with both internal and external customers. Can I tell you a little secrets, it’s the mix that connect external customers. Having the perfect mix is the big challenge to most organization. There is a formula or principles for arriving at the perfect mix and it is very simple.

Need Versus Want

Simply put, a man’s wants are Shelter, food, basic amenities and security. These wants are not demanded for their sakes but for what they can generate. Want and need are like the two sides of the same coin. They are independent of each other and yet inseparable. Once there is a want, a need shows up! Without the need, the want is not achieved. There can never be a need without a want. In fact, want creates a need.

What you have been looking for to achieve your dreams is in your ‘Shokoto not in Sokoto’ (An adage-meaning, the solution is within you). What you are really searching for is your need. Your dream is your want. There is a big difference between your want and your need. Once the difference is very clear to you, your breakthrough in life is sure.

Wants are your dreams, aspirations, desires in life while your needs are the requirements to achieve your want. The ultimate goal of wants and needs is self actualization. Self actualization is the principal thing but in getting it, laid hold of self fulfillment and self satisfaction. These are the internal forces, if properly harnessed that drive you to achieve success

Needs are what it will take to achieve your want. Needs are ideas, a strategy, a job, work, begging (A lot people beg nowadays). These needs are not supplied for the face value alone but for what they can deliver. The principal thing a need delivers is performance. In receiving it, get treatment or inspiration or grace and relationship. Needs are the external forces that influences your passion to achieve your want.

Wants are like demands while needs are like supply. Wants are the desires while needs are like the purchasing power. The world system demands that for you to be successful, you must have raps, swag and must look sexy. We all want to be successful. Success could be defined as being satisfied in life or being fulfilled in life or a state of being satisfied and fulfilled and helping others to be likewise (Self actualization). There are levels in life. The lowest level of a successful life is satisfaction while the highest is self actualization-helping others to succeed in life. But how you mix your raps, swag and your sexy looks to build profitable relationship will determine your level in life. A relationship that is not backed by performance and treatment or inspiration or grace is not profitable. People do not pay for product or services, they pay for the relationship we cultivate through the product we offer and services rendered.

Our product or services are our fruits. We express ourselves through our product and services for profitable relationship. The essence of our wants and needs is exchange (like the coin) for profitable relationship. Wants are given but needs are sought after but not in ‘Sokoto but in shokoto’ (It lies within)

Is in your ‘shokoto’ not in Sokoto

 

What you have been looking for
To achieve your dreams
Is in your ‘shokoto’ not in Sokoto
(An adage-meaning, the solution is within you)
What you are really searching for is your need
Your dream is your want.
There is a big difference between your want and your need.
Once the difference is very clear to you,
Your breakthrough in life is sure!

What's in the POT, Today? 2.

The

Conclusion of the

Whole matter

A tree is known by its fruits

Every brand shall be accepted or rejected by their fruits

Fruits on the surface level are our products and services

But in the real sense, it is the RELATIONSHIP

We cultivate and harvest

Through the products we offer and the services we render

What's in the POT, Today?

Ponder On This series

Branding is about who you are.

Marketing is finding out what you are.

Advertising is selling both (Who u are and what u are).

Who you are determines who you are sent to (Target market).

What you are, are your products and services.

Who you are and what you are impacts on your community.