STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES

Meaningful Living TODAY

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES

Hope you find some Meaningful Thoughts here...
William and Susan were both 22 years old when they married in 1995. William worked for a national telecommunications company and Susan was a teacher at a local school. Soon after their honeymoon William got a pleasant surprise from his employer. He was promoted to a regional director, a position of his dreams.

“Honey I have some very good news to share with you. Our lives will never be the same again.” William announced as he opened the kitchen door.
“Please stop cooking, go and take a quick shower and dress up. We have to go out and celebrate.” William continued.

“What is it? Please tell me.” Susan enquired with great excitement.

​There was joy in the house when William shared the good news with his wife. But little did they know that their celebration marked the beginning of the end of happy days in their marriage.

​The demands of the new job took a toll on William and Susan’s marriage. William travelled for meetings intensively and spent more time at the office. Week after week Susan stayed home alone bored and deeply frustrated. It seemed William was now married to his job. On several occasions Susan communicated her concerns to William but William would always dismiss her concerns by saying, “honey soon I will be at the top of the ladder and we will have all the time in the world to do all the things you desire and visit all the beautiful places in the world. With this kind of money I will retire early. Please I need your support not your constant complaining. Remember I am doing this for us. I am doing what any loving husband would do.”

With each passing day William and Susan grew further apart. The higher William climbed the corporate ladder, they more time he spent away from home and the worse their marriage became. Ten years later William had a very good paying job, a very frustrated and unsatisfied wife and a marriage at the verge of collapse.

​Stop and smell the roses, is a reminder that each of us need to occasionally stop the mad rush to enjoy life with the people we love. The greatest gift you can give your spouse is you. You can give your spouse your entire paycheck. You can buy your spouse the house or car of their dreams. You can send your spouse on a world tour of their favorite places. You can buy your spouse everything they have ever dreamed of. Yes, you can give your spouse all that if you have the means, but the greatest gift you can give your spouse is you. Your presence is your wife’s greatest present. Yes, it is good and commendable to work hard to provide for your family. But, regardless of how busy you are; stop and smell the roses. Make time to shut out the world, switch off the phone, turn off the TV, find a baby sitter and spend quality uninterrupted time with your spouse. Your spouse left everything to be with you. Everything you give your spouse means nothing if your spouse cannot enjoy them together with you. Regardless of how hard you work; give your spouse your time, your affection and your attention.

​"Enjoy life with the woman/man whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:9

​One Tuesday afternoon, while William was out of town, he received a call that Susan had been involved in a fatal accident on the way home from work. William’s world collapsed in a moment. William’s plan for a dream retirement with his wife came to nothing. William’s plans to take Susan on a world tour of her dream places crumbled. William was filled with indescribable regret. Out of guilt William quit his job but it was too late. He blamed himself for not listening to Susan. At Susan’s funeral, chocked with emotion, William gave a one-sentence speech. He stood up, wiped his tears, cleared his voice and remarked; “My friends, life is short, regardless of how busy you are, stop and smell the roses with the ones you love.” He staggered backward, threw himself onto the seat and cried uncontrollably.

Stop and Smell the Roses!

Meaningful Living TODAY

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF AN EAGLE
In the next couple of postings, we shall consider lessons to be learnt from the principles of an Eagle.

PRINCIPLE 1
Eagles fly alone at high altitude and not with sparrows or other small birds. No other bird can go to the height of the eagle.
Eagles fly with Eagles.

Lesson
Who are your companions?
Stay away from sparrows and ravens.
 
PRINCIPLE 2
Eagles have strong vision. They have the ability to focus on something up to five kilometers away. When an eagle sites his prey, he narrows his focus on it and set out to get it. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it.

Lesson
Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle and you will succeed.
 
PRINCIPLE 3
Eagles do not eat on dead things. They feed only on fresh prey. Vultures eat dead animals, but eagles will not.

Lesson
Be careful with what you feed your eyes and ears with, especially in movies and on TV.
Steer clear of outdated and old information... Always do your research well.
 
PRINCIPLE 4
Eagles love the storm. When clouds gather, the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the storm’s wind to lift it higher. Once it finds the wind of the storm, the eagles uses the raging storm to lift him above the clouds. This gives the eagle an opportunity to glide and rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees.

Lesson
We can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.

More to come...

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Meaningful Living TODAY

LESSONS FROM BRASIL
The night of Tuesday, July 7, 2014 witnessed a strange act in the history of world football as the Germans shocked the Brazilian team with a whopping 7-1 defeat.

We all laughed about this unprecedented defeat, but as I thought about it, there are lessons to be learnt. Here are few:

1. The Indispensable One.
There is no gain-saying the fact that the absence of the Brazilian Striker, Neymar contributed hugely to their gross loss. This dude had become their god to the extent that the spectators chant his name whenever he's on the field.

Lesson:
If you are one of those who trust in man SO much for help, there may be a time they won't be able to help you. Not because they don't want to, but probably because it was beyond their reach.
(Only God gives the grace to will and the enabling ti do).

If you are an Entrepreneur, NEVER build your business around 1 staff, no matter how good or dedicated he/she is. His or her exit may mark the beginning of the end of your business.

2. Success is sweet!
I was dazed when I saw Manuel's countenance (the German Keeper) after he conceded a goal even though they'd scored 7!
He was angry. He'd wanted to keep a clean record! He's FIFA's #1 Goal Keeper in the tournament.

Lesson:
You must never be satisfied with the status-quo. No matter what you've achieved, always strive for more. Success is never ending

3. Thankful Attitude.
More surprising to me was when I saw David Luiz (who captained the Brazilian team) when he went on his knees giving thanks to God immediately the final whistle was blown. I've never seen such before!

Lesson:
No matter what loss you have suffered or suffering, never cease to thank God. The Bible admonishes us to "give thanks always". Luiz was an inspiration to me last night.

And no matter how terrible you think your case might be, there's always opportunity for Thanksgiving. E.g. what if Brasilians had crashed out in the first round -many football analyst felt the team had only "managed" to get to the semis.

MORE LESSONS.
4. Ignore the Naysayers.
The German team probably wasn't given a chance, especially when they had only "struggled" to get past an African "minnow". Yet they went ahead to make a mince-meat of a giant.

Lesson
Believe in yourself;  believe in your abilities. Never mind don't who don't give you a chance. You can be the best you want to be, with God on your side.

5. Be Assertive.
At some points, personally, I felt for the Brasilians and wondered what point the Germans wanted to make, by scoring so many goals.
But really, why not score more. Opportunities like that don't come all the time.

Lesson.
Make the most of every good chance you have today (not 'thefty' ones)?  Good opportunities aren't perpetual.

Remember the king that was told to shoot arrows in the Bible who shot only thrice and stopped. He never had another such opportunity.

The opportunities you have can be for your career, academics, business or most importantly, spiritual. Dear Meaningful Friend, maximise the moment!
 
Digest these lessons and let's share more lessons as we rebroadcast.

www.m.facebook.com/meaningfullivinginitiative

Meaningful Living TODAY

LESSONS FROM BRASIL
The night of Tuesday, July 7, 2014 witnessed a strange act in the history of world football as the Germans shocked the Brazilian team with a whopping 7-1 defeat.

We all laughed about this unprecedented defeat, but as I thought about it, there are lessons to be learnt. Here are few:

1. The Indispensable One.
There is no gain-saying the fact that the absence of the Brazilian Striker, Neymar contributed hugely to their gross loss. This dude had become their god to the extent that the spectators chant his name whenever he's on the field.

Lesson:
If you are one of those who trust in man SO much for help, there may be a time they won't be able to help you. Not because they don't want to, but probably because it was beyond their reach.
(Only God gives the grace to will and the enabling ti do).

If you are an Entrepreneur, NEVER build your business around 1 staff, no matter how good or dedicated he/she is. His or her exit may mark the beginning of the end of your business.

2. Success is sweet!
I was dazed when I saw Manuel's countenance (the German Keeper) after he conceded a goal even though they'd scored 7!
He was angry. He'd wanted to keep a clean record! He's FIFA's #1 Goal Keeper in the tournament.

Lesson:
You must never be satisfied with the status-quo. No matter what you've achieved, always strive for more. Success is never ending

3. Thankful Attitude.
More surprising to me was when I saw David Luiz (who captained the Brazilian team) when he went on his knees giving thanks to God immediately the final whistle was blown. I've never seen such before!

Lesson:
No matter what loss you have suffered or suffering, never cease to thank God. The Bible admonishes us to "give thanks always". Luiz was an inspiration to me last night.

And no matter how terrible you think your case might be, there's always opportunity for Thanksgiving. E.g. what if Brasilians had crashed out in the first round -many football analyst felt the team had only "managed" to get to the semis.

MORE LESSONS.
4. Ignore the Naysayers.
The German team probably wasn't given a chance, especially when they had only "struggled" to get past an African "minnow". Yet they went ahead to make a mince-meat of a giant.

Lesson
Believe in yourself;  believe in your abilities. Never mind don't who don't give you a chance. You can be the best you want to be, with God on your side.

5. Be Assertive.
At some points, personally, I felt for the Brasilians and wondered what point the Germans wanted to make, by scoring so many goals.
But really, why not score more. Opportunities like that don't come all the time.

Lesson.
Make the most of every good chance you have today (not 'thefty' ones)?  Good opportunities aren't perpetual.

Remember the king that was told to shoot arrows in the Bible who shot only thrice and stopped. He never had another such opportunity.

The opportunities you have can be for your career, academics, business or most importantly, spiritual. Dear Meaningful Friend, maximise the moment!

Digest these lessons and let's share more lessons as we rebroadcast.

www.m.facebook.com/meaningfullivinginitiative

Mindswitch: EMPLOYEE to ENTREPRENEUR

MINDSWITCH: EMPLOYEE to ENTREPRENEUR
Mindset is probably the major determinant of success
As a ex-employee how differently will u have to think to succeed as an entrepreneur?
1. You're responsible for all decisions -good and bad: opportunities may be short-lived, so you must develop a sense of urgency.
2. Hold both short and long-term visions simultaneously: what you do or don't do now will have an impact down the line.
3. Feeling uncomfortable is your new comfort-zone: as an entrepreneur, there is no box; always reaching out to new horizons.
4. Learning is a continuous journey: e.g. Learning spreadsheet;  presentation skills e.t.c.
5. Numbers don't lie: your cash flow will keep you in or out of your business.
6. Love your business, but be objective: you will need to work on the business, not in the business;
7. Enjoy breaking rules: entrepreneurs aren't interested in the status-quo.
8. Time is not linear: An employee has a timetable;  an entrepreneur is always thinking about the business.

Let's have more of your views about what needs to change from being an employee to being an entrepreneur.

In the Long Run

Meaningful Living TODAY

IN THE LONG RUN…

In the long run, we're all fertilizer, that's a guarantee.

But what about the other long run effects?

In the long run, we all learn that...

•     Happiness is a gift we give ourselves.
• ·   Being nice and kindhearted wins out.
•     Going the extra mile always pays off.
•     Simplicity is the key to good life.
•     Time is more important than money.
•     The best things in life are free.
•     Quality is more important than quantity.
•     Attitude truly is everything.
•     Behavior never lies.
•     Excuses are character deficiencies.
•     Living within our means is smart living.
•     Humility is more powerful that arrogance.
•     Reputation is built over many acts and lost by one.
•     Trust once lost is virtually impossible to regain.
•     Excellence is the only acceptable standard.
•     Having character is far more important than being a character.
•     A promise made must become a promise kept.
•     Integrity is profoundly important.
•     Everything we think, say and do counts!

P.S. It's amazing to think that when you arrive to work on Monday that you'll be 8 days away from wrapping up the first half of the year. -GARY RYAN BLAIR

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalms 90:12)

Make your time count; Make your life Meaningful.

'Segun 'Sonowo

(Meaningful Living)

07030910000, 

08023052656

Tips for Uncommon Dream Achievement

Meaningful Living TODAY

15 TIPS FOR UNCOMMON DREAMS' ACHIEVEMENT

1. Dreams are born or borrowed

2. Your dream may require encouragement from others at first

3. Your dream does not always require the approval of everyone you love

4. Your dream can start with whatever is in you heart today

5. You already have what it takes to launch an uncommon dream -DESIRE

6. Your dream will require a true hunger for obtainment

7. You dream must become your magnifying obsession

8. Your dream must be energising enough to cause you to make a change in your daily routine

9. An uncommon dream will require immediate attention

10. Your dream deserves your total focus

11. Your dream may require a geographical change

12. Your dream will always require the assistance of others

13. Your dream may require extraordinary negotiations with others

14. You must always build your daily agenda around your dreams

15. You must nurture and protect those relationships connected to your dreams.

-excerpt "Secrets of the Richest Man Who Ever Lived",  Mike Murdock

Make your life meaningful; go for your dreams; with God you can achieve!

'Segun 'Sonowo

(Meaningful Living)

07030910000