Keep winning

KEEP WINNING!

I have often listened to a popular motivational speaker on the radio every Monday; for a time, he was my
favorite. He could quite easily become yours too, given the great doses of stinging action-provoking talks he injects into your youthful veins at the dawn of every business week to cure your slough. And he always ended with a phrase: "keep winning!‟ What a capping phrase!

That is most probably the
philosophy every youth here today operates with: to win, to be the first in Latin Negroland.

This is a powerful philosophy, and the selfsame reason we find it seems true that "no one becomes successful working for others‟. Apply it to the very letter, and no one will get to their destinations joining your wagon too! For the simple reason that those who become good at winning can only do so
in competitions, as titanic plutocrats exploiting every resource around, including their employees and customers, to hoard wealth.

This is hardly a bad thing in itself: if material wealth is the ultimate
definition of your success, compete! Why not? In fact, the dominating forces in the business world are those of competition, and the celebrated players are those who have found ways to send others packing! The prayers of such have been "to buy cheaply and sell at a high price‟, or "small work, large money‟.


But as Wallace Wattles pointed out in his _'The Science of Getting Rich’_, a book which I stumbled
upon in trying to get a get rid of the struggles which laid siege of my mind upon careful consideration
of the plight of bottom-end workers of the economy, “Riches secured on the competitive plane are never satisfactory and permanent, they are yours today, and another's tomorrow”.

Accursed with something worse than materialism, the competing man deploys all diligence to ensure he is in sole possession of what could make the lives of much easier; the simple formula is to pay less for the higher value and charge high for lower value to make it quickly on the competitive plane. This is business psychopathy, a path taken by the unenlightened, and the exact reason we wish to believe money does not mean happiness, knowing many of them are rich but wretched in private. They reap cash only to start seeking happiness to purchase in the black market. What is the use of hoarding it all and then giving part in charity to those made poor for you to be rich?


The golden truth is this: wealth comes with happiness on a different highway- on the creative plane!

Youthpreneuring on the creative plane entails recognizing the truth that you do not have to beat others at anything to be successful yourself: you do not need to underpay employees or partners, hike prices during the scarcity of hoard goods, nor secure monopoly of God-given resources to be wealthy. You do
not have to take ungodly advantages of information, nor be a slave to the laws of capitalistic economies. All that has to be done is to deliver value at the right cost and do business with the mentality that the most important raw material- creativity itself- is in unlimited supply. This connects your endeavor to
higher meaning, universal creative process, and the unlimited raw materials the universe has to offer. There is more for everyone!


It is however even more difficult to walk the creative plane than the competitive plane in a market  where the sweetest jingles sound over the most worthless merchandise, and except you are totally stricken with the truth of the fact that happiness is what we are ultimately after, and that you are spiritually and philosophically wretched if your business contacts do not get the right value for their efforts, it will seem hell to take bold steps in this direction.

Whichever way you go, however, keep winning!

Jide Makinwa; JWRITES PENFIRM.

#Tumihub
#Youthpreneurship- the courage youths need to convert their idea into wealth.

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The blackness in my spirit

In the wisps of breath, leaving my lips in soft whispers.
The tilt of my silken fingers,
My luscious lips,
And fleshy hips.

The bob of my fro'
The dip of my neck,
Down, towards my collarbone.
Can you see it?

Soft and smooth, like dark chocolate.
Maybe with a mix of caramel.

The crookedness to my smile,
The coffee brown of my eyes,
The stretches on my bum,

The blackness in my spirit.

No, not darkness.
Just blackness.

The very blackness that defines me and you both.
The fire in our spirits.
Our will to fight.
Our strength to live.

The blackness in us,
Our lifeline,
Our sense of being.
Our motivational drive.

If all could see that blackness,
Like I do, with so much light,
Then we all could live right.

Written by: Aleeyah

#Tumihub
#Youthpreneurship- the courage youths need to convert their idea into wealth.

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What are friends for? Episode 21

What are friends for?

Episode 21

Pam got home and immediately started to pack his things in preparation to meet up with the bus taking him and other members of his fellowship to a one week camp for youths. Rita was very angry and asked why he didn't inform her earlier and he said he thought of telling her but it skipped his mind. In no time, he left for the bus.
Rita was discouraged to wait because Nath wasn't around too as he was invited to an after exam chill organized by some students in the school. She concluded to go home the next day. She thought of something profitable to do during the long holiday and what came to her mind was either teaching or learning bead making but since she knew her parents would not allow her to teach, she decided to go for the latter.

She was set to travel the next day with her belongings only for Nath to show up. He pleaded that she wait till the next day so that they can gist and in no time she agreed; quickly decided on what they can eat. She got to the market to get the necessary ingredients and cooked a nice meal.

They ate the rice and stew enriched with sliced fish, meat, animal skin (Ponmo) and a white oval-shaped ball swimming amongst the red stew but in no time they started yawning as if they both just took sleeping pills. Few minutes after, they were long asleep and didn't wake until four hours. When Nath woke, he went straight to the pot to take another round of food and while doing that, the sound of the pots woke Rita up and she joined in eating the remaining rice with Nath in the pot directly which ended with argument on who to collect the pot to eat the last few spoons in it. Nath grabbed the pot and ran towards the door but Rita followed and managed to reach the pot. She spat into the food with the hope that Nath would have no choice but give her the food; she walked majestically to her sit but Nath locked the door and kept the key in his pocket.

This time, Rita didn't know what he had done. Still facing the door, with the pot in his left hand, he shoots his buttocks a little bit back and immediately a three seconds sound like someone tearing an old wrapper with his hands came out from his buttocks; then he began eating the rice. Rita smelled it in no time and tried to run out but since he has locked the door, she got back to him and was giving him blows in his shoulder.

Nath finished the rice and landed on the bed like he was going back to sleep. He stretched his hands towards the side of the bed to carry his laptop and placed it in front of the bed. He searched through his video and played a movie. In no time, Rita joined him on the bed with one side of her skin tattooed with his.

Halfway into the movie, Nath's hands found his way making a curve around Rita's waist- it was a curdling and it wasn't an offence to both of them. In fact, at a point, Rita was moving her palm over Nath's hand as they watch the film still but it only had little effect on Nath- still normal.

  The next day which they had agreed on a date for Rita to leave came but Rita wasn't looking like she was going to leave. She and Nath continued the routine- gisting, watching movies, eating and sleeping at intervals.

It was over three days and she hadn't still left but already made up her mind to go the next day. She didn't remember to inform Nath until late night when Nath promised to tell her something important to him the next day.

Rita, I've been finding it difficult to tell you something all these while but I think I will gather the courage to tell you tomorrow evening. Don't ask me to tell you now because I won't Nath said after saying goodnight severally.

Rita replied that she was going home but Nath pleaded that she wait just for that day only in which she agreed. Thereafter, he closed his eyes, plugged in his earpiece as he listened to soul music as a lullaby for his sleep but on Rita side, she got so curious of what Nath is about to tell her.

“I knew him to be very courageous and blunt but what could this be? Is it a secret again or has he found out that I was the one that paid his school fee? Rita kept thinking about this until she slept off.

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What are friends for? Episode 20

What are friends for?

Episode 20

“Pam! Don’t tell me that you’ve been listening to my conversation on phone” she  asked stylishly without leaving an impression of fear. “Yes of course. I’ve been standing behind you for about five minutes just waiting for you to end the call and I heard everything” Pam said laughing.

Rita was shocked and teased him to tell her what he heard until Pam finally told her that he was lying. “I didn’t hear anything. I got to see you few seconds before you hung up the call but why are you so concerned about me hearing your conversation or not. I hope you haven’t been keeping secrets from ne?” he said but Rita quickly replied that it was female’s talk which he shouldn’t hear and was happy he didn’t hear. They left for the library thereafter.



In the scanty library filled with almost irrelevant books, Pam eventually found a manageable textbook to teach Rita a topic in one of their major course since he left his at home. It was a calculation course, so he started with simple questions just to encourage Rita to learn which she did learn not until it started getting complex. She tried hard to understand but since she wasn’t getting it and was getting headache instead, she decided to switch to what looks fascinating to her.



She stole glances more on Pam’s face than looking into the book.  The movement of his lips while he explains became the course of study to her especially when he giggled or laughed, she reciprocated with a slight smile whereas her heart skipped beats with that. “I’m very amazed at how someone can be this brilliant!” she thought about this when Pam couldn’t solve a question at first but thinking for few minutes after, he solved it.



“Rita do you understand?” Pam said this for about two times before she could hear- she was lost in thoughts but he didn’t know since she was nodding her head at intervals to signify she was getting it.

“what were you thinking about? Ok let me see if you get anything we’ve been learning since morning” he formed some questions oIfhand and asked her to solve it but she was only able to solve the simplest part after checking through her notes to follow his steps and that was all.



Pam had to start explaining it again from the beginning and ensured she was following this time by asking her what he said last. He did this until they have finished solving two questions out of four and asked that they do the remaining later since he noticed Rita was tired and looked saturated already- he didn’t want to bombard her with so much than she can chew.



All these while, they have spent close to two hours in the library. Pam checked his wristwatch and was surprised to have used that time. He told Rita he was going to church and will be happy if she can go with him. “It’s just two hours and we will back.” He said.



She agreed and followed him. On getting to church, Pam was hijacked by some ladies like as if they have been expecting him for long. He left Rita at the entrance and didn’t come back to check on her until about thirty minutes after the end of the service. Rita was angry but her anger was more of jealousy seeing girls flock around Pam all through till they left- in fact, they dint want to release him if not because Rita was already in haste.



As they walked home, Rita won’t stop thinking about what happened in church seeing Pam sings well like that. She didn’t even for one day hear him sing until in church. She was about making jest of him when he mounted the pulpit not until he sang; she became afloat in the air.



Rita developed feeling on the long run seeing Pam doing brilliantly in a lot of things she didn’t know about him before. She was really in love and was ready to express her feelings if she can. She got closer to Nath and Pam personally this semester unlike the previous when they were all together. It’s either she is with Pam studying or she’s with Nath gisting about this guy she called Darrel. She gave that name so that Nath won’t know who the person is and since the meaning of Darrel was love, it was ok with her.



“Nath! Right now, I’m very desperate or else I will be sick if I don’t get out of this obsession for Darrel. I can’t stop thinking about him every leisure time I have. Do you have any way i can be out of this? Because most times, I end up leaving everything I’m doing whenever i am lost in thought of him- even when I’m reading too. I think I love him and I suspect he is having feelings for me too. Nowadays, he’s always jealous anytime I’m talking with another guy in his presence- I can see that all over his face every time. In fact, the way he looks at me nowadays makes me want to kiss him immediately” Rita explained after writing her final examination that semester. The exams were all sweet since she prepared well from the onset with the help of Pam.


She was so happy because she didn’t believe she could write exams as easy as this but she was happier because she now has more time with Nath and Pam. She planned on staying at least three days before leaving for the long holiday only for Pam to return with a heart rending story.

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My Lagos experience: the hustling spirit

My Lagos experience

Episode 2: the hustle is a spirit!

I observed perfect silence that was slightly polluted by the foot step of few people. Looking towards the heaven, I saw something like a white-cool-air falling on my skin and my bags and I guess it fell on the parked buses too because I can see a replica of what I’m seeing in the atmosphere on the buses too. I tried to touch it and it was a confirmation because my touch exposed the real white glass of the bus and left the shape I made with my hands and also left the tip of my finger wet with water.

I bumped into another bus and tried writing my name on it and it was fun doing that- I forgot I was going somewhere. I quickly came back to my senses and walked towards the particular position to board the bus going towards my destination.   

I was dazed by what I saw- I thought the boot of those yellow eighteen passengers buses were for heavy loads alone. I thought it was for the loads we have to pay extra amount for after paying the original transport fare for or the one we have to run after throwing the loads into to catch up with the bus before he leaves us behind while trying to run away from the government officials on the road. I thought it was for those heavy rice they stack in it so much that the bus begin to crawl and making a hell of sound to move, while passengers complain about a whole lot of things- from the bus to the driver and finally on our government. That was all I thought the boot could do.

But at this time of the morning, I saw the boots sheltering people! The door to the boot was lifted to it’s limit while a very long soul lay across the width of the bus; he took his legs to the roof of the bus otherwise, the space won’t contain him. as I shook my head in pity, I saw this time a guy and a lady in another boot sleeping there. I almost cried but I didn’t know when I began to thank God for my life. I intensified my giving of thanks when I saw some people sleeping on the bench outside and others on the seats of the buses- I guess they are the richest.

I finally came out of all the drama after seeing some people around a bus. Smokes coming from different angles accompanied by the irritating smell while some at one corner sharing something that looks like a ‘curry and thyme powder mixed with some vegetables’ picking something out of it; then rolled into a smoke with a paper. A lady was standing close to the bus which is almost filled; she was having some plastic bottles arranged like a cone in a big bowl placed on a stool front of her and some other things in sachets around the bowl- not too long after, I realized some of these guys were holding these sachet contents and anytime they seeped a little, they behaved as if a bitter content pass through their mouth and became hot in their heart.

Finally, I realized these people I was seeing- those sleeping and those taking their own morning tea happened to be the drivers that most us board their bus in the day but didn’t know what their night is like- the cold, mosquito, sort sleep, smoke, gin and so on.

Lagos and this hustle; I was still doubting that the hustle is a spirit until I finally got to my destination!

Watch out for the next

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