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Leadership starts from the heart and not from the mind. There's something that's called initiative, and that's what makes a true leader. I love the way the Oxford dictionary renders the word. It defines it as the ability to decide and act on your own without waiting for someone to tell you what to do. This I believe is the hallmark of true leadership.

The average human is self-centered; he wouldn't do a thing until there's something in it for him. He wouldn't commit himself as long as it's not his father's business. He wouldn't keep the environment clean so long as he's not the only one that's affected. When a public amenity, say a public tap, develops a fault, he doesn't do anything about it because it's not his father's property. Such a person is not fit for leadership. Others willing to take the initiative to do the right thing are qualified to lead him.

A leader is that man that sees what needs to be done, and without being told takes it upon himself to do it. If it isn't something he can do alone, he mobilizes others to get the job done. That's what makes him a leader. First, he's able to tell himself what to do, and then he extends this influence to others.

It's no surprise that initiative is derived from the word 'initiate'. People who take the initiative in doing what has to be done are initiators. They are pacesetters; they're leaders.

This reminds me of the man Daniel. The Bible tells us that he understood from the books that the time for the liberation of his people was long over due. He didn't fold his hands or waited to be told what to do. He gave himself to fasting and prayers on behalf of his people. Let that sink. Now, it wasn't as if he was the king or the son of the king, yet he fasted and prayed for the deliverance of his people according to the promise of God. That's a leader, and it's no surprise why he reigned like a god in Babylon, the most powerful empire at that time.

Let's also draw example from Phinehas, son of Aaron the priest, who took the initiative in appeasing God by punishing an offender. It doesn't have to favor you before you do it. Think differently. Be deliberate about doing good even if doesn't benefit you in any way or even if it costs you a little sacrifice. When things need to be done and you're present, go ahead to execute them. Don't be what's-in-it-for-me minded. That's what shows how worthy you are of being entrusted with people and resources under your care.

Yours truly,
J. Ebute(Penwielder)

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No turning back in midstream.

In for an inch, in for a mile.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

I know you can quote thousands of similar sayings. Sayings that all boil down to consistency, not giving up regardless of how tough and rough the road is. But then there's a very thin line between consistency and stupidity.

Consistency doesn't necessarily mean doing the same thing over and over again. Consistency is simply not giving up. Sometimes if what you're doing isn't working out, you need to sit down and analyse. Ask questions. The fault might be from your method, in which case you need to change them. There might be something you're not getting right, something important you're missing. Don't hold on stubbornly to your old ideas and opinions.

Inconsistency is giving up on your dream altogether. But it isn't inconsistency when you try to review your methods and see what isn't working right. It's good to be dogged, but you have to make sure you're dogged about the right thing. Don't be opinionated over the wrong thing.

Wisdom is profitable to direct.

Yours truly,
J. Ebute (Penwielder)

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"Heaven helps those who help themselves", the old truism reads.
However, some argue that heaven can only help those who can't help themselves. If one can help oneself, why does one need heaven's help? Sounds logical, right?

Personally, I believe both arguments hold depending on what angle you're looking at it.

What those who propose the former idea mean is that in spite of a man's prayers and dependence on Providence for help, if he does not take the necessary actions expected of him, he's likely going to fail. Of course, this is true. The man created by God is an elevated and powerful being, blessed with a wealth of abilities and an unfathomable mind. Research upon research have shown the unlimited possibilities open to the human frame. God only steps in when humans have reached their wit's end, and are at the end of themselves. We all have a part to play in our own success, and until we have done this to the best of our abilities, we give God no room to act, no raw material whatsoever to act with, nothing tangible to bless.

Those who say heaven help those who can't help themselves are equally right. This is a thing of mindset. Some folks are so confident in their own selves, abilities and wisdom that they feel they don't need God's help. These ones, God indeed will not help. But those who are humble and meek in attitude, realizing that regardless of how strong and powerful they're, they still need divine help, God will always come through for them.

You see, it's a thing of attitude and practice. I do all the best I can, but with the mindset and attitude that I still need heaven's help. Only then will I have good success.

Do not forget that success doesn't entirely depend on a man's efforts. There's always that inexplicable factor, that uncontrollable force. Men have a dozen names for it: luck, chance, fate, destiny, Providence etc. Believe it or not, it sure exists. So if we are to succeed, we must understand the need for us to play our role while still meekly welcoming divine help.

I am #Penwielder and I'm interested in seeing you become the best version of yourself.

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So you are very stupid and evil to be telling plants that they do not need their Farmer because some plants look like they are flourishing.

Thus, evil shall burn and consume you forever![/quote]You didn't understand my post. Please read again and get my point. I wasn't fighting the worship of God. What I'm saying is we don't need to follow God to be successful; we need to follow God because it's mandatory

Someone once looked me straight in the eyes and said pointedly, "I don't like you."
My facial expression must have reflexively contorted in great shock because he quickly added, "Don't get me wrong. You haven't done anything wrong to me. You haven't hurt me in any way, but I just don't like you. I don't know why, but that's just how I feel about you."

I've heard people say things like "My blood and him own no jam." That's another way of saying that you don't like someone. Some people even think there's something spiritual about this.

There's nothing that incapacitates us like fear. We know quite a number of useful things, but lo, we're afraid to apply them. Our grey cells are often bombarded with lofty and sublime ideas, but fear stops us from implementing them. One of the phobias you should watch out for is ANTHROPOPHOBIA.

Did someone just sigh at the sight of this word? "Anthropo_" is a prefix that actually means humans. You already know that phobia is a strong, illogical fear. I trust you have now pieced together the meaning of that sigh-inducing word. Fear for humans, that's exactly what it means.

Let me put it more precisely. Anthropophobia is the fear of not being liked, of being abandoned and rejected by others. (Spoiler alert: there's an e-book I'm working on currently that deals with this subject in a religious context. Should be out any time soon. Just keep your ears on the ground.) It is a special form of low self-esteem that makes people-pleasers out of us. Every one of us has something of this in us in varying degrees.

It is part of our human nature for us to desire acceptance from others, but when this is taken to the extreme, something odd and frightening is birthed_ the fear of our fellow men, the timid and overcareful complex of pleasing people. You have great ideas, but what's stopping you from going through with them is your fear that nobody would like them, and at the end of the day you'd be jeered and mocked.

This is the reason I shared my experience in the first paragraph. Regardless of how perfect, peaceable, loving and good you are, not everybody will like you. Do all the good humanly possible to you, and there'll still be people who would tell you without any misgivings that they don't like you for the funny, flimsy reason that "their blood doesn't just jam with yours." So the earlier you realize this truth, the earlier you stop living your life to please someone that doesn't care two hoots if you die the next minute from hunger. And so what if they laugh? Who gives a tinker's damn if that plan falls through and everyone has a field day with it? At least you took a bold step and saw the loopholes in your plan. You have now been armed with experience, so you know how to play it more strategic next time.

People will always laugh. They will always talk. But don't let this be the reason that would stop you from doing what becomes you.


Till I write to you again.
Yours truly,
J. Ebute (Penwielder)

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There're so many people today that are following God only because of what they think they can get from Him. They tithe because they've been taught that that it is a money-doubling secret. They pray and fast and engage in all manner of spiritual exercises with the hope that that would make God notice them and bless them.

I hate to put cats among your pigeons, but if success as the world defines it is what you're indirectly following God for, you're doing the "wrongest" thing. It's better, much more easier to be successful in terms of gaining wealth and fame when you do it on your own than when you try to use God.

The holy scriptures tells us that after God had banished Cain from His presence for murdering his brother, he went out and built a city. Get this. He didn't just build a house or an estate; we were told he built an entire city. God cast him away, and yet he was able to accomplish such a mighty feat_he was able to birth and pioneer a city. That means there're so many things you can do without God. (Oh my God, did that shake some of your dear religious beliefs?)

Some of us don't realize the powers we have in ourselves; we don't know how much we can do if we're determined. And that's why we think we need God to be successful (please understand that the context of success here is material.) There're so many atheists, people who do not acknowledge the existence of God and who do not worship or pray to Him, who are proudly successful; they are owners of large empires, and the very people that fear and call upon the name of the Lord work under these men. So you see that serving God isn't a means of becoming successful. In fact, with God it's even more difficult, because God will make many demands of you. There're so many things He will ask you not to do, so many restrictions and limitations He will place on you.

So our service of God shouldn't be because we want Him to help us become successful according to the standards of men. Our service of God should be based on the fact that it is mandatory. That's the whole essence of our existence; that's why we were created. So serving God is all about fulfilling the purpose for which we have been created and not about using God to give us what we think we need.

I beseech you therefore to search your hearts and set your priorities right. Your need for God shouldn't be tied to what you can get from Him. Your need for Him should be founded on the ground that you were made for this sole purpose: to do His bidding. If you won't serve God genuinely, it'll be much better you go solo because you have more chances of succeeding that way. But be rest assured that all you can achieve outside and without God will only amount to nothing, and peace and fulfilment will elude you. You can indeed be successful without God, but you need God to find that peace that comes only by fulfilling purpose.

Rooting for you.
J. Ebute (Penwielder)

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There are a thousand and one things knowledge can do for us. It gives us an added advantage, an edge over the ignorant. It is undeniably a powerful resource. In some cases, it can be the thin line between life and death. Sometimes, an apparently little knowledge can make a whole world of difference.

I know you're already wondering if I'm not confused. My title has the bold caption that knowledge isn't really power, and in my very first paragraph I'm emphatically stating how beneficial knowledge can be. Ah, but my wits are still with me.

While knowledge can indeed be very impactful, there's only one way it can profit anyone. So, the power of knowledge can only be released and enjoyed when this one condition is met. And that is to simply take action. If we do not act on or apply the knowledge we have, it will literally profit us nothing. The best of knowledge remains mere information if not applied or acted upon.

Knowledge is just like potential energy. It is when it is applied that it becomes kinetic and useful. So don't just be contented with filling your bank of knowledge; practice what you know. Those that get the best out of the world are not just thinkers or "knowers", but intrepid fighters and rugged action takers. It takes ample courage to survive in this world. And courage is not the absence of fear. It is rather the ability to fight through the fears, the doubts, the voices yelling in your head and telling you you'll never measure up and still get the job done.

Never stop at acquiring knowledge. Take it one step further. Put what you know to practice. In Jesus' words, doing this is akin to building your house on a rock. An unapplied knowledge is no different from a man building his house on sand, and such a house will eventually crash.

Fight your fears. Go put what you know into practice.
Rooting for you,
J. Ebute (Penwielder)

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As humans, we are a race of people governed by instincts. A good number of the things we do daily are a product of this innate desire. An instinct is a natural behavior you weren't taught; you were born with it. For example, if your body is itching, you don't need anybody to tell you what to do. You automatically scratch the itchy part.

Everyone of us was born with the shortcut instinct. Let me explain. If you're headed for a particular destination and two roads lead there, I don't need to be a diviner to know that the most likely thing you'd do will be to seek and go by the shorter road(unless you're deliberately on a stroll.) That's the shortcut instinct.

If you're new in an area, after using the roads for some time, you naturally start to look for shortcuts. Nobody needs to tell you do this; on your own you start experimenting and searching out those shortcuts. It's this instinct that makes us, Nigerians, to pass through another man's compound on our way to our destination. It's also what makes people create openings in the railings of a highway because they don't have the patience to go by a flyover.

This thing is very natural with us. But the instinct does not only stop in our crafty manipulation and meandering of roads and paths in a bid to reach our destinations on time. Even in our journey through life, we see this natural impulse at work. We would do anything to avoid the process, as all we want is a quicker result.

There's nothing wrong with desiring speed, but there's everything wrong with seeking a shortcut as an attempt to escape necessary process. We all love ease; we're wired that way. But there's a point where we have to resist the impulse to search for a shortcut. It is in this that many a great men are groomed. It was their ability to follow the path dedicatedly that translated into success.

While average men spend their time searching for a shortcut, the wise ones stay on the path and remain true to the process. The former consider themselves smart and clever, but the results always prove otherwise. Do not forget that the path to excellence is a very lonely one, and so it's always difficult to stay true to the process when every other person is opting for the easy way out. Don't listen to their taunts; don't give in to their jeers. Don't let their present pleasure cajole you into going for a shortcut. The day of reckoning will come, and then patience will reward her children.

I hope you got value. There's only way to let me know. Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Till I write to you again.
Yours truly,
J. Ebute(Penwielder)

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Do you want to be rich?
Do you want to be influential?
Do you desire to be successful?
Do you have it in your heart for your name to be one to reckon with?

I know the thoughts flying through your head now. You're not going to answer any of the above questions. As far as you are concerned, they are rhetorical and pointless. Why, who wouldn't, who doesn't, want any of these things? Are not all our labors mostly centered around these things? So for all you care, I can go on with my unnecessary questions.

The Bible itself is full of this kind of questions. Jesus will look at an infirmed man who obviously looks like he could use some divine help, and still ask him if he wants to be healed. Jesus is no fool; He knows why He's asking.

There's a huge difference between a mere wish and a real desire_call it ambition if you prefer_ just as there's a glaring difference between a fantasy and a vision. I know you know the difference. The one set is strictly passive, and the other is backed by actions.

You're probably one of the people that talked about how even religious laws can be amended for people like Christiano Ronaldo. You were impressed, amazed and dreamed for such level of influence. But I'm amply confident you didn't bother to pause and ask yourself how one man came to wield so much influence. You didn't think about the rigorous trainings he did to become a "GOAT", the martinet dieting he endured, the pleasures he turned away from just so he could become a badass football player.

And now I ask you again, do you REALLY want to be successful? Do you REALLY desire to be every of the things I mentioned earlier? Your answer should not be simply yes or no. It should be in measure of your readiness and willingness to pay the price for what you want.

I leave you with the words of Jesus. "For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?
Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him."

Rooting for you.
J. Ebute (Penwielder)

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In my last content, I shared with you on actionable tips you can employ to build the level of discipline you need to achieve excellence and success. I'll now share the two other tips I promised to unveil.

📌 Learning to prioritize

There are certain things we do involuntarily. We do them naturally, without even thinking about them. They are called reflex actions. Common examples include: blinking of the eyes, knee jerk, sneezing and etcetera. But there are also reflexes that can be conditioned, that is they can be learnt until they become a natural process. What this means is that it's possible for you to train yourself to do something to the point that it becomes almost natural and automatic with you, like a natural reflex. That's what discipline can help us achieve.

Prioritizing is the conscious, deliberate activity of arranging your tasks, needs or wants in order of importance, so that you can commit yourself to doing the most important first. The problem is we leave too many things to chance.

A man of discipline is one who makes a habit of prioritizing his jobs and needs, and he's very intentional about this. He knows what to give his time to and save his time from. He knows what to give his attention to and what to guard his attention against. He knows where to spend his money and where to refrain. He doesn't do this arbitrarily. It's because of proper prioritization. He sets his priorities right and does not "break ranks." He starts this "effortfully" until it becomes a conditioned reflex.

📌Apply the figurative whip

Rods are used to correct and discipline a child. Whips are also used to exert rein over animals. These things work; they're always effective. I'm not suggesting you follow the route of penance_in the sense of inflicting physical pain on yourself. You don't have to flog yourself physically, but you can achieve the same result when you embrace the personal reward system.

How this works is you intentionally reward yourself when you finish your set goal or task at the right time. Giving yourself little perks and treats for a job well down is an effective stimulant. The converse is true also. Deprive yourself of some benefits, deny yourself some luxuries when you fail to meet a target. It makes you more intentional in meeting your goals. This may look far-fetched, but believe me, it works. When you have something to look forward to after the stressful exercise of discipline, it gives you the ginger to get the job done. And if you're faithful in denying yourself some little pleasures for failing to get a task done, all your faculties will co-operate with you whenever you commit yourself to doing something.

Just be conscious of this: the strength of any given rules actually depends on how faithful the appropriate authorities are in implementing them. This is what separates us as a nation from the outside world. When rules are always effected without exceptions, they're a powerful way of exacting control and order. The same is true for your own life. If you faithfully effect the personal rules you set for yourself, you'd sooner find yourself doing those things you purpose to do more often.

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Till I write to you again,

Yours truly,
J. Ebute (Penwielder).

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The people who command our respect and admiration and provoke in us the desire to be like them are those who are obviously excelling in their field of work. It is the wine of success and mastery from which they have drunk that attracts us to them. And mastery comes only by discipline. Discipline is indispensable and a must-have for anyone desiring excellence.

Discipline is simply the ability to do the right and necessary thing whether you feel like it or not. It is also the ability to say no to what is not in any way beneficial regardless of how exciting it may be. It is what makes you say yes to what is worth doing, and no to what is not.

Discipline is needed to help you properly manage your time. It's needed for management of our finances. It's the rod that helps us put our appetites in check.

Seeing what great need we all have for this virtue, read on to see three actionable tips to help you imbibe it.

📌Identify the why.

The average human is so lazy that he'd not take an action that would cost him a little comfort even though it's all for his good. As a child, you were forced to take your bath, to go to school and to do other stuff that are essential but not "fun". As an adult, nobody's gonna do you that favor; the onus is on you. And you can do that by motivating yourself with a well-defined "why".

If you don't have a good enough why, you're going to give up. It's the why that keeps you from yielding to the temptation of sacrificing your future for a mess of pottage. It's the motivating factor that makes you endure the grimness of the process.

For instance, if wealth is something you desire, you need discipline in a number of areas including: refusing to spend your money on pleasure and learning to save and invest; investing your time in learning a skill; attending seminars and a whole lot of uncomfortable sacrifices. What's going to make you stick with all this is the clear, well-defined personal motivation of "why do I want to be rich?" If it isn't motivating and pushing enough, forget it; you'll give up along the way.

I'm beginning to feel that this is getting too long. I'll be sharing the two other tips in my next content.

Don't forget to like and comment.
Yours truly,
J. Ebute(Penwielder)

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The apologue is told of the snail whom was met by some animal.

"How is it you are able to move?" the animal questioned the snail. "How does locomotion happen for you?"

A thoughtful look on his face, the snail replied slowly as though weighing his words. "Why, I've never given it a thought. It has never even crossed my mind."

Even as the interviewing animal glided away, the snail stood where it was, his whole mind preoccupied with trying to find an answer to the puzzling question thrown to him. He stood on the same spot quite a long time racking his brain. When he realized that he must be on a wild-goose chase, he finally threw in the towel and decided to continue on his journey. But alas, he couldn't move, not even an inch. The time he had spent trying unsuccessfully to figure out how he had always been able to move had now incapacitated him. All his attempts to consciously move met with some sort of invisible internal resistance. And so he stood there, mysteriously crippled all of a sudden.

It was only until a beautiful butterfly leisurely flew past him and he reflexively made to go after it that he miraculously began to move again. It took some moments to register in his consciousness that he was now finally moving again. It goes without saying that he never attempted to repeat the folly of wearing himself out with trying to find out how a most natural process of locomotion occurs.

Sometimes, we spend too much time on analysis and question asking. Is the idea gonna work out? Is this plan likely to succeed? Do I have what it takes? And so the questions tumble on and on in our minds, inflicting anxiety on us. But as you continue to fret and analyse, you will only end up exactly in the state the snail found himself: crippled and incapacitated.

What restored the snail's mobility was his unconscious letting go after a good distraction came in the form of a butterfly. The more you over think that idea, the more reason you'd find not to do it and the more convinced you'd be of your unworthiness and inability. There's only course open to you, one solution to your hesitation and fearful holding-back: JUST DO IT.

If you find this helpful, let me know by hitting the like button and dropping a comment.

Till I write to you again.
Yours truly,
J. Ebute (Penwielder)

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There are two kinds of thieves. There's a thief that makes away with your property and you immediately notice. That's a loud thief; his activity cannot go unnoticed. But there's a more dangerous thief. He takes away from you and you're none the wiser about it. This one keeps taking away from you quietly until one day you wake up to the shocking reality that all you have is completely gone.

Poisons operate on the same principle. There's a poison that kills instantly, and there's another that kills slowly. It gradually weakens the victim without him being aware of it.

As large as an elephant is, if it eventually dies, it's going to be decomposed and reduced to mere soil nutrient by tiny creatures called micro-organisms, so tiny the naked eye can't see them.

Water, science tells us, can break down the hardest of rocks. How does this happen? Weathering. A slow, gradual washing down that results in the formation of soil.

And that's exactly what excuses are: silent killers. Individually, they appear to be absolutely harmless. Their effect seem very insignificant. But it is their accumulated effect that is to be feared.

A little sleep, a little slumber, and a little folding of the hand and so shall your poverty pounce on you. "Tomorrow's another day", you rationalize. "A little fun will not kill."

It's the little excuses, the little negligences, the little delays, the little oversights that compound and translate into doom.

If you find this helpful, let me know by hitting the like button and dropping a comment.

Till I write to you again.
Yours truly,
J. Ebute. (Penwielder)