I wish I could tell you this looking into your eyes
But again I dont want to
I wish I could absolutely express myself
But again its not necessary
I smell the hurt
I smell the pain
I smell the withdrawal
That's why I know its not necessary
Its about you
Its about him
Its about your union
Its about your thing
I don't feel it
I don't fancy it
I'm not a fan
I don't mean to judge
Its just an opinion
Not much of an opinion
Its just an impression
I see him everyday
Yet I dont see him everyday
I see him through your eyes
His person, so vivid when I look into yours
The union
You dont have to
Its not needed
I dont believe in the foundational complexities
I dont believe in that traditional take-off
I believe in simplicities
I believe in flow....flow...natural flow
U call it flow...slow mo...step at a time
But I know flows....I recognise flows
This is no flow...u need to take it slow
I didnt have to say this
U dont have to listen
I didnt have to say this
I hope it doesnt spoil us
22.12.09
What ure reading is an excerpt from the concluding chapter the about-to-be-released book of Jaye Aderounmu, titled
2 AM ( A MIND AMOMGST MANY) "real life experiences in tales"
It is a contributing chapter from urs truly...
--------------------------
BECAUSE I WROTE A BOOK AT 21
by Tolulope Akanni
--------------------------
This chapter will change your life if you choose to read with relevance, it would remould your existence because this is success being discussed in its raw form. If only you will believe me and put to practice the combinations discussed in this chapter, you will never let go off this book for the remaining days of your life.
Because I wrote a book
I was made to learn that your first book is an introduction to the second
And to learn that the greatest challenge I'm gonna face is the challenge of practicing the principles I teach.
Because I wrote a book
I was offered a seat amongst kings and princes and I could humbly say "yet not I"
Because I wrote a book
God's promises for my life bore flesh
Because I wrote a book..
...at 21 and published it on the eve of my graduation from the university, people started believing the principles I taught because I was a living proof.
Because I wrote a book
I came to realise that success is cheap and that is why I write this hour - to let you know that success is cheap and say it with confidence knowing that I am a success and that if only you do the same things myself and some many other successful people all over the world did, you too can be a success.
Are you faced with challenges?
Smile and appreciate the heavens because in every dark cloud is a silver lining and all you need is a little patience before you get full grasp of why you had to face that negative circumstance.
You need to live with that mentality that you can always bring something outing of nothing.
Each one of life's moment carry the same amount of relevance and importance...there are no special moment, if one moment is special, then every other moment is special. If one moment is ordinary, then every other moment is ordinary.
After success became my friend, I screamed and yelled at success saying "Success, how come you never told me you were this cheap to get!!"
Because success came to cheap.
Of the many combinations I have put together to unlock the door of success and pave in deep into its inner chambers as though it were my birthplace, I want to be generous enough to leave you with just two combinations that have opened these doors to me; it has exposed me to a world of unlimited possibilities.
1. The combination of the Mind
2. The combination of the Hand
The combination of the Mind is one I got from the Scriptures and I got it fresh from the wisest man that ever lived on..........
<<<<<<<<<<<<
..don't mess with these two combinations, don't see it as just another motivational talk!
The fact that you could read this book up to its last chapter means your combination of the hand must have been fired up, don't make a mess of it by not using the combination of your hand.
I'm only 21 and my hands have touched things because I consistently put these principles to work, don't delay the application of these combinations, use it now and start making exploits time waits for no man.
What you just read is the introduction to the first chapter of my next book.
Be inspired!
Tolu Fiz Akanee
|Thought|Written|Spoken|
***********************U'l
I'm still basking in the euphoria of the John C. Maxwell experience, u know the answer
he gave to my question still baffles me each time it comes to mind.
I asked him "what challenge did you go through after writing your first book?"
And in reply he said "The challenge I had after writing my first book was the same
challenge I had before I wrote my first book - the challenge of practising the principle I
teach in my book"
I look at the mistakes of yesterday and I'm happy I made them because I believe that if
I can actually look at a particular action and genuinely admit to myself that it was a
mistake, then it is a pointer to the fact that I can tell myself the truth
This is more like a contination to the piece I wrote on "what last"
before u ask what next, do ask urself that question..."what last?"
why did I experience the things I experienced, what can I bring out of it.
In asking myself that question I said to myself "I might not be a first class degree
holder, but I must live life as a first class graduate"
That's deep even though it makes sense on the surface as well
So every morning I wake up and I ask myself, how can I be the best at what I am
doing? How can I be the best?
The race has started already, my mates are already doing things and I'm not even sure
if we are still mates! It is a terrible thing to be left out, so I have to stay on top of my game!
I discoverd only some days back that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing! No, I'm not
I had 1,000 books to sell...now I have 600 books to sell and there's no strategy on ground on how to sell it!
Did I say strategy? I'm never short of strategies! I meant to say action
I need to do something!
Imagine, my strategies are as simple as
I approach 4 churches..
1. House on the rock
2. Daystar christain centre
3. RCCG City of David
4. Fountain of life
Let me paint the RCCG City of David scenario to u
I walk in to see one of the pastors and I tell him how much God has been blessing me..graduation from Covenant University..a book.. a book launch..a John C. Maxwell feature.....all at age 21 and I'm moved to share my story with his church particularly the youth and that I need just 5mins to talk about my book or if they want to give me an entire youth seminar, I'm down. I just need to tell my story..that's all.
Books will be on the stands after the service.
It is that simple..
Now, uve heard me talk about my book before...do you think I will go to a church on the island with about 1,000 worshippers out of which 500 of the 1,000 regular wealthy worshippers are superwealthy folks and I won't sent sell 200copies of the book?
Do u honestly feel there's a possibility of failure?
If I sell at #1,500 I will be smiling home with 300k
So ask me why I am not doing any of these things..
No cloth to wear?
No perfume to wear?
No books to sell?
No car to convey me to the venue?
No english to speak?
No demeanor to charm?
I don't see any of these things as a problem..so what's up with me???
I can't tell!!!
I need to do something with my life a.s.a.p.
U know, I need people around me....I think! But I shouldn't consider that as an excuse..I'm responsible for my own life!
I have the target of selling 1,000 copies in 40days and even though Aug12 sounds far, it's here already!
I'm not gonna leave my books on the stands of book stores to seat among the crowd, no I won't do that....who knows Tolu Akanni?
It's a first book so I have to hustle on my own!
I need friends to start doing things jare
The launch of A-Z Life lessons has come and gone
John C. Maxwell has come and gone
Creativity fair has come and gone..
wonderful past week!
Now, what next?
Who are we seeing on TV this week?
I'm angry at CU mass comm peeps o...it just occurred to me recently that we keep seeing the same newscasters we've been seeing since primary school days on TV...where are all of those peeps that were dreaming to be newscasters too? Don't they have their degrees now? so where are they? They are waiting to gain experience abi? so they wait another 15yrs b4 they start living the dream...forget jor!
I still have this pending idea I have to implement soonest.
Empowerment seminar!
That thing is free money and what keeps amazing me is that it as fresh and ever-producing like the oil wells on Nigeria.
Any random dude will just wake up and design fliers, tell us Fela Durotoye will be there, Leke Alder is coming, Ibukun Awosika on board, Niyi Adesanya has also confirmed his presence....and all of thoe things they say
Then we all bring out 1k, 2k, 3k....and we all rush down only to hear some random folks teaching principles they dont live!
Now, forget the fact that there's money in it...empowerment seminars, conferences....all those things....they are things I should be doing, they are things CU students should be organising because it comes cheap for us. We have the teaching materials already, we are already used to the rationale behind seminars...we know how it is done, so why are we not doing it?
I grow greeeeeeeeeeeen with envy each time I remember the faces behind Atrium consult - the organisation that brought John C. Maxwell down to Nigeria.
Leadership conference - #25,000 per head
Dinner with John C. Maxwell - #1,000,000 per table (table of 10) i.e. #100,000 per head.
U know what? If all John C. Maxwell requested as pay for him to come down to Nigeria was #5million, all the organisers need to make the event successful is to source #5million.
After paying John C. Maxwell and are sure of his coming, they budget another #1million for publicity - they storm TV stations...fliers, banners, radio jingles and all.
Next they approach Federal Palace hotel and tell them they need one of their halls for a seminar since they are expecting International Leadership speaker and author - John C. Maxwell and that they will lodge him in their hotel for 3 nights and there will be a dinner in their restaurant as well. They secure all of these things without paying Federal Palace Hotel a dime - all Federal Palace will them is 4 d dinner...it will be say #30,000/head and that's all. No charges for the seminar nor the lodging.
Atrium goes back to the drawing board...they sum up d #6million spent so far look at how best they can make maximum profit, consider the class of attendees they are looking at and they say fine...
#25,000/person for the seminar
#100,000/person for the dinner
Tell me if they will smile to the bank or not?
But it doesnt stop there for Atrium Consult...they have made a name.
I mean, THEY BROUGHT JOHN C. MAXWELL DOWN TO NIGERIA WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT!
At this junction, let me tell it plainly now...if I'm not a self-made millionaire by the end of a year from now, please dont ever read me again!!
I'm serious...don't read anything I write again.
In conclusion.
1. Success is cheap
2. Success is only for the brave
3. I'm dying to know ur reaction to all of these...leave a comment
Rejoice with me, I'm through with my final exams!
3 weeks felt like forever, but God saw me through.
I feel so excited, I'm overjoyed to know that this phase is over! Because, really the doors opening to the next were beginning to look like a distraction.
Check out pictures of the day here
A-Z LIFE LESSONS making waves...and just in case you've not read the interview NakedSha had with me, check that out here
God has really been faithful, and He's treating me great!
Climb
The higher you climb
The tougher it becomes they say
Anyone can write
Because anyone can talk
You can either talk with you mouth
Or talk with your hands
Writing is simply talking on paper
I ran out of people to talk to during my internship days and that was what initiated my affair with paper, my journal quickly became my bestfriend, and since I couldn't help keeping quiet still, I had to publish myself on Facebook.
You see, when people appreciate your stuffs and they make it known to you, it keeps you going, it's a fuel to your jet. People kept asking for more and I couldn't help but deliver, my delivery led me to having my thoughts being published in a magazine, and today magazines; the expression of my thoughts coughed out a book in me and it keeps getting bigger and better each passing day.
I was talking to my x-CU uncle - Folusho - yesterday, and he had taken my book to the counselling team of his university in UK where he's currenty running his masters program, and he returned with a truck load of counsel and insights on the way forward.
I have a feeling someone reading this really needs to take a second look at my story. Most of us are still climbing the ladder of life and we are constantly experiencing change all around, and two things in particular that catch my interest at this point do happen to us as we climb higher in life.
1. You have too many people praising you.
2. You have few persons challenging you, making you realize that you only just started.
Most young folks suffer these things greatly, we get carried away with the achievement mentality, and in the process we get our vision blurred out, becoming comfortable with the immediate, hmnnn...shortsightedness.
Will I end up like this?
God forbid!!!
I said it three days ago on my other blog that "I will wake up someday and discover that all the captains of industries are my childhood friends"
That's a pregnant thought, and it's not really a thought so to say, it's more like a conviction! I'm too sure about it.
What I what to bring out of that particular proclamation as it relates to Climbing is that, the kinds of persons I'm priviledged to have as friends today are not persons that give me the opportunity to stop growing. And I'm constantly being challenged! Dear reader, please find your motivation.
In my last post here, I mentioned it that I was PLANNING to register a domain name for El Fiz Concept but unknown to me, the heavens read it and as I speak Foluso is almost done setting all of that up for me. I never talked to him about it, and trust me, he never read the post.
My bible tells me "the path of the righteous is like a shining light that gets brighter and brighter until the perfect day"
This is just the beginning,
I just started climbing.
Do check out the excerpts of my book here
"A-Z: life lessons" is a 26 chapter, 94page book that stands out from the everyday book in the freestyle approach of the author, the text of some of the chapters are in shorthand, and every chapter has its unique pictorial expression, it explores the multifaceted experience of the author.
It is a book that makes you appreciate the undiluted thoughts of a 21st century 20year old as it is a product of a selection from the 365 day old archive of the 20year old author. The beauty of this book lies in the fact that every page leaves you with something you can relate with; something the old can pick up and feel young remembering their youthful days, something the young can read and appreciate ‘youthfulness’ yet again , this book bears great trans-generational relevance!!
The book is authored by Tolulope Akanni, a 20 year old member of the Covenant University Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduating Class of 2010, a blogger and C.E.O of the Brands and Event consultancy outfit, El Fiz Concept.
TO BE LAUNCHED FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010
No matter how hard you try, you cannot please everyone, you just have to let go and let be. Not everyone will understand the reasons why you do the things you do in the immediate, but with time the big picture will be visible for all to see.
That's one fact, I'm slowly coming to terms with as I recall one or two memories. But I'm holding on to the words of my mentor who while responding to the issue on how he gets people driving over long distances to attend his church "The church is not far, not when value is being added" and I will love to paraphrase that as it relates to friendship as "The bond is never broken when value is being added"
The works of my hand and heart will bring back even those I have genuinely hurt.
One part of friendship that hurts the most is when you realise that you don't actually talk to the people you talk to, as in you talk everyday yet you don't talk. Surface talk is crap!
I just have to live the rest of my days ensuring that I'm not making that mistake and that the people I'm in communication with are drawing something from me, I have to give more, I have to love more, I have to digest more - as in learn - so I won't run dry feeding others.
Well, that's a lifestyle already I just need to be more self conscious.
I've been meeting lots of people lately, and I'm enjoying every bit, people business is great fun.
I'm thinking of buying a domain name and turning this blog into a website, I plan to kick of publicity on my book pretty soon ahead of the July9 launch. Progress is being made on securing a venue, I just confirmed Terrakulture to be free for that date...that's looking cool already. As well I'm beginning to think twice about selling 300copies in CU alone and all of that..I just hope these random thoughts take better form in the coming days.
Contributors
- Tolulope Akanni
- Tolulope Akanni is a writer and entrepreneur. After bagging a degree in Engineering, he had his big break shortly by self-publishing his first book, A-Z Life Lessons at the age of 21. The book uses poems, pictures and stories to express the thoughts of the Nigerian youth burning with a passion to create value. He is presently in Paris, France for a professional training and is also working with a team led by Onyeka Nwelue organising the Literacy Africa International Charity Concert and the editorial team of In-correct Magazine. Tolu Akanni is a visionary and dynamic youth with a rare and unique passion sent on a mission to bring out the best in people to the end of seeing men live up to their full capacity.