Where is the Love?

Where is the love

When all you have is hate

It's pretty difficult to meditate 

On the souls we lost today 

Thirteenth November is the date 

When all cease to be the same 

In the city of love you rage

With your bombs you came

When will you realize 

How precious that life you take?

'ALLAHU AKBAR' you say and

KA-BOOM! That man is in the grave!

God didn't kill, you did

So stop calling his name! 

Look beyond today 

In this life or the next

You'll get what you deserve! 

To the one who is lost

And the one who is hurt

Be brave!

To the one who is widowed

And the one who lost a friend

Cheer up i say

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”

The war is not over today

Play your part and be a voice

Against terror and all its aids

To the one who has lost his faith 

A renewed heart is what we crave 

Pray for Paris they say

Pray for the World i say!

Spread the love not the hate

Make the world a better place

That peace may reign supreme 

Dedicated to those who died in the  Paris attack on 13th of November, 2015. May their souls rest in peace

The 7 Characteristics Of An Eagle That You Must Cultivate As A Leader

1. Eagles Have Vision

If you ever happen to see an eagle sitting high above the tree or cliff of a stiff mountain, watch closely and see how attentive the bird is. The body sits still and the head will be tilted side to side to observed what is happening below, around and above it. Even if its flying close by, you can observe how keen its eyes are looking for its prey. Eagles have a keen vision. Their eyes are specially designed for long distance focus and clarity. They can spot another eagle soaring from 50 miles away.

Does this characteristic ring a bell in your mind? I am sure it does. Look at great leaders of this world who have come and gone. There are many great leaders that came and went but one characteristic that is common in all is "Vision". Vision is a successful leadership characteristic

Take Abraham Lincoln for example. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, guided his country through the most devastating experience in its national history, the Civil War. He had a vision, to save the union and free the slaves. He is considered by many historians to have been the greatest American president.

You must have a vision that guides and leads your team towards the organization's or societal goals. The vision must be big and focused. A big, focused vision will produce big results.

2. Eagles are fearless

An eagle will never surrender to the size or strength of its prey. It will always give a fight to win its prey or regain its territory.
Try and watch the video on how the Golden Eagle displays remarkable hunting strategy, preying on goats much larger than itself by throwing them off the cliff face.

No matter what the size of that person or what weapon they maybe holding, you would attack them without thought or regard for yourself. It wouldn’t even dawn on you to be afraid because your instinct is to protect that which you love and cherish.

Successful leaders are fearless. They face problems head on.

3. Eagles are Tenacious

Watch an eagle when a storm comes. When other birds fly away from the storm with fear, an eagle spreads its mighty wings and uses the current to soar to greater heights. The eagle takes advantage of the very storm that lesser birds fear and head for cover.

Challenges in the life of a leader are many. These are the storm we must face as leaders to rise to greater heights. Like an eagle, a leader can only rise to greater heights if he takes up the challenges head on without running away from it. This is yet another leadership characteristic.

4. Eagles are High Flyers

Eagles can fly up to an altitude of 10,000 feet, but they are able to swiftly land on the ground. At 10, 000 feet, you will never find another bird. If you find another bird, it has to be an eagle.
An eagle doesn't mingle around with the pigeons. It was Dr. Myles Munroe who said that. Pigeons scavenge on the ground and grumble and complain all day long. Eagles are not. They fly and make less noise waiting for opportunities to strike their next prey or glide with the current of the storm.

Great leaders are problem solvers. They don't complain like the pigeons do. They love to take challenges as the eagle does when the storm comes.

5. Eagles Never Eat Dead Meat

An eagle never eats dead meat. In other words, an eagle does not scavenge. It only eats the meat from the prey it kills itself. Eagles eat raw and fresh meat What a great act of true leadership.

A true leader spends time with people who are vibrant and liberal in thinking. You have to be with people who can think, make informed decisions and take actions. These are the people who bring changes to the society. They are lively and active people. Go out and look for them.

According to Tony Buzan, a proponent of the techniques of Mind Mapping and mental literacy, these type of people are called change thinkers and change makers.

There is a saying that goes like this: "People you hang around with and the books you read eventually determines the person you become."

6. Eagles posses Vitality

Eagles are full of life and are visionary but they find time to look back at their life and re-energize themselves. This happens at about the age of 30. What happens is that when the eagles reach the age of 30, their physical body condition deteriorates fast making it difficult for them to survive.

What is really interesting is that the eagle never gives up living, instead it retreats to a mountaintop and over a five month period goes through a metamorphosis. It knocks off its own beak by banging it against a rock, plucks out its talons and then feathers, its a painful experience. Each stage produces a re-growth of the removed body parts, allowing the eagle to live for another 30 - 40 years.

There are times in your life as a leader that you must look back and take stock of your life. The good and the bad experiences you have been through as a leader. Are you keeping in trend with the current knowledge trend? Do you need to improve your certain areas in your life as a leader?

Great leaders are the ones that always do "check and balance"of their personal and professional lives and make an effort to learn things every day.

7. Eagles Nurture their younger ones

Believe this or not. Eagles are known for their aggression. They are absolutely ferocious aren't they? Any one who doesn't have a total knowledge of this great bird will say yes. What is more astonishing with this bird is their ability to nurture their young ones. Research has shown that no member of the bird family is more gentle and attentive to its young ones than the eagles.

This is how it happens. When the mother eagle sees that time has come for it to teach the eaglets to fly, she gathers an eaglet onto her back, and spreading her wings, flies high. Suddenly she swoops out from under the eaglet and allows it to fall. As it falls, it gradually learns what its wings are for until the mother catches it once again. The process is repeated. If the young is slow to learn or cowardly, she returns it to the nest, and begins to tear it apart, until there is nothing left for the eaglet to cling to. Then she nudges him off the cliff.

True leaders are not bosses. They grow with their people. They strive to make individuals in the organization or society grow to their full ability. They teach and guide just like the mother eagle does. They never stop giving challenges but never give-up empowering and directing.

Note:
If you learnt something from this article, let me know by commenting in the comments section below.

Nick Vujicic, Born Without Hand & Leg, Having Fun At The Beach With Wife And Son

Nick struggled with his disability as a child, both physically and emotionally. At the age of ten, after a failed suicide attempt where he tried to drown himself in a bath, he vowed never to give up again. By the age of 17 he had started his own non-profit charity - Life Without Limbs. After university, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce, Vujicic embarked on a motivational speaking tour, concentrating on teenage issues, disability, and his faith in God and how it helps his life.

To date, he has visited more than 40 countries on five continents. In 2008 Vijucic met Kanae Miyahara, and has described it as 'love at first sight'. He was quoted in a 2013 interview in The Christian Post about the unique way he proposed. Having the engagement ring in his mouth he casually asked Kanae: 'Baby, can I kiss your hands?' Kanae admitted that she thought he was simply biting her finger, but then she saw the ring he had been trying to position in the right spot. Vujicic is due to release a book - Stand Strong: You Can Overcome Bullying - on April 15

Leke Adler (Biography)

Born as an only child, Leke Alder's dream from childhood was to be a lawyer, though he is gifted in many areas. This was after watching a television documentary about a successful lawyer. He attended Igbobi College and Kings College before proceeding to Obafemi Awolowo University, where he graduated as a lawyer. His studying law according to him was an accident.
He was admitted into Kings College and was making preparations to travel to England for a British Caledonian (Airways) Scholarship when he heard about Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination from his friends. He took the exam, made good grades, got into school and won himself a scholarship, one out of the then available five slots.

While in University as an undergraduate, his passion for art grew. His love for writing, painting, design and photography led to his hosting an art exhibition as a law student. His exhibition was successful with more than 2000 people in attendance that the Guardian newspapers reported it. He also ran a chamber and argued cases for students, for a fee.

Upon graduation, he practised for two years in a law firm. Having discovered himself, his abilities and talents, he wanted to do more. So he resigned. At the age of 26, newly married with no money in his pocket, he started cartooning and designing. Then one day, an idea came to him. He took down all the frames, the wedding gifts that was given to them, removed all the pictures inside and replaced them with his cartoons made on a cardboard paper he bought for N17. 50k. That evening he took them to church and kept them at the back of the church. At the end of the service, worshippers rushed his product and he made between N147 to N250. That singular act was all the motivation he needed to launch out. Before long people were buying his paintings for N40, 000 and more.

Due to the nature of his job and for the fact that he was working from home, the fun quickly faded. In the bid to come up with what to do, he came up with the idea of applied arts. That means he can do one piece and reproduce it. And so people began to meet him for advice. In providing solution for their problems, he produces the kind of design that suited what they wanted. His works attracted a Lebanese. The job he did for the Lebanese attracted the Italian embassy. And then other embassies.
One thing led to another and people started paying him millions just to give advice. For instance a three page advice made it possible for a company struggling, to make over N100 million within six months. In return, the company gave him a N1 million retainership. Each work done attracted a different client. Each satisfied client referred another. And so from one room apartment and with N70 as start-up capital, he began to advice individuals, corporations, embassies and governments. That was how Leke Alder and his team at Alder Consulting introduced modern branding in Nigeria. Other companies in the group are Alder Media, Alder Research and Alder IT.
One day, he invited some of his friends over from accounting, advertising, law, banking etc for a brainstorming session. With a marker and cardboard he talked about what the vision of an organization should be and what a policy of government should be. For 8 hours, seated in an uncomfortable chair with no food, his friends were dazzled with knowledge and information on how things should be. Little did he know that what he has just done is conducting a seminar. They were so impressed that they requested for another session. This time invitation was extended to their wives, husbands, friends and colleagues. And from morning till 7pm they were listening to him. The only difference this second time is that he remembered to provide refreshments. Thereafter, banks and other organizations started consulting him.

In appreciation to God for His goodness, he decided to start evangelism cards. With the creativity he brought into the production of these cards, they became highly successful and by the end of the first month he had given out about 400,000 pieces for free. It was during this time that a young man seeked his assistance in turning his business of selling imported typewriters around. He applied the concept of the evangelism cards as a means of creating awareness. People were very impressed. The concept caught the attention of the first mobile phone company that had just been set up then. They request for a proposal and the rest as they say is history.

Mandiba: A Life Fight for Freedom (Biography of Nelson Mandela)

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is South Africa’s first black President(May 10th 1994 to June 14th 1999). He is one of the most renowned fighters against the Apartheid regime for the rights of the black population. His life is without a doubt a fascinating one. Fewer men in history have done so much in the name of equality, freedom and peace. Nearly every nation in the world is interested in his biography, so here it is!


Early Life

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18th 1918 near Umata, in the eastern part of Cape Province. He was the eldest son of a Thembu tribe chief. The tribe spoke the Xhosa language. Mandela was 9 years old when his father died of tuberculosis. He was not born with the name Nelson, but with his African name Rolihlahla , which literally means pulling the branch of a tree, or in it's colloquial sense 'troublemaker' ( It seems Rohlihlahla Nelson Mandela certainly lived up to his given name, but in the best of ways).

                            

Nelson Mandela finished his Junior Certificate from a Wesleyan school and on to college where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts. He attended classes at the University of Fort Hare, but was expelled in 1940 for taking part in a boycott. Rejecting an arranged marriage from his guardian (regent Jongintaba) Manela Rohililaha Nelson escaped to Johannesburg. After arriving in the city, he found work as a night watchman at a mine.  He later worked as an articled clerk at a law firm in Johannesburg. At night he worked on his BA through a University of South Africa correspondent course. He also studied law at Witwatersrand University.


Marriage

Life always has its dark side and Mandiba was not spared in this regard. As a political activist he was not above controversy and his love life often paid the price  His first two marriages collapsed under the strain of politics, but the third time around he found enduring happiness with the widow of Mozambican president Samora Machel.

His first marriage was with Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Nelson and Evelyn were married for 13 years before they split up. Evelyn became a Jehovah's Witness and greatly resented Mandela's political activities, which turned the marriage sour and sullen. Evelyn complained of his friendships with other pretty women including Ruth, his secretary, whom he sometimes brought home after work and who would follow him into the bedroom, probably not to take dictations. After much contention, Evelyn  eventually walked out.

In 1958, Nelson married Winnie Madikizela. While much of their marriage was spent apart as Nelson was in prison, Winnie Mandela became a strong political figure herself. In the coming years, Winnie would be in and out of jail herself being a strong antagonist of the Apartheid regime. And despite the love letters and prison visits, it was political strife and alleged affairs on Winnie's part that eventually drove a wedge between the couple. They divorced in 1996. Winnie Mandela had contested the divorce proceedings but a judge ended up ruling in Nelson's favor.

Mandela and his 3rd wife Graca Machel

                                     
                                                 

In 1998 when he was 80 years old, he finally found a lasting marriage with Graça Machel. She is the widow of former Mozambican president Samora Machel. She stood by him through the remainder of his life and helped him bring closer his already disjointed families. With Six children, 17 grand children and  14 great-grand children, Mandela left behind a big family. He later expressed regret at the neglect his families had to suffer because of him.

Social and political activity.

In 1952, He and Oliver Tambo (the ANC leader in exile) opened the first legal firm in Johannesburg that was led by black lawyers. He completed his degree through correspondence and eventually became involved in the ANC (African National Council). From there it seems there was no looking back.
Once he became involved in the ANC there was no looking back in the Nelson Mandela life. Mandela and those who were with him took many actions against the injustice of apartheid. A system where one's color discriminated so totally against the basic laws of freedom was unthinkable (just as slavery) and yet it
was a reality.

                                     

In March 1960, 69 black anti-apartheid demonstrators were killed by police at Sharpeville. The government declared a state of emergency and banned the ANC. In response, the organisation abandoned its policy of non-violence and Mandela helped establish the ANC's military wing 'Umkhonto we Sizwe' or 'The Spear of the Nation'. He was appointed its commander-in-chief and travelled abroad to receive military training and to find support for the ANC.

In 1962 Nelson Mandela was arrested and sent to prison. Many other ANC leaders were also arrested at
this time. The apartheid government offered to release Mandela on no less than six occasions but he rejected them each time. On one such occasion Mandela released a statement saying: "I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom ... What freedom am I being offered while the organisation of the people [the ANC] remains banned?"

                                     

Mandela and other ANC leaders being moved to prison

A man of peace, the Nelson Mandela life involves nearly 27 years of imprisonment. Songs have been written, and praises sung.
The call for freedom was heard around the world. Under President de Klerk, Nelson Mandela was finally released from prison in 1990. He returned as the leader of the ANC and fought on for freedom. Along with de Klerk he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Nelson Mandela 1994 is elected president of South Africa; A triumph for equality and a triumph for peace. The world rejoiced in finally seeing a wrong come right. One man who stands firm can make a difference for millions. The Nelson Mandela story is one of hope for all mankind.


Later Life

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. From September 3rd 1998 to June 14th 1999, he was the general secretary of the Non-Aligned Movement. He is an honorary member of more than 50 international universities.
Mr. Mandela led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison.
Through his extraordinary vison he was able to use the 1995 Rugby World Cup as an instrument to help promote nation building by wearing the Springbok jersey, which was widely seen as a symbol of white and apartheid rule.This was instrumental in retaining the emblem for the national team at a time when a chorus of voices advocated a change of the symbol. It was an act of reconciliation and generosity of spirit which no one could have expected. Over the course of his life, anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela provided many memorable speeches and soundbites. In the dock at the 1964 Rivonia Trial facing the gallows for acts of sabotage against the apartheid government, he turned the trial into a propaganda triumph, looking magnificent in the tribal robes of a Thembu chief made of jackal skins. He defended himself with a great 'I am prepared to die' speech. He told the court:

"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

In place of execution, he faced living death, 27 years of it in prison on Robben Island.

In 1997 Mandela stepped down as ANC leader and in 1999 his presidency of South Africa came to an end.
In 2004, Mandela announced his retirement from public life, although his charitable work continued. On 29 August 2007, a permanent statue to him was unveiled in Parliament Square, London.

                                     

The United Nations declared his birthday, July 18, Nelson Mandela International Day. This was the first time the UN dedicated a particular day to a person.
He died peacefully and surrounded by his family at his Johannesburg home on Thursday evening, 5th December, 2013 aged 95.
Several nations of the world including the US had their flag flown at half mast in honor of this great  selfless leader who fought tirelessly for justice peace equality and freedom. Hundreds of awards and honours have been bestowed on Mandela. Among others, he is an honorary citizen of Canada, an honorary member of the British Labour Party, and an honorary member of Manchester United. He also had a nuclear particle (the 'Mandela particle'), a prehistoric woodpecker (Australopicus nelsonmandelai) and an orchid (Paravanda Nelson Mandela) named after him.

•  SuccessInExcess

5 Practical steps to maintain optimum performance and get things done faster

One's ability to perform at optimum level is one of the most important factor behind every success story I've ever come across. As simple as it sounds, a large number of people live their lives everyday performing way below their actual capabilities. Why is this? The reasons we give are numerous
"I'm too busy" "I'll do it tomorrow" "there's just no time!" "I can't do plenty things at the same time" and on and on like that..

We all want to feel totally in control and abreast of situations, completing our daily task to time but sadly, only a few people do. So, how did this few people manage to get more done even though we all have the same 24 hours? Well, here are 5 practical steps to increase your level of output by at least 50%! Trust me, it works!



1 Don't play the blame game, accept responsibility!

One of our very first reaction when things are not working as planned is to find somebody, something, anything to blame! Someone must take the blame! It throws off the pressure away from us and we feel relaxed and relieved. Well, as cool as it sounds this only end up reducing our energy, drive and grit towards achieving our aim. The best bet is to accept full responsibility and say to yourself "if it is to be done it has to be me!" This gives you full control over the situation and helps you focus on what needs to be done and what you need to do to get it done


2 Put First Things First!

Get this now, there are so many things craving your attention everyday so time will never be enough for you to do everything you want to do! But you can always make up time for the truly important things, things that contribute to your life! The problem is we often get them mixed up and we waste time on unnecessary things with the assumption that they are all important. Watching TV, reading news papers, attending to messages on social media may have the appearance of urgency and importance but most times you don't loose anything by not putting them first. When you put first things first, you attend to things that matter to you the most, then others may follow if you have the time.


3 Do it Now! Do it anyway!



Heber Grey, a business man, conducted a study trying to find the common denominator of success, after interviewing several people found out that both successful people and unsuccessful people don't like to do the necessary things they need to do to achieve success but successful people make it a habit to do it anyway. He concluded that your ability to do what you need to do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not, is the common denominator of success! Don't procrastinate, do it now! Even if you don't feel like, just do it anyway! The feeling will come later!


4 Work from a list

Personally I've been able to increase my productivity by at least 20% just by writing down the things I need to do. It helps you create a mental picture of all the things you need to do, either for a day, a week, a month or a year. Write them down in order of importance. This way you'll be able to plan better and avoid forgetting important things.


5 Make it a habit

All habits are learnable. Strive daily to practice these things and make them a habit. Good habits are hard to form but easy to live with. Once you've developed them they become easy and automatic to practice. You'll find yourself responding to life situations in a manner consistent with your habit and you'll feel uncomfortable whenever you're behaving in a manner different from this. It will definitely take time but it's worth the effort


So, that's all folks! But of course that's not all there is about getting things done faster, so feel free to share your own views, opinions and ideas.

Blackberry BBM to start free voice calls!

Toronto - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is announcing a new feature for its popular BBM messaging service. It will allow its customers to make free voice calls over a Wi-Fi network.

RIM said on Wednesday that BBM users will be able to switch back and forth from a text chat to a voice call. RIM also says a split-screen option will let them talk and text at the same time.

The Canadian company says the BBM voice feature is especially attractive for developing markets. Unlike regular texts, BBM messages are not charged on a per-text basis.

RIM is struggling in North America to hold onto customers who are abandoning BlackBerrys for flashier iPhones and Android phone. But the BlackBerry continues to sell well in markets like South Africa, Nigeria and Indonesia. SAPA

Patience and other lessons from the chinese Bamboo

Nowadays, we all try to live a fast paced lifestyle neglecting the founding principles which is evident in nature and all creations. The bamboo which is the fastest growing plant in the world, does not begin its growth in such haste.

Zig Ziglar, the famous motivational speaker, once told the story of the Chinese Bamboo Tree which when planted, watered, and nurtured for an entire growing season doesn't outwardly grow as much as an inch.

Then, after the second growing season, a season in which the farmer takes extra care to water, fertilize and care for the bamboo tree, the tree still hasn't sprouted. So it remains like that for four solid years. The farmer and his wife have nothing tangible to show for all of their labour trying to grow the tree.

Then, along comes year five.
In the fifth year that Chinese bamboo tree seed finally sprouts and the bamboo tree grows up to eighty feet in just one growing season!

Isn't that just wonderful?

The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Toiled ever upward through the night

Though your efforts are not evident now, no one sees your work and labour. Don't quit! Just keep working!






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Leadership and the qualities of a leader

Based on Life Skills Development - Leadership

What is leadership?



Leadership can be described as the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of an organization or group of which they are members. A person who therefore who has this ability is a leader.

What qualities does a leader possess?

Leaders possess a number of common qualities.

Self-awareness: Knowledge of your own values, passions, skills, strengths and weaknesses, an ability to admit and learn from mistakes and to seek information to fill knowledge gaps.

Integrity: A strong sense of "what is right" and a demonstration of ethical practices that sets the tone for others. A commitment to teaching by example.

Courage: The strength to act in accordance with your own values and the greater good despite pressures pushing you in other directions. The ability to put the cause before the desire to be popular.

Confidence: A belief in your ability to meet most challenges that come your way.



Vision: A strong sense of where you are going as a person and where you think society, your community and your organization should be going – and how it might get there.

Enthusiasm: A lively interest in the people, issues and events around you, a feeling of excitement about the possibilities, and the energy to guide them towards fruition.

Innovation: The ability to "think outside the box;" take risks and develop new and effective solutions to old and emerging problems.

Wisdom: Intelligence coupled with insight and empathy, as opposed to raw intelligence.

Adaptability: A willingness to be flexible and to respond quickly and effectively to changing circumstances, along with a commitment to continual learning – formal and informal – and the ability to put that learning into practice.

Strong inter-personal skills: An ability to interact and work harmoniously with others, while being prepared to take on individual responsibilities.

Effective communication: A willingness and ability to listen to and understand the thoughts, ideas and concerns of others and to clearly communicate your own. A vision is nothing if it can't be sold to others.

Belief in others: The desire to build the capabilities of others, praise them where appropriate, go into bat for them when appropriate, provide them with helpful feedback and motivate them to do their best.



Peer respect: An ability to inspire respect, allowing a person to capably lead discussions, maintain discipline and encourage the contribution of others.

Insight: The ability to see the big picture, a strong sense the stage attained by followers and intuits problems before they arise or before they become insurmountable.

Sense of humour: The ability to laugh at yourself and relieve tense or stressful situations with humour

Competence: Others are unlikely to follow the lead of a person who does not appear to know what s/he is doing.

Delegation skills: A willingness to trust others and cede some responsibility.

Jose Mujica: The world’s ‘poorest’ president; Donates 90% salary to poor ; Shuns presidential mansion • Rides 1987 Volkswagen

President Mujica has shunned the luxurious house that the Uruguayan state provides for its leaders and opted to stay at his wife's farmhouse, off a dirt road outside the capital, Montevideo.

The president and his wife work the land themselves, growing flowers.

This austere lifestyle – and the fact that Mujica donates about 90% of his monthly salary, equivalent to $12,000 (£7,500), to charity – has led him to be labelled the poorest president in the world.

His charitable donations – which benefit poor people and small entrepreneurs – mean his salary is roughly in line with the average Uruguayan income of $775 (£485) a month.