THE POWER OF CHOICE

As I scrolled through my news feed on July 26, 2015, the numerous status updates, several selfie posts, and recent news items; one headline stood out above the rest: 'Bobbi Kristina Brown dies at 22years'. Suddenly, a familiar emotion filled my heart. I remember having it once before, when I saw a similar headline three years ago: 'Whitney Houston is dead!' Was it pity or grief? Did I know them personally? Not at all! But I couldn't shake off this sadness and strong belief that these women deserved better and indeed should have had better. 

I look at the circumstances surrounding their lives and deaths, I am further convinced of that fact. Whitney Houston, a woman blessed with such an amazing voice; such great talent and such promising future. Things were going great for her; then she met a young man and fell in love. Both were in the music business and theirs seemed like a perfect match. They got married, remained over the heels in love and things couldn't have been better. Then she started looking very thin, and people started to suspect. At first, it was brushed aside because she 'had always been thin'. This continued until evidence started pouring in. Drugs! That's why she looked the way she did.

Years seemed to pass in the twinkle of an eye as it started getting worse and the public started showing concern. It was obvious that the love she cherished so much had now become a bad influence. She had adopted a lifestyle of drugs and she was now in too deep. People reached out to help her and compelled her to end the association before it was too late but she was in love and chose to stay with her man. It got a lot worse and it began to affect her career. Her health was at risk, but she chose to stay put. It went on for so long and soon we all began to forget, until we heard later on that she had finally left. She found herself again and was indeed refreshed; a new album was released to celebrate this fact. We were all happy, Whitney was back! But we wondered why it took this long, after so much damage had been done.  Nevertheless, we prayed for a restoration of her lost years.

A child had been born in the midst of all that chaos; a beautiful cherry, with so much promise. A singer and aspiring actress, we wished her success with the exploration of her talents. Unfortunately, soon came the sad news of her mother's death, found unresponsive in her home. After her death, we waited for the autopsy and prayed it wasn't drugs, but traces of same were found in her system. What depression this young girl must have had to go through!  Then she fell in love with a young man who she practically grew up with, having been raised by her mother. At some point, we believed they got married until we learnt that they weren't. Nevertheless, the relationship continued. He reportedly began to present himself as her husband to exert excessive control and take over her relations, including other instances of alleged abuse. Bobbi Kristina reportedly made a phone call to an unnamed person to say her boyfriend was not the man she thought he was and was to discuss the details before she was found unconscious in her bathtub. Her boyfriend later admitted they had both done drugs that morning before he left her. We hoped to learn more about this as we waited for her to wake up from the long coma. We all prayed for a miracle but were saddened by the news that she didn't make it. Now, the young man is being accused of the circumstances that led to her death, because he ought to have known better than to acquire drugs for her when she had a drug problem. That was the same issue her mum had and it is just too sad. Quelle dommage! We wait to see the turn of events but still wish things could have gone another way.

What happened to these women is still very relevant today and like it or not, it relates to us all. The choices we make have a lasting effect on our future and several times, our loved ones. When dating, our eyes may notice several things about our partners but instead of addressing them, we sweep them under the carpet under the guise that 'he will change', ‘I love him’ or the more common 'I will change him'. Then we get married and these problems intensify and begin to affect us in several other areas. Our careers, our self-esteem, our minds and self worth, all crumble under the weight of these issues. Victims of verbal and physical abuse choose to remain in such relationships until what is left of them is simply a shadow of themselves or nothing at all. The men will seem fine and well, while the women remain affected. Bobby Brown is still doing great today, remarried and recently had a baby. Nick Gordon is also very alive, although there are speculations that he may be tried in court for involuntary manslaughter of Bobbi Kristina Brown. Choices are delicate! So don't make a choice at your own expense! Although there was no evidence of abuse in Whitney’s case, the negative influence was quite apparent, as her drug use, which her brother confessed on Oprah to have introduced her to, only worsened in her marriage to Bobby Brown.

Don't get me wrong, I am not an advocate for divorce but I will never encourage a woman to stay put with a man who abuses her. Such relationships are best ended before marriage; but even in marriage, the issue must still be addressed and not ignored. The wife of Akolade Arowolo had suffered abuse and even had scars but she kept going back after those fights, until it led to her being stabbed to death, which Arowolo has been convicted for (even though he denies same). If your man is ready to undergo counselling with you and make effort to address whatever is causing the abuse, why not? Please save your marriage! But if you have no say and he declares himself ‘an untouchable’ where no man can speak to him, then my dear, please give him time to cool off. Your life is too important!

I remember listening to a message where the Pastor referred to a ‘Christian fellowship brother’ who was beating his wife and had been counselled against same several times, but he chose to continue. Then, a few of the fellowship men who had tried everything, received the wisdom to try a rather unconventional method. They took the man to a secure location and gave him a taste of his own medicine. He never raised his hands against his wife again! Lol! (P.S, I’m not endorsing violence and battery o!)

On the other hand, it is important for us to develop strong personal values, such that we are able to withstand negative influence and refuse detrimental options, regardless of who is introducing the option. This is very important! Whatever you get yourself into, or adopt is your decision and irrespective of contributory factors or influence from these people in your life, what you say yes or no to is entirely your choice. If you invest time in developing these strong values, they will guide your decisions, including the important decision of choosing a life partner.

They say love is blind but those are simply words. This is your life! You can't afford to close your eyes to these things. Wear a pair of glasses and choose rightly! The signs will be right there in front of you before you say 'I do'. I'm not talking about little things you can afford to compromise, after all no man is perfect. Rather, I'm referring to those major things that can eat away at you forever or demean and destroy you. Any man that is not interested in adding value to your life or encouraging and helping you to be better should take a walk! Any man that thinks that communication should only be one way and enforces his opinion with a slap or punch, should also take a walk and you should run far away from such.

Your choice is extremely important, so please open your eyes wide before you step in. Sometimes you just have to put love aside and decide what is best for you and your future, no matter how difficult that is.

RIP BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN! RIP WHITNEY HOUSTON! RIP ALL OTHER WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF THEIR CHOICES!

With all the sincerity in my heart and a bucket full of roses!

©LAW Afolabi, September 2015                                                 

Disclaimer: The thoughts represented above are the opinion of the author, with a few references to publicly available facts and information about the persons mentioned. They thus do not represent fresh allegations about such individuals and the references have only been used to express the opinion of the author and convey the underlying message.

Sources of facts and individual pictures: dailymail.co.uk, etonline.com, people.com, mirror.co.uk, huffingtonpost.co.uk, rollingstone.com, s2smagazine.com, dailybeast.com, eonline.com.

The Weekend Bite™ Online... August Recap

Happy new month! Wishing you open doors and abundant blessings this September; let it be #ASeptemberForRemembrance. Here is a recap of August’s #ExcerptsFromTheWeekendBite (now bi-weekly) on Twitter.

Firstly, we spoke about #StartingOver

 Starting over is simply beginning again. Trying out something new or employing renewed effort at what you do. For some, they are two dreaded words that imply difficulty and delay. While others cannot fathom even a remote possibility of success with same.

Should the thought of starting over make us afraid or actually bring us new hope? It presents a  fresh opportunity to do things better and succeed where you failed at first.

Some will rather stay in the worst situations because of the fear of the unknown. I believe a common saying is 'The devil you know is better than the angel you don't know'.   The uncertainty tied to the thought of starting over is enough to keep such people where they are. Thus, many only get a fraction of what is in their reach; they settle for less because they are too afraid to try starting over.

You may have a job that hardly covers your transportation expenses and despite your education and experience, you chose to stay, rather than take the risk of starting over with a business of your own. The idea of job security is heavily overrated especially in a country like Nigeria. It makes trained lawyers with great grades and several years at the bar settle for a salary, the equivalent of about $200 a month, because of the certainty attached to 'regular pay'. 

For you, it might not be a job, but a no-good relationship. You might chose to ignore all the signs and abuse and hold on to a false hope of a future, because of your emotional, monetary and perhaps physical investments.

Whatever the case, wake up and smell the coffee. Do a proper assessment of your situation and decide for yourself whether you are where you are meant to be. No matter how far you've gone down that road; if it's a wrong one, you need to get yourself off it and try starting over on the right track. 

You can do it if you try.


Then we spoke about the need to #Persevere

When you begin a journey or start something over, you are bound to meet various forms of challenges on your path. These challenges may come in the form of rejections, limitations, stagnancy, failure, slow pace and many more.

But what do we do when faced with this? Do we summon courage and push again? What if even after we do this, things still seem difficult? Do we just quit and run away, thinking we'll live to fight another day? Or do we suck it up and persevere?

It might be difficult, you might feel distraught as a result of the failures and losses but don't give up. Joy comes in the morning!

Sometimes you just need more information or a better strategy. Or maybe it's not just the right time.  Maybe you need to speak to someone with a bit more experience in that area for some guidance and just pray. Whichever case, you must persevere.

Your future is too important for you to give up now. If you have a conviction, persevere, cos #somethingsgottagive. When the time is right and all things are rightfully in place, your success will break forth like the dawn and you'll thank God that you were able to #persevere.

Persevere to the very end, 

persevere my dear friend,

to life's struggles do not bend, 

until you reach your desired end

In summary, there is a time to try starting over and a time to persevere, it is wisdom with which we tell the difference. A proper assessment of your situation is critical. Don't be afraid to take a dive and when you do, ensure you swim all the way. Don't get out at your first chance because the water seems cold. A little sunshine is all you need to warm it up and that is sure to come!

Wishing you all the best this month. 

Cheers!

©LAW Afolabi, August 2015.

The Weekend Bite™ Online... July Recap

Hello friends, it's been ages! The Weekend Bite™ Online has been on sabbatical and is currently on maternity leave. Therefore, being able to write this comes with an awesome feeling of revived fervour. This is because if we stop writing, we inadvertently close the tap on expression and the opportunity to bless others with same. Remember, the water that accumulates without flowing soon begins to stink!

Happy new month! Wishing you a burst of freshness and newness this August. Here is a recap of July’s #ExcerptsFromTheWeekendBite (now bi-weekly) on Twitter.

Firstly, we spoke about #Plans.

It's a good thing to take time out to draw out a plan at every point in time. It offers many advantages including time saving, guidance, direction, progress measurement and much more. However, our plans can sometimes be good or bad and in other cases may seem ridiculous.

Ridiculous plans can either be good or bad, it depends on what comes out of it. Some of the inventions we have today were borne out of ridiculous plans with many of them failing repeatedly before tasting success. What distinguished those inventors was their ability to learn from mistakes, look over their initial plans and make amendments. There is nothing stopping you from going back to the drawing board to re-strategize, the real failure is you giving up and failing to re-plan.

We may have a carefully crafted plan which we want to stick to by all means but we need to be observant of the signs that surround us and know when a new or revised strategy is needed. It's not for us to give up at every sight of obstacles or challenges but to amend our plans when necessary, so as to ensure maximum success and manifestation of our dreams.

Then we spoke about #Communication.

Communication is the passing of information from one person to another about a particular subject. It is something we cannot do without every day. Whether we communicate by words, actions or gestures, the important thing is that we communicate effectively i.e. the information we intend to pass along must be received accurately by the other party.

On the road to realising our dreams, we can plan and strategize all we want but we must endeavour to spend time and invest in effective communication of our brand. That's why brand strategists charge so much and social media platforms are making so much profit. People and brands that invest in communication, coupled with improving the quality of their products and services, reap the benefit in soaring sales.

Communication is not just important for business but our everyday lives. Sometimes we choke when surrounded by great opportunities and people. We miss out on certain things because we are either too proud or scared to speak up. Other times, it’s because we don't know what to say. Don't be afraid to speak about yourself or brand, especially when you meet liked minds or someone that is where you want to be. There is no benefit in you having a need and being silent when a potential benefactor or someone who can offer great advice is in the room. Speak up but speak wisely!

In summary, you need to plan, review your plan and act! In doing so, effective communication to the right people is necessary to ensure success and fulfilment of your dreams. Be armed and ready when the opportunity presents itself, so you don’t miss out on anything! Wishing you all the success in the world!

Cheers!

©LAW Afolabi, July 2015.

Glorious Woman

God took his time to think of you

And saw the need and plan for you

He made you much more specially too

Glorious woman

Though the enemy tried to displace you

And frustrate God’s beautiful plan for you

God’s Glorious grace in Jesus came through

Glorious Woman

In God’s divine plan you played an active part

You gave birth to kings & raised them from the start

Even when you were despised, rejected& torn apart

Glorious woman                              

A heart so precious, it glitters more than gold

Your words so rich, laced with wisdom untold

Hands so strong, they do not grow weary or old

Glorious woman

Your altar of prayer burns and never goes dim

The chances of your failure are forever slim

With Jesus on your side and the Spirit within

Glorious woman

You organise your home and get things done

Make sure your clothes sparkle and are not outworn

Your children too shine bright even as the sun

Glorious woman

A voice to the nations, a messenger of peace

Still a champion at home, your dedication does not cease

A will that endures all hardships and doth ever increase

Glorious woman

You are influential, outstanding, a woman of worth

You take territories over; rid them of evil sorts

Fulfilling purpose in all areas; dominion’s your lot

Glorious woman

On your account, a lost people are saved

By your words and prayers, troubled hearts are stayed

Your compassion reaches out to help the swayed

Glorious woman

God’s love for you forever endures

You are celebrated today and forevermore

A treasure to all, you remain ever sure

Glorious Woman

©Lola Agbaje-Williams ©LAW Afolabi, February 2015.

All Rights Reserved

A Tale of Two Love Birds

"Enitan, my sweet love....my one and only...”

Josh couldn't get past that one line no matter how hard he tried. How in the world was he going to get ready in time for tomorrow?

He stared at the bin in front of him, with more confusion in his mind. The shredded sheets with wasted ink filled up the container and left no room for more.

Enitan....Enitan...how in the world was he going to express the feelings that dwelt deep inside his heart like a soulful melody within that he never wanted to end.

Beep went his mobile. 'Not now! I'm trying to concentrate.' He thought to himself.

He ignored it and tried penning down some key words. Another sound soon filled the room, this time it was his office line. He couldn't afford to ignore this.

"Hello!"

"Josh what have you been doing all day? How come the Jackson file is not yet on my desk?” Asked his boss impatiently.

"Sir, I'm working on it."

"I must have it before the end of the day!" Click went the sound of the phone on the other end.

He had a lot of work on his desk...this writing was not going to work right now.

His mobile beeped again. This time he saw it was Mama calling. 'What could she want o!' He decided to pick the call.

"Mama, kedu!"

"Odinma my son. I hope work is fine."

"Mama, what is happening? You know that I'm at work."

"Yes, I know. But I need your help my son. The container I was expecting with my goods has landed and the money to clear it is much more than I expected. I need to get it done today because some customers’ goods are there and they want it by tomorrow. "

"Mama, I can't leave the office, I'm already swamped with work at the moment.”

"I'm not asking you to leave work; just send me some of the money to balance what I have."

"Ok mama, how much."

"It's just ..."

Mama's words blocked Josh's ears. How was he going to sort this out today of all days?

______________________________________________________________________________

"Mama how would you ask me for such a sum at this last minute?"

"My son it's just 500,000 Naira. Besides I will give you something when I'm able to sell the goods."

"But mama, I don't carry that kind of money on me. Or have you forgotten that we have all gone cashless."

"No o. You will never be cashless in Jesus Name. "

"Yes I know mama. I mean I will have to go to the bank to effect that transfer to you. I can't trust anyone in this office and I have so much on my desk to do."

"I don't have anyone else to call now. You know your sister has forgotten me ever since she followed that oyinbo man to Germany. Now I don't have anyone else. If only your father was alive..."

Josh knew he had to stop her before she started sobbing again. That was the usual reaction once he complained about her pestering him.

"It's Ok mama. I'll handle it!"

"Thank you my son. You know how to make an old woman smile."

"No problem mama. Let me try to take care of things here."

He ended the call and made a loud sigh. 'All of this… today!!!’  But it was true, mama had no one else to ask for help and he couldn't afford to get a query at work because he failed to complete a task. Well today, he had to put on his superman costume and perform wonders. He tried to look at the file and see if he could do something before heading to the bank... He made another sigh, it was going to take all day!

Josh glanced quickly at his watch. It was already 3.30 pm. He had to dash to the bank quickly and hope he won't be spotted by his boss. First, he thought it best to check his account balance. As he scrolled to the last text alert, he kept hoping to God that today was going to work out.

'Chimo!' Josh screamed

_________________________________________________________________________________

His account balance was just a little over 500,000 Naira. And he had promised mama.... 'Chei!’ Josh exclaimed.

What would be left for him to handle tomorrow or to survive after that until payday? And there was Enitan to still think about, yet he couldn't even find time to do that. Ah! The troubles of a man with responsibilities.

After thinking deeply for 10 minutes, he decided to sneak out of the office. His James Bond skills were sure to get him out of this prison unnoticed. With his set of skilful moves, he got out and headed straight for the bank. He was there before 4.00 pm. He made the transfer to Mama and hoped some miracle would happen before tomorrow.

He was back to the office soon and dug his head into his office work. A thought of Enitan breezed by but he quickly dismissed it. He needed to concentrate fully, if he was going to complete this assignment on time.

********************

Enitan brushed her hair as she sang along to her favourite love song. Josh had been her angel this past year. She recalled how they met; so randomly, yet so divinely ordained. Since then, it had been such an amazing journey. Sure, there were times when he drove her crazy but that split second of madness which was always followed by an apology was nothing compared to the love and understanding he showered her with. She couldn't wait to see what he had in store for tomorrow. He always went all out to make her feel special and she knew tomorrow won't be different. After all, it was Valentine's Day and their one year anniversary. She had gotten some gifts but was looking for something to make it extra special. Her phone soon beeped. She quickly reached for it in case it was Josh pinging to say hello.

"A BC? Mschew!" How she hated them!

She was about to discard it when something caught her eye. This might as well be the special thing she had been looking for.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Josh was exhausted when he got home. There was no way his brain could conceive anything anymore. He still had some change. Maybe he'll just take her to a restaurant after work and give her the dress he got for her last month. He'll explain everything to her, after all she could be very understanding. He had always prayed for a woman that would understand him for who he is and accept the fact that he had responsibilities. As far as he was concerned, God had answered that prayer. So far so good, Enitan proved to be just that and more. That's why he always wanted to make her feel special with every opportunity he had.

He looked at some pictures of her before going to bed and tried to go through some unread messages. There was one that stood out. Why didn't he think of this before instead of trying to be Superman, Batman and Luther Vandross, all in one? He quickly drafted a message. He knew it was quite late but he hoped his order would still be taken against tomorrow.

****************

Enitan woke up feeling great and expectant. Josh had already called her at 12.01 am to say how much he loved her. She had taken the week off from work to rest. So she had nothing to do but wait till she met with Josh later that night. First, she made sure she sent an email to her sweetheart, along with an attachment that would speak volumes.

****************

Josh was lucky to get a reservation at their favourite place because of his frequent customer status, and some promises to his boy there.

His day wasn't going too bad. His boss was in a good mood and even commended his work yesterday. There was not too much stress at the office because everyone was smiling at their screens and phones. It seemed that love was truly in the air. Mama was able to clear the goods and kept calling to say thanks. Just one more thing was left to make it all complete.

'Beep' went his phone. Josh rushed for it and gave a wide smile as he quickly rushed through his mail box. He spotted a mail from Enitan but decided to settle this first. His order had been processed on time, how fantastic! He promptly downloaded it and went straight to Enitan's Facebook page. After all, there was nothing like a public display of affection to warm a girl's heart.

After the deed was done, Josh scrolled to Enitan's mail.

"Wow, I can't believe it!"

His mobile rang out loud. He recognised that ring tone immediately.

"Hello honey."

"Babie, I saw your post on my Facebook wall. Thank you so much. Those words spoke straight to my heart. I love you so much."

"I love you too honey."

"I can't believe it, we used... "

"…the same people." Josh finished her sentence. "Yes I wanted to say the same thing. I guess our thinking is somehow synchronised now."

"At least we got to say what we really wanted to say"

"Yes we did. I loved yours too...I love you"

"Can't wait to see you tonight"

"Me too"

They blew each other kisses and ended the call with smiles still beaming on their faces. There was love, but more than that there was contentment, joy and peace. As they both looked forward to their rendezvous that night, they remembered to send a message to the people who made this possible.

"Thank you Peach Expressions, let's do this again soon"

The end!

©Lola Agbaje-Williams ©LAW Afolabi, February 2015| All Rights Reserved

MY DOMINION STORY

Photo: sosn.org

I am standing here today

With a story to tell

The manner by which I got here

I know it too well

I wasn’t always like this

I never believed in myself

I gave up very easily

And always cowered in my shelf

I was deceived into believing

That I wasn’t in control

I let my circumstances dictate

What I do and how far I go

But as time went on, I began to realise

Who I was really made to be

No longer bound by the chains that held me

Indeed I have been set free

Freedom to do what, you may ask

Freedom, I answer, to bear fruits that will last

No longer being dominated by men who abuse me

But rising up with courage to walk in dominion and authority

I speak into existence

Things that weren’t there before

I loose in heaven and earth an abundance

That is too large to store

I raise godly seed that are arrows

In God’s powerful hands

Indeed, I and my entire family

We are for signs and wonders

No longer shall we be deceived

By the lying serpent

No longer shall we walk in ignorance

Or as fear’s servants

We are fruitful, we multiply

And subdue all the earth

We are influential and prosperous

With unbeatable strength

We are filled with words of wisdom

And act as consultants for kings

We are the head and never tail

Yes, the best in everything

We are rulers and teachers

Lawyers and preachers

We are doctors and nurses

Accountants, the greatest bosses

In all that we do

We influence and add value

Proclaiming God’s favour

In every way and each avenue

With all this experience of dominion

We remember to remain humble

As worthy vessels for the master’s use

This way, we’ll never stumble

You too can walk this walk of dominion with me

And live the life that God intended

As you do so, may God’s grace carry you

Until the last day when we are perfected

© October 2014 by Lola Agbaje-Williams

The Weekend Bite Online...June Recap

Hello friends, it's my pleasure to bring you the June Recap of The Weekend Bite Online. June was a month of learning for us with great feedback from the twitter family. If you missed it, this recap is especially for you.

In the first week, we stated with #Action.

Photo: Mindflash

#Action signifies doing something or putting something into practice. Many times, many of us get the vision, decision and planning parts right, but only a few of us successfully execute these plans. It's much easier to say what we want to be, but there is a big step between imagining something and achieving it. This step is called Action. 

#Action thus requires getting up and doing something; being a doer not just a dreamer. There must be an interplay of hard work and dedication. The road may be rough, putting continuous effort may be stressful, but if we must become and if we must achieve, then we must by all means act!

No matter how tasking it may be, grow from being a talker into a doer because the world belongs to doers and doers never lose! Embark on #Action today!

In the second week, we continued with #Opportunism.

#Opportunism is the act of making use of opportunities and circumstances as they arise. This requires an ever positive attitude, not one which is easily influenced by temporary setbacks. 

Photo: Superfunnyimages

#Opportunism sees opportunities instead of problems; turning them around to suit current needs. While everyone is busy grumbling about the nature and gravity of a problem, an opportunist simply rises to the occasion to take advantage of the situation.

#Opportunism also adapts to change and successfully derives benefit from such unwanted or unexpected change. This is based on a constant preparation of the mind-set for the unexpected and a firm decision never to be thrown aback by same; rather to work with whatever comes one's way.  No option or circumstance should be seen as too little or too insignificant, instead try pursuing such options with an open mind. Concentrating on the challenges or limitations that abound around you won't get you anywhere, instead make up your mind to TRY and to BELIEVE in yourself no matter what, looking forward to your desired end.

You may never know how successful you can be until you try #Opportunism . It is definitely one of the keys to a successful and happy life.

In the third week, we moved on to consider #Purpose.

#Purpose is simply the reason for existence, the very essence for our being!  There has to be something that drives us, something which under any circumstances, we would naturally do! These things originate from within and are a clear definition of who we are & what we were made to do. 

Photo: Lifehack

A life lived without discovering #Purpose is meaningless, because without a destination or sense of direction, success cannot be measured. Instead, years can be wasted by  chasing after shadows; no accomplishments nor improvements. A purposeless life never gains any true satisfaction from within because  it ventures into things it was never made to do. Imagine a chair believing itself to be a musical instrument or a bird thinking it is a snake; all purposes clearly different, what a misadventure  that would be. The chair thinking its purpose was to play music instead of providing comfort for sitting; or the bird trying to crawl on the ground, trees and walls, instead of soaring high above in the skies, to the admiration of men. What a misadventure indeed!

All things are made for different purposes; addressing a particular need and filling a particular gap. Don't waste your time being someone you're not. Discover your #Purpose and embrace it! Only then will you find fulfilment.  Do what you must: soul searching, meditating, praying, seeking counsel, studying, whatever it takes to discover and define this purpose.

When you discover it, run with it; there's nothing better than living a  #Purpose driven life.

In the fourth week, we wrapped it up with #Focus.

Photo: AliExpress

#Focus can be described as a state of having and maintaining clear vision and gaze on a particular object. In the pursuit of purpose, #Focus is important to help us overcome distractions we may face on our path! We are often confronted by events or occurrences which aim to make us give up on our goals and dreams. 

Without #Focus, we could easily get carried away/ thrown off balance by such unpleasant events or even people along our way. However, we must realise the temporary nature of such occurrences and focus on the permanent nature of our intended accomplishments.

#Focus simply helps us find a balance in the midst of the turbulence and positions us to forge ahead to achieve our goals. In the depth of our minds we can have a note to ourselves, pasted up on the wall, reminding us to always stay focused. Next time there is a temptation to give up, take offence or get frustrated, each of us must ask ourselves: Why am I here? What do I seek to achieve? Once we can answer #Focus 's question, we'll realise that every other thing or person doesn't count. Rather, #Focus has set us back on course. All that matters is what we need to achieve, and so we channel all our energy towards that.

 Maintain #Focus today, it's crucial to ensuring your success! 

 That's a wrap folks, hope you enjoyed the run through! 

• Embark on #Action, ensure #Opportunism, Pursue #Purpose and maintain #Focus

All the best putting these into practice!...success is yours!

Cheers!

L.A.W © July 2014 by Lola Agbaje-Williams

For #ExcerptsFromTheWeekendBite : Follow Lola on Twitter: @lolawilliams02