Three books published.
* Relationship Strategist * Leadership Trainer * Life coach
More than 500 active readers globally.
A teacher with vast experience.
Feathers of Hope by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
I am excited to introduce my third book in the series of my contribution to literature. I titled it Feathers of Hope.
Feathers of Hope is a perfect gift of hope you can give yourself or anyone you love who places a high premium on self-development and relationship building. It is a practical guide to self-discovery and rediscovery. This handbook is particularly unique as it provides you with an inspirational message for each of the 365 days that make a year.
Culled from my daily teachings, this book will help you navigate life’s challenges and strengthen your relationship with people towards achieving lasting success.
Feathers of Hope also comes in form of desk book that can be placed on the table in your office or study room at home.
Both the hard copy and e-book of Feathers of Hope are available for purchase on Amazon. The book is due for launch in Lagos on 27 November 2024 and will be available for purchase on my websites – www.akinjnr.com and www.akinjnrla.com. It will also be available through all major bookstores across Nigeria.
just Begin by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
I listened I don’t joke with feedback, I take it seriously. Penultimate week I spoke on active listening, my message was first to myself. Many times I’ve had honest feedback from my followers who would always wish to read my articles till the end but get discouraged to start because of the length and they’d rather not start when they don’t have enough time because when they start they can’t stop. I had promised at the start of this year to keep it short and simple to accommodate my audience without exception. Some active followers had subtly asked that I add visuals to encapsulate my thoughts in order that they can quickly listen and revisit the write up later. I listened. Here I am and in deference to your counsel, my thoughts on video weekly is birthed as a regular feature in my usual custom. Thank you for honest feedback. • I use it Last week I spoke on using what you get so you don’t lose it. The best way to keep what I have is to use it. I write to inspire, now I speak to it to drive it home. I practise what I preach and I usually feel gratified by the results I get. Welcome to my world. • I began I had no idea the form it would take when I started my weekly writings but I began. My primary goal was to ensure that I write weekly but I didn’t lose sight of the lessons I learnt by the way side. As the journey progressed the thought of writing a book crept in and I seized it. Another lesson I learnt was to add a face to the name and a voice to the message. My first video was in its raw form but still I started. What is that thing that you have been wishing to start? This week, my message to you is simple, I have come to tell you that the beginning makes the condition perfect. Just begin. ©️akinjnr 2020
if you don't use it you will lose it by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
Some skills are inborn, some are products of conscious learning, neither is self improving if there is no constant engagement. Without a doubt, there is something unique in every human that no one else has, it is the only reason that no two humans carry the same thumbprint.
Let’s keep it short and simple, you cannot take credit for your talent, you only take credit for using it. Humanity is in dire need of solution to myriads of problems. No one lights a candle and puts it under the lamp stand, your talent becomes a gift to mankind only when you activate it. If you don’t use your talent you will lose it. ©️akinjnr 2020
The power of praise by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
It is true that not many people like adulation, some people are genuinely modest and shy of being praised or at least they would rather be saved of it in public but truth be told, an average human being cherishes an acknowledgement of his good deeds even if it is just for a mention. Every mortal feels a sense of importance that comes with the recognition of his good deeds even if it is just for the records. Genuine praise begets fulfillment from a genuine act. Praise is a powerful tool to get a man to improve and keep improving.
Common as we hear it and easy as it sounds, it is not so natural to praise, an average human being condemns an action that he doesn’t like faster than he praises an action that he likes. To praise is not so natural, it takes deliberate efforts but by the nature of man, it’s almost effortless to condemn. It is nothing to feel bad about, just the way we are wired. This is not forgetting that to praise is not exactly the same as praise singing, the latter may not be with good intention. Some few years back I was under the ministration of Steve Crown, the famous gospel artist and singer of the famous hit worship song – “You are great”. Steve deposited a word in me on that day that I do not intend to recover from. He said that worshipping God is the only spiritual exercise that you cannot delegate. Your friends, even your enemies, can pray for you; your Pastor can stand in the gap for you to speak to God on your behalf but no one can worship God on your behalf, you’ve got to do it by yourself. Think about that. Parents should hear this. Don’t ever fail to praise your children when they do anything that is deserving of praise. You may think they do not notice but they do. I took a useful counsel from an audio book written by Kenneth Erickson some years back. He identified three possible responses to an action: • you can affirm • you can infirm • you can be indifferent. Only one of the three is advised, the last two are dream killers, please avoid them. Word of affirmation is an encourager, please use it as often as you can but not mischievously. You can damage someone’s self esteem if all you do all the time is infirm his actions by passing negative comments even when it’s unwarranted. The last one appears harmless but it may be worse than the one before it because nothing kills the morale of a man than spending his time, energy and resources to accomplish a task only for the results to go unnoticed. I beg of you, don’t be quiet when you should praise your child, it’s dangerous. Praise is a powerful tool in the kingdom of heaven. What more can I say for us here on earth? Permit me to praise you, and sincerely too, for creating the time to read this piece. Won’t you praise me too for keeping it short and simple? ©️akinjnr 2020
CHOOSE YOUR BATTLE by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
I used to know a man who does everything for himself. He grows his food and vegetables, makes his clothes, builds his house and he was his own barber long before Covid-19 turned everyone to an expert of some sort in hairdressing. You probably would think that it sounds weird but this is true life story. I hardly tell stories that I cannot verify because of the risk of exaggeration or misrepresentation. You may then ask why does he do what he does? I may not have the answer but I know that sometimes those who think they are smart outsmart themselves even if they don’t admit.
I wrote on this topic before but I cannot but emphasise that those who aspire to win don’t joke with their identity. If you are like the man in my story you might be swimming in the delusion of versatility but you are unlikely to be known for anything. If you are not sure of your identity you make it difficult for others to know you and if you are not known for something the path to greatness becomes thornier because identity confusion makes a supposed short journey longer. It’s a rare gift to be multitalented, you may be good at many things but those who value victory direct their energy to things of greatest value. Smart people may know how to do many things but smart people don’t do everything. Some things you struggle to do are what some others do with minimum efforts to achieve outstanding results. Why settle for good if better is possible? Not all battles deserve the deployment of your full arsenal. If your aim is to win, then choose your battle, focus on your greatest strength and savour a victory that is accompanied with fulfillment. ©️ akinjnr 2020
Face your fear by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
If any man tells you that he is fearless tell him that what he has is courage. The things that give great sense of accomplishment do not drop on our laps, the dearer they are the more valued and most times they sit on the other side of fear. Those who have courage dare the odds and they reach out faster to things of value. Fear has its good sides.
Life itself is one mystery waiting to be unraveled. If you want life to be easy you must learn to do the difficult things but if all you seek for is how to do the easy things then you must be prepared to live a difficult life. Those who win are not those who run away from battles. The best things in life are on the other side of fear, you just have to cross over to get it. You cannot solve a problem that you don’t understand, neither can you be a conqueror without fighting a battle. Face your fear. ©️akinjnr 2020
who are you? by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
Simple as this question is, many people don’t bother asking themselves and even when they do, some assume that the answer is given because they usually describe themselves by what they do and particularly when life smiles at them and lines are falling for them in pleasant places. Who you are is not necessarily what you do that puts money in your pocket but all of us need money to preserve our dignity and meet our physiological, social, economic and even emotional needs. If you check, there is an indescribable joy that comes with it each time you tend towards who you are created to be but not who you choose to be. At that moment, money becomes secondary. That is who you are if you are vigilant. Be mindful not to be lost in the search for economic prosperity that you forget your identity. Success has many definitions but fulfillment has restricted meaning, both are best defined by individuals but for this I’m sure – I have never seen a fulfilled man who is not successful but I have seen many successful men who are not fulfilled. Those who know themselves appreciate more the true meaning of fulfillment. Do you really know yourself? Who are you? ©️akinjnr 2020
failure is an option by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
I wrote on this topic before. Those who say that failure is not an option beg the question and it is dangerous to avoid a question that should be answered. To say that failure is not an option is not to make any attempt to understand what it means to fail and many take failure to be success because they are not wired to know the difference. Car manufacturers introduced airbags to reduce the impact of injury in case of break failure. This does not mean that their products do not pass the quality assurance test. Waiting for emergencies before thinking of an appropriate response leads to poor judgement. It has nothing to do with being a doomsayer, life happens and not only to those who are careless. Without choices life will be boring and uncompetitive. Those who dare failure have brighter chances of succeeding because they are not afraid to try new things. Some successes of yesterday do not count today, the same way that something that was considered a failure yesterday can be the best hope of tomorrow. Failure is an option but successful people don’t mistake one for the other, they know the difference between success and failure and even if failure comes they show resilience to resist the possibility of being shattered. Let no one tell you that failure is not an option. Life is a moving train. Choose wisely. ©️akinjnr 2020
Test The Water by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
I love to tell stories when I’m the principal witness. If for anything, I’m able to tell the story with authority and without any fear of embellishment. I once had an experience in a restaurant when I needed to wash my hands in the bathroom. There are things we take for granted, running water in a public bathroom is one of them but I was wrong. Not until after I had stained my hands with liquid soap did I realise that the tap was not running. It would appear like a harmless story but to think that I was in hurry to exit the restaurant for an important appointment made it a big issue for me. It took me some time to get help but I learnt my lesson. Till date, even in my house, I turn the tap on to be sure that water is running before I apply the soap.
Did you learn anything from my story? Some things are not as harmless as they appear. There are things you consider as very simple matters but if you do not take your time to think through the consequence of what could go wrong you may spend the time meant for a more productive engagement resolving a problem that is avoidable. This applies more when you are delving into a terrain that you are not too familiar with. Get me right, I do not ask you to be totally risk averse, success and risk are inseparable but some risks require a second look before you dive particularly when you don’t have a fair idea of the depth of the water. The most pertinent question to ask yourself is what could go wrong? Go a step further to weigh the possible impact of a wrong decision should things not turn out the way you desired. The answer to these questions should guide you to know if it’s all right for you to act with the speed of light. If the answer is unclear, perhaps you have a lesson to learn from my story. Test the water before you apply the soap. ©️akinjnr 2020
creative destruction. by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
It’s not the first time that the world is witnessing disruption of monumental proportion. There have been many uprisings in world history some of which have led to wars whether avoidable or otherwise but I doubt if anything has ever ruffled humanity in the magnitude that the world has witnessed at the twilight of 2019 the end of which no one can tell. What makes this different from others is the advancement of technology that has made the world such a global village where information travels at the speed of light. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
The first time I heard the phrase “creative destruction” it took me some time to understand the meaning but now I know and I’ve seen it playing out right in my eyes. It’s exciting how everyone is suddenly thinking independent of any box. I watched a tech programme on Channels Television last night where a Senior Secondary student (SS2) of one Jakande Estate Comprehensive College in Lagos designed an electronic waste bin that automatically opens as the would-be user approaches without any physical contact. Abeedah Alabi is such an unassuming young lady who spoke of her invention with so much dexterity of an inventor who is poised to conquer her world. Abeedah, if you or anyone close to you are/is reading this, you inspire me. Some may see the thorne in the thistle but I beseech you to look for the thistle in the thorne. Put differently, look for the opportunities in the challenge and not the challenges in the opportunity. As I wish the world quick recovery from this scourge, I challenge you and I not to lose sight of the gains of this season. It’s either you change or you are changed, there’s no room for indecision. ©️akinjnr 2020
The Catalyst by Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
Many dreams die at incubation stage for want of catalysts to provide the necessary push to activate the dream. There is no such thing as self-made man. You need someone who will always follow up on you to find out how things are coming up. You need people who will help you to drive your dreams. You need someone who will tell you where you are doing well and where you need to make amends. Your catalyst will tell you what others may not tell you, he will not indulge you where you will ordinarily indulge yourself. Every success has a dream driver.
However good you may be at what you do, you need partners. You may be a master of your game, the world may even be at your feet in your chosen vocation or career but you still need a catalyst who will be your third eye to see beyond your reach. Sometimes I think aloud, albeit to myself. What if all of us become highly successful as we wish? Considering that success is relative, that sounds too broad and vague, isn’t it? Let’s simplify it. What if all of us are successful professionals, top ranking public servants, business executives, academic gurus, entrepreneurs of no mean feat and every other definition of success in local language? Who will drive the executives to the boardroom? Who will be housemaid to madam? You need partners to help you to the top and keep you there. If you are the Managing Director in your company, wait until all the cleaners choose to be absent from work on a given day when there is no holiday before you know that the cleaners are as important as the Deputy Managing Director. It may not take you a long time to replace the cleaners but for a short moment you will realise that each person has his or her role to play and none is more important than the other. Before you talk down on anyone, always remember that none of us can achieve our dreams all by ourselves, everyone needs someone. What kind of success do you desire? Only the big type is good for you but don’t forget that success to you may not be success to your neighbour and this is where mutual respect matters. If you don’t have a catalyst, by reason of this message, let me be your catalyst. No man is an island. Everyone needs someone. ©️akinjnr 2020