GET CONNECTED


So there was this video I stumbled on online with which I came to the realization that ‘sleepwalking’ in the 21st Century puts us at the risk of being surrounded by various things to learn from and grow with, but being too distracted to learn anything.

In the said video were two boys, one should be around 14 years old and the other should be around half that age. The little one would keep disturbing the older one whenever he was playing games; always trying to press a button on his game pad. So the older one thought about it and did something funny.

The next time he was playing game, he kept an extra pad beside him for his younger brother . As soon as the younger brother showed up to disturb him, he simply handed him his own gamepad and continued his game. The younger brother, very satisfied with the gesture, took his seat and concentrated on his own game too. He was fiddling with the game pad, pressing various buttons, obviously too young to realize that a fast one had been pulled on him.

The gamepad in his hands wasn’t CONNECTED! (Chai!)

As funny as that video was, I saw in it, the exact way a lot of people lived – MISCONNECTED, UNCONNECTED or DISCONNECTED. Unconsciously MISCONNECTED to the things we consciously tag as things of little or no real value; and in the process, DISCONNECTED from the things that truly matter.

Have you ever taken a minute to realize that almost every tech item or gadget only functions to its fullest capacity, when its CONNECTED to another thing? Number one thing devices depend on, is electricity. Even if your device sports the best battery, not connecting it to a power source over time would soon make the battery go DEAD. Some items (like the remote) can’t work without batteries, no matter how much you press it and beat it, it just wouldn’t work.

Our mobile phones… Haha!... these ones. You must have noticed how incomplete your device feels when you’re DISCONNECTED from your network provider’s internet service because you’re out of subscription. Or when your device is on 11% battery and just when you decide to CONNECT the charger, PHCN happens? (Lol!) Or even when you need to make an urgent call, only to see “searching for network” on your screen instead of the network bars.

Just so we know, we need to consciously CONNECT to the things we consider important, because if we don’t, we would be MISCONNECTED with time consuming trivialities. We need to consciously and intelligently set our priorities and make the right CONNECTIONS in order to experience an upsurge in every area of our lives, where we desire it.

For instance, do you want to be the next big comedian? Why not find a way to connect with top comedians in the business. The next rap star? Why not find a way to connect with A-list rappers.
Whichever career path or life phase we know we could really use some progressive and fantastic CONNECTION, trust me, we would always find people ahead of us that we could CONNECT with; giving us the chance to leverage on their knowledge, their experience, even their name, and so on, to help carve out a path for us.

A good example is AY the comedian. He hustled his way till he CONNECTED with Alibaba and successfully leveraged on the Alibaba brand, taking him as a mentor, after he came to Lagos from Warri. We all are witnesses to how that turned out for him.

While you spend valuable time on social media, just keeping up with the news and trends, your prospects might just be loitering around, waiting for you to use the same social media platform to talk about what you do, upload images of your works and add your business contact details and they begin to CONNECT with you.

 Again, this is the 21st century where various connections have not only made the world a smaller global digital village, but also made successful people from the least expected sources. The question is: What CONNECTIONS are you making, and what/Who are you CONNECTING with?

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WDYT - I "THINK" I WANT A DIVORCE

 Hello Guys,

Glad to have you back on today's episode of What Do You Think. All the intro has been done last week and for those who missed it, you can check HERE.

Today is another week with another story but believe me, when you think you've seen or heard it all, come check Mature Minds Talk WDYT just to be sure. You just might surprise yourself.

Without further ado, let's jump straight to the WDYT for today.

Here we go

I "THINK" I WANT A DIVORCE

There is love in sharing is what the bib... Sorry... people, say. But if you find yourself in a marriage where your partner cannot stand sharing some things with you, then toying with the thought of divorce in your head, just like the lady in the center of this scenario might or might not be a bad idea.

Joy (not real name of course) has been happily married for three years to a very caring husband and all round gentleman and everything is going on fine... except for one thing - Joy's husband is too hygienic for her liking and he suffers from "Ordering and Arrangement OCD" (it's not grammar. use your google app).

Her husband has never shared his towel, soap, sponge, and all hell broke loose the day Joy used her husband's toothbrush only to tell him two days later. He was livid. He didn't talk to her for a week for that crime. Nothing can be out of place for ten seconds where Joy's hubby is. Sometimes he'll come back from work and without even removing his tie, start putting this and that carefully in their places.

Joy's husband, sometimes, like a man possessed, would wake up in the middle of the night and start arranging the living room, the kitchen, and any other room not well arranged, putting every single thing where they are meant to be - In the middle of the night.

She has 'tolerated' his behaviour for too long and she feels she could lose her mind if she keeps up with his OCD and over-hygienic behaviour.

So, should she just overlook that side and focus on his other good sides?

Should she go ahead and opt out of the marriage?

Should she keep praying for him or probably she needs to understand that it's a good thing to have a man who is hygienic and meticulous. Or...

...What Do You Think?



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WDYT - THE BOSS AND THE LADY

Hi there,

Welcome to MMT’s New Friday WDYT series.

So, this is the first post in a series of WDYT series and WDYT simply stands for “What Do You Think?”

In the WDYT series, we’ll be sharing true life stories and real facts that we’ve gathered by ourselves and thanks to our guest contributors who have given us express permission to share the stories.
So even if you’re too busy to comment on every other post on MMT, please, ejor, biko, mbok, your comment would definitely be needed on WYDT post because that is actually the reason why we’re putting up the post – so we get people’s opinions and maybe, just maybe your thought can be of help to either the person in question, or someone else in a similar situation. Thank you Sir’s/Ma’s.

Without further ado, let’s quickly check out the WDYT post for today. Are you ready?

Here we go!

THE BOSS AND THE LADY
So, the lady in the center of all this just got a job a month ago in Lagos. The job is a nice paying job, if N80,000 sounds good to you.

The firm is all these types that the boss only shows up once in a while – for like a month and disappears for the next two months, then reappears again. She didn’t meet THE BOSS until two weeks back. By the readjustment of every single staff when the news that THE BOSS was coming broke, she knew he was respected (feared).

The day the boss came around, she stood from her seat, greeted the boss but he wouldn’t reply. He just strolled into his office like no one was there. A couple of minutes later, the boss called the new staff and this is where the story gets a bit interesting.

The boss categorically tells the lady in question that he’s a Yoruba man and he expects his staff to greet him in a manner that conforms to his culture and tradition. Cutting out the long grammar, he expects the lady to kneel (knees touching the floor) in greeting any time she’ll be greeting him – No jokes. The lady simply said “Ok sir” and left his office.

She’s presently thinking of resigning from her job, as she just can’t cope with the greeting aspect of it. Being an Igbo lady makes it all more complicated for her and according to her, she’ll rather work for less and be happy, than work for more and disgruntled.

Is tending her resignation letter okay? Do you think she should just kneel and greet without putting her mind to it?

What piece of advice would you give the lady in question?

What Do You Think?





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HAPPY NEW NOVEMBER

Hello there,

So, someone said it’s the first day of the second to the last month already, and I had to confirm from my calendar if it was true (Lol!)… Days are literally flying by and it would indeed require conscious effort to get the maximum benefit of each day that we get. It means we need to be both consciously active and consciously prepared for opportunities. You know what they say – Victory Loves Preparation.

Who else is thankful to have successfully ticked off 305 days off the 366 for this year? Well, I am, since it is a good habit to number (take cognizance of) our days. Also, because it is was just like 3 weeks ago we counted down to a new year. Guess what? We have just one full month left in 2016.

Let me use this opportunity to say Happy New Month, and may this month be our month of Accelerated Progress. Every goal that has been pending since the beginning of the year, would be gracefully achieved this month.

Trust me, around this time is when people start to give up on some things that are yet to be ticked off in the To-Do list they made either at the beginning of the year or midyear, but I personally don't believe giving up is good mind habit.

Why give up on that thing you wish to do because there is a delay? Why throw in the towel, shake your head in despair, turn around and go home. Why? Who said delay means denial? Who said a lot can’t happen in the remaining 60 days? A whole lot in fact.

Don’t look at the end of the year (except you are a time traveler) look at the beginning of two good months that we’ve got to make something happen. Don’t allow the time left make you procrastinate or say things like “I’ll go at with 360 degrees full force in January!” What if it can be done this year? Then why shift it into the future?

We’ve got enough goals waiting for us in the future. Those ones we’ve shifted are also still waiting. Let’s grab each day of the remaining 60 with both hands and try to make the best of it. We can achieve way more than we expect if we utilize opportunities to the max. If we believe it, then it is possible.


Wishing you a fantastically amazing month ahead.



Cheers!
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DON’T BE STUPID; BE ANGRY


Hi there,

Did you find the title of this post nudging, annoying, disturbing, or absurd? Ok sorry, I’m not sorry. You know why? Because the initial title before I changed it at the last minute was: ARE YOU STUPID OR ARE YOU ANGRY? Ahah!... See that face. Which do you prefer? The initial one or this one I changed it to? Don’t be quick to answer. Wait until you finish reading through okay?

So here’s the thing. We humans have a natural competitive nature. It is one of our default settings and there’s nothing we can do about it. Although some people’s competitive nature, due to several life factors have either died or are slowly dying off. These people are not motiva… Jaybee!... Don’t digress (sorry guys… story for another day).

Sometimes, I think there are two types of people in life – those who are stupid and those who are angry. Now, while you’re wondering which category you belong to, let me break it down and save you the time. Move your eyes a bit to the beginning of the second paragraph and let’s continue from there. When someone close to you starts doing better in life, what is usually your reaction?
When I say someone close, it could be your sibling, your relative, your neighbour, your friend, and so on. Once it starts to look as if Mother Nature is smiling at the person and things starts to fall in place for them, believe it or not, how you react to their progress would vividly tell you whether you’re the angry type or the stupid type.

Don’t you for once think envy is always a bad thing – It’s just natural; especially when the person in making waves is a close buddy that you started out in life together. You can envy and not be jealous about their progress. You can use their progress to rub yourself in the face; or they can rub it in your face too; depending on their level of maturity. That’s not where I’m looking at. Whether you rub it your own face or they help you (which is more annoying) I’ll say: Stop at being annoyed and don’t graduate to being stupid.

If your neighbour’s progress nudges you, twists your ear or pulls your hair, then channel your anger at your drawing board. Come up with ideas, strategies and train yourself to recognize opportunities better than you used to – Just so you know, opportunity recognition can require training. Some of the angry ones in life would not get off their butt and succeed until they have someone rub it in their faces.

What then makes some stupid? As a matter of fact, when friends or neighbours flaunt their ‘this and that’ in our faces, everyone starts out being angry. What then makes the difference is that while some go from being angry to strategizing and determining to get the best revenge which is success, some go on whinning and complaining. They are always the ‘Change Detectors’ Knowing when someone has changed and when someone is too proud. While they do nothing to better their own situation, they can report (actually gossip) about the person getting hits all over town – That is practical stupidity. Talking about them wouldn’t help your condition. Would it? *Who talk epp?*

The Sawiris billionaire family in Egypt is a good case study. Onsi Sawiris’ the owner of Orascom Group and his three sons - Naguib Sawiris (the eldest), Samih Sawiris and the youngest Nasseff Sawiris). Naguib was introduced into business before any of his other two younger brothers, Samih was soon introduced later, and Nasseff was angry that he wasn’t introduced at the age his two older brothers were introduce into the business. His brothers were already far gone by the time he got in but as soon as he did, he wouldn’t stop challenging biggest competitors (his two elder brothers), Naguib was already a billionaire by then.

Today, Nasseff is the richest person in the Sawiris family. With the right channeling of anger, converting it into dedication, hard work, diligence and persistence. Their latest Forbes’ net worth puts ‘egbon’ Naguib Sawiris at US$3.1 billion and ‘kid bro’ Nasseff Sawiris at US$5.3 billion (even Daddy Onsi Sawiris was estimated to be worth US$2 billion). Who says anger can’t bring forth anything tangible?

Convert the energy you’ll use in merely getting angry (stupid) into a productive, purpose driven one and see how things would start working for you ‘cos in that moment of ‘anger’ your burst of energy is higher, determination is stronger, and your calculations are sharper (your eyes are redding! RIP English… Lol!). Don’t fume, muse, or turn yourself to an EP (enemy of progress) over another person’s progress – that’s just stupid!

You have every right to be angry, especially if it’s rubbed in your face. Just make sure you get the best form of revenge – SUCCESS.


Peace!



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LIFE IS LIKE HARD DRUGS



Before you continue reading, I’ll like to beg your indulgence to pay a bit more attention. Not necessarily putting what you’re doing on hold but just don’t read through – think through with me on this. You know, they say the truth is a bitter pill to swallow, well I say it depends on how open or close minded one is, while using the pill.

On the side, you know, the social media has a way presenting you with things that surround your interest; especially when you start to use it intentionally. In other words, when you start to intentionally use the social media and not allow it use you… Well, story for another day.

So, I was taking some notes while watching some Instagram videos (I hope I’m not the only who does this) and I had to fight the urge to start punching keys on my keyboard afterwards but I can only say the aftermath of a training I attended recently has brought me to this point. Hopefully I’ve not bored you with my digression.

You know, life is like hard drugs and the question you would most likely ask is – How?


Now, come to this: Why do people do drugs? Is it because they are ignorant of the fact that it’s bad for them and it can in fact kill them? My guess is Nope! People in fact do drugs because of how it makes them FEEL. Well, there you have the basis of the very nature of man; a nature we took from God himself – We all are beings of FEELINGS.

People do drugs, even get addicted to it, despite the fact that it has a lot of health damaging effects but the temporary FEELING, which is the RESULT of taking the drugs is the basic reason people do drugs. The last verse in the first chapter of the bible validates the fact that we take every action, every decision, based on the FEELINGS we get as a RESULT of our ACTIONS; that are determined by our DECISIONS.

Hope that didn’t get confusing.

I’m not an expert at these sort of things, never probably ever done it before but take your eyes of this article for half a minute, take intentionally and slow deep breaths and we’ll continue when you’re done. Oh, by the way, there are like 10 deep breaths in 30 seconds. Now, take your recess. Would you?...

…Welcome back. Was that refreshing in any way? Now, what do you think when you hear words like Sweat, Pain, and Sleeplessness? Negatives right? But can you successfully keep fit in the gym without sweating? Can a baby (a bundle of joy) be delivered without any form of pain? Can there be any good success without the sacrifice of sleep?

To round it up, if you think about it very well, life is just like hard drugs. The real end of every ACTION is not the RESULT; not at all. The end is the FEELING we get from the RESULT. The problem is, everybody wants to get the RESULTS and yes, everybody makes the DECISIONS that would lead to that FEELING but only a few actually take the required necessary ACTION and in this category falls those who actually get the FEELING of fulfillment.

Everyone would love to be fit, smart and rich (RESULT – FEELING) but not everyone would be willing to follow through with the process of gyming, studying and working hard. Even though a lot of people decide to (DECISION – ACTION) and this is where the problem is. But trust me, if you can follow through your DECISIONS with ACTIONS and hold out long enough through thick and thin, then your RESULTS are sure to give you the FEELING that it was all totally worth it.



The question is: Are you willing to work for that FEELING?


Mature Minds Talk


Thanks to these two IG handles: @iambankole & @iamdanielnwosu
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WHEN YOUR INSTAGRAM PRAYER HAS BEEN ANSWERED


I can’t really say for sure what I was thinking of when I came up with this post, but of course, I was on Instagram. There was this celebrity I was talking with, a couple of weeks back, a comedian and an actor – He said he isn’t naturally a social media person but since it looked like everyone was on one social media platform or the other he decided to follow suit. At first, he would post something and get just 20 likes (with the word ‘Celebrity’ boldly written on his CV. Lol!) 20 likes! Well, that was then. Today!... Somebody say today, thank God the story has changed. Now there’s a “K” attached to the number of his followers and in general, his Instagram prayers have been answered.

If you are yet to know the power of Social Media in this 21st century, then you need a time travelling machine… to send you back to specifically 1945 (don’t ask me why 1945 though); you don’t belong to the information age. For the rest of us… I want to quickly discuss 7 signs for you to know that your Instagram prayers are being answered… or has already been answered. On your marks, get set, (I won’t say “Oba go”… Lol! I'm too old for that ***t). Seriously, leggo!



1. A “K” or “M” is Attached to Your Followers: You know your Instagram prayers is being answered when you can no longer see the exact figures of your followers. Instagram now approximates the number. When you start seeing 107K, 719K, 1M, 12M, and so on, then you can start preparing for your Instagram thanksgiving. You definitely have to be a strong Instagram personality, posting catchy content, for that to happen. Mind you, I’m talking about real followers oh!... If you ordered your own followers from an online shop, then I’m not talking about you. Walk!

2. Your Posts Have at Least 20% "Likes": I wonder how someone would have 1M followers and have about 700likes on their posts. I don’t just gerrit. Even if your followers dislike you sef, you should still be able to gather the tithe of them, as your ‘likes’. But oh well, many people have done “wuruwuru to the answer” and it’ll keep showing on their posts. At least 20% of the total number of your followers would/should always like your post.

3. Different Accounts Repost Your Post: This sure is a very good sign. When you keep seeing your handle all over the place, or you stumble on your original content on some random account, then you can be very sure that your Instagram prayers is being worked on. Don’t be mad if the accounts reposting it don’t credit you as the owner. Just be glad your content is reaching more people than you think it does. It is someone that has something valuable that they will steal from.

4. Your Videos get 5 figure views: For the video-grammers, especially comedians, entertainers, skit producers, and advertisers. If there’s no comma in the number of people who have viewed your videos, then you need to keep strategizing publicity medium. Once you have numbers like 19,996 (<-- that’s what I mean by five figures) then you can pat yourself on the back and know you’re headed in the right direction.

5. People Advertise in Your Comment Section: Ah! This one, when you get to the stage where people start advertising ‘Pink Lips Balm’, ‘Human Hair and Spirit Hair’, ‘Travel Agency’, ‘Fashion and Home Items’, ‘100% genuine followers sale’, ‘Sports Betting cheats’, ‘Data Re-Sale Services’ and ‘Fertility Managers/Consultants’. You know, you are either gaining, or have gained celebrity status on Instagram. Prayers work, doesn’t it?

6. Brands Contact You for Advertisement: You are getting close to the Instagram promise land, when you are being approached by different brands who are too ‘tush’ to be battering your comment section with noisy ads, to feature their products in your posts. This is a sign that all your Instagram hard work is finally about to start paying off. When brands ask you how much it would cost for you to represent them. Before you reply, first of all thank God for answered prayers. Lol!

7. You Have Parody/Fan Account(s): Finally, when accounts you know nothing about, start growing like weed in your name, you can boast that Instagram is your plantation. At this point you have to constantly remind your fans of your ‘real’ account(s) so they don’t keep following parody accounts ‘upandan’. Also, when you have to open another account as your fanpage or open a separate personal Instagram account, then you are no more on the ‘general public’ Instagram level. (You ‘aff’ climb the food chain with gold pendant).


There are definitely more signs anybody conversant with Instagram would have noticed but I like I said earlier, I can’t remember all the signs. But there’s nothing wrong in lending a helping hand. Did I forget any point, kindly drop it in the comment section below.


Thanks so much.



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SELL YOURSELF (2)

Hi guys, how are you doing? How's the new month shaping up... or you're still planning?

So, a few weeks back, I put up a post about a corporate newspaper vendor. Remember? I titled the post: "SELL YOURSELF" You can check it out here: CLICK HERE. so you don't squeeze your forehead like what is this guy talking about again?

I promised to be back and yes, I know you must have started thinking that I'm like all those Nigerian artistes with their "To Be Continued" music videos that never continue (lol!). Nope, not me. for me, it's better late than never. So let's pick up where we left off. Shall we?




Always know that your products will not sell more than the way you think it would. Put a line (in your mind) under the word 'think'. For your products to sell faster, there are a few things to do to make it but let's just quickly check out five (5) points.

Also like one of my bosses would say, people don't like being sold to, they prefer to buy. (read that sentence again and think about it for a minute. Trust me, you'll get it.)

1. Dress For Success: I'll say this first 'cos that's where I stopped in my last post. Sometimes, your product is fantastic, but your appearance is break-tastic (whatever that means). The guy who sold the Punch newspaper to me knew people would most likely give him audience if he differentiated himself with his dressing. More so, of what use is your well packaged product, if you're not well packaged yourself. People don't know what you're 'about' to sell, so they tend to 'buy' you first. (where I come from, it's called sizing you up).


2. Know Everything: Calm down!... I'm not asking you to be an island. What I mean is: Know everything there is to know about your product. I can't just stress enough how important this point is. You need to have used the product, research more on what the product does, know the likely questions people would likely ask, memorize statistics if necessary, and be ready to defend why your product should be preferred to other ones.
Imagine how silly you'll look if someone asks you a question about your product and your reply is: Hold on, let me quickly check google."


3. Don't Sell. Communicate: Now, don't look confused. I'm not confused and neither should you. I'll rather you tell your prospects how your product will serve them, rather than sound too imposing. Your customers/clients want to know how what you're offering would help them solve one problem or the other and you're there telling them why your product is the best and the most affordable in the market. Communicate with your client, have a conversation and from there, you can not only deduce what they want but how badly (or nonchalantly) they want it.


4. Maintain Eye Contact: This might not sound like a valid point to you but super salespersons know how important making eye contact when you're selling is. Whether you're pitching to a client, attending an interview, lobbying for a contract or anything, as long as you're not having a phone conversation, try as much as possible to maintain eye contact. Yes you might like me be from Africa where eye contact is equal to disrespect but please, discard that nonsense theory.
Even if Aliko Dangote is talking to you, look him straight in the eyes and hold that conversation. It simply means you're a confident chap.


5. Learn the Right Body Gestures: You might not really know this but there's a way you tell two people the same thing but with the different body gestures and only one person believes you. The way you motion your body while explaining why you (or your product) should be picked is as important as what you say. Summary: The way you say what you say is as important as what you say. Your body language can determine whether someone buys your product or moves on (Bankers, especially tellers would agree with this).

Look at the picture up there - If that guy was about to tell you why it's better to buy a Volkswagen Golf instead of a Toyota Venza (lol!... Seriously?) You'll still want to listen to him. Wouldn't you?

Don't just package your products, package yourself and communicate with your prospects, not as someone that is 'begging' them to buy, but as someone with total authority. They'll see your pitch as an advice on 'why they need the product'.

Stop attending interviews like your kidney would be removed if they don't select you; instead, make them realize what they'll be missing out on if they choose someone else.


Hope this to some extent  made some sense to you.

Thanks for reading and have a nice time.




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HAPPY NEW AUGUST

Hello Guys,

Happy New Month. Am I the only one who is still surprised that we're in the eight month of the year already? Like seriously?! Wasn't it two or three months ago that we shouted "Happy New Year?" You know , Time doesn't only have wings; It has fetish abilities (to make some people rich, and some, the other way).

This month, you'll experience

A-bundance of all good things in ramifications of your life.
U-nmerited favour that is too big for you to comprehend.
G-reat achievements that is beyond your mental and financial capability.
U-pliftment from where you are to where you are meant to be.
S-urprises that would make people ask what you're 'using'
T-estimonies of amazing breakthroughs and divinely accelerated progress.


Have a fulfilled month ahead and prepare yourself to receive. Be open minded and sieve the advice you receive before taking action.


God bless us all.



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SELL YOURSELF

Hi, hope you didn’t get confused or irritated by the post heading. If you were, you’re probably not conversant with business terms and you really need to. Also if you thought I didn’t mean “selling yourself” literarily, then let me tell you a short story. Pay a bit more attention now, would you?


Ok, so I was driving down to the bank some time ago and I was caught in traffic. Of course I’m a Nigerian who lives where ‘everything’ is sold on the road... or rather in traffic. Perfumes, books, newspapers, shoes, belts, décor materials, shades and recommended glasses, probably building materials too… Lol!

But thing is, this newspaper guy kept walking back and forth my car, looking at me like I had promised him I was going to buy a newspaper when next our paths crossed. He came around again, pressed the newspapers to my window but I wouldn’t budge. I’m not much of a newspaper person to begin with (when I have my internet connected phone) and I’m not old (yes, I’m one of those who believe newspapers are for old men. Bite me!).

I just kept on driving. I got to the bank, carried out my transaction and just as I walked back to my car, a man approached me. I couldn’t tell if he came out behind me or he had been outside before. He was neatly dressed – Shirts tucked into his pants and black (though very dusty) shoes and I kind of like his wristwatch.

“Good morning sir, have you had your daily read of what the papers are saying today?”

I’m not kidding when I say, only at that point did I realize he was holding newspapers. Before I could reply, he flipped them out like they were cards and asked which of the headlines caught my interest.

“Err… I have my… err… I read news on my phone” I replied slightly waving my phone.

“Of course sir but busy people read the papers since papers just pick out the points from the detailed version on the internet and summarize it to fit their page limits. Reading papers seem old fashioned but it’s actually time-saving.”

“Are you for real?” I asked wide eyed.

“Here, take this Punch paper. It’s just N200. Compare it to the one online when you get home.”
I took out my wallet and paid the man, and off I went.

The story doesn’t end there, but let me quickly say that selling yourself is one way to ensure that success is achieved in your business or interview. Have you ever gone for an interview and see someone dress like they’re about to audition for MTN Project Fame? That’s strictly bad advert. When pitching sales one-on-one, the first thing the prospect buys is “You”. 

With full emphasis, I’m saying no one would buy your product if they can’t buy your persona. Have you ever seen marketers dress shabbily when they need you to open an account with their firm or subscribe for something? No!... Why? Cos no one would take your product serious if you don’t look as serious as your product.

Selling yourself doesn’t necessarily mean imposing yourself on people. As a matter of fact, you wouldn’t even need to impose yourself when you’ve already ‘appeared to be accepted’. One of the very important lessons in selling/marketing is how to sell yourself to a prospect after which the product follows and you can easily convert pitching to sales.

So, back to my story (You can like stories and gossip. Go away!)

Later that evening, I took my ‘once-in-a-blue-moon’ purchase to enjoy while lying on the bed. I first of all went through all the ‘colored’ adverts (Is that childish?) before adjusting my pillow to give it a cover-to-cover perusal. Hardly had I finished reading the sports column (I read newspapers from the back like it’s a Quran) that my mistress, ‘Mistress Sleep’ took me off and that was the last time I touched that paper.

I sighted the paper while dressing up the next morning, and the thought of taking the paper back to get a percentage refund crossed my mind since I knew I wasn’t coming back to it but on the more serious part, I asked myself why I didn’t buy from the guy who pressed it in my face earlier, only to go ahead and purchase ‘the same’ newspaper from the other corporately dressed seller.

In the second part of the post, I’ll share exactly what I thought tilted my decision and five (5) important things to note while selling yourself to achieve sales and growth for your business.


See you soon.



Cheers!





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HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO DIE?

This is the best I could come up with to stop this 'short' writeup from looking like a rant cos I'm even done ranting. (Who ranting epp?) But the mere fact that I tried keeping mute and just walking past and just can't, keeps hitting the matter against my chest over and over again.

Let nobody try to point out the probability of the irrelevance of this writeup since i know that already. Yea... That's not included in the things I don't know. One of the things in that category is the semi-offensive question: How would you like to die?

Before you hiss, shake your head and close Mature Minds Talk page, let me rephrase the question to truncate the canopy of generalization. "How would you like to die... As a black person living in the United States?"
A country where the grim reaper isn't dressed in a black ragged cloak, with a scythe in hand but in a nice fitted buttoned shirt and pants with a gun on the side... And of course, a badge on the chest.

The latest outrage over Alton Sterling, the 37 year old man who was sentenced to death (by two cops) for selling cds outside a mart is only the latest in a series of murder cases across the U.S. and one of the many avoidable deaths from the hands of those who solemnly swear to defend the United States against enemies without mental reservation or purpose of evasion.

It keeps me wondering if there's a need for these mofos(excuse my colloquialism) to read their pledge over and over or as part of their morning drills, a full image of a black citizen be put in front of them with the tag "A Human Being" cos the rate at which these killings are soaring, it would get to a stage where cop killers would be applauded for their unreserved bravery in serving the dish of justice well deserved.

Whether it's the 559th or 585th person isn't the issue. The figure is scary either way, and you kinda wonder what goes through a cop's mind when he pulls that trigger at point blank range. Just as others before this, I watched the Alton Sterling video (about 6 times, trying to find where he made the wrong move) and I must say, "Don't let the U.S. black community have it to their throat or some sh*t would literally go down".

Stumbling on another video of a white guy who resisted (literally, wrestled) two cops after he was buzzed up with a taser gun, and was let go for "later arrest" just makes me sick to my stomach, (I must commend the guy's strength and resilience though) knowing that someone would have been put down like an animal for less. How can you perform efficiently as a cop with a dead conscience and a crooked moral compass?

What exactly is wrong with these retarded cops who think the uniform and badge gives them the authority to decide who lives and who dies? Is there more to it than meets the public eye? Are cops too supposed to expose racist acts (even if they're racists in their neighborhood)? Are they totally ignorant of what the term "Human Rights" mean? Do they have families themselves to know what it's like, losing a member of it? Are they trying to provoke the black community to react or something?
One question begs like two more and it goes on and on. *smh!

Finally, lives are being truncated, families are broken, loved ones are thrown into mourning, black teens are growing with a mentality that cops are the number one enemy, and many other detriments, just because some idiots couldn't put some 'chill' on their trigger fingers.

Alton's 15 year old son, the oldest of 3, just couldn't stop crying all through the public speech given by his wife - No more 'Daddy'. Imagine the sorrow and the pain. The tears and the agony planted in that family for life.
Original Image, Already Making Rounds on Some Parts of Twitter
You are a very busy person, I know, but somehow, you've read this far. So kindly say a word of prayer for Alton Sterling's family, and every other family that has lost a member(s) to a cop's bullet. That was the least expected way they'll have thought death would come - Makes it sadder still.

God bless every mourning family,
God bless every black man/woman doing whatever it takes to survive and feed their families,
God bless the United States of America.



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HAPPY NEW JULY

Just four wishes to embellish your already decorated life. In this month of July...

Jubilations and Celebrations will become a daily events in your life, home and family.

Unexpected blessings would keep making your jaw drop throughout the month.

Life would shape up to become much more pleasant than you can comprehend or explain.

Your endeavors will begin to experience speedy progress on every side.

Welcome to the month of July... Happy New Month...
... And yes, second half of the year.

Sorry updates haven't surfaced in a while. We've busy helping newbies in the blogosphere through our sister platform - www.blogoxygen.com

But updates would be coming in at a much more frequent pace now.

Stay safe, stay strong and enjoy the rest of the month.

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I HATE CHRISTIANITY

"...I hate Christianity so much, I can't even imagine associating myself to it. Although I'm an atheist, but personally, I think it's the worst of all religions." Those were the conclusive words of Paul, a 'friend' I met during one of our evangelism sessions.


There are things that your eyes will see and your ears will hear, if you follow the instruction of Christ as laid down in John 15:27, but these are only signs that Christians need to bridge the gap between reality and spirituality. The statement we started with, was made by Paul who was from a good Christian home but lost his mum at the tender age of 10. His dad never remarried, after the incident, probably not because he didn't want to, but the tragedy hit him so hard, he kept on battling health issues.


Day in, day out, week in, week out, people from church, would visit Paul's dad at the hospital or at home and pray for him but not once, would they buy provisions or give Paul any financial assistance. It got Paul wondering what the true meaning of Christianity was. A couple of years later, his father passed on and he had to fend for himself.


He found his way to the city and joined a medium sized church, while working in a bakery. After an issue of theft, an order went round for workers to stop sleeping in the bakery and he quickly told brethren in the church. "God will make a way", "God will surprise you" Was what people he asked for help replied with. Even the pastor's response was "You are a child of God, and so you can not be stranded". Three days later, he was fired. Paul quietly withdrew from church and struggled to start a driving school and a transportation business. He didn't change his name but doesn't believe in a religion that loves with mouth and not with actions.


As Christians, we should NEVER stop at visitation and prayers if we can help financially or materially because we never can tell if another life like Paul's is attached. These days, many Christians prefer to take what they see as the easy way out - Prayers; rather than go the extra mile to carter for the needs of others when they can afford it just so they don't feel inconvenienced. It doesn't make one bit of sense praying for someone when that pressing need is what you have the capacity to carry.


One habit that would definitely help our evangelism sometimes, isn't the amount of sermon we preach or the number of times we visit, but the care we show to those in need. A small church in Australia successfully converted almost the whole community to their members, simply because they served refreshments after every service. You don't necessarily have to be tagged Mr Helper or Mrs Helper as some people who help for show but quietly follow Deuteronomy 16:7.


Finally, we as Christians need to collectively change the tag of "People that can pray but can't help" and think deeply about Luke 3:11. Love your 'neighbor' as yourself. Neighbour isn't necessarily the guy living next door; but anyone in need of any assistance you can render. Many people have been lost from the fold when all they get is prayers and nothing more. We need to take proverbs 28:27 more seriously and we'll surely see a productive evangelism.


Don't get it all wrong. Prayer is the most important gift you can give to someone but stopping at that when you can help has done nothing but rubbish the prayer and to some extent, painted you as a hypocrite. Christians are not stingy hypocrites. We are givers who love, care and help not just one another but other people irrespective of religion, tradition and belief.


I hope this makes some sense. Thanks and stay blessed.



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