Tag: Minute Motivation

  • Love Is

    Love Is

    There are many definitions of love, but all pointing to one thing – sacrificial giving, without expecting anything in return.

    It’s February and many will use the word ‘Love’ to refer to the relationship between man and woman. On the 14th, florists shop will be out of business because we want to express that love in giving. Today I will take a leaf from that concept – many who love will demonstrate it by giving sacrificially, regardless of their current economic situation. I have emphasised ‘sacrificially’ because the best gifts are not the ones given out of the residue of abundance.

    More than showing love to our significant others, perhaps worth considering is how sacrificial giving can benefit us and transform us from our current state. Permit me to highlight 2 stories that touched me in 2016 – the story of James Boden and Morrie Boogart. Morrie is 91 years old and lives in a hospice in Grandville, Michigan. Even though he is terminally ill, Morrie finds strength and purpose in knitting hats for the homeless. To say Morries work is inspirational is putting it lightly. He has chosen not to focus on his shortcomings but to lend a hand to someone around him who needs help too.
    And this takes me to my 2nd highlight of 2016 – James Bowen. James was living rough, a recovering drug addict and homeless man who was given temporary accommodation. It was here he met Bob a cat, who needed care. Again, rather than focus on his own ‘helplessness’, he cared for the cat. The cat brought him good fortune, which has today resulted to a book and a film being written about the pair.

    You see, love is not just an emotion expressed to those we know, it is a choice made to enrich and improve others, albeit sacrificial on our part.

    As we celebrate this month of love, I encourage you to look afar, ignore the pain in your life, find a need and meet it. I guarantee that as you do, your own needs will be met too and your situation will change for the better.

    Till next time, I charge you to #MakeADifference

  • SPARK

    SPARK

    As with the tradition on this side of the world, 2017 was ushered in with lots of fireworks. I’m still undecided as to whether I like fireworks or not but the fireworks have given me a theme for today. The more I think of fireworks, the more I think of the spark that ignites them… Like those loud, attention grabbing and beautiful displays, permit me to ignite a spark in you for 2017. With a spark, you are sure to grab attention and become a beautiful display too. Grab your pen and let me explain what it means to SPARK…

    • S – Set your goal – Without a goal, there is no destination to aim for and the year will be wasted. With a goal, you have clear focus and you stand the chance of making 2017 count
    • P – Put a plan in place. To get to the top of any staircase, you need to navigate the steps. Many crumble at this stage because the goal seems so far-fetched. Spend time to break down the goal and write out a step-by-step plan to achieve it.
    • A – Adjust your attitude. With the right attitude, success is inevitable. Start thinking right, speaking right and taking the actions you know to be right and your goals will come to fruition.
    • R – Review consistently. Don’t be set on a plan that isn’t working. For instance if you made a plan to read at 11pm every evening and you keep sleeping off, try changing the reading time to an earlier time in the day. This will put a spring in your step and bring you closer to achieving your goals
    • K- Keep a gratitude journal. There is something uplifting about the daily practice of gratitude. I start out my days, thankful for something the previous day. It makes me positive that today also will be great.

    I am cheering you on to a SPARK-filled 2017. Make it the best year yet!

  • Leaders are Readers

    June is my birthday month and I juggled my brain on what I could give back to you amazing people who have supported my vision and helped me live my dreams with Minute Motivation.  In response to the most asked question – ‘How do I develop the habit of reading?’, I thought I could perhaps share my experience and what I do.

    Apart from school books, I never had the habit of reading and I remember being asked to fill out a ‘Fun facts’ form at an event I was speaking at. One of the questions was ‘What book are you currently reading?‘ I thought ‘Am I supposed to be reading a book?’ Well I went back home that day with a determination to have something to write the next time anyone asked me such a question 😊. Still I found myself still reading sporadically until I heard someone say “Readers are Leaders and Leaders are Readers”. Well my life ambition is to lead in every sphere of my life and if reading would make that happen, so be it.

    Many who know me would agree that consistency in the systems I set up is one of my biggest strengths so I proceeded to write what conditions help me read and which ones slow me down.
    Following my analysation, I concluded that
    1. I was more likely to read from an electronic device than paper
    2. I didn’t like the feeling of forgetting everything I had read in the book
    3. I liked authors who were conversational in their writing, rather than factual
    4. I was more likely to read a book that taught me life lessons or moved me forward in my thinking

    With this, I developed my reading strategy –
    – I read 1st thing in the morning from my mobile phone. This way, I didn’t have to worry about waking everyone in the house up because I switched the lights on etc.
    – I read only one chapter a day. This enabled me to have time to think about what I learnt and fully absorb the contents. Also because majority of books were less than 30 chapters, I was guaranteed to read a book every month
    – I write down what I understand from the chapter on 1 or 2 sentences. Again this help me comprehend what I’ve learnt better and therefore apply it better
    – I talk about the book with as many as I can. This way I form a community of people who share my enthusiasm and commits me to finishing the book.

    Have these tips sparked hope in you?  Why not pick a book today and let me know how you get along?

    Book of the month – “Make today count” by John Maxwell

  • Use it or Lose it

    February // USE IT OR LOSE IT

    At the end of last year, I decided to join my church choir for the annual carols presentation. I’m not the best singer the world has to offer but I can hold a tune. I had assumed it was going to be plain sailing as I had been in the choir for most of my primary school life and in my twenties. Now, I found the singing part okay, but was surprised I couldn’t seem to memorise a verse, let alone whole songs! (more…)

  • Take Stock

    January // TAKE STOCK

    Happy New Year and welcome to the ‘new format’ Minute Motivation.

    Many who know me, know that I love sports – tennis, football and more recently, I have particularly enjoy Formula 1. I love the rush of energy, the sound of the engines and the nail-biting moments. Ok Doyin, don’t get carried away here, most of your readers/listeners are women ! Apart from the thrill of the sports, I actually do learn a lot from the sport. This month’s chat is as a result of one of those lessons – the role of tyre changes in a skilled driver winning the race. (more…)

  • THANKFUL : Part of the ‘STAR’ Series

    Thankful – I loooooove being thankful! From the time we wake up in the morning till we rest our head at night, we are constantly bombarded with demands on our emotions. Many times we let ourselves go off in a spiral of self-pity and feel irrelevant. (more…)