There are lots of things we do without thinking about them. Sometimes they are routines and habits we have formed over time. There is nothing wrong with having routines. It is okay to put some of our daily affairs on autopilot. In fact, forming good habits helps us to get ahead in many ways. A student that forms a habit of studying well will have a better chance at academic success. A person that consistently sets aside a significant amount of their earnings as savings has a better chance at financial success. Meanwhile, one of the downsides of our routine-based life is that most people are not intentional in setting up the routine.  

It does seem like we generally coast onward in life based on what is convenient. We just follow the ebb and flow of the sea without control over the direction of the wind. Yet our ability to make a difference lies in our willingness to become deliberate, to think through what we will do and how we will do it. For example, imagine how you would prepare if you were invited to meet your Prime Minister, President, or King personally. You will think and plan how to dress, what to say and how you will conduct yourself. Now imagine that you approach most of the major affairs of life the same way.
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Think about your work or business. Could you become intentional in how you handle every aspect of your work? Could you lead your team intentionally and not just as a matter of routine? Could you deliberately think through how you will contribute to success at your work; what you will do, how you will do it, and the difference it will make? The same applies to our families and relationships, and involvement in the community and associations. Make your relationships intentional. Be intentional in how you deliver services to others. Deliberately determine what your product would look like. Be intentional in how you project yourself to the world. It is time for us to always make it intentional, to live life deliberately

Until another time,
Dele Ola, Award-Winning Author of Be A Change Agent
​Click HERE to learn about and get copies of Dele’s Books
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There are real issues in life, and we experience them at various proportions. I have seen people face the direst circumstances, so extreme that it is difficult for anyone to survive the situations. I have also experienced both challenging situations and breakthroughs. I am sure you have had your fair share of life’s overwhelming circumstances too. The situations may get difficult at work or at home. You may think that the beautiful things you were expecting are not forthcoming. You may even wonder why the light is always at the end of the tunnel and not inside the tunnel. In fact, you may be tired of waiting, thinking of letting go.

Despite the challenges, I have concluded that life is beautiful for those who stay positive in their situations. Why focus our attention on what is not working when we have a whole lot to appreciate and enjoy? No matter how appalling the situation may be, I have noticed that most people have at least something to be grateful for. The mental attitude of positivity, appreciation and gratefulness helps us to stay strong in the face of problems. We need inner strength to overcome difficulties that arise while achieving success and fulfilling our purpose in life.
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Whatever is your current situation, whether good or not, does not define who you are. Your circumstances may shape your experience but does not tell your whole story. In most cases, our real experience is more about how we see our circumstances and less about what happened to us. How we experience life is more important than what we experience in life. And if you find yourself in an outrageous situation, remember that you may be at the edge of a breakthrough without knowing it. In that case, don’t ever let go. Hold tight. Stay strong and you will weather the storm. 

Have you ever wondered that it is usually a small number of people that make impacts compared to the vast majority? In games, there are the players and then the spectators. Some people will be on the stage while the majority will sit and watch. Each person has an opportunity to choose which side they will be on. The truth is that we cannot all be players, neither can we all be spectators. Some must play for others to watch. One more thing: the number of watchers is usually much larger compared to the number of players. In fact, solo singers, boxers, magicians, and orators depict that idea very much.

While thinking about that fact, I concluded that life is also a game. Some make things happen while others watch. In a team of workers, there will be the performers and those who just mark time. Some people will blaze the trail while others trail the blaze. There are those who make significant contributions while others watch them as they thrive in their endeavour. Meanwhile, the choice of which side anyone would be on is for the individual to decide. Everyone chooses where and how they will participate in the game of life. We are constantly facing the decision to either be the performer or the spectator.

You and I may not be the star actor in every area of life. However, we possess the ability to become key contributors in our own areas of niche or talent. We cannot afford to become onlookers in the areas where we are naturally inclined to perform. Here is the key point. Every one of us must ask ourselves what we are doing wherever we are. It goes like this: what am I doing here? Answering that question is important to determine if we are the player or the spectator. In all your endeavours, strive to be the performer, the superstar, in the area where you are strong. Everyone has an area of strength. Check where you are now. What are you doing there?