I once had the acquaintance of a one year old boy, his name is obiora and he is the son of a family friend. Obiora at one had an unusual fascination with doors, the implication of this was that he was always trying his hand on any and every door, of course at that age, his hand could barely touch the door knob and if he was able to stretch himself, he would succeed in slamming the door on his fingers( ouch). This did not make him relent, the guy just had a knack for doors, it was thus my pondering on this observation that inspired this write-up and as I share this thesis with you I hope as always that you will identify at least one point that is educative and informative to you and for your application.
Doors generally represent a ‘legitimate’ entrance or exit to and from a place. I use the word legitimate basically because there is a presupposition that thieves don’t come in through the front door, in their sly nature they have to employ a more sinister approach, and if they must go through a door( whether front or back) it has to be a break in.
1. A door symbolizes a semblance of possibilities that await you on the other side of the door, possibilities that are so treasured that they need to be guarded by a wooden or iron sense of security. A door doesn’t open merely by invitation, acquaintance or urgency, what guarantees the opening is either you have a key, or someone on the other side has a key and is willing to open for you.
2. A door also symbolizes transition, exit from a place and entry or at least the demand of entry into another place, we are constantly in motion, it is what makes us unique, the ability to detest stagnancy, in life generally and in finances specifically and so it is this life of transit that often brings us before doors, unfortunately most of us get stuck there.
3. A door usually attracts people of like minded destination, the truth is that if whatever on the other side is worth the while, chances are that you won’t be the only one in front of the door trying to get in. while you are waiting for the door to open, take time to be friendly, meet people that are waiting on your side of the door to get in, the fact you have the same destination doesn’t mean that they are your competition, if you network hard enough, you’d be surprised to meet someone that has the keys to the door or has already made contacts with someone on the other side.
This write-up is the exclusive copyright of Tochi Eze and cannot be reproduced or forwarded without her consent.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Ultimate Brand
Brand loyalty, as I have recently observed is the combination of a number of factors that result in a customer preferring a particular product or service over others that are of a similar nature. Most enterprises have realized the importance branding in the success of their businesses and hence a lot of financing is invested into developing a company’s brand loyalty as it were, ranging from beautifully designed graphic logo’s, innovative advertisements and excellent customer / service delivery system, they all strive for a niche that stands them out in the market.
As human beings, we all have our distinct brands that set us apart from the crowd, that make more readily appealing and desirable that every other person and that ultimately yields us better returns in life, these brands could be consciously or unconsciously developed.
Allow me to put it this way, a brand in a layman’s point of view is simply what a product, company or person is known as remembered by. X-pression reminds us of quality hair piece, Coca-Cola reminds of refreshing beverage, identita Nigeria connotes brand loyalty, amongst others. These brands did not just exist, they are a result of a deliberate line of thoughts, policies and actions, and like in the case of Coca-Cola, the effect has spanned generations, and yet, I will tell you a most perfect brand, whether for an individual, corporation or government, LOVE is a perfect brand. Scripture speaking in John 13.34 and 35 said that we should love one another, and that by so doing, all men will know that we are his disciples. LOVE is the ultimate brand, it sells itself always, wards off competition and the recipients never forget thereby generating the best form of brand loyalty.
Imagine if every time someone thought of you or your business, a nice warm feeling came over the person who by the way doesn’t mean to date you?
To love your neighbor is more than a cliché and it expresses itself in the smallest acts of kindness. For instance, when last did you pay for a stranger sitting next to you in a bus? How often do you smile at a beggar while giving him money? When last did you pray for a sick neighbor not because you were asked to but because you truly cared? How often do you forgive a wrong without an apology?
The extent of your brand communication ensures that your business still thrives even after you retire, its generally what you are remembered for. What comes to your mind when you think of princess Diana, mother Theresa, or Martin Luther King(JR)? these are people that are no longer with us and yet their actions still speak for them.
Finally, you cannot give what you don’t have, no business should sell what it is not prepared to buy because it douses credibility completely. The only qualification to loving others is to love yourself. Now, loving yourself goes beyond having a high self esteem or confidence the ability to make wise and credible decisions for your life, not just because they make you feel good but because it is the right thing to do.
My point exactly? Having seen the importance of branding and identifying the ultimate brand, we need to start making conscious and deliberate efforts to build or increase our already existing brand loyalty and like every good brand, it cannot happen overnight, but after a while you’ll eventually build that perfect reputation that you want people to remember you for!
This write-up is the exclusive copyright of Tochi Eze and cannot be reproduced or forwarded without her consent.
As human beings, we all have our distinct brands that set us apart from the crowd, that make more readily appealing and desirable that every other person and that ultimately yields us better returns in life, these brands could be consciously or unconsciously developed.
Allow me to put it this way, a brand in a layman’s point of view is simply what a product, company or person is known as remembered by. X-pression reminds us of quality hair piece, Coca-Cola reminds of refreshing beverage, identita Nigeria connotes brand loyalty, amongst others. These brands did not just exist, they are a result of a deliberate line of thoughts, policies and actions, and like in the case of Coca-Cola, the effect has spanned generations, and yet, I will tell you a most perfect brand, whether for an individual, corporation or government, LOVE is a perfect brand. Scripture speaking in John 13.34 and 35 said that we should love one another, and that by so doing, all men will know that we are his disciples. LOVE is the ultimate brand, it sells itself always, wards off competition and the recipients never forget thereby generating the best form of brand loyalty.
Imagine if every time someone thought of you or your business, a nice warm feeling came over the person who by the way doesn’t mean to date you?
To love your neighbor is more than a cliché and it expresses itself in the smallest acts of kindness. For instance, when last did you pay for a stranger sitting next to you in a bus? How often do you smile at a beggar while giving him money? When last did you pray for a sick neighbor not because you were asked to but because you truly cared? How often do you forgive a wrong without an apology?
The extent of your brand communication ensures that your business still thrives even after you retire, its generally what you are remembered for. What comes to your mind when you think of princess Diana, mother Theresa, or Martin Luther King(JR)? these are people that are no longer with us and yet their actions still speak for them.
Finally, you cannot give what you don’t have, no business should sell what it is not prepared to buy because it douses credibility completely. The only qualification to loving others is to love yourself. Now, loving yourself goes beyond having a high self esteem or confidence the ability to make wise and credible decisions for your life, not just because they make you feel good but because it is the right thing to do.
My point exactly? Having seen the importance of branding and identifying the ultimate brand, we need to start making conscious and deliberate efforts to build or increase our already existing brand loyalty and like every good brand, it cannot happen overnight, but after a while you’ll eventually build that perfect reputation that you want people to remember you for!
This write-up is the exclusive copyright of Tochi Eze and cannot be reproduced or forwarded without her consent.
HOW TO WEATHER THE STORMS OF LIFE!
Whether used literally or metaphorically, the word ‘storm’ often depicts an unusually troublesome and turbulent situation that is difficult to control, yet, having the capacity to drown a person. Research has shown that the negative effects of storms on those who experience them is so outrageous that they either hardly come out alive and if they do, the damage would have scarred them thoroughly. In our journey in life, we often experience the harsh and cruel nature of these storms, and even though we are not sailors at sea, the negative effects are often the same. Whether it is the death of a loved one, a failed marriage, financial crisis, or a health condition, the list is endless, the point is that we don’t always come out alive and if we do, we would have been so badly bruised and scarred that life itself hardly recognizes us
Storms are inevitable, the are a necessary pointer that we are sailing the right direction, I also console myself with the fact that every storm has a time limit, they are not meant to last forever, eventually everything calms down. The only thing that troubles me is the damage that would have been done at the end of the storm. However these damages, as I have recently observed can be controlled and minimized if we could only understand and apply these basic principles.
• UNDERSTAND THE WIND OF CHANGE:
The wind is one element that can only be felt but never seen, Change, is just like the wind, it can at best be discerned but you can’t really tell the angle it will come from. Change, like they say, is the only constant thing and it is a necessity to keep us moving on and keep the earth moving round, change is confrontational and as such we have to face it square and tackle it head on, we don’t have to run at the face of every challenge or strain, how can you expand except you stretch yourself? Each time life presents a seemingly shut door to you, its not an indicator for you to cower back in fear or defeat, we have to always understand that a shut door doesn’t end the journey, it only means we have to look for another passage.
• UNDERSTAND THE WAVE OF OPPOSITION:
The scenery at the beach is usually breathtaking, for anyone who has been careful enough to observe, assuming you fall into the class of observers, have you ever noticed the way the waves rise and fall? With such intensity, they seem almost on a mission to cause havoc.
Waves are a reaction of the sea to the wind. The sea, not being very accommodating reacts in such velocity to the wind, no wonder the waves are usually more intense at evening and night when the wind is more pronounced.
The wave of opposition is simply the earth’s (including man) physical reaction to the wind of change. The society and life in general is not very accommodating to our situations and challenges, people tend to judge what they don’t understand, ourselves inclusive. Take it all in good stride. It’s called the ‘wave’ syndrome. You don’t have to react to every opposition you face, this stage is very sensitive because the wind of change has thrown you off course and the waves of opposition threaten to swallow you, don’t wallow in self pity, recognize this stage of the storm and take it all in good stride.
• UNDERSTAND THE ANCHOR OF THE SHIP:
The sea, just like life, is not static. It is in constant motion and operates in such a way that if you are left at its mercy, you either sink or float.
The anchor is usually but not always in the form of a metallic hook that is thrown from the ship to get a grip on something solid enough to prevent the ship from sailing away once the engine is off.
The will to stay afloat at the end of the storm is not enough, you have to identify that one mark that you hold unto for dear life to keep you from floating away, to prevent your essence from being drained out of you so that when the storm is finally over an the sun rises again, the world will not have to send a search team to fish you out.
For various people it differs, but for me its is God, he is the one person I can hold unto for dear life and no matter how weak my grip I know he will never let me go, and besides, when the sun eventually rise, I want to be seen by his side!
This write-up is the exclusive copyright of Tochi Eze and cannot be reproduced or forwarded without her consent.
Storms are inevitable, the are a necessary pointer that we are sailing the right direction, I also console myself with the fact that every storm has a time limit, they are not meant to last forever, eventually everything calms down. The only thing that troubles me is the damage that would have been done at the end of the storm. However these damages, as I have recently observed can be controlled and minimized if we could only understand and apply these basic principles.
• UNDERSTAND THE WIND OF CHANGE:
The wind is one element that can only be felt but never seen, Change, is just like the wind, it can at best be discerned but you can’t really tell the angle it will come from. Change, like they say, is the only constant thing and it is a necessity to keep us moving on and keep the earth moving round, change is confrontational and as such we have to face it square and tackle it head on, we don’t have to run at the face of every challenge or strain, how can you expand except you stretch yourself? Each time life presents a seemingly shut door to you, its not an indicator for you to cower back in fear or defeat, we have to always understand that a shut door doesn’t end the journey, it only means we have to look for another passage.
• UNDERSTAND THE WAVE OF OPPOSITION:
The scenery at the beach is usually breathtaking, for anyone who has been careful enough to observe, assuming you fall into the class of observers, have you ever noticed the way the waves rise and fall? With such intensity, they seem almost on a mission to cause havoc.
Waves are a reaction of the sea to the wind. The sea, not being very accommodating reacts in such velocity to the wind, no wonder the waves are usually more intense at evening and night when the wind is more pronounced.
The wave of opposition is simply the earth’s (including man) physical reaction to the wind of change. The society and life in general is not very accommodating to our situations and challenges, people tend to judge what they don’t understand, ourselves inclusive. Take it all in good stride. It’s called the ‘wave’ syndrome. You don’t have to react to every opposition you face, this stage is very sensitive because the wind of change has thrown you off course and the waves of opposition threaten to swallow you, don’t wallow in self pity, recognize this stage of the storm and take it all in good stride.
• UNDERSTAND THE ANCHOR OF THE SHIP:
The sea, just like life, is not static. It is in constant motion and operates in such a way that if you are left at its mercy, you either sink or float.
The anchor is usually but not always in the form of a metallic hook that is thrown from the ship to get a grip on something solid enough to prevent the ship from sailing away once the engine is off.
The will to stay afloat at the end of the storm is not enough, you have to identify that one mark that you hold unto for dear life to keep you from floating away, to prevent your essence from being drained out of you so that when the storm is finally over an the sun rises again, the world will not have to send a search team to fish you out.
For various people it differs, but for me its is God, he is the one person I can hold unto for dear life and no matter how weak my grip I know he will never let me go, and besides, when the sun eventually rise, I want to be seen by his side!
This write-up is the exclusive copyright of Tochi Eze and cannot be reproduced or forwarded without her consent.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Champions League
The U.E.F.A have consistently conducted the champions league since 1955, they have succeeded not only in improving the quality of football appreciation worldwide, not even in the entertainment they provide to all football lovers albeit sometimes life threatening, but also in generating economic wealth for governments. It is considerably the most watched sporting event in world history generating an average of 100 million viewers. However, I do not wish to concern myself with the UEFA, I want to bring to your notice another sport, if one might call it that , where the top players are referred to as the champions league.
It is called the race of life, and the players here who have and can master the rules of the game and apply them are referred to as champions.
According to the oxford dictionary, a champion is a person who has surpassed all rivals in a sporting contest, and like I mentioned earlier this particular sport is called the race of life.
Now, in this sport, recruitment is not done annually but daily, per second for that matter. A lot of people participate, about 6 billion actually but only a handful emerge as champions, and I’ll tell you why. It is because they possess certain qualities that every sports man must possess. Let us consider some of these qualities.
1. Skill: oh yes, this people are a set of creative and innovative kind of people. They are incredibly smart, knowledgeable in the affairs of life and always looking to improve their skills by seeking for wisdom.
2. Strength: one of the strongest tools of any sportsman is his strength, the field is not a place for sissies, neither is the track, these champions have a peculiar kind of strength though, they rely not just on natural ability but on the supernatural capacity of a divine God. They understand the phrase ‘the horse is prepared for battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.
3. Passion: to take away passion from a player is to take away the life from the game. Passion is always the reason why we go that extra mile. These champions understand passion, they stand for what they believe in and they believe in what they stand for.
4. Focus: the ultimate focus of any player is to score the goal, hit the target or cross the finish line. Again my champions know this too well, that is why they can’t afford distractions, they won’t allow the fleeting pleasures of life to keep them from finishing well.
5. Team spirit: The peculiarity of this sport, is that it is a race where everyone runs for the finishing line, but only the true champions carry others along. A true champion never enjoys any victory without people by his side!
My name is Tochi Eze, I am a champion and I want you to join my champions league!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
HAKUNA MATATA( our problem free philosophy)
Let’s face it, Problems are not just a part of our living, they are a birth right! We are a set of problematic people, born into a problematic world and in a problematic era for that matter. Oh yes, we inherit some of these problems, create quite an amount for ourselves, and then bequeath a good portion of the problem legacy to our children.By the way, a problem is a situation that poses to be difficult, it may threaten to be harmful or just plain inconvenient, whichever the case is, we don’t want them, but we are stuck with them.
Still speaking on problems, we should understand that although they come in different packages, the content is generally the same, for instance, it could be an annoying boss, child, friend, job, car, health condition, finances, the list is endless, basically if you don’t like it but your stuck with it, then it’s a problem.Why do we have problems? Oh that’s easy, problems are the platforms that propel us to our desired height of victory. We need to look beyond the situation that challenges us, and see the opportunity that lies therein, for instance, if darkness wasn’t a problem, Thomas Edison wouldn’t have had the need to invent the light bulb.
Now I don’t have a problem with problems, there is just no point, we are stuck here, with everything around us rigging of problems needing to be solved and if you have noticed, I have been speaking in general terms, meaning there is NO exclusion. We all are involved and affected. I have a far bigger contention which is…
How do we deal with problems? That’s easy too. We deal with problems by philosophy, oh yes, philosophy. My recent discovery…Problems respond to philosophy. Please don’t get confused just yet, I’ll explain myself.
I don’t mean the philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge, reality and existence, I’m referring to the philosophy that deals with the system of thought or thought process of a particular set of people, example the natural law philosophers and so on.
Back to my point, there are several philosophies( system of thought) that we can use to deal, handle and manage our problems. Some of them are
• Fear- that’s right, just go ahead, hide, retreat, cower back in shame, but you know what, this philosophy attracts problems big time and for a longer period too.
• Anger- according to oxford dictionary, it is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure and hostility. Sure, anger is a good way to handle your problems, especially if you want to end up like Adolph Hitler, who channeled his anger from a drunk and abusive father, the untimely death of his mother and his rejection in the German school of art, to acquiring and accumulating military prowess that almost destroyed world peace.
• Habits-yes, habits always solved the problem, right? I mean, you get into a bad relationship or things don’t work out as planned, and we fall into drugs, just to get your mind off things, except that when your minds gets back from the trip, guess who’s waiting? Mr. Problem.
• Inhumanity, yes just like Idi amin, take out your problems on people by being cruel and inhumane, but remember, you may not last as long as he did and it definitely doesn’t make you a problem solver.
• Hakuna matata-this as you may suspect is my best philosophy. The Swahili coined phrase simply means no worries. Unfortunately few people understand and employ this tactic, myself inclusive. A life without problems is not attainable, but a life without worries is.
The worry free mind doesn’t deny the existence of the problem, rather it looks at it with the eyes of hope, not with the resignation of impending defeat but with the realization that Life is too short and time is too costly to waste both worrying about a problem that at best has a solution somewhere and at worst, was not designed to drown you.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Effects of Pain killers
Pain, an unpleasant sensory experience, has been described to be the most common reason for medical consultation, it is a major symptom in medical conditions and can significantly interfere with a persons quality of life.
Whether it’s a headache, a sprained ankle, or a burn from kitchen work, science has taught man that he does not need to condone pain, hence the advent of pain killers, right? Well, wrong!
Let me tell you something about pain, it is usually but not always the symptom of a bigger and often more complex medical condition. So you see, science in all its research, theory and experiment can only come up with a temporary relief, never a lasting cure. how ever lets not get into that argument.
My point is that your local aspirin, whether its ibrupofen, buscopan or good old panadol, can at best offer you a temporary relief, example, you can stop the headache but does it stop the malaria?
I will share with you certain features of these our so called pain killers that we all should know.
1. It serves as a distraction. Oh yes, it takes your mind off the main problem at hand, never really giving you the opportunity for a proper diagnosis and procuring a lasting relief.
2. It gives the problem or condition room to grow, because if you are not killing bacteria, then it’s spreading in you.
3. It always wears off eventually, again, emphasis is placed on the temporary nature of relief it proffers. The pain always comes back because the source is still there.
4. Last but not least, too much of it, like an overdose for instance, goes straight to your kidney and kills( guess who?)
Now, enough of this medical gibberish. The point I am trying to make or emphasize is on the pain killers we employ to tackle emotional, psychological and even spiritual hurts.
Just in case you fall into the pain killer group, I’m not too sure the brand you employ, whether it is alcohol, sex, bad habits, lies amongst others, the simple truth is that it never takes away the problem.
Getting drunk to escape an emotional turmoil doesn’t solve anything, eventually you become sober and reality sets in, sleeping with that man is not going to solve the communication problem between the two of you, and lying does not make you more believable or acceptable.
Now, like I mentioned earlier, these so called pain killers, no matter the brand you employ do not solve the problem, at best they only proffer a temporary relief, allow the problems to get compounded, make you addicted and then eventually, they kill you!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Living with Rats!!!
From my experience (in this area which is quite vast), rodents are presumably the most annoying set of crawling creatures in the whole wide world, and that includes the World Wide Web.
I mean, they visit un-invited, barge into your privacy, and stay even though they are not welcome. I’m not even talking about their nuisance value, destructive by nature, slimy and boy, are they stinkers.
The worst of these breed in my view, are the Rats.
Now rats, (am guessing), are the no.1 household nuisance, virus and enemy of most houses in Lagos, Nigeria, and contrary to what people think, it doesn’t matter where you live; be it in the suburbs or the slums, they are everywhere.
At this point, I’m sure you are wondering what the point of this write up is? Well, follow me closely.
QUESTIONS;
1. Where do rats come from?
2. Shouldn’t they have a community of their own?
3. Why do we have to condone them?
Not being a zoologist and all, I can’t answer the first two, but the answer to the third question is a definite NO. Nobody has to and should condone a rat.
You know what is even more annoying than these rats? The people who share the same features with them, yes- the people-rats!
Their features again;
1. they visit un-invited
2. they barge into your privacy
3. they stay even when they are not welcome.
Can you place a name or a face?
4. they constitute a nuisance
5. destructive by nature: all they want to do is use up all your stuff, take up all you’ve got, and remain a liability.
For clarifications, I am not a nasty person, nor am I harsh; I’m only trying to be blunt and educative.
Back to the lesson, I want to share with you four reasons why you shouldn’t condone rats and people-rats.
• In condoning a rat or a people-rat, you leave yourself and your environment dirty and polluted. The saying that bad company corrupts good manners is still true. If you leave them around you long enough, it’s only a matter of time before you start to conform to the environment, and we do not want anything to sabotage our excellent spirit.
• If you condone a rat or a people-rat, you are giving a definite license to destruction.-their gossiping and lies can destroy your relationships, your state of mind and even your homes.
• If you condone a rat or a people-rat, be prepared to stink! Yup, real rats stink, dead or alive, and if you keep up with these people of such poor character traits like lack of integrity, morals or ethics, people may pick up their scent, and attribute it to you.
• If you condone a rat or people –rat, it’s only a matter of time before your health starts deteriorating. You can lose your peace of mind from their too much nagging, lose your self esteem from their criticizing and you can even lose some weight because they will literally feed off you.
So you see why you shouldn’t condone a rat, and a people-rat. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to your environment and you owe it to the eco-system!
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