Inspiration Republic

Today is the last episode of the Inspiration republic, I am excited about it. I have taught over a hundred participants at my webinar about the last profile in the last two years. The last profile is a concept of creating the end of life and walk back to the present to live it. It is all about creating the statement you would want to hear from the lips of everyone at your funeral services when you finally depart from the earth. It begins by asking the question, “What would I be known or remembered for when I am gone?” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

I decided to follow them. When we arrived at the graveyard, the Clergyman preached the shortest, most unforgettable sermon I have ever heard. He said: "As is our culture in this town, everyone is expected to write his or her last profile and submit to the timekeeper. Today is the day of reckoning. We shall examine Madam Agnes's profile written and submitted 40 years ago to see whether or not she lived by it." I haven't heard such before. It was very shocking to me. Someone called “The Timekeeper” came and presented her profile to the Clergyman to read out loud. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

The whole town was shut down. There was wailing and crying. Everyone was heading in one direction. In my confusion, I stood and watched for a few minutes. No one said a word. The young and old were crying uncontrollably. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Don't accept the world as it is. Dream of what the world could be - and then help make it happen.” - Peter Tatchell You can make it happen. Your dream is a possibility. If it wasn't possible, the divinity wouldn't have allowed it to be conceived in your mind. You can design your life the way you want it to happen. You can make life happen from and through you. We need you to make the change to seek to make. You can create a new order of humanity through your daily decision in life. This is my admonition to you today: --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

First, life happens TO you. Then you CHOOSE to make life happen. Life happens FROM you and finally, Life happens THROUGH you. The state of 'Life happens to me' is the powerless state of life. A life of survival rather than a life of meaning and contribution. The best state to be in life is a state where you make life happens to others through you. In early life, Life happens to most of us. But as we grow and attain maturity the best way to begin to live a life of meaning and contribution is to start making life happens as we choose. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Praise is a positive enemy. Seek feedback, not praise. When you receive feedback, filter it, and consume the ones that inspire you to expand your horizon. Praise can destroy your capacity to do more if you don't handle it carefully. “Every time you give someone the power to build you up with praise, you are also unknowingly giving that person the power to destroy you with criticism. Therefore, accept praise and criticism as nothing more than someone else's expressions of opinion. They have nothing to do with who you really are.” – Vishen Lakhiani When you are told you are the best. The hole in your heart that is constantly seeking validation gets filled. Your ego rises and sometimes become bloated. This is not healthy for your success. How do you handle praise? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Most people don't like being criticised. There is no way to achieve a serious level of success without getting some attention. Yes, people will eye you and make it clear that they disapprove of what you are doing. Let's face it: No matter what choices you make in life, someone is going to criticise you somewhere along the way.” – Grant Cardone You need collaboration, recommendation, association, feedback, etc. But two things you must be immune to if you desire success in life: Praise and Criticism. Yes, these two are dangerous enemies that tell you that you are not born enough, you need someone's approval or validation. To succeed in your terms, serve humanity and divinity, make meaningful contributions to the world; you must build up immunity against Praise and Criticism. In this episode, my focus is on criticism. Never allow criticism to stop you from succeeding and excelling in your pursuit. What is Criticism? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Self-Appreciation — being compassionate and loving ourselves — is not only the foundation of our lives; it's the foundation of a better world. The stronger it is, the more we can build together.” - Gustavo Razzetti When I asked a friend to write 10 things he loves about another friend. He was able to complete the list in 60seconds. Then I asked him to write what he loves about himself and the exercise became a daunting one. Why do you know so much about people and you know nothing about yourself? I know you love people, you believe in them. But why have you left the chief task of loving believing in yourself unattended to? Please have mercy on yourself. Be compassionate and kind to yourself. To fill the hole in your soul, you must have compassion for yourself. What is self-compassion? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

What do you do when you appreciate someone for what they have done? Most likely, you would say, “Thank you”, or you would be nice, kind, and courteous towards the other person. But how many times do we say “thank you” to ourselves? How many times do we give thanks to our bodies for functioning properly the way God has made it or for gifts and talents we are endowed with? Not many times I guess. Lydia made her first speech at the speaking club. She expected validations, commendations and appreciations. Unfortunately, everyone was carried away. She became so sad and said, “I am not good enough” There is a hole in her soul expecting other people to fill it up with good, kind and appreciative words. To fill the hole in our soul and become wholesomeness, we need self-appreciation as a daily tonic for the soul. How do we self appreciate? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

To fill the hole in your soul, it begins with self-love. You must love yourself as if your life depends on it. “There is nothing more attractive than a person who loves himself or herself so deeply that their positive energy and love spill over to others and the world” – Vishen Lakhiani. There is a hole within every soul that seeks validation, love, praise, and care from others. It is a feeling of ‘I am not enough' that is deeply rooted in the soul. When you make the filling of the hole in your soul the responsibility of another person, you begin to seek for love, attention, approval endlessly. To live a happy and fulfilled life, you must move from a hole to being whole. You must move from the stage of seeking validation to a stage of completeness – a stage of being more than enough. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Life laughs at you when you are unhappy; Life smiles at you when you are happy, But life salutes you when you make others happy.” - Charlie Chaplin Making happiness happen for others comes from our awakening, growth and understanding that every single life is designed to birth other lives. A life of happiness is designed to birth other lives of happiness. A life of success and prosperity is designed to birth other lives of success and prosperity. If we haven't got there yet, we must strive continuously to attain a life that consistently gives birth to its kind. Making happiness happen for others is the surest way to sustain personal happiness. Don't spread hate, worry, gloominess, fear, that is not your assignment. Engage daily in the business of making everyone around you connect to your fountain of happiness. According to a philosopher, Confucius, “If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.” How do you help someone with happiness? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

The happiest people are the ones who make others happy. We have a great mission here; we are not here only to make ourselves happy but also to infuse happiness in others. We are commissioned to make happiness happen for others. The positive energy and vibes emanating from our bowels are designed to cause unique vibrations and experiences in connection with every element of nature around us. Creating memorable experiences that make someone look back at his life and have an overwhelming smile, joy and be consumed by a burst of uncontrollable laughter is one of the reasons we are here. However, making happiness happen requires certain deliberate actions: --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Happiness is a spiritual exercise that nourishes the soul. It is living every minute of our lives with love, grace, and gratitude. True happiness springs up from the well of gratitude. Everyday practice of gratitude is a journey into a life of happiness and fulfillment. “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It's the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette Perhaps there is no single exercise that serves as a big happiness booster like the practice of gratitude. At workplaces, gratitude has been described by human resources professionals as one of the major productivity boosters. Scientifically, there are proven benefits of consistent practice of gratitude. These include more energy, more forgiving attitude, less depression, less anxiousness, more feeling of being socially connected, better sleep, fewer headaches etc. How do you engage in a consistent practice of gratitude? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Extraordinary minds understand that happiness comes from within. They begin with happiness in the now and use it as a fuel to drive all their other visions and intentions for themselves and the world.” _ Vishen Lakhiani Your happiness matters. It is the fuel you can use to drive your ambitions, visions, dreams, aspirations etc. Your career and business can suffer if you do not consider the art of happiness as a necessity in your journey to success. This is so important because…. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“It turns out that our brains are literally hardwired to perform at their best not when they are negative or even neutral, but when they are positive. Yet in today's world, we ironically sacrifice happiness for success only to lower our brain's success rates.” – Shawon Achor Happiness matters because it stimulates your brain to perform at a maximum level. No matter how success-driven you are, sacrificing your happiness today for a success hoped for tomorrow is like preparing for a journey that will end in frustration. You can never be so sure about tomorrow's event; happiness now matters. It matters to be happy at the now while pursuing vigorously your life quest. Why is happiness so important? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” Philippians 3:13 NLT What lies ahead of us if far greater, bigger and better than what lies behind. The pull towards the future is the greatest in life. The future has no limit. Mathematics tells us that knowledge of all infinite futures is not possible. So, how are you twisting the present to connect to the infinite future? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

If you are a victim of war, your definition of peace will be quite different from a fellow who had never seen a riot in his life. If you are a victim of Tsunami, your view about climate change and natural disasters will never be the same as someone who had never seen a river overflowing its bounds. If your movement has ever been restricted for any reason, your understanding of freedom will defer from a friend who has never had a threat to stay indoors all day. Therefore, a series of events in our lives affect how we think and see life. How can we twist the events in our lives? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Life doesn't get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn If the current realities are not the ones you are proud of, you can change them. We are affected by what we know and what we don't know. The experiences we have in life and the intensity of those experiences can shape our views of the world and how we relate in it The experience of a child that grew up in a remote settlement in any part of the world can never be the same with a child of the same age that grew up in a metropolis. It was never any of their choices but life made it happened. However, you can twist the experiences to your favour regardless of the part of the world you grew up… --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

The realignment of our thoughts, actions, emotions is a powerful tool for changing our realities. Twisting realities simply means succeeding in life despite all the negative circumstances life has brought our ways. We are all born with certain realities. None of us determined or decided who our parents were to be. How we were to be born was never a choice. The environment we were born, how we were raised and other factors surrounding our lives we never decided. In some cases, the circumstances are never favourable. However, we hold this singular responsibility to ourselves; to twist the realities and make the best out of them. How do we twist the realities? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Supporting another's success won't damp yours. Don't be consumed in your quest alone, everyone is on a journey. The better the support we offer one another, the faster our journeys together. We all have a responsibility to make life beautiful for others. Les Brown is quoted as saying, “Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.” How can I support a friend to pursue her life's quest? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Your quest is not to outdo anyone but to be laser-focused on your quest while you support others on their adventures. Your quest is not superior to that of your neighbour. We are all born with different talents and gifts. “Take a look at the plants. They come together and thrive peacefully in the garden or park. They lean on each other without trying to outdo one another. They serve as a sign that we can see beyond our differences and embrace each other in love while allowing our uniqueness to add colour to our world. If plants can live in harmony and show their beauty to the world, we as humans can do much more.” ― Kemi Sogunle To accept and support the quests of others, it calls for harmony and maturity. How can I embrace the quest of another man? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“There are ultimately two choices in life: to fight it or to embrace it. If you fight it you will lose - if you embrace it you become one with it and you'll be lived.” ― Rasheed Ogunlaru Becoming one with your quest in life is embracing it to make it significant. This is what you are born to do; to play the game of life and win. You are destined to play and win. So, play to win. Embracing your quest is a way of being rather than doing. How do you become one with your quest? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” – J. R. R. Tolkien If you have found your quest in life, the next action to take is to embrace your quest wholeheartedly and make it a life mission. It is dangerous to be watching a game you are supposed to be a participant. You cant be passive in a matter that will determine the outcomes of your life. You cant pretend to be deaf and dumb when a matter is being judged against you in the court of life. This will be a disservice to self and destiny. Then, how do I embrace my quest? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Everyone dies but not everyone truly lives. Running away from your problem is a race that you will never win, no matter how fast you are at running. We are all afraid of something. Fear is a disease that is afflicting all humanity. Life is a mission. It is a quest to discover the truth about ourselves and the universe. Life is a quest to find better ways that humanity can evolve. It is a personal quest to find the essence of living. A quest is a personal adventure to discover the truth about yourself and how you can make your discovered truth benefit humanity. Can you be genuinely on a quest without being afraid? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

The price of greatness is responsibility. - Winston Churchill You owe yourself. You owe yourself the opportunity to take 100 percent of your life and make the best out of every circumstance you find yourself. This is the debt you owe, No one will pay it for you. You can't seek debt relief or cancellation when you owe yourself. You have got to pay what you owe. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

”Our most beautiful dreams are born from our most unpleasant nightmares.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo Daniel made a vow to defeat poverty and make jest of it. How did he arrive at this? The father was hospitalized. He needed emergency surgery. He was told by the doctor; “He has only a few days to live. The surgery must be done immediately. We can't do the surgery in this country. He has to be flown abroad for the surgery.” The doctor declared to Daniel and walked back to his office. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

”Pain makes me grow. Growing is what I want. Therefore, for me, pain is a pleasure.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger Growing without pain is an illusion. Transformation without a tangible change is a lie to self. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Great things never came from comfort zones.” – Neil Strauss The tenacity to endure pain is the true test of commitment to a cause. If you can't endure the pain, you will never be truly committed to the cause. The comfort zones are where destinies and great dreams are buried. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

”It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.” – Julius Caesar It is painful to experience pain. Right there in the hospital, a woman was about to give birth to another life. She screamed. The Labour pain was severe. If she was given the option of giving up, quit the process and forget about giving birth to another life, will she have accepted it? No, I don't think so. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“I am convinced that any suffering we endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within us” – Romans 8:18 (TPT) “I have a high tolerance for pain.” – Elon Musk We live in a world that is quickly changing our orientation about the temporal delay of gratification. The most thriving concept among the youths is having a bountiful harvest without a season of cultivation, seeding and planting. We want everything ready-made and specially served. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save money. That's a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact. That is – everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you. And you can change it. You can influence it…Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again.” – Steve Jobs We are all born into a world that already had its pre-existing rules made by the colossus of human thoughts. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It's sort of splendid torch which I've got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” – George Bernard Shaw. The noisy cemetery is full of lives that were never used up. To be thoroughly used up before we depart from the mother earth should be the core mission of every living. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“I don't care if the business dies. It is not my father's business. I will move on with my life” Sam, the employee of a thriving IT firm in the city centre said. This is an unsafe conversation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“This is the truth; the battle is fierce. The enemies are advancing against us strongly. We are going to lose some of our men.” The Leader of the battalion declared to his men. Immediately, 95% of the men “died in their mind”. This is an unsafe conversation. A conversation that dampened the morale of the gallant army. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

He looked into her eyes and said, “You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me.” Her self-worth was squashed in a second. Her ego got deflated and she looked at herself as someone who has no value and reason for living. This is an unsafe conversation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

A conversation with the self seems to be one of the most powerful conversations in life. It is popularly called self-talk. It is a great disservice to talk to self negatively. “It is going to be bad today. I don't know what is happening but the day is going to be tough for me” Paul said. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Your service will no longer be required. Handshakes…Thank you for your contribution. “You were wrong, Sir, your statistics were incorrect. The references you cited were inappropriate.” The master smiled and said, “Thank you for your observation.” When a superior tells a lie, you can't be too smart to say it was a lie. That is very unsafe. Unsafe conversations happen every day at workplaces and every other place that human interactions occur. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“You are the most qualified. You are very skilful and intelligent but unfortunately, we can't trust you with our trade secret. Thank you for your interest in our organization. Goodbye.” David was invited for an interview at the one the leading organizations in his field. It was a big deal. It was an organization that every young professional in his field would like to work. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

It is very unsafe to say it as it is without sugarcoating. Can I have an honest conversation with you? Can I tell you the true state of things without sweet-talking you into believing everything is fine? Can I look into your eyes and tell you the whole truth without being scared of your next action? The truth is scary to say sometimes or all the times. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Steve Jobs: “Real artists ship.” Linchpins ship. Linchpins deliver. They are finishers. They run to the finish line. They complete every project, publish and launch their arts. Getting things done is the point of difference between an achiever and a dreamer. Achievers ship, they get things done regardless of the challenges confronting them. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Just as athletes never quit training, high performers never stop consciously conditioning and strengthening their habits. Real success—holistic, long-term success—doesn't come from doing what's natural, certain, convenient, or automatic. Often, the journey to greatness begins the moment our preferences for comfort and certainty are overruled by a greater purpose that requires challenge and contribution. The skills and strengths you have now are probably insufficient to get you to the next level of success, so it's absurd to think you won't have to work on your weaknesses, develop new strengths, try new habits, stretch beyond what you think your limits or gifts are. That's why I'm not here to sell you the easy solution of just focusing on what is already easy for you. Just so we're clear: There's a lot of work ahead.” ― Brendon Burchard, High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

From me to you. I give this for free. One thing that the linchpins do that every other person struggles to do is to give gifts. The linchpins give the gift of kindness, attention, care, love, art, joy, peace, and whatever makes others happy and fulfilled.... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Thank you for being remarkable.” She said. You don't need approval or permission to be remarkable. David is a linchpin. He wakes up every day of his life intending to receive such a statement above from at least 5 individuals. Whether he is on a transit to work, talking to a client, having a meeting with colleagues or carrying out his daily routine tasks, David meets his daily goal consistently. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

”Just being someone who shows up, follows directions and works hard isn't enough to get ahead anymore; it can be a recipe for disaster.”- Seth Godin Merely showing up at the workplace or marketplace is no longer important. You must make tangible contributions that change the lives of others. That is what the linchpins do. The linchpin is the most essential person in any group, tribe, community, society or organization. He is the mainstay of a system, the one that is indispensable but replaceable. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” ― Jim Rohn Now is a miracle but it requires discipline to make it a miracle indeed. The discipline of making today useful for a better tomorrow not everyone can pay the price. There is always a price to pay now for a better tomorrow. Now is a miracle because you can pay the entire price you need to pay for greatness, success and a fulfilled life. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Now is a miracle. The miracle of Now is brought into existence by taking deliberate actions. Intention diminishes without actions. If it must be done, do it now. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Now is beautiful. Now is the perfect time to love and be loved. Now is the time to pursue peace, joy and happiness. Now is the time to be on a mission to become a better self and fulfill a higher purpose. Now is the time to be lost in the beauty of nature and all the awesome creatures the creator has made to beautify the planet. The ancient book; it is always pure and ever true. It reminds us of the brevity of life. “But this I say, brethren, THE TIME IS SHORT, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none….. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“The only time that exists in life is now. Right now is the best to create your tomorrow” – Ken Poirot Now is powerful. Now is a precious gift that is given to humanity by divinity. Now is the time that all humans have control over. Now is the time to fix the next five, ten, or 20 years. Now is a miracle. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is the future. Now is a miracle. A miracle to re-write a bad yesterday and design a better tomorrow. Now is all we have got..... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” - Jim Rohn You can make so much money in the world as long as you provide the value that is in high demand by the market place. But time is the most essential commodity on earth. No matter how high the demand for time, the supply will never increase. The brevity of a lifetime is another concern. Dorcas dreamt of becoming the first female engineer in her community.... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

Mr Douglass lived and died on the Someday Avenue without achieving any meaningful feat in life. Today, many individuals are living perpetually on this avenue. They postpone what you be done today till tomorrow, What you be done this month till next month and this year till next year. They say to themselves consistently, I will do it someday. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message

“Time Slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who use time wisely are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives.” Robin Sharma. In the 18thcentury, there was a man called Douglass, who lived his entire life on 'Someday Avenue', preparing for a day that never came. He was once asked "Mr Douglass, when are you going to write the book and sing the song?" Someday I will get them done. He responded..... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bolayusuf/message