3TruthsAboutOpportunities- YouHaveToMakeThem

“….. and when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses and he said here am I”~ Exodus 3:1-4

I know we’ve been told opportunity knocks but once….and one should make use of it. What if opportunity never knocks? Here is the first secret I have learnt about opportunities- Opportunity can be made. (Copy and tweet). This is the first secret am learning about this which many have had and wasted or made use of.

To make opportunity might seem you are just an opportunist who only seeks the easy way. A lot of people wrestle with the idea of making opportunities. I have heard people say things like “I feel bad, it makes me look cheap etc.” But my question to such ones will be- how bad do you want to succeed? Making opportunity is a significant component if one really desires to break through. It’s a genuine act of the 21^st century to make opportunities. The bold always move and make opportunities. (Copy and tweet).

In reality, we all make opportunities whether consciously or unconsciously. (Copy and tweet). A journalist who wants an interview with someone books an appointment, a singer who wants an album out, takes his demo to a producer, a writer who wants a book out writes to publishing house and finally a man who wants to date a lady, asks her out. These are a few of things we do every day.

Moses had accepted the life of a shepherd until he had an encounter with the supernatural. He had settled in and married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro the Midianite priest. It is said he was content with the shepherding of the “few sheep”. It’s sad when situations make us accept the status quo even when we know it isn’t right for us. (Copy and tweet)! God had seen in him a leader to deliver His people from bondage. Yet life had turned him into a shepherd whose place was at the back side of the desert.

Life had taken Moses through a lot of beating after he escaped from Egypt. The prince was now a full time shepherd. Sometimes life! The burning bush experience was an opportunity God made to redeemed Moses from accepting what life had thrown at him. (Copy and tweet). Off course with his Egyptian scientific background, Moses was definitely going to be attracted to the burning bush. God always speaks to us clearly via the language we understand. (Copy and tweet). God saw it as the right moment to introduce Himself and make his plans known, when Moses turned aside to see the burning bush.

This opportunity God made changed Moses’ life and that of the Jews who were in slavery. Great things happen when a willing vessel is found by God.  (Copy and tweet). It was through this that for the first time, God revealed His name “I AM THAT I AM” to the world through Moses. The burning bush experience of Moses was initiated by God. It was an opportunity he made to reach out to a battered and broken Moses at the backside of the desert.

Jesus when he encountered the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, made an opportunity by requesting for water from her. She came to the well a “husband snatcher” but by the time the dialogue ended, the evangelist in her was made manifest. (Copy and tweet). You can also make opportunities in the pursuit of anything you desire. If you wait for providence it might be too late. As a matter of urgency, reach out and make opportunities where necessary.

What does making opportunities mean to you? Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

3TruthsAboutOpportunities – YouHaveToProspectForThem

“….And the men of Israel said, have you seen this man that is come up? Surely to defy Israel is he come up. And it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him”… ~1 Samuel 17:25-36

I know we've been told that opportunity knocks but once. Well it could be true to some extent. My question is - what if opportunities never knocks? Am I am meant to sit and wait for it? No! Waiting for your turn on opportunities sounds to conventional. You might miss your kairos moment if you buy into the traditional ways of thinking. (Copy and tweet). No one ever made it being conventional. (Copy and tweet). You have to learn how to prospect for them. 

Everyone dares at some point to dig deeper or push further for something precious. (Copy and tweet). It could be paying the price for the prize or going the extra mile for the achievement. Prospecting simply means to look or dig for something. It’s normally use in the mining industry as to prospect for gold or other minerals. The word “Prospects” is also used with regards to the potential or possibilities an individual has which is not yet manifested. (Copy and tweet). The reality is that everyone has something they desire to prospect for in whatever endeavour they find themselves in. It could be the vision, business, career etc.

Prospecting for opportunities sounds like the story of David when he came to the camp of the Israelites during the battle with the Philistines. Goliath had been threatening the Israelites for quite a number of days and none could answer the challenge. The boy David appeared at the camp on the fortieth day to meet the thundering of Goliath- he wanted a man to fight with. God brought him a man after His own heart. (Copy and tweet).

The king had promised the killer of Goliath with gifts, a prize of marriage and exemption from taxes. Off course those of us who live in tax efficient nations like the U.K will be filled with joy at this law by the King. This gave David the impetus to prospect for the prize at stake. Sometimes having a promissory note in your quest is a huge booster. (Copy and tweet). Like Esther, we are also reminded of what Mordecai said-“who knows for you were born for such a time as this. Who knows what the next decision, prayer, study, writing will do for your life and the entirety of the human race? (Copy and tweet). Who knows what can be achieved if you would prospect a little bit more? (Copy and tweet). This is an interesting story of an ordinary shepherd boy who prospected and seized the opportunity which came with it.

From the day he was anointed, it seemed God had forgotten him because he returned to shepherding. Nothing was heard of him until the battle with the Philistines. Something will surely trigger your relevance one of these days. (Copy and tweet). How can it be that an individual is anointed for a particular position did not start straight away? He first had to go to God’s own university; the wilderness to face the lions and bears of life until the day of his showing forth. (Copy and tweet). The process he went through tuned him up to meet the possibilities of life outside shepherding.

David went about asking the Soldiers what the reward will be, if any should kill Goliath. There is only one conclusion - God only uses people to point us towards the opportunities in life. (Copy and tweet).  Keep prospecting because those who don’t give up in the night find their rewards in the morning. (Copy and tweet).

What does prospecting for opportunities mean to you? Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

6SecretsOfGreatPeople ~ (6) Strengths

Much of what we term strengths comes out of what we have acquired through learning and experience. It can also come from that which we are naturally able to do. (Copy  and tweet ). You can’t always be strong! However, it’s worthwhile spending time on enhancing your strengths. The more you work on your strengths, the less significant your weakness will be.(Copy and tweet ).
  
God has blessed you with enough strength for the rest of your life. You can truly maximise them and profit from it.  An individual’s abilities and talents are tantamount to the strengths they solely possess without a copy in any shape or form. (Copy and tweet ). God has dealt to every person a measure of faith. This can mean a measure of strengths depending on what that person was born to do.  I see it more as an additive to the calling on a person. What one can do another can’t in that respect. This is why you cannot celebrate others and watch your own go waste. (Copy and tweet).

You have some unique “strengths’ and the earlier you recognise them, the better it will be for you and the people aligned to you. Every successful person you know built their successes gradually on the little strength they possess. (Copy and tweet ). They kept working on it until finally it could achieve great feats. There are some who think you need the fullness of your strength before you can make a move. Nobody starts with a fully develop strength. The little you have is what grows into becoming the "big" strength over time. If you will respect your measure of strength whilst working to develop it, God will continue to reward you with more. (Copy and tweet ).

If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small. This scripture opens our eyes to the reality of being lackadaisical about the strength you have. As long as you are alive, the day of adversity will come. (Copy and tweet ). Those who survive are the ones who muster the power behind their strength and move to salvage situations. (Copy and tweet ). Sometimes the events of life will test your courage and even question the validity of your strengths. (Copy and tweet ). The good news is that you can win as long as you have a little bit of your strength left. 
 
In the pursuit of greatness via your strength, you are going to be a lone; many won’t understand you whilst others will question your right to that strength. Keep moving anyway! Any great man learnt to accept loneliness as part and parcel of their calling.  The many opinions of others won’t matter when you are caught up with developing your strengths. Society only rewards those who are bold enough to display their abilities. (Copy and tweet ). Cowering under excuses only exacerbates your fears. 

The enemy forgot that the growth of Samson’s hair was the key to his survival. (Copy and tweet ). Samson’ hair grew back and this initiated the renewal of his strength. What he lacked in the physical came about as his hair started growing.  I bet the devil never counted on his hair growing back. As long as he was a human being, it was. Forget your naysayers and those who ridiculed you when you were working on your strengths. (Copy and tweet ). It will surely grow back and when it does, move in its power and do mighty things for God and yourself. The sixth and final secret of great people is that they have strengths which they work on to accentuate.

Questions: What are some of the ways a person can maximise their strengths ? Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

6SecretsOfGreatPeople ~ (5) Weaknesses

Every one possesses some degree of strength and weakness: none can claim absolute strength as even the strongest of all men, has weaknesses. (Copy and tweet). Infact the presence of a weakness denotes the reality of our human nature and its frailty. (Copy and tweet). There is nothing like a superman or woman as depicted in movies. Those are just make beliefs. Enter into their closets and you probably will find them desiring for a relief from their weaknesses. 

In our twenty-first century world, it’s seems absurd to act out and accept your weaknesses. Especially in this so-called era where “Alpha male and female” concepts are so much in vogue. However, I believe not allowing your weaknesses to show is a weakness in itself. (Copy and tweet). Sometimes allowing your weaknesses to shows opens the door for help in times of need.
You can lie to the people sometimes but you can’t lie to the people all the time is a quote I heard from Bob Marley. We are Spiritual beings and it makes it so easy to see through the next person whether if they are posers or not. (Copy and tweet).

Isn’t it funny how quick we are to ridicule those who accept their weaknesses whilst we hide our own. There is nothing wrong with having weaknesses but there is danger if nothing is done about it. (Copy and tweet). It is grave if one lacks the tools and the resources to deal with the visible and destructive tendencies that inhibit their progress. The presence of weaknesses only does one thing- it stifles the flow of your strengths. (Copy and tweet). Noticeably, many find it difficult to differentiate between “I can’t” and” I won’t”. (Copy and tweet). Knowing the difference is what will determine the sort of help you need.

For someone who desires to be a winner, the recognition of your weaknesses calls for an “I can’t” about certain things in order to receive help. (Copy and tweet this).  Interestingly, the Bible does not have the word “I can’t” but rather “I can”. It allows you to succumb to the desired knowledge needed. Recognizing you can’t or have failed, is not the worst that can happen to any person. (Copy and tweet). You wouldn’t be the first to have faced this situation.

It is only a fool who desiring to change will be adamant and not change his “I won’t. “I won’t” will be a symbol of arrogance when everything around points to your need for change. (Copy and tweet). It shuts the doors of your cognitive abilities thus killing your creativity. It deceives you to accept the status quo and never worry about change. It is a demon which has crippled many “would- be”, “could -have –been” and “should- have- been” individuals.

Every human being has a dream. Those who take the dream further accept the challenge of dealing with the “I won’t” of their lives through positive compromises for the greater good. Notwithstanding this reality, there are certain ideals you can’t compromise on albeit in the name of success.(Copy and tweet). “I won’t” like your refusal to abuse drugs, cheat in life, be sexually impure etc. are some of the things you can confidently say no to. The fifth secret of great people is that they possess weaknesses!

Questions: Do you think weaknesses are sometimes a blessing in disguise? Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

6SecretsOfGreatPeople ~ (4) Fears

What we have to fear is fear itself once said by an American President. (Copy and tweet). Often times a person’s refusal to accommodate fear in their lives forces them to work on their courage. (Copy and tweet). The courageous person you see today might have been fearful at a point in their lives. The interesting thing about fear is that, the more you feed on it, the bigger it becomes. (Copy and tweet). The most debilitating aspect of fear for most of us however is the fear of the "unknown". Everyone struggles with the fear of the unknown yet its acceptance causes us to build support systems to deal with emergencies.

The revealing thing is that not every one of the fears you have is legitimate. (Copy and tweet). They say we are all born with two fears- that of falling and noises. The rest are all picked up as we go along in life and the experiences we endure.  These could be in relationships, business deals etc. Sometimes too the fears are either based on folklore transference or hearsay. (Copy and tweet). Such ones can be easily dealt with whilst the ones that are genuine can be overcome with help. 

Never beat yourself hard because you have fears, we all do. Pretend you don’t and your fall will be mighty. (Copy and tweet). There is nothing wrong with having fears but there is everything wrong when you fail to accept and deal with them. (Copy and tweet). Having fears is part of human existence. Someone said f.e.a.r. is an acronym which reads – False- Evidence- Appearing- Real. Succinctly stated, what you are pushed to fear might not be true at the end of the day.

For most people, the foundation of their fear is based on superstitions. (Copy and tweet). Every person, family, country has its own version of Superstitions. The concept of superstition is something that is wired into most societies. Most of these are in existence due to the lack of knowledge. I believe once you are educated about something, you lose the sense of fear about it. (Copy and tweet). A society that advances is the one that acknowledges the presence of superstition yet presses on nevertheless.

When a person becomes too engrossed in superstition, he loses the essence of what the reality can be. (Copy and tweet). This goes a long way to hamper their progress and development of any kind. How true are these superstitions? There could be a semblance of truth yet what relevancy does it contribute to your development? Daring and proving all things should be part of the process for you. You need to have a balance on what to fear and how to fear. (Copy and tweet). The fourth secret of great people is that they have fears yet they don't allow it to stop them in their tracks. Rather, they overcome them to become champions. (Copy and tweet).

Questions: Are your fears genuine? Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

6SecretsOfGreatPeople ~ (3) Beliefs

Even nothing produces something called nothing! (Copy and tweet this). No single human being on earth can claim that they don’t have any beliefs. Is there anything like a vacuum when it comes to beliefs? I doubt! Your beliefs go a long way to shape the way you live your life. (Copy and tweet this). Whatever you believe in has the power to shape your thoughts, words, habits and actions. (Copy and tweet this).  

The common denominator or pointer for most beliefs is normally religion- whether organised or self- thought.  You can also consider superstitions as being a sort of belief either handed down or self-taught. (Copy and tweet this). It shows how we are in awe of that which we cannot comprehend. Deep within the core of every human being is a system of beliefs they live by. It’s something that God wired into the DNA of man and it cannot be disputed. (Copy and tweet this).   

From a religious perspective, worship of a deity has been central to the existence of almost every human being. (Copy and tweet this). When the Apostle Paul saw the inscription “to the unknown god”, on the altar on Mars hill, he knew it was an opportunity to introduce the people to the true but unknown God they had been searching for.  

Aside religion, we all have various things we believe in. We find peace and tranquility whenever we activate or access that belief system. (Copy and tweet this). I believe in God through Jesus Christ, smart work, talents and skills, humanity, the acquisition of both secular and biblical knowledge, traditional family values, in faith rather than luck and my list could go on. I have tried to exist in this life and even in the face of uncertainty by holding on to what my belief teaches. (Copy and tweet this). This is what has created the faith I have about breaking through in my tomorrow. By this and every little effort made, a person is able to win without any encumbrances. 

A person’s ability to know who they are stems from the beliefs that form the core of their existence. This becomes a reference point in all matters pertaining to their life. You need to maintain and keep challenging your belief system as life goes on. It allows you to strengthen where you are weak and let go of outmoded ones . What you believe in most becomes the fundamental “belief tower”. (Copy and tweet this). 

You serve and live this life based on the most important belief you have. An individual cannot be different from what they believe in. We speak, act and even associate based on what we have belief in. The belief that human enhancement is vital empowers a person to stretch their abilities wide and far. (Copy and tweet this). To live for flimsy things and to satisfy the whims of the flesh cuts short a person’s desire for longevity. (Copy and tweet this).

Many have been blessed and have had their lives changed because they found out that in belief they can exercise faith. You do believe in something! I hope you will find time to discover what it is. However I pray yours will be in God and also to uplift and better the lives of others. The question you should be asking yourself however is this- is your belief system adequate enough to help you survive hard times? (Copy and tweet this). If not, desire to change it. The third secret of great people  is that they have beliefs.

Questions: What is your belief system like? Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

 

6SecretsOfGreatPeople ~ (2) Values

What values do you esteem most in your life? Everybody has got values whether corrupted or not. The two significant ways by which a person comes about with their values are handed down and self-acquired or learnt values. (Copy and tweet this).  This is what drives the engine of vision and success. We are afforded an opportunity to either change or maintain the values we have as we go through life. (Copy and tweet this). Every human being has got something they will die for rather than change. In order to be great, accepting your values and the estimation you put on them will help you to be in sync with your ability to win easily. 

The ability to work with your values stops you from being distracted from the purpose you’ve set yourself for. (Copy and tweet this). This will determine how far you go in life. Unfortunately, every value you esteem now might not be adequate and significant enough for the vision you’ve set yourself for. That is why you should have a teachable spirit so you can learn from others what you might need as you go along. This is also true for the values we were either raised with or have learnt by ourselves.

When I was a child I use to think like a child. Now that I have become a man.... I am empowered to think like a man.(Copy and tweet this). Freedom to be is a must if you want to clearly define what your values are. If you depend constantly on others like children do, definitely others will dictate for you and even pass on their values to you. Once you become fully matured,
 there needs to be a total overhauling of every handed down value.

It is by experiencing certain situations and circumstances and even maturing that we find the values most appropriate and needful for us. You should also constantly make sure you adapt to change. A person at some point should desire to work totally on overhauling their value system. (Copy and tweet this). It will be incredulous to hold on to values which have no meaning or significance to your current situation or position. 

Every level, age or situation a person encounters or is at demands a shift or a shake in their value system. (Copy and tweet this). Those who don’t make it in life often times find it difficult to give in even when it’s evident they need to change. Being rigid in the face of overwhelming evidence only leads to emptiness. (Copy and tweet this). The beauty of life is much seen when we change and re-change to be in sync with what we have been called to do. (Copy and tweet this).

The book of Proverbs says that if you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small. One of these days, adversity will rise. You don’t have to be good or evil for it to come. Those who prepare towards the evil day, survive. When you pretend your values are unshakable, you will only find out that they might be weak, outmoded and unusable. (Copy and tweet this).

It easy to get carried away by every whim of life but if a person is grounded in solid values, the difference wouldn't be very much. (Copy and tweet this). Traditional family values, honesty, humanity, hard work (smart work), loyalty, charity are universally accepted and it is a language all humankind speaks and they can be emulated. However you might have your own set of values which you live by in your quest to win in life. 

But remember if they are weak, corrupted and lack honesty, you will always be found out. (Copy and tweet this). This is the second secret of great people. They have values which have been tested by time yet are unshakable.

Questions: What do you value most? Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II