What Is In A Name

WHAT IS IN A NAME.... A Rose 🌹by any other name, would smell as sweet

When I was serving in Bayelsa state, I was posted to The ministry of Transport, which was what I wished for. However, I wasn't satisfied. I wanted more...more money and more productivity.
Then one day, an old school mate met me at the Nccf bayelsa family house. He had won the 1st runner up for the Governor's award of Outstanding Corps member for 2015/2016. 
In the course of our reconnection, I narrated- to him, how things were tough in Bayelsa and how I wanted more. 
Then he said something that not only struck me, but gave me the required thrust from wishful thinking to decision making. He said to me: "Guy no dull o, you be FUTO student!"

And instantly, that was all the Holy Ghost push I needed to jump on my feet and hit the street.
And what was the result, I got a school (extra PPA), an accommodation, extra moral classes, my choice subject...good pay and experience. Still blended well with my PPA.

That is what a name can do. I couldn't possibly fall my FuTo-hand esp after seeing another FUTOite bag an award.
Not just FUTO, I have voluntarily taken up some leadership roles because I remember that I am a Rotaractor; or that my name is Eric, which means King/Leader; or that I am/was a JesusCorper; or a Christian

Be conscious of your identity, it's a great self motivator.
I am proud to have been a FUTOite, I am proud to be a Christian, we are doing great world over!

I love NCCF Bayelsa family (The Kingdom Ambassadors).


On the flip side....

I applied for a job somewhere, after the HR staff perused my CV and letter, nodding head in appraisal...
Then I asked him, what next? 
He said I should await their call for exam and interview.
And I was like: hmmm, nawa o! Exam...interview...
In a bid to reassure me, he then said...
Shey you are a FUTO student na?!
And I was like...
FUTO student ké...I am a Jesus student o!
Who futo eppp!

Public Perception.

PUBLIC PERCEPTION.
For or Against....

One of my mentors, Pastor Olakunle Soriyan, a renowned motivational speaker, once opined that we should care about people's perception, it's an investment of our reputation capital.

That got me thinking; does it really matter? 
Does public opinion add anything to one's general self worth and profitability? 
Well, that would depend on how one looks at it.

There is the negative criticism that seeks to downplay one's persona; and the constructive criticism that adds positively by shedding light on one's shortfalls in order to stir improvements.
No man is an island of knowledge and as such, two good heads are deemed better because iron sharpeneth iron. 

Take the game of football for an instance, a player who is thinking on his feet can choose to take the best decision, of whom or where to kick the ball, from his own judgement. However, the spectators with wider view, sees the multiple options and could rightly have a different opinion on a player's better choice. Does that mean that the player was wrong? No! Neither were the spectators.
That being said, public opinion is beyond who is Right or Wrong; it is about seeing from the eyes of others. Not that it is consequential, rather it is expedient.

Lets look at another scenario, a true life account. I was in the market with my cousin and my brother's wife. We were evaluating and commenting on the shapes and sizes of the female passersby... and in the course of our discussion, she (the wife) said and i quote "I like Eric (that would be yours truly), him no carry church for head like him brother".
Initially, i felt comfortable at the remark which technically meant that i blended fine with them and they were comfortable in my company but on a second thought, i realized that i was not known for my Christianity. 
That means if i were in the biblical Antioch at that time, i would not be named- a Christian, as other disciples, because my lifestyle seated well with things and people of the world.
Then it struck me, the words of Jesus Christ...Who do people say i am? (Why did He care to know)

People's opinion of you is not necessarily who you are and would not change your personality, but might affect your influence over them. It is quite interesting that in a world of constant change, the world still expects you to have a consistent character as to judge you thereby.
People mirror your actions and learn passively from the things you say and/or do. The world is watching you with their own eyes of expectation. They expect that you match your word with action. Whatever you do, people will always build their own opinion/interpretation of the action. They are entitled to it. A sage once said, that opinion is like a nose, everyone has got one, and its got a couple of holes in it.

That been said, we must not rely on people's appraisal for our personal conviction of what gives us heart's peace. You cannot please the world. Until one takes a walk in your shoes, one cannot really tell the reason behind another's actions. People should innocently ask- to know, before making judgement. You cannot run away from it, we live in a society therefore people's judgement of your person will affect the way they relate to you.

The final question becomes, who/what am i known for?
In the business school of thought, it is said that "perception is reality".
What are you known for? 
What people say or think of you will determine how they deal with you.
Are you known for your professionalism, your integrity, your punctuality, neatness, charisma, cheerfulness... and other forms of attribute?
Brand promoters and marketers have taken advantage of this perception thingy to build a popular portfolio around their brand name.
You do the same; build a public persona of what you want to be known for.
The more you do it, (fake or real) the more you become.

Take charge and keep winning!



Mbonu Eric...copyright 2017.




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What Is Your WHY?

WHAT IS YOUR WHY???

why do you do the things that you do, the way you do them?
Do you in the name of flexibility, act on impulse or do you at the risk of being stoic, act intentionally, counting your steps all the way?
Life is spontaneous and should be lived therewith. The change making the rounds now, means that one is expected to transform overtime, in order to conform with the new order. If you do not move with the rest of the world, you would be left behind.
Looking critically,however, despite the orbiting of the earth, the atmosphere have always contained oxygen- which we breathe in, and the carbon dioxide, which we emit; the earth's structure has continually being a strata of cloud, air, land and water...better put, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. Has this changed? I strongly doubt.
That been said, I dare say that change is not really constant but relative.
Driving home to our human relationship, and the knowledge that life, though flexible, has some constants; should one remain rigid in one's ways or make a transition withersoever the cookie crumbles?
Must there be a rationale for all our actions or should we keep an open mind and live life in the present, knowing  that the future is pregnant.

Is there always a reason for what and how we do things or are we just living naturally without giving a second thought to the ripple effect of our actions?
There is a maxim- that life has a purpose and should be lived purposely.
No doubt, living purposefully gives satisfaction and drive to live life to the fullest- setting and achieving set goals.
However, on another look at this purposeful living, would it be a life of pretence when one gets into a Character in order to achieve a set goal? This part of the world where I live in, usually concludes that such one is a pretender just because you see inconsistency of character and personality; forgetting the fundamental precepts of survival. In a world that is unpredictable, why would one expect the other to remain the same in personality at all time. Having a reason for your personality changes is then perceived as a character defect.
On this premise, what then is the true meaning of the word Pretence? Purposeful living or pretence, anyhow you view it, they both call for intentional living,,.
Knowledge must be constantly challenged and improved upon overtime, to check it's consistency with the times.
Hear the conclusion of the whole matter- life is complex and ideologies, uniquely dynamic. One should be open to change and let wisdom lead. And as for the whys, the Bible says owe no one any explanations, save Such is life.

Mbonu Eric.



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The 8th Wonder of The World

The warmth that greets the cockles of your heart.
The joy from within, that makes you beam with smile.
The thrill that tends to pull your trigger, at the sight of your target;
Beyond words are the expressions of your delight,
At the presence of the object of your fascination.

Like cologne, they carry their own aura.
Their oestrogen zone overshadows multiple testosterone.
Their presence puts us at our best, unconsciously trying to impress.
We barely compete in looks, until a lady arrives the scene.
Oh woman! Beauty, Brain and Character...
The 8th wonder of the world.

Thou frail creature, yet potentially magnanimous,
Thou art a crown unto thy man-
Thy Bermuda eyes magnetizes men towards thee-
Thy lustrous lips, whisper echoes of inspiration, love and strength-
In thy touch, flows electrodes that cripple the spine-
Thy twin tower, overpowers the 6th sense:
Thy asset, a wonder...
And in thy honeypot, lies pleasures untold

THE JOURNEY

I thought my life was complicated, I thought I had no capacity to love, I thought I had no right to be in a relationship, I thought I had no right to be happy.....
I was focused on getting past something I had little or no control over the outcome.
I put my life on hold, trying to achieve one goal......
Little did I know that i was putting my life in a hole.

I wanted just two things.......
This thing and That thing.
But nothing was coming forth.
Not because I was not focused or determined enough...
sometimes, its just within your powers.
No-matter the plans, things still fell apart. Almost tearing me apart.
Expectations upon expectations....
And then my greatest fear, their faith begins to wane; their pressure weighing me down.
My ideology goes under microscope.
Change is constant and difficult...so I hold on to the status quo.
Pressing on- unto nothingness.
But in all these, I did not lose my identity...
My faith in me was my resistance to their pressures, it bore me up.
The right association, kept me afloat.
Friends left.
Some I pushed away, some I came away...some ran away..................‪#‎2_be_continued‬

KNOWLEDGE-
 The known knowns. 
 The known unknowns. 
 The unknown unknowns. 

WISDOM - The use of knowledge 

 When you live your life yourself, you take responsibility for your actions but when you are pushed, gingered, coerced to make a move, good or bad, you tend to care less about the outcome. However, there would come a time when you gotta accept that path that life has tossed you, knowing that nothing is vain, even though some are not expedient. Full understanding is a strong motivational force in directing one's commitment towards a project. With in-depth comprehension, one can then choose amongst other choices,to key into a venture. Even convictions can be influenced, the final choice of. Keying-in must be undertaken by the key persona. 
There is need for a working mindset, a living school of thought, a defined vision, an upheld principle and a chosen way of life. You can think and act different from the norm but reality checks should be made on the way, to ensure a measure of actualization I for one, think and guess you might agree with me, that the way of life should incorporate the socio-physical aspect of living. Being unique- standing out of the crowd should not necessarily mean one should distant one's self from other members on one's immediate community. The social interaction would privy one to resourceful informations, trends and vogue. 
The constant phenomenon, would create room for flexibility in your plan; accommodating new development in all facets of life, including your belief system. 
Whatever school of thought one chooses, proactiveness is key.
 Do you have a plan, make it plain. Abstract, general, vague goals ain't truly motivating. It kinda has to be personal. Being. Specific somehow makes it personal. At least you know without doubts, that you are chasing this point or the other for now-The Power of Focus. Give time, all the time necessary, to setting and achieving your specific goals. Bind them round your neck that you may not derail.
 Do NOT be deceived be uncertainties. Do not gamble except its an acceptable loss; do not even play to lose in the game of life. Yes, you can always win; if you come to every disparaging meeting with the mindset of negotiation. Negotiate to your advantage. 
I also think it is not every word of the Bible that should be taken as one spiritual bourgeois. Some are literally written with literal meaning and application. Their significance can be tested at face value and they will stand. Let him that think he standeth, take heed lest he falls. Check and. Double check to be sure. No one is an island of knowledge therefore in all your getting, get wisdom- proactive, practical use of knowledge; and get understanding- insight into the realities of life. It would guide your decisions and see you through in your chosen path.

 #Word.

Homosexuality in 3-D

·         Nature

·         Early exposure

·         Lack

…we all have some amount of evil/immorality burning within us. The responsibility lies in us to either curb or give expression to these innate urges.

In this ever changing world, where the despicable of yesterday has become today’s norm. Who sets standard of morality? Our culture, church, home, society, state law, or conscience?

The religious school condemns it outright; the society frowns at it; culture forbids it; Nations set up laws against it…yet it prevails- in secret.

One is moved to ponder if it is embedded in our genetic make-up, caused by our moral upbringing or perhaps it has evolved in humans due to the pressures of life. It truly begs the question of its origin. If it is caused by lack of morals, how is it that we have ministers and their children involved in it? If it were due to pressure, then we would have more homosexuals from Middle East Asian region where there are strict laws against sex and inter sexual relations.

Where then is the origin of this homosexuality or better put, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender LGBT?

Freethinking, free spirited, free minded…free free free, even solitude comes to mind as a major influence of this lifestyle. It is our understanding of life on earth and the desire to experiment through the sojourn that probably gave rise to homosexuality.

In my early school days, I learnt that survival was the economy of the world. Survive or die. However, this lifestyle seems to have defied that notion. Despite the millennium long pressure against it, it is not just rearing its head, its actually taking a grandiose stand for itself…having garnered the legal recognition of the foremost world power. Indeed, it has endured time.

I think in their freethinking mind, they concluded that the world is over populated. Therefore, they selflessly decide to put a stop to reproduction and a start to maintenance of the existing. Nevertheless, truth be told, marriage and sex with even the opposite sex is more for fun than procreation so they biblical point of going into the world and multiply does not really hold water.

Furthermore, a major argument that was proven biologically is that these desires are embedded within us/them. Even those who were not exposed to a homophobic environment grew up to discover that they lacked the required amount of testosterone and oestrogen that causes them to desire the opposite sex.

Scientifically, the body is explained to work like magnets, in which like poles repel and unlike poles attract sexually. Therefore, because they, the homosexuals, lack the right amount of attracting element, they blend towards whatever catches their fancy. That is why most start with innocently playing out their fantasy as bi-sexual before fully becoming homophobes. Truly, these LGBT traits has been recessive, even was expressed in us, probably while growing up but we did not allow such lifestyle sit in.

Some others grew in environment surrounded by same sex. Influenced by some freethinking minds, their bodies began to adjust to homophilia, and as they grew older, the affinity for homosexuality increased. These classes of homophobes are salvageable, if they be willing.

Finally, the core folks, majorly people of solitude/lonely lifestyle and the other extreme of self-willed fellas. In the course of their experimental life and inadequate satisfaction of their sexual urges, result to homo, bi and multi sexuality. These are the class that fucks anything including but not limited to animals and under aged, incest, chronic masturbators…even rapist. This mental disorder has no known cure yet but is controllable.

Then, there is the question of affection for same sex. This crux though in contention, this is the backbone of homosexuality. This is what really makes LGBTs seem human. It is against this backdrop of love, care, affection, and emotions that has sustained homosexuality to be beyond an experimental lifestyle. This has been recognised by science, nature and even has biblical backing.

Make love, not war.