Saji Ijiyemi's Blog, page 5

Live Life By Design: Day 3 — Build in the Dark

Live Life by design: Day 3 — Build in the dark

If you want to live life by design, you have to have the faith to see now what you want to see then. You have to be willing to build in the dark.

The account of creation shows that the heavens and the earth were created in the dark because the light was not switched on until the third day; the creator was willing to build in the dark before there was light.

The Empire State building in New York City was the tallest building in world for 40 years. The observation decks in the 102 stories building attract about 4 million visitors in a year and generated $60 million in profits in 2010.

I am not sure how many people paid to visit the construction site while the foundation was being laid in 1930 but only 3,400 workers were involved in the project. I am sure the builders were not building for the few thousands who were there at the construction site; they were building for the 4 million people that will visit yearly. They were willing to build when only few thousands were paying attention. They were willing to build in the dark.

Champions are not made in the ring, they are merely recognized there. What you cheated on in the dark of the morning will show up in the ring under the bright lights — Joe Frazier

As at the time of this writing, there are 942 days to the opening ceremony of the thirty-first Summer Olympic Games that will be hosted in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and there are athletes, right now, who are practicing, training, dieting, exercising, and mentally preparing to win gold medals in the Olympic Games. There are names you will hear for the first time, there are athletes that will become celebrities with millions of dollars in advertisement deals, they are building in the dark right now for the day the bright lights of the Olympic Games will shine on them.

I hope you are determined to live your life by design. If you are, my question for you is: what kind of life do you want to live five, ten, or twenty years from now? Can you design it in the thick darkness of your imagination? Can you visualize it in abyss of your mind? Can you sketch it on a vision board? As you build in the dark, I want you to keep in mind what former boxing heavyweight champion Joe Frazier said that:

“Champions are not made in the ring, they are merely recognized there. What you cheated on in the dark of the morning will show up in the ring under the bright lights.”

Life is going to put you on stage very soon. The bright lights are going to shine on you when the time comes, and everyone will see the kind of life you have been designing all along. So, now is the time to get to work and design the kind of life you want. You have the power to create your world.

The post Live Life By Design: Day 3 — Build in the Dark appeared first on SajiGroup International.

Live Life By Design: Day 2 — Create Your Life

Live Life By Design: Day 2 — Created to create your life

If you want to live your life be design, you must understand that you are created to create your life. There are billions of people to day who believe God is omnipresent, omniscient, a Miracle Worker, a Provider, a Deliverer, and the list can go on who God is.

When God was introduced to humanity in the book of life, He was introduced as a worker who was busy creating His world. However, there are many today who believe they are created in the image of God but they are not creating their world. If you want to live by design, you must believe that you are created to create your life and you have the power to create the kind of life you want.

Every day that you wake up this year is a blank page for you to draw and design the life that you want.

When I was learning how to write, color, and develop my coordination and fine motor skills in pre-school, I remember the teacher will give us crayons and a coloring page with pre-printed image for us to color, and strictly instruct that we should not color outside the lines. Coloring outside the lines was considered a mistake; it restricted our freedom to create and confined our creativity to the borders of the design that was handed to us.

Is it possible that you are living your life right now based on the design someone created and not the design you created for yourself? To live your life by design, you will need a blank page with which you can draw, design, create, color freely without restrictions, and color outside the borders if you so wish.

Every day that you wake up this year is a blank page for you to draw and design the life that you want. If you spend your life waiting for someone to hand you a pre-designed life, a crayon, and where to color, you are living by default and not by design.

You have the power to design and create your own life. Your Creator created you so that you too can create. It is time to create your world.

The post Live Life By Design: Day 2 — Create Your Life appeared first on SajiGroup International.

Live Life By Design: Day 1 — Start With God In the Beginning

In the beginning God

“In the beginning God …”

I am always captivated by the first four words in the Bible. The favorite book opens with the fact that “In the beginning God…”

Whenever I want to start anything, these four words constantly reminds me to involve God at the beginning. Even if my situation appears confusing, chaotic, and cloudy at the start, I can be sure that everything will fall into place because I have the God of the beginning in the very beginning.

Let the God of the beginning be part of your beginning, you will be glad you did.

I was reminded of the story of a couple who invited Jesus as a guest at their wedding. Jesus was invited to the wedding, not to come and perform a miracle but to come and grace the occasion as one of the relatives. The couple did not know that their wine will run out at the peak of their party, but when the wine ran out, they were glad Jesus was invited Jesus at the beginning.

If you want to live your life by design, it will be wise to involve God at the beginning, He designed you and He can give you the clue to the design that fits your life. As the year unfolds, things might get chaotic; the path might become dark and confusing, but you will be glad that God has been present all along. This is why God is a very present help in trouble, He has been there from the beginning, He is not traveling from far to come and help you.

As you begin the year,  let the God of the beginning be part of your beginning, you will be glad you did.

The post Live Life By Design: Day 1 — Start With God In the Beginning appeared first on SajiGroup International.

Live Life By Design: Day 1 — In the Beginning

In the beginning God

“In the beginning God …”

I am always captivated by the first four words in the Bible. The favorite book opens with the fact that “In the beginning God…”

Whenever I want to start anything, these four words constantly reminds me to involve God at the beginning. Even if my situation appears confusing, chaotic, and cloudy at the start, I can be sure that everything will fall into place because I have the God of the beginning in the very beginning.

Let the God of the beginning be part of your beginning, you will be glad you did.

I was reminded of the story of a couple who invited Jesus as a guest at their wedding. Jesus was invited to the wedding, not to come and perform a miracle but to come and grace the occasion as one of the relatives. The couple did not know that their wine will run out at the peak of their party, but when the wine ran out, they were glad Jesus was invited Jesus at the beginning.

If you want to live your life by design, it will be wise to involve God at the beginning, He designed you and He can give you the clue to the design that fits your life. As the year unfolds, things might get chaotic; the path might become dark and confusing, but you will be glad that God has been present all along. This is why God is a very present help in trouble, He has been there from the beginning, He is not traveling from far to come and help you.

As you begin the year,  let the God of the beginning be part of your beginning, you will be glad you did.

The post Live Life By Design: Day 1 — In the Beginning appeared first on SajiGroup International.

Good Beginnings

In the beginning God

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Gen. 1:1, NLT)

I am always captivated by the first four words in the Bible. The favorite book opens with the fact that “In the beginning God…”

Whenever I want to start anything, these four words constantly reminds me to involve God in the beginning. Even if my situation appears confusing, chaotic, and cloudy at the start, I can be sure that everything will fall into place because I have the God of the beginning in the very beginning.

let the God of the beginning be part of your beginning, you will be glad you did.

I was reminded of the story of a couple who invited Jesus as a guest at their wedding. Jesus was invited to the wedding, not to come and perform a miracle but to come and grace the occasion as one of the relatives. The couple did not know that their wine will run out at the peak of their party, but when the wine ran out, they were glad Jesus was invited Jesus at the beginning.

As you begin this year, it will be wise to involve God at the very beginning and invite Jesus into your affairs. As the year unfolds, things might get chaotic; the path might become dark and confusing, but you will be glad that God has been present all along. This is why God is a very present help in trouble, He has been there from the beginning, He is not traveling from far to come and help you.

As you begin the year, let the God of the beginning be part of your beginning, you will be glad you did.

The post Good Beginnings appeared first on SajiGroup International.

How to Make the New Year a Happy New Year #1 — Keep a Calendar

Happy New Year — How to Make the New Year Your Best Year Ever

The first of January is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world. It’s a time we wish family and friends a Happy New Year, with balloons, confetti, fireworks, food, music, dance, and parties.

Like billions of people around the world, you too will likely make some New Year resolutions and promise yourself to start doing some good things and start doing some bad things.

If, like me, you are a Christian, you will probably be at a watch-night service on New Year’s eve to make declarations and pray over your New Year resolutions. Unfortunately, many stop at declaration bus stop, and never make it to their goal because they have no strategic plan and are unwilling to do what is necessary to make the New Year a Happy New Year indeed.

If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone’s else’s plan — Jim Rohn

The New Year will not be a Happy New Year if you celebrate it with an old you. I will be discussing various strategies you can develop to make your New Year a Happy New Year and your best year ever, so you want subscribe to my newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any of these strategies. Here is #1:

To Make the New Year a Happy new Year, Keep a Calendar

If you want to stop living by default and start living by design, create time to review your calendar (I’m assuming you keep one). If you don’t keep a calendar of your appointments, meetings, commitments, and activities, It’s very likely you are living by default and reacting to whatever life brings your way.

As you go through your calendar, ask yourself these questions and write down your response to them:

What should I do more of?
What should I do less of?
What should I start doing?
What should I stop doing?
How much time do I spend doing what I should be doing more of?
How much time do I spend doing what I should be doing less of?
Can I delegate what I should be doing less of to someone else?
How much calendar time did I spend with spouse? (If you are married, is your spouse on your calendar?)
Did I spend enough time with children? (If you have kids, do they have a space on your calendar?)
Can I account for each waking hour of my life?
What strategies will I adopt to be able to account for the next 365 days?

The post How to Make the New Year a Happy New Year #1 — Keep a Calendar appeared first on SajiGroup International.

Happy New Year — How to Live by Design and Make the New Year Your Best Year Ever

Happy New Year — How to Make the New Year Your Best Year Ever

The first of January is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world. It’s a time we wish family and friends a Happy New Year, with balloons, confetti, fireworks, food, music, dance, and parties. Like billions of people around the world, you too will likely make some New Year resolutions and promise yourself to start doing some good things and start doing some bad things.

If, like me, you are a Christian, you will probably be at a watch-night service on New Year’s eve to make declarations and pray over your New Year resolutions. Unfortunately, many stop at declaration bus stop, and never make it to their goal because they have no strategic plan and are unwilling to do what is necessary to make the New Year a Happy New Year indeed.

If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone’s else’s plan — Jim Rohn

The New Year will not be a Happy New Year if you celebrate it with an old you. I will be discussing various strategies you can develop to make your New Year a Happy New Year and your best year ever, so you want subscribe to my newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any of these strategies. Here is #1:

Review Your Calendar

If you want to stop living by default and start living by design, create time to review your calendar (I’m assuming you keep one). If you don’t keep a calendar of your appointments, meetings, commitments, and activities, It’s very likely you are living by default and reacting to whatever life brings your way. As you go through your calendar, ask yourself these questions and write down your response to them:

What should I do more of?
What should I do less of?
What should I start doing?
What should I stop doing?
How much time do I spend doing what I should be doing more of?
How much time do I spend doing what I should be doing less of?
Can I delegate what I should be doing less of to someone else?
How much calendar time did I spend with spouse? (If you are married, is your spouse on your calendar?)
Did I spend enough time with children? (If you have kids, do they have a space on your calendar?)
Can I account for each waking hour of my life?
What strategies will I adopt to be able to account for the next 365 days?

The post Happy New Year — How to Live by Design and Make the New Year Your Best Year Ever appeared first on SajiGroup International.

Empowerment — How to empower people and extend your influence as a leader

Empower people and extend your influence

Empowerment is giving your influence to others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. Successful leaders delegate power and share their influence, position, and power with others.

If you are burnt out, stressed, and tired, you are probably not delegating authority and empowering those around you to take charge; you are insecure and afraid of someone taking your job.

Besides helping you as a leader to work with and through people, empowering and investing in people can help them reach their potential.

No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging your personality may be, you will not advance far in business if you cannot work through others — John Craig

When you decide to empower people, Leadership guru John C. Maxwell said “your goal in the beginning should be to hand over relatively small, simple tasks to the people you wish to empower and progressively increase the responsibility and authority.

Here are 7 foolproof ways to empower people:

1. Evaluate the people you want to empower

If you give inexperienced people too much authority too soon, you might be setting them up to fail. If you move too slowly with people who have lots of experience, you can frustrate them. Your job as a leader is to find out what they lack and help them develop it.

2. Model for the people you are working to empower

People do what people see. Model the attitude, work ethic, and character you like them to embrace. Take them along with you and include them in your work.

3. Give permission to the people you are working to empower

Believe in them, help them to believe in themselves, and show them that you want them to succeed. Let them know you are expecting them to succeed and tell them often that you are confident they are going to make it.

4. Transfer authority to the people you are working to empower

Sharing your workload is delegation, sharing your power and authority is empowerment. Give them opportunity to make decisions, initiate actions, and solve problems.

5. Publicly show your confidence in the people you are working to empower

When you transfer authority to people, publicly recognize them to let them to let them know you believe that they will succeed. Public recognition also let others know you are backing them up with your authority.

6. Give feedback to the people you are working to empower

While it’s laudable to publicly recognize and praise the people you are empowering, don’t neglect to privately coach them through their mistakes and misjudgments.

7. Release the people you are working to empower to continue on their own

When President Abraham Lincoln appointed General Ulysses S. Grant as commander of the Union armies in 1864, he sent him this message: “I neither ask nor desire to know anything of your plans. Take the responsibility to and act, and call on me for assistance.”

Your ultimate goal as an ‘empowerer’ is to release the people you are empowering to make good decisions and succeed on their own.

Excerpt from John C. Maxwell’s Book: Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know.

The post Empowerment — How to empower people and extend your influence as a leader appeared first on SajiGroup International.

There is no night shift in life

There is no night shift in life

I was in New Jersey last weekend to speak for my very good friend—Abiola Saba. I spoke on a message titled “There is no night shift in life.” Many young people and adults rededicated their time and promised never to waste a day of their life again.

Here are the highlights of the message. I’d encourage you to download the MP3 and add it to your listening archive, it’s worth listening to over and over again.

1. How many hours make one day? 24 hours? 12 hours?

If you answer 24 to the above question, you might be wrong—very wrong! There is no night shift in life because 24 hours do not make 1 day. So, stop procrastinating on life’s most important tasks, you don’t have that much time.

The belief that 24 hours make one day has robbed billions of people of their destiny—they waste precious time during the day, procrastinating on important tasks, doing useless work, and dedicating too much time to their work life while investing nothing in their life work.

24 hours do not make one day

I encouraged that there is no night shift in life because 24 hours do not make 1 day. This is why have day and night, a.m. and p.m., morning and evening, sunrise and sunset, light and darkness. Think about it: If 24 hours make a day, how many hours make a night? Just think about it.

2. Work while it is day, you cannot work in the night

There is no night shift in life because all of our life is our day. That is why we talk about the days of our life. This is why we celebrate birth-day and not birth-night.  So, what are you supposed to do with the days of your life? Work! The Great Rabbi was accused of doing good works at unacceptable times but He responded that “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night is coming, when no man can work.”

If you are reading this, I assume you are alive, now is the time to work because the night is coming when you will not be able to work.

Click here to download “There is no night shift in life” audio

3. Spend you work life on your life work

If you believe that 24 hours do not make one day and also agree that you must work while it is day, that is a good thing. However, the question is: “what type of work are you doing?” This is where you need to consider the Rabbi’s statement very closely when He said, ”I must work the works of him that sent me…” The Rabbi said He is working only on the work He was sent to do. He is on purpose and does only the work that aligns with his purpose.

Invest your work life in your life work

I challenge you to take some time to think about the kind of work you are doing every day: “Are you doing what you are sent to do?” “Are you investing your work life in your life work?” “Do you even know your life work?” “Are you living on purpose?” “Are you living by default or by design?” “If you die today, will you be satisfied that you have spent your life on your job?”

Do not waste one more day working without purpose, the night is coming, there is no night shift in life.

4. The night is coming but there is no night shift in life

Jesus Christ worked every day including the Sabbath because He knew that His time was short. He lived for 33 years and made the greatest impact compared to Methuselah who lived for a recorded 969 years with nothing to show for it.

Click here to download “There is no night shift in life” audio

Steve Jobs left us with Apple before his night came, Thomas Edison maximized his day and left us with incandescent light bulb before his night came. We revered Mother Teresa, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and other people who have left their footprints in the sand life not for what they did when they died, but for what they did when they were alive.

Work while it is day. The night is coming when you won’t be able to work

Your night is coming and it comes when all your arms are weak and your knees are feeble, when your teeth can no more grind and your posture is no longer straight, when your body becomes all wrinkled and your spirit is ready to return to the One who gave it.

This is your day. This is the time to go to work on your purpose. This is the time to invest your work life on your life work. Work for the night is coming. Remember, there is no night shift in life.

Click here to download “There is no night shift in life” audio

The post There is no night shift in life appeared first on SajiGroup International.

The U.S. Government Shutdown — Why the Government Shutdown is Good For You

US Government shuts down

For the first time since 1995, the U.S Government officially shutdown today due to the inability of Congress to approve a spending bill. The government shutdown will force about 800,000 government workers to take unpaid time off.

While government shutdown might not be the best for your work life—if you are affected, it might be the best time to reflect on your life work.

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why — Mark Twain

If you are affected by the government shutdown, take this time to reflect on who you are, why you are born, and what you are here to contribute.

Here are five ways you can make the government shutdown work for you:

Take advantage of the government shutdown to re-ignite your passion

If you are not very passionate about your job, the government shutdown might be your opportunity to really take some time to think about what you love, what you have keen interest in, and activities you know you can pursue with passionate obsession. If your job does not get you excited, it might be an indication that you should be somewhere else doing something different.

Are you enthusiastic on your job? Are you happy when you are carrying out the tasks and the activities on your job? If you are not very happy with your job, if you are making money but not making progress, and if you are not fulfilled even after giving more than 8 hours to your job, it’s time to look within you to really discover what you are passionate about.

To know what you are passionate about, find the subjects that you debate passionately about, write down your hobby, list the type of conferences you like attend, the kind of books you like to read, or the things you can continue to do even when you are tired. They are all indicators of your enthusiasm and what you are passionate about.

Take advantage of the government shutdown to rediscover what you enjoy

If your current job does not you fulfill your desires, expectations, and the demands on your mind. If you feel unsatisfied after spending 8 hours of your day on your job or if you feel your heart is yearning after something else, you are not doing what you enjoy.

If you don’t derive satisfaction from your day job but enjoy what you are doing part-time, the government shutdown might be your opportunity to invest more time into what you enjoy. You might also want to look into your hobby and get help on how you can turn your passion into your profit.

Use this time to find what you enjoy. What activities give you happiness after tiredness? What gives you a sense of worth instead of worry? What is it that makes you feel as if you have done what you are born to do? This is the time to look inward to your heart and find that thing. I’m sure that thing is coming to mind again now. Listen to your heart.

Take advantage of the government shutdown to locate where you are most productive

One of the best indicators that you are ready to change your work life for your life work is when you know that you are no more making a significant contribution on your job. If you stay long on that job, you will start getting irritated, frustrated, and disappointed.

Take advantage the government shutdown to find your place of purpose, this is where you get the greatest results from your effort, because you are like fish in water—you are in your element, and you are in your zone. Where you are most productive is where you are most effective. If you are not capable and competent to accomplish great results where you are right now or you are not making a significant contribution on your job, use this time to reflect on where can be most productive.

Make sure that you are not productive doing the wrong thing because there is nothing more frustrating, as Thomas Merton said, than spending your whole life climbing the ladder of success only to find, after reaching the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.

Take advantage of the government shutdown to know what irritates you

The things that extremely annoy you or gets on your nerves may be things you need to do something about. What infuriates you may be an indication of what you are wired to be sensitive to—don’t ignore your exasperations and don’t be surprised if others are not as concerned as you are.

You can find your passion and your purpose when you see things you can’t stand, things you feel a strong desire to solve. What problems catch your attention as you drive down the streets? What behaviors do you feel strongly that somebody should do something about? What products do you feel are missing some key features, services that you think could be better if rendered in a particular way.

Sometimes, what irritates you has nothing to do with your training; it has to do with your wiring. Don’t be angry that you are angry. It might be for a purpose; it might be your purpose; do something about it!

Take advantage of the government shutdown to think about your legacy

If you want to be remembered for what you are doing on your job right now, by all means, continue to do it. But if you know you want to be remembered for something else besides your current job, then you want to take some time out to think through what you want people to remember you for when you exit this world—your legacy.

Your legacy is what you leave behind for the generation after you. It is the way you will be defined when you die. It is what people will say when they are reading the eulogy at your funeral—if they tell the truth.

Dr. John Maxwell is a leadership guru, Google is known for information search and retrieval, Michael Jordan is retired but still a name in the world of Basketball, Mandela is synonymous with sacrifice, Martin Luther King Jr. symbolizes a dream, Mother Teresa comes to mind when you think hospitality, Steve Jobs is an icon for innovation, Warren Buffet is a brand in the world of investing, and Tiger Woods has become synonymous with golf.

“What do you want to come to peoples’ minds when your name or your organization is mentioned?” This is worth thinking about and could save your brand or your business from investing your time, energy, and resources into activites that have no bearing on your purpose.

Take this time to look far into the future and imagine your family, loved ones, colleagues, and people you have met in your lifetime having a meeting to deliberate on what to inscribe on your tombstone. What would you want them to inscribe there? What is that one word, phrase, or sentence that they will all agree to inscribe on your tombstone? If you don’t know this, or you are still trying to figure out what you want people to say about you when you exit this world, I suggest you spend sufficient time thinking about this, because it will help you more than anything else.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you will leave a legacy one day; you are already leaving your legacy by how you live each and every day of your life, where and how you spend your time, and what spend your resources time and money on.

The government has shut down; it is time for you to restart.

The post The U.S. Government Shutdown — Why the Government Shutdown is Good For You appeared first on SajiGroup International.