How far will you go???

First and foremost, I'd like to thank and congratulate everyone for coming to Thursday's event, Young, Black & Successful. It was a massive step of achievement for Student-led events in South Bank University and also for the education and engagement of black students also.

In brief summary the feedback was that the event was excellent, on average 9/10 and many had not been to this type of event before.

I was absolutely chuffed with this and extremely happy that the event delivered in all area's. I write this blog however to deliver a message that surpasses the success of the first Young, Black & Successful Forum.

Each speaker delivered hard-hitting messages of wisdom, humour and inspiration which I felt should not be taken lightly. Although the times we live in isn't as bad as those of old, when Martin Luther King was alive, we are still to salute black men and women (especially young people) who break all stereotypes to achieve the unthinkable. Take Samuel Kasumu for example, launching his company at around 21 years of age in Barclay's HQ. Your ordinary 21 year old isn't thinking along those lines and it may not be everyone's calling to start a business, or even to be found in Barclay's but whatever your calling is HOW FAR WILL YOU TAKE IT???

If you are aiming to go into Bio-chemical Science, how far are you looking to push yourself. A lot of people want to be comfortable which is cool. There's nothing wrong with being comfortable in a job. But, if we are comfortable and not pushing ourselves to the maximum, I strongly object!!! Take your profession, passion or even your hobby to the next level...be extra. Push yourself in order to explore who you are. Don't take the easy road out, because you limit your knowledge of yourself and life. Be radical and work hard for everything....Go as far and wide as you can to find out who you are, what you enjoy/ don't enjoy and where you want to be.

Our next YBS Forum will be in March, I look forward to seeing you all there!!

R.O.C.K

Turning 22 - One year ago!!

Turning 21 was a defining moment in my life, and I know that when I look back on 2009, I can see that I changed my whole perspective towards my studies, my career and my life in total.

To be one year down the line and still see that change is great. Although I have left some things behind, and it has not been easy, I owe the credit to

1. Change of Environment: I need to keep a surrounding (physical, emotional & spiritual) that enables me to complete all my goals. My dad alway's used to scream at me ( and sometime still does) about keeping my room tidy EVERYDAY!!! I used to always get worked up about it, because I never saw why he had to do that. Let me tell you something. If your possessions and otems are in disorder, whats the chance of you being able to find them, do work in that environment or even think. It's near impossible to operate in a messy/ unhygienic or disorderly environment. It's not tolerated in the workplace, and should not be tolerated by yourself in your room. (Look out for my blog "The Boardroom" that will expand further on this)
2. Change of Attitude: I forced myself to change my attitude towards alot of key factors of my life. People, Work, My career, Leisure etc. You name it, I tried my best to adapt a new approach to it. My previous attitude was non-chalant, very lastminute.com and I picked and choosed what I'd dedicate my time to. That has had to change and I've understand
   
3. Change of Mindset: I changed the way I thought about things. Don't get me wrong. It didn't just happen like POOF!! Everything changed...It's a process and I still have habitual thinking the hinder's me from achieving what I want to achieve.
   


4. Change in the way I spent my time: I've noticed a lot of my friends have not liked me or had minor problems with this point, because, I've spent more time ON my future than ever before and that means time OFF phone calls, socials and jamming. I'd made a concious decision to dedicate the majority of my time to being productive. I wanted to be able to have something to show for my time. Mainly I wanted to be able build things that lasted as opposed to things that would not. E.G I can always build a conversation, however building a business can sometimes be seasonal and sometimes depend on opportunities...

There are more contributing factors but I'll save that for later. I want to express my gratitude and also my perspective on what has started me on this journey, and the jon is half done, because I'M STILL ON MY WAY.....

Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and contributed comments, encouragement and time into helping me believe in myself...I'm 22 and I know that more is expected of me this year...I pray God gives me the grace to deliver...


R.O.C.K

South London Presss!!!!

Hey People,

As you all know, I've got a massive event on 26/11/09 coming up called, 'Young, Black & Successful'. Preparing for this event,has been an event itself!! Myself and the Team have faced a lot and it just keeps getting better ;).

Anywhooo, I am writing this blog to inform you of the latest achievement of the team. We've been inserted in last Friday's edition of the South London Press!!! Although a small 100 word article, we are very proud to have seen our hard work pay off and be on display in the local media. It just goes to show, hard work will pay off. To those that believed in the initiative..KEEP BELIEVING!!! This is just the beginning...I know more is on it's way....

Again, I will continue to update you all on the progress of YBS as the weeks go by and the initiative grows.


Thanks 4 da Support!!!

R.O.C.K....

Guard your surroundings....

I once stated in one of my blogs that "you need to have people around you that are committed to your success even when you aren't". In the same way that there are people who are committed to you succeeding when your not (i.e. even when your having an off day etc..), there are also people who are committed to dragging you down without realizing it.

Whether you like it or not, your going to get people who come in the form of friends, but may not necessarily be of any use to you and waste your time. I don't say this to be cynical, and this is by no means my thoughts towards having friends, however, what I am stating is that we must be careful of who we call friends and we keep around us. In order to be productive, you need to be in an environment that pushes you to that desired level of productivity. Likewise with being creative or anything else.

There may be cases where your stuck in a rut, where the environment stinks and there are no like-minded people around you, what do you do then. CREATE YOUR OWN ENVIRONMENT!!! Dictate your own rules and make no excuses for what obstacles there are in life. You are in charge of your destiny at the end of the day.


Think of what I'm saying like this. Your progress is a garden that is producing lovely fruit. However, there are weeds that are present which kill the fruit you produce. The way forward is to uproot those weeds and continue to press forward. In the same way, uproot any friendship/ association that will slow you down, or prevent you from progressing to your final destination, because that is worth more.

It is so important to surround yourself with people who will help you as opposed to people who take all your resources till theres none left. I'm not saying that you shouldn't trust people, but relationships are give and take. So if you find that someone is constantly taking, time, energy, money, emotions and other resources from you and not adding anything to your life, that person has to go. Time is something you cannot buy back, so don't let anyone waste yours for nothing. It's not worth it!!!

Some people can get angry with the way you spend your time, however, thats the cost of protecting yourself sometimes. People don't understand that in order to move forward, they have to go, because as humans, I guess we naturally don't take well to rejection, but that's the price we have to pay in order to suceed.

GUARD YOU SURRONDINGS!!!!

R.O.C.K....

Young, Black & Successful....

Sup People,

I wanted to inform you of an event that I've got coming up called "Young, Black and Successful". I've received alot of feedback from this event of excitement, anticipation and curiousity of what the event will hold. This is an event that I'm extremely passionate about and that I recommend all come come to.

I've posted the flyer below and will be sending updates and blogging on the progress of the event. Again, I strongly recommend all attend!!!

10 signs of a leader......

Ladies and gentlemen, below are what I feel are ten signs of a leader, key for growth and important to know for all people who are in positions of influence:

1. Hard worker and diligent in achieving goals and tasks.
2. Shows loyalty and integrity to all team members, a man of his word.
3. Tries hard to relate and empathize with all.
4. Doesn't negotiate or compromise his influence for familiarity, and demands respect.
5. Leads by example and sets the standard for his team.
6. An excellent communicator.
   
7. Reliant on the results he/she produces in people and in their role not mere opinion
8. Self-monitoring and always asking 'How can I do better'?
9. Never says Never, only says How?
10. Determined beyond belief and determines his team's outcome without letting circumstances prevail or come in the way, because he has a mighty vision
    

If theres any other signs or qualities that you feel should be there, please a comment or leave your thoughts.

Thank you,

R.O.C.K

Is it just me???

This is a blog I wrote around the same time last year to exhale my feelings and thoughts about my faith and my fellow brothers and sisters around me.

My faith is my life, and I believe Jesus Christ died on the Cross to save me. Some might think it's crazy and not true, however, I believe this fact to be true in every sense of the word.

I tell you the reader, that if I'd never met Jesus, I wouldn't be writing these blogs that I write today. He's the best thing thats happened to me and although I struggle sometimes with my relationship with him, deep down I know he is Lord and King.

It is not with my own strength or knowledge that I can do anything that I do, it's only by the grace of God and some serious mercy. This note states my pain in other people who are broken as I was at one point not being able to receive the correct love that Christ gives through his people.

If you have been to Church and been maltreated or been offended by people or let down...Don't give up on Christ. Remember people whether Christians or not we are human, and therefore capable of officially "messing up". This isn't an excuse, ITS THE TRUTH!!! I'm not saying that we shouldn't be upset....no not all...what am I saying

Don't let anyone come between you and Jesus, not Church, not People, not Boyfriend, not Girlfriend, not Studies, not ambition, not anything!!! Why? Because it's simply not worth it.

With that, I leave you all with this note which I wrote a year ago, expressing a message to mainly Christians to examine the love of Christ and show that to people, because it is needed.


Thanks for Reading, ROCK....:


I got a question...


Is it just me??

Has anyone wondered whats going on??
Anyone bothered to look at our surroundings and realise something ain't right...
The unity, love and strength we had before seems tainted..

The soldiers and champions of the past seem defeated...
The boldness has turned to fear and weakness
And the blatant truth has been hidden by our own opinions instead of his (Jesus)

We assasinate each other's character, in meaningless self-righteousness
Rebuking people in the name of Jesus, failing to understand that "love covers a multitude of mistakes(sin)"
that was jesus' way

Is it just me???

Ain't we still losing lives to a war we wanna know nuffin about???
Sayin that the very people that we are instructed to reach, are "on a hype"
Hmmmm... but it's funny how Jesus lovvved people of this type,

Can I point something out pleease...
Jesus mainly rebuked pharisees
the ones who oppressed with the "truth" that THEY PERCEIVED,
claiming that THEY received,

but they knew not...

I know people who have aborted their womb, their faith, their vision, their diginity
and they are empty...
I learnt a powerful fact......every single man is broken....and this doesn't exempt me.

Thatss something that is imporrrrtant
I ain't holier than you...you aint holier than me.
I don't care if you pray for 24 hours....you have fallen short and only jesus is holy..

So..
If you see a brother or sister in need..don't judge them, love them, hug them and relate..
On a real..I've heard so many messages...this music is wrong...this dressing's right..this and that etc
But I haven't heard knowone post up "HOW YOU CAN BE SAVED"


some peeps i kno, have had their faith chewed up and spat out back at them..they've found it harrrrd

the route of their problem lies in something deeeeeeeep

if u talk to them..sometimes its abortion, rape, robbery, death, people let them down

but most of us see it as an opportunity to preach

Thattss realy really not good


I can't lie i've been on both sides of the story,
Taken a few, given a few, u live and learn I guess
But lately I've felt this is all gettin out of hand
Let's clean up this mess

I have found it hard to focus on christ lately
I know what its like when knowone seems to understand
When your crying underwater, and knowone can hear a sound
Trying to put ur trust in God not man


So I have a proposal...Because words wivout action is pointless

Why don't we unite again...
Why don't we seek the standards we once upheld
Why don't we get practical and start ministering (afterall a minister is a servant)


U know what I hear sometimes...
If every christian was to pray at the same time..something mighty will happen

I agree..however picture this

We don't need an event..

Imagine if all young christians went out and fed the homeless...or evangelised, spoke to people about christ

The news would be after us, wanting an interview alie...
Imagine that..the hundreds of us I saw at J4L...the thousands i saw at FOL

Why does TD jakes or benny hinn have to be their before we even move..
why is it man governs what we do..

i aint here to market anythin or sell a message
this is just an exhale from the heart..

So can i ask again is it just me...


Love you all...Get at me...

SOME SCRIPTURES:

1st Peter 4:8
James 5:20
ROMANS 9:32
ACTS 14:22
ACTS 12 (READ CAREFULLY)
James 5:14-26

New Month, New Attitude...

Riiiiight peeps!!! I've been extremely excited about this month, as it was this time last year that I decided that I wanted to actively pursue and find out what I wanted to achieve in life.

It was a serious turning point in my life where I said to myself that my performance at the time was okay, but it was time to make it exceptional. I wanted to excel and find out what I'm about and what I'd do after University.

I was tired of attending events, getting inspired and then going home and letting it fizz away. I was tired of not keeping my word and saying I was going to do this and that!! It all got boring and I felt the need to really put my mind to something and make it happen.

Since then, I've adapted a new attitude to life and have become more focused about my aims & goals. They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place, but I'm looking to push the boundaries for you and me this November once again.

I've set myself some outrageously radical goals this month and I know that it will not be easy. Last month was good don't get me wrong, but this month, I'm looking to out do myself.

Ever heard the term "break the glass ceiling". Your gonna see that this month. What I say goes!!! No procrastination out here. As Action Jackson says, Make it happen!!

This month, mediocrity will have to flee, because we're coming through people. Trust me.

This month is a representation of a new attitude. I'll see you all at the end of the month and update you on how successful it was ....

Make it Happen!!!

R.O.C.K

Your biggest oppenent.....

Facing the person in the mirror and trying to convince him that he was a winner and that someday, his breakthrough for success would come, was and still is my greatest challenge.....

At the start of the race he seems to be with me and helps me to put 100% into everything. But when the going gets tough, he ditches me and withdraws all attention, passion and strength and has the cheek to question me "why are we doing this again". When it get's late from writing event proposals and blogs, whilst juggling Uni work and phonecalls, he's telling me "sleep and do it tomorrow, I'm getting tired" and he knows very well that procastination can only be the beginning of a downfall. When its time to do uni work and prioritise my activities he encourages me to do what he wants to do because Uni work is boring and difficult.

I struggle with the man in the mirror, not because he is stonger, not because he has a spell over me but simply because he is me.

I am my biggest weakness. I am my only obstacle and I am my ONLY and BIGGEST oppenent.

My mind, emotions and will, sometimes don't co-ordinate or adhere to my vision. I say I want a 1st, but come study time, my mind is saying overload, which causes my emotions to say "fed up and annoyed" which causes my will to be "I don't want to do this".

But theres a way I counteract all of this. No matter what the facts say, how I feel, or even what I want NOW...I will CHOOSE to be great in all I do. I will choose to do this whether the man in the mirror cares or not, because I know eventually he will fall in line, because I'M IN CHARGE!!! What I say goes and I have the power to change my mind, emotion and will on anything if I give myself the power through determination and knowledge.

Question: Who runs your show? Who calls your shots? Is it the situation your in i.e. if its a good one your motivated, if its a bad one then your upset. What determines my outcome. Me or the man in the mirror.

In the Great Debaters Denzel Washington says to his young team who


Who is the Judge?

God

Why is he God?

Cause he decides who wins or loses not my oppenent

And who is your oppenent

My oppenent does not exist

And why does he not exist?

Cause he is a mere decenting voice to the truth I speak

So with that I encourage myself and you to let no one come in between you and success. The man in the mirror is an illusion. You are the boss and you control your outcome.

R.O.C.K
Richard Oluwafemi Chukwunonso Kuti

Fuel for the Journey

I decided not to bore you with words this time but rather post some videos which help me understand that Life is not easy and we have to fight to succeed. I hope you enjoy and reflect on these videos.

R.O.C.K


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlTdkYXuzE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk

Where are you going..Part 1

Simple but profound question that has been ringing in my head this week. Where am I going?

If I live my life the way I've lived it for the last 24 hours, where would I be going?

If I continued on the path I'm going on now, where would I end up?

If I've got 4 different destinations on a piece of paper, how am I going to reach all of them?

Reality Checks have the potential to be the most hurtful things that you do to yourself, yet it can also be the most beneficial move you make to your life and save you time. The question "where are you going" is a very deliberate statement. It doesn't state where do you hope to go, or even where you intend to go but rather states where are you going. It is a question that deals with now!!!

The main reason for this question is due to the amount of talking I've heard myself and others do without action to follow up. Alot of us know how to talk about our dreams and what we want to do in the future, but when asked are you doing what is neccessary to achieve this, you'll usually find that theres a different answer. From my own experience, I know that this happens for a number of reasons, which I won't go into.

To think about exactly where you are going/ heading is a great way to be prepared and know where your going for your future. It's like an audit. Your looking at your current position and your current activity and seeing where it'll take you. It helps you focus on how you're gonna get to where your going.

Theres no point in saying your heading for success but then you sit in front of the tele day in, day out. Thats actually madness if you think you'll go anywhere. Instead, be honest with yourself. How many hours are you spending on getting to your destination per day, week, month etc. It kinda scares me when people say they want to be succesful in their field or own a business, but most of their time is spent on something completely contrary. This type of thing has gotta be stamped out. I'm not suggesting that everyone becomes boring workaholics, however I do believe that when you say you've got a destination, you must be on that path and if you stray off of it you will find it hard to get back onto it again.

Think of a sat nav. If you type in a particular destination, and it shows you a route there (which usually is the quickest route, unless you tried to skip the "toll charge" :P) if you stray from it, the sat nav quickly sets another route. However, this other route it sets out is usually longer or requires you to get back onto the previous route from before. The key lesson here is, if we don't do what we're supposed to be doing first time round, we'll have to spend more time getting back on track. The age-old saying "I'll do it later" is killing so many dreams day by day, all because we never considered our real destination in saying it. I will write more on this subject, but in the meantime I leave you with this note...


WHERE ARE YOU GOING???

R.O.C.K
Richard Oluwafemi Chukwunonso Kuti

Different Leaders.....

I usually wouldn't blog two days in a row, however today has marked a significant change and landmark in my life!

I was privileged enough to be invited through Elevation Networks to the Different Leaders Annual Conference (www.dlaglobalconference.com), hosted by The Diversity Practice (http://www.diversitypractice.com). I'd never been to an event of it's kind before so I didn't really know what to expect although I anticipated that it would be good from the speaker's profiles.

As I arrived and listened to the panel of speaker's for the morning session, I was exploding with passion, inspiration, determination and all sorts on the inside. They were amazzinngg!! I was so encouraged and motivated that there were ethnic minorities out there in positions of influence that were real, determined and inspiring. The 1st panel was with:

Garth Crooks, Vivian Hunt, Michael Prest, Prem Singh and Veera Johnson all very inspiring leaders who I recommend you look up on.

In a day that featured interactive workshops, productive networking, key learning and a keynote from Britain's most influential black woman Baroness Patricia Scotland (I thought she was absolutely ammaaaaaaaaaazing) I believe that it is safe to say that as a final year student studying Business Administration and aspiring for a possible career in the corporate world and to be a leader, today was ......

NEEEDED!!!!!

The issues that were brought up and the problems that so many leader's had the will to solve was phenomenal. I believe all students who aspire to be leaders should try their best to expose themselves to great examples of leadership in order to learn, grow and be advise. This is exactly what "The Diversity Practice" provided today and I am truly grateful. To conclude, I will jot some points down from some experienced world class ethnic leaders that has inspired me:

1. You decide the rules to the game. You must understand where you are and where you want to be and navigate yourself there....
2. Define who you are, don't let anyone define it for you
3. Have a well-rounded experience
4. Get results...not confrontational
   
5. Think Outside the Box
6. Give yourself the permission to be audacious
7. Don't die before they kill you!
8. Know your stuff in order to be taken seriously
   
9. No one owes you anything, you owe yourself something
10. Have a low self orientation. Be humble and understand that no matter anyone is in an organisation, given different circumstances you could be in their shoes...

I hope that gives a glimpse into what I experienced today. Please be inspired and feel free to contact me about anything. Let's do lunch!


R.O.K

LINKS:
www.dlaglobalconference.com
http://www.diversitypractice.com/
http://www.elevationnetworks.co.uk/
www.lessociety.co.uk

Let the Games begin: Goals, Goals, Goals!!!

Right, this is not a formal blog, but rather a pledge and a committment I intend to keep. I've been babbling on about my own personal goals this year for a while now and they seem to be evolving everyday. Regardless of this I wanted to write my vision for this year down in this blog to

1. Challenge myself.
2. Monitor my progress.
3. Encourage you to write your own goals so that when we achieve them (our goals) we can celebrate our success together.

Now that you know my reasoning, I'll list out my goals for this coming academic year (2009/10):

• Get a 1st Class Business Administration Degree.
• To constantly effect many lives especially in London South Bank University.
• To establish and maintain discipline in all that I do (time management and keeping, money management and work).
• To start my businesses by the time I leave University.

I've set mine. I will achieve it and blog about it also. Feel free to expose your own and lets CHALLENGE each other to success. It's easier to achieve something if you know that someone else knows what you hope to achieve and will take an interest, so goo ahead, let's do this!!!!

Let the Games begin!!!!

R.O.K

How Bad do you want it???

Before you delve into to reading this, I want you to know that this particular post came out of passion and emotion. There are some ground facts here but most comes from a passion to empower you to make decisions better.

I've got a question for you. It's simple but you have to ask yourself the question. This isn't a hocus pocus trick and it shouldn't be too far fetched for you to think about this topic.


Think about something you reallllllllly want...I meannnnnn realllllllly want. It could be for something to happen, a job, to be famous, a breakthrough, a relationship, grades anything. Think about exactly what you want or better still what your aspiring for.


Now ask yourself this simple question:

"HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?"

If I'm correct and I'm doing this properly, you should answer...really bad. This is totally fine. But I want to ask you something again. I mean how bad do you reallllllly want it.

What resouces are you using to look into it?

How much of your time is dedicated to fulfilling this goal?

How much work have you put in thus far?

What results have you seen?

To say you really want something, or set a goal, is a bigger statement than you think. It's a picture of what your aspirations are and your tomorrow.

For example, to say that you want a top Accountancy job is a massive statement. Let's say you are in your 1st year of University and you say this, what steps are you making in order for this goal to happen? If you haven't started planning, when do you think it is the best time to plan your way into the top firms? Do you even know what skills/ attributes they require? Some firms look as far back as your college grades. Did you know that!!!! Do you even know who the big players in your field are? Do you have any mentors or role models who can tell you about the Accountancy world? Have you read books?

These are questions that should spring to mind when you say I really want something. Too many people nowadays talk about their passion and have no evidence to back what their saying or prove that they have the slightest interest in the topic at hand. They love the idea of fashion and know jack diddly sqwuat about the fashion industry. They say they're interested in trading, but know nothing about the stock market.

I speak for a volume of do-ers and myself when I say in the real world, this will get you NOWHERE!!!

The truth is, seeing is believing in this world, and if you can't show that you have that hunger or passion through your results, people will dismiss you as un-serious/ dishonest.

Never play innocent either. Alot of people say,"My mum said I was no good when I was young, therefore I became a postman instead of a lawyer".

NO NO NO NO!!!! This is a sign of someone who doesn't know how to take responsibility and will never progress. If you keep dishing the blame to some external source, you keep yourself out of the line of fire and cannot learn. Your refusing to learn. If you don't acknowledging your wrongs early on, you will be hard-headed in the future and resistant to much change in my opinion. It's a foundation you don't want to have, so kill that attitude no. I say have a "can-do" attitude. Never say never, only say how!!!!

My message is simply this. If you want something. Go and Get it!!! Make it happen as Action Jackson says. No more Excuses as Sotonye Diri says. By all means necessary as Malcolm X states.

Go out there and look for ways of reaching your goal. If you stay in one place and only talk about it or make minimal effort, it's this simple......... You don't want it as bad as you say you do.

I had to learn this myself before I could realise any element of this to be true. I'm very talkative, so I like talking about my so-called passion, which is to inspire people. It got to a point where I realised that I was so frustrated of trying to inspire, doing it wrong and getting no where that I began to talk about it a lot more! It was almost my way of proving to people that even if they had a gift, so do I!! I was INSECURE, NOT GIFTED AND I'M GLAD I FOUND OUT EARLY ENOUGH TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY...
Let me tell you something, if you've got a passion and you merely talk about it with no action, your a dreamer and you don't want it, you just like the idea.

It's a concept of thinking that I've been fighting for and still everyday when I feel tired, when I'm demotivated, when theres no source of inspiration and no one believes in me, and I 'm stuck in a bad situation, I ask

HOW BAD DO I WANT IT??

Bad enough to keep going, or good enough to stop now and be content.
If you cherish it, follow it, it will be a journey to remember and bring the most amount of experience knowledge and insight.

I leave you on this note. Watch this trailer then go and watch the film. It will depict exactly what I'm saying, better than I could ever say it. A true example of someone who wanted something that baddddd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xcZTtlGweQ

Till next time

No More Excuses

I've recently been reading a book by Sotonye Diri called "No More Excuses" and believe me when I say IT HAS BEEN AN EYE OPENER!!!

The book has a brief insight into 16 black male/female role model's lives. The likes of MP Dawn Butler, Levi Roots, Aml Ameen and others are in there. They are all of afro-carribean descent and have such inspiring stories. Despite all odds (and trust me there are some interesting ODDS in the book) they have persevered and reached the dreams which they so longed after. Quite frankly, I've never read anything like it and I recommend it to anybody whether you are black, white, indian, chinese etc. The book is needed!!! It doesn't just feed you fancy jargon's on success and inspiration, but it supplies you with templates (examples/ role models) of how things can be achieved.

The most valuable lesson I took from it is that everyone has a "fair chance to get a fair chance".
Sounds baffling I know but read it carefully, then continue....

We all make excuses that we can't get something done at one point in our lives. Whether it be as little as homework, or as big as succeeding against all odds, we have all made excuses. In more relevant terms, a lot of us go through hardships and difficult obstacles in our life that come to prevent us from achieving our goals. The level or extent of the obstacle may not be to our peers(e.g. some people are born rich, some are born poor) however, the power to make a decision of your outcome is given to all. It may be hard but to take control of your own life, you have to establish that level playing field yourself! If there are race barriers on the way..BREAK THEM!!!....If you lack a skill OBTAIN IT!!! If it seems impossible, MAKE IT POSSIBLE!!!

We live in an unapologetic & ruthless World that punishes excuses brutally!! For those that make excuses for time management, you will be punished with poor punctuality for the rest of your life if you do not accept that this is your responsibility and you have the power to change it. It may have been your ancestors fault for 13,14,15 years of your life that you think a certain way, but now that your mature face the facts that it's your responsibility to step up!!!

In Rocky 6, Rocky states this,

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody!"

This book is seriously thought provoking and practical. I recommend all buy it and learn from some serious role models who are just like you and me, probably even worse off. Just take the author for example. She's 23 years old of Nigerian descent and she's written a book. Not many can say that or would even think that it's possible, the perfect example for determination. For these very reason's I state this,

GO AND GET THE BOOK NOW!!!

LINKS TO BOOK

http://www.sotonyediri.com
http://www.sotonyediri.com/books for the book
http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=15395


Enjoy and till next time...



R.O.K

The Journey Begins...

Hey all,

Hope your all good. Today's blog is just a simple reminder of an age old theory in which the realism of the saying has hit me in the past few weeks:

"He who dreams bigger, works harder!"

I don't know if that is actually a saying, but the concept is definately true. Recently I've been juggling University, organising events, working and running a student led society. It's hard to do but I have a big dream and I'm chasing it with persistence. There are hardly no shortcuts or easy roads to your dream, only a long ugly graft of unglamourous tasks here and there.

Neitherless, I say all that to say this. On 8/10/09 I will be hosting the first event of my academic year. It's called "What do I do with my Student Loan?" The event will teach all students how to manage and budget their money as this is essential for their time at University and in Life. The details are below and I hope you can all make it. This is what I've worked for and the games officially begin here, so it'd be great to see ya there. Take Care and till nex time

R.O.K

E V E N T D E T A I L S

Date:	Thursday, October 8, 2009
Time:	6pm - 8:30pm
Location:	London South Bank University, London Road Building, Rooms A9 & A10
Street:	London Road, SE1

Not many students know how to deal with the amount of money that student loans provide, and sometimes this can end up in disaster!!

“What do I do with my student loan?” is an initiative formed to let you know just how to avoid falling in the same trap. With a unique line up of speaker’s and enterprising students this promises to be a productive, useful and essential event for all students!

****ADMISSION IS FREE FOR FIRST 30 STUDENTS TO REGISTER @ info@lessociety.co.uk!!!*****

GUEST SPEAKERS: Arnold Sarfo Kantanka (Elevation Networks), Lisa Newton (Boogles Ltd), Joseph Hagan (Inkrease) and many more.....

THEREAFTER: £3 for early registrants and £5 on the door
DOORS OPEN 5:45pm for snacks and networking!

To-do or Not to-do Lists....That is the question

Right so your getting ready for the new academic year and you're all fired up. You think about the things you need to sort out before you get started. I.E: Job, Student Loan, Garms/Clothes, Books etc... Something that most of us do to sort out the stress of dealing with a multitude of things, is to write a to-do list!!!

To-do lists, in my opinion are fantastic. They're simple, self explanatory and really take an unnecessary load off your brain. Despite the amount of Pro's it has..not many people see or feel the need to write down their activities or scribble down what they need to do. Now theres a number reasons for why not, some of which I'll get into later..however, the most common reason I've heard, interested me:

"NO I DON'T USE TO-DO LISTS, COZ' THEY DON'T WORK AND I NEVER DO IT ALL ANYWAYS"

Alot of people say thats being real with yourself, a lot of people say thats their style of doing things. I disagree to a certain extent with both of these. Theres a greater truth behind keeping a to-do list than we all think!

Have you ever heard someone say,"I'm gonna get a car by the new year" and never do it... or furthermore have you ever heard someone say "For my New Year's Resolution, I will X, Y, Z...." and fail to deliver. We all at some point have made resolutions and not kept to them. But what do we do after we fail is key.

The majority of people as time goes on will eventually give up on resolutions and state "THEY'RE UNREALISTIC". This is untrue because some people actually achieve their resolutions. You see writing a to-do list or listing resolutions lie with the person in question. The method is flawed and made ineffective if the individual fails to keep to it. Writing something down and achieving it, is a way of building integrity, self-belief and productivity. When you we say "I'll do something" and don't do it, sub-consciously we've deceived ourselves. If we deceive ourselves, we damage our belief in our self. Hence, low self-belief!!

Of course this is true!!! As human beings it's hard to believe dishonest people. If you're dishonest, you know not to believe yourself concerning setting goals and therefore you come up with something like "It's not for me". This is why we state that people don't have the confidence to put themselves out on the line, because they've tried sooo many times before and failed, and don't wanna risk the same dishonesty, shame or fate.

I encourage all to use to-do lists in future, because it is challenging and is healthy for character. I intend to write many blogs and articles on goal-setting, to do lists and resolutions in future, however, in the meantime have a look at 3 reasons I listed for to-do lists.


3 GOOD REASONS FOR A TO-DO LISTS

1. Builds Confidence/ Integrity: These characteristics are key for progress. If you don't test yourself against your own word, theres no pressure on you to challenge yourself and you can become complacent and remain in a comfort zone. When we test our own words (e.g. set an audacious goal and proclaim/vow that you'll complete it) and succeed, there is a reward that accompanies it that cannot be achieved any other way. INTEGRITY/ HONESTY & CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF...
   
2. Helps You Remember: It relieves your brain of having to do 10,000 things at once. The more space you have in your brain, the healthier, the easier and the better it'll be for everyday life...
   
3. Gives You Accountability Of Your Time: It tells you what you've done with your time. Once you've recorded what you've done with your time, you can evaluate and see whether you need to step up or maintain. Some people don't like admitting that their wasting their time, or that they're over their bill (avoid phoning 150) or even that they couldn't do something... Let me stress something, Without admitting it YOU'LL NEVER LEARN/PROGRESS!!

So my friends with all that said I leave with this one question. TO-DO or NOT TO-DO LIST.....THAT IS MY QUESTION TO YOUUUU!!

The Gift and the Curse...

Ever heard of the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none". I thought you would've. It is a very difficult thing to look yourself in the mirror and TELL THE TRUTH!!! Over the last couple of months, I've been putting together a 3 year plan for my life. I obviously know that you can't pin point absolutely everything that lies ahead of you, however, I believe that it is important to plan ........

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"etc etc..

Anyways, back to what I was saying....Upon putting these plans in place and consulting people including my lecturers, parents, friends and mentors, I've found one fact to be true in all advise that I've received.

YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING AT ONE TIME!!!

From a very young age, I've had a talent in sooo many areas and wanted to do nearly every occupation under the Sun. I've probably pursued careers in music, media, business, social work, youth work, ministry AND ALL SORTS and I’m still 21 loool…

The point I'm trying to make is, no matter how gifted you are at ten things, even if you can so-called multitask, none of it will be more powerful than when you focus on something and pursue it. This may not apply to many people as some of us have found our focus and will pursue it to the very end. However, for the rest of us who may not know what direction of career, study or even what skill you wish to develop, or those of us whohave many skills we would like to develop simultaneously, heres a quick piece of advice.

1. Stop all things that your doing and get your head cleared!!! (Having a clear head is essential for any type of movement forward, I recommend a break from the Norm. Go to the seaside of something)
2. List all goals, skills etc. that you wish to achieve, reach or do
3. Evaluate how you'd fit all of it in one week (E.G If you want to play football and be a musician, what days and times will you be doing this in a typicall week)
   
4. Always leave time for resting in the week!!
5. Think whether your doing too much
   

ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT TOLERANCE LEVELS, HERES AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN YOUR DOING TOO MUCH:

• You have more activities than days in the week
• You busy every single day, leaving not much time to rest and re-cooperate
• Other activities suffer because of another activity

6.When you've done this, PRIORITISE AND BE RELENTLESS (Be absolutely relentless with your time and ask yourself honest questions that hurt)

I've achieved alot of success in the past in different areas of talent or giftings, music, youth work, motivational speaking, politics and other things. Despite this being great experience at one point in time, I've found that in order to excel and achieve all my dreams whilst being stable and able to maintain my life, I must have a focussed path that will take me there.

I'm not saying that people can't do more than one thing in life... From my own experience, I'm simply stating that, when you focus on one talent and develop it, many doors will open for your other talents to be shown. An example is for musicians who then become actors, book-writers, presenters, entrepreneurs etc. etc.

It takes discipline, hard-work and honesty to keep your eye on one goal and follow it through to the end. But thats what we've got to do sometimes.

Till Next Time!!!

R.O.K

DETERMINATION OVER MOTIVATION:- University Grades...

As we all know it is that time of the year again where you've got your uni results and its either good news or bad. I've had some heartbreaking stories from many that didn't do as well as they wanted or even planned to, and also some amazing stories of individuals who achieved a 1st class degree or their desired results.

This blog is more aimed at those students who never got the grades they wanted and are returning next year. I just want to share with you what I did in order to achieve great improvement in my results this year and hope that you too can apply this to your situation, as I can empathize and understand how it is to stare at grades that are not so pleasant.

My first year at University was in 2006. To cut a long story short, by the end of the year, I had officially done crap :( I had to retake the year doing 6 out of 8 modules from the previous year in 2007. If this wasn't embarrassing enough, I failed 3 units out of 6 for the SECOND TIME!!!! Upon doing this, my Uni called me back to retake my 3 failed units in the Summer. Once again I failed 2 and passed one, narrowly deeming myself eligible for the second year of my course which was pretty embarassing and humiliating.

I never told anyone about these grades over the summer of 2008, but I really had a long think about them. I was getting to a place where I knew that something had to be done.

Didn't I realise that my grades needed to be good from day one. Of Course!!!! However, what I didn't consider was the workload and the cost of obtaining the grades that I wanted. I procastinated, and as a result I spent alot of time talking and dreaming but no real ACTION!!

Let me tell you something I learnt the hard way,

"Change comes when we see that the price of NOT changing is higher than the price of changing"

Brian Klemmer

Last year September I considered about 5/6 steps in order to approach the year

1. Look critically at how you spend your time, the difference between a rich and poor man is how they spend their time!!! Plan out a timetable and try your hardest to stick to it.
   
2. Attend ALL lectures. One thing I've found is that it is usually quite hard to read something that has not been explained to you. Attendance is very important as it makes your job easier!!!
   
3. Set Goals for each module/ unit and do all within your power to reach that goal. Meet deadlines by starting coursework early. Heres a model to work by, if you've been given 4 weeks for coursework:

WEEK 1 & 2: Complete 1st Draft

WEEK 3: Review the work for spellings, grammar and references and also take it to a mentor or lecturer

WEEK 4: Complete the piece and hand in TWO DAYS EARLY

5. Get the help of a mentor if need be, you don't have to do it by yourself. For future reference when a plan is in place it is always good to have someone to help you hit targets. Someone you respect, that will committed to your success even when you are not :p.
6. Regulate who and what you keep around you. Ever heard the saying, bad company corrupts good character. Well this is also the same for grades and goals in life. Surrounding yourself with people who have lower expectations for their grades, or who aren't serious about their studies will affect you. Some people can go partying all weekend and pull off fantastic grades..If you are not one of those people. SURROUNDING yourself with those people can affect your performance. Instead find like-minded people you can agree with to achieve.


This is just my take on how to achieve success, and I can honestly say I've improved greatlly from performing attrociously in my first year (2006-07) to the second year (2008-09) of this course achieving a 2.1, which I thought would never be possible. I'm still improving as I still have 2 resits to do but hey!! Rome wasn't built in a day!! ;-)

Thank God, it is possible to achieve good grades, but it'll take hard work guys. If we pace ourselves and take one step at a time...We can do it!!!

Till Next Time.....

R.O.K

Welcome to my Blog!!!

Hey Peeps,

This introduction is probably lonnnnnnng overdue now, as I have been meaning to write it for long over a month now :( . Anyway, despite that you are here and I'm excited that you are.
I hope to write inspirational and practical notes that I myself have learnt from life. Hopefully they will inspire and teach people that dreams are reachable as long as you focus and work hard!

Enjoy and feel free to comment contribute to all Blogs!!!

Take Care and God Bless!!!