WHERE IS THE MONEY?

Money, the bane of bliss and source of woe. People are working, drilling, digging, and even doing all sorts of things, just  for the money.

These are 5 places where the money is hidden. Go get it!

1. Money hides in people: Money will flow from people to you if you can solve problems for them.

2. Money hides in problem: Every problem you see is money in disguise. List five problems in your areas and start solving them. You will make money.

3. Money hides in opportunities: One man's problem is another man's opportunity. Be a middleman between someone's problem and the solutions. Opportunities are always there. Go find them!

4. Money hides in ideas: Ideas rule the world. Out of the countless ideas that flow through the human mind, only those that are captured and acted upon become products and services.

5. Money hides in the creator: The fool says in it heart, there is no God. There is God, and if you can connect Him in a covenant relationship, you can access the supernatural realm of abundance that can never run dry.

At the end of the day, what you are pursuing will start pursuing you.

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode
ambelijahfalode.blogspot.com

P.s. I strongly recommend these books: The school of Money by Olumide Emmanuel and Money won't make you rich by Sunday Adelaja. Those books blessed me and they will bless you too.

HOW TO SET SMART GOALS

Goals are vision with feet. They are a set of specific, measurable steps to achieve your vision. Research shows that specific and challenging goals lead to better performance(Locke, 1968). Now, let's set  S-M-A-R-T goals.

S- Specific: Your goal should be as specific as possible and answer the questions, 'WHAT is your goal? HOW often or HOW much? WHERE will it take place?
M- Measurable: How will you measure your goal? Measurement will give you specific feedback and hold you accountable.
A- Attainable: Goals should push you, but it is important that they are achievable. Are your goals attainable?
R- Realistic: Is your goal and timeframe realistic for the goal you have established?
T- Timely: Do you have a timeframe listed in your SMART GOALS? This helps you to be accountable and helps in motivation.

Thomas Edison set himself an ambitious goal. It was to come up with a major new invention every six months, a minor invention every ten days. When he died, he had 1,092 US Patents and over 2,000 foreign ones. He knew that, by setting such goals for himself and striving to reach them, he was bound to increase his output.

You become more efficient and productive as you achieve your SMART goals.

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

Catapult-a-Startup: From Garage to Boardroom

Airtel Nigeria has revealed an entrepreneurial initiative named ‘Catapult-a-Startup,’ a platform which aims to inspire innovation and
assist start-up mobile app developers towards actualising their business goals and dreams.

With this initiative, Airtel is offering a platform for budding mobile app developers to receive advanced mentoring from industry veterans,
funding, marketing, and also improve their skills to become successful using their creativity.

According to Airtel, to participate in the programme, interested start-ups are to submit their ideas and presentations to the ‘Catapult- a-Startup’ website www.cas.ng , for evaluation.
The company has explained that after the initial evaluation, selected start-ups will be invited to pitch their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges
who will do a thorough evaluation and select the best start up proposals.

The promoters of the selected start up proposals will be subsequently supported with a cash prize of one million naira, mentoring, funding, marketing and a chance to integrate
their developed apps and services on the Airtel platform gaining direct access to the Telco’s large customer base.
Read more

Register here

GO FORWARD AND UPWARD!

"So Abram WENT UP from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.".  -Gen. 13:1

"And the Lord said unto Moses, where crest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, they they GO FORWARD.". - Exo.14:15

"And Jesus when he was baptised, WENT UP straightway out of the water...". -Mat.3:16

"Then after fourteen years I WENT UP again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me, also. And I WENT UP by revelation...".  Gal.2:1-2a.

You don't go down by revelation, you go upward and forward!

Beloved! Whatever is holding you down, and bringing you backward is not of God. The path of the JUST is as a shining light that shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day. It is always upward and forward for a believer in Christ.

As you step out now, you go forward and upward.

You will succeed
Amb. Elijah Falode

MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS

I have been thinking of a befitting title for this blog post since. I will love to continue from where I stopped last year on making informed decisions.

We must live each day of our lives with the end in mind, and then make decisions in line with the big picture. Our destiny is the summation of decisions we make each day.

Warren Buffet is a man I respect so much  in the world of business. For those who do not know him, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. I salute his sagacity and also celebrate him on his golden anniversary of running the 'business empire'. I read on Bloomberg business few days back that investors gave him latitude to hold so much cash because he's proven he can spend it wisely.

Budding entrepreneurs can learn this lesson from Warren- looking somewhere when others are looking elsewhere, and making a decision to go an extra mile. He looks at deal others don't. When others are afraid of investing, he knows what to do. He knows when the stocks are bad, knows which pocket to keep the coins and how to stay in the game, even when there is no ovation. Then, he is a visionary leader. He has promised to chart his vision for the company’s next 50 years in his annual letter to shareholders in February.

There are three groups of people- those who make *good decisions, * bad decisions and those who are undecided. Someone once said that 'indecision starts with cobwebs, and end in iron chains'.

Beloved! Make informed decision to achieve your set goals for 2015. You are destined for success.

Happy golden anniversary Warren Buffet!

And to budding entrepreneurs,...

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode
7FDECC05

ARE YOU MANAGING TOO?

...it seems a lot of people are managing these days...

Life(Zoe) is a gift. We receive this gift from God through Christ. Life is not meant to be managed; it is not God's plan that we just get by, or just eke out an existence or live on barely minimum. Life is meant to be enjoyed and maximized. A life well managed will end up well damaged.

Some people find themselves in tight situations, and their attitudes and reactions to life fully depict victimization. 'We are pushing it... we are managing...it's not that bad...there is no job....they cannot employ me.....'. .Many apeople in the rat race, some about to enter. People are struggling to struggle, from one job to another job. Those who are jobless need a job, and those who have jobs are struggling to get out. It's a mystery!

I strongly believe you are meant to be in a grace race running with the El Shaddai( the God who is more than enough). You are not to be pitied, but to be envied. Why? God has so much invested in you for life and for living, and you are the apple of His eyes. You are only defined by your sonship, and not by certificate. You are a heir of God, and joint-heir(equal ownership) with Christ. You are a landlord, and not a tenant; you are the King's kid, your Papa owns everything, and that includes the cattles on a thousand hills,and the fullness of the earth.
God's not punishing you. He's your Father, maker and the giver of life. He who gives the life is able and faithful to sustain it. All you need do is to be aware of His presence in you. Christ in you, the hope of glory!

As you journey through life(bee-o-sis), discover the One that loves you so much and gave His life for you- Jesus Christ. Accept His lordship over your life and let the Spirit of Grace carry you in the race. You will run and not be weary, walk and not faint. He will teach you how to swim through the murky water of life and not get drown. He will swim with you. He will reveal the table He has prepared for you. You will feast on fat things, and you will soar like the eagle. A life with Christ is crisis-free.

Get set for your next level! Great wonders!

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

P.s. Rebroadcast if you are blessed. Thanks!

I HAVE A DREAM

Martin Luther King Jr. stood up, raised his hands and said, 'I have a dream...' Since that day, he not only stood up, but he stands out for that dream still speaks.

So what's dream? A disjointed, theatrical episodes played when we sleep?That's just a minuscule definition. Dream is something that keeps us awake and aglow. It is that picture of the future that fuels hope in us. No wonder Steven Spielberg said, 'I don't dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for a living.'

Anytime I imagine the accelerated decadence in the education sector of Africa, I am given the reason to dream some more. Problems exist so that we can dream.

It is also worth taking note that many people dream, but few are willing to pay the price to make them come true. I love Caleb Jephunneh and Joshua Nun, Moses chronicled that these guys were willing and able to pay the price for getting into the promised land while others settled for less. Do you know that the price you refuse to pay for your dream today will be paid tomorrow with interest?

Beloved! Get out of the rat race, it is for those going nowhere. Step into that future God has shown you. Don't just get by, get on board to fulfill your God-given dream. Until you give yourself to some great course which is your dream, you haven't really begin to fully live.

Edwin Markham(1852-1940) in his words..., 'Ah, great it is to believe the dream as we stand in youth by the stormy stream, but a greater thing is to fight life through and say at the end, the dream is true.'

The world awaits your manifestation!

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

Persevere to succeed!

Perseverance is not an option!

“Perseverance is a great element of
success. If you only knock long enoughand loud enough at the gate, you aresure to wake up somebody.”
              -Martin Luther King Jr.

I once watched a stone-cutter at work in Minna, Niger state. This man was   hammering away at a rock, perhaps 100 times without as much crack showing in it. Yet at the 101st blow, it split in two. It wasn't the last blow that did it of course, but all that had gone before. #persistence.

Even a river cuts through rock, not just because of its power, but because of its persistence. Opportunity oftentimes, is like that rock that must be consistently hammered away at. The only way to fail is to quit.

Have you prayed and you felt like giving up on it? That's the time to pray until something happen .Start that project, enrol for that programme, and if you fail, find out why and try again. Your success will be measured by your willingness to keep on trying.

This is how you can generate so much synergy for success in 2015 and beyond. It will also mature you from one round of life to another with more opportunities coming your way.

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

FACING YOUR FEAR 1

I once asked a friend of mine this question, 'What's your greatest fear?' Although she put a face-off, but the truth is at one time in our lives, we have been afraid of something. I used to be so scared of the dark as a child.

Fear is the single greatest obstacle to success. No one enslaved by fear can reach their God-given goals whether materially or spiritually. I remembered one day, I summoned the courage to enter into those dark corners in our house when the 'NEPA' took light. That did it! That day, I learn a life lesson that 'facing what scares you is how you overcome it.'

'...even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for God is with me....and we walk by faith and not by sensory perceptions.'

Beloved! Your destiny has already been planned by God and is reachable only by faith.

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

United Flight 2015 Election

I read this story of what happened on the morning of September 11, 2001 in the United States. United Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco had been hijacked by terrorists who claimed to have a bomb.

When they received telephone confirmation that other planes with terrorists on board had hit the twin towers of the World  Trade Centre, the passengers understood the hijackers' intent.

Todd Beamer, a thirty-two year old businessman, picked up a seat-back phone and reached Lisa Jefferson, a Verizon Airfone Supervisor. He told her that he and others were going to jump on a hijacker who was guarding the passengers in the rear. Beamer asked her to pray the Lord's Prayer with him. He also made her promise to call his wife, Lisa, and tell her that he loved her and their two little boys. Dropping the phone after talking with Jefferson, Beamer said, 'Jesus help me'. Then, after reciting Psalm 23, he said,'Are you guys ready? Okay, let's roll.'

Those were the unforgettable last words Beamer said before he and others rushed the hijackers. There were screams, then silence. That day, brave civilians, complete strangers, rose up against impossible odds and tried to save the aircraft. In doing so, they made the ultimate sacrifice. United Flight 93 crashed into a large field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all forty- four on board. Of the four hijacked planes that morning, theirs was the only one that failed to hit its target. That was courage shown at the highest level.

Nigerians, we will need this rare courage during the 2015 election. Don't sell your PVC!
Do not be disenfranchised!
Ensure you are accredited before 12pm on the day of election.
Shun electoral violence!
Vote for Change!

The Federal Government has introduced austerity measures and has proposed removal of subsidy. Nevertheless, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs must go back to the drawing board and come up with solutions to the impending difficulties.

2015 election is our United Flight 93. It may or may not be hijacked; but we must stay together, roll together and rush hijackers with our VOTE.
It is a great year!

We will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

HOW TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION 1

The reason most people don't go very far in life is because they sidestep opportunity and shake hands with procrastination. I was on this deadly path until I prayed my way out of it. I woke up one day and made the determination that I will achieve all that God has for me today. Procrastination is not just the thief of time, but the very grave that swallows opportunity.
The richest place on earth is not the gold mines in South Africa, the oil field in the Middle east, not Luxembourg city, not in Dubai, but that graveyard, a stone throw from your house. There, you will find books never written, investment never made, marriages never solemnized, properties never bought.

Beloved! Dare to die empty and fulfill your purpose. Yesterday is in the tomb, tomorrow is in the womb, now is all you've got. If you want something from life, go for it.

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

GOING ALL OUT!

J. P Morgan wrote and I quote:
'Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you will be able to see further.' A lot of us want to achieve our big and wild dreams, but often fail in going for the beautiful future we have seen and desired.

I want you to reflect and think through. Are there opportunities you have seen? Go ahead and register that business name, write that business plan, read that book, call that contact, pray that prayer, sow that seed, apply for that passport, publish that book, apply for that scholarship. Stop making excuses, poverty responds to excuses.

Know for sure that if it's gonna be, it is up to you!

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode

FIND YOUR CALLING AND SUCCEED

Chariot of  Fire instrumental theme written and recorded by Vangelis for the soundtrack of the 1981 film of the same name. The theme song has become somewhat synonymous with the Olympic Games. It was the official theme for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, and it was played prior to the start of the men's 100m race final at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Runners in a test event at Olympics Park, whose route ended at the grand opening of London's Olympic stadium were greeted by the piece as they finished their route into the new stadium. Rowan Atkinson, a skit starring comedian was also seen reprising his role as Mr. Bean, seen playing a repeated note on a synthesizer while using a cellphone, and later an umbrella to play the note while trying to grab a tissue to blow his nose, and then falling into a daydream parodying the opening "beach run" scene from the 'Chariot of Fire' movie itself. So what's so exciting about the movie?

The movie is about a man known as Eric Liddell. He is a gifted runner whose dream is to compete in the Olympics, but he feels called to be a missionary in China. Yet he knows God has given him his 'gift of running'. When he runs, he feels that he is dedicating himself to God. In one of the classic lines from the movie, Liddell says, 'when I run, I feel God's pleasure'. Someone classified it this way,'when I do what I know I'm called to do, when I'm pursuing my destiny, I can feel God smiling down on me.'

Beloved! You can honour God by winning in your pursuit. You may be a politician, doctor, teacher, plumber, entrepreneur, or a gateman. Have you been called to lead in any capacity? Do it even as Michelangelo painted, as Shakespeare wrote poetry, David Jesse wrote psalms, even better as Beethoven composed music. Do it as Eric Liddell ran. Do it in such a way that God will smile on you and say,' Here lives a great leader who does his/her job well'.

You will succeed!
Amb. Elijah Falode