LIBERTY

LIBERTY

All men are born free, all men are supposed to live free, but some men have inherited restrictions, and bondage either through imposition or self sabotaging actions and behaviors. Freedom is the birth right of every man, and every man deserves to be free, but some men like Abraham Lincoln said, "Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves“.

We must not take for granted the liberty of ourselves or others, we must also not trade our liberty on the counter of safety, for where there is no liberty, safety can not reside. One man's liberty does not supercede another man's rights, we are all equal in rights and liberty, we can not consider ourselves free when we hold in bondage our fellow man.

Our liberty to do whatever we like or want to do does not give us the liberty to trample our fellow men, it does not give us the right not to do right to all men at all times. Nelson Mandela once said, "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others". If our freedom hinders the freedom others, we are not truly free.

We must collectively seek and fight for the liberty and freedom of all, no one is truly free until all is free, and there is no restriction to what one can do as long as one does not do wrong. In the words of John F. Kennedy "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." Everyone must be free, everyone deserves LIBERTY.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

KNACK

KNACK

A lot of people miss out of many opportunities because of their fear of missing opportunities, but one reason this fear has had a major hold on them is because they have not made themselves ready to take this opportunity. Opportunities do not come very often, but when it does come, we must develop that knack for taking advantage of it.

In reality it is not always easy to take advantage of opportunities, but conditioning ourselves to simulated situations of the kind of opportunities we expect can help us take advantage of these opportunities as we should. When the right opportunity meets proper preparation, we do the unthinkable, but when an opportunity is met with lack of preparation, we get embarrassed.

We are all in the race to a better tomorrow, but we may never arrive at that tomorrow we dream of, if we do not nurture, develop, and work on our skills, talents, and abilities. We are capable of becoming whatever we want to become, but we may never be that which we want to be until we are ready to do what is necessary and needed of us to be all we can be.

We must grow that KNACK for doing what must be done; we must work on that KNACK for becoming who we must become; we must put our KNACK into action when it is necessary we do. Our dreams and goals can change, we may wish for things we never thought we wanted, but in all we must get ourselves ready and prepared to maximize every opportunity that would aid our breakthrough.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

JIM-DANDY

JIM-DANDY

Being different comes with a lot of discomfort, and difficulties; going against the grain, is like swimming against the tides, it never comes easy, and it takes a lot of courage to do so. It is always easy to flow with the tide, but you will flow alongside dirt, rubbish, garbage, waste, debris, and so on, this puts you in their class; also, you do not get to determine your destination, you go wherever the tide leads.

We must be committed to excellence, to be different; we must work on ourselves so much that we stand out among the crowd, fitting in is easy, but it eventually makes life difficult. The only way to get what others won't get, is to do what others won't do, stand out from the crowd, and feel comfortable standing alone if it will mean so.

Israelmore Ayivor said concisely, "Mastery is not dispensed on the podium of quitters; but purchased on the counter of consistent application of self-willing can do spirit and an outstanding endurance to persevere with persistent endurance till the end!" we will never attain perfection at a craft if we quit; we don't become better at our skill if we do not sharpen, and develop it; we do not grow, if we don't get nurtured and nourished appropriately.

Believe in yourself; keep your heads held up high in every situation; surround yourself with people of great quality, and positive mindset; nurture your skills, talents, and abilities; never quit, even when it gets tough; there is no end to what you can do and become, if only you can stay true to the process, never be satisfied with the status quo, but be a jim-dandy personality.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

IMMORTALS

IMMORTALS

Death is a non negotiable debt we must all pay, no one is getting out of life alive, but while we will all die, some men will live on in the lives of the people they have left behind, even unborn generations will feel their impacts whenever they come around. These people are immortals, not because they would not die, but because their works, effort, and effect lives on.

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated fifty four years ago, many people have come and gone between his time of death and today, but nothing is remembered about them. Today, Martin Luther King day is a national holiday in the United States of America. Nelson Mandela was president of South Africa for just five years, but he was the kind of leader the world needed at the time. Today, Nelson Mandela day is also a globally celebrated day.

Many more of these men abounds, a few includes, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, William Shakespeare, Neil Armstrong, Sir Isaac Newton, and many more. These all earn their recognitions and has become immortals, they live on in their death, not for what they have achieved or done for themselves, but for their contributions to the betterment and advancement of the human race.

We become immortals by living our lives for others; by ensuring another man breathes better because we have lived; by living beyond the crave and craze for the acquisition of material things; by spreading so much love, joy, and hope of a better life. There is nothing great about a man whose material possessions are inexhaustible, but his life and death is quickly forgotten. However short you live, live IMMORTALLY, live for others.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

HOPE

HOPE

We are not all living the kind of life we want, we are not all experiencing all we expect from life, but we keep living and keep expecting that there will be a turn around, a change in the tide of things, we keep hoping. Even in our best of conditions, we still expect better things than we are experiencing, we know that life can still get better than what it is.

Without hope, our struggles would be in vain; without hope, we would be living for nothing; without hope life would not be worth living, but hope is the belief that even while we are in darkness, light can still shine; that while the we are at the base of the mountain, we can still sit at the peak of it; that despite our tough and rough present, the future holds for us great pleasures and relief.

Our hope lies in our dreams, our imaginations, our thoughts, and our plans. It is what gives us the courage to keep moving in spite of the present darkness. The size of your dream says a lot about what you hope for, it defines your expectation of tomorrow, and this determines what you get from life.

We must explore the power of hope. As much as it is important for us to live in the moment, we must build the future we desire through hard work, and hope that all things will work together for our good. The burden of today can be less burdensome on us, if we will rest in the hope that tomorrow holds better things for us. Never let go of HOPE, it is your pass to a better tomorrow. "Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

GALLANTRY

GALLANTRY

Gigantic physique, starched fabrics, lifted shoulders, and styled walking postures does not translate to gallantry as many would think or assume. Gallantry is more of an attitudinal and character display rather than of physical attires and possessions. Dead moral consciousness, and societal degradations have seen ignoble men highly respected; and truly noble men being despised, and their nobility ignored.

Courage, respect, politeness, and honour are the true attires of gallantry, a person who does not exhibit these traits can never be regarded as gallant, and should not expect respect and honour from those around. You can not get what you do not give, and you can not multiply what you are not ready to let go of.

Our words reveals the gallantry in our being, and gallantry in all its forms gives and receives respect. Being able to make sacrifices for others, being ready to put others first, putting on the spirit of true sportsmanship, and seeking the well being of others may be seen as stupidity by today's society, but all these are the true meaning and expression of gallantry.

We do not become who we should be by what we are able to do for ourselves, but by what we are able to do for others. Martin Luther King Jr. did not become is not considered great for his achievements, but for his efforts and effect in making people live as humans that they are; Nelson Mandela did not become a great man for what he was able to make of himself, but for what he did to and for his people, and even his enemies; Brian Tracy is not considered great because he has accumulated a lot of wealth, but because he has built a lot of men who are making great impact in the world. These men are truly gallant men. What kind of person do you want to become?

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

FERVOUR

FERVOUR

The future is right in front of us, it is up for our moulding, we can shape our future into that which we desire, but that can not be possible without our determination to work for, and have what we want. It is not enough to wish for success, it is not enough to want greatness, we must get into action and create that future for ourselves.

The only way to be our best self is to be sincere with ourselves, we must believe in our abilities and be courageous that it will aid our progress and take us to where we want to be. We don't get in life what we wish, or crave for, we get in life what we bargain for. Nothing comes for free, anything gotten without the necessary work put into it will not stand the test of time.

In the words of Joseph Goebbels "Devotion, fervor, longing! Those are my pillars. We have to be the bridge to the future." We have to do whatever is necessary to be whatever we want to be. Live your life with enthusiasm, readiness, openness, and fervour, without these great attributes, we cannot achieve or fulfill our dreams.

Benjamin Disraeli once said, "Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor." Until we become committed to our dreams, visions, and goals, we would not be living our best lives, we will not achieve that which we earnestly desire, we will not feel fulfilled no matter what we have.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

EMPATHY

EMPATHY

Life is not always about ourselves, as a matter of fact, we are not here because of ourselves, but for our world. We should be a source of relief and succor for those who are in difficult situations, and we should actually try to bring solutions to their problems.

We cannot be problems solvers if we are not empathetic, if we do not see ourselves as those we want to help we cannot really help them. Like Alfred Alder said, “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.” Until we can see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and feel what they feel, we cannot understand what they are going through.

There are always two side to every issue, your own side and the other parties side; the right side and the wrong side; judgements should never be passed without proper understanding of every situation, we must put ourselves in other men's shoes before we conclude on matters relating to others.

Brené Brown puts it succinctly when she said, "Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘You’re not alone'." There is always someone out there who needs our help, our words of comfort, our message of hope, we must not fail to do our part whenever the need arises.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

DEXTERITY

DEXTERITY

There has never been a person in the world that has been regarded as the best in his trade, or has achieved the best achievable that has not been dexterous in their chosen craft. We can not be the best if we do not make determined and conscious efforts to becoming the best, we cannot attain the great heights we hope for if we do not sharpen our skills.

We can always learn more than we know, we can always become more than we are, we can always improve on our past performances, and we can always be the best at what we do, only when we are determined and willing to give it all it takes. Life never pays you what you deserve ,but what you fight for, so, fight for that which you want with all that you have.

French revolutionary leader Napoleon Bonaparte said, "It is only by prudence, wisdom, and dexterity that great ends are attained and obstacles overcome. Without these qualities nothing succeeds." Success does not come without putting in the work that is required to birth it. We must see our craft, talents, and skills as tools and instruments that will take us to our desired dream land. 

Improve your skills, train your hands, mind, brain, and heart to do those things you earnestly want to do, do not let your convictions about what you want to do be wavered by the thoughts and talk of men, stick to your dreams, be tenacious to your dreams and visions, and seek to be better today than you were yesterday. Your DEXTERITY will take you places.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

CALIBRATE

CALIBRATE

At different points in our lives, and on our journey to our desired destination, there must be a period of intentional and sincere assessment of ourselves and our journey. It is very important for us to assess ourselves, measure how far we have gone in comparison to how far we should have gone, and how far we still have to go.

Without a measure, we cannot know how well something is doing or has done against its equals or against time. There must always be a target, a goal, a finish line, a point where we will get to and know that we have achieved something. The purpose of an activity is defeated if there is no measure of how well the activity has been done, and the impact it is having.

We must always measure how well we are doing, not in comparison with others but ourselves. People can be a yardstick for us to know how much progress we have made, and are still making, be we should not always make them our benchmark. The best comparison we can make is our former self versus our new self, how we were yesterday versus how we are today.

We should not be satisfied by little successes. As much as we must celebrate them, we cannot see them as the best we can do. We should not be judged by what we are, but by what we can become if we are willing and ready to do more than we have always done. Our best self is achievable, and should be our own major yardstick as we continue through life.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)
John Kamikun
Author, "366 days of wisdom".

BOLSTER

BOLSTER

Nothing in the world happens in isolation, nothing happens without an external support whatsoever. Progress is supported by some factors, so is stagnation. Nothing happens by nothing, from nothing, with nothing, or for nothing. Whatever you amplify, make visible, and concentrate on is what you will always have.

Give your journey, your process, and your result the necessary boost, do not relent in your efforts to becoming the person of your dreams. You are responsible for whatever you become in life, what you accept or reject affects what you become. Nothing comes easy, but whatever is worth doing at all must be done well enough, whatever you want to become you must fight for.

Never drop your heads down, never let people reduce you to what you are not, believe in your self, work on your self-confidence, trust that your process will lead you to your desired dreams, if you do not believe in yourself, no one else will. Be your number one fan, mentor, and motivator. If you do not start you will not finish, and you will never be assisted.

Your little thoughts can receive big bolstering for bigger results; your small idea can be bolstered into a globally relevant one; your minor efforts can be amplified for great achievements. Turn your small beginnings to big endings by giving yourself all the support that you need. You will not realise what you have, until you know who you are, and are ready to BOLSTER your chances of a better life.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)
John Kamikun
Author, "366 days of wisdom".

AMPLIFY

AMPLIFY

No man can ever achieve greatness without dreaming, but any man that can dream at all, should always dream big. Small dreams does not serve anyone well. We deserve greater than we sometimes imagine or think we can ever have.

In Marianne Williamson words about who we are, she said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Let your dreams scare you, let it make people mock you, let it put you on your toes, let it be a source of motivation to keep you moving every day. Enlarge your dreams, do not settle for less, go for the best.

Success is the best amplifier, keep your eyes on your goals, keep your feet on the ground, keep your hands on the work table, and never stop dreaming, planning and working on that which you want, never stop believing in yourself and your abilities. The more you dream big, the scarier it becomes, but the better it will eventually get. AMPLIFY your dreams.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)
John Kamikun
Author, "366 days of wisdom".

ZESTFUL

ZESTFUL

Many people have created the unthinkable life for themselves and the human race, they have left marks that can never be erased in the history of man, because they were full of zest for that which they believed they can do and become. The belief that life can bring us the very best if we keep knocking on the door of that which we earnestly want to achieve and become will ultimately bring our dreams to reality.

Life can be cruel, hard, and boring at times, but when we mix it with zest we enjoy hit more, when we mix the troubles of life with some great energy and enthusiasm, we tend to enjoy the positives more than the negatives, we realize that we can turn our sour situations into sweetness.

The default situation in life is not convenience, and if we must enjoy the convenience of life we create a convenient atmosphere for ourselves, we must spice up what we are being served to suit our taste. We don't wish for miracles, we must go out and make the miracles happen.

Nothing must trump our zest for the good and better life, nothing must take the place of our enthusiasm, and love for life, in every situation we must always take charge of our lives, we own it, and nobody can lead it like we can and should. Above all, never let your spirit be dampened by anyone, if no one believes in you, believe in yourself.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)
John Kamikun
Author, "366 days of wisdom".

YARE

YARE

To be yare is to be a person of varying strengths and abilities. Sometimes, as humans we know we can do and be many things, we know we have what it takes to adapt to different situations that life may throw at us, we know we will be able to deal with different people with differing characters and attitudes, but we oftentimes do not activate these abilities.

Animals and plants are the only living creatures that can be pardoned for lack of flexibility and creativity, as human beings, we must learn to be creative, and flexible in our dealings with people, and in our quest for success and achievement. We cannot continue to do the same thing over time, and expect different results, same actions will always produce same results.

Learn new skills, seek more knowledge, follow after wisdom, and get understanding, these will help you in the journey of life and single you out among the crowd. Go the extra mile, only few people go there. On the extra mile, the competition is less, the traffic is low, and the chances of success is greater.

Successful people are well equipped people, they have learnt to be more today than they are yesterday, they increase in strength, speed, agility, wisdom, and more always, they do not wait to be served on a platter, they go out and get the platter, it may not come easy but they will eventually get what they want. Dare to be YARE.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)
John Kamikun
"Author, "366 days of wisdom".

XENAGOGUE

XENAGOGUE

No one comes into the world with a map of his journey, every man begins his journey without map, and a complete map of how his journey had been will have been drawn at the end of his life. Though we do not come with a map, we must carefully choose a guide for our lives. Sometimes, we get the privilege of having a guide or guides to guide us on our journeys, but sometimes we have to make the choice of choosing one for ourselves.

No man can have a good journey without a good guide. Many people go on needless and unnecessary detours because they don't have a Xenagogue, their journeys are disrupted and distracted due to lack of proper xenagogy, they are sometimes slowed down or even stagnated in growth and progress.

We can all be good guides for ourselves and others, but we must first discover ourselves, and our purposes in life; without the proper identification of who we are, what are meant to do, and where we are going, we cannot guide ourselves or anyone else aright. Jane Austen once said, "We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be."

Whatever you do in life, never start a journey without proper guidance, never underestimate the place of the Xenagogue. Either yourself or anyone else, you must seek to be guided by good judgement on whatever you seek to do. It is better to be guided and prepared for a journey than to embark on that journey and discover you are either not prepared for it, or not supposed to embark on it. Let us be guided.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)
John Kamikun
Author, "366 days of wisdom".

WISDOM

WISDOM

Wisdom and foolishness always look like siblings, but their effects are direct opposite of one and the other. Foolishness destroys its bearer, but wisdom raises, builds, and makes a man great. The abundant display of foolishness in today's society has made it seem of better value than wisdom.

Unfortunately, the foolish man sees himself as wise, displays his foolishness, makes mockery of himself but never realises his foolishness, and never gains wisdom for liberation. On the other hand, the wise man knows himself to be a fool, strives to know more, learn more, thereby becoming wiser.

Mark Twain once said, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect)." Wisdom is not as cheap and on common display as foolishness, when you find yourself in the crowd, when you receive the applause of the multitude, then you should know you are heading in the mediocre direction, you must at that point retrace your steps and see if you are on the right track.

It is not enough to know, like Albert Einstein said, "Any fool can know. The point is to understand." knowledge without application is useless, and knowledge with wrong application is dangerous. Wisdom is profitable for direction in all things, we must seek to be wise irrespective of our age, race, and class, and according to Aristotle, "knowing yourself is the beginning of WISDOM."

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

VALUE

VALUE

Value is not just an english word to be used trivially, it is something we should be associated with, it is a word that should describe who we are, and what we have to offer, being a person of value should be our dream. Value is not about price tags, it is about quality; it is not about pleasure, popularity, or self aggrandisement, it is about impact.

You gain or lose value by the kind of association you keep. When you associate with people of higher value, you gain and increase in value, but when you associate with people of low, or no value, you will surely reduce or lose value. The true value of a person is not how you feel around that person, it is how you feel when the person is absent.

The absence of some people brings peace and respite, and their presence bring troubles. Like Fela Durotoye would say, some people are an 'Oh God' people, while some persons are a 'thank God' person, which category do you belong? Would your arrival make people thank God, or make them complain to God?

Make your presence and your absence felt, it is the true sign of valuable persons. You don't become valuable by being successful, you become successful by being valuable. The value you create bring you success. Being valuable is not in the length of your days, but in the effect of your days. Strive to be a person of VALUE.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

UNIQUE

UNIQUE

It might be a trite saying that you should be unique, you might have heard it countless times, but the truth is, it can never be overstated. The admonition to be unique will always be as relevant as it is the first time you heard about it. If you would set a trail for others to follow, you must be unique.

Most people do not become what they should be, because they want to be like someone else, they trade their originality on the table of the appreciation of another person they consider a role model, mentor, or leader. Such people have failed to realise that there is no two people on earth with the same mission. You might work in the same organisation, on the same project, in the same team, but your mission and purpose are different.

The best anyone can be and should be is the best version of their self and not the second grade of another person. If you fail to be who you should become, who will fill your space? Who will be what you should be? If you fail to be who you should be, you would have created a void that can never be filled by anyone else.

Emma Stone ones said, “What sets you apart can sometimes feel like a burden and it’s not. And a lot of the time, it’s what makes you great.” You can not be like others, do what others do, and expect to be great, greatness comes with being different, being unique, doing what others would not do, and be comfortable with it even if it is not easy. Be UNIQUE, that is what you are.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

TRAILBLAZER

TRAILBLAZER

Men find ease in following existing trails, it does not require any stress to follow paths trodden by those who have gone ahead of them. Being a trailblazer takes a lot of guts and grits, it takes one who knows and understands what he wants from life and is ready to get it no matter how difficult it seems or gets.

The great French writer and philosopher Voltaire once said, "Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road." If you would be a trailblazer, you must be deaf to the notice of the crowd, you must be blind to the signals of the multitude, and ignore the criticism of the rail trailers.

Trailblazer are not perfect human beings, they are not even the best of men, but they are people who do not conform with the status quo, they do not wait for things to happen, they make things happen, they follow their dreams and are not interested in quitting until they have what they want and achieve their dreams.

Be a trailblazer, not a rail trailer, be the man who create paths for others to follow, be the the one who help others find their paths. Many have come and gone with no trace left, but many can never be forgotten, because they have blazed trails, they have shined their light in the world and their brightness lingers on. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson he said, "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail".

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

SAGACIOUS

SAGACIOUS

Stupidity does not value sagacity neither does it know why one has to be sagacious, it does not even reckon with sagacity. Sagacity is the ability make good judgements, to be perceptive and insightful to be astute in thoughts and wisdom. Sagacity is the stuffs of sages, but it does not come with aging, sagacity is built in stages and can not be revealed by staging.

Sagacity is not in attires, it is in the mind. We become sagacious by learning everything we can, by all means we can, from everyone we can in every way we can. The hallmark of sagacious people is to be able to learn from the old, and be taught by the young, they are willing to be humble to become better.

The world pays attention to the words of the sagacious, their words are not mere mutterings but a source of wisdom and liberation for those who give heed to it. No one teaches another to be wise, whoever would be wise will catch wisdom from the wise and the foolish. Dr. P. S. Jagadeesh Kumar once said, "By locking the stupidity around you, you can unlock the sagacity within you."

There is wisdom in you, but you must identify and deal with your foolish tendencies, you must understand that foolishness is what makes wisdom valuable. You don't have to be old to be wise but wisdom will make you sound old. Give yourself to building your sagacity and the world we give you what you deserve.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

RADIANCE

RADIANCE

Darkness is the default order everywhere in the world, and light is the only dispeller of darkness. Nature gives us light for different times, the sun for the day and the moon for the nights, these sources of light gives us hope, strength and vitality to go about our daily activities and become productive at it. Man has learnt from nature and have produced various means of lighting for himself and others.

The world is a very dark place, and in dire need of a lot of light. So many darkness and dark energy everywhere, these darkness has spread so much that it has eaten deeply into everything that men do. Darkness cannot produce anything good, lovely, or admirable, only light can, and to have all these we must be that light.

We must shine our light on the world; we must be the source of encouragement, and inspiration for others; we must inspire hope in the life of others; we must be a reason they want to continue living; we must spread some cheers. The world needs us (the lights) more at this time than at any other time in history.

Marianne Williamson wrote explicitly, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." We are light, we are to be radiant.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

QUALITY

QUALITY

What you give is what you get, who you are is what you have built, life is not a cheat, deceiver or an hypocrite, life is a revealer, a prophet and a reproducer, whatever you put into life you get back. Quality is the level of excellence you put into who you are, what you do, and what you are becoming.

Although quality is a relative term, it is seldom used for people or things that are of low grade, and performance. In the words of Henry Ford, "Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” it is the character and attitude of quality people to always do things right even when no one seems to see what you are doing.

A popular saying goes," Anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well." When there is a necessity to do a thing, do not consider what happens after the thing has been done, you should consider what it would mean to you and the people that will know that you did it, would it make you proud? Or would it bring you shame and disgrace?

Steve Jobs once said, “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.” Be an example of a quality person, be the reason others want to do things right, be the beacon that lightens the path for others, be a person of QUALITY.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)
John Kamikun
Author, "366 days of wisdom".

PEARLS

PEARLS

Most pearls are naturally formed when irritant materials find its way into specific species of oyster, mussel, or clams. The substance that becomes these lustrous layers are secreted by these species of mollusks as defense mechanisms. Though there are other forms of producing pearls, the natural formation is a great lesson to us as humans. The lustrous external layer of a pearl is a reflection of what is inside it.

Beauty is not in shapes and sizes, it is not in colour and texture, beauty is what is revealed in a person's character, it is the garment that comes from within a person that covers a person. In the words of Suzy Kassem "True beauty is measured by the number of pearls within you, not those around your neck." External adornment can make one look good, but can not make any person beautiful.

Pearls are fully cladded in their shiny attires, partial cladding renders a it useless and can not be considered to be a pearl. It is lack of respect and reference for one to be partially cladded, nothing of real value, dignity, and worth can be indiscreetly exposed and still retain its worth or dignity.

Beauty is vain, physical appearance profits little, but a person of good conduct and character is worthy of praise and respect. Much cognisance should be given to internal beauty, than how we look, people's look can be deceptive, but who they really are will always be revealed in their character.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

OPTIMISM

OPTIMISM

Life is full of ups and downs, good and evil, love and hate, but for everything that happens to man, there is a lesson and a purpose. You may not always get what you expect from life, but life will always expect something from you, an action or a reaction; a response or a question; a fight or a concession.

Optimism is the expectation of a favourable or positive outcome from an   EVENT or happening, but it goes beyond that, it is also the ability to react positively to a negative event or happening. An optimist always see the good in every situation, an optimist see the opportunity to learn rather than to quit, he sees the opportunity to step up higher from a better platform.

Optimism has always been a subject of heavy criticism, it has been seen as a means of escape from reality, but in reality, without optimism man would not have seen the level of advancement that has taken the world to this point in our existence. A pessimist would not invest so much strength and resources into something he is not sure will produce a positive result, but an optimist always expect the best irrespective.

In the words of Helen Keller, "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." We must always hope for the best in everything we do, and when we do not get what we expect, we must receive it with positivity. The battle for achievement can not be fought without the armour of OPTIMISM.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

NUDGING

NUDGING

At some point in their lives, successful people have received the nudging to push, and move forward in life, they have been charged to do what they have done and are still doing to get the success they now enjoy. Everyone needs that nudge, the doers, observers, lookers, and sayers needs the nudge at one point or the other.

As bad as being at inertia could be, a nudge can easily set one in an unstoppable motion, it can quickly turn one to a finisher, and an accomplisher. The power of inertia should never be underestimated when there is a possible trigger to breakthrough by a nudge.

It may seem unwise to be seen as influencing peoples choices, and decisions, but when knowledge, and experience can prove beyond doubt that the influence on another person's decision is basically and ultimately for their good, it becomes evil if it such influence is not made.

When you receive a nudging, do not despise or disdain the nudging nor the nudger, receive, criticise and take actions appropriately; when giving a nudging, do not be aggressive, forceful or imposing, but give the one being nudged the time and space to criticise your nudging and decide on what to do with it. Everyone needs a push, but whoever is pushing must be careful how they push; pushing can be towards progress and it can also lead to a fall.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

MODEL

MODEL

Nature is a complete embroidery of everything created by man. All of man's creation finds their source in nature, there exists a model for everything. An aircraft finds its source from birds, cars finds their sources from animals, many other creations of man derive their sources from one aspect of nature or the other.

A model is a good example, something worthy of emulation to be copied, or imitated with or without modifications. No one lives an isolated life, we are either modelling our lives after someone we admire, and hope to be like, or are modelling other peoples live by the way we live. We may not exactly be a complete replica of who we model our lives after, or even make other people a complete replica or ourselves, but we are inspired by who they are and have become, so we must be to others.

Whatever we do, we must be careful of who we model our lives after, we must not be carried away by our admiration of our models, that we forget to modify, change, or correct the unenviable characters and attitudes that they possess. We must also be careful as model, not to mislead those who look up to us for leading, and guidance.

Be the reason someone believe they can be who they want to be; be an inspiration for those who have lost hope, and faith in themselves; be the flame that lights another man's candle; be the one that create paths for others to follow; be the one that open the eyes of other men to the possibility of a better life, and future; be a true MODEL.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

LOVE

LOVE

Of all the forces in the world, one that is most powerful is love. Love is not just a feeling, it is a force; it is not just about emotions, it is sacrifice. Love is the force binding people and relationships together, it is the basis of peaceful coexistence in communities and societies the world over, it is the unseen cord that binds people together.

Love exist between different people in different forms, there is no form of love that seeks to harm any one, or that is damaging to anyone in any way. Anything that brings hurt, injury, or damage is definitely not love but something else. Love towards any person or people should be unconditional, conditional love is no love, but a relationship of mutual benefits.

In a letter to some Corinthians , Apostle Paul wrote plainly some of the characteristics of love, He said, "Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, it does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not its own, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; rejoices not in unrighteousness, but rejoice with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes in all things, endures all things. Love never fails..."

Love towards others is not expressed through words of mouth alone, but revealed in actions and deeds. We must seek to love and show it to all. The only way to having a better world is to love everyone around us, and show it to all irrespective of race, colour, sex, religion, and social status, LOVE is the true essence of humanity.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

It is a popular saying that "knowledge is power" but it has been oftentimes rephrased as "applied knowledge is power". One basic truth in life and a very vital necessity is the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge that would be applied must first be acquired, its acquisition and proper understanding would eventually lead to essential application.

Life is a long process of learning how to live, one who does not commit to learning and knowing would basically live a stagnated life. Many times the best way to learn is to ask questions. We may need to ask these questions from people who are lower than us in some areas of life, like age, status, and so on, but like Confucius once said, "The man who asks a question is is fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life." being temporarily foolish, ignorant, or stupid is better than being so for life.

Prophet Hosea said in the sixth verse of the forth chapter of his book, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." The lack of knowledge leads to destruction, it can set one back for an unthinkable manner and keep one in bondage for life.

Choose to acquire knowledge no matter what it may cost you, the price for ignorance is way more expensive than the price of acquiring meaningful, and useful knowledge. Whatever you have learnt and known, nobody can take away from you, but whatever material or physical acquisition you have, you can lose at any time. Prioritise KNOWLEDGE.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

JUSTICE

JUSTICE

Aristotle succinctly said "At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst." Without the clamour, and earnest pursuit of justice, equality, and equity among all men, the animalistic nature of men would have so consumed the men with power, and they would have wielded their powers so unjustly that the survival and right of other men to live peaceably, and comfortably would mean nothing or even a threat to them.

The pursuit of justice, is the pursuit of doing and ensuring what is right irrespective of who it favours. It does not support bias neither does it give room to attitudes that reduce, defame, or make another person inferior to others. Without justice there is no love, justice is the proof of the existence of love.

Benjamin Franklin once said "Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." Injustice has so far prevailed in today's society because, those who are not affected by the prevalent injustice have not shown serious concern and outrage over the injustice been meted on the less privileged. They live in comfort and luxury and does not feel the pain of the poor, and downtrodden, they therefore close their eyes to injustice.

Until a united front is established, where every class, culture, category, and creed of people stand to promote the necessity of ensuring justice is served to everyone, and that the culture of justice is maintained, we will never have the kind of society that we crave for, and when we need justice, it will fail us. JUSTICE for one is justice for all, injustice against one is injustice against all.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

INSPIRATION

INSPIRATION

Every man, at some point in his life will need to be inspired by something or someone. For everyone who has grown and developed, or become someone of value and relevance in the society, there must have been an inspiration from somewhere. One can argue that motivation is more important because it is from within, and must be activated for anyone to become someone.

Motivation can only be triggered by inspiration, the light in a bulb does not come on without some external force pushing the switch. Motivation is inside you, but inspiration would make you put your motivation to use. The level of inspiration received will also determine the amount of motivation that will be triggered.

Many a times, when we feel unmotivated, weak, down, and does not feel like doing anything, we will instinctively go in search of a push, a reason, and a trigger for that which we know already reside and is abundant in us. We know we are a reservoir of great possibilities, we know we have so much in us that the world awaits its manifestation and we fight to bring it out.

Seek knowledge, seek wisdom, seek to be inspired to do more; seek to receive the push to the greatness that lies within you. You are responsible for what becomes of your life and what you make of it. Your playing small will not profit you, anyone around or the world. Do not leave the world without giving it what belongs to it within you.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

HONOUR

HONOUR

It is a societal misnomer and deficiency to regard to someone as honourable for his wealth, title, or position in the community. The injustice of aggregating much respect to a man because of his material possession is the bane of our downward spiral into the kind of deformed and deficient society we now have, live in, and unfortunately have to endure.

Most men have turned themselves to puppets, instruments, and allowed themselves to be at the mercy of dishonourable men, all on the premise that he his rich. Honour is not of financial or material possession, neither is it of societal status or position, HONOUR is of the heart, it is the quality of knowing and doing what is right irrespective of pressure and personality.

Honour is in treating every man right, and respecting every man appropriately irrespective of age, gender, social status, religion, and creed. Honour is recognising every one as a member of the human race and giving them the regard that is due to them. Only dishonourable men segregate, racially abuse, trample upon, and disrespect other men; they are also incorrigible men.

In the words of Joe Paterno "Success without honour is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger but it won’t taste good." only dishonourable men would care less of the feelings and taste of success, and only about their own satisfaction. Always be guided by the quest and spirit of HONOUR, like Miyamoto Musashi said "You can abandon your own body but never let go of your HONOUR."

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".