VICTIM

VICTIM

The world is always quick to define situations, people, and events by what they perceive it to be, they attach some negative tags to these people and situations not giving them an opportunity to freely live and express themselves. Sometimes, things are really what the world calls them, but at other times, one must clearly define and call things what one really want it to be called.

You are not what the world calls you until you agree and accept it; the only person fit to describe you or your situation is yourself, and whatever you describe yourself and your situation as is what it is, even if the world think otherwise. Situations can bring people to a condition they don't want to be, it can alter their physical appearance, but that is not really who they are.

There is no VICTIM in life except the person who has resigned to fate, accepted the victim tag, and has given up on the possibility of victory. The only guarantee to defeat is to give up in the fight. So, do not give up, you can win if you don't quit. Victory is not reserved for certain people, it is available to anyone who would dare to have it.

Harvey Fierstein once said, "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.". You don't need the validation of anybody to be who you want to be, and do what you want to do, all you need is yourself and the belief that you are not a VICTIM but a VICTOR to live victoriously.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

UNWIND

UNWIND

Hard work is a vital ingredient for success, without hard work it would be difficult to have any meaningful achievement or even a shot at success. This understanding has turned many into workaholics, and workhorses; we tend to see rest as a waste of time, a potential risk, and an enemy of our progressive journey towards our dreams, visions, and goals.

Realistically, rest is as important as work, without rest work is not really complete. Unwinding is really hard work that needs to be done. A lot of times you don't realize how much you need to UNWIND until you actually do. The workload, the deadlines, the tasks, are always there staring us in the face, the longer they stay the more we feel we are doing nothing, but the truth is these tasks never finish, fresh tasks come alive once existing ones are complete.

Focus instead on your bodily wellbeing, your soundness of mind, your sharpness of spirit, and work will be just a stroll in the park. The best time to unwind is actually when we don't have time for it, because that is the moment when the pressure is highest and the body is likely to be most stressed.

Work hard, rest hard, the most productive people are those who do not take rest for granted. Etty Hillesum once said, "Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths." nothing is more important than the moments we have to UNWIND, maximize those moments and experience seamless work.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

TRUST

TRUST

Relationships thrive on some basic qualities from all the parties involved in it. However, many do not understand what it means to share these qualities, and some does not even know which qualities should be prioritized. They cherish some qualities over the other not knowing that they are only subordinates and support qualities for the relationship.

When the most important ingredient is missing in a meal, it does not mean the meal does not exist or would not have a taste, it only mean that, the meal would not taste as it should have tasted, were all the ingredients complete and in the right proportion. When a relationship of any sort lacks a very critical and important ingredient, it would not yield the best result.

As much as love is important in relationships, without TRUST, everything else may not have so much value. TRUST is the real bedrock of every valid and responsible relationship, be it business, friendship, societal, marital, and any other relationship you can think of. The moment trust between partners become questionable, the relationship is half dead.

Whatever you do, strive not to lose people's trust in you, and be careful not to also give out your trust to just anyone who haven't earned it. Sometimes, you trust people but they betray your trust, some of these people really do not understand what trust means and in essence have not regard for it. Like Stephen King said, "The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool." do not be naive with TRUST, and to quote William Shakespeare "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.".

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

SURVIVE

SURVIVE

In a world where virtually everything have become virtual, and people can describe themselves as what they are not, claim to be who they are not, and present what they do not have to you as theirs, there is a lot of pressure on you to level up, and catch up with the waves, to be counted among, and to be accepted by the society.

Many have been forced to do things that are criminal and unbecoming; many have endangered their lives and destiny, all in the quest to make fast and easy wealth, and popularity, they want to become world famous overnight, and do what takes some years and even decades to achieve within days. They forget that whatever comes easy goes easy, but whatever one strives for stays forever.

To live in this kind of world is becoming increasingly difficult to do. Do not be carried away, nor deceived by the social media lush, luxurious, extravagantly beautiful, and excellently doctored social media images, they mostly are not a true reflection of the lifestyle of those who put these things out for public view and appraisal.

Your life may not be as backward as you think compared to those you see out there, even when things are tough for you, just keep moving. Focus first on survival, no matter how difficult the situation is, strive to stay alive, be careful, live within your means, plan for the future, never look back. When you need a break, be sure to get one; keep your heads up, if you can SURVIVE, you can succeed.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom". 

RUMINATE

RUMINATE

Sometimes, you need to get out of your own head and focus on the present, the now, and what can be done to make this moment a worthy and memorable one. Life happens, but giving too much thoughts to the events of the past when it is clear it cannot bring anything good to the present or even the future is an exercise that should not be encouraged nor engaged in.

The past should be left where it belongs, the past, and the present should be optimized for greater productivity. To get the most of today, you must empty your mind of the ills of yesterday, and prepare it to be filled with the goodness of today. When you live each day at a time, without the cares of tomorrow, and the anxiety of what it may hold, you are more likely to be prepared for it, than when worried about it.

On the flip side, you must not forget how your growth, development, and ascension was aided. You must not forget those who gave you the opportunity; those who stuck their necks out for you; those who were ready to bear whatever consequences that may come with being a support to you; those who fought for you, even in your absence; those who risked everything for you even when it was not convenient.

"One of the most difficult things to remember is to remember to remember" Stephen Batchelor said. When things get smooth and easy, we tend to forget that we must not forget to remember how we got to where we are, and those who made it possible. We must RUMINATE, and effectively so, do due diligence to mindful and aware of where we are, where we came from, and where we are going.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

QUI VIVE

QUI VIVE

One who would achieve what others have not, can not, and will not achieve must surely do what others can not do, have not done, and will not do. The difference between those in front and those behind, is the extra speed, extra care, extra determination, and extra effort they have put into their journey and race. Everyone is on default, to be more you need to get customized for more.

A lot of things beg for our attention everyday, some are important, while others are very irrelevant and does not add any value whatsoever to our lives; if we don't become extra careful and extra vigilant as to what takes our time and attention, we will be living our lives on stuffs that would not add anything to us at all. As Henry Ward Beecher said, "Vigilance is not only the price of liberty, but of success of any sort.". If you are not vigilant, succeeding in anything in life will be tough.

We must carefully choose our actions, we must not be slack as to how we react and relate with the happenings and events around us. Life is not as easy as it seems, because "if it was easy, everyone would do it" Tom Hanks said.

Beware of caterpillars, bulldozers, pests, and parasites who have nothing to lose but everything to gain for destroying something of great value. You stand to lose everything if you don't get vigilant and fight them off. Like Thomas Jefferson once said, "Let the eye of vigilance never be closed." always stay alert, and vigilant, protect that which belongs to you with all you have got, and you will be proud you did.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

POSITIVE

POSITIVE

In life, you don't get the opportunity to sit on the fence, you are either here or there. Sometimes, we choose neither, but most times, when you choose neither, you are actually choosing the undesired. If you want the good life you have to choose, declare, and work towards having the good life otherwise, you are inadvertently choosing the other kind of life.

Positivity can only yield positive results, and negativity will definitely breed negative results. One can rise through difficulties to produce exceptional and enviable results, but until the mind is in a positive condition, it can produce no good thing. A lily can sprout in the mire, but a lemon tree will not produce tangerines. 

The thoughts you allow in your mind determines the results you will get. Negativity and positivity struggles for a place in your mind, but you determine which gets the space; that which gets the space determines what you will get; and what you get determines how you live. It may not be easy all along, the end of the tunnel is where brightness is, not in the middle of it.

Never let difficulties have the best of you; never allow the troubles of life knock you down for too long; "when your face is on the sunshine, you can't see the shadows." Helen Keller said. Everything that happens to you in life happens for a reason, not necessarily to destroy you, but to build you. Whatever you do, "Be mindful. Be grateful. Be POSITIVE. Be true. Be kind." - Roy T. Bennet.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

ORDER

ORDER

In the words of Orison Swett Marden "A good system shortens the road to the goal." when everything that should be done are done rightly with all sense of responsibility and care; when square pegs are on square holes, and round pegs in round holes, results are much more easier to get, and progress will be just a norm, an undeniable reality.

Chaos, rancor, confusion are all evidence of the disorganization and disorderliness in a society. You cannot do something the absolute wrong way and expect to get the same results with people who are doing it the right way. Everything in life happens in a sequential order, and a breach of this order would mean a different outcome.

To quotes Robert Southey, "Order is the sanity of the mind, the health of the body, the peace of the city, the security of the state. As the beams to a house, as the bones to the microcosm of man, so is order to all things." Without ORDER nothing in this world would be worth anything, in fact we would not have the kind of world we have today.

If you want to get to your goals faster, plan; of you want to sleep well, lay your bed; if you want smooth execution, organize. Productivity is high in a place where ORDER resides. Life is easier, people are happier, peace is achieved, and results are guaranteed. ORDER is grand, ORDER is supreme, ORDER is the key to an enviable end.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

NEIGHBOR

NEIGHBOR

The beauty of life is not in the accumulation of personal wealth and material belongings, the beauty of life is in the love shared and received, it is in the lives you touch with what you have, the kindness you show to those who can't repay you, the burden you bear for those who are weighed down by the troubles and difficulties of life.

A tree does not make a forest, and no one man can make life interesting on his own. We will have a better world, a more peaceful world, when every single one of us cares about the next person irrespective of who they are at any point in time, wherever we find ourselves. When I am concerned about the welfare of the man next to me, I will be careful what I do to him and anything that belongs to him.

We must seek to be sympathetic when those around us are in trouble, or in a difficult situation, for we do not know when such may come upon us. Like Ronald Reagan once said, "Recession is when a neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours." when we are faced with the same challenges our neighbors have faced we understand differently, but empathy bridge these gaps.

At home, on the road, at school, at places of work, at religious places, etc whoever is around us is our neighbor, and the moment we understand that the safety and welfare of these people is our own safety, we see them, our environment and everything differently, and we have different understanding about everything. Whoever is capable of causing you harm or vice versa is your NEIGHBOR, love them instead and see the miracle of love.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

MEMORY

MEMORY

Every action originates from the mind, are being acted out, and are stored in our brains in addition to its effect. Be mindful of what you do, for they shall create the life for the future. Today, memories are created, but they go with us into the far future. When life becomes stagnant, and everything seems to be still memories come back to be relived.

What we do today, will either make for a happy tomorrow or a regrettable future. However we live our lives, we live it twice, first in reality, and later in our memories. Some memories make us bloomy, while some make us gloomy. We are responsible for the kind of memory we create, and we will either be rewarded with its happiness or hunted by its horror.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec once said, "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories." you can attempt to live in the denial of reality, you can ignore the events of today, you can close your eyes to the happenings of today, but memory can never be silenced. The memories we create today will determine the future we will have tomorrow.

No matter what you do, no matter what happens, create good, happy, and loving memories with the people around you, the people you love, the people that will be with you all the way. Life is not entirely about the future, it is not only in what we want, but also in what we already have, how we have lived our lives, and the memories we have created.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

LEGACY

LEGACY

It is a common saying, and an undeniable fact that nothing in life is certain, the only certainty is death. Everybody will die someday, and no matter how long you live, you will soon be forgotten once you are gone. As a matter of fact, the only reason some people are still being remembered is because they still breath, they are not dead, but they have nothing for which they should be remembered.

Many have gone hundreds of years ago, some thousands of years ago and they are still remembered today; some for the good they did, and others for the evil they did. Good or evil, no one is remembered for what they have done for themselves, but for what they did for and/or to others. 

Some names are eternally written in the history books, never to be erased, never to be forgotten. Names such as, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Orville and Wilbur Wright, William Shakespeare, Nelson Mandela, and many more would never be forgotten, not for what they did for themselves, but for what they had done for their people, and the world at large.

Like Vitor Belfort said, "Legacy is not what I did for myself. It's what I am doing for the next generation." Do something that is beyond you, do something that the next generation will thank you for, do something that will live long even after you are gone. It does not have to be an invention like that of Charles Babbage did, neither does it have to be a discovery like Isaac Newton, being good to every human being you come in contact with is a good enough LEGACY to leave behind.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

KNOCK

KNOCK

A young chap once came to the door at a family friend's house, he had always been carried by his mother whenever they come around, but this time, his mother had let him go ahead while she had a chat with another friend outside. It was the first time this chap had gotten to that door alone. He wanted to open the door like his mother would always do, but he forgot something that his mother would first do before opening the door.

He was there for so long until his mother came and met him at the door, while he struggled to open it. His mother did what she always does and opened the door. The young chap was surprised. The next time the same scenario played out, the boy was at the door and wanted to open the door to no success. He then remembered what his mother would always do: KNOCK.

He knocked, and the door did not open, but seeing that he had no other options, he continued knocking until someone from within the house came to open the door. Sometimes, the door to our next level is not locked, but we may not understand how to turn it open. At times, we may not be tall enough to reach the handles, but we cannot be too short to KNOCK the door until we get it opened.

We may be qualified enough to get into some places, but the door to those places cannot be open from outside, we may need someone who has gone in, or someone who knows how well to open these doors help us through it, but how do we get them to help us? We KNOCK. Consistent, fervent knocking will provoke responses to any closed door, keep knocking.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

JACKPOT

JACKPOT

Every passing day, people wake up to the reality that life is not fair, and the road to success is not a bed of roses, yet some expect to someday get to the promise land without leaving their comfort zones. They hope that one day, they will wake up to the fulfillment of their life long desires, and begin to swim in wealth and abundance.

Unfortunately, life does not attend to wishes but work. The principles of life are not suspended for any body no matter the circumstances. A farmer who goes to farm, tills the land, and plant seeds need only to pray for the rain and fair weather, when harvest time comes he will surely reap plenty, and will be happy that his efforts had not gone to waste. If he had gone to the farm, sat idly, and prayed for a bounty harvest, he will surely have a bounty harvest but of hunger and penury.

Flip Wilson once said, "You can't expect to hit the jackpot if you don't put a few nickels in the machine." Winning the JACKPOT of success is not by mere wish, it does not even come by prayers, it comes by working hard consistently, and diligently towards it, while expecting that the weather of fairness will favour you and bring to you the desired results.

Failure and disappointment are part of life, without failure success would have no meaning. You have got to fail but turn it around to be called successful, but to succeed, you have got to work. If you keep pushing, if you don't quit, if you rise after every fall, one day you will hit the JACKPOT.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

IMPROVEMENT

IMPROVEMENT

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning". The fact that some men have made outgrowing their current self daily, and improving on the person they were yesterday a necessity has made so much meaning of what success truly is.

As we grow through life we must not just grow in stature and size, we must grow in mental strength and capacity; we must grow in emotional strength and intelligence; we must grow in every single area of our lives, otherwise, we would not be as effective as we should be. Partial growth often lead to ineffectiveness. When a baby is growing, and a particular part of the baby is not growing in perfect synchrony with other parts, there is a call for concern.

The hand can not grow independent of the leg, neither can one of each grow independently of the other, all must grow together to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. We must make conscious, determined efforts to improve daily to become who we want and should be.

Like a baby would need to be fed with consistent, constant nutritious substances to grow as he should, the mind also must be fed with powerful and nutritious contents everyday to ensure growth and improvement. No matter how good you are at something, there will always be a room and a need for IMPROVEMENT. Like Helmut Schmidt would say, "The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement".

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

HEAL

HEAL

One of the most soothing reliefs any one can ever have, is the recovery from a previously painful, hurtful, or inconvenient state. When in a state of pain, living may not be such fun. Sometimes, you just wish something else could happen in the immediate to eliminate or take away the pain. Unfortunately, it does not always happen as we wish.

Pain and hurt is taken away through a gradual process of healing. People get hurt in different ways, emotionally, mentally, physically, intellectually, and even spiritually, and all these forms of hurt requires different healing processes. The treatment for any is dependent on its form, and healing can only be achieved when one is determined to be healed of such pain or hurt.

The first step towards healing is the realization of a hurt and its resultant effect: the pain, followed by the willingness to be healed. When you treat someone who has been hurt, until he is willing to regain his health true healing, he will never be healed no matter how hard, or how long you try. The desire to be healed is key to receiving healing.

Healing like every other good thing takes time, to be fully and effectively healed you have to patiently, and carefully go through the process to have the best result. Like everything else, until you believe in your mind that you can be healed, until you are ready to HEAL yourself of the hurt by letting go of the cause, healing will be an impossibility.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

GOAL

GOAL

The ultimate aim of any football match is putting the ball at the back of the net. Doing this is never an easy task, as you will have to face an even match in number of opposing players. Both teams always consist of eleven players each, one of which will be charged with the responsibility of protecting the goal post with everything he has got. The team that scores the most number of goals is the winner of the match, and if both teams score same numbers or no goal at all, it is called a draw, or a tie.

Life is like a football match, to score a goal you have to wiggle your way through different obstacles and opposition. Life will certainly score some goals against you, but to win, you must outscore life. You can't win the match against life all by yourself, that is why everyone needs someone they can trust, someone they can work with, in fact, everyone needs a team to win the battle of life.

Sometimes, the goals you set becomes almost impossible to achieve, the opposition is tougher than you expect, and it seems there is no way you can beat it. It is not enough to make you quit, rather it should make you become determined to be better, stronger and wiser to face the challenges.

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached..." Confucius said, "...don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." The process to the goal, the actions steps, are the most important, the goal is just an end result. You can adjust the process to the goal, but don't shift the goal post, do not adjust the GOAL.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

FORGIVE

FORGIVE

Many have erected walls without doors with the precise intention to imprison another man and forget them in this prison for life, to waste and rotten away only to discover upon the complete erection of these walls that they have successfully imprisoned themselves. Sometimes, they stubbornly choose to remain in those prisons but forget that they will actually rotten away unless they pull down those walls so they can be free.

No one is perfect, we should therefore not expect perfection from anybody, and when we are offended by people especially of it is out of ignorance, we must not hesitate to let go of whatever the offense has caused us. Holding grudges against someone does not particularly give us peace of mind, but we must also understand that we cannot always accommodate everyone in our circle, some have to be kept out of it for us to have our peace.

It is not easy to forgive someone who has done you wrong, but as Mahatma Gandhi said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." Only the strong can truly forgive.

Show your strength by forgiving those who have wronged you; do not be dragged into the mud of pettiness; rise above their misbehavior; ride the horse of peace; focus on the future. It may not be possible to forget what they have done to you, but to FORGIVE is to set yourself free from the bondage and prison of bitterness.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

EASE

EASE

All of man's endeavours, all of his strivings and work, all of his desires is to at the end of all obtain and live in a kind of life that is more enjoyable, and pleasurable: an easy life. Life does not take things easy with any one, and does not give out ease on a platter, rather it is earnestly worked for, given sweat for, and determinedly pursued until it is gotten.

Difficulties come through ease, and ease comes through difficulties. When you take the pain of tilling the ground, you make it easy to plant a seed in it, and for the seed to sprout easily, but when you ignore the difficulty of tilling to plant in a hard soil, you make it hard for the plant to germinate.

Realistically, life is a mixture of ease and difficulty, everyone will at one point in life experience these two realities of life, but when you experience it is determined by your priorities. You can choose to live the easy life early, which is the default setting of life, but this will bring severe hardship and difficulty in the latter years.

Alternatively, you can subject yourself to early challenges, difficulties, and hardship; this phase builds you up,, brings out the hidden abilities and potentials in you, and prepare you for a future of real EASE and pleasure. Whichever you choose, be sure to choose wisely, early ease brings immense and immeasurable hardship, but early and self imposed hardship bring real pleasure and fulfillment. In the words of Aja Gabel, "… you misunderstand ‘ease.’ I think whoever said that means joy, not the quality of being easy. And difficult things can bring joy. And joy can bring EASE".

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

DILIGENCE

DILIGENCE

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Diligence is the mother of good luck", therefore, if you expect to one day meet with good luck, if one day you expect to arrive at the destination you have always wished for, you must get your sleeves rolled up, get your hands buried in work, and never look back until your dreams and expectations are met.

Life does not just happen, and wishes don't just come to pass, like Confucius also said, "The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools." When your part of the bargain is fully met, and satisfied, you should expect to get the results you hope and wish for.

Life may sometimes be cruel, you may be as diligent as you can be, but still don't get what you want at the time you want it, don't stop being diligent at what you do. There is always that hope of realization of expectations as long as you keep going, but once you quit, you have successfully stamped the guarantee of failure, there is no reward for quitting.

It is not the number of time you are beaten down to the dust that really matters, what matters most is the number of times you get up after been beaten. If you can just get up one more time than you have been down, then you are a winner. If your DILIGENCE can always beat the desire to quit; if it can always beat the craving to be idle; if it can always push you a bit further, victory is sure.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days  of wisdom".

CAVE

CAVE

There are a lot of voids that has been covered up, they are covered up by very strong layers of substances and has therefore hidden a lot of treasures from the world. Similarly, these voids are also a false representation of the realities that are available to us. It does seem as though the entire place is covered until there is a crashing and a revelation of this void.

The voids, CAVES serve as shelter for some people, animals, and maybe treasures; sometimes they house what we want, and sometimes they house exactly what we don't want. The question is, how do we identify what is in the cave? There is only one way to discover that, and it is go go right into that cave.

Like Joseph Campbell once said, "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." if you continue to harbor the fear of the cave being a dangerous place, you will never discover the wealth, the treasures, and the abundance there is in it. Fear itself is like a CAVE, if you do not enter it, and do the exact thing that you fear, you would not know what you can do or achieve.

The cave that hinders you from seeing what is in it, can also limit you from seeing what is in the outside world; do not let yourself be limited by the CAVE of fear, unbelief, and uncertainties, life without risk is not a life worth living; but the life with many risks is a life that will not be limited by anything or anyone, it is a life that will be lived to maximum level of success and greatness.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

BALANCE

BALANCE

One very popular statement in this part of the world is "this life no balance" and this can be no truer. Life is indeed not balance, and can never be balanced, but as unbalanced as life is, one must find means of balancing his own personal life or else, everything will be in shambles and total disarray, and things will continue get difficult every waking day.

There are a myriad of things calling for our attention every day, and our ability or inability to prioritize and balance up how we allocate time to these things and attend to them will determine what we will eventually get from life. Every of our choices in life have consequences, and without a proper balance of choice, we may be faced with some undesirable consequences.

Sometimes, putting in retrospect where we are coming from, where we are, and where we want to be gives us the opportunity to create the kind of balance that is necessary for a progressive lifestyle. Meghan Markle once said, "Reflecting on where I came from helps me to appreciate and balance what I have now." Without the privilege of hindsight, foresight would be impossible, but hindsight and foresight creates the balance for a better life.

Whatever you do, seek to create a balance. Whether in things that relates solely to you, or that has to do with others, you must be able to balance up things such that you do not lose your credibility and respect with people. Strive to live a life of BALANCE for without BALANCE nothing else is worth it.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

AWARD

AWARD

People don't get awards for doing things everybody else does, or can do; people don't get awards for doing something ordinary, or things of no impacts; people get awards for doing something special, something extraordinary, and something impactful. They get recognized for their hard-work, talent, and dedication to certain cause and course.

Getting an award does not signify that you have gotten to the peak of everything there is, that the job is done, or that there is nothing more to be achieved, it is not the end of the race, it is the beginning of another. Awards are a recognition of progress so one can be encouraged to do more, not a reward of completion. Awards are not an invitation to rest, it is a trigger to do more.

People who oftentimes get awards for their excellent and exceptional achievements are people who do not even think about it, sometimes they don't even know such awards exist until they receive it. Everything man does, good or bad, has a reward, but to receive an award is to have done something good enough for not just the rewards but also deserve something extra, an encouragement: an AWARD.

More than anything, one derives abundance of joy in being a part of a winning team, and more fulfilling is the effect you have had on people because of what you do, the good and positive cause and effect that you are having and creating in the life of people around you. Never stop being a good person, do not relent on the good cause you have embarked upon, keep making positive impacts and whether the AWARDS come or not you will still be changing and touching lives.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

ZYGOTE

ZYGOTE

When a female egg is fertilized by a male sperm a zygote is formed, this zygote becomes an embryo which shortly afterward becomes a fetus and upon the completion of the gestation period a full blown baby is born. This period of gestation is not always an easy period, it is a period of pain, and endurance; a period of faith and hope, that in the end what is expected is birthed.

Many people want to achieve success, they want to get to that point in life when people will call them a success, and though they have within them the egg of potentials waiting to be fertilized by the sperm of hard-work, they expect to become successful but are unwilling and are not ready to go through the process of developing the egg (potential) in them to a full blown baby (success).

The journey towards success is not a pleasurable one, it is not one decorated with flowers and beautiful landscapes, but a journey of thorns and thistles, rocks and rivers, it is a rough and tough path, one filled with mountain top moments and valley moments, but the end of that road is one filled with everything that has been wished for and worked towards.

Work on your potentials, protect and guide your work to the right channel, and ensure you are not just getting busy, but you are also getting results. Every good thing takes time, success is not an exception. You must work, have faith in the possibility of your desired result, and hope that everything turns out just as you want, and it will.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

YUMMY

YUMMY

She has a restaurant by the corner of the street, their meals tastes so good, you will always want to go back there. Actually, she does nothing other than give orders and instructions to her staffs. Her chefs should be applauded for the yummy meals, I am sure she can't afford to lose any of them, they are the secret to the success of that restaurant.

What you do not know is that, she has worked with several top class eateries, and five star hotels over the years; she has learnt from local and international chefs, managers, and colleagues; she has paid her dues; now she knows all the best recipes there are, and the perfect mix and combinations to making yummy meals; that is the real secret to the success of that restaurant.

Success just like yummy meals are not stumbled upon by accident, or even achieved by mistake; it takes a lot of work, determination, focus, learning, unlearning, and relearning. What makes success a lot more yummy is the fact that you have had the taste of failure, and have suffered the pain of defeat, and you can tell clearly the difference.

Success tastes so nice and YUMMY that it makes you forget the sour and bitter taste of past pain and failure. Do not let your hunger for success die until you have succeeded. You have gone through so much pain, you cannot let it get the better of you, keep going, never look back, don't quit, success is just by the corner, and guess how it tastes, YUMMY.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

XARONCHAROO

 XARONCHAROO

Most of us play below our standards, we shy away from what we should be doing comfortably; we oftentimes do not get scared of doing what we can't do, but the very things we can and should be doing.

Marianne Williamson wrote explicitly these words, and it can't be any better, "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."

You are a brilliant; you are a complete reservoir of everything good and desirable; you are powerful beyond measure; you have what it takes to be all you want to be; the world is waiting for your manifestation, do not let them wait in vain. Rise up to the task, wake up and be what you are meant to be, shine your light bright, and spread it wide for all to see and enjoy.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

WAIVE

WAIVE

When people seek opportunities in certain places, and they discover that they are not qualified or do not meet the standards for these opportunities, they begin to seek waivers, they begin to lobby around and see if there can be a bit of flexibility in the process so they can be accommodated, allowing them a shot at the available opportunities.

It will be unsurprising to discover that some of these people who seek flexibility and waivers for their shortcomings, and incompleteness are very rigid and unwavering in their approach to certain things in life. They hold on firmly to their beliefs and principles and are not ready to see reasons for a change in what they firmly hold on to.

Bukola Elemide aka Asa, in her song 'Jailer' said, "life is not about your policies all the time, so, you better rearrange your philosophies, and be good to your fellow man,...". If all that rules you, and all you think about is yourself, your beliefs, and what is in it for you, and do not care about anyone else, you are threading a very risky line.

In the words of the legendary Tony Robbins who said, "Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach." you should be firm and unwavering about what you want; you should at no point consider letting go of the goal, the dream, the target, but you cannot afford to be rigid in your approach towards achieving it. When there is a need to jiggle up things you shouldn't hesitate to do so.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

VERDUROUS

VERDUROUS

Adekunle Almoruf Kosoko, aka Adekunle Gold in his song titled "ire" which means goodness said, "The grass is greener on the other side. That's what I thought before I took the ride" he further went on to say in another verse "the grass is greener when you water the ground, that's what I found when I took the ride." nothing happens to our taste in nature.

When you look down from the top of a hill or mountain into a valley, you are likely to see an expanse of greens, a lot of times, these greens are of little or no value, meaning, you would rarely see in that expanse of greens any plant of real value except it someone has taken his time to cultivate it. The desire to make something happen has driven many to a place of security and comfort, where peace and blessings is the order of the day.

Nature respects no man, it does not extend beyond its limit, time and space are responsible for everything. If you want to see something happen in life, you have to make it happen. You cannot always expect things to happen in your favour, you have to carve things into your desires, dreams, and expectations, you have to work to make the ground green.

The moment you realize that life responds more to actions than to mere wishes and ideas in our brains, we will begin to have a better world, we will begin to create the kind of life we want for ourselves, and carve out our own world from what we already have. Everything is ready, everything is beautiful, but when we work towards making it so.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

UNFLINCHING

UNFLINCHING

In the jungle, when a lion goes about its hunt and sees a herd of gazelle, it does not just start a chase, but stands afar off, and study its prey. It identifies the one among the group that it will go after; once a decision is made, the lion does not switch its focus from its prey, it focuses on that one gazelle, and pursues it without stop until it catches it.

When a man has a vision, a dream, goal, or target, he does not at any point begin to see himself as incapable of achieving or reaching that target, the moment he begins to think he cannot, or is unable to reach those goals, dreams, and targets, he begins to lose sight of them and eventually loses the courage, and enthusiasm to pursue.

Anna Pavlova once said, "To tend, unfailingly, unflinchingly, towards a goal, is the secret of success." anything else is failure. Doubt is a diversion from the track, you must not allow it take a place in your mind, because once it does it becomes so powerful that it will do more damage than you can ever imagine.

There is nothing a man would put his heart and mind towards becoming or achieving that will not be possible to him, as long as he believes he can, as long as he has UNFLINCHING trust and believe in his ability, and capacity, he will do even more than he thinks he can. The only limit to whatever a man can become is the one he sets, and the doubts in his mind, put these aside and you will be unbeatable.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

TOLERANT

 TOLERANT

You cannot always be in positions where you get everything that you want, you cannot always be as comfortable as you desire; sometimes not because you can't be, but because you just don't have to be for the sake of another. You might be well within your right to be as comfortable as you want, but you might need to sacrifice that comfort for another person.

At times, you could have been wronged either on purpose or by mistake, but when you remember that it is not what happens to you that matters but how you react to it, you readjust yourself, your thoughts and intended actions just to allow for peaceful coexistence and a better society.

To be tolerant is to be able to afford others the privilege of enjoying the rights that you believe are yours. Like Robert Ingersoll said, "Tolerance is giving to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself." It is being humane and human, to allow others have what is ordinarily your right as long as it does not hurt or deprive you of anything other than temporal pleasures.

We must be as tolerant as possible to everyone, but not in the things that brings shame, disgrace, and destruction to anyone. We cannot also in the spread of tolerance become intolerant to some things, because there is a very thin line between promoting tolerance and intolerance. Be TOLERANT, promote love, kindness, and happiness make the world a better place for all.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

SIMPLE

SIMPLE

The battlefield is not a place where you merry or take things calm and easy; in the face of real fireworks and hostilities; you can be everything but simple. An army does not just pick random people for war, they pick people who satisfy certain conditions and put them through some very tough trainings to build and prepare them for what is ahead.

The world is a battlefield, and no simple person can survive, succeed, or fulfill purpose without being badly bruised, mercilessly beaten and severely battered. Simple people do not go far in life; they lack what it takes to sail through storms, scale through the hurdles, and overcome the different challenges they may be faced with.

This is not to say one has to be difficult when it comes to inter personal relationships and communication; as much as you need to be firm, and assertive about what you want and don't want, you also must be humane, kind, and cheerful. You must not make life difficult for others if you can't make it easier for them.

Ultimately, you must be tough in the pursuit of your dreams, visions, and goals; you must train yourself to become sophisticated, and well equipped to reach the heights you seek to attain. Being SIMPLE is good, but you must be careful what you are simple at. Life is not easy and thereby requires radical approaches to certain things. On the other hand, in some aspects of life, you just might have to be as SIMPLE as possible.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".