Saturday, 31 December 2022

AGAIN AND AFRESH

AGAIN AND AFRESH

Ends can either be exciting or otherwise depending on what is coming to an end. Excitement or not, every end provides an opportunity for newness and fresh starts. The end of a process that has led to a big win is an opportunity to start another journey to a greater win, and the end of a failed attempt is an opportunity to start afresh on a better level than the previous.

Irrespective of what you have achieved or not achieved this year, the new year provides for you the opportunity to go again. If you have failed, fallen or faltered, you can rise up, look up, and get going again. Nothing can stop your forward movement except you. Do not give in to the moments that have brought you tears, they will be remembered someday as the days that gave you more reasons to keep going.

In starting afresh you have a clean slate to start your journey with; you begin with better experiences, without mistakes, with better knowledge, better ideas, better understanding, and ultimately as better person. Don't be afraid to start again, never be shy of being a beginner yet again; the goal is to succeed at last not just to go through tough times without something to show for it.

Tomorrow we can laugh about what we are going through today only if we do not quit. It will never be easy, nothing good comes easy, but in the end, it will be worth every bit of the stress, time, effort, and resources. Let's go AGAIN AND AFRESH our victory, our breakthrough, our success is just around the corner.

(A➡️Z)14➕AA)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Friday, 30 December 2022

ZOETIC

ZOETIC

The journey of life is a personal journey, and how you live that life is entirely your responsibility. What am I living for? is a question that everyone must answer, and the answer to that question will determine the quality of life lived, and the legacy that will be left when you depart this terrestrial realm. Existence, which some call living happens by default, but to live purposefully must be a conscious and determined effort.

Quality life is not the life lived in plenty, having all that you want at your disposal, and doing just whatever you want to do at any time you want to do it. Quality life is the life that one lives in a way that makes life easy for others, and helps them live better lives too.

People who live only for themselves are people who do not consider what tomorrow might look like. They are like people who while climbing a ladder to the top despise everyone they met on their way, and never cared about them forgetting that one day they may need the help of these same people while falling down, as life is full of ups and downs and no situation is permanent.

When you live purposeful lives, you make positive impacts in people's lives effortlessly; you live a life that never ends even when you are gone. When you know your purpose in life, and you work hard enough to fulfill that purpose, everything else will fall in place, and life for you will be all bliss and smooth.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Thursday, 29 December 2022

YOYO

YOYO

Life can be sometimes very unpredictable, today you are up the hill, tomorrow you are down the valley, nevertheless, life can not be paused. Life can be fair to one today and tomorrow very cruel and unpitying. Sometimes, what makes the journey of going up worthwhile is the journey downward. One thing that is important for us is to ensure that our journey upward or downward is a progressive one.

Pharrell Williams once said, “Life is a carousel. It goes up and down. All you got to do is just stay on.” When you are up stay on course, when you are down stay on course. Do whatever is necessary to ensure that your life is not stagnant irrespective of the circumstances. The downs are not bad times, neither are the ups good times, both are a necessity for a better, and progressive life.

The valley moments makes us understand the value of the mountain moments. Every step of the way is a lesson and an opportunity for growth for the next phase of our lives. You can move up the stairs, but while going you must be careful to not damage it, because one day you might need it coming downwards.

The only persons who do not experience the ups and downs of life is the person who has failed and refused to rise up again. Never let life weigh you down no matter what happens. There are better days ahead of the man who will not quit irrespective of the challenges of life. Nothing in life lasts forever, but if we keep moving, we will definitely see the best of days.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Wednesday, 28 December 2022

XENON

XENON

The value of a thing, person, or organization is not in the amount of noice made, size, perception, or activities carried out, but in their effect and functions to everyone and everything around them. As a noble gas XENON is colourless, odorless, and generally unreactive except for a few chemical reactions which can cause the formation of a xenon gas compound.

Although very rare and relatively expensive, xenon has very crucial applications in different phases and fields of human endeavors. Xenon has illuminative and optical functions; it has medical uses as anesthesic, neuroprotectants, for imaging, and surgery, besides other military and defensive uses.

One can be very quiet, humble, yet very effective and efficient, our activities should not be that of mere busyness without reasonable, traceable, and recognizable results for long lasting positive impacts. There is no evil in making our works, and/or good deeds known to the public, if it is to provoke a ripple and multiplicative effect, to encourage others to do the same or even better in their own corner.

We need to understand that there are different kinds of people everywhere, and we will definitely meet them, and sometimes have to work with them. We must understand that there are character differences, we must therefore learn how to relate and deal with every unique character so as to maintain cordial relationships as well as progressive unions. We must be noiseless, yet pronounced, productive, and profitable.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Tuesday, 27 December 2022

WORTHWHILE

WORTHWHILE

Life is too short to be lived doing things that are not worth our time, efforts, and resources. We have so short a time to live and so many things to do, we cannot afford to do things with our times that are not positively relevant to our growth, development, existence, and the life of others around us.

A few things are necessary, some things are important, even fewer are the things that are worthwhile. We must look into the things that make life worth living, we must focus on doing things that make our journeys through life a worthwhile adventure.

Until we realize that the most worthwhile of anything that we do in life are the things that we do in advancement, betterment, and development of others, we may never really live life as we should. It is not what we have that matters most, but what we give. It is not how well we live that is more important, but how well those around is live because we are in or around their lives.

We must not neglect our personal growth and development, we must not leave getting better lives for ourselves to chance, we must make conscious determined efforts to be the best we can by all means possible, because that is the only way through which we can make ourselves useful and productive towards the realization of WORTHWHILE lives for ourselves and others around us.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Monday, 26 December 2022

VERIDICAL

VERIDICAL

There is always something about a person that is known only to himself. Every individual is a custodian of their own truth and they tell it to whom they will, however they will, whenever they will. Sometimes, people who don't know your truth will tell lies about you, but irrespective of what they say, you must protect that which is truth about you.

"Falsehood will fly, as it were, on the wings of the wind, and carry its tales to every corner of the earth; whilst truth lags behind; her steps, though sure, are slow and solemn, and she has neither vigour nor activity enough to pursue and overtake her enemy." These were the words of Thomas Francklin In a 1787 a sermon.

Lies spread faster than truth, it goes farther than one can imagine within the shortest possible time. As much as it might be impossible to shield yourself from being lied against, you must protect yourself from the effect those lies could possibly have on you. You must live your life the best way you can to the benefit of all around you irrespective of what people think or say.

If you live by the truth, living will be ease, but if you live by lies you will be living a difficult life. Falsehood can be very powerful and widely accepted, it may have plenty friends, but like George Washington said, "Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light." Truth is the price for peace, justice, and unity, it is the ultimate price for a better world.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Sunday, 25 December 2022

UNTIRING

UNTIRING

People don't achieve anything through ease, a lot of times you have to try over and over again to achieve what you want, but one thing is very important and that is maintaining the enthusiasm with which you started the journey despite disappointments and failure until breakthrough is achieved. Failure makes people lose motivation, but staying motivated is the only guarantee for success.

You may be tired of not getting the results you expect when you want them despite your hard work, but do not relent in pushing, it is only when you stop pushing that you end any possibilities of winning. Amit Kalantri once said, "The smell of the sweat is not sweet, but the fruit of the sweat is very sweet." Hard work is not sweet, but the reward for hard work is sweet and desirable.

A soldier does not get tired on the battlefield no matter how exhausted, or drained he is, he gives his all to ensure he stays alive until he has victory over his foes. Detractors will ridicule you, haters will despise you, enemies will fight you, and unfortunately friends can betray you, but the journey is yours, and nothing should stop you from owning it and making the best of it.

The legendary Michael Jordan once said, "I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Success is what comes at the end of an UNTIRING journey through failure.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Saturday, 24 December 2022

TIMELY

TIMELY

The wisest king to have lived (King Solomon) wrote in the first verse of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" Time is one of the most valuable assets available to every human being alive. We all have equal amount of time, but how we make use of our time determines what we get out of life.

Many times, we tend to want some things at certain times, and within some time frame, we do our best to have those things as soon as possible and sometimes in a very hasty manner, but life has a way of making everything pass through its time. Every process, every event, and every activity is time bound, nothing happens outside time.

Fruits get ripe with time, if you attempt to consume a fruit that hasn't fulfilled its ripening time, you would feel the effect of impatience. Success is unveiled with time, but what we hope, wish, pray, and work towards is the timeliness of our success. As much as patience is important to the achievement of our aims, we must be conscious of how we use our time in fulfilling it.

Success that is not TIMELY may be met with reduced appreciation, but TIMELY achievement feels like double achievement. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it well, but also do it in due time. Be decisive when you should, take actions when you should, never let procrastination beat you to the game, always stay on top of it, and let life lead you on.

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

Friday, 23 December 2022

SYNERGY

SYNERGY

Alone one can do great things, together we can do extraordinary exploits. As humans we are powerful beyond imagination, we can do whatever we set our minds upon to do, we can be more than we think we can, but there is something that is even more potent than the power of one, and that is the power of a united people, working towards one goal.

In the quest to having a better world, a world where everyone will be happy and proud of, a world of peace and satisfaction, we all need to come together to achieve that world. No one can do anything for all, but all can do everything for one. If we all with one voice and intent work towards achieving one goal, we would surpass our aim.

Stephen Covey defined synergy as "The combined effect of individuals in collaboration that exceeds the sum of their individual effects." The power of synergy can never be overemphasized, as it is the biggest power in possession of a diverse people. Nothing is impossible to a united people.

Live your life the best way you can, do all you can by all means you can, but never misuse the opportunity to work with a people that are working towards a common good. Individually we can win some battles, but to win the war, we must all work together as a team against our common enemy. Like Barbara Marx Hubbard said, "SYNERGY does not mean giving up what we want. It means joining to co-create so each is able to receive ever more of what attracts us through joining rather than opposing.".

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Thursday, 22 December 2022

REFLECT

REFLECT

You don't dwell in the past, otherwise progress would never be made; you don't hurry into the future, or else you might miss your way, but you have to sometimes look at the past to understand the future, and plan better for it. It was Søren Kierkegaard that said, "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." 

Times like this affords us the opportunity to examine what we have been up to, what we have done, the things we have left undone, the ones we ignored and those we procrastinated over the course of the year. We might have achieved a lot or very few by out own reckoning, but we must look beyond what we have achieved and into who and what we have become.

Our success stories are never complete without the stories of failure, and disappointment; we do not become successful without first failing, and rising up from the failures time and again to become better persons who eventually go on to achieve great success. Our past shapes who we become and who we become determines what we achieve.

Charles Dickens once said, "Reflect upon your present blessings -- of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." Your journey is entirely yours, you have to make out of it, what you really want for yourself. Look back, REFLECT, but never move backwards, forward is where the future is, and in the future everything is  bright.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom ".

Wednesday, 21 December 2022

QUIXOTIC

QUIXOTIC

Walt Disney's idea of Disneyland was initially thought to be a vague and unrealistic project. People thought he was out of his senses, that he needed to be more realistic. Today Disneyland has operated for sixty seven years, has had over 767 million visits as at December 2021. As at 2005, Disneyland has provided over 89,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

In the fifteenth century, around 1489, Leonardo da Vinci designed the first flying object suggestive of an helicopter. He was seen by people of his days as man who was insane. In the early 1900s the Wright brothers, built and flew the first flying object (Gliders).

Something common with weird, unrealistic, and unique ideas is that they always seem so until they become a reality. The only thing that has made all the extraordinary inventions in the world possible is the firm resolve of the ideator to see his idea come to life irrespective of people's opinion and contrary ideas.

Nothing is real except the thing that we make real; no ideas is useless or unrealistic, our perceptions make it so; it has been said that "ideas rule the world" but an idea that is not executed does not have a chance of ruling the world. Whatever you can think of, whatever you can imagine, you can bring to life, you can make real. Do not let anyone bully you into your shells, do not be trapped by people's opinion, give life and wings to that QUIXOTIC idea, let it take you wherever you want.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Tuesday, 20 December 2022

PAIN

PAIN

Every waking day for us is another day to go in pursuit of one thing, and no matter what that thing is, the underlying desire is pleasure. Whether in academia, entertainment, the corporate world of work, as an entrepreneur, or whatever it is that we have decided to do, all we seek at the end of the day is a comfortable, easy, and pleasant life.

No one wants to go through or experience pain in life, but as Jim Rohn once said, "We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment". You have to choose your pain, you either subject yourself through intentional and controlled pain, or you accept the pain that comes with the regret of not doing what you should do when you should have done it.

If there is no pain, there is no gain; if you have gone through pain, you shouldn't let it waste, ensure you profit from your pain. Mary Tyler Moore once advised, "Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave."

Every good thing that ever existed and still exists has been birthed through PAIN. PAIN is a gift of nature, it is mostly sandwiched between pleasure, and if properly attended to, it does not last long. Lance Armstrong succinctly puts, "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever". Whatever you do, do not quit, make profit of your PAIN.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Monday, 19 December 2022

OWN

OWN

You may not want to be where you are today, but you are there because of what you did or did not do yesterday. As much as life may have other plans for us while we are busy making ours, most if not all of the results and outcomes we have in our endeavors are entirely our responsibility. Whether we have the good expected results, or the bad unexpected results, we must move on irrespective.

When we have the results we worked for, we should celebrate; when we do not have what we worked for, we should not beat ourselves over it, rather we should forge ahead and hope for better outcomes as we move on.

We must OWN our journey, we must fight for what we want, we must pursue our dreams diligently or we will have no choice than to accept whatever we get from life, and it may not be so good. If you do not build the kind of life you want for yourself, no one will build it for you, and you will have to live in another man's world. You may find yourself building another man's dreams, and making someone else's vision come to life.

Everything you have today is just enough to get you everything you want tomorrow, you just have to put them to good use. All your skills, abilities, talents, knowledge, and networks can create your dream world. Believe in yourself, trust your guts, your will, and your heart. Like Steve Jobs said, "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become".

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Sunday, 18 December 2022

NOW

NOW

One of the greatest challenges of man is his desire to get into the future as quickly as possible, his anxiety of what that future holds, and his crave for the perfect life. Many just want to get out of the moment, they want to escape their current situation, and move into the unknown, and uncertain bliss of tomorrow.

Interestingly, the best way to have our desired future is to live in the moment. However terrible the moment is, however bad and undesired the present situation may be, running away from it does not make tomorrow better. The only way to have the tomorrow of your dream, is to do today what is required and necessary of you, to avoid a tomorrow of regrets.

Today was tomorrow, and tomorrow will soon become yesterday. Until you understand the transient nature of time, we may never use it as we should. Yesterday is no more, and tomorrow is yet uncertain, today is all we have, we must live fully in it, or risk not living at all. A cumulation of today's efforts will produce the success of tomorrow.

In Bert McCoy words, "The here and now is fathomless." You can not know enough of today, you can not use all of today, today is too much for you to handle, why get bothered over tomorrow while today is yet a chunk of unfinished meal. The future depends on NOW, if you fail to make use of today, tomorrow will suffer for it. So, live in the moment, live NOW, and tomorrow will be just fine.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Saturday, 17 December 2022

MERRY

MERRY

"If today is not your day, then be happy for this day shall never return. And if today is your day, then be happy now for this day shall never return." those were the words of Kamand Kojouri. There is no specific day to be happy, every new day is another opportunity to be happy. If you wait for the perfect day to be happy, you may never get it, and if today brings you happiness, do not take it for granted.

The idea that some days are meant for celebration or merriment is not entirely wrong, but the issue with that idea is that, if you can't be happy and be merry on any other day, you wouldn't be happy on a special day. Like King Solomon said, "a merry heart doeth good like medicine." the merrier you make your life, the better you will live.

Whatever happens, do not give sadness a chance. You may not get what you expect from people or life in general, you may be disappointed by those you so much trusted and respected, brace up yourself and look on the brighter side of life, for there will always be a reason to be merry and joyful.

Merriment is not about having everything, but being happy and content with what you have. Your definition of being merry is personal to you irrespective of what others think about it, as long as you are happy and your heart is filled with joy, you are just as MERRY as the man who has everything he wants. Being MERRY makes you well.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Friday, 16 December 2022

LIFELINE

LIFELINE

Every man has got a reason, a motivation for doing what they do. For some, the stress, the challenges, the complications they face in the bid to achieving their dreams, their desires are the reasons they cannot quit anymore, but for others, they may feel all of that is not worth it. Nothing comes easy in life and whoever would be rewarded for their troubles must see it through.

One truth about life is that no one lives entirely for himself, and no one live all by himself; we all live for and by ourselves. Some people are finding it difficult to quit because some other persons depends on them for growth, for thriving, for survival. Others are holding on because the people who have made sacrifices for them are patiently waiting for their breakthrough.

We may never know where the line gets to, we may never have all the details, we may never know all those who are looking up to us to keep going, we may never know all those who are hanging because we are hanging, some people's success is hinged on yours, and you are their hope, their compass, and guide.

You are the LIFELINE of some people, your courage gives them courage, your strength gives them strength, your tenacity keeps them going, do not disappoint them, do not make them fall or fail. Many sacrifices have been made to get you where you are today, never let it go to waste. "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going", be tough keep going.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Thursday, 15 December 2022

KERNEL

KERNEL

A man can be anything to anyone at any given time, he can switch personality easily to suit different situations at different times. This can be described as being diplomatic, adaptive, or hypocritical, but in reality, a man is really himself when he is alone all by himself. No man can be deceptive to himself and no one will live a fake life in secrecy.

The very essence of a man is the person he is without any struggle to being it. There is absolutely no resistance to who you are at your core, the real you. You exhibit freely who you are and have no regrets, and no apology for being who you are.

All men are born humane, sane, and kind, but this is difficult to realize because, the very moment a child begins to understand the difference between different phenomenon in life he has already been shaped and influenced by those around him, not necessarily because he desires them, but because that is what he has been exposed to, that is what he has seen and known. It is left for him to have a change of that when he begins to understand the differences and what he really wants, and who he should be.

Let the very core of your being prevail over what the society want you to be; be the one who determines how you relate and react to people and things rather than being negatively influenced by what the society want you to do. Let your conscience lead you, let your humanity guide you, at the very KERNEL of your being is the person your society really need and the world deserves.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Wednesday, 14 December 2022

JUBILANT

JUBILANT

When some people do a retrospective examination of their lives, they struggle to see why they should be happy or jubilant, not necessarily because they did not achieve anything or because they lost something; in fact, some never have to deal with the occurrence of any negative incident around them, but because they did not achieve as much as they set out to achieve.

Life is not as easy as many people see it, in fact it is so difficult that Charles Franklin confessed that "No one gets out of this life alive.". No matter what you do, no matter how much you achieve, you will will definitely have to drop the baton one day. Life is like a relay race, everyone will play their path, and leave the rest for those coming behind to carry on.

The fact that you have come this far, the fact that breath still live within your nostrils, is a big enough reason to be JUBILANT. There is hope for greater fulfillment, and unprecedented achievements as long as one is still alive. Many have gone untimely, full of energy, with powerful visions, extremely talented, and greatly skilled, but to them nothing is possible anymore.

Jubilate, celebrate, show gratitude, spread love, and be hopeful for a better tomorrow, because hope is one thing that never dies. You may not be where you want to be today, but tomorrow will come and you will have another opportunity to have a shot at your goals. Life is beautiful, life is good, we just have to see it from the eye of gratitude, and we will be all JUBILANT and happy.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Tuesday, 13 December 2022

IMPORTANT

IMPORTANT

Life is about priorities, and the priorities that one sets for himself are the scale by which he can be measured. Nothing is more important than other things, but the necessity of a thing and its impact will determine the level of importance of that thing. People do not do things or attend to people unless they are important, at least for a moment.

There are many thing begging for out attention daily, it is very impossible to attend to everything, but can attend to the most important ones, while the others wait. Sometimes, the most important things are the most difficult things to attend to, but irrespective of how difficult they are, we must do all we can to attend to them. Like Elon Musk said, "When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor."

The things that are important to you may not be important to another person, we must be careful not to enforce on someone else what we hold dear just because we have a level of influence on them. Everyone has a person journey, and a personal mission to fulfill in life. We must therefore find out by ourselves what we must do to fulfill our purpose and destiny.

There is nothing more IMPORTANT in life than for a man to know why he was born, and for him to earnestly pursue that purpose with all that he has got. Life is lived at its best when it is lived towards fulfilling purpose, and until the purpose of a thing is known, it will continue to be inappropriately used.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Monday, 12 December 2022

HAPPINESS

HAPPINESS

You don't always get everything you want, work for, or deserve in life, but irrespective of what you have or get, you determine the attitude you express, and that attitude have a lot to do with your well being. If what you have or do not have determines how you feel, then you are in for a lot of topsy-turvy moments in life. Nothing should be capable of controlling your mood, but you should have control over it.

The legendary Jim Rohn once said, “Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.”. If you do not get happy in the present with what you have, you will not be happy in the future even if you have more. Happiness is a self designed state of the mind, not a far away destination to be reached, or a feat to be achieved.

The life of a happy man is smooth and easy, even if he has nothing, but an unhappy man in his wealth and grandeur will never be at ease nor know peace. You can only be as happy as you want to be, no one can give you or take away your happiness. When you have all, make yourself happy; when you have non, make yourself happy and life to you will be sweet.

In the words of Dalai Lama, “I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives.”. When we share of the little we have, when we give to those in need, when we render assistance to those who can't repay us, when we restore hope and bring smile to the faces of those who have lost hope, we will be planting the seed of lasting HAPPINESS in our own lives.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Sunday, 11 December 2022

GRATITUDE

GRATITUDE

A popular Yoruba adage says "Ti omodé bá dúpé óré àná, á rí imi gbá." meaning, "If a child shows gratitude for yesterday's favour, he will get another." The guarantee for continuous reception of favour is a consistent attitude of gratitude. Most of the things we get are freely given to us, we hardly deserve them, but some men do not realize this but take the opportunities and privileges for granted.

Most times, gratitude is expressed by words of mouth, but in truth, without corresponding actions to back up our confessions, we might not be considered as really grateful. If we are grateful for something received, we will not be selfish with the use of that thing, we would use it for the maximum benefit of everyone that might be in need of it.

We must never cease to be grateful for anything and everything, the more we show gratitude and appreciation for what we have, the more we would have and receive. We have a sense of fulfillment, the courage to ask for more, and the confidence that we will have if we ask, when we show gratitude. Like Melody Beattie once said, "Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

In the words of William Arthur Ward "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." It is not just enough to have the feeling of GRATITUDE, you must show, express, and live a lifestyle of GRATITUDE, it is the gateway to having all other expectations.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Saturday, 10 December 2022

FINISH

FINISH

In many sports there are people that are regarded as good starters. They start the race, the match so well that they are regarded as favourites to win, they always begin with a bang, they go big, but just when their strength, their determination, their focus is needed the most, when it is getting tough and they are supposed to up the ante, they let their guards loose.

Without starting you cannot finish, but if you do not finish, starting was never necessary. The beauty, the reward for starting is on the finish line, and if you don't get there, you have done nothing. The most memorable moment in a race may not be the moment the first person arrives at the finish line, but the moment the man who had stumbled, and fell gets to the finish line.

Like Rick Mears once said, "To finish first you must first finish.". If you must finish first in a race your focus should not be to finish first, but to finish the race, but as fast as possible, with all that you have within you. Sometimes, the attitude that gets you started, will not take you through till the end, you need to change gears at some point, to keep moving.

Whether you started well or poorly, do not give up before finishing; do not let the jeers of the crowd keep you down and out; if they were better than you, they should be doing it and not jeering you. Be your own cheerleader, encourage yourself, dig deep within, and bring out the best in you. No matter how tough it is, however difficult it gets, see that your FINISH.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Friday, 9 December 2022

EMBRACE

EMBRACE

The present reality of every man is a reflection of what that man is or have been. If it is an unwanted and undesired reality, then something must change for a redirection, and recourse for desired outcomes; but one thing is necessary, until you accept current realities, and existing conditions as your responsibility nothing will change.

It is sometimes undeniable that things happen to us that are entirely not our faults, but the moment we realize that whatever happens we can change the direction of things we are close to victory. We have a choice for everything we do, and when the results of our choices and decisions begin to roll in, we must be ready to accept all the outcomes and deal with it as may be necessary.

It was John Lennon that said, "life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans." it is important that you are making other plans, because it might be worse if you don't. Life cares only for those who care about life. If you are nonchalant about life, you will find yourself alone to blame for whatever you get.

Good or bad, desired or not, losing or winning, EMBRACE your life, EMBRACE your reality, it is only then you can know what to do, and how to turn things around for yourself. We can do all we want to do, and be all we want to be; we can go as far as possible, but we must EMBRACE all that we are and have, for that is all we need to be and have all we want in life.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Thursday, 8 December 2022

DISPLACE

DISPLACE

Nature abhors vacuum, there is nothing in life that can be empty. The absence of a thing will surely give room for something else. A life filled with failure can be turned around, but first there must be a displacement of the unwanted. The moment we identify what we don't want, and work towards what we want are already on our way to making things anew.

Love displaces hate, success displaces failure, hard work displaces laziness, actions displaces procrastination, death displaces life. You cannot be for nothing, you can either be for this or that, there is no sitting on the fence. Whatever you have today you have created a room for and have permitted. You can always have whatever you want to have if you prepare for it.

Your thoughts produces your reality, negative thoughts yields negative realities, and positive thoughts yields positive realities. As the wisest king Isreal ever had, King Solomon wrote in Proverbs chapter 23 verse 7, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." whatever you think you will produce. So, your current reality is the product of your past thoughts.

DISPLACE the unwanted with the wanted, if there is something more powerful than emptiness, it is fullness. Opposite characters and attributes can not coexist. It is either one leaves for the other. Be determined about what you want, focus your thoughts on having it, and work towards having it, and you will receives it.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days  of wisdom".

Wednesday, 7 December 2022

CONTINUE

CONTINUE

There is no end to the journey of life, as long as one still breaths, one cannot afford to stop moving forward in every sphere of life. Continuous learning, continuous growth, continuous development is a necessity for meaningful living. Anyone who stops to develop and grow irrespective of their level of knowledge will at one point become useless and irrelevant.

Francis Drake once said, "There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory." There is never a reward for starting a thing, only those who gets to the finish line, those who eventually succeed on that journey, those who make something out of their journey will be rewarded for their efforts.

Sometimes the journey can get tough, at times quitting may be the easiest resort, but nothing easy ever produces anything desirable nor enviable; when the journey gets tough one must get tough with it; as the saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going".

If you must achieve the dreams you earnestly desire, if you must get a dividend for all your stress, if you must reap the fruit of your labour, you must put in your all to ensure you get to the end of the road. You must CONTINUE to grind, grow, and go in the direction of your dreams. When you get tired you can rest but never quit, quitting is a confirmation of failure.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Tuesday, 6 December 2022

BANNER

BANNER

Cowards would not boldly declare who they are, they are not sure of what they are, always scared of what people will say about them, and are even not proud of themselves. They usually never live a free and peaceful lifestyle, but keep wandering and floating, seeking acceptance, and a easy way out. They are usually a people of no identity.

You cannot really make any difference, impact, or change in this world if you are not proud of who you are and carry your BANNER with full confidence for all to see and know. You are your own banner and whatever you do, however you present yourself will determine people's perception of you.

As much as people's acceptance and approval does not really matter towards you being what you want to be, they must be able to attest to who you are and it should correlate with who you profess to be. Be bold, courageous, and determined, until you accept yourself and everything about you, no one will accept you for who you are.

Be intentional about your desires, dreams, visions, and goals, let everything around you know who you are, and what you want; pursue with all your strength and never look back until you reach your destination. Go as far as you can carrying, waving, and showing your BANNER to the world, you are not just a passerby here, you are a major stakeholder and contributor to this universe, do it with all you have got.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days  of wisdom".

Monday, 5 December 2022

APPRAISE

APPRAISE

Where do you stand on your journey to the next level? How far have you gone with your plans, ideas, and vision? The answers to this questions will not be known if you don't seek them. You might have covered considerable grounds on your journey to your desired destination, you might be breaking records on some fronts, you might even have achieved a lot, but when compared to what you wanted, how well are you doing?

The length of a road cannot be measured in kilogram, the weight of wool cannot be measure in meters, an expanse of land cannot be measured in litres; you must measure everything by a correlating unit, not by any unit just because it needs to be measured.

However great you think you have done, if people cannot attest to the impact of your efforts, if they cannot see what you have done, you might need to check yourself again. Like Nike Thaddeus said, "If you're the only one that can see the genius in you, It's best you revisit the drawing board.". There is nothing good that is ever hidden, except it is yet to manifest, but once it is made known it must be seen by all.

You have got to see what has changed from what used to be, you have to APPRAISE yourself. Without proper measurement you cannot know when the scale is reached or what should still be done for success to be achieved. A peripheral conclusion will be at the detriment of the goal, the vision, the dream to be achieved.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Sunday, 4 December 2022

ZIG

ZIG

A lot of times, many people do the same thing over and over again and get the same results but wander why it is so. They at some point expect a different result despite their recourse to repetitions. If you do something repeatedly and get the same unwanted result, it is just logical to try tweak things, or even make a total change. Nothing happens by mistake, everything has a process and every process produces a certain kind of result.

If you are on a journey and you suddenly realize that you have missed your way, the only way to get back on the right way is to change the direction of your movement. The moment you turn back from a wrong journey you are already a step towards the right path, but if you continue on that journey, there is no way you will get to the right destination.

Suzy Kassem once said, "When you keep hitting walls of resistance in life, the universe is trying to tell you that you are going the wrong way. It's like driving a bumper car at an amusement park. Each time you slam into another car or the edge of the track, you are forced to change direction." Sometimes, life redirects us to the right path when we go wrong, but if we are not sensitive enough we would not understand the nudging.

No time is ever too late to have a rethink, to change direction, to return on a journey that is leading us to nowhere. No time is ever too late to start all over again. Time waits for no man, but whether you do or do not, time passes anyway. So, make the ZIG, turn the results around.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Saturday, 3 December 2022

YOU

YOU

People who have done great things, who have done the unimaginable, and produced masterpieces for the world, people who have against the odds stamped their names in the sand of time, these people have had one thing in common: they believed in themselves. You may not always have the backing of everyone, you may not even be given a chance to show the world who you are, but if you really want to do and be what you want, you have to believe in YOU.

Everyone has a gift to give the world, no matter how wonderful this gifts may be, it may not be readily accepted by even those who needs it, but when you are determined to let the world see what you are made of, and what you have for her, you will make it happen.

The moment you realize that you are the most important instrument (mercenary) needed to carry out your task, you are half way through the journey. Everything and everyone else who key into the vision and the goal are extras. They may be very crucial to the eventual success of the whole, but it wouldn't have been possible if you have not taken the initiative to run the race.

You must learn to understand yourself, know more about the person YOU really are, the more you know of yourself, the more you would know of others, and the better you can, and should become. As the CEO of YOU incorporated, you must in the words of Norman Vincent Peale, "Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Friday, 2 December 2022

XANY

XANY

Ease is an enemy of progress. One who would have any meaningful impact on the world, and achievements in life can not be a docile, passive, and easy going person. Energy is a critical requirement for success and great achievements. This energy may not necessarily be physical, but mental, psychological, physiological, spiritual, and so on. The place of physical energy can nevertheless not be ignored.

"In this very real world, good doesn't drive out evil. Evil doesn't drive out good. But the energetic displaces the passive." William Bernbach said. Activity will always displace inactivity; effort will always displace laziness; and determination and focus will displace indecision and wanderings.

Ralph Waldo Emerson explicitly stated that, "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

He also once said, "The world belongs to the energetic.". You can have all you want; be all you want to be; and achieve all that you dream, and wish for if you would be determined, devoted, and dedicated to achieving what you want for yourself. Develop your mind and body to be energized for the fulfillment of your dreams.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".

Thursday, 1 December 2022

WISH

WISH

"Wishes are only granted in fairy tales" Simone Elkeles wrote. Life is not fairy tales, and wishes do not just come to pass in real life. As much as you can have your wishes fulfilled and granted, you have to work hard enough to make it a reality. A wish that is left just as a wish will remain a wish for as long as it is left so.

A wish can be a really powerful tool towards our growth and progress in life if we are willing, ready, and determined enough to let it fly; if we give wings of hard-work to our wishes, we can go beyond our own expectations, because the universe and everything in it will attend to our desires that have been backed up by our actions.

No one has the monopoly of wishes, it is abundantly and excessively available to everyone; only those who knows and understand it powers, and how it can be fully harnessed will really benefit from its optimisation. Without a desire for something bigger; without a hope for something better; without a longing for a more fulfilling life; without wishes, we would not have a better world.

Until what is was wished, it couldn't have been; what is was not a mere wish, it was a strong desire to have what was not, and turn it to what now is. You would not have what you have not wished for, but, if you just wished for it, you would still not have it until you work it out. Prepare and work towards bringing your WISH into reality, it is the only thing that has made anything possible.

(A➡️Z)14➕Z)

John Kamikun

Author, "366 days of wisdom".