The Treasure of Self Knowledge

A man’s identity is one of the greatest forces of power he will ever reckon with. A deep seated understanding of who you are and a continuous flow of knowledge of your history, your resources, your strengths and weaknesses is enough to set you up for success in life. I have seen it happen in my short time. When the ignorant come to tap from this reserve of power their lives literally change. Where they walked hunched, feeling sorry for themselves, dancing awkwardly to the demanding beats of society, swaying like an old whore, they break off the bondage and fly away to do exploit like a butterfly from the cocoon.
Many still wonder why many African countries are backward in many regards in comparison to the western nations. Why electricity is not stable, why the economic climates of the countries are not thriving, or why after many years of independence from the colonial outpost they still do not get their heads around the concept of democracy practically? The answer is buried under the rubble of wars, terrorism and epidemics that have ravaged the continent for centuries. Lying there inside the treasure chest is the core of the African story; who they are and what they possess and what they can do with it. But sadly enough the many decades of slavery and colonialism have ravaged mama Africa, in fact it is a surprise she still stands. Leadership summits like the recent one hosted by Barack Obama may come in handy, but Africa must find her own way at the end. Billions of dollars in aid may come from the United States, the United Kingdom and China but still yet Nigerians, Libyans, Monrovians, Somalians and their brothers and sisters in other African nations must begin to open the Books of History and discover how they fit in the Big Picture called Earth.
The whole same concept applies to the individual. The story of his success and the journey to it begins with a discovery of the potent force of purpose. Everyone is asking ‘why am I here on earth?’ ‘Why was I born to the country I was born into?’ ‘Why do I have the experiences I did while I grew older?’ There are certain things in life we may never understand but these questions must be answered for us to live fulfilled. They might not come as an epiphany, but gently, in a slow mischievous whisper, pouring forth gradually year after year.
Your identity is locked in the discovery of your purpose. Find that purpose. Until you do this the darkness and emptiness will remain. You were not made to live an ordinary life; great things are in stock for you today. Stop thinking less of yourself but make demands on your capacity for results. You are a success!
Oluwatobi Gbemisola
Tweet me @TobiGbemisola

Who Are You, really?

I am a student of Obafemi Awolowo University. I am the first of a family of seven, I am a Christian…all these descriptions…do they really define who I am? Many things define who we are these days: our marital status, age, occupation, educational status, school, class, size of bank account and so on but I am so sure that all these do not define the core of who we are. All these descriptions are what the society tells us that we are, simply labels. Some of us have ended up being who our well meaning parents or honest friends want us to be. We have pursued a career because our parents desire us to be that person; our friends may want us to wear a genre of clothes, walk in a particular way or talk in a ‘cool’ way so that we may ‘feel among’. As we engage in this endless tirade of brainwashing we lose our sense of identity and identification. The one-upon-a-time bold four year old girl that could stand up to anybody regardless of who the person was few years down the line has been covered up by the trampling of an insane culture of labels. We have become like the boat floating on the Atlantic Ocean, with no direction, going wherever the tide leads.

We need to awaken to a deeper sense of reality and purpose of who we really are. Inside each of us is a spirit that is unique to each individual, like the thumbprint or the engineering of the iris. It is left to you as an individual to recognize your individuality and treasure it, more than any other thing. No one has ever been like you or will ever be like you till the end of time. There will never again be an average heighted, dark skinned, handsome and smart young guy like Tobi Gbemisola ever again. Therefore I celebrate myself every day; I appreciate my Creator for making me who I am as I am. This is the attitude every person should employ in life, in every waking moment.

We need to come out of the identity the society has labelled us with and come to embrace the real us. How do you achieve this? We can find answers by focusing on our spirit. This is can be attained with the help of a qualified counsellor, spiritual leader or life coach but it can also be done alone. By focusing on your heart or spirit, you can start to identify what matters most to you in the midst of many distractions. You need to pull away from the busy movements that characterize everyday living and find time alone for yourself.
As you engage in this self edifying exercise, ask yourself:
•What do I want in life?
•What are the things that are most important to me?
•If I had all the money and time and all other resources I needed in the world, what would I like to become or do?
As you meditate deeply about your responses, write down all that come to mind, without reservations. Think big, far, wide and great. I can assure you that by the time you are done, you would have accomplished that which a lot of people put off for the entirety of their lives. I celebrate you greatly as you have taken this step in the right direction.

Oluwatobi Gbemisola,
Your Life Coach
@TobiGbemisola