JOHN OGBILE OKPE

Fresh from receiving his credit alert, Judas sat excitedly in the five-star lounge of Jabu Hotel with sharwama and a glass of red wine before him. As he sat enjoying his lunch, he kept thinking about the best way to invest the money he had just made from betraying his Master.

He was waiting to meet a real estate broker when he heard two women discussing the Master's fate.

"Condemned to what?", Judas heart raced as he tried to understand what was happening. The cross was definitely not part of the deal.

Leaving behind his exotic lunch, the man who had been paid thirty pieces of silver to betray his master hurried to the temple like a mad woman whose daughter had been stolen to question the integrity of the deal he had closed the previous day.

The reality is confirmed; Judas' victory had been short-lived by the news. Jesus had truly been condemned to death. Realizing his folly, he went away and took his own life.

The Master was tortured and beaten heavily, mercilessly. Oh, how the Roman soldiers took pleasure in shaming him. How onlookers jeered at him.

Finally, he was nailed to the cross. Oh, the pain His mother felt. He died for me, for you. He died as me, as you.

Jesus was buried, but his spirit couldn't ascend to heaven; he still hadn't fulfilled all the claims and requirements of justice for my sins and your sins.

Within seconds of his death, his spirit descended into the abyss. Right there in hell stood Hades, Odin, Death, Amadioha, Zeus, Ogun lakaye, Poseidon and every other fallen angel and filthy demon there is; they had all come from every nation, region and corners of the world to watch the fate of the condemned King and to also have their pound of flesh --- and they did have it. One after the other, they took turns to torment the One who had been condemned.

Oh, how he came face to face with the DARK. He was tortured by Ares. Hera showed Him no mercy, and as Poseidon's spear cut through one of his sides, Odin's spear cut through the other. Mephistopheles stood laughing and begging to have a crack at the condemned King.

"Shut up, Mephistopheles. Don't disrupt the arrangements. I'm next!", shouted Amadioha, a Nigerian heaten god of thunder.

While all these happened, the prince of darkness was being hailed and celebrated. He had delivered the one man they so dreaded. Oh, the cheer Satan received, and the jeer that met the condemned King.


The rage could be felt as the angels looked down and watched. The arch angel Michael and his forces were battle ready. Even Gabriel, famed for bearing good news, had put an armour on. They had seen enough. But the Father wouldn't give the command yet; Father God had turned his back on His beloveth Son.

The torment continued in hell...

Now it was Aphrodite's turn. The heaten goddess of love wrapped her arm seductively around the condemned King and said, "There's no going back now. You will keep me warm for all of eternity."

Heavy laughter met her words and the other hellish maiden lobbied to also have him to themselves.

BUT THE STORY DOESN'T END HERE...

On the third day, the claims of justice had now being fully fulfilled. The Father knowing this turned and gave the command.

Immediately the spirit of God descended into hell. Within seconds, the Holy Spirit had done His recreative work on the Son. He was back in glory and strength, ridden from all wounds, fracture and bruises.

The first demon he took on melted like ice from his punch. Being a former carpenter and coupled with his divinity, his fists were heavy and his punches weighty.

The assault increased when Michael the arch angel and his heavenly troops descended into the abyss. It was indeed a hostile takeover; one the kingdom of darkness had never seen before. Hell and Hades shook from the invasion.


Commotion filled the entire place. Satan was confused. Zeus shouted angrily at him, "We thought you said you had this under control. What is going on here? How did they breach through our defenses?"

Confused, they sought to run but it was too late. They had been surrounded.

"Where is the key to death and hades?", commanded the victorious King.

Slowly, the one who had held the keys for millenniums came forward, and with his head bowed to the ground he relinquished the keys to the risen King.

Having spoiled rulers, authorities, principalities and powers gathered in the great hall of Hades, he made a public spectacle and disgrace of them, triumphing over them.

BUT THE STORY STILL DOESN'T END HERE...

The Social Media is turning ordinary people into extraordinary people. The first time I watched Broda Shaggi's skit, I was like: Who is this? What is this? Then another skit and another one. That was how I got hooked.

Can I shock you? Shaggi's series started this January and he's already advertising for corporate bodies. He has 371k followers on Instagram and still counting.

There is also Lasisi Elenu doing wonders on social media, making fame and money for himself with over 700k followers.

How can I forget to mention Dat Warri Girl (81k followers), Ogbeni Adan (187k followers), Omo Ibadan (314k followers). There are also various dancing groups and individual accounts doing great things for themselves on social media.

I recently saw a guy on YouTube playing bass guitar, Bassmatic. Awesome!

I also saw a guy on twitter who remixed Davido's Assurance. Great talent!

I personally know a guy who makes over N2million naira monthly on YouTube.

I can't imagine how all of these talents would've made it to limelight in such a short period of time if not for social media. Social media is making non entities celebrities!

For those of you waiting and depending on government policies before you launch out, what would you do with your life if there's no government or parent to do anything for you? Yes, I know the government owes you something (as a citizen), but what happens if the government is irresponsible? What happens if they only think about themselves and their Swiss bank accounts? What if the government is responsible but needs time to get things right?

Stop waiting for the governments to come rescue you. They probably won't do so, and even if they do, it might be a little late. Create ripples right where you are and with what you have. It's time to start thinking outside the box. It's time to leverage on the power of the social media. What you have, it might be little; but it's not nothing... Recognize it, nurture it and launch out.

Once upon a time, to make it big in life, you needed to be discovered. But not anymore. Social media has provided a platform that gives everyone the opportunity to be heard. It is where anybody can become somebody cheaply in a short time and with more knowledge and dedication, an international star. Will you maximize it today?

From L-R: Lola Omolola, Mark Zuckerberg

The lady that started FIN, Lola Omolola got an invite from Mark Zuckerberg for her effort to set up the group with an amazing record of over 1 million members.

Now to you reading this: You can dance like Kilode at home, your shaku shaku no be here, you sing like Celine Dion in the bathroom, you inspire people with your words in gatherings, you sketch and draw like Michael Angelo. In fact, when you write, people get goosebumps. You can even play a particular musical instrument with finnesse. You can preach and the dead will sniff back to life. You can teach physics like Einstein, you have a beautiful body and face and you're selling clothes. More so, you are so funny and your acting gift is one of a kind...

... But nobody knows that you exist and you're dying in the corner of your world.

For how long will you remain on a low key? Remember that Love of comfort is a destroyer of destiny.

What are you afraid of? What people would say? Ah! Please care less about what they would say. They've been talking and they will continue to talk, rather care more about what would happen if you don't manifest that gift.

Or is it finance? Stop allowing finance ruin your plans, you can make a difference in the world and for yourself with the little you have. With N20,000, you can get an android phone or even manage your uncle's phone for the mean time. When the heart sets on a journey, the universe opens up. Possibilities can occur if we decide to stretch to get what we truly desire. Trust me!

Please take advantage of what is going on around you and launch yourself into limelight. No matter what you know, you can project it to a larger number of people on social media and become known, influential while also making a lot of money. It may take few efforts like commitment, hard work, desire, patience and consistency, but trust me, you will breakforth in a matter of time.

Knowledge + Social media = Gold.

Remember, your passion is your power and your power is your gain. Launch out today!

He was a genius. That was our belief and it was strong. Really strong. During the semester exams, when one was given seven tough maths questions to answer any five, he usually simply begun from the first to the fifth and that was it. While others still struggled with the thoughts of which easier questions to pick and answer, he'd be done.

Other guys, including some of the most brilliant in the class would try hard to select the easiest but for him, all were easy hence no need to select anyone specially.

That was "Pari Passu", our guy. That was what we called him.

In other courses also, he was outstanding. More so, he registered his presence prominently in other extra-curricular activities. During one of the combined lectures at the old engineering auditorium in Middle Core, he wasn't obscure at all as his voice was the subject of discussion as students departed to their various departments.

But suddenly, he began to act weird. At first we laughed over it and thought it was normal until he yelled at an examiner who was quietly minding her business during one of our semester exams and also went ahead to submit his answer scripts without answering a single question.

Mental disorder it looked like. Insanity had been stealing away part of this wonderful creation until right now. He left school without completing the semester exams. There's talks of travelling to the rehab.

After almost a session of being absent from school, we heard that he was doing well at the rehab and had returned home to his family. He returned to school but sadly, he wasn't any different. His parents came and took him away again. This was the third time.

Sources close to him said he was never like that. In fact, they also confirmed that there were no insane persons in his family. So how come about this? You can ask "your village people!"  I do not know what would become of the hopes we all had and the dreams we talked about.

Can one be so rich and still so poor that all dreams for self and others gradually becomes hazy and finally dissolve into nothing? I think it happens when "your village people" are involved. I think it's possible when you are not sensitive enough to fight and resist them.

LISTEN TO ME!
The witchcraft in this part of the world is strong and unique. It’s designed to keep you out, especially when they see beams of greatness in you. Hence, you need a superior craftiness to escape "your village people" or you’ll be rendered useless until you die.

I don't mean to scare you with this post. I only intend to open your eyes to the gruesome reality we are faced with in this part of the world. And the sooner you realise this, the better prepared you can become to resist it. There is a war going on in the heavenly. It is between the forces of darkness against light. This war will take no prisoner. It will take no slave and it will give no quarter. It is a war for supremacy. This war is more gruesome than the ethnic cleansing of Rwanda. It is a war for the souls of men.

My papa nor get money, my mama nor get. I saw the pattern early on and rejected it. By God’s grace, I saw the light at 21. I fought for dear life and I escaped the cycle. I escaped the scourge of my village people because I had a superior craftiness in Jesus. Look at me now. There are a few gaps in the system that opens up from time to time. People like me stayed sensitive. I recognised the wickedness which is domicile in my society and fought it out. I gave no quarter, emerging victor and standing high and tall over their devices because I had Jesus. He is the only true and lasting antidote to "your village people." I encourage you to embrace Him today.

You know what you need to do to be financially free, you even have all the blueprints to the realization of your dreams, yet nothing seems to be changing around you. Sounds familiar? How could this be happening despite all the knowledge you have gathered in that area?

Don't look too far, the answer is not far fetched. Implementation might just be the missing link here. Sometimes, it is not what we do not know that is holding us back, it is our lack of implementing the things we do know that is holding us back.

It is not enough to have a million dollars idea up in your head. It is not enough to have a mind that can light up the entire universe. If you do not learn how to convert these ideas into reality, you will keep on struggling. The key to transferring the money on your mind into your bank account is IMPLEMENTATION. If you do not act on the knowledge you have, it won't benefit you much.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
> BEHIND THE COSMETICS
> THE MIXTURE

None of our wishes, desires and goals will just fall in our hand on a silver platter. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is “there is no free meal anywhere." Realities don’t just show up, they are created either by your action or inaction. You can’t just sit there, doing nothing and expect miracles to happen.

In life, you don’t get something before you pay for it. You must pay for it first before you can get it. You can’t pay the price in parts; it must be fully paid in advance. There is no cash and carry in the market of life, you pay first and wait for delivery. Action is the converter. Implementing the ideas is the transfer machine.


You see, when you wait and make no effort, you can’t achieve anything, because nothing happens without a cause. Sir Isaac Newton in his first law of motion said, “An object will remain at the state of rest or continue in a uniform motion on a straight line unless a force is applied." The implication of this is that, “Your life condition will remain as it is if you don’t do something about it."

Waiting with a mind full of ideas without taking the right steps that will bring your ideas to limelight is equivalent to wasting your life. Sometimes we need to pause, review and start implementing what we have learnt.

What is it that you want to do or be?

Do you desire to write your first book?
Do you desire to become an influential speaker?
Do you desire to get a job?
Do you want to start your own business?
Are you looking forward to getting married?
Do you want to make your first one million?

Whatever it is that you want to do or become, stop waiting, because it will never come to you on its own accord. Go for it!

Wallace Wattle said, “By THOUGHT the thing you want is brought to you, by ACTION you receive it.”

The road to being is doing. Stop waiting for what you want, go for it.


Let me leave you with this statement by woody Allen: “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

I add: “If you don’t show up, your success won’t turn up.”

Show up to start that business.
Show up to implement that new idea.
Show up to apply for that job.
Show up to write that article.
Show up to start that blog.
Show up to start that Facebook group.
Show up to propose to that lady.
Show up to make that call.
Show up to begin writing that book.
Show up to save for that project.

At all cost show up!

If you show up, your dreams will turn up. If you have shown up and you haven’t gotten your desire result, keep showing up, remain persistent. As long as your action is effective, then success is inevitable.

Remember, KNOWLEDGE alone is POWERLESS only IMPLEMENTATION (ACTIONS) can make a DIFFERENCE. Implement the ideas and knowledge you have gathered concerning that business today. It could be your missing link.

Oyinkansolami, as I fondly called her, was my first love. We had known each other since elementary school. But it wasn't until college that we finally started courting. Oh, it was such an epic moment. Whenever we were together, I literally felt like I was floating on cloud nine. I really loved her that much. Every moment spent with her was like a slice of heaven. All was really going well until I received a mail from the woman I loved. As I went through the contents of her message, I became very broken. I struggled hard to believe what I was seeing. Seated silently on the couch and in front of the TV with my mouth agape, tears built a castle in my red eyes. My baby had sent a mail containing her wedding card, but it wasn't my face that was on it. She had found a new love and was getting married to him. She never told me she was dating anyone until that fateful day.

A part of me could still not believe what was happening, so I swiftly picked up my car keys and headed straight to her house, and it was no fake news. There she was, beautifully dressed in a pink gown and a pair of heels, holding the soft palms of her new found love. I stared at her eyes with my heart bleeding, for I couldn't imagine my Oyinkansola was about wedding another.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: BEHIND THE COSMETICS

"High fever, stomach aches, cold, malaria." Enough excuses to skip her wedding that Easter weekend. Reality had finally dawned on me.

Are you looking to improve the quality of interior designs in your home or office? Whatever your style, MzP Interior Decor. will help you achieve it. Call, SMS or WhatsApp any of these numbers to get the best deals today: +234-909-8970-177, +234-808-9606-787.

Two decade later, I saw Oyinkansolami on the smelling sheets of a hospital bed while on community service with a group of volunteer doctor. She was looking like smoked fish from Abule Iroko heated under a burning fire. The poor woman was having a shrunken form and her fingers were weak. I learnt her husband was a vampire, but what I couldn't believe was why she insisted on staying married to him.

"My Oyinkansola, who did this to you? Please divorce the beast", I pleaded as I sat beside her on her dying bed.

In split seconds, I heard the nurse on duty say, "It's too late sir. Her husband has killed her already." Oh, I was broken. I wept my eyes sore. I lamented like David did when he learnt about the fall of Saul and Jonathan.

READ ALSO: THE MIXTURE

Oyinkansolami, a smart and promising young woman was married to alcohol for more than two decades, and he ate up the livers of this 40 year old woman.

When I saw her wedding card on my mail that year, it was a picture of her drinking.
When I drove to her house that day, I saw the bottles of alcohol in her hands. When I made excuses to skip her wedding that Easter weekend, I was tired of advising her to get a divorce.

Now, she ruined her destiny because she stayed married.

Now you tell me, WHO SAYS DIVORCE IS BAD?

It may be bad if the marriage is between a man and a woman, but you can't tell me it is bad when it is between a man or a woman and an addiction.

What addiction are you married to? It's time to get a divorce.

Are you addicted to alcohol? Get a divorce!
Are you addicted to smoking? Get a divorce!
Are you married to laziness? Get a divorce!
Are you addicted to procrastination? Get a divorce!
Are you married to pornography? Get a divorce.
Are you addicted to masturbation? Get a divorce today!

By all means, DON'T STAY MARRIED TO SOMETHING THAT WILL RUIN YOUR DESTINY. Don't wait till that addiction destroys you before you call it quit.

#FlashFiction

Before you go, please check out: THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

For all your favorite wallpapers, bed sheets and 3D panels of different designs and sizes, call or WhatsApp MzP Interior Decor. on: +234-909-8970-177, +234-808-9606-787. Our obsession is distinctive interiors.

In a bid to do the undoable, reach the unreachable, explore the unexplorable and experience the inexperienced, I decided to set an audacious goal. It became one of my new year resolution to slap a soldier this year.

Ok, let me tell you how it all happened. I needed to do something that'll make me have an encounter with a soldier and it has to be something daring, so I decided it's best I wear an army camouflage shirt and move on to the road. So that was how I started wearing the camo and it seemed I was not going to meet military men but alas! My luck came a week later, precisely on a Friday. It was a day where worshippers flocked in their numbers to the RCCG Holy Ghost Night, and as expected there was traffic jam along the Lagos/Ibadan expressway. Ahead were the soldiers on patrol controlling the traffic. And there I sat patiently in the cab I boarded with my camo, ready to face the devil.

I poked my head out the cab and leaned out without fear. In fact, I almost stuck my whole body out of the cab window. Luckily, one of then spotted me.

'Hey you!', he said pointing to me.
'Shut up!', I answered bluntly.
'Ehn, me shut up? You get liver o. Oya come down', he said furiously.

This was my opportunity. I came down and for a second felt blood rushing in my head. He tried to drag me, but I resisted and then with all boldness, vigour and alacrity, my arm swung and my palm collided with his bony face at a high velocity. Heads turned. Eyes rolled. Tongues wagged. Goosebumps covered my body. I was unsure if I was elated or I was scared. "Is this me?"

The man's face transformed in a flash. He looked at me as an Israeli soldier would look at an Iranian soldier stranded in an Israeli camp. He quickly swung his gun to the back and with his two metallic hands, he clapped on my ears twice."Kpoka Kpoka" was what I heard. 'What is your name?', he asked.

'My name is ...'

Before I could answer, I heard "Kpoka Kpoka" again. It was another round of his double slaps (it's actually clapping).

I shouted and I saw his mouth move. He said something but his voice was drowned in the thousands of bells ringing in my head. If that's the way they slap in the barracks, I don't think any soldier should be hearing by now.

'Errr?....', I managed to voice out.

He quickly signalled other men who stumped down there and dragged me into their van.

I was driven to the barracks and dragged like an exceptionally stubborn goat to the guardroom. It is better to step on your father's iPhone X and receive beating than to be dragged under such conditions. After what seemed like hours of dragging, kicking with iron clad boots and flogging with wires, we finally reached the guardroom. On reaching there, I saw a large warehouse with heavy gates like the size of gates that should prevent a nuclear attack from one of the inmates.

They opened the door and I saw what could be described as hungry lions very happy to find prey. I had heard a lot of stories about how stronger prison inmates treat the weaker ones. Oh, my heart sank. Flashes of scenes from Prison Break clouded my mind. I could literally see T-Bag cheering for these hungry lions to pounce on me. More so, I began remembering all the times I said unkind words and how my pastor used to preach seriously against them. I remembered how the pastor used to sweat when preaching about hell fire.

'My friend move!', a soldier said as he generously gave me a resetting slap.

'Blood of Nebuchadnezzar...", I yelled out out in pain. 'Shut up!', he replied. 'Nebuchadnezzar dey fight army man? Abi the guy die for your sins?' he continued. 'Oya move!', he shouted.


I started confessing my sins because the way I saw it, the probability of returning alive is fluctuating from around zero to minus ten percent. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that I was stripped to my boxers. Well, I can tell you that is not the nicest thing especially when you're going to receive some flogging.

Inside the guardroom, I started to pray with more fervency. The odour oozing out is enough to destroy your nasal cavity. As a matter of fact, anybody who stays there for some time gets accustomed to the smell in such a way that you start to obtain nutrients from it. In there was an epic collection of dead rats and lizards most of which were half-rotten. It seems that's what the inmates hunt for leisure. The floor was concrete floored, dirty and muddy. One side of the room was lined with buckets for urinating and defaecating. Here, insects and human beings took turns to torture us.

Suddenly I heard a soldier shouted: 'Number one! Do your work!'. I wondered what work the guy was going to do. Was he going to add to the rat collection?
'Number two!', shouted one of the inmates
'Number three!', said another and another, 'Number four!'

Seriously, is this really happening? Looks like they also crack jokes in the guardroom? If this is how guardrooms are, I wouldn't mind slapping a few more officers, I thought to myself.

The calling of numbers continued till the ninth person. Being the eleventh inmate, I was expecting the tenth inmate to say 'Number eleven' so I can join in the weird joke by saying "number twelve". To my surprise, I received a slap instead. A bloody one. I was still filled with confusion when he ordered me to hang my feet on the wall and stand on my hands. I looked at a soldier and he gave me that kind of look that says, 'Are you not listening?'

I quickly obeyed and the next thing that followed was a spank on my back. It felt like it was done with logs of wood. I screamed as my hands quivered bashing my forehead on the concrete floor. My vision became blurry. I began to hear strange sounds. I saw death smiling and beckoning me. 'Welcome man', he said when I finally recovered. His tone was so friendly that one would never think he was the one torturing me. Another inmate immediately ordered me to hang again. This time, he had a pressing iron on his hands. As he moved closer to me with the hot iron, I ran for my life, but it was useless: the cable of the iron was so long that no matter how far you ran, it would always reach the other end of the cell. I couldn't imagine the iron touching my body, so I fought back, but I was restrained by the other inmates. I cried for the soldiers to help me, but they just stood aside laughing and enjoying the whole show.

Suddenly, the hot iron landed on my back. I screamed so loud and woke up sweating profusely. So it was only a dream? I searched the whole room for the soldiers and the inmates, but couldn't find any one of them. It wasn't until my roommate ran to the room that reality finally dawned on me. Oh, it was only a dream. A bad dream. Thank goodness it was a nightmare.

Guys, don't pull stunts with military men, especially the ones in Nigeria. Trust me when I say those guys are brutal. Lol

#FlashFiction

I managed to drop a slice of fish into the boiling oil. The gas was quite high. I could not see clearly, my right eye was swollen and so the left eye had to do the job; but the poor thing had been working all day. Now it feels sore and itchy as i wiped the small tear that strolled from it. I shook my head many times, but it did not help the matter. I just had to manage. All I had to do with my self was manage, so managing my life was no exception. I am the envy of all. Many ladies pray to have what I have. But they never knew what I was going through. Though he had money and luxury, and so I felt that would comfort me, but I spent the whole money and little time that I had on cosmetics. I used the most expensive ones, but they were never enough. I tried hard to cover the bruises and shame. But, it never covered the pain. I never wanted to live like this. I felt confused. I continued in the hot and quiet kitchen pondering about life, but forgot I had something on fire.

I was already lost in thought but just then, was revived by the smoke coming out of the fish. I tried putting off the gas. But the control was too hot. It burnt my palm: I took it back immediately. The boiling oil was splashing here and there. There was nothing I could do to stop that. As I tried again to put off the gas, power supply went out, as is the custom in this part of the world. Oh, I cried: not now PHCN, wrong timing. The kitchen became dark, but the smoke continued fiercely. It made me confused. I didn’t know what to do. My phone had a flat battery. I couldn’t even see my way out. Whenever i managed to get close to the boiling oil, the splashes will take me back. The smoke was already suffocating me. I could hardly breathe. I started coughing continuously. But I had to put the fire out.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

I stretched my hand towards the gas control, and managed to put my face aside. But the hot oil splashed on my hand. As I was about taking my hand away, I acccidentally hit the handle of the frying pan and all hell broke loose: the whole hot steamed oil poured all over my legs. I screamed out loud.. It hurt me so much. I cried and shouted, but there was none to console me. I kept rolling on the floor as part of the spilled oil on the floor continued burning me. It was like hell.

If anybody had never been to hell before, I could tell it isn't an amazing place. My home was hell. It was the most excruciating pain I ever felt. The whole of me felt dead. I couldn't tell which part hurts most: my tampered eye, the burns I just received on my legs or the pains Ken had caused me for the past years. Oh! I cried more!

Just when the struggle to get up was not enough, I heard the car horn. Ken was back. It should have felt comforting, right? But no, i knew today was the last day, so I should just say my prayers. He rushed into the kitchen with his flashlight, managed to put off the gas and then opened the blinds and windows. He's going to have a bit of compassion, I hought, but no, i was wrong. He looked at me sternly and just when I was about telling him how it all happened, Ken landed me a blow on my fore- head. I screamed! He gave me another one and told me to keep quiet, but I could not. I couldn’t bare the pains any longer. It was just too much. He got angrier and  kicked me on my stomach. Oh, it hurts so bad. For a minute I prayed for death. I told God I was ready. I told him to just take my life. But God wouldn’t just answer, as Ken continued with blows and slaps. I got up to try to escape. But he caught me: the mean man was clearly stronger than I am. He dragged me by my hair out of the kitchen through the stairs to the veranda. There he gave me another round of beating. Ken was no man, He was a monster. That day I saw a higher dimension of the beast in him. I cried but none could help.

READ ALSO:
> 5 REASONS WHY DATING IS NOT THE SAME AS COURTING
> HAVING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP

Just when I was waiting for death to come by. Something else awoke me. In the midst of his blows and curses. I felt something warm and moist streaming down from between my legs. As I took a glance at it. I Saw blood! Oh my God! This can't be happening: I had just lost my three weeks pregnancy. Reality had finally dawned on me. I stopped for a second to think. “Where have I lost it?” I thought, “ what happened to my self esteem and sense of belonging?” I said quietly. I refuse to die like this! Something strong grew out of me. I no longer wanted this life. For the past five years I  have been a shadow of myself. I had lost my dignity. But this night, I had to take it back!



Just when Ken raised his hand to throw another blow, I pushed him down with all the strength I had left and snatched the keys to the gate. I ran faster than my legs could take me. I saw him struggle to get up. But before he could, I was out of the gate. I was leaving all of the pains and rejection he had cause me. I was no longer interested in using cosmetics to cover my bruises. I had to start my life afresh.

I will not stop running until I get to my destination. I am a woman not a punching bag. I am strong not a weakling. I am beauty personified. I am going to start my life afreash.

No man can prove love with abuse. Don't remain in an abusive relationship because of what you fear people might say or think. Don't remain in an abusive relationship because you still feel something for your partner. Love and abuse don't go together. Don't remain quiet in an abusive relationship with the hope that they will change later. Speak out!

No to physical abuse
No to molestation
No to sexism


DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Events and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: THE MIXTURE

"I wish I don't feel left out, but the truth is I do. I really want to test the waters and see how it goes. This life of following the rules is becoming increasingly boring. I don't think I can continue to miss out on the fun of life any longer. That seems a cross too heavy to bear" - Jemila

"But it's just sexting. I'm not doing it in real practice. I will do it just once and repent later. God is forgiving after all. If Jesus instructed us to forgive our brother 490 times if he seeks forgiveness after each transgression, then surely God Himself is willing to do at least as much" - Nkiruka

"Although this is wrong, I still can't imagine letting this free cash pass me by. It's not like it's an everyday thing, it's just this one night and we are all gone our separate ways. I have read time and time again that God Almighty is slow to anger and quick to forgive. Only yesterday at Church, my pastor reiterated this character about Him" - Tayo

"It's so frustrating to note that as we all long to follow the principles of God, we daily handcuff ourselves unknowingly from the pleasures of life. So, it's okay for Jide to do it, while it's unthinkable for me. I am so tired of this prison" - Chinedu

"If Sister Omosalewa, a former porn star, could receive forgiveness on accepting and confessing Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, and even become the Music Director of our local church, I guess it shouldn't be difficult for me to receive forgiveness too. After all, I only intend to test the waters just once. Body nor be firewood. I am also human with blood running through my veins. I feel emotions too. Surely, God will understand and get over it" - Liberty

Hmm, does any of the scenarios presented above sound familiar?

(If you have never thought about doing something you know is wrong and then repenting later, it's okay if you close this blog at this point. Goodbye and enjoy the rest of what you will miss in the lines ahead. If not, let's ride on)

How many times have we all thought about willfully doing something even though we know beyond a shadow of doubt that it's wrong? How many times have we had the assurance that God will forgive us when we repent from a sin we planned in advance? How many times have we nursed the idea of abusing the grace and love of God?

You will agree with me that the innermost thoughts of many as they journey through the valley and mountain called life has been perfectly captured in the fiction above. We all have been at this juncture at some point in our lives. But then, it's important we take note of a few things as regards this issue.




First of all, we cannot scam, mock or play a fast one on God on the basis of His divine nature of love and forgiveness.

The sooner you take that thought out of your mind, the better. The whole impossible idea of playing a fast one on God is like trying to fill a tank with a basket. When you are aware that something is wrong and you still go ahead to indulge in it, you are not messing with God, you are actually messing with yourself.



"Don't be misled, you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit."  (Galatians 6:7-9)

Fact 1: You know what you want to do.

Fact 2: You certainly know you need to be doing that right now.

Fact 3: You say to yourself: "I will do it tomorrow."

Fact 4: Tomorrow is here. The unexpected happens and you forgot about what you said you will do today.

Fact 5: It's January 2018, it will be February few days from now. Yesterday was 13th September 2015 when you had this idea. It's almost three years down the line and still nothing from you.

The truth is that in as much as you were doing nothing concerning what you want to achieve, you were making a choice, because everyday we make decisions consciously and unconsciously. You must have heard the gist that says that life is about the choices we make, haven't you? My previous post on How To Buy The Future explains in detail.

We have to realize that time is a fixed (or limited) resource. It cannot be increased, it can only be maximised. It's better to start no matter how little, because a year from now the little things will accumulate into 365days worth and you will be glad you started.

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly until you get it right.

Let me tell you a story. Before three months ago, I've always wanted to share my thoughts on a blog. Although it's been my utmost obsession, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. "Where was I to start from?", "What do I know?", "How do I combine it with my studies?", "How much information do I have that makes me think I could be a blogger?" The thoughts were overwhelming. Plus I wanted it to come out perfectly. I wanted it to be topnotch and for that to happen, I had to do 'enough' research. I felt I haven't read enough books. I didn't have enough information to make it happen.

This is the exact same reason many people never do anything in their lives and go to their graves with their potentials and dreams still inside them. The thing is, if you wait until all the conditions are perfect, you may have to wait forever. Stop waiting for a perfect condition, there will never be one.

One striking principle of successful people is that they are action oriented. When the thought comes, they get started and autocorrect on the way.

Every master was once a disaster. You've got to know that your first product cannot be your best. As you grow and develop, your products become better. It is better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly. An ancient proverb says it's better to try and fail than fail to try.

While it's true that it is good to plan, if you take all your time planning, nothing gets done. You can't absorb all the logistics involved in carrying out a project at first try; hence people give room for miscellaneous. Remember, people don't get known for what they intended to do, they are known for what they did.

Apply the corridor principle. It states that you may not see the whole rooms in the corridor, but once you step in, the other rooms become visible.

John Greenleaf Whittier once said, "Of all the sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these: it might have been".

Today is what you've got, please maximize it. Procrastination is expensive. Whenever you notice it creeping into your life, arrest it immediately, the further you wait the worse it becomes. Moreover, you are not growing any younger you know. Few years from now, you will wake up and notice grey hairs growing all over your head, so make wise use of today. Don't wait till the end of your life only to discover you haven't really lived.

Always remember, you don't have to be great to start but you have to start to be great. The best ideas in the world are of no value until they are implemented.

So start now! Don't discount yourself!! The world is waiting to hear your success story!!!


Got any lessons from this? Leave it in the comment below.

Yes, that's right! Bobrisky had a "gateman" called Jacob!
And so?

It is no longer news that we are already into the first week of 2018. I love this time of year because it has proven to be the most productive for many people: gyms are packed, motivational quotes are tacked to office and room walls, and people are constantly talking about their new diet or their new pledge to becoming a better person. But then, it makes me a little sad to know that a few weeks from now, the zeal to follow through with these resolutions might be no where to be found. According to a story by U.S News & World Report in 2015, about 80 percent of people give up their new year goals by February.

As January drifts further into the rearview mirror, it can be easy to settle into old habits and forget about the resolutions and goals established at the turn of the calendar. Below are some steps you should take in order to increase your chances of achieving your goals.


1. Write Down Your Goals

Take time to write down carefully what you want to accomplish with your life. I have found out that writing down one's goals makes one more decisive. The fifteen minutes you invest in making a Daily Schedule will be multiplied 100-fold before the end of the month. Visualization of a goal builds remarkable confidence. Planners can predict their success. The secret of uncommon achievers is linking tasks to their calendar.

"And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it," (Habakkuk 2:2)

I already handled this area of goal setting  alongside other equally important areas in my previous post. Please read more here>>> HOW TO PLAN 2018 TO BE YOUR BEST YEAR YET


2. Break Down Your Goals Into Smaller Achievable Units

It's alright to have big goals on the horizon, but you will never get there if you can't break it down into actionable steps. Goals that are way too ambitious are destined to fail. It's best to start small.

You see, when a goal isn't trackable on a daily basis, it becomes exponentially more difficult to feel as though you're moving in the right direction... And as humans, unless we feel like we're making progress, we tend to give up on our pursuit.

Ask yourself, "If my massive goal is to make ten thousand sales this month, what do I need to get done this week in order to move myself in that direction?"


People often ask me how I manage to read one non-academic book per week, especially being a final year Mechanical Engineering student.

I simply reply: "First, I didn't just start reading a book per week in my final year, this is something I had been struggling so hard to do since my second year, but it wasn't until my fourth year that I achieved it. Second, it didn't happen because I love reading: many people genuinely love reading, but it's a little difficult for them to read through an entire book. Most stop halfway because good intentions are not always enough. It was possible because I discovered a method which is to break bigger goals into smaller unit. What I simply do is to calculate the number of pages in a book (most of the books I read for now usually don't exceed 350 pages), then I divide it by seven, which is the number of days in a week. The result I arrive at is the daily portion I read per day."

It's a very simple principle, break the mountains obscuring you into rocks, break the rocks into bricks of stone and you would soon get rid of it.

Unfortunately, most people set big, overarching, difficult-to-measure goals for themselves because they're in love with the idea of the end pursuit. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if that strategy didn't plan out very well for you in 2017, then it's probably not going to fair much better in 2018.

Henceforth, I challenge you to only set goals you can accomplish within 7 days. If you can't accomplish it in 7 days, the goal is too big.


3. Be Intentionally

When it has to do with achieving your goals, good intentions aren't enough. It takes more than just a numbered list to plant a goal and really have the emotional wherewithal to achieve it. That is why you've also got to be intentionally.

Being intentional is a deliberate action step, in the now to be committed to your goals. On the other hand, good intentions don't last, they are about unfulfilled longing, and they are passive. That is why staying on course and achieving one's goals requires one to also live intentionally.

READ MORE HERE: HOLIDAY IS OVER; GET STARTED!


4. Know Exactly the "Why" for Setting the Goal

Most people think goal setting is some routine or ritual that one has to carry out every new year. If you think that way, you are very likely not to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. If you can't tell the reason why you want to achieve a particular goal, it is only a matter of time before you lose motivation and enthusiasm to carry on with your plans.

For instance, if your goal is to lose some weight, say 20kg, but without an understanding of why you have the extra 20kg, or a big enough motivation to lose it, it's easy to let the extra calories slide, or skip that extra gym session. When you realize that the 20kg is a lot to carry around, that it represents a safety barrier for you from love and relationships, that when you lose it, you feel better, look better and your love life improves - then you can be motivated to stick to the diet and exercise.


5. Be Focused and Discipline

Be clear about what you want to accomplish. Vague goals can also fail. Rather than saying you want to make money this year, it's better to pinpoint exactly how much money you want to make, like one million naira in two months, as an example. Have a focus.

Also, you need to be disciplined. Staying on course and achieving one's goals requires a lot of discipline. Discipline is sticking to the plans you have put in place to achieve your goals whether you feel like it or not. Don't wait to feel right. Just do it!


6. Be Accountable

It is very possible to derail or totally abandon our goals. Hence, we need to have accountability partner(s). I found out early in my own life that I am more productive when I make myself accountable to others. I know this is not an easy thing for most people to do, especially in our today's world where everyone is claiming "their-own-space." But it is a necessary requirement in reaching our goals.

Accountability partner(s) hold you accountable to your goals. They are the ones you report your progress to, and who spur you to continue in achieving more.

They are responsible for helping you achieve almost all (if not all) of your goals, instead of stopping halfway, and feeling like you have done enough.

They help you get rid of excuses. They help you think of alternative solutions, in case you hit a snag. They go further to help you by exposing you to their network of friends and associates. And they join you in celebrating your successes, little or big.

You may be good, you may even be better than everyone else, but you will never be as good as you can be without being accountable to someone. We reach our potentials and goals faster when we have someone watching our back.

So, as you set your goals for the year, it's important to find a person or persons as your accountability partners. Sometimes,  you may not have the inner strength to move, you may just need that extra push from someone outside of you.


7. Be Willing to Restart

You may not be able to achieve a goal at first go. Don't feel bad about it. Accept the failure, see it as an opportunity to learn and simply restart. Things often turn around for better after no more than three or four times. Don't give up! Try again!!