To Whom It May Concern

Today, I woke up with anxiety written all over me, though it was a day to make merry; I could not lift up high my voice to sing praises to my God. The birds keep chirping on a nearby tree close to   the windows, the lovely fresh air blowing across the room; but my countenance was down. “It’s your birthday Emma, quicken yourself and be happy”, I said to myself. ”What is there to be happy about; the desires of my hearts have still not being met”, I questioned. With a huge sigh, I thank God for another day he has added to my life and hopes of a brighter tomorrow. However, one question that never stopped to beat at the door of my mind was simple: “What on Earth Am I Here for?”

What on Earth Am I Here for!; am I  here to just exist and see the passing of days, months and years; and finally  depart with loved ones singing dirges at my grave(loved ones who may never had shown their love to me when I was alive)? Definitely not; suddenly in the silent of my heart I whispered out these words:

• I was born to be a change agent; every single  person that comes my path; I will  unlock their  potentials ,they will  intend brings out the best in the people they come across and together transform the ailing society we find ourselves in.
• I was born to bring hope to the hopeless, the words from my mouth and songs from my lips will assure people there is going to be a brighter day.
•  I was born to challenge the status quo; raise a generation of nay Sayers, and proclaim the message  of salvation to all and sundry.

·         Today I live not for myself but for the souls that will be left behind years after I am no more,   

My name is EmmanuelFordjour Kumah; I am not like any other person you’ve come across; so don’t compare me with anyone. On this day was I born; God has a purpose for my life and with every single day, I will search for that purpose.

If you have read this article to this far, please don’t wait till I DIE to show me love. My birthday gift from you is simple: A PRAYER, A BLESSING, Caring heart and of course lots of WISHES on my FB wall. STAY BLESSED ,SEE YOU on TOP,HAPPY XMAS and Thank you ABBA FATHER

You can become an Entrepreneur if...

Last month, I had a chat with an old school mate who took advantage of his Boss leave abroad to start his own business. Another good friend of mine stumbled into blogging some years back and now operates one of the finest web development firms in the Ashanti Region. Few years ago, whiles pursuing my national service, a friend and I decided to venture into the  unknown  to become the Entrepreneurs we  have all being talking of; our ideas, plans and visions are gradually seeing the light  of the day. In my conversation with many young entrepreneurs, there are clear evidences everyone can become an Entrepreneur. Today, I share with you some surprising signs that will catapult you into the world of entrepreneurship. If you are ready; let’s begin.

• Hate the Status Quo – It doesn't make sense to you that something has been done the time-honored way with no explanation why. You are not someone who wants to just go through the motions or sit by idly. Nor do you like following the pack.
• Easily Bored - You find yourself easily bored, and others start viewing you as a problem. But nothing is wrong with you except that you are bored with activities that aren't up to your abilities and aren't challenging. That's why you hated most of the classes you ever attended. Think Bill Gates who dropped out of college to become one of the richest men in the world.
• Fired from Jobs – You're too creative for your own good when it comes to working for others, and you may have some history, as I do, of losing jobs. Being just a cog in wheel is very difficult for you because you want to create something others can be inspired by and contributes to.
• Labelled a Rebel - You know that greatness resides outside the lines of conformity and don't think that policies, laws and regulations apply to you. You have been described as a rebel and rule breaker and would defy gravity if you could. 
• Ready to Improve Everything - You always see how you could do things better. In addition, you are opinionated and freely give your two-cents about your better way of doing things--even when you're not asked. 
• Don't Fit the Norm - You have always been a bit uncomfortable in your own skin. Until you get used to the idea that you are in fact different from most people, it could prove to be a problem--or exactly the motivation you need to acknowledge the entrepreneur screaming to get out.
• Obsessive - You may have been labelled obsessive/compulsive because when you get started on something you have difficulty letting go. Don't let anyone convince you that this is a disease or deficiency. All of the great entrepreneurs become completely immersed in their vision. Howard Schultz stuck with Starbucks even when his family tried to persuade him not to.

What Next?

Do you see yourself in any of the above signs? Then I bet you are an Entrepreneur in the making. Drop me your feedback and let the world support you in your endeavor.

Credit; Grant Cardone

Why Do Some People Achieve their Goals whilst Others Fail?

Last week Thursday,I  sat   closely by my TV and watched with  keen eyes as some outstanding youths were honored at the just ended National Youth Achievers’ Award. From excellence in  Academic endeavour to excellence in ICT innovation  (Grabbed by our own DerryDean Dadzie of Dream Oval Ltd), enthusiastic youth walked up on stage to receive what I describe as  a taste of greater things to happen in their lives. As I watched, one thing that kept  moving through my mind was this; “Why do some people achieve their goals while others fail?” I believe it's because successful people manage to overcome  barriers that, in many cases, guarantee failure. So I went digging for these barriers, and these are what I got:

1. Uninspiring Goals

When most people set goals, they envision a "thing," such as a particular amount of money, an object (like a new car), or a specific achievement (like writing a book). Unfortunately, these "things I'm gonna get or do" goals don't appeal to the core of what motivates them,  they therefore  miss the point .To be successful  in life, emphasis should be placed more on how you feel when you achieve the goal rather than envisioning a “thing” as the goal. That way, you'll be inspired to do whatever it takes (within legal and ethical bounds) to achieve that goal.

2. Fear of Failure

Nothing cripples a man more than the thought of failure. If you're afraid of failing, you won't take the necessary risks required to achieve your goal. For example, when I applied for my current job, I was so much afraid of making the first call to follow up on the application letter because I knew I may not have the required skill set to work in such an environment. The fear of failure won’t let you quit your dead-end job,nor start your own business . To overcome this, just know that failure is an inevitable ingredient for success and use it as a stepping stone to greater heights.

3. Fear of Success

In many ways, this fear is even more debilitating than the fear of failure. Suppose you achieved something spectacular, like enormous wealth. What if it didn't make you happy? What then? What if you ended up losing all of it? What then? Would your friends start acting weird? Would your family be envious? Such thoughts (and they're common) can cause even a highly motivated person to self-sabotage.My advice to you is not  to entertain such fears; we become what we repeatedly think most of the time, if you are afraid of being successful, you would never be.

4. An Unrealistic Timetable

Most people vastly overestimate what they can do in a week and vastly underestimate what they can do in a year. Because of this, most people try to cram too many action items into the short term rather than spacing out activities over the long term. The inability to get all the short-term steps accomplished creates discouragement and the impression that the final goal is slipping away.To help you fix this, try the 20/80 rule: schedule only the 20% of the activities that will produce 80% of your results

5. Worrying About "Dry Spots"

It's easy to get discouraged when you reach a point at which nothing you do seems to advance you toward your goal. For example, suppose you're trying to master a certain skill(hmm a stage i have reached myself);you make swift progress at first but then, after a while, it seems as if you're not doing any better, or maybe a little worse. Some people use these "plateaus" or "dry spots" as an excuse to give up and therefore fail.

Whenever you reach a plateau or dry spot, it's time to celebrate rather than give up. A plateau is almost always a sign that you're on the brink of a major breakthrough, if you just have the patience to stick with it and trust that you'll eventually achieve your goal.

What Next?

Guess  i have helped you overcome those common barriers preventing you from reaching the top? Let me hear your thoughts

Credit:Geoffrey James

Killing the Dream Killers

Dream Killers

I woke up today only to realise it is the 1^st of October, 2012- two more months to the end of the year! Suddenly my countenance dropped, I failed to see the rising morning sun that greets  me when  I open the  doors, nor did I even hear the birds sing, not to talk of singing along with them in recognition of what lovely day my maker has bestowed on me. “What happened to all those dreams, those beautiful plans I drew out during the start of the year with so much excitement and hope?” I said. What about you, what happened to your dreams? Or didn’t you have a dream? Everyone has a dream at one point in their lives, days go by, but there is just this one thing that you want to do before the end of the year, that thing that you want for yourself and believe would make you happy. Do you remember it? Have you been able to accomplish it?

Today, I would like to help you achieve those dreams even before the clock strikes 31^st December, 2012.Join me, as we identify some of the major dream killers in our life and kill those dream killers. Yes, we don’t just want to point out the dream killers, but we want to know how to get rid of these dream killers. By sharing with you, it would give me the impetus to achieve those dreams I set out for myself before the beginning of the year, so let’s go along and kill those dream killers

Below are some of the most common dream killers I have found and how to get rid of them

• Fear

William Allen White said,” I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today” Fear of the unknown, fear of failure is one of the major reason people do not accomplish their dreams, they are afraid that when they step out and walk , they would fall on the first step. They are afraid of what people might say if things don’t go right, hence they never try. Fear is only false evidence that may become real if you permit it. So how do you kill fear? Rise up and do, the only way to know if that dream is possible is not in contemplating on the dream but by taking action, once you take the first step, all false evidence seizes completely.

• Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are group of people particularly friends and close relatives who specialise in quenching every little spark of fire in our life. You have a dream, a desire you want to see accomplished, immediately you talk to these people about your plans, they talk you down. They would give you 101 reasons why that dream cannot be achieved, and even cite examples of those who tried following that same path you want to go and failed. How do you kill them? Avoid the fire extinguishers, be careful the kind of people you share dreams with. Only share dreams with people you trust would be of immense help.

• Low self –Esteem

People with low self esteem don’t dream, even if they do they have a very low image of themselves that, they do not see how “they” can accomplish those dreams. They come out with great plans, ask them to implement it and they think they can. They would normally say, “me, how can I do that, I am too…” and bring out a pile of reasons why they can’t. Kill your low self esteem, no one is better than you, smarter than you or more intelligent than you, change the picture you have of yourself and achieving dreams would be second nature.

• Laziness

At last, the biggest dream killer: laziness! Laziness comes in many forms –it may be losing your inspiration, procrastination, tiredness, lost of motivation. You put things to be done now away, hoping that there would be a more convenient time, and they never get done. Success has no room for lazy people; you need to find ways of staying focused and inspired. Whenever you feel lazy about doing something, just pick  piece of paper and ask yourself, “Do  it now?”, if you feel a strong urge to procrastinate, it is an indication  you are becoming lazy get up and do that particular thing and you would realise you would achieve your dreams much easier

What Next?

Do you know of any dream killers in your life? How were you able to go pass them to accomplish your dream s? Share with us

Developing a Vision

the vision

Some few weeks ago, I called a friend of mine to congratulate him on a new role he has picked up in the church. At age 25, his passion for the Lord and love for the flocks our Lord God has left in our charge has seen his elevation to be part of the new elected Elders of the Church. As we kept on talking; he drew my attention on the possibility of me taking over as the leader of the youth ministry in church because he may have to resign that position to make time for a higher calling.

After the conversation, I kept on thinking of how I am going to lead the Lord’s people if the mantle is handed to me. “How do I develop, carry and spread this vision to the people I would be put in charge of? “, I kept asking myself. One of the major challenges in the world today is the challenge of leadership; as one great speaker puts it, if you think you are leading, look behind you, you may only just be taking a walk.

In this post, I intend sharing with you bits and pieces of how you can develop a vision for the future.

What every leader must do.

The one quality that every leader must have is to have a clear and exciting vision for the future. Excellent leaders take time to think through and come out with a clear picture of where the organization would be in one, two, three and five years to come. The leader does not have the challenge of only developing the vision, but is faced with the challenge of communicating the vision to the followers. Come to think of it, of what use is a vision if people cannot buy into it?

Motivating the people to buy into the vision

The vision of future possibilities, of what can be, arouses motivation for people to give of their best. People only buy into visions if they have a clear picture of that vision, get the people involved in creating the vision; if they can see themselves in the vision, they would own it and run with it even in your absence. To encourage others and instil confidence in them you need to lead by example. Become enthusiastic of where the company or institution is heading, talk about the vision everywhere you meet your colleagues and let them give input into the vision. It could simply be like this, “So what do you think of us acquiring that piece of property as a new office complex? You would have a better office area to work in ”  Once the person sees himself in the vision , the fire sparks within and in no time , the whole office has caught up with these new wave of change in attitude and belief.

What next?

Project forward 3-5 years and imagine your ideal future vision, what does it look like? What steps can you take immediately to begin turning your future vision into your current reality?