BLOOM AND GROW

Signing up for Mrs. Ibukun Awosika's "Life Series with Ibukun Awosika" was one of the most important decisions I made in 2020;  for real. It was a paid event (although just a token) and it was a birthday gift to myself. I've blogged about the insights I got from listening to the speakers that day but I had no idea that Mrs. Awosika was going to gather all the attendees into a Bootcamp and coach us for 7 weeks.  So, for almost two months over Whatsapp and Zoom, we were engaged by the Life series team: Assignments for the week (due every Wednesday, otherwise you were cut from the Bootcamp) and Sunday sessions with Mrs. Ibukun where we literally could ask any questions.  We heard from a woman who had summoned the courage to leave a good job in Lagos for studies abroad despite having a newborn, to another person, who was struggling with the fact that she had just being made appointed a leader.  There were so many aha moments for me. These were probably not the best less

I don't really like motivational speakers. They sometimes come across as disingenuine. Just my bias. I guess not all motivational speakers are like this. I mean, I think Mel Robbins and Toni Robbins are great (No, they are not a couple) but I also think that the self-help space is filled with so many "aspire-to-Inspire-to-Perspire" folks.  I mean people who just put words together to gas you up for nothing!  Regardless, I believe in self-development and I blog about this field based on the knowledge I have gained over the years and my own lived experience. But I don't want you to think that my life is perfect because of the things you read on my blog. I'm a work in progress.  This article is a peek into my personal life. So you know some of the things I'm struggling with and the steps I am taking to overcome them.  1. Fear of being alone.  I use the word, "alone" just because "abandoned" is such a strong word. I grew up having best friends

Photo: twitter.com/ibukunawosika      Today I attended a group mentoring session called The Life Series with Ibukun Awosika. Mrs. Ibukun Awosika is a forerunner in the furniture manufacturing business in Nigeria and the current chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria Plc. Also speaking at the event were Mr. Asue Ighodalo (the chairman of Sterling Bank Plc.) and Mr. Sola Adepetun (the chairman of Standard Chartered Bank Plc.). Below I share a few nuggets from today’s meeting so that I don’t forget them and because someone else might find them useful as well.  I have highlighted my favourite nuggets in bold letters. 1.        It is within your power to write your story regardless of the circumstances of your birth.   You did not choose your parents but you get to decide how your story ends . 2.      The things you do in your past will show up in your future so be mindful of the choices you make. 3.        Life is always a test of character so before the test come