Why Not This Time?

Good Morning Dear Friends,

It's another week when I haven't been able to write as early as I wanted to. This weekend has been...hmm, something else.

I don't know about you but it seems a high percentage of my close friends have been losing a parent in the last 4 weeks. Last Friday I had two burial programs to attend - for the mother and father of two separate friends. I eventually ended up attending only 1. I couldn't get to the second because my phone got stolen.

For some, a stolen phone is probably not big deal. For me, it seemed like the world had just crashed. This was the first time in my entire existence my phone would be stolen. If you've followed this blog for some time you've probably guessed that technology is a major part of the tools I need to function. Between my iPad, my phone and a good internet connection, I can survive on any island. For the first hour, I couldn't fathom where I was going to start from.

I had a lot of plans for the Saturday which involved my phone to a very large extent. In  addition, I was billed to go outside Lagos to spend time with another friend who lost her father. I don't often question God, but this time, I confess that I did. My question was - why didn't you have mercy on me this time? Why not this time? I asked that question because I have no doubt, just as Amy Grant says in her song "Angels Watching Over Me" (video  http://youtu.be/KNIO9KH3UC8 ) that God has delivered me from many dangers that I am not even aware of.

I am certain that many days I have walked past a location that turned dangerous almost immediately I went through. Things that could have been stolen were preserved by His Mercy. Funny enough, just 5 minutes before the phone disappeared, I had looked at it and got a word in my Spirit to keep the phone more securely. I got distracted and didn't obey immediately and in the next 5 minutes, it was picked from my bag.

So, I was warned but why, oh why, didn't mercy rejoice against judgement this time? Why didn't He have mercy one more time and preserve my phone? With all the busy schedule I had, I would have appreciated not having to spend money on a new phone and time recovering my information. To know how deep it cut, I'll confess to you I shed a few tears.

But! Thank God for His Word. Wasn't it just last week I was saying it's the Word that's stored inside that produces in the time of trouble? That's what happened this time. Within an hour, after the upset and questions were done, I remembered He said to give thanks in ALL things, not for them but in spite of them. So, I chose to give Him thanks. Thanks that it wasn't my entire bag, with my 3 last passports, all my cards, credit and debit? Thanks that somehow it would work out. Thanks for all the many times in the past He's kept me.

We talked about lessons last week? Yes, lesson learnt - obey immediately i get an urging in my Spirit. Be more careful. I got a new phone, apps are installed, updates are going on, contacts are restored. Life is back on track...but not quite. The father of a very good friend changed addresses just Saturday night. Again? Yes, life happens. 

It's a new week today, friends. The past is done, today is a present, tomorrow will be here before we know it. Let's make the best of today because it's the only thing we are guaranteed. Give thanks in all things, for even when we don't see why we can be assured He's  still faithful. Trust in Him, no matter what. If we do not have this hope, my friends, we are of all men most miserable.

Enjoy the coming week. Remember to tell your loved ones you love them. Spend your time doing what matters.

Blessings on you and yours. We'll catch up again next week.

Your friend,

Olubunmi

Walk The Talk

Hello again dear friends.

How was your week? Mine was quite topsy-turvy. I smile as I recall it was just two weeks ago I was talking about life being just normal? Well, Normal was not the name for this past week at all.

Talk is cheap, isn't it? I was reminded of this fact this week. Friends, I failed to walk my talk. Thinking over the week again, I wonder what led to my inability to practice that which I believe and claim that I can? A combination of emotional upsets, I think but no excuse suffices. I failed to walk my talk, bottom line.

I am comforted in knowing I'm not alone. We all fail at some point in time or the other. I am encouraged by the fact that scripture says a righteous man or woman falls 7 times but rises each time. So, failing isn't the issue, it's what I learn from my failure and the actions I take to prevent a reoccurrence that matter. It also doesn't matter whether the other parties had their own faults or not. I can't control them, but I can control me, so control me I will. One of my many mantras is - if it's going to change, it's got to start with me.

Was this the first time I've failed under similar circumstances? Unfortunately, no. However, I am pleased that this time, i was quicker to call myself to order. It normally doesn't take me very long to apologize. This time it took me longer than usual. So I did better on one side but worse on another.

This last couple of paragraphs are the last that I will beat myself up about it. It's done, I've apologized and made amends (hopefully - a wink here) and it's time to take the lessons and move on. I promise myself I will do better next time and so help me God, I will and I must. I can't go round this same mountain any more.

So what I am going to do to ensure this? I will begin to speak to myself, reminding me that I am patient, and I do not give in to knee jerk reactions. I will act, and not react. This self speak is important because I need to condition my mind and body before the day of battle. When the day of battle comes, my body and mind will respond the way they have been conditioned, not the way I want them to. To ensure that what I want aligns with what happens, the conditioning must start now.

I think I had assumed that learning and knowing the right things to do were all that was necessary to do the right thing. As I have been reminded, that's not enough. Your head may acknowledge a fact, but your mind needs conditioning to reorient and change behavior. That's why God instructs us to not let His Word depart from our mouth. That act of self-speak is critical for change to happen.

Does any one of you feel like I'm feeling? Or have felt it in recent times? Console yourself just as I have done myself. Take the lesson, take action and move on. Life must go on.

What else can be done to ensure we walk the talk more consistently? Be more deliberate about your actions, I think. Always think before any action. Just a deep breath could make a world of difference. Do you have suggestions for me and others like me? Drop a comment or if you have issues with commenting, please send me a message directly. I promise to publish whatever you suggest if you couldn't put it on the page directly yourself. We need to learn from each other.

It's a short one this week but hopefully, it was useful. I've got a jam packed week ahead but I'm looking forward to it. Busy is good, isn't it? 

I hope you have a good week, whatever you find yourself doing. Love yourself and your neighbor because by so doing you show that you love God. Blessings on you and yours. We'll catch up again next week.

Your Friend,

Olubunmi

Making History

Hi Friends, how was your week? 

For the first time in God knows how long, I went through a 48 hour period with no electrical power and no internet! I can't believe I survived it myself. That deprivation is the reason I couldn't write this blog over the weekend as I normally do.

All Aboard

It was all for a good cause through. The weekend was spent sailing on The Solent, part of the English Channel, a strip of water between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wright as part of the Cranfield Regatta team. This was a bucket list item for me and I'm glad I did it, though I doubt I will ever do it again. It was HARD, manual work. Pulling ropes, turning a wrench, in cold wet weather. Aargh, I still shiver as I remember.

The best part? This was the 24th edition of the regatta hosted annually by Cranfield and for the first time - Cranfield won! I wasn't part of the winning boat, in fact my boat was 9th out of 18 but Cranfield had 7 boats and one of them won. It was a truly historic moment and I'm really glad to have been part of it. Kudos to my team as well. We had a team of 5 ladies and 1 guy but with the help of a great skipper and second mate, we achieved our objective which was to be part of the first ten.

2015 Cranfield Regatta Winning Team

So while basking in this glow, I thought I'd ask you if you've ever been part of making history? What does it take to make history? I asked the winning team and one of them said:

1. A clear strategy
2. A clear plan of execution
3. Subject Matter Expertise
4. Ability to read dynamic circumstances and
5. Flexibility to adapt your plan as required to meet the changing dynamics
6. (My own addition) - the help of God, to crown your efforts with good success

I used to think strategy was a big word that only highly intelligent people could aspire to being able to craft. The truth is strategy is really simple. A strategy answers three questions:

A. Where are we?
B. Where do we want to get to?
C. How do we get there? With timelines.

That doesn't sound like rocket science now, does it? It's the willingness to take time to think through the answers to those questions that define master strategists from ordinary folk.

Once the strategy is defined, the rest is a bit easy as well. Organizational skills to come up with the details of a good plan of action, which would have been defined at a high level in the strategy.

Subject matter expertise is where we might need those "glasses wearing folks" but fear not - you can beg, borrow or buy expertise. So fear dealt with. Reading the winds or assessing the situation as you begin to execute requires a combination of the skills of everyone in the team. The same heads that developed the strategy and are executing it then simply need to be ready to make changes as needed. No one way track minded people needed on a history making team, sorry.

Why do I add the 6th element? Cranfield team F didn't include this and yet they won. The truth of the matter is as hard as they worked, it was still a 50:50 thing. Any little thing could have happened to change the entire situation. After all, can we say all the teams racing the past 24 years didn't have any of the above at all?

Bible says time and chance happens to all men. Without God, you may succeed. With God, you WILL succeed. Sometimes it doesn't happen at the time we want, most times  the path to success is strewn with all kinds of obstacles, but with God on your side, your chances are tipped more in favour of success than failure. It's never easy, but the end result is sure.

Finally, opportunity comes to the prepared is one of my mantras. Cranfield Team F's success clearly demonstrates this. They prepared and when opportunity came they seized it. Did I mention the defending champions came 6th? What do we say to that? Time and chance, my friends. Time and chance.

So, with a body that's only just recovering, may I wish you a wonderful work week. We'll catch up again over the weekend.

Blessings on you and yours,

Sunsail 4016

Your friend,

Olubunmi

It's Just ... Normal

Hello everyone, It's that time again.  

Would you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie? I didn't think I was but I'm starting to wonder. This week was okay. No major excitements, no highs, but no lows either. It was just - Normal. Just okay. Is there anything wrong with that? Actually, No. Some people may be shaking their heads now and saying that's boring! 

Boring isn't bad, now is it? Yes it's really nice when we have those peaks, those highs when life is on a roll, we're doing new things, having lots of fun and life is generally exciting. Of course, we'd rather not have the opposite end, when life is sad and we're going through stuff but yea, probably that still evokes some feeling because at least there's something happening. Regular life, that just goes on from day to day is the one we sometimes feel frustrated with. 

I believe we do need those times of normalcy. Extremes are stressful and no one can survive and live long if life is a constant roller coaster of emotions. Plateaus are a nice place to rest and recuperate. They allow one to still see the valleys and the mountains from a distance, make assessments and prepare for the next leg of the journey. 

There's a scripture - if your strength fails in the day of adversity, then your strength is small. Anytime I recall that, I remind myself that the day of adversity isn't the day to learn how to triumph. That learning has to take place during the normal, boring days. We have to take advantage of those days to build up our knowledge and our strength, emotionally, spiritually and if need be, physically. It is what we have learnt in the days of normalcy that can sustain us when all hell literally breaks loose. 

Those normal days are also a time to catch up on old friends that we had been too busy running around to speak with or see. Spring cleaning - of your home, your life, your relationships are also a good thing to do during the normal days. 

Dear Friends, normal is great. We just need to recognize the purpose for it and take advantage and ensure we use it to fulfill that purpose.  

So, I'm going to stop here. I sent an email yesterday which I thought was quite short but I was told it was long! That made me realize how little time people have these days. Too many things competing for attention. So thank you for faithfully being part of Incredible Courage every week and making time to read these posts. 

Have a wonderful week. Till next week, Blessings on you and yours. 

Your friend, 

Olubunmi