Michael Botu's Blog

“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time” ~ M. Scott Peck When you are fiddling with that phone when someone is talking to you, you are not listening and  nothing is as frustrating as trying to communicate with someone that is preoccupied. Listening is an art that everyone of us must learn. As Bernard Baruch points out “Most of the Successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking” We should not only pretend to listen but genuinely listen. “Most People do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with the intentions to reply” ~ Stephen R. Covey and that’s where communication breakdown starts especially in marriages. Here is a list of 7 ways to improve your listening skills I got from Vala Afshar’s twitter handle that will set you off on the Path to becoming a better and effective listener.

This is the account of one of the Servants given Talents; “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’ Matthew 25:24‭-‬25 MSG‬ Fear, that unpleasant emotion that holds many back from attempting anything meaningful in their lives. Napoleon Hill listed seven basic types of fear, we must master if we hope to achieve major success in any endeavor. They are; 1) Fear of Poverty 2) Fear of Criticism 3) Fear of ill Health 4) Fear of the loss of Love 5) Fear of the loss of Liberty 6) Fear of Old Age 7) Fear of Death God’s Word declares; “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus everyone task is unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.” ~ Viktor E. Frankl It’s worth repeating that no human being is born a mistake, the circumstance of your birth not withstanding and that you have an assignment to fulfill on the earth.

It's hard to believe eight years have rolled by since we lost the most accepted President in our Nations History. I was going through some unpublished works and came across this one and can't help but share it as we march towards 2019. THE ARTICLE: Whenever my income permits, I buy and read Newspapers. In time I have come to see many media personalities as role models, the list is endless; Dr. Reuben Abati, whom I have followed from his days in the then weekend classique, published by MEE (may her gentle soul continue to rest  in peace), Prof. G. G. Darrah the pen militant from the Niger Delta, who is now in the Academics, Edwin Madunagu, Femi Fani Kayode, Segun Adeniyi, Sonala Olumhense, oweilakemefa of Vanguard, levi Obiojiofor to mention but a few, the list indeed is endless. I love to write but I do not posses the writing skills of my media icons. After reading Msgr. Matthew Hassan Kukah's piece  on Late President Yar’adua and that of Segun Adeniyi am forced

Perseverance : “The Quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult” That’s what I call the staying power. It was the driving force that propelled Colonel Sanders to keep knocking  on door after door with 1009 rejections before he got a Yes. 1009 No! He did not dispair, he did not give up! If he did there will be no KFC today.

It’s very unlikely that anyone ventures into the murky world of entrepreneurship with the intention to fail. But failure is the lot of many Businesses. The Statistics are frightening to say the least; 20 % of small businesses fail in the first year, 30% of small businesses fail in their second year, and 50% of small businesses fail after five years in business. Finally 30% of small business owners will survive their 10th year in business.