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HOW TO DEVELOP A CAN DO ATTITUDE AND SUCCEED IN WHATEVER YOU WANT

In life, attitude is everything.

If you’ve got a negative attitude, it will taint your entire outlook on life and dramatically decrease your ability to succeed. With a negative attitude, you will make little (if any) progress on the goals and ambitions you set for yourself.

Instead of consciously crafting a successful life, your negative disposition will often lead to a passive personality, one in which you shrug your shoulders and let life happen to you, rather than making things happen for you.

If that’s not the life you imagined for yourself, then it’s time to transform your current attitude into a can do attitude.

Here are some powerful and practical ideas you can start using today to make that attitude shift and start an upward cycle of success for yourself that will reverberate into every area of your life.

1. Starts with Your Mindset

Since the early days of boxing, experts relied on what they called the “tales of the tape” to predict how successful an athlete’s boxing career may or may-not be. These “tales of the tape” were a series of physical measurements that included the fighter’s fist, reach, chest expansion and weight.

Experts thought these measurements could predict which athletes would be most successful in the ring based on how their numbers shook-out against these measurements.

But get this: did you know Muhammad Ali—hailed as one of the greatest boxers of all time—failed every single one of his measurements? But nonetheless, against all odds, Ali went down in history as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

What exactly was it about Ali that contributed to his incredible success in boxing? What made him “the greatest,” as he often proclaimed? It wasn’t his brawn. It was his brain.

Author Carol Dweck explains Ali’s success as follows:

“[Muhammad Ali] was not a natural. He had great speed but he didn’t have the physique of a great fighter, he didn’t have the strength, and he didn’t have the classical moves. In fact, he boxed all wrong. He didn’t block punches with his arms and elbows. He punched in rallies like an amateur. He kept his jaw exposed. He pulled back his torso to evade the impact of oncoming punches, which Jose Torres [former colleague of Ali] said was ‘like someone in the middle of a train tack trying to avoid being hit by an oncoming train, not by moving to one or the other side of the track, but by running backwards.’”

Throughout his career, he was constantly matched with athletes that were bigger, stronger and faster than himself. But he beat them anyway.

It wasn’t his physical talent or skill that helped him do succeed over and over again. It was his mental attitude. His can-do attitude to be more precise.

This leads me to believe that in many cases, the critical factor between someone who achieves success vs someone who does not, comes down in large part to your mindset.

Our mindset determines the way we deal with tough situations and setbacks as well as our willingness to deal with and improve ourselves.

A person with a growth-mindset automatically has a can-do attitude because they don’t give up when they fail. Instead, they use failure as a learning opportunity that does nothing more than get them closer to success.

Ali helps us understand that developing a growth mindset—and by association, a can-do attitude—is about rising strong regardless of how lackluster his physical endowments may have been. Instead of looking in the mirror and saying, “I’m not good enough to be a champion;” instead he said, “I’m going to use a different path to achieve greatness.”

And that’s what he did. He showed everyone that success comes first from the gem between your ears. The same gem that chooses to leave behind negative beliefs and replace them with an attitude that says, “I can do this.”

2. Focus on Being Congruent

“While some researchers and clinicians argue that you can change your life by just changing your thoughts, actions, or feelings, I have seen no evidence in my research that real transformation happens until we address all three as equally important parts of a whole, parts that are inextricably connected to one another, like a three-legged stool.” —Brene Brown, from Rising Strong

Your thoughts + actions + feelings are like a three-legged stool.

This is similar to people that follow the old self-help advice to just “think positive.”

If we THINK positive, but we still FEEL negative, then how will we ACT?

Positive thinking is powerful, but only when we think of it as one of the three necessary legs that reinforces the stool we’re sitting on.

If we don’t want the stool to wobble or break, we’ve got to make sure we give each leg the care it needs to keep us from falling down and getting hurt.

3. Be Mindful of Your Self-Talk

Your self-worth depends upon your self-talk.

An all-star baseball player once decided to visit a prison to inspire the inmates to better themselves. He told them a story about how his father always encouraged him when he was a little boy. His dad always told him, “son, if you keep on hittin’ the ball like that, you’ll end up in the MLB one day.”

Sure enough, he ended up playing professional baseball.

Upon hearing this story, one of the prisoners stood up and said, “hey, my dad told me something similar when I was a little boy. Every time I did something my dad didn’t like, he looked at me and said, ‘son, if you keep on mis-behaving like this, you’ll end up in prison one day.”

Sure enough, he ended up in prison.

As it turns out, 90% of male prisoners were treated like dirt by their parents when they were children. Many of them were spoken to like they were prisoners WAY before they ended up behind bars.

Now, obviously this doesn’t mean that our parents determine the future for us in advance.

We all have the ability to respond to our circumstances however we want.[1] But it certainly makes things a lot easier if we have a solid foundation to build upon.

Regardless of how your parents spoke to you though, the take-away from this story is very simple: the way we speak with ourselves plays a massive role in the way we perceive ourselves.

And the way we perceive ourselves plays a massive role in our ability to develop a can-do attitude, and reap the rewards it affords. Our attitude goes a long way towards determining whether we decide to take on challenges and pursue success in the face of adversity.

Encourage yourself. Believe that you can do it—whatever it may be.

Your self-talk plays a huge role in your self-image.

Your self-image plays a huge role in your attitude.

Your attitude plays a huge role in your ability to succeed in the various endeavors you decide to pursue in your life.

Drop whatever limiting attitudes you’re holding on to about yourself and replace t hem with a strong, self-starting can-do attitude.

4. Become an Activationist

“Excellent ideas are not enough. An only fair idea acted upon, and developed, is 100 percent better than a terrific idea that dies because it isn’t followed up.” —David Schwartz, The Magic of Thinking Big

Plenty of people have excellent ideas, but only a select few are able to see their idea through to action.

There are two types of people on the planet: “activationists” and “passivationists.”

Activationists come up with ideas and execute them without hesitation—the embodiment of a “can-do” attitude.

Passivationists on the other hand, might have just as many ideas as an activationist, but the passivationist executes none of them. They postpone and procrastinate their dreams and goals continually.

This lack of action – this lack of success – is the result of having a passive mentality about life and neglecting to cultivate a can-do attitude.

So, what can we do to break ourselves of the passivationist habit?

You Can Do This!

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve gone over in this article.

1. It all starts with your mindset.

If you want to achieve success in all dimensions of your life, you’ll need to get your mental game in check. Ensure you’re mindset is directed towards growth and progress for most of your waking hours.

2. Positive thinking can only get you so far.

To generate true change, to develop a real can-do attitude that helps you succeed in whatever endeavor you want, you will need to place equal importance on your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Treat them parts of yourself that are achieve their peak power and potential when they are unified and treated with equal importance. In other words: we cannot simply “positively think” our way to success.

We must combine those positive thoughts with forward-facing action.

3. Your self-worth depends upon your self-talk.

Repeatedly affirm to yourself that you have a can-do attitude. Look yourself in the mirror and literally say it out loud, “I have a can-do attitude! I have a can-do attitude! I have a can-do attitude!” Do this exercise every morning after you brush your teeth.

Yes, this will absolutely feel silly at first, but you will find that the benefits of success far outweigh the momentary feelings of embarrassment or self-consciousness you experience as a result of doing this.

4. Become an activationist.

Do not allow fear to freeze you in place and prevent you from achieving your dreams. Embody the habits of an activationist and take consistent action until you achieve what you set out to achieve.

With each achievement, you will find your self-confidence getting stronger and stronger. This then, will lead to more action, which will lead to more success…

… And this cycle of success? It never needs to stop.

Source: Lifehack

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12-YEAR-OLD LANDS DEAL TO SELL HER HAIR BARRETTES IN TARGET

According to Black enterprise, 12-year-old Gabrielle Goodwin just inked a major deal to sell her product, GaBBy Bows, in 74 Target stores across the country.

We first reported about Goodwin back in January when she and her mom, Rozalynn Goodwin, expounded upon the young CEO’s business, launching their Mommy and Me Entrepreneurship Academy. Gabrielle is the owner of GaBBy Bows, a company she started at the age of 7 with the help of her mom. The 12-year-old created the first patented double-face, double-snap barrette. She began selling her product, eventually expanding the business to include hair care products, books and the Entrepreneurship Academy which allowed other kids and their moms to microfranchise GaBBy Bows. 

Goodwin has gained national recognition for her invention, being featured in a number of publications and being named Black Enterprise’s “2018 Teenpreneur of the Year.” Her new deal with Target allows her to expand the brand even further.

The pre teen spoke with Black Enterprise previously saying, “Everyone talks about how I’m so amazing. I want them to know that they can do similar things as me and know that anything is possible.”

Now that she’s expanding her business, she hopes that it inspires young women even more. “This dream coming true helps girls know that whatever they put their minds and hard work to, they can achieve, Goodwin said. 

You can find GaBBy Bows at your local Tar

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10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO LEARN TO TRUST AGAIN

T R U S T–a simple five-letter word. Yet one that carries so much weight. Trust is the soul of any relationship. It is the super glue that binds it together. If you have it, it is the reason you can go to sleep at night next to your partner and feel at peace; the reason that the ding of a text, or the ring of a phone doesn’t shoot off alarm bells; the reason that your partner working late doesn’t cause an anxiety attack.

Lack of trust, however, creates just the opposite effect. It causes untold psychological distress. It turns you into a spy as you search for clues that will validate your suspicions. It pits you against your worst insecurities. It makes you sick and hypervigilant; it keeps you up at nights wondering, Am I not good enough? Is it my fault? Is everything we have a sham? What will people think?

If your trust has been shredded, you might feel hopeless. But, there is good news. A relationship that has been tarnished by a betrayal can be saved. As Jennice Vilhauer, Ph.D, writes in her article in Psychology Today:[1]

“Relationships are very complex and, depending on the circumstances, betrayal doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the relationship.”

Like a masterful tapestry, relationships are colossally multiplex. Understand that trust was broken because something in the relationship was broken. Are you willing to invest the time and effort it takes to salvage what took you years to build? Are you willing to find the missing pieces that made the relationship crumble? If so, then it’s possible to put the pieces back together.

Let’s learn some of the ways to do that…

  1. Get Clarity

When a betrayal occurs, it feels cataclysmic. Emotions are fragile, fingers are pointed, and a war of sorts ensues. But no event that big is born in a vacuum. Things happen for a reason. To gain clarity, you must dig deep. Was there something that should have been addressed, but ignored instead?

Talk to your partner. Find out what happened and why. You are going to be angry, no doubt, but if you want to reconcile, you must listen. The answers will often reveal the corrosion poisoning the relationship prior to The Event. The betrayal was the symptom, not the actual problem.

“Both sides must be willing to come to the table and be open, honest, and vulnerable. They must also care enough to want to put forth the effort that is required to make the relationship work again.”

If this doesn’t happen, then the relationship will surely die in a heap of pain, regret, and resentment.

  1. Discover the Motivation

People do things for different reasons. Usually, those reasons are significant and rational to the person doing them. They might feel hurt, lonely, and/or unappreciated. Sometimes, an outsider does the job that the other partner is failing to do.

Motivation plays an important role on whether or not your relationship can be saved. Neglect, an unsatisfactory sex life, anger, lack of commitment–they can all lead to infidelity. You might blame yourself for what happened, maybe even had a part in it. Then again, you may have had nothing to do with it

  1. Commit to Rebuilding the Relationship

How valuable is your relationship to you? Once the dust settles after the infidelity, ask yourself these questions:

Am I willing to commit to him/her despite what happened? Do I still love him/her? Will I be able to do what it takes to get through this crisis? “Do you have enough admiration and respect left to salvage the relationship? Be honest and ask yourself: Do we still have fun together and enjoy each other’s company most of the time?”

If you answered yes to those questions, then despite the long road ahead, it will be a worthy endeavor. If you are committed to each other, willing to examine the situation, and work on rectifying it, it is possible to pull through and come out on the other side.

Once you commit, forge ahead. Don’t half-heartedly work on it. It’s got to be all or nothing. If you’re halfway in, that means you’re halfway out.

  1. Consider Couple’s Therapy

In some instances, regaining trust and working through an affair might be too difficult a challenge. In that case, perhaps couple’s therapy is in order.

With a trained professional, you can address issues you might not otherwise be able to do sitting at home, talking over a bottle of wine, and asking, “Was she better than me? Tell me everything! I want all the details.” You actually don’t, but I won’t get into that here.

Outside help is an invaluable tool. You’ll learn how to navigate the rockiest of roads. And this is exactly what you need at a fragile juncture such as the one with which you are dealing

  1. Forgive

You’ve fought hard for your relationship; worked tirelessly to get beyond what happened. Your relationship is still tender, but at least you’re still together, and working to keep it that way. Sometimes, however, even though you’re still together and you think you made it through the crisis, anger and resentment linger. All is not forgiven.

The victim can start using that to their advantage. “You have nothing to say about (blah, blah, blah), especially after what you did!” The hurt party can hang the betrayal over their partner’s head, reminding them continuously that they better tow the line, or else. Because of what happened, the hurt party feels entitled, and maybe even becomes a little punishing.

In order to really get beyond The Event, there has to be forgiveness. On both sides. The betrayer may be feel so guilty that they can barely stand themselves. In fact, they may start acquiescing on things that they shouldn’t.

Forgiveness, while not easy, is key to the survival of the relationship.

  1. Give it Time

My son required jaw surgery when he was 19 years old. It was quite a painful ordeal. After the surgeon broke his jaw and put it back together, my son’s jaw was wired shut for six weeks in order for the proper healing to take place. He could only eat soft foods through a little syringe in his mouth. It took a good month and a half before his jaw was healed. Unfortunately, betrayal is not like jaw surgery. It’s much worse. To mend a broken heart requires the skill of a surgeon and lots of time. You’re looking at about 18 months to three years, depending on how long you’ve been together.

If you’re committed to making your relationship work, patience is crucial. You’re going to be nursing anger, sadness, disbelief, insecurity, maybe some even shame. That’s a full plate.

  1. Be Transparent

…like a perfectly see-through glass window! In order to regain trust, the guilty party needs to be absolutely transparent. The betrayed cannot think for a minute that there are any secrets. Secrecy will create further distrust.For instance, when the phone rings, don’t say, “I’ve got to take this,” and walk into another room. As a trust trasher, there is a lot of mending to do. Put aside the fact that you feel like your privacy is being invaded. You haven’t earned it at this point. You will need to re-earn their trust, so be open.

  1. Cut Ties Completely

If you are the person who has betrayed your partner, you must cut all ties with the interloper. That means no phone calls, no texts, no emails, no coffee dates. No last meeting for “closure.”

No contact means no contact. If it’s over, then let it be over. Your partner deserves that. You may have had your reasons for doing what you did, but have a better reason for rebuilding your relationship. That can’t happen if you maintain contact with the “Other” person.

Your partner will not be able to rebuild trust if they know you’re still seeing and talking to the person that nearly destroyed your lives together.

  1. Don’t Keep Bringing up the Event!

When you arrive at the point where you’ve picked up most of the debris, rebuilt your lives, and feel like you can move on, move on. That means, do not keep bringing up what happened. That will only serve to re-open the wound. Imagine severely cutting yourself. You get multiple stitches, and get it bandaged up. Instead of letting it heal, you keep taking off the bandage, and ripping off the stitches, just to look at the damage. Ouch!

If you truly want your relationship to become solid again, put the affair in the past, and leave it there. Learn from what happened, make the necessary adjustments, then proceed onward. Talking about it ad nauseam will only keep the pain alive.

  1. Do What You Say You’re Going to Do!

If you’re the betrayer, then this one is very important: Don’t lie! Say what you mean and mean what you say. Even the smallest lie, a “white” lie, if you will, could cause doubt to sprout, and result in your relationship taking another hit. At this point, irreversible damage can be done. Be consistent, reliable, and honest.

11. Apologize

Express your remorse. Be genuine. This goes a long way to start repairing the damage. Do what it takes to let your partner know how truly sorry you are.

The suggestions listed above can work. But there has to be a willingness to try, a commitment to do what it takes, and a decision that the relationship is worth saving.

But that’s a decision only you can make. So what’s it going to be?

Source: Rosanna Snee

 

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RENNIE SANUSI: 5 KEYS TO GETTING MORE CLIENTS THROUGH LINKEDIN IN 2020

Have you explored using LinkedIn to get clients as a freelancer, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur?

If you’re a freelancer, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur with a service-based business, LinkedIn is the right platform for you to be on now. The opportunities are endless, and if you use it right, it can be your major platform for getting clients for your business. For me, about 70% of my clients have come through LinkedIn. After months of using it successfully, I’ll share 5 key things you need to get clients consistently on LinkedIn:

Connections

This is the first key ingredient to getting clients on LinkedIn. And I don’t just mean any connection, you need relevant connections. Make sure the majority of your connections are your target clients. If you’re a graphic designer and you mostly connect with other graphic designers, how do you want to get clients? As an editor, I make sure that most of my connections are copywriters. You can’t connect with just any and everybody. It’s much better to have a small but targeted connection list than a large but irrelevant connection list. If you get this right, it will be a game-changer for your business.

Visibility

If you’re not visible on LinkedIn, you’re not going to get any results. This means that just setting up your LinkedIn profile is not enough. The only way your target clients can find you is if you’re actively posting and engaging. If you don’t post on LinkedIn, then forget about using it to get consistent clients for your business. The LinkedIn algorithm is set up in such a way that it favours only those that are active on it.

So what can you do to stay visible?

  • Post content regularly (at least 3 times a week if you’re just starting out).
  • Comment and engage with other people’s posts.
  • Play by the algorithm’s rules. The LinkedIn algorithm determines the reach your posts will get. So if you’re just starting out and you don’t play by their rules, you won’t get visibility, no matter how often you post.

Relevance

Posting and commenting is great, but if what you’re posting is not relevant to your target audience, then you’re posting amiss. You’ll be like someone punching the air when there’s a clear target you’re supposed to hit. This is so common on LinkedIn. I see so many people posting about several unrelated topics and then complain that LinkedIn isn’t working for them.

Besides posting relevant content, you also need to comment on relevant posts. If you don’t actively engage with posts by your target clients, how are they going to notice you? You can’t just comment on any and every post hoping that someway or somehow, you will attract the right clients. No, you won’t. And even if you eventually do, it’ll take you months or years to get tangible results.

So what makes a post relevant?

It’s valuable to your target audience. For example, since I’m an editor for copywriters, I make sure my posts are about what copywriters find valuable. I post a lot about writing and editing tips that can help copywriters. The goal is for most of my posts to drive discussions among my target audience so it will attract even more of them. Sometimes, I can talk about other areas that are relevant to them like freelancing. Still, those posts don’t show my expertise, so I don’t spend time making those kinds of posts. So before posting, ask yourself, “Is this topic going to drive discussions and attract my target clients?”

Originality

This one is huge. Showing your expertise is crucial to getting clients through LinkedIn. You can post, comment, and be visible on LinkedIn with relevant content. But if that relevant content is not your own, you’re selling yourself short. You need to have original posts. It’s not every time you should share or copy and paste a post. For potential clients to come to you, they need to see you showing your expertise. And they see it in full force when you post original contents that touch on topics that are relevant to them. You need to have your own voice and be able to voice out your opinions and advice.

Consistency

This is the glue that holds everything together to get you the results you want. If you only show up once a month and post valuable content, you won’t get any results. LinkedIn is a long-term investment with high yield returns. You need to set a weekly schedule to be consistent with everything you’re doing. Whether you’re connecting, posting, and engaging, you need to stay consistent to see tangible results.

What do you think? Have you explored using LinkedIn to get clients as a freelancer, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur?

Source: Bellanaija

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READ THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORT ON BUSOLA DAKOLO & THE #METOO MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA

The article titled “Nigerian Women Say ‘MeToo.’ Critics Say ‘Prove It.’ by Julie Turkewitz has gone viral, with Nigerians home home and abroad sharing their view on the #Cozagate incident.

This reaction – the need for proof of assault – seems to be a general one, as revealed in the article.

In Julie’s word ” But many women who have come forward in recent months have also experienced a fierce backlash, including attacks on their reputations and accusations that they’ve lied about the assaults. While their critics say they are merely applying appropriate skepticism to unproven allegations, their supporters say that the hostile reaction reveals just how difficult it is for women in the region to speak out about abuse.

Busola, speaking to the New York Times, revealed that the personal cost of coming out to tell her story has been high. “You begin to ask yourself,” she said, “did I do the right thing?” She shared that she’s been harassed on the internet, and has been threatened over the phone. She’s also had to have a very difficult conversation about rape with her three kids.

She spoke about the BBC #SexForGrades investigation, which she was although glad to see receive so much attention, also made her frustrated because Nigerians “seemed to need to see a man caught on video to take an allegation seriously.”

A woman who spoke to the New York Times about Busola’s alleged rape said that, “She was old enough to know to fight back.” The 25-year-old woman revealed that she too was a survivor of sexual assault.

Another man who spoke about the alleged rape seemed to believed that the rape actually happened, but asked that Busola forgive the pastor.

Read the full article on the New York Times.

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NNEAMAKA ONOCHIE: HOW MUCH OF YOURSELF CAN YOU TRULY BE?

Wear what you want to wear, go where you want and hang out with people you consider of similar interest without feeling guilty or having a subconscious voice judging you. If you are your true self, you will also attract people that you are aligned with.

You change so much on a daily basis that you have no choice but to be yourself. You are not person you were yesterday but rather, a different version of yourself. You can either be your better version or your worse version.

Often, society forces you to be and act in a certain way that is deemed appropriate and acceptable. There’s a societal benchmark for acceptance and likeability and this ‘appropriate’ way is said to likely give you leverage to having an acceptable and fruitful life.

So you go out and act in a certain way mostly to impress people that you don’t know, don’t care about you and make a good impression for people you may never see again. Don’t get me wrong, making a good impression is good, but is that impression the real you or a borrowed you? Do we need to scratch the surface to find out the truth about you?

You know this laid down way of living won’t get you a fulfilled life. Beneath those facades of socially or cultural propriety, you want to break free, hack your own mind and discover who you are. For you, this is a battle you need to fight.

Being your full self depends on how much of societal standards you can challenge. So, what if you dare all societal standards to be your relentless and unapologetic self? What if you can say what you need to say and when you need to say it? Wear what you want to wear, go where you want and hang out with people you consider of similar interest without feeling guilty or having a subconscious voice judging you. If you are your true self, you will also attract people that you are aligned with.

Oftentimes, when you act a certain way or standout, you seem weird, standoffish and sometimes, weird is cool. It’s okay to be unique. That’s the spice of your being and, hey, we need many spices here. Normal can sometimes be boring and frustrating. Besides, does playing by the rules not depress you?

Not being yourself, or limiting yourself comes from your fear of being judged. Your environment and, of course, the society, can either lead you to constantly berate yourself – leading to self and personality sabotage, or encourage you to live a limitless self.

Don’t Self Sabotage

By self-sabotaging yourself, you live in ‘personality-denial’ because you have judged yourself and recoiled to fit in the societal and patriarchal standards that seem normal and appropriate. You change according to the environment, impression and there is no in-between. You are either real or fake.

Self-sabotage won’t lead to a purposeful and fulfilling life because it interferes with long-standing goals. Accumulation of dysfunctional and distorted beliefs can lead to underestimating your capabilities and suppressing your feelings. This can wear you out because you can’t live like this forever. You can’t hide from the world. So what if they don’t like you? What if you are not ‘acceptable’ according to societal standards? You are free, knowing you are staying true to yourself, constantly hacking your own mind and living in your authenticity.

Dare To Be Yourself

When you look in the mirror, do you recognize the image you see? Do you know him/her? Is that image staring at you as your friend? You shouldn’t ever feel uncomfortable in your current state, allow yourself to develop at your own pace. Daring to be yourself is to be kind to yourself, it is the awareness of the need for self-actualization. The way you carry yourself or act in public should be you being your actual true self and not because of the impression you want to convey or the acceptance you seek.

Cultivate your inner advocate and lessen the voice of the inner critic. Take good care of yourself, trust yourself, believe yourself, think for yourself and form your own opinion even when the waves of opinions are drowning your voice. One thing is certain, you are either accepted for who you are or who you are not. Being accepted for who you are not is to be in the wrong crowd that might never understand you and your essence. Break into each dawn with the audacity of will to wholly embrace your personality, the world will always adjust.

It will be more convenient to be your genuine self. Talk to yourself and consistently say “I am enough, I am worthy and I deserve to be authentically me.”

About the Author

Nneamaka Onochie is from Anambra State but based in Porthacourt. She is a girl child activist and women empowerment advocate. She is a content creator a freelance/creative writer and personnel manager at Chrone projects. She loves reading and singing in shower. She teaches at her spare time.

Source: Bellanaija

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SIMONE BILES, COCO GAUFF, AND BRIGID KOSGEI ALL MADE SPORTS HISTORY

Young women out in the world breaking records and making history is always something to celebrate, so let’s break down exactly how these three are changing the world of sports.

Simone Biles

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49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships – Day Ten

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Biles’s breaking of records is certainly nothing new—she’s been doing it pretty much every day she competed over the past week at the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany. On Sunday (October 13), she won gold medals in the individual floor and balance beam competitions, bringing her career world-medal total to 25. That means she is now officially the G.O.A.T., becoming the most decorated gymnast—male or female—in history.

Olympic Channel

✔@olympicchannel

Queen of the @gymnastics world! 👑@Simone_Biles has become the most decorated World Championship gymnast of all time after winning gold on balance beam at ! @USAGym

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Of her 25 medals, Biles said, “It’s older than my age, so I’m pretty thrilled with it,” per NPR.

Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old tennis star, was last seen by most of us in an emotional moment at the U.S. Open when she lost to Naomi Osaka. But now she’s celebrating her first professional title, at a WTA tournament in Austria. The win makes her the youngest player to accomplish such a feat in 15 years—and she’s only just getting started.

Team USA

✔@TeamUSA

The youngest U.S. woman to win a tour singles title since 1991:

15-YEAR-OLD COCO GAUFF. 🏆 https://twitter.com/usta/status/1183391575482650625 …

USTA

✔@usta

The winning moment ☺️@CocoGauff | #TeamUSATennis

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Brigid Kosgei

While Biles and Gauff were killing it this weekend, a third black woman was also making sports history. Kosgei won the Chicago Marathon for the second year in a row and totally shattered a world record in the process. She finished the 26.2-mile race in just 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 4 seconds—81 seconds faster than the women’s world marathon record set 16 years ago by Paula Radcliffe.

Leandri Janse van Vuuren@Lean3JvV

CONGRATS! 🏆 Brigid Kosgei sets a new Women’s Marathon World Record of 2:14:04 at the Chicago Marathon, breaking Paula Radcliffe’s 16 year old record! 🇰🇪 What an AMAZING weekend for Kenyan marathon runners!! 👏🏾

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Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m suddenly feeling the need to hit the gym.

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WOMAN BECOMES ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT SCHOOL SHE ONCE WORKED AS CLEANER

A woman from the US has served as an example of strength and inspiration after climbing the ranks at her workplace. Pam Talbert who once worked as a school janitor mixed hard work and perseverance to give rise to a booming career as an assistant principal.

According to WBRZ, the mother of three had a learning disability that had not been diagnosed but this did not stop her from achieving her dreams. For someone who could not read or write, becoming an educator was nothing short of a miracle.

For someone who could not read or write, becoming an educator was nothing short of a miracle.

“Miracles happen and you are looking at a miracle. I am a miracle. I could not read and write. I was on a third-grade level,” she said. Pam admitted her kids pushed her to greatness and forced her out of her comfort zone. The dedicated assistant principal learned and read what her kids were learning and started to pick up a few things from their books. Pam admitted her kids pushed her to greatness and forced her out of her comfort zone.

Most times, when the kids returned from school they would tutor their mum. Eventually, she managed to go back to school and earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Southern University. ‘‘It was very hard, but I persevered because I knew that it was important that I did that,” Pam added. Even more inspiring, Pam and her son are headed to school to earn their PhDs from Southern University. “Despite where you are coming from, or your background, your history or where you live… It is going to be alright if you persevere. If you try,” Talbert said.

Source: Tuko

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“BEING AN ARTISTE, TEACHER AND MUSIC INSTRUCTOR HAS IMPACTED ME GREATLY”- COREISA JANELLE LEE

Coreisa Janelle Lee was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama to two parents who dedicated their lives to pastoring a church. She attended a performance arts highscool in Alabama where she  majored in Music performance. After highschool she  accepted full scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music in New York city where she got her Bachelors degree in Music Performance.While Coreisa is her final year of her Masters Degree, she also works as a Flute Teachers Assistant , where she teach students privately about music and performance.

The young musician who grew up with three older brothers who are musicians, including her parents is very passionate about African Music, she recently found out about her Nigerian roots and she says the love and support has been huge online , while she looks forward to visiting the Country in the nearest future to showcase her talent and introduce her work to the larger Nigerian community and bring the history to the world through her talents.

Coreisa Janelle Lee shares her Inspiring story with me in this interview

Childhood Influence

My childhood absolutely prepared me for what I do now. I grew up in a household of all musicians. My dad and mother pastored a church in Birmingham, Alabama and had a strong belief in talents gifted by God. With my parents both having a background in music, they put me and my three older brothers into music class at a very young age. From there, I’ve danced, sung, played piano and discovered the flute. I started taking Flute lessons in the fourth grade and has stuck with that passion ever since.

Impact of coming from a family of “Musicians ”

My parents encouraged my practicing. They put me in all the music programs and pushed me to take all opportunities to continue my talent. They were my teachers at home, telling me what I could do to be better. I played piano in church every Sunday and I watched my brothers interest in music production, as they also fell in love with music. Really, I had no choice but to become a musician. It was my entire childhood. My parents pushed me to audition for the Alabama School of Fine Arts where I was accepted and awarded high training in Flute performance. I then was told to reach outside of the box and audition for a Music conservatory in New York City. I did and received a full scholarship to move to New York and to be trained by the great musicians there. While in New York, I was discovered by Meredith Vieira, a talk show host on NBC, where she invited me as a 19 year old girl to come on the show, tell my story and then was awarded a free, brand new 14,000 dollar professional flute. The rest is history.

Being a teacher and music instructor

Being a teacher and music instructor has impacted me greatly! Originally, I believed I needed more time to work on my skills before reaching out and telling others what they can do better. I was not seeking to teach but for more performance opportunities. After receiving a full scholarship for my Masters, I walked into a position that required me to be responsible for College level teaching. It forced me to realize that I have reached a level where it is time to give back. I had reached a level where I was looked up to, so teaching has definitely brought another level of confidence to my music and place in this world. Also, teaching has technically made me a better musician as there is a moment where you must know the things you are teaching in order for the student to fully receive what you are saying. You must demonstrate, you must speak with confidence and assurance; Therefore, it has pushed me to make sure I know what I am saying.

Plans to  bring my vision to Nigeria

I have big plans to visit home. It has been a journey of finding who I am and I am so happy to know I have Nigerian blood. I want to come visit and I would like to share my talents with all of my brothers and sisters. This is where I ask for help from those in Nigeria. I want to organize a recital/performance that will allow me to travel to Nigeria, share myself and meet as many people as possible. I will be graduating from My Masters soon and would like to plan this performance shortly after. If there is anyone with any ideas or wisdom please reach out to me as I would be so grateful! I am looking for performance spaces, a classical accompanist/orchestra and financial support to make it happen.

Challenges

As a musician, as an Artist, this life can be very unpredictable. At one point everything could make sense and the next you are searching for what’s next. It’s a push and pull on your sanity and I find this the hardest. From personal experience and seeing my students and colleagues experience the frustration, I know that this is simply the life of an artist. Choosing to steer from the 9 to 5 path means that you have to build your own career/success. You not only must organize a 9 to 5 schedule in order to perfect your craft, but must have enough business inside of you to bring enough revenue to stay afloat in the music world. It is very difficult, but once figured out, completely worth it.

On Giving up

I know of many stories of people where they felt like giving up, but for me personally I have never been pushed that far. It has been hard for sure, but I’ve known since a little girl that I am doing what I am meant to do. As I do not know the future, and I also believe “Faith without works is dead”, I continue to work and experience all of the troubles of planning my future, but I have not once questioned if I should give up or not. God has blessed my life and I am so grateful for this peace.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I agree that Women are nurturers by nature. I find those instincts within myself and thank my mother for being such a great example. Through everything I do, I look to encourage and uplift those around me. Now with the internet, I have found that I am able to touch and encourage many people on a wide scale and feel it is my duty to do so. As a musician, a platform that is universal, I have found my calling. My music, my story encourages and inspires others and has helped me to understand I must keep going. As one of the few African Classical Flute performers in the world, I have reached a place where my career is important for the youth growing up looking to see someone who looks like them and made it out successful. For them and for my family and many others, I have and will continue to rise and push. Thank you Women or Rubies for being a platform for people like me to express themselves. I am grateful for the recognition.

On recognition of upcoming musicians

I think being a musician on a recognized level is a very difficult and long journey. There are success stories of quick elevations to fame, but for the most part the stories are usually long and requires patience and smart work. I think those who are recognized deserve the attention and are appreciated, but unfortunately there are also those that work hard and go unnoticed – It is a battle of extremes. I think in order to balance this out, more successful musicians need to have it in there minds to bring more deserving musicians into the spotlight. We all need each other on this earth and no one can ever replace you. There is no need of selfishness and envy. We all have a place on this earth and should not hesitate to extend our hands out to uplift others.

Any final word for Women, especially young women who want to go into music?

You deserve your beauty and you deserve your talent. Never let anyone try and divide these two characteristics of you. You can be both and you ARE both. Hold yourself with dignity and strength and show the world your power. Do not look down on other women’s power. We are all powerful in nature, we are queens and we all have a place in this earth!

 

 

 

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#RUBYGIRLS| “DON’T EVER LET YOUR GENDER LIMIT YOU”- ENIOLA APAPA

Eniola Victoria Apapa is a nineteen year old final year student of Political Science and International Relations in Caleb University. She has been a recipient of Best Student Award in her department right from her first year till date.

Eniola owns her own makeup outfit, Glam by Enieey. She combines academics, entrepreneurship and holding major student leadership positions effectively.

She shares her Ruby Girl story in this interview.

1. Let’s meet you. Who is Eniola?

My name is Apapa Eniola Victoria. A final year student of Caleb University, department of political Science and International Relations.

2. What are your hobbies?

I love to cook and watch movies. I love to hang out a lot but I’m also one of those people that enjoy being in their own space.

3. Who and what inspires you?

My mum inspires me a lot, she’s a really strong woman and I just want her to be happy.

4. What is your biggest fear?

I don’t want to loose my mum.

5. What is that one accessory you can’t leave home without?

I really don’t think there is an accessory I can’t do without, but let’s just say my phone.

6. You have been receiving the award of best student in International Relations right from your first year and you are on a first class? How does that make you feel? And what do you think is the secret to this great record of yours?

Yes, with this being achieved, I’ve realized that I can do anything I put my heart to. Back in secondary school I was just an average student and here I’m one of the best. It’s basically just hard work and determination to achieve set goals.

7. What is that one thing you’ll like to change about yourself?

I am very pessimistic and I need to change that. It’s quite interesting being a realist as an International Relations student but I think I need to slow it down.

8. What keeps you up at night?

I cherish my sleep a lot so the only thing that can keep me up has to be my books.

9. If given the chance to be the President of Nigeria for a day, what will you change?

I would ensure that Nigeria is well represented at the international level to be able to maintain our relevance as a country.

10. You have your own makeup brand. What inspired you to venture into it? And how has the journey been so far.

Well, while growing up, I spent a lot of time by the mirror with my mum’s cosmetics bag. I started doing her makeup for events and that’s how I developed interest in learning more about makeup.

The journey hasn’t been easy so far but of course I can see growth and I know very soon I’ll get there.

11. How do you juggle everything together?

It’s not easy combining work with academics and also holding major student leadership positions in school but I just set my priorities right.

12. Where do you see yourself/your brand in the next 5 years?

In 5 years, I want to own various range of makeup products and of course working my way up to becoming one of the top influencers of Nigeria’s diplomatic relations.

13. If you were given the opportunity to address a group of girls five years younger than you, what will be your advice to them?

Firstly, I’ll make them know that they can achieve anything they set their hearts to.
Don’t let your gender or certificate limit you. Try to explore your world and make the best use of your time.

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