Chika Jonah Writes

Tag: #purpose

  • GUEST POST : The love walk; My first time in a five star hotel

    This is a compelling story that made me laugh as much as it made me think a lot. There’s a smart question at the end of this story. I still don’t know the answer to the question so maybe you’ll help me by answering it after reading this story

    My featured guest writer this week is; Ewenla Olabanji.

    BIO – Living a purposeful life and maximizing life’s gifts is the major thing that drives Ewenla Olabanji and everything he does.
    He believes our world would be a much better place if more people are living in their purpose – doing what they are meant to do with their lives and also maximizing everything life has got to offer.

    This is his core purpose – to help people develop the right mindset so they can utilize their potentials, maximize life’s gifts and fulfill their life’s purpose.

    He is a budding entrepreneur, a life coach in training & a musician.

    You can message him
    On Instagram – @eolabanjisamuel
    Facebook – Olabanji Ewenla
    Email: Banjidyte20@yahoo.com

    Here’s what Olabanji says;

    So am just going to briefly share a long story that may be all you need to face this year.

    I remember vividly that Sunday on the 27th of August 2017, it was a Sunday like every other Sunday; I had gone to church early in the morning, did my duties on the piano keyboard as a musician and gone back home to rest. However one thing was different, I was going to be attending a business meeting that evening for the first time in my life at one of the best hostels in Lagos (Sheraton Hotel & Towers)

    Interestingly, I didn’t even know why I was been invited but I decided to attend, majorly because it would be my first time in Sheraton Hotel. winks*

    I was nervous and at the same time excited like a young man going out on a first date with his first love.

    The friend who invited me was a lady so I guess that was probably another reason why I was nervous & excited.

    I don’t know if you’ve experienced that strong feeling of excitement born out of curiosity because you didn’t know what was going to happen or what to expect? That was the feeling I felt.

    Fast forward some hours later, I arrived at the Hotel a little bit late and the meeting was about to get started; I couldn’t meet my friend who invited me, neither could I even enjoy the breathtaking interiors of the hotel; I just rushed into the hall as i was directed to, got myself a seat somewhere in the middle as the presentation was about to begin.

    To cut the long story short, the 3hrs of that evening on 27th of August 2017 brought me into another phase of my life – when I got home later that night after the meeting I couldn’t really sleep.

    Today Monday, 17th of January, 2020 makes it about 28 months after that whole evening experience.
    I look back at the past 2years and i am amazed by how much my life has changed from that one event of 3hrs; only people who knew me before that Sunday may be able to share the tremendous transformation that has occurred in my life.

    Looking forward, as we are all prepping to live life in 2020 and the next decade, one of the things we can do for ourselves is to be open to surprises life will launch at us – either good or bad; everything that can change your life for good or for bad can happen in just few hours, few minutes or even few seconds.
    In most cases, you won’t recognize the changes as at the time they are occurring until months or even years later.

    A lot of things will happen this year and over the next decade; be open minded to opportunities and challenges; be sensitive to changes; be mindful of times and seasons; be careful in dealing with people; watch and pray.

    If you are open to surprises whether good or bad, you will grow through the experience of whatever it is.
    It may not be easy, it may not make sense initially, it won’t be logical – your mind might not comprehend the situation; however because you are open you will give yourself the privilege to grow from the experience.

    This is my testimony from that Sunday evening on the 27th of August, 2017. I have grown a whole lot from that experience; I am becoming a better person, I have met incredibly amazing people like Chika Jonah, I have made more money, I have done things I never imagined before then I could do, I have been to places I never imagine I could be.

    Has it been easy … NO!
    Has it been worth it … DEFINITELY YES!!!
    And am eternally grateful to God for giving me the privilege of the experience.

    PS: I wish I could share with you the whole experience but time and space would not permit me to.
    However, if there is one thing you should know at this point is that: the lady is now married and I am partially single. *laughs*

    Please permit me to ask this question, if you are open minded you’ll get the answer easily.

    The short story I shared in the post, do you think its a love story, an heartbreak story, a business story, a life story or a story I just made up?

    Please I would really love to hear your responses

    Thank you very much.

  • Reinventing myself: A guide to discovering & creating new goals

    In this past couple of months, i have been acquiring knowledge and insights i thought were beyond my reach. Learning things that were never in my niche or so i thought. Doing things i never in my wildest dream thought i would do. Practicing every detail of interest and pushing myself to see if i could go beyond my comfort zone. But was that enough?

    To tell you the truth, its been an overwhelming ride, to the point i felt i had been wasting my life. It was so massive that i thought my brain would explode (laughs). When to others this experience may seen normal.

    It got to the point i had to stop and ask my self what i had been doing all this while and what i actually wanted for my life. *Ever been in this position?

    Later, i was looking for a new jotter to write on when i found a very old journal of mine and decided to take a sneak peek, but i ended up taking more than a sneak peek. I got hooked.

    I saw written visions beyond the physical
    Dreams beyond my imagination
    Plans i laid out for the future
    Ideas that were workable
    Research’s and many more

    I was perplexed. I couldn’t move for minutes. I kept reading and reading till finally i asked myself “Who wrote this?” knowing the answer i fell and cried, uncontrollable tears that came from my shortcomings.
    I could see it was my handwriting but it was like a whole different person had written it. I was just blown away.
    How was that person different from me?
    __That person dared to challenge herself and not be limited
    __That person saw possibilities only

    The same question popped up again. “Chika what do you want? Was what i wanted everything i wrote down on this journal years ago or has it changed?” I had no answer to this question because i truly did not know what i wanted. I got confused, and battered, i felt awful and dreadful about everything; my career, relationship and future.

    A grown ass woman didn’t know what she wanted in life?__How does that sound?

    I sat down and after some thought, i decided to reinvent myself. To discover, find and create that which was already in me, that which i need to run with in this life’s journey. And somehow i knew i had the ability to do so.

    I took two days off from everything. Two days to my self. On the first day i strolled, walked, looked into the moon like i always love to do and began searching for answers. All i needed was the holy spirit to help me. With nature all around me on that cool dark night, the holy spirit helped and gave me a way out.

    To find out what i wanted i had to answer a question. How do i figure out what i want?
    I figured it out by answering this five questions;

    1. What matters to me the most?

    2. What have i prioritized highly in the last couple of years?

    3. What things do i love and cant stay/do without?

    4. What pattern of life principles have been reoccurring?

    5. What gives me fulfillment and satisfaction?

    I began the task of answering this question. And on day two, i completed all the answers and i found it. Answering these question gave me the
    answer i so desperate needed.

    If you’re confused just as i was, or you feel like you’ve been running around circles with nothing to run with, or you feel like you’re stuck with no motivation and no zeal. Then take a break, ask yourself the same questions and begin the task of answering them because what matters to you, what you love and cant stay without, what you’ve given the highest priority, what pattern of principles have been reoccurring in your life; are what would give you the utmost fulfillment and satisfaction. And what gives you the greatest satisfaction and fulfillment is what you want. That is what would motivate you to push harder, to run faster and to grow bigger.

    Don’t beat yourself up. Neither blame yourself nor become negative and feel guilty because it would only make matters worse.

    I’ve realized that when things like this happen ; when we feel like we are no longer living life to our full capacity like we once lived, it means that life happened. We grew, times changed, situations happened in between and that’s very okay. The fact that we are still here, means that we survived, we came out on top, we can still dream and we still have a chance to do what we want.

    We can still live.

    Drop a comment if this post has been of great help to you

  • Foresight of the lone man in a crowded world

    I stood still and watched
    Awake from my slumber
    While everyone rushed
    The old chasing their joy
    The young pursuing their pleasures
    The others running after desires

    My eyes widened at the expressions
    A shock that knew no bounds
    That they were walking in circles round
    Like a bolt of lightening
    That they were all chasing nothing.

    A lone tear fell at the emptiness
    A gap that proved something was missing
    A void yet to be filled by their goodness
    Something much more than their working

    Something else called purpose
    Yet to be grasped my the mind
    Yet to be embraced by the heart
    Yet to be warmed by the soul
    Something greater than dreams

    To be seen and felt by the palm
    To be touched as the blue sky
    To be achieved as supposed
    To be drawn by its power
    To listen to its voice when called.

    The cool breeze gave me calm
    Foreseeing that which is to come
    In time purpose would rise
    When the ear isn’t satisfied of seeing
    When the ear is filled with hearing
    When the hand is consumed with labor
    That which is next to life will takeover

    That something called purpose.

    Ecclesiastes 8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.