I Lost Myself, I Found Myself, Again!
I was nothing special. I get that. I come from humble beginnings. Zero silver spoon in my mouth.
In school, I didn’t fit in. Wasn’t given much of a chance. A teacher told me I’d never make a head-on in writing. I didn’t believe him (Trust your instincts versus your critics).
I kept on moving ahead. I understood the power of ferocious learning – reading books constantly, studying the best consistently and putting in the effort relentlessly.
I made seemingly insignificant small acts that to me revealed a beautiful progress. Quietly proving my naysayers knew nothing.
Anyone can put someone down. Heroes lift others up.
Thanks to another teacher of mine. In Jss2 – my Yoruba teacher. She saw something in me that nearly no one had. She encouraged me – and helped me believe in myself. Via her, my self-perception changed. My interior story transformed. I’ll always revere her for this.
I've had disposed papers where I penned my writings. I couldn't get any published. I started with storybooks written by kids. I wrote many storybooks. I wrote one titled "Tunde, the boy with no hand." The first editor said it was pure garbage. I didn’t believe him. I hand sold the book myself. Left copies where people could find them.
Finally, an opportunity to showcase my prowess surfaced.
A conference for 8-15 year old writers came up. It was strictly for rich kids, but my Yoruba teacher encouraged me and tried everything to make me participate.
I stood at that prestigious booksellers conference in Ekiti with a cover hanging from my neck, looking like a fool. I held the cover of my book "Tunde, the boy with no hand" firmly to my tummy. It was poorly designed. Famous literary agents snickered at me. One outright insulted me. Security at the gathering asked me to stop blocking the flow of people. Well, I accepted the insults. After all, there was nothing on earth I could do.
But one thing remained certain; I never stopped writing, no matter what!
Finally, after I accepted Christ, I wrote another book, this time a poem, titled "Romans Twelve Christians," a pamphlet of four pages.
Again, many ridiculed me. "Is this all you can do?" Many made jest of me. I didn’t lose hope. My faith was bigger than my fear. My heart instructed me to get the book out to those who needed its message. And so I did.
Well, I continued writing. I wrote another book titled "Claws of Masturbation," this time, a book of 33 pages. And life, with its SuperGenerous Accounting System, rewarded me with uncommon blessings beyond my loftiest ambitions.
There was no massive machine behind "claws of masturbation." I self-published the thing in a 24-hour copy shop. Mom edited it. A close bright friend edited it. One of my big brothers in the ministry edited it. My first seminar had 15 people. 10 of them were family members and friends.
People mocked me. I took it as a good sign. Society ridicules dreams of any value.
So what happened next?
The book exploded. Nigeria took off. So did America. Next came other countries. I sold thousands of copies in soft copies. Testimonies barged in.
You get the point. Stunning what happened to this simple human from small town Okemesi Ekiti.
I wrote with love and my readers felt my love (I still craft with love. Still working the mission. Still on fire to be helpful to as many as possible. The non-believers say it’s all for the money. Sad they are so cynical).
And when I’d fall along the journey, I’d rise. When I’d stumble, I’d dust off the disappointment. And stand. Did it hurt? Of course.
There’s a real person, with dreams and fears and gifts and vulnerabilities behind these words you read so often. But unstoppability is the foundation of exceptionality. And luck favors the obsessed.
"Claws of masturbation" has gone on to sell many thousands of copies.
Other books I wrote topped bestseller lists.
Two years of high-profile speaking in Nigeria and beyond, so far, and the privilege to impact thousands of people, so far, via social media (love you Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; we live in an era where each of us can do our part to lift the world with a single smartphone).
New books are on the way. Still writing "Jesus in, Porn out," and I'll get it published next month, probably on my birthday. It will get finished. Along with others I need you to read.
Anyway, what I’m attempting to say and convey with the utmost respect for your highest life is this:
I'll keep doing this until I’m dead. Because there are still people without hope on the planet. Citizens without happiness. Brothers plus Sisters among us who have lost their best selves. And the magical connection to the brilliance, bravery, love and light that resides at the core of who they are.
Today, maybe you just needed a reminder…that…
…YOU are meant to FLY. BUILT to WOW. CREATED to bring on staggeringly great creativity (and ingenuity) that then morphs into inspiration, audacity and humanity for all witnesses!
Maybe you don’t believe this.
I share all I’ve expressed to you so you get that my ride wasn’t – and isn’t – an easy one.
You get knocked down, so do I. You get scared, so do I. You have difficult days, me too. People throw rocks at you. Trust, I get them too.
If the pursuit of world-class and positive global influence was easy, everyone would be doing it.
Let us not confuse the end result with the rigorous journey. May we not be seduced by the temptation to think those of great success have gifts we don’t have. And opportunities we’ll never see.
So today, please understand that everything you’ve experienced in the past was necessary for you to become the person you are today.
Your pain has purified you. Your stumbles have strengthened you. Your failures have fortified you.
It’s all been a brilliant – and perfect – path, even when you resisted it most.
And as you anticipate for a new year 2018, the year I viscerally encourage you to commit to growing into the finest year of your life, leverage your past to stand in your greatest power.
Use the great and the good, the messy and the heartbreaking of your history as a heroic platform to make the coming year the year you completely change the game. I’m in this with you. Here to help. Always got your back. Endlessly showing up as your encourager. Why? Because this is what I do. And I know, that as you rise, I get to see our world raised. And what could be better for this very average man than that?
Hear me, YOU CAN DO IT!
Remain blessed.
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