Best Year Ever.

 Compliments of the season everybody!

Odun ayo at alaafia ni yio je fun gbogbo wa o.

I will like to share and encourage you with this as we embark on the new 2023 journey. I believe we all have at least one new resolution for the year. I also believe that we all want to live a life that matters. We all want to reach our full potential. But too often we find ourselves overwhelmed by day-to-day activities. Our big goals get pushed to the back burner--and then, more often than not, they get forgotten. I want you to know that it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, I think that this is the year you can finally close the gap between reality and dreams.

How can you make 2023 your best year ever?

Here are 5 simple Steps to Achieving Your Best Year Ever.

1. Believe the Possibility. If our habits of thinking are beneficial, we tend to experience positive results such as happiness, satisfaction, and even material success. But if our habit of thinking is counterproductive, we often experience unhappiness and dissatisfaction. When we focus on improvement, our lives follow suit.

2. Complete the Past. Avoid dragging your past into your future. Learn from the past experience and move forward.

3. Design Your Future. You need to create the life that you want by setting SMARTER goals. Each must be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Risky, Time-Keyed, Exciting, and Relevant.

4. Find Your Why. It is crucial to identify the mission or motives behind your goals.

5. Make It Happen. Planning is not enough; it takes action to fully realize your goals.

Improving your life isn’t as simple as staring up at a firework-lit sky and whispering a couple of sentences to yourself. Sure, the intent is there, but you also need to follow up on your verbal promises with some solid planning and action.

Let’s start by picturing where you want to be in 12 months. What do you see? Some of the more common desires are to be free of debt, physically fit, have a happy family life, and a good relationship, master a hobby, and feel spiritually well. The good news is that you can have all of this.

This is your year, don`t differ it any longer. Once you`ve determined your next step take action!

We celebrate with you if you were born in January. May this year be filled with adventures, blessings, and lots of laughs. Happy Birthday!

Have a wonderful year everybody and stay safe!

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

CHOICES and FREEDOM

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, the year is gradually winding up. We need to be thankful that by grace, we’ve been kept healthy and alive through all the troubles and tribulations (rogbodiyan) of life in the year.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

A “mouse” was put at the top of a jar filled with grains.

He was so happy to find so much food around him that he no longer felt the need to run around searching for food and now he could happily live his life.

After a few days of enjoying the grains, he reached the bottom of the jar.

Now he was trapped and he couldn't get out of it. He now has to solely depend upon someone to put grains in the same jar for him to survive. He also may not get the grain of his choice and he cannot choose either.

Here are a few lessons to learn from this:

a. Short-term pleasures can lead to long-term traps. b.If things are coming easy and you are getting comfortable, you are getting trapped in dependency.

c. When you are not using your skills, you will lose more than your skills. You lose your CHOICES and FREEDOM.

d. Freedom does not come easy but can be lost very quickly.

NOTHING comes easily in life and if it comes easily, maybe it is not worth it.

Please do not be like this mouse.

Happy birthday if you were born in December. Live today like it is a special gift because it is the best birthday gift. Have a wonderful happy, healthy birthday, and many more to come.

Have a great month everybody! May His sustaining grace keep us still

and see us through the coming year. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Precious Time

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my 3 children had made it possible to see her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

“What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that late-night calls or surprise invitations are a sign of bad news.

“I thought it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.”

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited at the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an Angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Halfway through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation — nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events in each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.

“How was your dinner date?” Asked my wife when I got home.

“Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I love you,” and giving our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”

Happy birthday if you were born in November. You were brought into this world to be a blessing and inspiration to the people around you! May you be given more birthdays to fulfill all of your dreams!”

Have a great month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Kindness

Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

 There was once a worker who was working in a fish freezing and preserving factory.

One day, before the end of work, he entered the fish-keeping refrigerator

To get the rest of his work done that day..!

And while he was getting his work done, the refrigerator door happened to be closed and he was locked inside it..!

The man tried to open the door, but he couldn't, he screamed and called out at the top of his voice seeking help but the work was over and there was no one in the factory to help.

After about 5 hours, the man was about to die of cold, the factory guard opens the refrigerator door, and saves him..!

And when the factory manager asked the factory keeper,

How did he know that worker was inside the factory?

He did not go out with the rest of the workers.

The guard said: I have been working in this factory for thirty years

Hundreds of employees and workers enter and leave the factory every day,

None of them greeted me every day, asked me how I was, and smiled at me

Except for that man..!

At the end of the day, I did not hear from him and missed him when the workers have gone.

I knew he was still in the factory, so I looked for him until I found him.

The moral of the story is; Be kind to people. A kind word is a key to hearts..!

Perhaps, a kind word that you may not pay attention to will awaken hope in the soul of others, without you knowing.

Do not belittle anyone and do any favor, even if it`s just smiling at people.

Happy birthday if you were born in October. They say the older you are, the smarter you become. At your age, you must be a genius! May the day bring you all the joy you deserve.

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Slow and Steady.

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

An Airbus 380 commercial plane was flying across the Atlantic Ocean at a cruising speed of 800km/hr.

Suddenly a Euro Fighter plane equipped with a Tempo Match technology allowing it to fly at double the speed of sound appeared.

The fighter pilot slows down and greets the commercial pilot saying: it must be very boring to fly an Airbus, isn’t it?

The Airbus pilot greets him back and asks: why do you think so?

The fighter replies: watch me!

Then he start making some acrobatic maneuvers, ascending sharply, flying upside down, descending to near sea level, flying subsonic, etc, then he returned back beside the Airbus cockpit, saying: what do you think of that?

The Airbus pilot replied: impressive! Now watch me see what I can do that you can’t!

The fighter pilot flew beside the Airbus in a straight path at a steady speed.

5 minutes later the Airbus pilot called the fighter pilot asking him: what do you think of that?

The fighter pilot replied sarcastically: what did you do?!

The Airbus pilot laughing: I stood up, stretched my body, went to the bathroom, and had a cup of coffee with my favorite cinnamon roll while having a small friendly chat with one of my beautiful lady passengers!

The moral of the story is; when you are young the speed and adrenaline rush may seem tempting, but as you grow wiser, you accommodate more, you talk lesser, you teach more and you appreciate the value of peace and tranquility.

We celebrate with you if you were born in September. Wishing you divine peace and happiness today and throughout your life. Happy birthday!

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

MORAL LESSON

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month.

Long-time ago in the Animal Kingdom,  a sheep was passing and saw a lion crying inside a cage trapped and the lion begged the sheep to save him with a promise not to kill and eat it but the sheep refused. After much persuasion and for the sheep's gullibility it opened the cage for the lion.

Now the lion was very hungry having stayed in the cage for days without food. It quickly grabbed the sheep to kill and eat but the sheep reminded him of his promise. They were still there arguing when other animals came passing and they sought to know what happened. Both the lion and the sheep narrated their own side of the story but because of fear and in trying to gain favor in the sight of the lion, all the animals took side with the lion except the Tortoise who claim not to understand the whole scenario.

Now the Tortoise asked the lion to show them where he was before the sheep rescued him, he pointed at the cage. He asked again, "Were you inside or outside when the sheep arrived"? The lion said he was inside. The tortoise again said, "ok, enter let’s see how difficult it could be inside". The lion entered and the tortoise locked him back inside.

In amazement, the other animals asked the tortoise "why" and he replied "if we allow him to eat the sheep today, he will still go hungry tomorrow and we don't know the next amongst us to be eaten tomorrow.

The Moral of this story; don’t support evil today because it doesn't affect you directly, it could be your turn tomorrow.

We celebrate you if you were born in August. Birthdays are a new start, a fresh beginning, and a time to pursue new endeavors with new goals. May today and all of your days be amazing!

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Humility

 Hello eku dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share this short story with you. You may have seen it before but it is worth sharing and revisiting because it may help someone.

I recently ran into an old classmate, we had not seen each other for about 30 years.

When I saw him in a hotel lobby, he was looking simple. He wore simple clothes. I felt touched. He walked up to me and was glad to see me again. But deep within me, I was not impressed with his status compared to mine, and poor me, I couldn't hide it. We exchanged contact details and I could see the joy in him as he collected mine.

I offered to drop him off at his home in my brand new Range Rover I pointed to it but He declined and said he had already called for his car. It looked old, a 2001 Honda Accord.

I invited him the next day for lunch at my house. A part of me wanted to impress him, to show off my success and affluence to him, while another was to discuss opportunities and possibly help him.

He drove to where I live. He looked impressed I had taken a heavy mortgage. In fact, I was heavily in debt. we had lunch. He told me he was into small business and particularly real estate. I brought up more business discussions, but he didn't sound too interested. I asked him how I could help him. He said he was fine. I even told him if he was interested, I could help him secure some loans... He looked at me and smiled.

He told me he would invite me over soon to his place. His old car came for him. I was grateful for what I had.  “Fingers are not all equal”, I thought to myself...I was lucky. I worked in a good place.

Two weeks later, my wife and I went to see him in a remote area.

She was reluctant to go because she was not impressed with the man's status as to warrant our visiting him in his house. I was able to convince her that we were close friends in college. We saw the Estate. We asked for directions to his home. Those leading us spoke his name with deference and reverence.

It was a simple but lovely home. It was a 4 bedroom bungalow. I saw 4 cars parked in front. We entered his home. It was simply elegant with a touch of class inside. He welcomed us warmly. Lunch was well served.

During lunch, he asked about my MD. He said they were friends. I saw a company gift on one of his tables nearby. That company owned about 38% of the shares where I worked. I enquired from him about it. He smiled. He told me he owned the company. He also owned the estate.

I did not know when I called him sir... I was in awe of him.

I had learned a lesson in humility, a big one! Appearances are deceptive.

Driving back home, I was very quiet. My wife was humbled and extremely calm. I could perceive the thoughts in her mind. I looked at myself. Living on loans, heavy loans, and showing off while someone who pays my salary is quite modest and living a simple life!

Adjust your perception toward life and others because indeed Deeper Rivers Flow In Majestic Silence!

We celebrate you if you were born in July. Your birthday is the first day of another 365-day journey. Be the shining thread in the beautiful world and be a blessing and inspiration to the people around you! May you be given many more birthdays to fulfill all your dreams!

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.