The Silly escape from Recession!

This writing is all about providing simple solutions to recession. Most of the concepts discussed here has been published in my book: The Jawbone of an Ass: secrets to gaining financial freedom and getting out of life’s messy situations. [Feb 2008; iuniverse], I have warned my readers ahead of time about the present recession. I said it there that the tide could change, that the table could turn. I said it earlier that life is full of uncertainties and several unpredictable changes do occur. Slaves do become princes and princes do become slaves. And it can happen at any time. When home owners begin to lose their homes, when landlords, farm owners begin to lose their properties, assets; when mortgage owners begin to sleep in the streets without a shelter any more; then it is already happening.  It takes strategies, wisdom and a miracle to turn around a situation of scarcity.

Miracle in time of old is experiencing new thing, new happening, and newness. It’s when something that has never happened before happened .innovation means the same thing. There is a similarity between miracle and innovation. The stimulus package that Barack Obama’s administration is introducing is like a miracle. It is a miracle for those who have no way out of their financial mess. Somehow, a ray of hope has finally come at last; but there is more to it than that. It will only work if the right principles are adopted with it. If the same principle that Joseph used in Egypt was followed doggedly; if productivity culture, saving culture and investment culture is reintroduced with proper inspection; keen monitoring and much more constant feed backs are adopted. If consumerism is truly reduced in the people’s lifestyle, the end has come to recession.

It should be noted that God is not happy about scarcity. Through men, God will be bringing miracles into workplaces, communities, neighbors, et.al that will put an end to recession. God had made provision for this time ever before it happened. If nations facing recessions can go back to their foundations on God, and in God; there will be great turn around for them. For instance, I observed that a part of the Canadian’s Anthem said: “O Canada… we stand on God for thee”. And the American dollars have an inscription that said: “In God we trust. A part of Nigeria’s anthem has this: O God of creation, direct our noble path…”  We all seem to have forgotten where we were coming from. The founders of our land believe in someone, in some certain principles. They are divine principles. They were dependent on supernatural power. They believed in God.

Today, we have a distorted concept of God. It is so sad that an average North American does not have a religion. If s/he does; s/he does not believe in sovereignty of the God of heaven. God can be anything to some people. He is not a buddy but a bad boss. Some do not even believe in anything. Little wonder; where we are finding ourselves. The provider of life and the creator of everything have been removed from the picture. Our lives and economy is falling like pack of cards. One of the truest ways to recession proof ourselves is to start thinking of going back to God. It is time to start asking the right questions, redefining what are the bases of life? What do we believe in? Who did the forefathers trusted in? Who was their help in times of old? God is His name. He is the help of the helpless. He is our help in the ages past; He is our hope for the years to come.

Another secret to getting out of recession is to ask ourselves these questions: what are we inventing now? What are we contributing to the world? What are we giving back to the society? What new concept, what new brand are we introducing? Barack Obama’s concept of Bio-generating plant for energy production is an invention, which will make a whole lot of difference in the America’s economy. If it is whole heartedly embraced, without some people somewhere planning on how to frustrate this noble project. It will be one great way to surviving the present economic scarcity in USA. The secret is to become inventors. It is to become more creative. It is to look within for what is available as a leverage with which one can navigate the season of scarcity. It is by becoming more enterprising that recession is ameliorated.

An average individual needs to become more enterprising. Develop entrepreneurial spirit. Start your on business. Do not depend on one source of income. The fact that you are an employee does not stop you from having a trade on the side. You can use a part of your home for business. Then your home business can relieve you of the amount of tax that is being paid to the government. At your leisure, you can even make some crafts, arts, weave and paint to make some more money, rather than just wasting time playing away opportunities in guise of a time wasting game. Time is a valuable asset. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Once you become resourceful. You would have recession proof yourself. You will be difficult to sack during downsizing.

In bid to be retained during downsizing, some staffs in some companies, try to hide information from colleagues so as to be the indispensable staff that will be retained at workplace. The point is this that is a crap way of becoming indispensable. You are insecure because you know you don’t have what it takes to be retained. If you develop yourself, acquire multiplicity skills, you will be more resourceful to the company you are working for. And you will be confident about who you are where you are. We must try to be valuable anywhere we find ourselves. We must be the solution to the system. And this can only happen if we work on our selves. If we don’t sit on our laurels; if we continue to strive to become better citizens of the state we live in.

Recession is not new. It has happened before. It has happened in the time of Joseph while in Egypt. The bible recorded how they dealt with it back then. They went into production of more goods. They also saved more than they consumed. I talked about the importance of becoming a “positive human octopus” in my book, as a way of getting out of financial mess. A means to overcoming unpalatable financial scarcity is to acquire multiplicity of skills to the end of becoming so indispensable and resourceful such that you are ever needed irrespective of whatever happens. This self development principle needs to be adopted by every individual. The next age is going to be filed with uncommon things, new concepts, innovations and more. More of these will come through people who are prepared and whose minds have been developed. What we will be experiencing will be astounding. Brands will be seriously redefined. Corporations will be diversifying at the speed of light. Individuals will be loaded. Industries all over will improve, expand, increase to what we can not but pause and ponder over. There will be true miracles in guise of innovation in all sectors, all walks of life. There will be results that systems, nations will come and study as a program is being studied in the institutions. All these and more will work as the antidote to the present scarcity and the future recession once we start doing them. Once we start contributing our individual parts right now.

OVERCOMING INNOVATOR’S DOUBTS.

“Take what you want,” said God, “and pay for it.” – Spanish proverb

Have you ever doubted something authenticity? Have you ever been in a doubt of someone’s genuineness? What does it mean to doubt? Who faces the greatest life doubts? I would call them change agents or innovators.What does it mean to be a change agent at the precipice of change? To save your precious time. To be on the cutting edge of innovation is to be at the precipice of change; influencing change. It is to be a student of change and “implementer” of change. The journey actually starts with individual self discovery. And you must be ready to pay the price of greatness. It begins with personal discovery and strong determination towards personal development.

It means that in order for you to innovate intelligently, you must deliberately cultivate the attitude that can attract success. To become a part of the world change agents. It is to be the change and start the change; first from within you, then through your areas, and spheres of influence. As a trend setter, you must never allow any self-doubt to set in or eat up at you. Work on your core values, areas of interests and visions.It becomes possible if you can dare every obstacle with audacity. If you can put everything on the line for the dream you see.  If you can have singleness of purpose that will press on doggedly come rain or sunshine. If you can be latent with confidence, powerful information, relevant ideas and a burning desire that comes with some measure of convictions. You can reach there.

For instance, Barack Obama went through difficult obstacles to emerge the first black man who became the president of United states of America. Nelson Mandela  became the first president of South Africa after apartheid ended and all in all; i saw a trend in these icons of excellence and leadership.The boldness to face their self doubts. After several years of incarceration, Nelson Mandela won in his struggle. fter series of campaign and blackmail Obama won the election. Like every great men ever written of in history. There should be this doggedness in us that must be ready to surf through oppositions through the enduring power of our vision, ideas, creative intelligence, faith, audacity of hope and perseverance of faith.

It goes without saying then that innovators have doubts like everybody else. And their ideas may be doubted by them most of the time. Yet the difference between us and them is that even they have doubts, they still head on.When your idea is not celebrated, when your ideologies seems unpopular, or not marketable. When you appear as a foolish pioneer,that is when you may have to stay with that thing; why? because it is known as innovation. Just  stay with it, provided it has value, substance and you are convinced by it. Invest your time in it. You will surely get there.

Come to think of it, even Jesus Christ had doubts when he got to the garden of Gethsemane where he was faced up with decision to either go to the cross or retreat. Had he retreated, he may have lived some one hundred years more but it may be forgotten years in obscurity. He may never be known by all and sundry as it is today. The price he paid was the crucifixion he wanted to retreat from. You must know yourself first. Test your passion and vision. And learn to choose your battles wisely. Know what your capacity is. Then pursue your cause and never allow yourself be deterred until you reach your goals. Always know that there is no man who can stop you and there is a special place for you up there at the topmost floor, if only you believe, persevere and push your way up.

There is only one place you must never look towards; there is just one direction you must never face if you really want to get there; and that is backwards. Do not focus on your mistakes, pasts, and backstabbers.  If you will really become so restless for success, and embrace hard work you will win. By possessing the doggedness to go from door to door receiving no! Going from door slams to cheek slaps and yet refusing to quit.  All that will be based on your capacity for rejection and putting doubts in perspective.

Individual process for innovation actualization

There is an individual course work and progression towards innovation realization. We all have a responsibility in this journey. We need to ask if all around us; we are supporting innovation and innovators. If we embrace noble dreams, visions, and ideas of others irrespective of their brand names.We will be objectively do that.

Needless to add; if we must operate intelligently towards innovation actualization; we must not allow any idea to die in our hand, or in the file somewhere in our desks. Don’t forget that there is power in one man’s decision. And any innovative opportunity buried away in your drawer either consciously or unconsciously is a fight against innovation actualization. The odd may be insignificant today but it poses a very great evil at the next innovation world we are approaching very shortly.

There is an unconscious realization  that innovation decay and idea rut are unrealistic. The quickest way to end  the next age  impending development and advancement is to oppose innovation today. The fact remains that certain innovation in the next age will come with their pedestal firmly braced upon the previous generation and works. They will look like a “new” brand from the old.

Therefore, do not permit any brilliant idea expiration in your hands. Don’t sanction evil reports and then allow good suggestions get ignored in a meeting. Don’t oppose any noble idea or any opportunity for growth just because of ego. Do not attack the reputations of others in order to become popular; do not stop people’s dreams by your own influence. This is the gradual road there- our daily routines, our smallest decisions, our policies and the personal decisions we make.

As much as you can; try to bond with people; bond with change agents, create a community, start a positive epidemics of change, encourage change agents out there. Above all, if you cannot beat them, do not join them. Don’t give up, let up or shut up! Never allow mediocrity reign, do not celebrate corruption, or worship people because of money.

WHAT DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN?

It is as if believing is the whole doctrine of God. That is the exact lesson that God is been trying to teach us [man] for ages. The whole essence of our creation by God is to serve Him. But how can we serve the one who we do not believe in or know? To know Him is to have a relationship with Him. It is as if all that God has been trying to teach us is to lead men to him, once we have believed in Him. What then is the dimension of believing in Him? We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; on him in him; we must believe through Him and by Him. We must ask whatever we want from the Father in Heaven from Him and through him. Little wonder, that almost the whole scripture was summarized in one chapter of the book of Hebrews; the Eleventh chapter was based on faith. Why? I think it is because faith could be slimy, slippery and at times, it is as if; it just falls off your grip. Hear what Jesus said on knowing that Lazarus was dead: “… Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe (By the time I get there) nevertheless let us go to him. – John 11:15 (Emphasis mine). You can imagine what was more important to Jesus: the faith of the disciples; the guys he will be handling the ministry over to. Their Believe was of utmost importance to Him that He would not mind raising the dead man called Lazarus; when he could have hurried there earlier before he died at all. He wanted to raise him than Heal Him. Little wonder that when He was talking to Martha, Jesus emphasized faith also. Let us read the account:
“Jesus said to her, “your brother will rise again”. Martha said to Him: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Oh! What a great faith, that Martha has got. Isn’t that enough? No it is not. Hear what the master expected from her as the kind of believe. Jesus said to her, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.” he who believes in me, though he die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” that was too big. It was too much for Martha then and it is too much for my brain even now. Imagine the question on faith again? The truth is this: faith has power enough to draw life from the true sources of all life: God. Faith has power that, it does not even matter what God can do or cannot do about a situation rather it is about who God is. It is about the personality and faithfulness of God. Faith speaks after death, Faith lives after death; Faith is unveiling God to man in his helplessness. It is revelation of the possibilities that can be even when the situations look bleak and hopeless. Whoever believes in Christ has faith. And when a man has faith, though he may die, he shall live. How?
The writer of the book of Hebrews said that through faith we understand that the world which we see were made and framed by the word of God (Hebrew 11:3). The word of God is active. When we read the scriptures, there is an energizing of our mind; which makes us dare the impossible and achieve the unattainable. When we do these great feats, men see us as great people. Our works speaks after we have long gone from this planet earth. Works that posterity will reckon with must be enduring works. These are the active works of faith. If the blood of Abel could speak in his death, if it could remember Cain the killer and cried out of the earth seeking judgment. The blood of Jesus speaks better things… Those better things are the things that accompany our salvation. That is, our salvation is not an impotent “church thing”. It transcends the four walls of the church to every area of our lives. You can believe in anything. You can believe in anyone. But you must believe in God through Christ to experience what I am talking about…

Faith in Jesus is more important than any other thing; that was why Jesus was directing the focus of Martha at Himself, His ability, His power other than the corpse of Lazarus. The believing in the power and grip of death had already held Martha and Mary and it was difficult for Jesus to get their faith over unto himself. That was why he was saying that this is not a believe on the future resurrection or on the past event; which is the death of Lazarus. Faith is now. It is in the present. Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life, Do you believe this? It means that everything to come and all that has gone by meets in me. Everything is settled in me (Him). Everything combines in me. I am the resurrection you are waiting for. I am the resurrection that matters. I am the resurrection you are speaking of. I am the resurrection you’ve heard preached of. I am the resurrection you are dreaming of. I am the resurrection you are waiting. Do not look here or there. Focus on me. Its now! I am the God over all circumstances. The God of the present, I am the ever present help in trouble. I am who I am. I am who matters. Whatever is not of me does not count. I am God in person. Whoever matter most to you should be me. I am the lord…I am the Lord of the moment. The ever present help in this very time… I am available every time. I don’t postpone my actions till tomorrow out of impotence. I am God all by myself. Your believe in me does not make me more powerful. I am the almighty. I see beyond the situation. I don’t need to squint before I see farther. I don’t have to gaze to know what is coming next. I am the El-shadai. Focus on me [God] not the problem and you will see the issues dissolve like ice in the heat. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will not perish. Whoever believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. If he dies, he won’t decay. If he die, he will live. Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die Do you believe this? The power of life and death lie in God’s hands. Death has been killed for your sakes and my sake through Jesus ‘resurrection and the gospel, so you and I cannot die. If we believe so, we will not be worried; rather we will hold on to God. He is never late. He would rather reverse the hand of the time; than for Him to arrive late. The entire creation would rather be adjusted. He would rather change the clock than for Him to change.

“Now Martha said to Jesus “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died?
-[John 11: 21].

A sense of bitterness came; a cloud of depression fell and regret held unto her. She sobbed within and wishes the time had slowed down a little bit more in their favor. What Martha’s faith says that: I know that my brother Lazarus is dead but I still believe in you as the lord in spite of what has happened I know that he may not rise now. He may not rise again in this earth, but on the last day, I know He will rise again. I still trust you. That is okay. He is dead now. I know that it’s too late. But Jesus’ faith said that there is nothing impossible with God. Whatever you ask from God in my name, God will give you through me; even now! Martha’s faith gave excuse; Jesus’ faith gave authority and sovereignty. Martha said that “although you could not heal him during his sickness, yet I know you are powerful. If it is not that death has gripped him now; you would have healed him. If you were around you would have healed him. Let the shame be upon distance and location…these were the impediment that didn’t allow that to happen. Yet I trust in your ability.” Although, Martha believed but her faith was in the future while she was in the presence of Jesus. She was confessing faith yet seeing the distant but Jesus was ready to bring the distant future into present reality. Wait a second. You might want to ask why Jesus was asking her to believe? In what does He want her to believe? And what kind of believe again? There is something profound in this story; that is Martha’s faith still addressed Jesus as the lord in spite of what has happened. She still saw Christ as the Lord in spites of it all. She still acknowledged Jesus as the Lord over death. Even though Jesus came after the burial of Lazarus was already concluded. Even though, the grave was already sealed with stone. Lazarus was dead. Yet Martha still believed in the doctrine of resurrection. But hear what Jesus said. Do you believe in me? Without having seen a miracle of resurrection yet; she was conscious of the ability of Jesus but Jesus was saying: Believe? This means that Jesus asked her to believe beyond doctrines.

When God lets you down…

A woman once said to Jesus.“Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died“.What a statement of confidence in Jesus’ ability. That statement came from a heart that was denied of someone dear. It came from a heart that was cheated of her loved one. It came from a depth so deprived by death. It said that if you were there on time, such a mess would not have happened to us.

Have you ever felt so cheated; deprived of your right that you felt as if you lost out. Have you ever felt that if someone was there for you; you would not have faced a particular problem. Or the outcome would have been different? If that relative or friend was around at such crucial moment; things would not have occurred that way? May be you missed a great opportunity, a capable lawyer , an efficient doctor, a loyal policeman or a powerful politician at one time or the other.  You might have missed a man or woman who was bold, courageous and vibrant somewhere they were most needed. May be such person loves you so much that s/he would readily lay down his/her life to fight your course but they were not around sometimes ago and you lost because of their absence. Well, it’s so sad…but such faith in “that person” was what Martha had in Jesus when Lazarus her brother died. We can see from this perspective how in terms of believe that she quite believed in Jesus. She has confidence in his person but there was a question. Did she (Martha) believe that God can never be late? It is alright to believe in a God that can do anything, anytime anywhere but what if the thing we need Him to do for us had a deadline? What if time could speed by? What if that thing is a matter of life and death? What if that thing cannot wait? What if it should pass the moment we wanted it; it will be too late and we are done for; since we are desperate?

Imagine this scenario that you took your kid out to a park and the boy cried for an ice cream. For just a cone but you had no money and the ice cream seller was just cycling off. But just then, at about some few meters of walking distance right ahead of you; you met a relative who greeted you warmly and offered you some money. You were given enough money for the ice cream but then the ice cream seller was no longer in sight . Imagine this pathetic situation. In the case of Martha, that was what happened. Yes she knew that with God all things are possible.But her brother died before Jesus could arrive. So Jesus came late. But He proved that He can never be late.He is the one who can reverse the order of time. He can reverse events of history if he had to, just to prove his awesome – ness. Rather for God to lie, the entire universe would have to begin again to justify Him. Creation would have to start afresh and man would have to go back to the beginning in Eden. Everything will start anew than for God to lie or fail.

As the days of Heaven:living a daily life of significance.

When we say as the days of heaven, we mean that longevity that transcends time. We mean that eternity in view. This is what was on the mind of God when He was creating man into the world. He meant that man should live forever after the order of trinity. But sin came into the world through the first man-Adam. Jesus Christ was sent into the world as the last Adam, to die for the sins of man. We are now redeemed by the blood of Jesus. We are no more mortal but spirit being by the virtue of the newness of life that Christ gave us when He died on the cross. Since, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day; we now carry a part of God which never die, in us.

So as we are temporary living here now on earth, there are certain things that we may do that will validate the fact that we are eternal beings. How we live here on earth will determine if we will truly live as the days of heavens or not. We are deciding how our eternity looks like from hereon. Eternity has been placed in the hearts of men. Ecclesiastes 3:11 said: “He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

We need to remember that when God said in Psalm 89:29 that David throne will endure forever; he was saying that his dynasty, leadership and greatness will outlive him [David]. True greatness is in measure of its continuity. It must be measurable in legacy, celebrated in the future. Appreciated by posterity and remembered long after it’s gone. We may prove to be great to most people while we are still alive. But it’s until we are gone that who we really are, is known. Whatever God see us to be while we are here and whatever people consider us to be to them while alive; which they cannot stop talking about after our death is what matters.