How to Become a Person of Value and Influence - Toyin Popoola

5 Ways to Become a Person of Value and Influence

1. Find your passion and purpose  The greatest tragedy in life is not death but a life without a purpose said, Dr. Myles Munroe. Purpose, persistence, and perseverance are the key to success. Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement – W. Clement Stone You need to, first of all, understand your purpose for life because if the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable.  

2. Add value to yourself. It is often said that “the more you learn the more you earn.” Commit to a lifetime of learning and make it your responsibility to get updated in your profession or vocation. If you’re not updated, you will be outdated. You must make learning a routine by doing it on a daily, regular, and frequent basis because what you do daily determines what you become permanently. Proverbs 4.7 says that wisdom is supreme: The beginning of wisdom is this: Get skillful and godly wisdom, this is preeminent; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.  

3. Be yourself. You’re born original so don’t die a copy. Remember imitation is a limitation and if you’re trying to be someone else, the best you can be is number two or second best. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment says, Ralph Waldo Emerson. When we live our lives mimicking or imitating others, it steals our originality. Guess what? Imitations don’t get much attention, originals do. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you. To be a person of influence, don’t be anyone else but you.  Eleanor Roosevelt said you wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do!

4. Develop a good character and Integrity Talent is never enough, according to John C Maxwell's novel, he emphasizes the importance of character. If all you have is talent, you might not get very far if you don't have a strong character to back it up. Many actors, talented artists, singers, and athletes have fallen by the wayside as a result of their failure to handle their gifts and talents. We've also seen a few of them soar with their abilities because they exude great character and honesty, which has helped them stand out in their professions, personal lives, and professional lives.

5. Become a problem solver  We rise by lifting others. Success comes in direct proportion to the number of people you help. The happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others says, Gordon B Hinckley. Form a habit of helping and solving problems for people. This comes from being genuinely interested in people and when you are, it will be easy to solve problems for them hence you add value and in turn becomes a person of value. Remember, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care! To be a person of value and influence, you have to become genuinely interested in people enough to solve a specific problem for them. Think of what you can do to make lives better. The more people you solve problems for, the more valuable and influential you become. “You can have everything you want in life if you just help enough people get what they want in life.” “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Difficult Things That Powerful People Do - Toyin Popoola

1 - They are early risers: 

Waking up early is a hard thing to do. But the benefits outweigh the temporary pleasure of sleeping till early mornings of the day. Below are the great benefits you get from being an early riser:

1A, Quiet Time  1A, Early start helps your concentration.  By waking up earlier than everyone else, you have enough time to concentrate, plan the day  ahead, make important decisions and appointments and if you are a spiritual person, it's the best time for personal devotion.

1B, Quality of Sleep: Good sleep routine means going to bed early, wake up early and at the same time daily! This also create an automation in form of "Internal clock” in your body that helps you to sleep and wake up naturally.

1C, Increased productivity When you sleep very late, the natural tendency is for the body to want more sleep till late morning which inevitably leads to eating late into the afternoon. Your body needs nutrients and energy in the morning to break the 'fast' and once you skip breakfast, your body goes into starvation. Eating breakfast also helps to reduce eating unhealthy/junk food throughout the day.

Let’s look into the life of some successful people, who are early risers:

Apple CEO Tim Cook Cook is known for getting up and sending out company emails at 4:30​ in the morning, according to Gawker's Ryan Tate.  By 5 AM he can be found in the gym. And he works late too, priding himself on being the first in the office and the last out.

Former US president, George HW Bush George Bush snr would get up at 4 a.m., go running, be in the office by 6 a.m. and stay up until 2 a.m. "He was a horror," said a former White House nurse who had to try to keep up with him.

 2nd Habit - They are good planners   Why put off till tomorrow what can be done today! Remember, tomorrow is the smartest inventions for lazy people... Remember that failing to plan is planning to fail.  Great leaders don’t just plan, but also work the plan. They recognise that a goal without a plan is just a wish.

3rd Habit - They are readers  Readers are leaders Most of the World's powerful, influential and Rich are great readers. Even those who don't read widely do so wisely. Only 5% of wealthy people watch reality shows, while about 68% of them watch an hour of television daily.  So, why do you read?   Reading reminds you  Reading challenges you  Reading improves you   Reading updates you

4th Habit - They know how to say NO.  Saying NO to a friend's request sometimes make us feel like a BAD person but it is actually ‘the disease to please’  The ability to say "no" is an act of power. No matter how, what, or why you say it, being able to say NO is an indication that you are powerful.   Always remember that, You’re not a superman! Acknowledge that you can't do everything, and saying "Yes" to everyone may leave you trapped and eventually have no time for yourself and family. 

5th Habit - They are risk takers  “It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture, that they are difficult.”  If you’re not courageous enough to take risks, you will accomplish nothing in life.  “Every risk is worth taking as long as it’s for a good cause, and contributes to a good life.”  Les Brown said: If you’re not willing to risk, you cannot grow. If you cannot grow, you cannot be your best. If you cannot be your best, you cannot be happy. If you cannot be happy, what else is there?

5 things to boost self-esteem - Toyin Popoola

Self-esteem is an individual's subjective evaluation of their own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame.    In other words, how much you appreciate and like yourself. 

There are three (3) types of self-esteem

So, the first thing to do to improve your self-esteem is to:

1 - Belief in Yourself.  Believe in your worth, talent, abilities, and potential. You need to build that trust in yourself, love yourself, and acknowledge that you’re special, fearfully, and wonderfully made. Always remember that you are braver than you think, more talented than you know, smarter than you seem, and capable of more than you imagine. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

2 - Recognise what you're good at.   We're all good at something, whether it's cooking, singing, doing puzzles, or being a friend. Find your passion, locate your talent, work on it through regular use and practice and that, is your strength.  Talent + Skill (Practice) + Knowledge = Strength.

3 - Remember your Past victories. the more you acknowledge your past success, the more confidence you become in taking on and successfully accomplishing new ones. Document your victories and remind yourself of the things you’ve done successfully to validate yourself. For David - killing bears and Lions). I love the way David presented His victories to King Saul in 1 Sam 17:36 when he wanted to confront Goliath. He said to Saul, your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them since he has defied the armies of the living God.” His past victories became the confidence to future challenges.

4 - Build positive relationships: Be sure to surround yourself with positive people, who celebrate and bring out the best version in you. Hang around people you trust and respect, who support you and listen to you and you in turn are comfortable around them. But remember to create boundaries, be assertive and learn to say NO without feeling guilty.

5 – Be kind to yourself: Being kind to yourself means being gentle and considerate to yourself at times when you feel like being self-critical. Think of what you'd say to a friend in a similar situation. Most times we respect and give far better advice to others than we do to ourselves.   Always remember that learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all

How to Deal with Negative People - Toyin Popoola

Today I will be talking on how to respond to negative people...

I am almost certain that everyone watching this video has a friend or used to have a friend who every time you call them or they call you, you know you’re in for a half-hour rant about everything that is difficult, miserable and or unfair.. sounds familiar right?

As strange as it may sound, someone else may also feel the same about you...

Dealing with negative people is such a difficult task, because the negative person may be your child, your partner, your friend or even your superior at work.

You will agree with me that in some instance you’re stuck! You will have to find your way around them by ducking and diving and rearranging yourself in order to accommodate them… You can either accept them, avoid them or ignore them depending on who the negative person is perceived to be.

So, how can we avoid, respond, relate and interact with negative or difficult people. People who seem chronically critical, belligerent, indignant, angry, or just plain rude.

When someone repeatedly drains everyone around them, how do you maintain a sense of compassion without getting sucked into their doom?

And how do you act in a way that doesn’t reinforce their negativity?

My first suggestion is to:

Maintain a distance:

You should not let anyone walk through your mind with their dirty feet!

Joel Osteen said: “You don’t hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life! “. Avoid cynical and negative people like the plague because they are killers of potential. They feed on your reaction and if they see you being affected by what they do or say, they’ll keep doing it. So, you must ignore them.

You may need to change your group, even your friends if you notice they are negative.

I love the way c expressed it in the book of Psalm chapter one: I read

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law he meditates day and night…

(2) Only Quality People (OQP):

Who brings out the best in you, loves you truly, and values you? You need to surround yourself with such people. They respect and believe in your dream.

Sometimes you need critics to achieve and reach your goals but make sure that their criticism is constructive. Charlie Tremendous Jones said — 'You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.

(3) Let go of grudges:

Grudges stem from unforgiveness while unforgiveness breeds hurt. Acknowledge the hurt and decide to forgive because unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself and waiting for the other person to die.

Keep your cool and character intact: The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life becomes.

(4) Drop Negative Attitudes about Yourself or Others:

Negative attitude is contagious. It’s like a flat tyre and if you don’t change it, you can’t go anywhere.

Since negativity is a learned response, it can be taught even to an innocent child and since it is learned, then it can be unlearned.

A negative attitude is almost a guarantee that life will be more difficult and less fulfilling than it should be.

People can get you so upset that they bring out the worst in you.

(5) What you think about:

You need to fill yourself with positive words, inspirational messages and find time to read and study the bible.

5 signs of a Negative Person

Negative people radiates negative energy.

It can come from your surroundings, or from your own psyche. It can leave you exhausted both mentally and physically.

Les Brown said: “There are some people that are so negative they can walk into a dark room and begin to develop”

You need to stay away from negative people. Don’t let them suck your energy! They are so toxic and they will sap all positivity out of you.

Negative people need drama like oxygen. Stay positive, it will take their breath away! - Tony Gaskins

king Solomon said, Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of life!

At the end of this video you will be able to clearly recognise negative people around you and if you possess any of such traits,

don’t despair because the aim is not to name call but rather be a better you by working on you, so you can be the best version of you!

Negative people focuses more on failure and problems and never the solutions. They see the glass Half empty rather than half full. And it’s so easy and quick for them to Judge others. They do not know that failure is an event and not a person neither do they see the opportunity it presents.

They tend to get jealous easily – They know that you are doing well and they want that for themselves. Rather than investing their time in making their own lives better, they try to bring others down.

When they don’t know what’s going on in your life they SPECULATE... when they think they know... they FABRICATE... And when they know… They just HATE.

The smartest way to know and identify them is to pay close attention to the people who do not clap when you win!

They can't forgive & tend to dwell so much on the past. They just can’t and won’t let go – They drive using the rear viewing mirror! & they hold people in resentment and judgement.

They don’t accept compliments & They can't say nice things about other people – If you tell them you like their dress, they are quick to let you know it’s cheap and they bought it from a second hand or a charity shop.

They are selfish and self-centred. They love themselves too much that they don’t care about other people’s feelings.

You kneed to know that Some 'friends' get mentally disturbed when things are going well for you and becomes very happy when things go south!

If you know someone who possesses any of their traits or you possess any of them...

Make sure to watch out for the second part of this video where I will be

focusing on how to deal with negative people & how to turn the negative

energy to positive.

Thank you so much for your time.

Toyin Popoola - Nuggets of Gold

5 Signs you will become RICH

Growing up, I lived in an average middle class neighbourhood…

Within a mile radius to my right lived the very poor and to my left was the very rich and powerful in just less than 5 miles.

Later in life I was privileged to live in the affluent environment where the elite, the rich, the powerful lived. That is to my left!

I was able to see and observe first-hand the signs for a rich, wealthy and fulfilled life and I noticed that majority of them share certain traits.

Money is good, however money doesn’t buy happiness but gives you options.

It is the love of it that is the root of evil! That’s why Jesus clearly stated you cannot serve God and mammon.

So,

The 1st SIGN you will become RICH is to:

Avoid instant gratification.

Generally speaking, we want things now rather than later. There is psychological discomfort associated with self-denial. Every new thing becomes and addiction and obsession.

You cannot grow wealth if the money you do have is being spent frivolously.

Having a bad spending habit is like working out all day at the gym and then walking into the most unhealthy fast food joint in the city.

They cancel each other out.

I found out the rich don’t rush to buy new cars. They know how quickly cars depreciate. So by waiting for just a couple of months, they are able to buy the same car for 20% less than they would have at new.

Learn to Invest.

I started making money in my 3rd year in Grammar school. I was making so much that I could afford to pay for my tuition and upkeep through University.

At the time, I spent all I made, because I did not understand the 3 Ms of money according to Larry Burkett.

Making it, Managing it and Multiplying it! I lacked financial education.

Educate yourself financially, invest in stocks and buy assets and soon you will be happy to see how much compound interests you’ve earned... which according to Albert Einstein is the “eighth wonder of the world and he who understands it earns it, he who doesn't, pays it!”

Let me share with you some compound interest investments that can boost your savings:

1. CDs: considered a safe investment, Certificates of Deposit are issued by banks and generally offer higher interest than savings.

2. High-Interest Saving Accounts.

3. Rental Homes.

4. Bonds.

5. Stocks.

6. Treasury Securities.

7. REITs.  Real Estate Investment Trust

I encourage you to start investing as soon as you can. it’s never too late and you can start today.

A popular Chinese proverb says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

These are the 5 signs you will become RICH one day... And I want to thank you for your time!

Which one do you agree or disagree with? Let me know in the comments section below as I will like to continue the conversation on the subject.

Thank you guys and stay tuned.

Welcome to my channel and today’s Inspiring Speech is about pain of discipline or pain of regret!  There are two types of Pain, We either experience the pain of disciple or endure the pain of regrets. No matter who we are, where you come from you will experience either of the two kinds of pain. But I encourage you today to choose the first type of pain - Pain of Discipline over pain of regret.  Discipline is a requirement for a healthy life.  

Discipline is an activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill. Another definition is training.  

This is a very positive trait to develop in your life. What you do today determines what you become tomorrow.  Successful leader, Jim Rohn, often said, “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” 

If you wish to succeed and live a happy life at your older age you have to choose the pain of discipline over the pain of regret. 

As humans, we are bound to experience pain sometime in life; the type of pain you’ll experience is determine by your action and inaction today.  So, you’ll either face the pain of discipline or the pain of regret but whatever your choice is will determine how fulfilled or not you’ll be in life.  

The idea that we will all suffer from pain sounds miserable. But if you think about it, it's actually pretty liberating. It’s freeing to accept the fact that pain is unavoidable. Pain is not just a physical sensation. It’s emotional and mental as well.   

If we accept that it’s unavoidable, we don’t have to cower in fear that we might experience pain. We don’t have to nervously look over our shoulder for its looming shadow. We don’t have to try to perform some crazy gymnastics to dodge it.   

Pain is unavoidable but, many people try to avoid pain at all costs. By focusing so much time and energy in avoiding pain, they end up being too distracted and distraught to appreciate the positive parts of life. Being overly focused on avoiding pain takes away their ability to appreciate the joy and beauty of life.   

What are you doing today to make sure that you live a life without pain and regret tomorrow? Would you prefer to grind today and smile tomorrow or enjoy today and regret tomorrow?

What would you do if you weren’t afraid...?

At every point of our lives we must have been afraid of one thing or the other. But you either Live your dreams or live your fears.

Most people are not doing all they want to do or pursuing their dreams, their goals and aspirations just because of one thing: FEAR

For some it's the fear of attending that interview

for some, it's fear of rejection

For some it's the fear of a loud sound

For some it's the fear of falling

For some it's the fear of darkness

For some it's speaking in front of a large audience

for some, it's the fear to say NO without feeling guilty

To some it's the Fear of change

And to many the fear of Failure!

Of all the types of fear known to mankind it’s only two of them that we are born with: Fear of Falling and fear of loud sound. The rest we learn.

I will love to fly a jet; I will love to swim but I am sooooo fearful! What are the things you will like to do but because of fear

You’re not doing?

Take a moment to think about those things?

Remember life is about growth: you can either go back to your comfort zone where you won't find any growth or be willing to go forward and face your fears.

It's time you make a change. However, change is a choice! You make your choice and your choice makes you. You either change or remain in chain!

That which you want to do do it whatever the circumstance. Don't hold back because impression without an expression leads to depression!

Whatever your fear or phobia you can overcome your fears! Because it is unfounded.

Zig Ziglar has described FEAR with an acronym - False Evidence Appearing Real. Yes!

It is false and it only appears real but NOT real.

We are even afraid sometimes to be yourself because we don't want to hurt other people's feeling hence placing a limit on our potentials, our dreams and aspirations.

So, the question to you now is - What will you do if you're not afraid:

List all the things that you had always wanted to achieve.

And since we know that most of our fears are unfounded and NOT real, we can now begin to:

Cheat on your fear

Break up with your doubts

get engaged to your faith

Marry your dream

Start telling yourself you can do it!

Because if God be for us who can be against us

I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me

Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light to my path

Even though I walked through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Even if you have tried and have failed, Don't be afraid.

A wise man once said:

Don’t be afraid to start over again because this time you are not starting from scratch but you’re starting with experience!

The righteous man may fall seven times, He will surely rise again.

Even if you fall on the canvas of life, don't be afraid. If you can look up, you can get up!

You can rise again. YES, you Can! Take the risk.

Because If you’re not willing to risk, you cannot grow. If you cannot grow, you cannot be your best. If you cannot be your best, you cannot be happy. If you cannot be happy, what else is there?

Stir up your faith! Do not be anxious about anything.

Regrets look back

Worry looks around but faith looks up!

So today I tell you to

Get up! Dress up and Show up! Confront your fears and Live your dream!!!