FOCUS ON YOUR VISION

The sooner you focus on your visions, the sooner they will thrive.” We all know women with big ideas that can’t seem to make them materialize. Are you one of these women? Big ideas and grand visions are never enough. They must be accompanied by a sharp focus. When you focus on your visions, you gain a sense of personal power, a feeling that you are taking control of your life. Both self-respect and self-esteem get a definite boost, as you learn to consciously stay focused on the positive results you seek. Don’t waste another day! Stay true to your visions and never lose focus. Before you know it you will be living and breathing your dreams
 Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

LIFE LESSONS FROM AN EAGLE

My mum has a great fascination with eagles. She loves to observe them, study them and teach others about them. If she spots one, she makes sure we all stop to watch in wonder, as we see them soaring in flight or perched on a tree.One of the most profound life lessons I've learned from the way of an eagle, is how to respond in the storms of life: I can choose to get sour or soar.

An eagle rises above the storm

Our lives are truly more defined through the storms of adversity than during the days of frolicking in the sunshine. My human nature would prefer the ease of blue skies and sunshine, but my spirit loves the outcomes of a good battle when I have chosen to rise to the challenges of life in a hard place.

James actually refers to the battle as a gift!“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”  James 1:2-4

When the storm clouds roll in and the rain begins to fall, most birds head for shelter, but not an eagle. It flies directly into the thunderstorm and it sets its wings to be carried by the thermal currents rising high above the storm. You won’t see it flapping its wings–you will see it glide smoothly, seemingly effortlessly and at great speed.My human inclination causes me to want to run and hide when challenges slam me, and to flap my wings frantically. However I have been learning that the strength to soar only rises in the winds of adversity, and so I am learning to embrace the storm.Every great victory comes after a great battle, and the secret to overcome is only found when I lock my wings in place and allow God to take me to new heights as I soar in His supernatural ability.I love those moments when I realize, “I can do this in Him–I was born for this.”When He carries me upward on His wings, my perspective and gaze is heavenward; there I can see things as they really are, not as they seem. 

Stay Inspired

Uhanan Mimi

LIFE LESSONS FROM A DONKEY

This is story of donkey which teaches you a lesson. One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well . The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided that animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to save the donkey.He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.A few shovel loads later, the farmer was astonished at what he saw.With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take a step up.As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed to see the donkey step up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off !

MORAL
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone to higher success.We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up ! Shake it off and take a step up
Remember the five simple rules to be happy.
Free your heart from hatred – Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries – Most of it never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less from people but more from God.

Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

SUCCESS

The greatest desire of every human being is to attain success in every aspect of their life; be it in the home, in one’s career, academics, finance and other areas. Everyone wants to do well. However, one common factor that both the rich and the poor have in common is the ability to fail. Everyone is bound to fail in something in life.
But you can choose how to react to that failure. Whether you get up, clean yourself up, move on and try to achieve something substantial, or you decide to stay behind to lament and mourn over lost glories, is what makes you who you are today.
My main reason for writing this article is to help you get up and move on after a downfall; help you realise your hidden potentials and maximise them in order for you to be successful. It is to help you to fail your way to success.
Abraham Lincoln is a practical example of someone who failed his way through life. He was a man born from a poor family, a man surrounded by sorrow. Lincoln’s mother died at age 9, his elder sister died at age 20 during childbirth, his first love Ann Rutledge died, his son Edward died of tuberculosis, and his other son Thomas died of heart failure. His life shows that you can’t control where you start but where you end. Lincoln ended up being who many people consider best President of America because of the abolishment of slavery and other deeds. Many great men and women of course, are made from troubles, problems and sufferings they go through. My dad always says to me “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger”. However, many of us don’t want to strive or suffer to get to that point of happiness. We all want a smooth road without challenges. In my opinion, there is nothing like a smooth road in life. I think one of the most essential things we lack is patience. We are never patient enough to realize and make our dreams come true. Let me share a story with you: A man spent millions of dollars buying equipment for digging gold in a particular area of land which he also bought. He dug, and dug, but still didn’t find the gold so he finally gave up, sold all the equipment and the land area which gold was meant to be to another man and went on to another project. But the new owner began to dig and surprisingly gold was found 4 inches away from where the other man had stopped digging. He made millions of dollars from it. The first man lacked patience. Patience is one of the key factors for a successful life.
One man I admire for his patience and persistence is Les Brown, an African-American motivational speaker. I was lucky to hear the story of this great man when he came to Nigeria for a seminar. Mr. Les Brown’s life is more complicated than most of you reading this, and indeed myself as well. Brown and his twin brother Wesley were dumped by their biological mother on the streets, but a woman picked them up and took care of them. Les was always called the dummy twin, even nicknamed ‘D.T’ because Wes was more brilliant and more friendly. One day Les’s teacher asked him a question and he couldn't answer; all his classmates started shouting and telling the teacher, “No sir! He’s not the brilliant twin, he’s the dummy twin,” and Les said to the teacher “Yes, I’m the dummy twin” and the teacher replied, “People’s opinion about you shouldn't be your reality”. This stuck with Les and from that day on he realized he could shape his own destiny.
Now Mr. Les Brown is a multi-million dollar motivational and inspirational speaker & author of books like Live Your Dreams, the famed audio book, The Power of Purpose, and It’s Not Over Until You Win: How to Become the Person You Always Wanted to Be, No Matter What the Obstacle. Mr Les Brown is a man that I would say failed his way to success. It doesn't matter how bad academically you are nor how financially unstable you are now nor how dumb other people consider you to be. Success is on the way, so far you continue and strive to be the best in whatever you do because your failure is the failure of millions of people.
How can we help ourselves become better, you ask?
Hold on to your dreams. Robert Hiyosaki said in his book “The Conspiracy Of The Rich” “Take away a man’s dream and you take their life. Make sure you keep your dream alive because dreams are the windows of your soul.
Maximize your talents because life is a market place where you have to trade what you have to get what you want.
Have a goal, dream & desire because in life something has to drive you to what you are seeking out of it.

Keep away from demeaning friends. Your life is like a rainbow with different colors and you should know by now that those who don’t add more color to your life of rainbow, don’t only crawl away from them, walk away, runaway and, if you have wings, fly away from such people.

Pay Attention. ‘If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, in life all you have to do is pay attention.’

Read inspirational books. Books that will boost and elevate your life because you are moulding your tomorrow based on what you read today.

Some say life is too hard; here’s my advice to them: ”I believe that life is a journey often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are all equipped for it only if we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them blossom”.On the road to success,

Age is not a factor because you are never too old or young to set another goal or dream a new dream. An example is Ted Williams, a 54 year old man found on the streets of America. ‘The Man With A Golden Voice” got a video of himself speaking on Youtube and today he has done several voice-overs for American TV shows. At the moment, he is struggling with addiction, but hey!, the road to success isn’t smooth, and our choices do have consequences.

Gender is not a factor if you do not define your goals by your gender. If you are a woman and you believe it’s a man’s world, it’ll continue to be because you already have that mindset. A great example to look up to is Oprah Winfrey. Who would have thought that an African-American woman would rise to global prominence? She’s one of the richest women in the world and moves with likes of the Obamas and the Clintons.

Religion is not a factor. Neither is height. A local example is Aki & Pawpaw, the Nollywood acting duo. They’ve managed to succeed in the Nigerian movie industry irrespective of their height.
Disability is not a factor - Stevie Wonder and our very own Cobhams Asuquo are practical examples. They were born blind, but that didn’t stop them from getting what they wanted out of life – solid careers and building families of their own.
Beauty is not a factor. Some complain, “I am not beautiful/handsome. My eyes, ears and nose are too big,” etc. Such people are not going to move forward because they believe they are not presentable.
Life is all about risks and risks are also meant to be taken to be successful at times. Remember life would throw things at us that seem rather unfair, but you can fail your way to success by maximising your goals and doing everything you possibly can to walk the path of success.
Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

FORGIVENESS

I am pretty sure we all have one or two people out there who we would rather have nothing to do with due to events which had occurred in the past and has left us with feelings of dread, hate, annoyance, disgust.You name it anything you like! The key here is that there are some people out there that you need to forgive and the question is; are you ready to forgive and move on to your wellness and wellbeing?

Forgiving others can be one of the most difficult things to do in life yet you will derive outstanding benefits once you go through the process. Forgiveness is the driving force behind an apology; it has been described in the dictionary in many different words such as let off, pardon, clemency, compassion, kind, tolerance, merciful understanding allowance and many more. The question is which of these wonderful words best described you? New researches are now looking into forgiveness and its relationship to our physical health .This is to say, the world I believe is now paying attention to its importance. A lot of the many benefits however have been linked to our emotional, mental and spiritual well being Some benefits include to reduced stress, improved sleep pattern, more energy (Because you are not wasting energy getting angry anymore), better outlook to life, peace of mind and an immune booster.

I can you give tones of ways on how to forgive and there are lots of information out there but the most significant aspect here I believe is to be prepared to forgive! And please don’t take too long; it only hurts more; I have been there, done it,worn the tee shirt! Mental pain is just a blessing because it is telling you that something is wrong with the way your life is going. It is a sign that something needs correction whether it is the way you think about the world or what you are doing in the world or both by (Susan Jeffers, 2007). So when you feel this pain remind yourself it’s time to forgive and enjoy life. So here are two key points to set you on your journey to forgive and live life to its fullest.

How to Forgive
Be Prepared In anything you want to do in life preparation is usually the key. You just need to think of want goes on in your mind each time you think about whatever it is that has put you in that position where you feel you cannot forgive. Then ask yourself how do I feel? For most it’s an unpleasant feeling; so then would like to live with it? Or release those horrible feelings….. Yes! Please you need to do this it certainly would help you make a life changing decision cum Choice here .I laugh!! Whatever you do here is based on choice even if you decide not to make one. Now ask yourself how you are going to address the issue. Do you approach the person involved or who had put you in that position of feeling hate, unforgiveness or whatever emotion it is you feel? I generally say speak to that person and let them know your perceptions of them and if needed apologise even if you feel you have not been in the wrong, it makes you a better person.
If you are struggling with the above points sought help from forgiveness programmes, churches, meditation, prayer, talking to loved ones etc. What I have learnt through experience is that it could take some people years to get over forgiving; hence the reason forgiveness has been described as a process. So use the above information to see you through and make it quite pleasing-life is too short. Tap into the wealth of resources out there which tells how to use acknowledgement, positive thinking, making a list, applying empathy and visualization. My point and contribution to forgiveness is you need to be prepared and I can’t help but overstress my point that it only hurts more the longer you leave it! I agree with Mahatma Gandhi- “The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is an attribute of the strong”.
Conclusively, a lovely quote from Doc Childre and Howard Martin- For you all Forgiveness means that you’ve decided not to let it keep festering inside even if it only comes up once in a while.
Stay Inspired
 Uhanan Mimi

APPRECIATION, A MUCH VALUED REWARD

It doesn't take a lot of time to say a few words to appreciate someone, yet it can make them happy for a long time. Think about how a simple yet enthusiastic and heartfelt ‘Thank you’ from someone leaves you smiling for the day. It is in our nature to feel needed and important and to know that our efforts make others happy. It is also our nature to usually depreciate our own efforts and hence, we require others to appreciate them.

However, the words to appreciate that you use do not matter as much as the tone of these words. You can write a whole letter filled with appreciative words and send the same one to all your employees and it will be much less effective than a one-liner sent to them individually, appraising each of them for a unique personality trait or on a project they worked on.Most of the time, we tell ourselves that we cannot appreciate everyone because it will take a lot of time. All we need to remember is that you don’t need to write an entire page filled with words to appreciate someone. It is not the words, but the effort that counts the most. People will feel more valued if you personally say a simple ‘thank you’ rather than receiving cards from you that they know you didn't send yourself.

It is not just other people you should learn to appreciate, but also the finer things of life that you have. You should feel gratified for all the blessings you have in life even if you are going through a tough phase. Counting your blessings and appreciating them can actually help you to fight depressive thoughts. A few words to appreciate the healthy lifestyle you are leading can give you a sense of contentment.Even at this moment, you can stop and look around yourself. There are a lot of things you have that others can only dream of, even some of the basic necessities. You have relationships that others may not have. You may have people who take care of you or facilitate you in your life. So, just make a note of these things and write a few words to appreciate them.

Appreciation is undoubtedly one of the best rewards you can give someone in return of their efforts. It will make them feel valued and important, and give them a sense of motivation. A simple pat on the back or a one-line note of appreciation is enough to do the trick.

Stay Inspired

Uhanan Mimi

BEING SELELTIVE

There is nothing wrong in being selective. I must admit, I'm a selective person...for a good cause and reason. It is through good and bad experiences that you will learn what is best for you. You will be able to discern which friends are keepers, which job suites you, which mate is best to date and so forth. I feel that people associate negative connotations with being selective. That if your selective your too conceited or too picky. But, I beg to differ and choose to change that definition. I believe a selective person is one who knows what they want (due to trial and error) and does not apologize for it.

You need to be selective in different ways. When it comes to the company you keep, be selective. When it comes to the men or women you date, be selective. When it comes to the internships or jobs you want, be selective. When it comes to way you dress, be selective. There is a calculated and strategic reason behind your decisions. Because you have experienced bad company, dated the wrong man or woman, chose the wrong profession...those experiences have taught you to know exactly what works for you. When you choose to be selective, you decide to put yourself first. Not in a selfish or self-centred way but in a loving way. Realizing the things that are needed to take you to your level and destination. Like I stated before, its okay to be selective. It shows how much you love and stay true to yourself. 

 Stay Inspired

Uhanan Mimi

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

Have you ever taken time to think deeply about the decisions you make, the consequences of your actions, and what it is you desire in life? If not, consider this; you are in control of your life to the degree to which you are able to control how you think. You cannot perpetually think negative thoughts of despair, failure and hopelessness and end up in success.

Your life tends to move in the direction of your most dominant thoughts, therefore you must consciously choose what thoughts you let grow in your mind, so you can have authority as to how your life turns out.

The mind is a vital part of the human being. It is that part of you that is able to conceptualize inspired ideas. With your mind you can take hold of an intangible idea and make it a reality in the world. If you do not learn to take control of your mind and plant useful seed in it, then the abundance of useless thoughts that pervade your world will settle and begin to produce after their kind.

Whatever thoughts dominate your mind will shape the way you perceive situations and alter what you believe. From then on your actions become predictable habits which are resultant of your set way of thinking. These habits then govern the course of your destiny. You will have to make a choice daily, and every moment to choose thoughts that will get you to a successful destination.

If you look through the pages of history, you will find that everyone who made a revolutionary impact in the world chose a thought that challenged the status-quo. They consciously chose to follow after a thought process that transcended the realm of thought of others. It was a thought that transformed the way we use computers. It was a thought that transformed the way we move from house to market, and from country to country. It was a thought that transformed the way we do business through corporations. It was a thought that got Barack Obama into the White House despite all odds against him.

Now think; if a thought was responsible for making a mark in the sands of time, what defining moments are possible for you if you decide to take a hold of your thoughts and actually think for yourself and for your destiny?

Take time out today to imagine what your life can be outside of the current circumstance you are living in. I remember the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:6. The people had set out against the desire of God to build a tower that will reach heaven, and this is without the modern day construction equipment, but the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people and they have all one language (or mind); and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined (or thought) they can do will be impossible for them.” [I added the words in parenthesis for clarity and illustration].

Develop confidence in yourself and in your ability to reach your goals. Many people who desire a better life, really do not believe they are worthy of it, or they make the mistake of seeking the permission of others to live their dream. How many times do we  think about a business idea, or a meaningful project to provide social justice, or things as simple as a house that we really like, and we automatically discount our ability to attain to the dream. Rather than see ourselves starting the business, contributing to the needs of people, and living in the house, we say something like, “I can’t imagine myself doing _______”, and follow it with an excuse of why we cannot.

Write down what it is you truly desire. The process of writing down your thoughts helps reinforce them. What do you desire in life? In your business? In your career? In your relationship? Be very clear on your goals and your purpose, don’t just write because you think it’s a good idea or because it will impress someone else. Rather, write what is most consistent with your personal beliefs. Writing takes something from the intangible and brings it one step closer to the tangible realm. If these dreams just remain in your imagination, then they will fade away as lofty ideas. Articulate your thoughts, let them be thoughts of victory, success, love, hope, purity, optimism, promotion, abundance, growth and all things good and beautiful.

Give yourself time daily to affirm your dreams, goals and vision. Affirm your goals and desires daily until they begin to drive your behavior and actions. A target that is clearly seen is much easier to hit than one that is vague. The Bible records in Joshua 1 God preparing Joshua to take on the Promised Land saying, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (1:8). You have to do the same with your goals and dreams. Keeping them before you day and night will ensure that they remain as your most dominant thoughts. This will also keep you motivated, and ready for the burst of inspiration that will take you from where you are to where you need to be in life. Also remember, out of sight is out of mind.

Identify and remove obstacles. Every journey has obstacles along the way. As you embark on yours, you will face challenges, but if you are able to anticipate some of the challenges you may be faced with, with adequate preparation you can deal with them. As an example, if your desire is to start a business, identify what your business will be doing, what your market is, what human resources you will need (intellectual, relationships, laborers etc), and how much money you need to raise. The next thing is to ask yourself what hindrances there are to getting all of the things you have identified. What steps can you take to overcome the challenges? Do you need to get more education? Do you need to build more networks? In what little ways can you raise money? While you may not be able to identify all, but you run a lower risk of discouragement and letting negative thinking set in if you are prepared. It’s also important to note that the exercise is not for you to identify and dwell on the obstacles, but you’re brainstorming for solutions.

Diligently pursue. Every thought must be followed by a diligent pursuit. You must persistently apply yourself; time and resources to investigating, researching, gaining additional knowledge and cultivating the idea inspired within you to a reality. Diligence is the basic law of success and achievement. Whatever you invest yourself into will in return give back to you in multiple measures. The exercise is not just to think differently, but also to take charge of your life. Don’t procrastinate. Start immediately. Remember always that tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man.

Be enthusiastic. Let your thoughts about your new life excite you so much that you act as though it were already. When asked about it, don’t be negative, don’t speak against what you want, but speak with confidence and enthusiasm. Let your excitement and earnest expectation be heard in your words and seen in your action. Charles F. Kettering said, “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.”

Dear Friend, think big! Always remember that the quality of  the life that you have is the quality of the mind you carry. You attract the material equivalent of your most dominant thoughts. Therefore, never let your circumstances determine how you think, because whatever thoughts become dominant in your mind will eventually recreate itself in your reality. Rather take charge of your thoughts and watch your life change.

Stay Inspired

Uhanan Mimi

GETTING BETTER EVERYDAY

Have you ever sat down and wondered how blessed you are. When I think about my life, all I see is God's blessings. Every detail, every person, every goal, every dream that have entered my life has always worked out for my good. One thing you must understand that it is not me who is great, it is the God that lives in me that is great.
Where would most of us be without the favor of God. Whether you believe or not, there is something special about you for a reason. Whether it is Allah, the Universe, God or Jehovah, at one point in time their divine presence was felt in your life. That is why you must honor yourself, you are the child of true royalty. When things seem a bit difficult, close your eyes and just envision yourself enthroned in the most beautiful jewels and clothes. Envision yourself living the life you have dreamed of for so long. Your thoughts are very powerful. For the Bible says in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." The things you constantly think about will materialize itself into your actions and how you perceive yourself. If you repeat over and over, I am great...I am blessed...I am the I am because of the I AM, you will raise yourself to a higher level of spiritual understanding.
I am here not because of my might, not because of my power but by the favor and grace of Jesus Christ. He has provided me with the tools to create the life that I envision for myself. He has prepared me for every battle that may come. He has adorned me with every good thing so that I may not lack. I do not look at my present as my defining moment, but my present is only a glimpse of the great things that are sure to come. You may wonder, why I am so confident that these things will come to pass? Because, whatever I loose here on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Like I stated before the mind is a powerful thing.
I hope that you will find something that you believe in that will direct your path and make it clearer for you to see. For I have found mine and embraced it fully, and hope that you too will experience such a feeling that transcends all knowledge and power.Happy new year!

Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

HOW TO BE A WINNER

It was a chilly cold evening the moon was out,the house was quiet as always.I was so tired but felt the urge to wine down having had a long busy day. I sunk into the sofa glazing at and admiring the full moon hoping I would doze off; that didn’t work so I grabbed the remote controls and switched on the television. I could hear myself saying I hate television but then I heard a little voice on the other side of me saying watching television is only 90% unproductive which is I have 10% productivity television time to play with ! You see… I had reduced my television watching a few years back and I have enjoyed engaging in what I call living a productive life .I often wonder how some people could spend 80% of their life watching television . Anyhow having spent about ten minutes flicking through the channels I came across How to get what you want broadcasting on Sky One. At first I was hesitant to stay tuned but then had a glimpse at the synopsis of the programme. Bingo! it sounded good so I dashed off to the kitchen, made myself a nice cup of hot choclate and got all excited  and began watcing and taking notes.Here's a summary of what I picked from the show.To Become a Winner amongst others is about:

Being positive
Being confident.
Being optimistic but not pessimistic.
Being open minded this can lead us to new opportunities.
Being able to Thinking differently.
Being able to spot and identify opportunities where others don’t.

It takes Drive,Determination and Execuction. It is advisable to start off initially with baby steps as needed and be consistent coupled with the right attention to details to become a winner .

They went on to talk about giving attention to details and highlighted the need to know our strengths and weakness and where to direct our energy. Do your SWOT (Strength, Weakness Opportunities and Threats). Looking deeply at your SWOT allows you to identify areas that needs work, in order to move on and attain this goal of become a winner. For instance, ' T ' which represents threats - could mean lack of confidence. If that’s the case then doing nothing, is not the solution but to persistently work on building confidence is.How to Become a Winner How to Get what you want .

1, Hard work; here they gave an example of 100,000 hours of practice. Although it sounds crazy but these hours contribute a great deal as we build up on them ; we perfect our skills with practice !

2, Exhibiting the true characteristics of a winner by being confident, presumptuous and charismatic.They gave a lovely example in football of Jose Mourinho, ex-manager of Chelsea who showed such courage and fearlessness in securing the English football premiership back to back (twice).He confidently predicted his success even before winning these accolades.

3, Stay on track! Keep the fire burning and maintain the momentum!

4, Visualization, Be a big picture thinker and project your hope into the unknown future. This is a skill I am confident works and I am now perfecting myself in this area.

So guys this is just about most of what I have picked up watching How to Become a winner; It does not always have to be linked to Wealth & Fortunes! I personally feel it could also be strongly linked to anything from helping others to being in good health and happiness. The other side of winning is losing and that does not make anyone a loser; it’s just a fact of life! Most winners have lost in the past but are able pick themselves up and not dwell on their loss. So when we do lose it is an opportunity to put our loss into perspective, regroup, be realistic, learn from it and move on.. That’s the winner attitude!

So if you do have (Sky 1) remember to tune in, each series is different and I believe it will be informative and educational. Use a search engine (preferably Google) to acquire the viewing times in your area. Otherwise I hope the above has given you some insight into to how to become a winner.

Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

PERSISTENT PRAYER

When I lost my aunt 2 years ago, the inevitable question in my heart was whether she would have lived if I had shown greater faith. I lived with significant guilt that I never showed her how much I appreciated her much more than I did before her death. I remember crying at midnight, praying and pleading with God to strengthen her and spare her life throughout that period but in spite of everything, she died. Rather than bringing hope; every sermon I heard on healing was like salt on an open wound. Now I felt spiritually attacked and harassed whenever I read verses about Jesus healing the multitudes or verses like Isaiah 53:4 and James 5:15. And I was convinced my prayers were powerless.To be honest, I tried to hide behind the cliche that God knows best  but deep down inside me I was angry at God.- yes I was.The attributes and expectations I had set upon God were not fufiled and the almighty and powerful God  obviously had some situations beyond his control. 

Our spiritual enemies want nothing less than to convince us that God is far-off, distant, and unwilling to respond to our prayers. In situations like this, we are tempted to doubt God’s existence, His love and promises instead of Trusting and counting on His blessings in the past and on His character. From our human perspective, God’s response or lack thereof can make the lies of our spiritual enemies feel real. But God wants us to persist in prayer (Luke 11:9- 10). Not because we want to get our way. Not because He’s hard to please. Not because He delights in our pain. Persistence has a way of purifying our lives of any idolatry. Ultimately, prayer means acknowledging that only God is God. He wants us to give Him our everything, and He wants to be our everything.
Prayer isn’t supposed to be simply a crisis response or a passing thought. It’s a position of consecration before the Lord, a place of continued dwelling, or as Colossians 4:2 reminds us,an act of devotion.Prayer is not just what God does for you, other people and situations.Prayer is also about what God does in you.If you keep praying, even when the heavens seems like brass and God seems as deaf as a post then that it the time you grow in your faith.Although you may not see that particular prayer answered,you do see God's work in your heart and in you life in a far deeper way.Finally,I realised from this experience that prayer pays off  because we grow closer to God and have better understanding of his will.  Persistent prayer means staying facedown until we see God’s answer -not necessarily the answer we want.

Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

FINDING EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ADVERSITY

When we are suffering it is very difficult, if not impossible, to see the “light at the end of the tunnel”. But, it is there. You will get through it. And, in time your wounds really will be healed.Can something good come out of adversity? Often in the face of adversity, we are unable to see anything through our pain. The only thing we can think about, are questions. Why is this happening to me? How will I go on? How will I survive? These are all reasonable questions, and in the depth of your pain you will ask them, and more. But, there are no answers to these questions. Only after you realize this, will you be able to go on, and let go.We can not turn away from our pain. It is very important that we feel all our feelings during these times of adversity and heartache. Denying our pain, or denying our feelings, will not benefit us in any way. In fact, it will only prolong our troubles. But, if we look at our situation, and face our problems head-on; we will triumph.

You may feel like you are losing the “battle”; but when you push through your battle, you come out on the other side the winner of your “war”. That is because you are empowered when you conquer life’s toughest battles. Only at these times of empowerment do we grow into the people we are meant to be. Think about that for a minute. Who would you be right now; if it wasn't for the adversity you have been through in your life?
For me personally, I wish I had never had to go through many of the painful events of my life; loss, disappointment, break -up, illness, betrayal, (just to name a few). But, I also know that I would not be who I am today, had I not. My past heartache, and my past pain, is what make me the compassionate person that I am today. And in retrospect, I don’t think I would want to be the kind of person, who knows no hardships. It’s because of these hardships that I appreciate every thing I have, even the little things that most people take for granted.I can now see that my past adversity has truly been a blessing in my life. I don’t look forward to future adversity, however I know it will come. When it does come, I will have the knowledge of my past strength to help me overcome, and once again triumph.
I hope that everyone will be able to one day look at their past  pain, to find their empowerment.
Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

BE A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE

I Just finished watching the movie"One night with the king"yet again.The movie is based  and depicts the story of Esther that most of us are familiar with and all I could make out from the story was that she was a woman of substance.
Who is a woman of substance? A woman of substance is someone whose life has meaning and purpose. She lives life with intention, love and passion. Material wants do not define her, they only accentuate what is already there. She does not need material wealth to feel content. Her material wealth is only an outward sign of an inward work done solely by God. She epitomises the meaning of "walking prosperity" because she is indeed blessed.Are you a woman of substance? What defines you? Is it your success, achievements, passion, wealth, marriage, children? What makes you a woman? All these questions and more are important to think about. As women especially young women we need to cultivate positive attitudes and habits that will help us to grow into well-rounded individuals. We have so much to offer to the world; our talents and gifts should not be jeopardised by our failure to realize our potential.
Women should run from being inundated with physical beauty and material wants...outward beauty is a sign of an inward work. What profits a woman if she is wealthy and covered with diamonds but yet she is empty? You cannot contribute the bags and shoes you wear to the world..The world needs substance! A smart woman is a treasured woman. The world does not need another pretty woman..we need pretty intelligent women! Women who will take a seat at the table of change. Who will contribute their voice and energy to making this world a better place. We need more women who will not be afraid to stand up and say, "As a woman it my responsibility to pave the way for other women."My question to you is what do you have to offer to the world? What mark are you going to leave? What do you want your legacy to be?
Stay Inspired
Uhanan Mimi

HOW DO WE FIND MEANING IN LIFE ?

Just a little bit of existential philosophy/therapy; the beauty of this aspect of philosophy is its emphasis on human’s freedom, choices, responsibility and problems that arise with existence. We may often  be caught-up with the busyness of the day where sometimes we become overwhelmed, anxious , stressed and have no time to question what this all means for us or what we want from life.Existential philosophy explores some of its themes viz-a-viz.

Freedom: is an essential principle of existentialism, our freedom to choose allows each of us to transcend the immediate circumstances of our life, we done. have to be victimized by nature, others or self unless of course this freedom is underdeveloped or denied.
Responsibility: with freedom comes the assumption of full responsibility for what we become. Nothing or no one can be blamed for who we are. Freedom and responsibility are inseparable.People must accept responsibility for directing their own lives.

Choices: The comportment in which we live and what we turn out to be are as a result of our choices.

Existence: One can distinguish 4 dimensions of human existence, the physical, social, psychological and spiritual. On each of these dimensions people encounter the world and shape their attitude out of their particular take on their experience. Our orientation towards the world defines our reality. The four dimensions are obviously interwoven and provide a complex four dimensional force field for our existence. We are stretched between a positive pole of what we aspire to on each dimension and a negative pole of what we fear.

What I love about this branch of philosophy is its flexibility. It acknowledges our freedom to think , explore self subsequently arriving with our own meanings .It philosophizes that the essence of human existence lies in searching for meaning and purpose.Meaning in itself is however,not automatic.We must seek it .We must trust ourselves to search from within and find our own answers.In addition,life is not meaningful in itself; the individual must create and discover meaning.
Stay Inspired
Uhanan Musa