Equipping young women professionals with young families to find fulfillment, contentment and joy as mothers and home makers without losing sight of who they are as women.

Volume 01, Issue 36: Success is Not Final

Many of us are not well prepared for success. We may have been so used to failure that we do not know how to behave when we succeed. A number of us get intoxicated with success. Some of us still, treat success as a destination. When we succeed we feel we have arrived. We want to park and bask in the glory of our achievement. We forget that the world has not stopped just to cheer us on.

Success is not final, it is a journey. It is a step on the staircase that reveals yet more stairs to climb. One success reveals more horizons for us to reach out for. One success is a foundation for the next success, and so on.

It is not time to relax and take glory, but time to strategize on what to know and do for tomorrow’s success. It is time to look at what went well and build on the past success. In fact, one success should impress upon us the urgency to work even harder for the next one.

Today’s success does not guarantee continued success or success in future. The crowning of success does little to advance your next goals. So don’t respond to success by slowing down. Step up your efforts instead. Let your awards inspire you to work even harder.

To have lasting success we must maintain the attitude of the starting point. The edge of zealousness we had to achieve, and the determination to outdo ourselves in the pursuit of our goals must not dull.

We must realize that the things and ways that brought us our current success will not necessarily sustain us or take us to the next level of success. We must innovate and come up with new creative ways of doing things. We must change with the times while maintaining the attitude of the starting point.

It is worth noting that success is not something that happens to us. It is something that happens in us. Our response to it determines how long it will last.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 01, Issue 35: You are a Lighthouse

The purpose of a lighthouse is to signal to ships out at sea that they are approaching the shore. Seeing the lighthouse signifies hope, a sense of relief; approaching the safety of the shore or a safe harbor.

You and what is inside you is like a lighthouse. The people having the challenges that you offer a solution for will see your lighthouse and come to you. When you position yourself and sharpen your skills, you will naturally attract those who need your craft.

Devote yourself to learn all you can in your area of brilliance and expertise. When you work on your craft, polish and hone it to perfection, the brighter it will shine and be seen much further and by many more people.

There’s need for focus and steadiness. If the lighthouse kept moving, it would not only be confusing but it would lose reliability and credibility. Don’t be everywhere. Stick to your craft. Work on your craft and understand the essence of what you are doing.

Quit trying to serve every ship out at sea, clients who are not perfect for you. Your brilliance is not targeted for everyone but a specific kind of people; and they are enough to keep you busy. There are people who are uniquely and specifically your clients because of the uniqueness of your craft.

The lighthouse does not go looking for boats and ships. It is the ships that look for the lighthouse. As you shine your light, your clients will find you just like that.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 01, Issue 34: Brand Your Brilliance

Each of us is wired with a unique set of gifts and talents. These are the things that you do easily and effortlessly; what you ‘just know’ how to do. They are the clues to the genius in you. It is your brilliance, what you can be the best at.

If you haven’t already, take it upon yourself to recognize, acknowledge and make use of your brilliance, knowledge and expertise. We often fall into the trap of doubting the relevance of our gift. We imagine it’s too ordinary to be of any benefit to anyone. Yet greatness is found in the ordinary things of life.

Appreciate the rarity and value of your brilliance and expertise. It’s rare because there’s only one of you. Be yourself and bring out your originality and uniqueness; your peculiarity and passion. Others may already be doing something similar but you are the freshness people are looking for. Your brilliance is valuable because it solves a problem for someone. Every gift is a solution to someone’s problem.

We are often tempted to copy what others are doing; to emulate the way of doing things of those who have succeeded. But this is a lost chase. People are not looking for a copy of what is already there. People are looking for a fresh touch, a unique view. And each of us has that because there’s only one of each of us. If only we embraced our uniqueness.

Don’t be intimidated by the progress of those who have gone ahead of you in the area of your gifting. When you do your things your way, competition disappears. There are people who are uniquely and specifically your clients because of your uniqueness.

Be not moved by the negative opinions of those who knew you before you embraced your brilliance, and don’t see what the fuss is all about. After all, your brilliance is not targeted for everyone but a specific category of people, enough to keep you busy. Harness your brilliance to attract the perfect clients for you.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 01, Issue 33: Build a Team

Do you find yourself trying to pursue your dreams single-handedly, thinking that you can pull them off all by yourself? The only dream that you may accomplish by yourself must be a really small dream. But why dare to dream if all you can dream is small? It does not take more effort to dream big than to dream small. So if you are going to step out and dream, dream big! This calls for an attitude of going for what you want, not what you think is possible.

Awaken the giant within you and dream big. Big dreams attract big people. Do what is necessary to create what you want. Make deliberate efforts for what you want. Once you get this rolling, invest in excellent relationships, relationships that will take you to where you want to go.

Greatness requires the support of others and valued teamwork. When we speak of greatness, it must refer to something bigger than we are and lives on after we are gone. It therefore requires more than just us to execute. One of our key roles is to inspire other like-minded people to the cause.

You must appreciate that you are not alone in what you are trying to accomplish and heed the urgency to build a team. Other people can help you do a better job than you would do single handedly. Identify them and begin to build vital relationships with them.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 01, Issue 32: The Price for The Prize

As we observe the crowning of achievers, we admire their success and long to see ourselves receiving the tributes and being celebrated. What we fail to embrace is that they did not wake up one day and found success. They recognized their God-given abilities, worked their tails off to develop them into finely honed skills, and used these skills to accomplish their goals.

It is not the will to win that matters. It is the will to prepare to win that matters. What price are you willing to pay for your dreams? Acknowledge that anything worth attaining takes hard work, and then name your price. Choose what you are willing to give up, to go up.

Achievers pay a price for the prize. They apply their learning and make the difficult changes. It’s easy to receive knowledge and continue doing business as usual. Applying our learning takes us out of our comfort zone. If you wish to not just applaud others but be applauded as well, declare it time for business unusual. Do whatever it takes to develop your skills and exploit your potential.

Every achievement has a different price to pay. When you choose to go against the grain, you risk being misunderstood. Make up your mind from the onset that you will persist and outlast your opposition. Value excellence and observe the hard work involved. Develop your character alongside your competence, for they are both equally important. In the face of adversity in the pursuit of your dreams, determine to live out the words of Maya Angelou who wrote that you may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated.

As you devote yourself to make a difference, don’t underestimate the power of unwavering diligence in achieving your goals. Work hard at what you do and embrace the discipline to stay in the process of what you want to be great at.

Lillian Chebosi