Naija Bus Tickets At Oya.com

Here is a good news from Nigeria, you can now buy your intercity bus tickets online through Oya.com.ng.
Oya.com.ng is Nigeria's largest online bus tickets service with operations across the nation. Nigerian can now save themselves from the stress of long queues and other hassles associated with bus travel by placing a call to Oya.com care lines or visit their website to book for their ticket .
Customer have the option of:
- Choosing their bus seat
- Booking return tickets (at a discounted rate)
- Comparing prices
- Choosing from amongst multiple bus operators, boarding points and timings

Image Of The Day: Wedding Cake

Lesson: Cut your coat according to your size (pocket)

8 Successful Women Who Were Once Fired

Most people who have made it to the top of their field have hit some roadblocks along the way, such as failed projects, bad bosses and being passed over for a promotion.

What about those who were actually fired, and worked their way up from the bottom again?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for adult women is 6.5 percent. Over 500,000 U.S. workers were laid off in 2012. Getting fired happens, for reasons ranging from the practical to the purely ridiculous. But losing your job does not mean that your future is over.

Here are eight women who have been let go from jobs, but didn't let it stop them from finding huge success later on.

1. J.K Rowling

According to Business Insider, Rowling was fired from her job as a secretary because she spent too much time daydreaming about book ideas. Clearly that daydreaming served her very well down the road when she wrote the "Harry Potter" series.

2. Anna Wintour

In October 2010, Wintour spoke about losing a job early on in her career at Teen Vogue conference, telling the audience: "I worked for American Harper's Bazaar ... they fired me. I recommend that you all get fired, it's a great learning experience."

3. Kate Walsh

Before the "Private Practice" and "Grey's Anatomy" star got into showbiz, she was fired from her after-school job at Burger King. "The assistant manager didn't like me!" she told People magazine.

4. Kerry Washington

In May 2013, the "Scandal" actress revealed that she had a number of "heartbreak moments" before gaining success. "Before 'Scandal,' the only other two pilots I'd ever done were shows that got picked up, but I got fired," Washington said at theHollywood Reporter's Emmy Roundtable. "They recast my character on both shows." We're glad she stuck it out anyway.

5. Oprah Winfrey

The queen of daytime television was once fired from her job as a news reporter for Baltimore’s WJZ-TV. “I was removed from the 6 p.m. news exactly April 1, 1977,” Winfrey told the Baltimore Sun in 2011. “The general manager called me upstairs, and I thought it was an April Fool’s joke when they told me, ‘We have bigger plans for you; we’re going to put you on the morning cut-ins.’”

6. Felicity Huffman

The "Transamerica" and "Desperate Housewives" actress was fired from TV sitcom"Thunder Alley" in 1993. She went on to win a number of awards including an Obie in 1995, an Emmy in 2005, and a Golden Globe in 2006. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

7. Monica Potter

The "Parenthood" actress was fired from her role on "The Young And The Restless.""I was fired because I was terrible," she said in a 2010 interview. Lesson: when you fail, it's always best to have a sense of humor about it.

8. Sallie Krawcheck

Krawcheck, often called one of Wall Street's "most powerful women," was fired from her high-level position at Bank of America in 2011. She is now a business leader at 85 Broads. “I got grateful when I got fired,” Krawcheck said at the Third Metric conference in June 2013. “I said ‘how many people get to get fired and it’s on the front page of The Wall Street Journal?’”

Culled from Huff Post

Rhyme Of The Day: Ise Loogun Ise

Did anybody remember this rhyme? If you do, then you are from 'Alawiye' set (meaning you don tay small). However, the words of this rhyme is ever relevant and it emphasised on the importance and beauty of hard work. It is written by J.F Odunjo, the author of  Alawiye series and other Yoruba novels such as Kuye : Itan omo odi ti eda ro pin.

Check out the meaning below:

Work is the antidote for poverty

Work smart my friend

Work brings Success

When there is no one to rely on, its like we are lazy

When there is no one to trust, we focus more on our work

Your mother might be rich,

Your father might own a thousand and one horses

If you rely on them,

In truth, you might be on sinking ground

Your arm is your family, while elbow are like your extended family

If you are loved by the world today

If you are rich, they will love you tomorrow as well

Or you in an exalted position

People will keep on cheering you

If you unfortunately lose money or position

See how people will turn their back on you

There is suffering for the foolish child

There is sorrow for a wayward child

Do not waste your formative years, my friend

Work hard because time wait for no one

*Hard work does not kill, wrong work does- Bishop David Oyedepo*

“I Asked the Lord to Make It Clear!” Read Lola Akindele’s Narration of How She Got Confirmation of Dayo Busari Being “The One”

Read the amazing love story of Lola Akindele and his beau, my home boy, Dayo Busari. It is so inspiring.

How We Met
Before I start, I just want to say that I actually started writing this testimony early last year, before I got my breakthrough, for I believe in doing things in faith as I knew that God would surely deliver His promises. I then completed writing the testimony after the breakthrough had actually come to pass…which happened about 6 months after I had started writing it.

At the end of July 2010, I had just come back from a holiday with my sister and friends and I was also rounding up my dissertation for my masters program. I was ready for the next stage of my life and I prayed for God to reveal my future husband, as I didn’t want to be lead astray by some of the guys in my life who had shown interest at that time.

I decided to do a week of prayer and fasting for God to please lead me to my future husband and to give me a discerning spirit throughout the whole process.

Being 26 years old, from the age of 16 up until I was 23, I had had 3 different boyfriends at different stages throughout that time. The reason for breaking up with each one however, had always been the same.

None of them could understand or accept my views on having no sex until marriage (even though they said they were fine with it at first). I had made this decision when I was 13 at my old church, KICC, after reading Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo’s book, “Let’s Talk About Sex” and it’s a decision that God has allowed me to keep, by His Grace.

So this time, I really needed God to bring the man that He had already destined for me to be with and not someone who I wanted to chose with my own reasoning.

The first day of my fast for the week was in August which was the first day that Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo had given out his mobile number for people to call him, just before IGOC 2010. My mother encouraged me to call him and so I did. I told Pastor Matthew my prayer points regarding my future husband and we both prayed for a discerning spirit so that I would know the right one whom God has chosen for me.

Strangely, throughout that week, I randomly received messages and calls from my ex boyfriends, telling me that they still wanted to be with me etc – but I was able to dismiss their advances without being drawn back in. Furthermore, for each of these ex boyfriends, God revealed things to me about them that were warning signs, confirming that He did not want me to be with them.

On the last day of my week of fasting I received a message from an old friend from University called Dayo. We had studied at Queen Mary’s together in 2006, until he left for a different university (UCL) where he completed his masters program. We occasionally kept in touch from time to time. But at this point, we hadn’t spoken for a while and I didn’t know his intentions and was not prepared to ‘waste’ time with another guy who was not ready to deal with my views on abstinence, so I ignored his message without blinking an eyelid.

Surprisingly, later that day, my mother randomly asked after him, saying that she hadn’t heard me mention him for a while. I was shocked and told her that he had actually sent me a message that morning. She urged me to reply to his message, which I did reluctantly.

He Was The Answer to My Prayers
We eventually started speaking, and when I asked why he had decided to contact me after so long, I learned that for some reason, after such a long time, he just felt an inexplicable urge to send me a message on the morning that had turned out to be my last day of prayer and fasting.

And thus began the start of something good. Until the night after our second date, when we were speaking on the phone and I asked him which church he attended. It was at this point that he went silent on the phone. He then said he had something to tell me, something that he had wanted to tell me face to face. I urged him to go on and that’s when he finally told me that he was a Muslim!

I honestly felt like I’d been slapped in the face by a mighty wave of shock and disbelief. Nevertheless, I simply informed him that we would just have to be friends and that as a believer in Christ, there would be no way that our relationship could go further towards the road of marriage.

I informed my parents and they supported my decision, however, I could feel a strong urging in my spirit, telling me not to break up our relationship and to just stay where I was with him. Of this I was certain but what I was not certain of was of how God wanted this to go. Was I just supposed to be a friend to him who would introduce him to Christ and after a period of time we would go our separate ways?

Angelic Intervention
It was not until January 2011 that God began to speak to me so clearly. At the start of January, I awoke at 3am to a bright light shining in my bedroom. There, standing by my wardrobe was a very tall angel dressed in sparkling white robes.
I was so afraid and I could feel a strange sensation surging through my body that would cause me to shake, like my whole body was vibrating and shock waves were going through me but at the same time it was a beautiful feeling.

And then the angel spoke to me. It said that God has seen that I’ve been worried about Dayo being a Muslim, but that I shouldn’t worry about it because in the Lord’s own time, He will bring Dayo to Christ and that the Lord has called for us to be together as husband and wife.

I was shocked, afraid, amazed and glad all at the same time. I couldn’t even speak and the Holy Spirit instructed me to write everything down that the angel had told me. I also wrote down the date and time that it happened and told my family about the visitation.

I was so happy. I had no clue when Dayo’s salvation would take place or when our wedding would be but I trusted in the Lord and even bought my wedding dress and started making wedding plans.

After this, for the next two years, every night at 3am, I would be awoken by the Holy Spirit and be taken to Heaven where I would spend time with the Lord and He would tell me various things about what would happen in my life in the future, as well as about the relationship that he had planned for Dayo and I.

One of the key things that Jesus told me during one of my visits was that He himself would bind Dayo and I together with cords of love that cannot be broken and that we will be joined together when we are made of the same material.

At one point in 2011 the Lord told me that when Dayo gives his life, a sign will take place and that sign would be: one of the elders in my church will come up to me after I have taught my Sunday school class, and enquire of Dayo and the wedding plans.

I wrote and documented everything down, sharing the Lord’s messages with my family but not with Dayo, as the Lord had said that I was not to reveal these things to him. That He himself would reveal Himself to Dayo so that all of the Glory would go to God and not to any man.

Each time that God spoke to me, I would feel that same sensation of shock waves surging through my body and His voice would sound like thunder in my ears, so loud and mighty but also very distinctly clear and full of love.

Deeply Spiritual Revelations
It was fantastic being so close to God and knowing that He truly does care about the individual lives of His people. However, it was also a very hard period in my life, when my faith was tested time and time again and when I was receiving words of doubt from certain people around me and even threats of being disowned because of my relationship with Dayo, I would cry and ask God ‘why is this happening to me? Why couldn’t I just be with a good man from church, where I would have none of these complications’.

But God is so faithful. And He always has a plan. Just before my 25th birthday last year, an angel came to my bedside, bringing a loaf of bread for me to eat. The Holy spirit explained to me that the bread is the Word of the Lord and that dwelling on the Word will bring strength to my spirit.The word of the Lord is the bread that sustains us and that is exactly what kept me going through what was set to be like the lowest point during the two year period of waiting on the Lord for Dayo’s salvation. It was a couple of days after the angel had brought me the bread, that my father had informed me that Dayo had asked for my hand in marriage – and that he had objected to it.

It was at this point that I cried out to the Lord and asked Him for help. I couldn’t stop crying. Then I remembered that the word of the Lord is my strength. Like Hezekiah who laid out his letter before the Lord, I wrote a letter to God, reminding him of His promises regarding Dayo’s salvation and our marriage – and I took the letter to the Lord in prayer and placed it in my Bible by Psalm 27, which states that we should wait patiently on the Lord.

Since the Lord had already told me about Dayo’s salvation, I needed to know if He wanted us to be married first and then Dayo would be saved -or if he was to be saved first, before we were to be married. So I asked the Lord to please make it clear. I did not tell anyone about what I had asked of the Lord that night, yet the next morning, my mother came to me saying that she had had a dream last night, where the Lord was wiping away my tears and comforting me, telling me that He knows that I want Dayo and I to be married now but that I must wait for his salvation first . I was so amazed when she told me and I then revealed to her that I had asked God for a sign regarding this the night before.

I knew that for certain, when God decrees a thing, it will surely come to pass. Exactly 3 months after this, on a Friday, Dayo informed me that he had finally finished reading a book called The Shack, that I had given to him almost 18 months previous to this time, which helped him to understand the God Head and the dynamics of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Dayo’s Salvation
That very same night, my mother had a dream that the time for Dayo’s salvation was now. At 3 am, she woke up everyone in my family and told us to pray for Dayo, for his salvation was almost at hand.

I prayed, believing in God’s promises but also having a slight sense of doubt and despair, for I knew that the past two years had been so difficult. Furthermore, at this point in time, Dayo and I had taken a break, as I wanted him to seek Christ and the truth for himself, and to not accept Christianity just because of me or to just accept Islam because he had grown up in a Muslim home.

I explained that the truth is found in having a true personal experience and relationship with God for yourself and then you will truly know which is the right way to follow God.

God told me that He would put spiritual wings behind Dayo’s ears so that when He calls him to salvation, he would hear and know that Jesus truly is the Lord and to God be the glory, the very next night, after my mother’s dream, Dayo gave his life to Christ and he later explained that he had had a dream that revealed the truth of Christ to him.

The next day was a Sunday…and it was the week that I was scheduled to teach my Sunday school class. And in accordance with the Lord’s perfect promises, after the service, as I was walking out of Sunday school, the very same elder that God had told me about over a year ago, approached me as I was leaving and asked me about Dayo and the wedding, just as God said it would happen.

Straight after I had spoken to this elder, my Pastor, Pastor Ashaye called me aside, saying that he wanted a meeting the next week to discuss the progress regarding Dayo’s salvation. At this point I hadn’t told him about Dayo’s salvation yet and I truly knew that God was moving.

I can only give God the glory because it’s all by His doing. His plans for us will never fail and His pure love for us goes beyond anything that we could imagine.

I am truly grateful to God for blessing me with a man who, despite not being a Christian before, still respected my love for Christ and my views regarding no sex before marriage – a view that even my ex Christian boyfriends could never accept.

God has blessed me with the man of my dreams and brought me my true prince. In fact, at a time when I questioned God about His decision to bring me a Muslim man instead of a Christian, and I was beginning to feel envious of typical young ladies who found their husbands in Church, God’s exact words to me were: You have your prince in Dayo.

I truly bless the Lord for His faithfulness and I thank God for the encouragement and support of my close friends, my siblings, my father and especially my mother, because God revealed things concerning Dayo’s salvation to her and her support throughout it all has been an incredible blessing.

The Glory of My Success
My prayer is that each and everyone of us will never leave the path that God has laid out for us, for when we are in right standing with the Lord, He will surely speak to us and direct us in our lives.

And for all the women and young ladies who are trusting in God for their future spouse, my prayer is that we will always put it into the Lord’s hands. He will surely tell you if He does not agree with you being with a certain individual but the choice will always be ours to either follow His perfect will for our lives or not.

Furthermore, the Lord has blessed me with the ability this year, to complete and publish my first book “Papa’s LITTLE Girls”, which shows the love that God has for His daughters, no matter what they go through in their relationships with men.

This relationship between God and His daughters and their focus on the opposite sex has now become one of the key aspects of my research for my PhD course and I thank God for filling me with the passion to be a mentor to young ladies and to encourage them to love Christ first, before any man.

I give the one and only true Lord, Jesus Christ, the highest praise, as He continues to direct and guide Dayo and I in our Christian faith together as we prepare for our wedding.

Culled from Bella Naija

I Used To Hawk Akara And Agidi in Ajegunle Says Don Jazzy

Don Jazzy has join the likes of Timaya, that once hawks stuffs on the street at a point in their life. According to him, he normally hawk agidi,akamu and fried yam around Ajegunle neighbourhood with his brothers before 'God do makeover' for them.


Read his tweets below,

How to Motivate Yourself to Do Anything by Robert D. Smith

You know exactly what you need to do. You’re focused on all the positive outcomes that will result once you’ve finished that looming task. You’ve cleared your calendar so you can focus on completing this one thing.



And then nothing happens.

Why? Because you think you need motivation. You’re waiting on a spark, on inspiration to fly out of nothingness and smack you in the face.

Well, I hate to break it to you…but if this sounds like you, you’re going to be waiting for a long time. Possibly forever. Because here’s the reality—motivation, as you know it, is a myth. Here are three reasons why.

Why External Motivation is a Myth

1. Motivation never comes before productivity.

Think about it. When do you feel more motivated? Before you start on a huge project, or after you’ve spent a little time really digging into it and getting more clear on your direction? 

Starting something big and new always brings on a little nervousness. We tend to think things like, What are people going to think about this? Can I actually pull it off?

But once you take action and start being productive, the creative energy kicks in. You get excited, and you want to do more. That’s when the real motivation happens. So remember, productivity is not, as most people think, a product of motivation. Motivation is a product of productivity.

2. You control the way you feel.

William James, the father of modern psychology, has a quote that I remind myself of on a daily basis: “I don’t sing because I’m happy; I’m happy because I sing.”

In this case, we could just as easily say that you aren’t productive because you’re motivated; you’re motivated because you’re productive. 

Your ability to become motivated is not controlled by anything external. Sure, external things can motivate you for small chunks of time, but real, lasting motivation is only achieved when you pull it out of yourself with sustained, intentional action.

3. There are no secrets when it comes to motivation.

This is not the first article ever written on the subject of finding ways to motivate yourself, and it won’t be the last. Entire industries have been built on a foundation that says they have the magic secret that will get you off your butt and into action.

The simple fact is that the only secret in existence is what you’ve known all along—work hard. And keep ...
doing it. Try it one way and get some feedback. Come back at it from another angle. Make a list, make a phone call, write an email. Break down all the “must-do” tasks into manageable 15-minute chunks and start attacking them with massive action.
If you do those things, you will never find yourself in a position where you’re searching for motivation. You will be in a natural state of perpetual momentum. And you certainly won’t need any motivational “secrets” to help you.

For over 30 years, I’ve had to hold back outburst after outburst as the New York Times best-selling author/speaker I manage, Andy Andrews, has been labeled over and over as a “motivational” speaker. Both of us, especially Andy, cringe when we hear that term.

Speakers, books, and audio programs can teach you, but they simply cannot motivate you.

So the next time someone tells you they have the secret to staying motivated, run! The secret already lies within you. It’s called doing something. Repeat after me—increase your productivity, then the motivation will follow. 

Meet Adalia Rose: A Six-year-old Girl With Body of An Old Woman

Six-year old Adalia Rose with her mother Natalia Amozurrutia

Adalia Rose is 6-years-young, but she has a condition that makes her look much older. She suffers from a rare genetic disorder called progeria, which causes premature aging in children, that is making her tiny body age several times faster than normal. The illness means she weighs just 14lbs - about the same as her baby brother Marcelo. She is bald and can be mistaken for a boy.

Adalia having fun with her baby brother

Adalia has not allow this to conquer her life, she has become an inspiration to millions. According to her webpage, ''At times when people find themselves down on their lives and feeling like they have no outlet to their problems, when they meet Adalia or see her on her Facebook, their lives change.  People have another out look in life when they meet Adalia or see her videos on Facebook''. A look at her Facebook page shows she have more than 6.7millions followers.

I'm the princess belle from beauty and the beast!

Like most six-year-old girls, Adalia Rose Williams loves to sing, dance,colour, play dress up and make-up. According to her webpage, ''she has a spirit out of this world, like no other and so unique.  Her beauty inside and out brightens her surrounding''. Adalia remains ever optimistic,  She wrote on one of her Facebook picture recently, "Everyday is a special day."

Watch Adalia singing below!




Source: www.adaliarose.com

Trusting Your Intuition: When To Listen To Your Gut -- And When Not To By Helen Fisher, PhD

That little voice that nudges you when you're stuck between two choices? It's real.

By Helen Fisher, PhD

You're faced with a difficult decision, and suddenly you feel the right answer in your gut. But while intuition may seem to arise from some mysterious inner source, it's actually a form of unconscious reasoning -- one that's rooted in the way our brains collect and store information.

As you accumulate knowledge -- whether it's about what books your spouse likes or how to play chess -- you begin to recognize patterns. Your brain unconsciously organizes these patterns into blocks of information -- a process the late social scientist Herbert Simon, PhD, called chunking. Over time your brain chunks and links more and more patterns, then stores these clusters of knowledge in your long-term memory. When you see a tiny detail of a familiar design, you instantly recognize the larger composition -- and that's what we regard as a flash of intuition.

This elaborate brain circuitry likely evolved so our forebears could size up a person or a situation quickly. Our female ancestors, in particular, needed this skill: They had to tune in to their infants to enable them to survive. And this helps explain why women today have an edge when it comes to reading people. So listen to your gut feelings instead of brushing them aside. Your intuition may not always steer you right, but it can be a useful first step in decision-making.

Listen to your intuition when you're ...

Doing something you're experienced in. Intuition is really learned expertise in disguise. So if you've played tennis your whole life, go with your instinct on the court instead of thinking through each stroke.

Considering getting a second opinion. "Listening to your body's signals can help prevent bigger health problems," says Judith Orloff, MD, a psychiatrist at UCLA and author of Second Sight. If your doctor dismisses a nagging symptom as "nothing serious" but you're still convinced there's something wrong -- go with your hunch.

Shopping for a home. Don't just endlessly analyze the financials; listen to your gut. Studies have found that purchasers are more satisfied with a big-budget item when the decision is made incorporating unconscious thought rather than by conscious deliberation alone.

Let your head decide when you're ...

Sniffing out a lie. "There are no easily detectable signs that indicate lying, so even if you're adept at reading people, you can't infer dishonesty based on the other person's gestures or behavior," says David Myers, PhD, author of Intuition: Its Powers and Perils.

Hiring someone for a job. If there's a contest between your positive gut feeling and what work samples and recommendations tell you, forget your gut. "Your intuition may be based on something superficial -- like whether the candidate reminds you of a close friend—that has nothing to do with performance," says Myers. -- Lauren Dzubow

8 Things Really Successful People Do By Kevin Daum

Most people claim to want success. But not everyone is willing to do the hard work and the smart work to get there. Often opportunities present themselves and because people are distracted, they miss them or give up on them before things fully develop.

Truly successful people don't leave much to chance. They are disciplined and focused. They constantly seek new methods to achieve more, in bigger and faster ways. Listed below are eight different practices that will help you concentrate your efforts on rising above the tide.

1. Make Materialism Irrelevant

Fancy cars and houses are all well and good, but many foolishly focus on the byproducts of success, rather than concentrating on building sustainable success in the first place. Establish a bare minimum for your material needs, and then you can enjoy the benefits of success, debt and stress free.

2. Enhance Knowledge

Success comes faster to those who are open, active learners. The higher up the success ladder you climb, the more complex the systems and opportunities that are presented to you. Absorb all the information you can and if you sense a gap you can't fill, connect with people who have the knowledge you need.

3. Manage Relationship Expectations

People in your life require time. Successful individuals attract folk and so they have to carefully regulate the time they can spend with others. It's hard to limit the time you share and still make people feel important. Make choices about the people who matter to you and determine how you each can get value from your interactions. Then make sure they understand your limitations so they don't take it personally when you can't be present.

4. Practice Emotional Self-Awareness

Not all successful people are calm and nice. In fact, many can be volatile. But most are very aware of their tempers and idiosyncrasies. They know how to use their emotions to get what they want from life and work hard to make sure feelings don't become a detriment. Know yourself and learn how to let your emotions work for you in positive ways.

5. Commit to a Physical Ideal

Everyone has a vision of their own perfect body. They don't have to be fashion models or athletes to be happy. But physical health is a consideration in their life and it's a big distraction when it gets out of whack. Determine the body you believe is worth working for and set a game plan to achieve and maintain it.

6. Gain Clarity About Spirituality

There are many highly successful people like Richard Branson and Warren Buffett who don't consider religion to be important or relevant. But they have a clear point of view as to the role spirituality plays in their life. Find your own way to be at one with the universe and be clear and deliberate in how you practice.

7. Adhere to a Code of Ethics

Really successful people live by rules. They may not be the rules of others, but consistency is important for them to maintain power and stability. Their individual view of how the world works is the basis for how they believe people should be treated and they will defend it until their dying day. Determine your ethical lines and broadcast them loud and clear so people around you know where you stand.

8. Focus on Time Efficiency

Prioritization is a key component of success. You can't reach your pinnacle if you are wasting time on distractions. Integration of activities frees up time for greater achievement. Spend your time on activities that are fun, enlightening and productive and soon you'll have gained hours to reap the benefits of success.

Ultimately, really successful people live their lives by design instead of default, so if you want to be one of them, dedicate time and effort to determining the plan for your preferred future and execute that plan in a focused and consistent manner.

Source: Huff Post

The Daily Habit Of These Outrageously Successful People

"Meditation more than anything in my life was the biggest ingredient of whatever success I've had." That's what Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates -- the world's largest hedge fund firm -- explained in 2012.

Dalio is in good company. More and more leaders in the corporate world have been taking note of the benefits of meditation, which include lower stress levels, improved cognitive functioning, creative thinking and productivity, and even improved physical health. A number of Fortune 500 companies, including Google, AOL, Apple and Aetna, offer meditation and mindfulness classes for employees -- and the top executives of many major corporations say that meditation has made them better leaders.

Ford Motor Company chairman Bill Ford and former Google.org director Larry Brilliant are also among the executives advocating the mindfulness practice. Here are 10 influential business leaders who say meditation has helped them achieve (and sustain) a high level of success.

1. Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO, News Corp

News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch recently tweeted that he was trying out Transcendental Meditation, a popular technique developed in the 1960s and followed today by famous practitioners like Oprah, David Lynch and Candy Crowley.

The media tycoon said on Twitter in April, "Everyone recommends, not that easy to get started, but said to improve everything!"

2. Padmasree Warrior, CTO, Cisco Systems

Warrior, the chief technology and strategy officer of Cisco Systems, meditates every night and spends her Saturdays doing a "digital detox." In her previous role as Cisco's head of engineering, Warrior oversaw 22,000 employees, and she told the New York Times in 2012 that taking time to meditate and unplug helped her to manage it all.

“It’s almost like a reboot for your brain and your soul,” she said. “It makes me so much calmer when I’m responding to e-mails later.”

3. Tony Schwartz, Founder & CEO, The Energy Project

The Energy Project CEO Tony Schwartz has been meditating for over 20 years. He originally started the practice to quiet his busy mind, according to his book What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America. Schwartz says that meditating has freed him from migraines and helped him develop patience, and he also advocates mindfulness as a way to improve work performance.

"Maintaining a steady reservoir of energy -- physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually -- requires refueling it intermittently," Schwartz wrote in a Harvard Business Review blog.

4. Bill Ford, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company

The Ford Motor Company chairman is a big proponent of meditation in the business world, according to Inc. Magazine. At this year's Wisdom 2.0 conference, Ford was interviewed by leading American Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield. Ford told Kornfield that during difficult times at the company, he set an intention every morning to go through his day with compassion. And to lead with compassion, Ford said he first learned to develop compassion for himself through a loving-kindness (metta) meditation practice.

5. Oprah Winfrey, Chairwoman & CEO, Harpo Productions, Inc.

An outspoken advocate of Transcendental Meditation, Oprah -- recently named the most powerful celebrity of 2013 by Forbes -- has said she sits in stillness for 20 minutes, twice a day. She's also brought in TM teachers for employees at Harpo Productions, Inc. who want to learn how to meditate.

After a meditation in Iowa last year, Oprah said, "I walked away feeling fuller than when I'd come in. Full of hope, a sense of contentment, and deep joy. Knowing for sure that even in the daily craziness that bombards us from every direction, there is -- still -- the constancy of stillness. Only from that space can you create your best work and your best life."

6. Larry Brilliant, CEO, Skoll Global Threats Fund

Larry Brilliant, CEO of the Skoll Global Threats Fund and former director of Google.org, spent two years during his 20s living in a Himalayan ashram and meditating, until his guru instructed him to join a World Health Organization team working to fight smallpox in New Delhi.

In his 2013 commencement address at the Harvard School of Public Health, Brilliant emphasized the importance of peace of mind, wishing the graduates lives full of equanimity -- a state of mental calm and composure.

7. Ray Dalio, Founder & Co-CIO, Bridgewater Associates USA

In a 2012 conversation at the John Main Centre for Meditation and Inter-Religious Dialogue at Georgetown University, Dalio said that meditation has opened his mind and boosted his mental clarity.

"Meditation has given me centeredness and creativity," said Dalio. "It's also given me peace and health."

8. Russell Simmons, Co-Founder, Def Jam Records; Founder of GlobalGrind.com

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons has long practiced Transcendental Meditation, speaking out about the benefits of the practice and sitting on the board of the advisors for the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace.

"You don't have to believe in meditation for it to work," Simmons wrote in a Huffington Post blog. "You just have to take the time to do it. The old truth is still true today, 'God helps those who help themselves.' My advice? Meditate."

9. Robert Stiller, CEO, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.

There is a dedicated meditation room at the Vermont headquarters of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., and CEO Robert Stiller himself is a devoted practitioner.

"If you have a meditation practice, you can be much more effective in a meeting," he told Bloomberg in 2008. "Meditation helps develop your abilities to focus better and to accomplish your tasks."

10. Arianna Huffington, President & Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post Media Group

And last but not least, Arianna Huffington described early-morning yoga and meditation as two of her "joy triggers" in a 2011 Vogue feature. Now, Huffington has brought meditation into her company, offering weekly classes for AOL and Huffington Post employees.

Huffington has spoken out on the benefits of mindfulness not just for individual health, but also for corporate bottom lines. "Stress-reduction and mindfulness don't just make us happier and healthier, they're a proven competitive advantage for any business that wants one," she wrote in a recent blog.

Source: Huff Post

The One Thing These Crazy Successful People Do Every Morning

Benjamin Franklin -- the original guru of self-control and productivity -- once said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Fast forward to today and rising early is still considered a common quality of highly successful people.

Much has been made of the benefits of being an early riser -- we're told that morning people are more proactive and get better grades, and that many of the most powerful CEOs wake up by 6 a.m. Early-risers, the experts claim, might also sleep better and feel happier.

Of course, it's important to note that waking up early shouldn't come at the expense of getting enough sleep: Adequate shut-eye is also an important component of success. Missing out on sleep has been linked to decreased productivity and problems focusing, among other effects.

We took a look at what some of the world's most successful people -- past and present -- do first-thing when they get up in the morning. Not everyone on the list is an early bird (Simone de Beauvoir said she "dislike[d] starting the day"), but they all know how to leverage their mornings to start working on a positive and productive note.

1. Barack Obama



Obama is a self-proclaimed night owl -- but he wakes up early to squeeze in a workout before getting in to the office at 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m.

"Health is obviously important to Obama," writes Robert Pagliarini of CBS News. "So much so that it's the first thing he does in the morning. He doesn't hope to squeeze in a workout if he has time, he ensures he has time by doing it first thing."

2. Anna Wintour



Before her daily blow-out at a quarter til seven to perfect that famous coif, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour reportedly starts her day with a rousing 5:45 a.m. tennis match, according to The Guardian.

3. Margaret Thatcher


The Iron Lady -- who famously ran on around four hours of sleep -- would stay up until two or three in the morning with her officials working on speeches, according to the BBC. But she would still be up by 5 a.m. to listen to "Farming Today," a popular broadcast program on BBC Radio 4. (While Thatcher is a suspected "short sleeper," skimping on sleep isn't healthy for the vast majority of people.)

4. Vladimir Nabokov


Like many writers, the prolific Russian novelist said that he liked to start his work first thing in the morning. He described his writing habits at his home on Lake Geneva in an interview with The New York Times in 1968:

“After waking up between six and seven in the morning, I write till 10:30, generally at a lectern which faces a bright corner of the room instead of the bright audiences of my professorial days," Nabokov told the Times (looks like someone was ahead of the standing desk trend). "The first half-hour of relaxation is breakfast with my wife around 8:30.”

5. Tim Armstrong


The AOL CEO told The Guardian that he gets out of bed immediately when he wakes up at 5 or 5:15 in the morning, either to answer emails or sneak in a workout.

"Historically, I would start sending emails when I got up," he told The Guardian in April. "But not everyone is on my time schedule, so I have tried to wait until 7 a.m. Before I email, I work out, read and use our products."

6. Gwyneth Paltrow




Health comes first for actress-turned-wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow, who wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to practice her asanas.

”I’m really not a morning person at all,” Paltrow told In Style. ”It’s just sheer determination. I’m very strict with myself. When I practice six days a week and eat clean food, I feel much better.”

7. Frank Lloyd Wright


The genre-defining architect came up with his best ideas between four and seven in the morning, according to Daily Rituals, Mason Curry's blog-turned-book about the routines of famous artists.

“I go to sleep promptly when I go to bed," Lloyd Wright explained to a friend, as documented in Daily Rituals. "Then I wake up around 4 a.m. and can’t sleep. But my mind’s clear, so I get up and work for three or four hours. Then I go to bed for another nap.”

8. Michelle Obama



Like her husband, Mrs. Obama puts exercise at the top of her morning to-do list. The First Lady told Oprah that she wants her daughters to see her as a woman who takes care of herself, even if it means waking up at 4:30 a.m. to do it.

"I just started thinking, if I had to get up to go to work, I'd get up and go to work," Michelle said in an interview for O Magazine in 2009. "If I had to get up to take care of my kids, I'd get up to do that. But when it comes to yourself, then it's suddenly, 'Oh, I can't get up at 4:30.' So I had to change that. If I don't exercise, I won't feel good. I'll get depressed."

9. Simone de Beauvoir


"The Second Sex" author and feminist thinker Simone de Beauvoir -- who professed to not being a morning person -- said she always started her day with a cup of tea before diving into writing.

"I'm always in a hurry to get going," she told The Paris Review in 1965. I first have tea and then, at about 10, I get under way and work until one."

10. Robert Iger


Disney CEO Robert Iger is also part of the 4:30 a.m. club, waking up bright and early to enjoy a little quiet time to himself.

"It’s a time I can recharge my batteries a bit," Igor told The New York Times in 2009. "I exercise and I clear my head and I catch up on the world. I read papers. I look at e-mail. I surf the Web. I watch a little TV, all at the same time.

All You Need to Know about Shalewa

“I Had To Tell Myself Everyday That I Was Not Salewa” Actress/Singer Tomi Odunsi Talks Acting in Hit Soap Opera ‘Tinsel’, Her Music Career, Style & More

Posted on Saturday, July 13th, 2013 at 2:29 PM

By Onos O

Tomi Odunsi came into all our lives as the very local ‘Salewa’, an estranged daughter in M-Net’s hit Soap Opera, “Tinsel”. And, as the show got bigger, so also did the young actress and singer turn into an audacious woman who has gotten our attention and plans to keep it that way.

With a budding music career and an exemplary acting one, this former head girl and one-time ‘Miss Teen Nigeria’ runner-up has a lot to prove to her fans and the world over that her talent is well-groomed and ready for any challenge.

Over the years, she has learnt to always give back and has a ‘Tomi Odunsi Initiative’ which helps inspire young talents. Whether she’s on your TV screen, at a live show, at my interview or just passing by, one thing’s for sure, her beautiful smile and infectious laugh will add a little extra spice to your day. 

Actors from TV series tend to have a hard time crossing over to the ‘big screen’. Do you have any ambition to hit the ‘big screen’ and how do you plan to make the transition?

Well, I have already started making the transition. Internationally, it’s very hard for a soap star to break into the movie industry but in Nigeria, I think people are more receptive so it’s a little bit hard especially when you are still doing what u do as a soap star but by your first two movies, I’m sure people will start to see you in a different light.

So, do you have a few movies lined up for Nigerian cinema?
Yeah. I have “In The Music” – it’s a musical. Since it is music and acting, I got to put my two elements in.Omawumi and Beverly Naya are also in it. And, my favourite guy, Bryan Okwara is in it as well as many other upcoming beautiful and talented young people.

I also have “Render to Caesar” with Omoni Oboli, Bob Manuel and Wale Ojo which is meant to come out this year so you should be expecting it.

NASCOM “Rhythm N’ Play” is the Nigerian government’s initiative to improve sports participation at the grassroots level. And, you recently got signed on as an ambassador. What does that title entail?
I got inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan as an ambassador to the “Rhythm N’ Play” campaign. I was honoured and I couldn’t believe that people really watch what I do every step of the way. I actually have an initiative, TOI (Tomi Odunsi Initiative) which is about inspiring young people to achieve greatness, to inspire global relevance through their talents and gifts.

So, when I was called as ambassador, I kind of felt like I had more responsibilities – the nation’s call. It felt called upon to do what I love doing so that it can also empower young people like me who are also starting out.

What are your duties as an ambassador?
Through my way of life, through what I’m doing now, I’m meant to inspire the youth and encourage them to go out and discover themselves in sports and music.

Why you? Would you consider yourself athletic or sporty?
I work out. I love to work out. It used to be dance, especially Salsa that I used to just keep fit but I’ve got a little too busy for it.

So, do you swim, play basketball or soccer?
Swimming – that’s the only I don’t do. I love to skip. I love to watch soccer in the stands live. I don’t like it on TV. If I’m there live, I can scream and shout and be myself.

Now, let’s find out who Tomi Odunsi was before Tinsel. Before your character, “Salewa” sort of took over your life.
Before everything, I was just simple head girl in my secondary school. I went to Adolpha private secondary school, along Badagry expressway. I was just a simple head girl who was dream to be a star one day. I actually was in the science class back then but wanted to do arts in university. So, after school, I went to contest for the Mrs. Robina-organized “Miss Teen Nigeria” and became the first runner-up. From there, I went on to the University of Lagos where I studied linguistics and African languages. I majored in the Yoruba language.

I’ve always been writing music so all while I was in school; I was doing a little singing. I have diaries of songs I’ve written.

After coming so close to the Miss Teen Nigeria Crown, did you consider going for the Miss Nigeria pageant?
(Laughs) Have you noticed? I’m short. I’m just 5”5’. It was just because I was slim and a teenager and people thought I would still grow. I was just a thing back then. It’s a girl’s dream because beauty queens were like princesses.

Who gave you the opportunity to turn from bedroom singer to an actual artiste?
I got signed on to be managed by Aboriginal Productions. This is way before Tinsel so my career in the limelight actually started with my music. The music was going well and I released two singles – “Mi O Le Think” and “Under” but I was an upcoming artiste so was going just waiting for my turn. During that period, I got involved in stage plays as well. I was on stage one day and the production crew for Tinsel were in the audience so they called me afterwards to come in for audition to see if I could play a character that they had been looking for. People had flown in from the UK to get this role and here I was getting an audition because they wanted someone who could sing as well. Right after the audition, they said that I was‘it’. But, I vividly remember my line producer telling me sternly that if I don’t pull off the character well, they would write her out of the soap. I took it very personal, like “No! They are not going to kill me”.

What did you do to make sure that your new character, “Salewa” would not ‘be killed’?
I put in a lot of work to make my transformation. In fact, I had to use my degree. That was when my degree was really important to me; it really helped. It wasn’t enough for me to just have studied it though because it was a different dialect and I had to know their way of life. So I went to the market at Ijora to do research with some of the fish-sellers from where ‘Salewa’ was from. I was there for a week. (Laughs) I just told them it was a school project so they wouldn’t tax me. I know how to cut fish now, the way they do.

Looking back now, in what ways would you say ‘Salewa’ has changed your life?
It has opened some doors. It has shown people a little of what I can do and I’m sure they expect more from me because that’s not all – she’s just one character. I am capable of a lot more. It has put me on a sort of pedestal for people to recognize my talent and that is very important for me. She has given me a platform for my starting point.

You switched from studying science to arts, got a music deal and then switched to acting. Was your family supportive of your career choices?
Yes, they have been all the way. My father used to be a musician and is now a music lecturer so when I was moving from science to arts; he just taught me how to finish what I start. So, even though I wanted to switch to arts, he told me to just finish with sciences first and take on arts in the university.

More recently, your character ‘Salewa’ on Tinsel has been given a more prominent role and has transformed into almost a completely different character. How did you pull off the move from the ‘razz Salewa’ to a slightly more sophisticated maturing one?
It was the hardest thing to do. It was a very tough point for me. As an actor, you’re meant to be very flexible and getting into character might not be easy but twisting your character into something else after she has been tested is very difficult. So, I just used my own experience when I was maturing and taking up responsibilities for myself and put that into the character. It wasn’t easy. I had to re-learn to speak normal English.

On a normal day, does Salewa’s English affect your own?
Yes, it does. It got to a point where I had to tell myself everyday, “I am not Salewa”. I couldn’t distinguish the difference between us because I had played the character for so long and so well. I have eaten and dined with her. I have slept on the same bed with her. I have experienced a lot of things with her. My closest friends, my sister and manager had to sit me down every once in a while to remind me who Tomi Odunsi is and who Salewa is.

At the end of the day, it’s left to you as an actor, to separate yourself from the character. So, during that period, I started to take roles in stage plays again so it could take me out of ‘Salewa’.

What distinguishes Tomi Odunsi’s style from Salewa’s?
Salewa isn’t fashionable. She needs to ‘swag up’. On the other hand, Tomi is that kind of person that loves to play dress-up. I love wearing fine clothes. It might not be too expensive but it has to be beautiful and fitting.

How would you describe your style?
Simple, but classy. I don’t like too much jewellery or make-up. I like to wear something I’m comfortable in but it’s very classy. Less is more.

In your most recent photo shoot, we saw a more mature, fiercer and sexy Tomi Odunsi; do you see yourself becoming a sex symbol?
Every woman has their sex appeal. Some could be very in your face and some could be subtle. And, I think I’m one of those people whose own is very subtle and it comes out naturally.

Who are your favourite African designers?
Deola Sagoe. I admire her so much. I love her work.

Which celebrities’ closets would you like to raid?
Eva Longoria’s; I would love to raid her dresses and jewellery.

Back to ‘Salewa’ for a bit, how old is she and how can you let the world know the difference between your character and yourself when you’re in other walks of life?
Salewa is a teenager. She’s growing to be a lady and finding the maturity a little difficult. She’s 18-ish. On the other hand, Tomi is in her mid-twenties and she’s well educated, multi-talented and has, what we call,the actor’s grace – This is when you can slide into any character, stay in there and maintain that character. That is one thing some people don’t know; that for you to believe I am ‘Salewa’,  I played the character so well, you really thought I was that person. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. So, that means, Tomi Odunsi is a hard worker. I don’t just sing; I have a beautiful voice. I write really well too. So, I’m not where I am just because I had the opportunity to, but because Tomi Odunsi has ‘it’ and I’m still doing the work.

There are actually jacks of all trades and master of all but they are very few out there. I’m not a jack of all trades but I have specific trades that I’m in and I can say that I’m mastering my art. I’m not all over the place. I have been trained to do this and will still do more training from my voice to my skill in acting. I’m improving on myself and getting better every day. Tomi Odunsi is a professional. Salewa is just one character that she played.

What’s your off-duty time like? What do you generally enjoy doing?
Watching TV and sleeping. I love Ellen DeGeneres. She makes me smile and cheers me up sometimes.

Hasn’t growing up in Lagos endeared you to its very vibrant night life?
Well, I do go out sometimes but I don’t do it unless people drag me out or work needs me there. I know how to do all the ‘disco dancing’. I’m good at salsa. I think I should find a partner and pick up my salsa again. It was exercise and it was also fun. But now, I have to go through a lot of stress therapy because you know acting is a lot more of mental work than it is physical. It’s a career for me. It’s not a joke. It’s my job. I act during the day and sometimes sing at night and in between those two, something has to be done to make what I’m doing great quality.

You said you were in your mid-twenties. So, with all this talk of a dance partner, do you feel any pressure to get yourself a life partner soon?
(Laughs) I think I’m very young. (Laughs) I don’t feel any pressure. I know what I’m doing. I’m focused and when that time comes, I’ll slide into it naturally. It’s not a goal for me.

 Now, let’s get to your music. What made you ‘revive’ your music career? 
I had written my new single “I Wan Blow” over a year and a half ago. I keep writing and recording, like I said, even without anybody seeing me. Sometimes, you just have to wait for the right time to re-launch yourself. I keep writing and I just find myself doing it. Music is not something I picked up again, it’s just something I had to keep underground so I could focus on ‘Salewa’ remaining alive (laughs).

Have you sold some of your songs or written for another artiste?
I haven’t done that yet. I’ve thought about it but I have to figure that industry out first. I write for myself right now. I’m not ready for that part of me quite yet.

The likes of M.I, Sani Danger and Ice Prince are also NASCOM ambassadors so should we be expecting any collaborations soon?
Definitely! We’re in talks.

What about Omawumi who starred with in “In The Music”?
All these things will come. You’ll get to see them.

Who would you like to work with?
I should be working with Tiwa Savage soon. Also, I should be working with M.I

Is there a chance you’ll be on M.I’s forthcoming “Chairman” album?
(laughs) Well, let’s see. It would be something I would love to do.

When and what should we be expecting the music video of “I Wan Blow”?
It is very fun. I played a little dress up.

What’s your most-played song on your playlist right now?
“Shout Out” by Tiwa Savage featuring Iceberg Slim and Sarkodie. I was actually there when the idea was coming out for it and seeing them bring it to life, has given me some kind of attachment to it. Besides that, it’s a brilliant song and I just catch myself putting it on repeat.

Do you have any celebrity crushes? Guys and girls?
Hey! I don’t do girls! (laughs) I’d rather crush on a normal person than someone that everybody knows.

What qualities do you like in a man?
It has changed over the years. At a point, he had to have a fair complexion. But, as of now, one thing I know for sure is that I like a man who knows what he wants, is firm and is focused. I like a man who knows what he wants and knows how to get it, especially if that ‘thing’ is me (laughs).

What is the most romantic thing a guy has ever done for you?
A guy took me up to a mountain top here in Nigeria, somewhere far away from home and screamed my name.

Which Nigerian celebrities do you look up to?
I really respect Genevieve Nnaji and Yinka Davies.

Different strokes for different folks; some people love indulging in shoes, jewellery or maybe even hair, what is your own impulsive weakness?
I love clothes. I love to mix and match stuff. I love to play dress up. Sometimes, I just call my friends over and we dance and sing and play dress up. Once, I even called over a photographer to do a random photo shoot for us. It was fun. I don’t really like makeup unless we’re playing dress up. My go-to look is to just have eyeliner on, fill up my brows and no powder even.

In that case, what’s your favourite shopping destination?
I always find what I love in Mobo’s and Distinctive trends.

Any words for your fans?
Keep believing!

Source: Bellanaija