Buying
Because it goes against human nature to be patient, many people would spend the time whinging & moaning about the need to wait for what they thought should have been a straightforward meeting. Some would spend the time worrying about whether the meeting will still take place, whilst some would impatiently leave to do “other things”.
If you knew you had to wait for a few hours before having an extremely important meeting, what would you do to occupy the time?
Because it goes against human nature to be patient, many people would spend the time whinging & moaning about the need to wait for what they thought should have been a straightforward meeting. Some would spend the time worrying about whether the meeting will still take place, whilst some would impatiently leave to do “other things”.
It’s one thing to be sure of the meeting itself. It’s another thing to Buy-in to the waiting process.
Life’s opportunities present themselves in phases, and most times, the time lapse between one phase and another can seem like an eternity. In such cases, one is tempted to moan, get annoyed, be unnecessarily anxious or even abort mission and move on to something “easier” and “more straightforward”.
In our process of waiting, there is joy to be had when we learn to appreciate the NOW, when we enjoy the free time we have, when we make full access of the resources we have access to now. Because a time will come when the meeting will be had-the next phase will begin. Will you regret not making the most of your NOW?
There is a region in Alaska where prolonged periods of darkness are experienced for up to 67 days in a row!
The “meeting” will take place soon. Be patient, but more importantly, accept and willingly make the most of the process and your NOW. Sleep more! Read more! Learn more! Let’s learn the art of Buying into the Buy-In.
"I don't have a gift..."
If something happened to my mouth, which meant I could never speak again, I would immediately turn to pen and paper, so I could motivate with my words. In fact, some of my greatest sources of encouragement have come from what I read, and not what was said, surprisingly.
Someone needs to hear this!
[An excerpt from my upcoming book on purpose…]
Because many of us have tied our gifts to activities, when we can't 'easily' perform popular activities like speaking publicly, playing sports, or playing an instrument, we automatically assume that we are not gifted.
Well, here’s a reminder…
The physical outlook of our gifts are heavily dependent on our environment, our exposure and the experience we are able to garner over time.
I speak publicly because for over 20 years, I have been in an environment where I personally observed my parents consistently, passionately and effectively, publicly communicate ideas as a large part of their vocation and career. That, as well as the fact that, my environments have provided me various opportunities to regularly speak (whether I wanted to or not); that public speaking is now a verified occupation, which has only really become the case in the last few decades, and that I’ve taken time to attend several courses over the years which have empowered me to motivate more effectively.
I could go on listing how different factors have played their part in the physical expressions of my different gifts, but we will be here for a very long time, so I won’t.
Through it all, one thing has become clear to me, and that is: my gifts are first intangible and immaterial at their core.
At the core of my public speaking (physical expression), I know that the real gift I posses is the gift of motivation! This could have manifested physically as a life coach, as a counsellor, as a comedian (because believe it or not, comedians also motivate and encourage), or even as an artist. The point remains. We need to…
Stop tying our gifts to physical activities!
If something happened to my mouth, which meant I could never speak again, I would immediately turn to pen and paper, so I could motivate with my words. In fact, some of my greatest sources of encouragement have come from what I read, and not what was said, surprisingly.
That said though, I definitely still prefer to motivate via spoken word, but you get my point!
So long as there is breath in you, there is at least one unique essence and virtue which you can channel positively, regardless of the cards life deals you. Everyone has a gift…We’ve just been looking at it wrong…
I played this over and over whilst I wrote the words you’ve just read. As you play it, allow your mind wander, whilst you meditate on the true nature of your gift(s). You are more than meets the eye!
You're scared aren't you?
To be startled, is to feel or experience sudden shock or alarm, whereas being scared, speaks to more deep rooted and unpleasant emotions that could eventually hinder one from progressing, advancing or moving forward.
Recently I’ve been meditating on the difference between being startled and being scared…
I finally reached the conclusion that, both can and usually will warrant an initial short term reaction which changes when considering medium to long term implications.
To be startled, is to feel or experience sudden shock or alarm, whereas being scared, speaks to more deep rooted and unpleasant emotions that could eventually hinder one from progressing, advancing or moving forward.
Speaking to myself first, I find that we often make unfair demands when we unnecessarily beat ourselves up for being startled in a moment. The sudden shock experienced from the unexpected speaks to active and functioning sensory organs and detectors more than anything. The fact that we jump when startled just means we are alive! It is one of the many in-built systems that have aided the survival of man over many centuries. Just because we were made to ‘jump’ when faced with a challenge or something we weren’t used to, doesn’t mean we aren’t prepared or qualified to progress and proceed.
I write this for someone like me who has for-gone opportunities because they were startled in one way or another. Don’t allow some initial sudden shock succeed in scaring you off the path you were meant to venture! It is one thing to be scared - fear has its own remedy, but it’s another thing to allow a sudden shock to graduate into fear in our minds. We must not be unnecessarily hard on ourselves. It is ok to be startled. But it is NOT ok to allow that sudden shock to lead to long term fear.
When faced with a sudden shock, especially when chasing goals and dreams, it is important to remind ourselves of these questions:
• Could there be other facts that I am yet to be made aware of that would further re-assure me for the journey I am embarking on?
• Will this really matter in the grand scheme of things?
• Am I giving this momentary shock more importance in my mind than actually exists?
• Are there previous similar experiences I can draw on where I worried and was scared unnecessarily?
• How can I learn from this sudden shock for the future?
There is a difference between being startled and being scared. Don’t allow the short term shock, become a long term obstacle.
When you ‘jump’, decide to proceed forward anyway!
You were made for this!
...Everybody say Yeahhhh!
Something to think on further…
“If we find ourselves moving from being startled to being scared, how do we overcome such fear, and is it solely mental?”
Let me know your thoughts below!
Purpose
There is a pre-ordination about purpose that supersedes time, merit and ability. Because it is not our own, and was allocated in its full measure, prior to our understanding, its ability to be fully actualised is only dependent on our ability to 'search it out'.
There is a pre-ordination about purpose that supersedes time, merit and ability. Because it is not our own, and was allocated in its full measure, prior to our understanding, its ability to be fully actualised is only dependent on our ability to 'search it out'.
In the same vein, the instant a foetus is formed, it possesses (within itself) everything required for it to mature into an adult. Initially, the foetus is not aware of itself, didn't particularly deserve, or, utilise any special skills to attain its DNA. It was given by its parents!
The onus then lies with me, the onus lies with you, to search and discover what was given to us. Be confident in the truth that, you are enough. As you go through the day, ask yourself, "What is my purpose DNA?".
My Personal Brand Icon Explained.
The end result you see now was well thought out and carefully implemented. It might appear simple but has a lot of depth and meaning to it. Because I have approached this in the right way, I might never have to change my personal brand again. Barring minor adjustments, this is capable of outliving me.
When clients talk with me about logo and brand marks, my passion takes over! Over time, however, I'm learning that not everyone is as passionate. But for those willing to listen, here is the meaning my personal brand emblem has taken on:
Starting with the 'J'...
• Amongst my different leadership capabilities, I observed that I naturally see others where they are meant to be functioning; going one step further by also 'pushing' them into their area(s) of calling. Hence why the 'J' resembles a hammer (at the top), but at the bottom, is reminiscent of a chisel. When both the hammer and chisel work hand in hand, moulding and formulation occur as by-products. In addition, the curvature of the 'J', also accounts for my extremely different but jovial approach in certain areas of my life. It is an implementation of my personality trait...It goes deeper than just looking nice.
Finally, the circle that lies at the foot of the 'J', is a representation of the gift(s) being mined out of the different people I have been called to be a blessing to; including past, present and future leadership roles.
• It goes without saying that, the brandmark (icon) itself, is very simply my initials (JK). But the manner and thought process behind its design is the differentiating factor that gives life to a 'simple' brandmark.
If you turn the 'K' sideways, you will notice a hanger without the hook. This symbolises my love for suits and formal wear. But more importantly, what I feel, is my calling in the area of business.
In conclusion, the two letters are an amalgamation of the two major arms that will drive me on for the rest of my life (Leadership & Business). The font created for the brandmark is majorly serif based (Is finished with strokes and lines) to give the entire icon a more formal finish. This is then paired with a refined sans serif (without strokes and lines) typography (the brand's written font). In a future post, I will explain how a logo system was created which ended up incorporating 5 different variants into the Joshua Komolafe brand. Each brandmark was made available in the 6 colours of the Joshua Komolafe colour palette (Blue #2BC8E4, Charcoal #14141B, Grey #46484D, Beige #BEB9B4, Cream #E1DFDD and White #FFFFFF). A special shout out to Startteck, the creative design agency that took time to hear me out and conjure up my personal brand design identity.
One thing to note, is that a logo is like an empty vessel. It takes on meaning as you intend for it to. As a brand consultant, I was able to direct the graphic design team; guiding them on what I wanted the end result to look like. Which is what I do for clients anyway. I was able to apply the same knowledge for the development of my personal brand identity.
Also, because I have spent adequate time in the area of self-evaluation, lifetime projecting and purpose discovery and fulfilment, it wasn't hard for me to add meaning to the brandmark once it was done.
The best way to bring a logo or brand identity to life, is to know the core values of the said brand. The value system will help dictate the look, feel and even nomenclature. When the right values are in place, a brand will be sustainable. Values help to keep brand owners focused, regardless of changes that might come in in the future. A brand's value system (things they wouldn't compromise on) is heavily linked to a brand's 'why'.
The end result you see now was well thought out and carefully implemented. It might appear simple but has a lot of depth and meaning to it. Because I have approached this in the right way, I might never have to change my personal brand again. Barring minor adjusmtnets, this is capable of outliving me.