Solomon's Turn Up Party. January 9th, 2016

What better way to start your year than to be with the 3 most important f's in life; family, friends and fans. It was a memorable day as people turned in to turn up with Solomon Ojeagbase on his Birthday party. The atmosphere was cool, in an exotic location in Ikoyi, Lagos State. Foreshore Harbours (Boat Club) was the venue, A place almost everyone who came was visiting for the first time, it is a harbour for private ships owned by some of the most ostentatious Nigerians living in Lagos State.
We could have easily opted to go on a boat cruise but we had more people than the yacht's can carry, was never an option though I don't like water so I wouldn't want to have my party on a boat well except for my wedding anniversary. I will also like to own my own Yacht one day but as my Jewish friend and mentor advised "you don't have to buy a cow to get milk", you can simply lease it when you need it and save yourself the headache of maintenance.

10 Women A Christian Man Should Avoid When Considering Marriage

“I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house” (Proverbs 7: 7-8 )
Marriage - a lifetime covenant, an irrevocable oath recognized by GOD, man and spirits, separable only by death. With this truth in mind, a man has to be very careful and wise when considering marriage. And if you follow the counsel of GOD, HE will go before you to lead you to the right path.
NOTE: This is not a sexist post. It's only a guide for men intending to get married.
So here's the 10 women to avoid when considering marriage:

How to Build Billionaire Habits

By Nick Papple

Picture yourself having coffee with a billionaire. Just imagine what you'd learn. One of my friends recently had this opportunity. In fact, he had the chance to have dinner with several billionaires at the same time. One thing he noticed was every one acted the same: They gave their complete and undivided attention.

It didn’t matter who was in the room. If someone was talking, they were listening. They weren’t distracted, checking email or text messages on their cell phones.
Ten years ago, this kind of behavior might have gone unnoticed. Paying attention was good manners. Something our parents, teachers and even strangers taught us, “pay attention.”

Today, you'll discover a simple four-step formula for overcoming a short attention span. It even works for teenagers.

Thomas Jefferson's 11 Rules for a Great Life

By Craig Ballantyne

"Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits." - Thomas Jefferson

Today marks what would have been the 272nd birthday of the 5th most popular President in History, according to the New York Times. Thomas Jefferson was a Founding Father, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, and the 3rd President of the United States of America, holding office from 1801 to 1809. He was also a man ahead of his time when it came to his healthy habits.

How to Become a Millionaire

By Jeff Schneider

You’ve wondered what the person sitting at the desk next to you is making. How they afforded that all-inclusive trip to the Bahamas and still afforded a new car. 

But did that person sitting next to you just inherit some money? Are they bleeding through an old trust account? Or maybe just burning through savings? Or worse, one of those horror stories you hear about racking up $60,000 of debt on credit cards. 

Perhaps your boss is giving them all those raises you’ve been missing out on the past few years. 

You can’t ask… 

Money is a taboo subject. 

It’s personal and you’d be better off ignoring those neighbors. 

Instead, we are influenced by these neighbors and it has left many people broke just a few years before retirement. 

A recent study of Americans between the ages of 50-64, showed that about 51% didn’t even have a retirement account. And those that did have an account, the average balance in all of their retirement accounts was $46,032. 

The power of RE: Mastering the power of "RE" at work and in our personal lives.

Over the holidays, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about a tiny word with giant implications. The word is “RE”. Strictly speaking it isn’t really a word at all, but a prefix derived from latin and meaning "back to the original place; again, anew, once more.”

I have been thinking about “RE” because it has come to play such an important role in our lives. Modern society, and popular culture in particular, has become obsessed with a quest to re-invent our world. This has resulted in the disruption and restructuring of entire industries - from publishing and entertainment to financial services, travel, and education. Blue Chip corporations and Silicon Valley start-ups alike are obsessed with re-imagining every aspect of our lives. But this pre-occupation with “RE” is not limited to business and technology. Look a little deeper, and you will find evidence of “RE” in almost every

AAYMCA Statement: Farewell son of Africa

The Africa Alliance of YMCAs today are united in grief as we mourn the loss of a

true African visionary, former South African President, Rolihlahla

“Nelson” Mandela. As a young boxer, Mandela would frequently train at his local

Soweto YMCA. During this time the centre was frequently used for

ANC political meetings, serving as a safe place for discussions which would

ultimately shape Mandela’s young mind, and South Africa’s future.

Decades later, his influence is still felt within those historic walls as youth

continue to visit the centre and shape their own thinking and

development.

Mandela led South Africa through her greatest challenge, ensuring that the

revolutionary end to institutionalised discrimination and repression,

Apartheid, was met with relatively little conflict and welcomed with a determined

spirit of peace and reconciliation.

While the world will feel the loss of such a remarkable man, Africans have lost a

leader who steadfastly worked to prove that the continent is capable

of peaceful conflict resolution through leadership that aspires to moral honesty,

tolerance and acceptance.

Born on 18 July, 1918, to the Madiba clan of Mvezo in the Transkei, Mandela spent

much of his life striving to educate himself and standing in

political opposition to an unjust system. His stand against seemingly insurmountable

prejudice is a cause for which he sacrificed much in the face of

great threat to his life and freedom. Following a conviction for sabotage and

conspiracy to overthrow the government, Mandela spent 27 years in

prison, but throughout this time maintained a strong loyalty to peaceful resistance

and the unconditional repealing of the Apartheid system. Following

his release in 1990, Mandela guided South Africa through her first democratic

elections and stepped in as South Africa’s first African statesman

when he shouldered the presidency in 1994. Perhaps his most significant contribution

to African politics is the implementation of South Africa’s

first constitution which is perceived world-wide as one of the most forward thinking

constitutions in global governance today.

Since then, Mandela has received more than 250 awards, many for his humanitarian

work, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Soviet

Order of Lenin. His work has been internationally recognised through his awarding of

the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize which he shares with former Apartheid

president F.W. de Klerk.

The contribution Mandela played in African politics will forever stretch far beyond

the current South African landscape. His legacy to Africa is true

leadership that is both thoughtful and honest but does not prize retribution and

corruption. Mandela ensured that the African Renaissance has a

framework for peaceful conflict resolution and that in all things, human rights

becomes a principle of long-lasting social evolution.

We mourn together as Africans, in much the same way that we celebrated together the

achievements that Madiba brought through his actions. We are a

better continent today through his determination, sacrifice and unflinching faith in

an Africa capable of peaceful change.

Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning.

Despite terrible provocation, he never answered racism with racism.

His life has been an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived, to all who

are opposed to oppression and deprivation.

Mandela is survived by his wife, Graca Machel, 3 children, Pumla Makaziwe Mandela,

Zenani Dlamini and Zindzi Mandela, 17 grand-children and 14

great-grandchildren.

Our thoughts also go to the extended family of his late former wife Evelyn Mase and

his former wife Winnie Madikizela.

As we mourn our deep loss, let us pledge to ensure that Mandela’s legacy lives

through us and that our children are able to fully appreciate the

freedoms he and his peers fought so hard to attain.

Carlos Sanvee, AAYMCA General Secretary

Sipho Sokhela, South Africa YMCA National General Secretary

The Africa Alliance of YMCAs (AAYMCA) is a leading pan African youth development

network on the continent, representing national movements in 20

countries, 16 of which are very active. The first YMCA in Africa was established in

Liberia in 1881, and the AAYMCA was founded in 1977 as the

umbrella body for all national movements on the continent. www.africaymca.org

South Africa, 95 years of "critical but stable"

Please find below the press release from the Africa Alliance of YMCAs celebrating
Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday. The content from this press release
is free for distribution but must include the rider and attribution to the Africa
Alliance of YMCAs. Please contact Christine Davis on
news@africaymca.org for more information.

TEXT BEGINS

 

South Africa, 95 years of "critical but stable"

By Christine Davis, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
Over the past month our collective focus in South Africa has turned to the health of
Nelson Mandela with much speculation turning to what the future

7 Rules Of Life

Women’s Idea of the Perfect Man Changes Drastically as They Age, Survey Says

Have you ever looked back at an ex-boyfriend and asked, how did I ever date that person when we were so obviously incompatible?

It's not necessarily that you were incompatible...then. According to a survey conducted by Match.com over the past year, your tastes have simply changed over the years.

Is your family keeping you single?
Men must possess certain qualities to be considered "the perfect man," and those parameters change drastically as women age. In the survey, called "The Ages of Man," what women want from their relationships with men is broken down according to age range.

The Most Important Choice

It Is Up To You

Every day, every minute, every hour, we are faced with choices. Most are minor, but some are the most important decisions we will make in our lives. How do we make the right choices? Today, Jason Leister gives you some guidance.

Craig Ballantyne

"The most important things to know in life take a lifetime to learn. Our first lessons come early -- but we grasp only the surface. As we gain life experience we gain deeper understanding. All great truths are both simple and complex, easy to understand yet difficult to master. "- Mark Ford

---

Family affairs

Web Exclusive: Many believe that — when it comes to businesses started and operated by a family — the older the company, the more likely it is that that company will go public or be taken over by another firm. Julian Franks and Paolo Volpin found that the location of a family business is a major factor in who owns and operates it in the long term.

Anyone starting a family business has dreams of prosperity, success and a bountiful future. If a person’s business dreams involve generations of family members owning and running the company —all dedicated to preserving the legacy and controlling the business — France, Germany or Italy would be ideal starting grounds for such an endeavour. If the dreams involve building the company and then selling it off to the highest bidder so the family can retire in comfort, the United Kingdom would be the better place to set up shop.