LESSONS FROM ROTH: Leverage.

 “Give me a lever long enough and strong enough and I can move the earth.”

Archimedes

Hello people, trust your weekend went well. Thanks for all the responses we have received on this page. God bless you immensely.

We are still looking at lessons from ROTH as they relate to living our dreams. Let's look at the word Leverage.  I find that we all usually have different facets of one dream that keeps birthing new branches as long as we continue to work the dream.  Usually the first step in working a dream, even though successful, is not what translates to the fame and fortune and in our case the impact that we crave and desire. 

Every dream has a foundational or launch pad facet. The way to go is to find that which comes easiest to you, costs less (sometimes) and you are able to do excellently well. In our case, Effectual Magazine was the leveraging tool. It was because we were able to churn out edition after edition of great content and layout in the magazine enough to dredge up a followership that ROTH was a success. 

People will be influenced by you and will stop to listen if you have some track record to show what you are able to deliver. 

That Coach Anna came for ROTH was God ordained yes, but if I had nothing to prove my credibility she probably would not have considered coming. And as brilliant as my Coach is, it was her discipline in writing the book Woman Act Now, that acted as leverage for us to connect, which made ROTH 2011 a success!

Every one of us has a dream and we will have to work this dream more behind the scenes in the beginning, but if you will diligently ensure that you continue to push this stage with excellence, it will be the leverage you require to move to the next phase of success.

One of the dictionary definitions of leverage is "the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity." Those who came for ROTH either came on the credit bill of Effectual or Woman Act Now, the book.

For your dream to graduate to the stage of making a difference to more people, you will first require the credit or leverage of past success. In other words, show what you have done so we will buy into your dream!

I know you will make it! Begin now because all you will do behind the scenes, where no one sees you, will count for your next phase. Leverage is a great key!

You will make it NeverTheLess; I promise.

Hugs

Sistar B 

Lessons from ROTH: We all are and need Midwives

                                           

Welcome to Nevertheless, where we keep hope and faith that as long as we have a dream we will make it, if we continue to forge ahead irrespective of the peculiarity of our situations.  I am still posting on lessons from ROTH 2011.

Today I want to look at the fact that no destiny or dream can happen alone, there are usually a lot of people and situations who will help us into our place of assignment and keep us there.

In the weeks that led up to the event, I know for sure that somehow, even though it was one of the bravest things I had done in my entire life, I can also tell that somehow, I knew that it was all going to come to pass according to plan, not because of the muscle I had but because of the people who surrounded me this time.

Beginning from my husband Mark, who could have told me my dream was beyond reach but didn’t; instead he stood with me and kept me going by the sacrifices he had to make and most especially his ability to keep praying even when I couldn’t pray anymore.

To my sistas, Audrey, Enife, Ini, Nneka and Inyang, who all took up arms and stood watch with me.  For over a week the event became some of these special ladies’ Blackberry Messenger Display Photo, and they kept praying even when I couldn’t pray.  They kept calling to check on me and even gave of their substance.  But most importantly, they were only a telephone call away… some even had to move into the Conference venue to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Then of course to the best staff in the whole wide world.  They had never been through this event with me before, but they pulled their weight.  Everything that should be done in and around the office leading to the event was done and I didn’t have to scurry at the last minute.  Every thing was thought of and dealt with.  Numa, the peacemaker, Remi, my backbone, Charles always gets it done, Enyiekan, intentionally loyal, Blessing, not afraid to stretch and Beatrice who heard about a dream and enlisted.  Every one of these wonderful people held their own, and was not afraid to contribute their quota.

How can these all come together if I don’t speak about the two Kemis (who made themselves available beyond words) and Ebi who got on a plane to come and be a blessing?  Thank you ladies; you are midwives indeed.

Even though I stepped out, all these people had to have put their hands to the plow for ROTH to be a success.  They heard, observed and took action. They were diligent to set the time aside and simply take the time to move as we moved.  And the most fulfilling part is that they are all different in every regard yet they all bring something to the table!

In all these I realized that lofty, though my dreams are, I am nothing and can do nothing in birthing them, except I find someone willing to join forces with me.  And you know what; it is the same for you.  Whatever you will need to birth, though you are really so gifted, you cannot pull it off alone, it is just not given by God for us to achieve alone.

And that is why I round off this post by saying I am so sure you will make it, NeverTheLess.  Because no matter what you have to accomplish God will surround you with those who will midwife your dreams, and in that day, they will converge even as they did for me at ROTH.

You will make it NeverTheLess.

Hugs

Sistar B

Highlights from ROTH

Hello People,

The Return of the Helper Conference has come and gone, and I give all glory to God. We had an awesome time with Coach Anna McCoy from Texas, U.S.A. Below are some shots from the event.

I hope to share some insights from the conference with you soon.

Hugs,

Sistar B

Coach Anna McCoy and Shonna Stallworth

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo ministering at the Conference

Coach Anna McCoy, Pastor Mark Mordi and I at the event

Coach Anna McCoy

At the conference

A cross section of ladies at the event

Overwhelmed by the goodness of God

Be your own Cheerleader!

Hello people, posts are still short because the conference is this week and God’s mercy sees me through!  Thanks for all your prayers and messages on Facebook especially on my birthday. Woah! Your love was simply overwhelming. 

Thanks to you all.

Now, to the business at hand.  Long time ago, before I even knew how I was going to make impact, I knew I was going to be a useful tool in God’s hands.  I shared the dream with those around me, and some wondered how it was going to happen.  Others wanted to know what plans I had to bring my dreams to pass, yet others wanted to know what credentials I had to qualify to live the dream and then a very minute few, smiled and said to me, ‘it can be done, go for it.’

It has been a long time, I have grown brick by brick, tried to make the difference an inch at a time.  With each step I took, I grew, and with every inch of growth, I dreamt some more. 

While it has been a long and sometimes very slow journey, it has been a great journey, nevertheless.  One thing that has been constant in this journey is that when it seemed no one believed in my dream, when it seemed like no one was willing to cheer me on, I found strength to stand tall and keep believing in myself.

I realized that because I was the one who had dreamt, I may be the only Fan Club necessary to continue to cheer the dream along.  Recently, I had the opportunity to say to myself again, be your own cheerleader.

The Conference was barely a week away, and I realized that those who ought to be standing with me didn’t even believe it was going to happen. I thought to cry, and then I remembered my own counsel, “Bidemi if you slept and dreamt, how is it possible that anyone else will be able to understand your dream more than you do? If they cannot understand it, how do you expect them to believe in it?”

In a few words, be your own cheerleader.  I have no idea what your dream is, but I know you may not be getting all the cheer that you want. What I want to say to you today is that it is okay. That no one believes does not negate the fact that you dreamt. Keep working and one day, they will cheer, even if they didn’t believe.

ROTH is happening, and I am my own cheerleader, because I know what God told me in secret will happen in the open… NeverTheLess.

Blessings

Sistar B

A piece of my Passion

Hello everyone, this week's post will be short, as I am in the thick of planning a conference scheduled to hold on the 23rd July in Lagos, Nigeria.

This isn't the first edition of this conference but I see a pattern and that is what I want us to share on this post. The pattern is how hard it can be leading up to putting this gathering together yearly. It takes a lot out of me mentally, financially and emotionally. It can feel like a ground that hasn't received rain for years and so is parched and dry!

At these times I ask myself why? Why do I put myself through this year in year out? The only answer I can give is that it is because it has a hold on my heart, it just won't let me be! Experts say one of the ways to know what you should be doing is when you can't seem to suppress the urge to do it, no matter how hard you try!

So I cannot help myself, I am hooked on this one, it is a Passion thing for me! Secondly, I know what values lies within this passion, so I just submit to its process! Sometimes it batters me, but the scars count outside the battle field!

What dream has laid hold of year heart and won't let go? How are you going about pursuing your passion? What values comes out of it?

Remember, you were born to do this! Just as I do know that I was born to do this!

Fear, pain and all, we will make it NeverTheLess, I promise you, we will...

Hugs

Sistarb