THE FRAILTY OF CELEBRITY

THE FRAILTY OF CELEBRITY

‘If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are. ‘
Oprah Winfrey
‘I do not like the man who squanders life for fame; give me the man who living makes a name.'Emily Dickinson


They are well known for their ‘Welknowness’.You see them on the pages of newspapers,covers of magazines,they attend A-LIST events, and are quick to flaunt their premium outfits.They are the posterchild for success.Welcome to Celebritydom.Celebrities are thrust into the public eye because of a particular talent, skill, achievement, or ability.This gives them maximum attention with minimum preparation.No higher institution of learning offers a course on ‘HOW TO BE A CELEBRITY’, therefore if you are not prepared for the glitter of fame, it may eventually ruin you without you being conscious of it.Being famous gets youn a lot of perks, stares, and respect,but it can also expose you to the world and the world to you, if you have not dealth with your achilles heel.Fame may be the spur that drives people to success,but it can be a killer when it finally arrives.When you embrace the glitz and glamour of being a celeb, the constant attention from the public and the media can make you lose the true colour and perception of reality, and also inflate your ego.The reason why a D’banj will tell you he knows nothing about fuel subsidy protests he is a busy musician who has no interest in politics.Or a Tiwa Savage would fight on Twitter over a fan who expresses his opinion about the way she looked during the fuel subsidy protest and she angrily calls him:’A waste to the Nigerian population’

Once you court fame as a celeb, be ready for the scrutiny of your character.Fans will annoy you, colleagues will betray you,people will take you for granted.That said, you have to maintain a positive character inspite of your human frailty.According to Bandura’s social theory(1986),humans learn about the world through observing the behaviour of others.Loigically, people are likely to imitate the behaviour which they associate with success.A British study conducted by Charlotte De Backe found that celebs are seen as being ‘Higher status or more successful others’ which means that people are more likely to ‘mimic’ (their) overall behaviourial pattern.People tend to imitate them because of their perceived success.On the flip side, what if a celeb does not live up to the society’s moral code of conduct?At times celebrities are the wrong people to look to for instilling moral values to your wards .

The incredible pressure to sustain the rate of success amidst ever changing trends and cultural shifts has led to the downfall of some celebs.This constant hunger to be more, do more, and craft the right image of achievement has led many of them to depression, drug abuse, and even abbreviated life. Beneath the trappings of success and the means to success is the silent cry for fulfilment.Its not your Lady Gaga like fanbase,numbers of awards on your shelf, your celebrity status,and incredible wealth that makes you who you are.What makes you who you are is how you can be responsible for yourself and make a mark beyond the sound of your music or the trailer of your movie.True success and significance lies in being true to yourself and using your influence as a celeb to give people something to smile about.The same media that adores you today will splash your pictures in tabloids for people to savour the downfall of a one time megastar.

In the words of Glennville Ashby:’Each man is questioned by life and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life and to life he can only respond by being responsible’

Kehinde Ajose is a Talent development coach, publicist, and writer.He is reachable @ splendidkenny01@yahoo.com.Blog-htttp:KehindeAjose.blogspot.com.Follow him on twitter:@splendidkenny

DO YOU LOVE YOU?

DO YOU LOVE YOU?
...If i no love me , na who i go love?

WORDS BY TAYO ADEJUMO

“Love yourself first and everything falls into line.”
Lucille Ball quotes (American radio and motion-picture actress and comedy star, 1911-1989)

To love yourself means to accept yourself as you are and to come to terms with those aspects of yourself that you cannot change. It means to have self-respect, a positive self-image, and unconditional self-acceptance.
To love yourself means to accept yourself as you are and to come to terms with those aspects of yourself that you cannot change. It means to have self-respect, a positive self-image, and unconditional self-acceptance.
Needless to say, it does not mean being arrogant, conceited or thinking that you are better than anyone else. It means having a healthy regard for yourself knowing that you are a worthy human being.

Look in the mirror, what do see, see the best in you, fall in love with who you are and idea of you, there is no one without flaws, love your flaws and love every bit of you, believe it or not no one can love you, if you don't love yourself, bear in mind that there is a difference between love, lust and infatuation, love is deep, love knows no anger, love is pure. You find your relationship failing because ur partner isn't filling that void you have, you feel empty, you crave love and attention thinking that will make you feel better about yourself, am sorry to break this to you but it won't work.

Loving you is thinking positive about you, if you don't Love yourself it's hard for good things to come your way . When you do however your whole world changes.
You cannot sit around and wait for approval from others. Work on accepting yourself. You are the only "you" that you have. It is in your best interests to be the best you can be.When you make a decision to love yourself, you are really saying that you want to come alive. You accept that you are responsible for the outcomes that you experience in your life and would like yourself to shine from living a fulfilling life. First step is stop self criticism, then forgive yourself
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
Lewis B. Smedes quotes
Even Whitney says it learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.

Read this, print it and read this to yourself every morning

“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it — I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes.

Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know — but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me.

However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me.
I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay.”

Denis2005 Virginia Satir quotes (American Psychologist and Educator, 1916-1988)

Now that you have read this, please go to the mirror, stay naked what do you see now? Give us feedback

TASUED:THEIR OWN TASUED

TASUED: Their own TASUED!
By 'Wale Odunsi (wodunsi@yahoo.com)
Fmr Social Director, TASUED Students Union
March 19, 2012

As pundits, we deserve sympathy. We are like an 'ologbo' (a yoruba parlance for cat) always seduced by the smell of fish. At all times, we are allured to react to burning national issues however form it takes. Even when we choose to "padlock" our lips and let the sleeping dog lie, we usually do not maintain that position for long. This is not unexpected. Bertrand Russell opined; "Doing anything you are good at contributes to your happiness".

The news filtered-in a few weeks ago; the media was awashed with the story. Thus far, different people and organisations/unions have made known their views. They have taken varying stands both for and against. Not a few have sought my opinion. People who are cognizant of the passion I have for my immediate consituent-the youths-literally almost stampeded me into airing my thoughts. As flattering as it seem, I took time to study the situation as it was necessary I compiled the facts before putting pen to paper. I assured my verdict would not take long.

I utterly have no idea what the great Abraham Lincoln had in mind when he said, "Be sure you put your feet in the right place, and stand firm". I wish he were here at this moment, perhaps he would offer an elucidation of what prompted that dictum. Many decades after those words came astir, it strikes one as if it is the paradigm guiding eminent Nigerians such as Chief Mrs. H.I.D Awolowo, Prof. Kayode Oyesiku, Senator Gbenga Kaka, Prof. Biyi Afonja (a professor of over half a century and two-term Pro-Chancellor of O0U), Prof. Afolabi Soyode, renowned Economist and former Vice-Chancellor of OOU-amongst many others-who have all risen in stout defence of the existence of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), as against the obstinate stance of the state government. Already, watchers have-and understandably too-added a political colouration to the move coming barely nine months into the regime. Not suprising, both the former and present number one citizen of the state are regarded as arch rivals.

On February 12, 2012, the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration announced its intent to scrap the first university of education in Nigeria, second (and best) in Africa, and eight in the world, subsuming it as an institute under Olabisi Onabanjo University (00U). Injustice I say! Its reasons which cannot attract a round of applause include: poor quality of education arising from inadequate funding, loss of focus, offering irrelevant courses et al. Albeit one cannot underestimate the role of federating states in the affairs of their institutions, nonetheless, there is a need for wider consultations in some cases especially where it affects the larger society directly or otherwise rather than riding roughshod over its people.

It is admissible to note that the Nigerian consitution recognises and empowers an existing agency, National Universities Commission (NUC), which has the mandate of monitoring universities. One of its many functions is that it also plays an advisory role for state governments on issues affecting their universities (see http://www.nuc.edu.ng/pages/pages.asp?id=31). In the light of this, one is tempted to ask: Did the state government sought the professional advise of NUC before expeditiously deciding to scrap TASUED? If it did, what was the outcome? It is not only unfair to the governed/electorates and but also unhealthy for the image of the nation if successive governments keep changing established policies that enjoys acceptance and is yielding results. I weep! For us on the sidelines following unfolding events, one thing is certain: the stated reasons by the government does not and may never hold water.

The feather-weight claims they laid are indeed trite when ex-students of the relatively young citadel of learning are today a success story. Presently, some have secured teaching/lecturing jobs, some have proceeded for their masters degree, while a large number of others are working in several reputable companies. Were it correct that the school offered "irrelevant courses" as alleged, how come its products are gainfully employed? Or does the government needs to be reminded that in 2008, the current NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Okore-Affia obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the school it wants to scrap! (see http://www.nysc.gov.ng/dgprofile.php).

Sadly, much ado has been placed on funding of the school -a case of giving the dog a bad name in order to hang it. Anyone who has visited the school will observe that a quarter of the builings/learning materials was donated by private individuals and corporate organisations. The ultra-modern petrochemical sciences laboratory, ICT centre, blocks of lecture rooms, computers, books etc. In terms of the recurrent expenditure, only seventy percent comes from the government (about N53 million monthly). The remaining thirty percent is sourced from the internally generated revenue of the school. Moreso, it is not a secret that there is not a single government-owned university in Nigeria without the problem of funding. Therefore, this is not exclusive to one. Remarkably, the growth of the institution is phenomenon. From 500 quota granted by NUC in 2005, it has been upped to 3500 within a period of just five years. Not only that, all its courses are duly accredited while it continues to attract attention within and outside the country. What is more?

As an alumnus, I am profoundly proud of the achievements of the school which has 'Integrity and Selflessness' as watchword; modifying its status from a university to an institute is not only retrogressive but a double whammy. I admire Winston Churchill for rightly noting that "We must beware of needless innovations, especially when guided by logic". Alas, if the concerned authority makes good its threat, they would have succeeded in telling the world that TASUED is theirs-and not ours afterall.

OZWALD BOATENG SHARES HIS STORY

OZWALD BOATENG shares his story



The highly anticipated film of OzwaldBoateng’s life - “A MAN’S STORY” is set to be released in cinemas throughout West Africa (Nigeria/Ghana) on the 27th of July 2012, brought to screen by Okhma Global ltd.



A Man’s Story is an unprecedented and unique documentary that focuses on the dynamic force of energy, passion and colour of an A-list designer who continues to break boundaries. Tailor to Hollywood’s standard, the movie tells the intense story of a man with a dream and zeal. A superstar in his own right, OzwaldBoateng shares his singular dream to succeed, with humanity, depth and ambition rarely, if ever, documented in the fashion world.

In this biopic, Ozwald takes us on a journey to a rarefied place and to the heart of what he has spent an entire career trying to distil - what is it to be a man?

Instinctual, brilliant, awed and generous, Ozwald has made a huge brand that will live beyond his years.



Over the past two decades OzwaldBoateng has reinterpreted the British art of bespoke tailoring. Traditional craftsmanship and innovation are corner-stone of the fashion brand. OzwaldBoateng’s iconic contemporary twist, vibrant colours and refined fabrics offer a unique luxury experience to men of all generations. With the birth of the Savile Row House in 2007 designed by world famous architect David Adjaye, OzwaldBoateng has extended his bespoke expertise to semi-bespoke, ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories and luggage: an unexpected and sophisticated journey through men’s lifestyle.

True to his pioneer spirit, OzwaldBoateng consistently breaks new ground, combining fashion, design, art and architecture.



On Monday, March 12, Okhma Global ltd arranged a press conference where Boateng shared his intimate ideas. One of which is his desire to open a store in Lagos. “Lagos is the centre of Africa, I have the utmost desire to bring the brand here. They say in every five Africans, one is a Nigerian. So if you are not providing for the Nigerian market, you are in trouble.”


He also revealed his intention of starting a female line. “I have a 13 year old daughter who keeps insisting that I make clothes for her. So it’s something I am working on.”



As part of his visit, building up to this phenomenal project, OzwaldOkhma Global ltd organised an evening out with corporate Nigeria on Tuesday, March 13 at The Avenue. According to Mary Ephraim of Okhma, “The cocktail event is gathering of like-minds, sharing grand ideas towards making the black nation a more creative, more prosperous community.”

“A Man’s Story” captures the dark moments of Boateng’s life and also beams into the future, and the success he has recorded as the first black designer to take over England.

The CEO of Okhma Global Ltd, Mary Ephraim states, “This movie is very inspirational. The Movie’s release will be heralded by a grand premier and a spectacular fashion display of Ozwald’s best works. We are quite excited about this.’’

SELAH INSPIRATIONAL'S YOUNG PERSON FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH

SELAH INSPIRATIONAL'S YOUNG PERSON FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH
Whatever we do , let us strive to squeeze in our best efforts.Yours sincerely is the YOUNG PERSON FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH FOR SELAH INSPIRATIONAL an inspirational website for the upwardly mobile young Nigerian.I have reproduced the interview here.And thanks to SELAH INSPIRATIONAL for the opportunity to share my thoughts.




Kehinde Ajose, fondly referred to as Kenny is fast becoming one of the Nation’s most prominent syndicated motivational columnists .In 2008, EDUTAINMENT MAGAZINE christened him:’NIGERIA'S YOUNGEST MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER as a result of his inspirational/enterprise development articles geared towards National/youth transformation.

His writings have featured in several National dailies. His writing credits can also be found in several magazines He is also an online contributor to some websites. Kenny is also a Publicist to several Corporate and individual brands.

He is the principal Facilitator of THE WRITERS G.I.G (A Personal development fora for writers) and also the publisher of a Move Achievers Compendium( A publication that chronicles the achievements of extraordinary Nigerians who have made their marks.

He is a sought after motivational speaker cum talent development coach who helps individuals to discover and develop their talent solutions in order to create wealth and become global brands. Kenny‘s expertise as a motivational speaker spans the area of Talent development,personal development , and publicity strategies .

Kenny has had the privilege of sharing his expertise on Super screen,Channels TV, Youths .com and a host of other TV programmes. .He is a graduate of English Language,from Lagos State University, (LASU)

Tell us about yourself.
Kehinde Ajose is my name, I hail from Lagos state.I am a young Nigerian with a passion to help individuals discover and develop their talents in order to create wealth and become global brands. I am a talent development coach and a publicist by day, a writer by night, and a bassist on Sundays.

You started consistent writing at the age of 18, how were you able to garner the discipline to stand out at an age where peer pressure is the order of the day?
Yes I started quite early, but it shouldn’t be taking for granted .I must say that am blessed and favored because nothing happens by chance. I had my own down moments when growing up, but thanks to the power of books and the right company. These two factors helped me to discover my strength zone and also served as a tool towards maintaining a sense of purpose. That stated, we need more of youngsters in Nigeria who have found their area of calling and are ready to give it their best shot come what may. The google, yahoo, and facebook guys started quite early too. Age is an advantage and a leverage if maximized.

What is the source of your inspiration?
Without sounding clichéd, I would say God, the General over destinies. He inspires me with great ideas and I doff my hat for his supremacy over my life. Secondly, I would say the hunger to make a difference wherever I find myself or in whatever I do. The Nigerian environment also is a source of inspiration.In the midst of gloom and doom, we still strive to make something out of our lives.

How did you discover your passion for writing and speaking?
My passion for writing and speaking can be attributed to the love affair I had with motivational books while I was a teenager.I read the likes of Ben Carson, John Maxwell, Robert schuller, Sam adeyemi e.t.c.I wanted to be able to practice what I learned from this great minds.Therefore In no time, I found myself writing about whatever I had learned and also sharing these treasures of wisdom with people.It wasn’t a smooth sailing journey
though, because I wasn’t the talkative kind of person, but today the story has changed.

What are the ways in which you think young people can tap into the resource of their talent potential?.
Firstly its important to note that there is no better time to be young than now. As young people we have so many streams of opportunities around us.Young Nigerians can tap into their talents(gold spot) by looking within. Within lies all you will ever need to succeed.God created you in such a way that there will always be something that fascinates you and also animates you. Secondly, having a sense of initiative is also key in the development of one’s talent. The truth is that no one owes you anything in this life, you owe the world. Playing the blame game hasn’t taken us anywhere as a nation.We need to stop passing the buck and start looking at ways by which we can convert our talents into its monetary equivalent. Lastly, everything big starts small.Even Jesus was born in a manger.Start small, but have a global mindset.

What do you have to say about John Maxwell's statement 'talent is never enough'?
Talent is never enough.Talent is just the starting point towards accomplishment. Being talented alone cannot pay the bills. No one gets rich by simply being talented. There is a concept called ‘The business of your talent’ which entails turning your talent into a skill, having a business outlook, embracing publicity and marketing, packaging yourself as a brand. There are so many talented individuals who are poor and broke. Figuring out the business of your talent and adding character to it will take you places.

How do you think the challenge of youth unemployment in Nigeria can be solved?
Beautiful question,I am reading a book called:Get out unemployment by Ronke Kosoko one of Nigeria’ s young leaders to watch out for. According to her , over 40million young Nigerians are unemployed –Federal Bureau of Statistics 2000.Therefore the first step towards unemployment is acquiring skills that are in harmony with your area of passion. A skillful person can never be unemployed. Secondly shunning the ‘Make it now” mindset. Every one wants it now.The image the media creates about success is not helping matters. As young Nigerians we should understand that anything worth its salt takes time. So starting on a small scale should be highly encouraged. Yes the money is important, but the knowledge and experience you gain is what counts. Young people should be willing to start small.Agriculture is a culture that we need to imbibe. Every one can’t work in a bank. We need individuals who can start their own farms and feed the nation.We cant ignore the ancient landmark.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself becoming a light, a voice, and an instrument of change by God’s grace.Through books, seminars, the media, and every other avenue available. I desire to be a media mogul that exemplifies the never say die spirit of the Nigerian.

Final words to Selah and readers
To the selah crew, I would say keep the vision burning and keep getting better and adding value to lives. To the readers, I would say you are a solution, go find a problem God has wired you to solve. Your life is more than sleeping and waking up.Be the star in your life’s movie!
CULLED FROM SELAHINSPIRATIONAL.COM

THE heART OF GOLD

THE heART OF GOLD

Not many know her as Susan Olubimpe Harvey, but that is the real name of Kennis music’s Goldie.One of Nigeria’s most celebrated music diva.She has been able to mine her music talent far from its unappealing raw stage to becoming a precious metal shining into the hearts of her fans and making a name for herself in an industry cluttered with talents.In her words:’I have always been into music as far back as i can remember .I remember composing songs when I was a kid and teaching my younger ones.I remember creating little poems that detailed how I felt on an issue or a particular subject matter.In the U.K, I was part of an informal pop rock band and we perform all over the place for friends and family’ Goldie said

Professionally her career kicked off in Nigeria after her encounter with Mannie an exceptionally gifted producer who is working in Cool F.M.They wrote songs together went to the studio to record, and in between the process met with the ace producer O.J.B who produced her first single ‘Komole’released in April 2007.Like a diamond in the rough , Goldie encountered thorny challenges on her journey to the top.Narrating she says:’There was a sort of question mark as to people’s perception of my identity.I think my blonde hair and my “avante garde” mode of dressing kind of threw people off a bit.So the connection was a bit off.Peope didn’t just get me’.

Born and bred in Lagos , young Goldie attended Greensprings primary school.After that she went to Saint John’s college and proceeded to the U.K for a degree in Business management from the University of Sunderland, U.K. Refusing tom take a back seat in her music career,instead being its driver she has clinched several awards including the Best Afro hiphop video at the 2011 N.M.V.A, and emerging the Best hiphop female award winner at the City People entertainment award.She was also inducted as a celebrity special marshall November 2011 being the only female artiste among her peers.Goldie states that the Nigerian music industry is in the best place it has ever been, at least from a global recognition stand point.According to her,:’There have been collaborations across borders,which was formerly unheard of, a pipedream.Our music and videos are also comparable on a very international scale.What I’d love to see though is proper structuring in terms of accountability, record sales,proper royalities’.

Every season has one track , you know the one that blasts out of every drop top, is spun on every dancefloor , and makes the heavy rotation playlist of revered radio stations.For 2011, one of that tune is definitely Goldie’s ‘Jawo Jawo’ and ‘You know it’.Goldie just released her sophomore album aptly titled:’Gold Reloaded’ under the Kennis Music platform.She is planning on going on tours around national campuses to promote this album and to inspire young people to keep their dreams alive.When asked the best piece of advice she has ever been given as regards her music, Goldie simply said:’That was from my boss and C.E O Mr Kenny Ogungbe.He said that I was unique and that I should never downplay my uniqueness because I wanted to satisfy people.He said people are never satisfied no matter what you do and your best bet is to work hard, satisfy yourself, and be at peace with God while doing so.I have taken his advice to heart.’

So what exactly makes Goldie tick?’My passion and love for what I do, the love and support of my fans and my relationship with God.God is the reason for all my success.I bless and give him thanks daily’.Armed with an unconventional branding, compelling stage presence, in addition to her drive and dedication to her craft, Goldie continues to push boundaries, shining through and her story is truly an inspiration.