FAREWELL SPEECH DELIVERED BY MASTER OGUNYEMI OLAKUNLE JOSHUA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2016 NYSC BATCH B SENT-FORTH PROGRAM ON THE 26TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016 AT THE BAR, OMUMA, ORU EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE.
Special greetings to;
Our amiable and hardworking Local Government Inspector,
Our ever-dynamic and gallant Corpers Liaison Officer,
Invited Guests present at this occasion,
Outgoing 2016 NYSC Batch B Corp Members,
Members of the senth-forth Planning Committee,
2017 NYSC Batch A corp members here present.
Our amiable and hardworking Local Government Inspector,
Our ever-dynamic and gallant Corpers Liaison Officer,
Invited Guests present at this occasion,
Outgoing 2016 NYSC Batch B Corp Members,
Members of the senth-forth Planning Committee,
2017 NYSC Batch A corp members here present.
Corpers We oooo.......
I give God all the glory for sparing our lives to see today. I thank Him for his love and protection over each and everyone of us. May His name be praised forever.
I give God all the glory for sparing our lives to see today. I thank Him for his love and protection over each and everyone of us. May His name be praised forever.
I sincerely want to appreciate every members of The senth-forth planning committee for this privilege granted unto me to present this speech purposely aimed to motivate, challenge and encourage corp members and other dignitaries here present today especially the 2016 NYSC Batch B Corp Members whom we are celebrating today.
I also want to appreciate the outgoing CLO and our industrious and loving LGI for the support and encouragement given to the senth-forth planning committee, most especially for the free room they were given to operate. I want to say a big thank and pray that God will grant unto you more wisdom.
One thing i love doing is to celebrate with great people. To rejoice with people of honour who through several unpleasant experiences and ordeal had weathered the storm for a year serving our fatherland in a strange land far away from their soil.
The decision you took to remain in this Local Government despite the epilleptic state of power, poor road network, unavailability of basic amenities and other social problems is something i commend greatly because i am sure some of your colleagues who have not even experienced this had redeployed to a comfort zone immediately after they got their posting letter on camp but you have all decided to obey the clarion call to the letter. Once again, i commend you all for this uncommon courage.
The decision you took to remain in this Local Government despite the epilleptic state of power, poor road network, unavailability of basic amenities and other social problems is something i commend greatly because i am sure some of your colleagues who have not even experienced this had redeployed to a comfort zone immediately after they got their posting letter on camp but you have all decided to obey the clarion call to the letter. Once again, i commend you all for this uncommon courage.
To everything that has a beginning, there must also be an end. I can feel the excitement in the heart of the outgoing Batch B Corp Members whom in a matter of days will be regarded as an "ex-corper" and i want join in this feeling and to also appreciate God on your behalf for his enabling grace so far. But in the midst of this euphoria and excitement, my golden question to you remains:
What have you done with your life within this one year?
What has been your impact and achievements so far?
On the scale of 10, how will you rate yourself in terms of personal development, discipline and self-reliance in the cause of this service?
Remember that there are so many expectations from your family, the community you served, our nation as a whole and above all an expectation from God our divine maker. Have you been able to meet up with these expectations? Can God say of you that indeed He is proud of you? Ponder on this!
What have you done with your life within this one year?
What has been your impact and achievements so far?
On the scale of 10, how will you rate yourself in terms of personal development, discipline and self-reliance in the cause of this service?
Remember that there are so many expectations from your family, the community you served, our nation as a whole and above all an expectation from God our divine maker. Have you been able to meet up with these expectations? Can God say of you that indeed He is proud of you? Ponder on this!
Life they say is in phases, a phase of our life is about to come to an end and whether we like it or not the next phase will come into play by default, hence, the need for us to start preparing ourselves for this next level. To get the best of this next level, one will have to jettison the pains and regrets of the past, draw closer to God and determine to make everyday count on the platform of significance and meaningful living.
As you proceed to this next phase, i will like you to take cognisance of the following success principles;
Principle 1:
Take 100% responsibility for your life.
One of the most pervasive myths in the culture of the world today especially in Nigeria is that we are entitled to a great life- that somehow, somewhere (certainly not us) is responsible for filling our lives with continual happiness, exciting career options, nurturing family time and blissful personal relationship simply because we exist but the real truth - and the only thing i want us to gain in this first principle is that there is only one person responsible for the quality of the live you live. That person is YOU.
Take 100% responsibility for your life.
One of the most pervasive myths in the culture of the world today especially in Nigeria is that we are entitled to a great life- that somehow, somewhere (certainly not us) is responsible for filling our lives with continual happiness, exciting career options, nurturing family time and blissful personal relationship simply because we exist but the real truth - and the only thing i want us to gain in this first principle is that there is only one person responsible for the quality of the live you live. That person is YOU.
It is now a glaring fact and a clear reality that has come to live with us that the government of the day in our dear country Nigeria has failed us. Believing or waiting on the for the better life you envisaged is synonymous and tantamount to a colossal destruction. Hence, the need for us to start taking full responsibility for ourselves. It is time to start thinking of what i can do to contribute my own quota to my country and not the frequent quest of what your nation has to offer you as it the case always these days.
If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything you experience in your life. This include the level of your achievements, the results you produce, the quality of your relationshis, the state of your health and physical fitness, your income, your debts, your feelings - everything.
I know this might not be too easy. Infact, most of us have been conditioned to blame something outside ourselves for the parts of our lives that we don't like. We blame out parents, our bosses, our friends, our leaders, our economy, our lack of money - anyone or anything we can pin the blame on. We never want to look at where the real problem is - OURSELVES. No doubt all factors do exist, but if they were the deciding factor, nobody would ever succeed. Bill Gates would never have founded Microsoft, and Steve Jobs would never have started Apple Computers. 2016 NYSC Batch B Corp Members, i want you to know today that for every reason why It's not possible, there are hundreds and thousands of people who have faced the same circumstances and succeeded.
I will like to share with you a formula that i learnt from my mentor Jack Canfield some years ago.
E + R = O; E= Events, R= Response and O= Outcome.
The basic idea behind this equation is that every outcome you experience in life (whether it is success or failure, wealth or poverty, health or illness) is the result of how you responded to an earlier evens or events in your life.
E + R = O; E= Events, R= Response and O= Outcome.
The basic idea behind this equation is that every outcome you experience in life (whether it is success or failure, wealth or poverty, health or illness) is the result of how you responded to an earlier evens or events in your life.
Our response to these limiting factors determines our outcome in reality. Lots of people have overcome these so-called limiting factors by controlling their responses to events in life, so it can't be the limiting factors that limit you. It is not the external condition stand circumstances that stops you. It is YOU! We stop ourselves! We think limiting thoughts and engage in self-defeating behaviours. We defend our self-destructive habits (such as drinking and smoking) with indefensible logic. We ignore useful feedbacks, fail to continuously educate ourselves and learn new skills, waste time on trivial aspects of our lives, engage in idle gossip, eat unhealthy food, fail to exercise, spend more money than we make, fail to invest in our future, avoid necessary necessary conflict, fail to tell the truth, don't ask for what we want - and then wonder why lives don't work. To be successful in life, there is need for us to really take responsibility for our lives.
Principle 2:
Be clear why You're here and decide what you want.
I believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging, and honouring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take. They take time to understand what they are here to do - and then they pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.
Be clear why You're here and decide what you want.
I believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging, and honouring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take. They take time to understand what they are here to do - and then they pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.
You see, without a purpose in life, It's easy to get sidetracked on your life's journey. It's easy to wonder and drift, accomplishing little. But with a purpose, everything in life seems to fall in place. To be "on purpose" means you are doing what you love to do, doing what you are good at and accomplishing what's important to you. When you truly are on purpose, the people, the resources, and opportunities you need naturally gravitate towards you. The world benefits too, because when you act in alignment with your true life purpose, all of your actions automatically serves others.
Once you have decided why you are here, you have to decide what you want to do, be and have. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to experience? And what possessions do you want to acquire? In the journey from where you are to where you want to be, you have to decide where you want to be.
Inside of everyone of us is that tiny seed of the "you" that you were meant to become. Unfortunately, you have buried this seed in response to your parents, teachers (I remember my teacher telling me to study medicine and surgery because of my fine handwriting), and other adult role modes as we were growing up.
You started out as a baby knowing exactly what you want, and how to get it without fear. What you don't like and how to discard it. But along the line something happened. Somewhere along the way, someone said;
Don’t touch that.
Stay away from there.
Keep your hands off that...
Eat everything on your plate whether you like it or not.
As you got older, you heard....................
You can't have everything you want simply because you want it.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
Stop doing what you are doing and come and do what i want you to do.
Inside of everyone of us is that tiny seed of the "you" that you were meant to become. Unfortunately, you have buried this seed in response to your parents, teachers (I remember my teacher telling me to study medicine and surgery because of my fine handwriting), and other adult role modes as we were growing up.
You started out as a baby knowing exactly what you want, and how to get it without fear. What you don't like and how to discard it. But along the line something happened. Somewhere along the way, someone said;
Don’t touch that.
Stay away from there.
Keep your hands off that...
Eat everything on your plate whether you like it or not.
As you got older, you heard....................
You can't have everything you want simply because you want it.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
Stop doing what you are doing and come and do what i want you to do.
All these have developed an insurmountable mountain of fear in us depriving us of our full sense of accomplishments but i want to encourage us not to make our heart fertile fon its survival. Don’t settle for less. Make an "I want" list and stop worrying rather take it to God in prayers.
Principle 3:
Believe in yourself and believe It's possible.
"You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve" - Napoleon Hill.
Believe in yourself and believe It's possible.
"You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve" - Napoleon Hill.
You were never a mistake, you were created for a purpose and to fulfill this purpose, you have to develop the attitude of believing in yourself. Thb choice of what to believe is up to you; so please give up the "I can't" mentality and give in to the "I can" mentality.
Principle 4:
Take action and commit to a constant and never-ending improvement.
"Things may not come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle". - Abraham Lincoln (16th US President)
Take action and commit to a constant and never-ending improvement.
"Things may not come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle". - Abraham Lincoln (16th US President)
The world doesn't pay you for what you know; it pays you for what you do. There is an enduring axiom of success that says, "the universe rewards action". Yet as simple and as true as this principle is, It's surprising how many people get bogged down in analysing, planning, and organising when what they really need to do is take action. Talk of the mouth is cheap.
When you take action, you trigger all kinds of things that will inevitably carry you to success. You let those around you know that you ars serious in your intention. People wake up and start paying attention. People with similar goals aligned with you. You begin to learn things from your experience that cannot be learned from listening to others or from reading books. You begin to get feedback about how to do it better, more efficient and more quickly.
When you take action, things that once seemed confusing begin to become more clear. Things that once appeared difficult begin to be easier. You begin to attract others who will support and encourage you. All manner of good things begin to flow in your direction once you begin to take action. Remember, nothing happen until you take action. Satisfaction comes from enough actions. Stop the talk, analysis, and start to take action if indeed you really want to be successful in life.
"We have an innate desire to endlessly learn, grow and develop. We want to become more than what we already are. Once we yield to this inclination for continuous and never-ending improvement, we lead a life of endless accomplishment and satisfaction". - Chuck Gallozi.
In Japan, the word for constant and never-ending improvement is "kaizen". Not only is this an operating philosophy for modern Japanese businesses, it is also the age-old philosophy of warriors too - and It's become the personal mantra of many millions of successful people.
Achiever's - whether in business, sports or academics - are committed to continual improvement. Therefore, if you want to be successful, you need to learn to ask yourself, "how can i make this better? How can i do it more efficiently? How can i do this more profitably? How can we do this with greater love?"
It is the desire of every young people to be successful; and i pray for all the 2016 Batch B Corp Members that they will all be successful in Jesus name. As many that have served and sacrificed his/her all in ensuring the progress of the Local Government, Place of Primary Assignment, NCCF, MCAN, Community and the country at large, may the Lord replenish you all in Jesus name.
I will miss you all.
See you on top.
I will miss you all.
See you on top.
Thanks for listening.
Your friend,
Ogunyemi Olakunle Joshua
Pka: Prof Kay.
25th October, 2017.
Ogunyemi Olakunle Joshua
Pka: Prof Kay.
25th October, 2017.