All Languages

Wednesday 29 August 2012

#My10CommandmentsOfRelationships ~ (9) COMMUNICATE !!



Communication is the whole embodiment of what relationship is all about. (Click here and tweet this). Human beings by nature express my ninth commandment of relationship without necessarily voicing anything out. We gesture, blink, facially express ourselves, point fingers here and there all in the name of communication. These are some of the means by which the everyday person communicates. “Communicare” in Latin is translated as communication in English. It means to impart, share, or to make common. To make “common” as per with the definition (in the sense of being equal) resonates with ethos of what a relationship is all about.  

This art of the human expression is as old as the ancient. However, a misapplication of one’s communicative ability only leads to a misunderstanding with the final result being disaster. (Click here and tweet this). When the devil intentionally miscommunicated God’s instruction regarding the eating of the fruit to Adam and Eve, they misapplied it and brought about their own downfall. I am hoping that we all will learn to communicate as God does. He doesn’t communicate until all the matters at hand have well been assessed- it took the hovering of the surface of the deep before God could speak the creative word for things to come into being.

Dr Emerson Eggerichs in his book “Love and respect”, lays emphasis on why men need to be respected and women to be loved. I see it more as a communicational doing rather than just a thoughtful aspect. If you respect someone you will love them and vice versa.  We should endeavour to carry this attitude into our daily endeavours. We can express love and respect through communicating it. We should endeavour to really understand what communication means to people we relate to. Be it through a gesture, a facial expression etc. The reason why I didn’t limit myself to “talking” as the only way to communicate is because it only represents one part of what it’s all about.  The essence of a successful relationship is seen when the people involve truly understand each other’s communication lines. (Click here and tweet this)

It’s said the scarcest commodity in the 21st century will be human attention. Twitter, Facebook, IMessage, Tango etc. are all tools of communication and don’t honestly represent the true essence of what it is.  Your ability to dialogue even when you don’t feel like creates an avenue for all others to express their fears, anxieties, beliefs and their strengths. (Click here and tweet this). Communicating with each other becomes a healing process through which others express themselves to be understood.  A relationship where there isn’t any communication dies a slow death. This will result in the destruction of that which could have been but was never given a chance.

Funny enough there is always something seeking the attention of people in a relationship be it intimate, businesswise or any other. When we fail to connect with those we have dealings with, something of insignificance will crave and subsequently win our attention. (Click here and tweet this). Whatever you feed on so much becomes the god you worship. My line of work has opened my eyes to a lot of the failures people have in intimate, business or any other aspect of human relationships. The greatest secret to any successful relationship is through the free expression of thoughts, ideas, fears, anxiety and vision clearly. (Click here and tweet this). I see this as communication!

Question: What does communication in a relationship mean to you? Kindly leave your comments on the blog.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

Monday 27 August 2012

“YOU” Series ~ I AM AWARE!!

"God created man in his image…"

A person cannot be aware of his outside when he is unsure of what his inside. The surety of becoming a full person is gleaned from an inward which is serene and without conflict. (Click here and tweet this). The only time people will put value on you is when you've first place value on yourself.

Your significance is not in your now, but in the processes you go through when no one delighted in your talents, skills or abilities. (Click here and tweet this). When you cross the finish line, you have substance. Now you can substantiate your efforts with tangible results and either be a man or woman of substance. Who has despised the day of small beginnings? It is in these small beginnings, that the seeds for your greatness are sown. The seeds of greatness are sown in unknown!

Too many of us give the control of our lives over to others and are angry when we are let down. No way! God created us to take charge and you are only going to succeed when you are AWARE. If you relinquish your power to the next person, you inadvertently give the essence of who you are away. People go to the extent of changing a lot in the outside of their lives through plastic surgery or Botox but lack the power to do so inwardly. Without a solid inside, what happens in the outside of a person is insignificant. (Click here and tweet this).

“I AM AWARE” simply is about accepting that true redemption begins with the self when it’s given over to God. Why walk around with the mindset of what others think or say about them? You are only a prisoner to the way you think and act. (Click here and tweet this). Until your thinking and acting are in sync, it will be difficult to become self-aware. As you mature, the truth that you matter should hit home clearer more now than ever. Without you, none of the visions, dreams or aims you have will ever materialise. I am not talking about self- worship or deification, but an inner awareness of who we you are through Christ. (Click here and tweet this).

Questions: What does being Aware mean to you?
You can leave your comments on the blog!

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

Thursday 23 August 2012

“YOU” Series ~HOW DO YOU DEFINE “YOU”

"Cogito Ergo sum": I think therefore I am” - Rene Descartes

Success or failure begins with the “individual”. Nothing will ever happen without your involvement. (Click here and tweet this). We have been conditioned by society to relate to others better than we have been thought to do for ourselves. We find it easy being nice or going the extra mile for others. How many truly do so much for themselves? For me, the true value of a person is discovered when they take time to understand themselves. It’s through this that they can muster courage to face the challenges and hardships of tomorrow. We all hate losing but yet at the same time love winning- it starts with you.

The journey to being your best begins with “you". Patience is the hall mark as you embark on this journey. The sport of Angling to me seems daunting. Most of the time the angler has to wait for several hours before the fish bites the bait. Deep within the Angler is the desire to catch fish no matter how long it takes or how smart the animal might prove to be. Eventually, the one who dares wait gets the results. Providence often rejects us when we fail to maximise all the gifts and opportunities we have been blessed with. (Click here and tweet this)

Finding ones’ own path in life and being guided by divine principles produces inner peace. (Click here and tweet this) What worked for someone wouldn’t necessarily work for you. There is so much respect in being a pioneer! When faced with doubt and uncertainty about “you”, never forget the work of artistry that went into creating “you”. To define you carries with it so much potency that if the average individual will spend time and pay the price, he will be astonished. Many spend their lives worshipping others for their ingenuity yet fail to make scratch or make use of their opportunities.

There seem to be a deep desire to win when raised in scarcity. Personally being raised with not so enough instilled in me the desire to define me and subsequently move ahead to win. I believe this is what has informed my desire to see my friends, congregation, and anyone I come across in this life win. It’s even more heart wrenching when you knew you could have won but never yielded when the opportunity arose. (Click here and tweet). My mother made sure I understood that anytime something holds you bound, you will never experience the fullness of what you could have become.

I am great not because a person conferred it on me, but because I am learning to understand who I am. (Click here and tweet this). You are truly great when you understand yourself! The chaos we have in our world is due to people doing the wrong things in the wrong places at the wrong time with the wrong attitudes.

QUESTION: Who are you? How do you define you?
Kindly leave your comments on the blog

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II                     


Monday 20 August 2012

#My10CommandmentsOfRelationships ~ (8) LEARN TO COMPROMISE, IT’S NOT WEAKNESS!!


A society that is geared toward worshipping the male machismo and Alpha attitudes wouldn’t be the one to accept compromising as being wise. (Click here and tweet this). Since ancient times, compromising has been a weapon used by the wise to win eventually. There is a saying that we have to agree to disagree as a way of going forward.  To be successful in any relationship, understanding that you can’t always insist on your right will go a long way to help you. (Click here and tweet this).

To COMPROMISE isn’t WEAKNESS but rather an easy way into having harmony and stability for a long time. (Click here and tweet this) Many at times, our emotions cannot be trusted and sometimes they deceive us. The only bulwark we have against the sudden urge of our emotions is the art of compromising. Why? It will allow you to ponder and reflect on the “what ifs” of any relationship. It’s equal to strategizing for the long haul. Interestingly, you don’t have to win it all in order to make a point.

To concede that you don’t know it all, haven’t got all the answers and cannot to everything to enhance the relationship is an act of compromise. (Click here and tweet this).  This sort isn’t the one which leaves the relationship vulnerable but rather strengthens it. Never forget relationship begets other relationships thus learning how to adapt to differences will be good for the long haul. 

Being headstrong will only lead to your ruin. People who always insist on being either the best or right never make it past the initial relationship. (Click here and tweet this). Not everything should make sense to you before you give in or decide to amend certain aspects of your relationship. If the business associate has genuine fears regarding a point, the wisest thing to do will be compromise. This will allow for the pursuit of the main aim for which the business has been or is being established. If the young man or woman believes a certain aspect of your lifestyle will ruin the relationship you have, it will be great to compromise.

As I mature in age and experience, I have realised that you will only go higher in life with strategic compromises. (Click here and tweet this). No great leader can wholeheartedly say they didn’t or haven’t compromised in order to push through a policy or something of that sort. They all learn how to compromise positively and sometimes negatively in the course of their leadership lifecycle. 

Life is full of compromises and it’s the way God created humanity for co-existence. (Click here and tweet this). Never let go of  your core points entirely in a relationship but learn to amend or better still rewrite it in order for the other to feel worthy to be part of the chosen cause. Pride, self –conceit and arrogance will be the voice that will speak against your intention to compromise. Watch out for them because they come out strong when a person decides to give in and let all win at the end of the day.

Question: Is it easy to compromise? Kindly leave your comments on the blog.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

Wednesday 15 August 2012

#My10CommandmentsOfRelationships ~ (7) APPRECIATE!

“Don’t go chasing waterfalls please stick to the rivers and the lakes you’re used to” is a song by TLC which was quite popular when we were in our teens. It resonates with my next commandment when in a relationship- “APPRECIATION”.  I believe people who cheat do so because they never appreciate what they have. (Click here and tweet this).

Appreciation I believe means to increase in value without any further look into the dictionary. Every commandment we’ve learnt so far regarding relationship connects to this commandment of “appreciation”. When the attraction is mutual, you relate to your kind which also means you go for what you need. It’s only through this that you can have a common vision for the purpose set forth. Finally you will understand why I have been saying make it a win- win deal. I doubt if you will hurt someone you truly respect. (Click here and tweet this).

Appreciation becomes the next commandment to practise. Until you are satisfied with what you have, you will never put value on it or appreciate it.  Personally and from others I have remonstrated, not being appreciated is the worst that can happen to the desire a person has in relating. Ever killed yourself for someone or for a purpose and not received even a nod or word of appreciation? You felt angry and disenfranchised. You know why…there is an innate desire in everyone to be patted on the back, given a look of acceptance and to be told thank you. (Click here and tweet this).

Appreciation is what empowers a person into doing more and also exceed or stretch themselves beyond the norm. (Click here and tweet this). It stirs within you a supernatural ability that transcends your everyday strength.  The currency for longevity and promotion is “APPRECIATION”. Society is now been filled with whiners and complainers. We complain almost about everything without due appreciation for the things we freely have. Others  will relish an opportunity just to have a taste of what you easily discard and dismiss with impunity. 

When the truth of God’s word hit me hard a few years ago, I came to one conclusion- I appreciate my experiences and the person I have become inspite of my short comings. This is the only way you can move forward despite your past and what it represents. Ebenezer simply means this is how far God has brought us! (Click here and tweet this).

David of bible times teaches us the power in appreciation even in the face of imminent death from the enemy. Inspite of all King Saul did in order to kill him, when he had the opportunity he did the opposite. (Click here and tweet this). He protested vehemently against being pushed by his compatriots to spill innocent blood. Secret- he was a “nobody” even when he Killed Goliath. It took the acceptance of King Saul into the palace to bring him into prominence. He was forever indebted to the kind gesture of the King and had always harboured an immense amount of Appreciation for the King.

If you learn to appreciate, it will be easy to forecast for the years ahead. Relationships no longer have longevity because many easily discard the rivers and the lakes they’ve been used to for the waterfalls at the least whim.

Question: What does APPRECIATION mean to you in a relationship? Kindly leave your comments on the blog.

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

Monday 13 August 2012

"U"Series ~ Measure You(r) Pace!!

"Your pace is legal. Some run, some walk, some crawl. Reward in life is for those who endure and finish the race well". ~Unknown


This quote from a friend I follow on twitter got me thinking a lot. Many have been caught in the “instantomatics” of our time and do assume things should happen as quickly as the machines dispense coffee or coke. The difficulty for most has been the inability to accept they are unique and that their pace in life is entirely different from that of the next person. If care is not taken, the tendency to measure yourself with the successes of others will leave you a casualty of an unplanned life. (Click here and tweet this). This is born out of jealousy and envy which can’t be substantiated.

The pressures of life increases daily with every passing minute and the greatest coolant you have will be the knowledge that your pace is legal. (Click here and tweet this). Your steps even when negative are ordered by God for your own good. Ever had a bad situation turned around? That’s what am talking about! Every place you step, circumstance you will face in life has a lesson you ought to learn. Your miracle is in your ability to apply the wisdom acquired from your lessons of life. (Click here and tweet this). You will win if only you will understand the power of your pace.

To rise to the challenge of being “you” demands an acceptance of your uniqueness, the recognition of talents, skills and abilities. (Click here and tweet this). Some run, some walk, some crawl but the reward of success in this life is for those who endure and finish well the race of life. Life is a race but learn to stay in your tracks and develop yourself.You can never beat the next person by crossing over into their lane. Stay in your lane! Never measure your future with that of any one. (Click here and tweet this). At best learn from them... at most be yourself.

Life takes turns and one day it will be yours. One walk at a time, one run at a time, one stroke at a time and you will surely get to the place of your intended purpose. (Click here and tweet this). At the end of the day, society, friends and even your conscience won't be interested in what others did but what you did with your uniqueness. Your pace is so legal!!

Questions:  Why do you think people measure themselves with others? You can leave your comments on the blog!

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

Wednesday 8 August 2012

"3Pees" Of Life ~ PRODUCTION!!


"But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty fold…."

Life is all about results! No one wants to waste time around empty “bragging and dragging. (Click here and tweet this). If you are going to talk, at least show us the money! Your result in life determines the places you go and the people you see. (Click here and tweet this). Notable people are recognised because of the results they have. Many people talk about their great aspirations, visions and dreams and how they plan to achieve it. Yes I know we all ought to at some point but spare me the talk when it’s time for action. Meet them the next time and they have already given up or have a gamut of excuses here and there. I repeat LIFE IS ABOUT RESULTS. A little secret – laws in any nation are enacted to favour the rich. Guess why?  

When the sower was out sowing, he never envisaged some of his precious seeds will fall on rocky, patchy or thorny  and wayside ground. His intention was to sow all in a good ground in order to reap well. But life has a way it thwarts dreams and aspirations.(Click here and tweet this). May be you’ve be challenged in the same way with your talents, skills and abilities over the years. As long as we don’t control the elements, our dreams and aspirations are subject to their buffeting. (Click here and tweet this). Regardless, you should secure the remaining seeds and learn how to sow in a good soil for results. When God blesses you with the seed, you find the good soil to sow! If your cycle of failure keeps repeating when you’ve been blessed with seeds to sow, the fault is with you. (Click here and tweet this).

Not to be productive is against the law of fruition for any person with seeds. God gives seeds to the sower for results yet it’s the duty of the sower to sow in a good ground. (Click here and tweet this). Remember the story of the king and his three stewards? The one who complain bitterly of having only one talent was brutally dealt with when the King came back. What we are not told is that the king spent his time and effort to train them before handing over to them the talents. Every circumstance you encountered prepared you for this time. Don’t disappoint yourself!

You can have the world’s greatest talent, skill or ability but if it’s not exposed to and in the right environment, you are doomed. (Click here and tweet this). How much result are you aiming at? The mystery of having results is this; the next generation matters.  Go and produce!!

Questions: What does it mean to you to have results? Do you have any strategy to be fruitful?
You can leave your comments on the blog!!

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II


Sunday 5 August 2012

#My10CommandmentsOfRelationships ~ (6) RESPECT!!


The dictionary defines respect “as an esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability”. To be respected in any relationship you find yourself in is to give due admiration for the other party inspite of the weaknesses exhibited. Respect is something every human being craves. It’s synonymous to placing value on an object. Anytime you place value on something, you esteem it. (Click here and tweet this). Anything that is esteemed tends to exhibit its best. Let us face it, we all desire respect and we thrive well where we are respected.

It takes so much boldness to commit your vision, dreams and finally yourself to a relationship. (Click here and tweet this). Thus when respect is trampled underfoot it maims a person’s ability to produce their best. Respect is a natural course of life and you can’t avoid it. Interestingly God respects you! Because of the enormity of God's respect for us, He has freely blessed us with talents, gifts and abilities without any input from us. Respect I believe is one of the core pillars for any successful relationship. (Click here and tweet this). 

I have seen people who followed dreams, businesses, and even fall in love with people they truly don’t have any respect for. The end result has been disaster! Many women and men often stay in a relationship inspite of the constant disrespect meted out to them. Sometimes I wonder why people justify their presence in certain relationships! To be respected is for someone to say “I have confidence in you inspite of your short-coming and that am willing to help you if you allow me. If peradventure you don’t need help, I wouldn’t abandon the purpose for which I am in this relationship for.”

We don’t have to think the same in a relationship but your ability to respect the others opinion is paramount as it engenders a sense of well being. (Click here and tweet this).  Two people, plans or ideas will never be the same. When the common ground is found through respect, we can move forward in progress. Where there is no respect, suspicions reign supreme. My ability to respect the next person determines my desire to go the extra mile in making sure the purpose for which we have set ourselves for will surely be achieved.

The only time we lose respect is when your values are not clear. (Click here and tweet this). A haphazard way of relating isn’t the best way to gain respect.  Respect isn’t demanded it’s commanded and you do so by your deeds. If your deeds are genuine and straight forward, respect automatically springs up. In the mind of the other person, the word “I can trust you" is stirred up.
  
Respect is a must because many people in positions of authority in our times have lost the legitimacy and credibility to lead. The lack of integrity is so much pervasive in society these days. It will behove those of us desiring prosperous relationships to take a stand for respect. When you have integrity and your deeds can be substantiated, people will put you on pedestal of respect. (Click here and tweet this) On the contrary, when you demand respect, it’s a display of weakness and a sign of a complex. It tells the other person you are inadequate and cannot be trusted.

Questions: What does respect mean to you in relationship? Kindly leave your comments on the blog.

Yours In His Service
Joe Akuoko II

Wednesday 1 August 2012

“3Pees” Of Life ~ PREPARATION!!


Thou preparest….

Preparation! Not many want to go through it if we will be honest. It is one of the most excruciating moments of a person’s life especially when the question of peer pressure and threat of living with failure comes to mind. (Click here and tweet this). Imagine being powerful yet had to remain silent for eighteen years before you are allowed to make your move? Jesus experienced it, I have experienced it and you also might be experiencing. People saw a “King” in David when slew Goliath yet he had to run because it wasn’t his time. He had to run because he knew it wasn’t his time. David understood what PREPARTION is all about thus he was willing to wait and go through the process.

The gift, talents, skills you possesses comes in their raw form. The factory of life would have to stretch you so you can mature in the handling of what God has given you. (Click here and tweet this). Patience, character and attitude are the most important components you need in your preparation period. Until you begin to see as God wants you to, there will always be a delay in the reason why God had to take you through preparation. Your gift, talent or skill will take you anywhere in life, but do you have the prepared character to sustain yourself? Once you have been prepared, you can have longevity in your sphere of your endeavour.

Moses, one of the greatest leaders histories will ever produce, had to go through forty years of PREPARATION before being released. From a prince to being a fugitive of the Egyptian penal system, God prepared him for forty years before being release at eighty. He encountered so much changes going through the preparation period. The process bred in him a divine level of maturity to handle difficult issues. When everyone around him wanted to give up, he could easily inquire on the Lord for his next move. Patience is such a powerful virtue that any one called onto greater works needs to pray for it. (Click here and tweet this). For preparation without patience only leads to a destruction and disgrace.

Questions: What does preparation mean to you? Have you gone through a period of preparation before? Has having the patience to be prepared produced result? Kindly leave your comments on the blog!!!

Yours In His Service

Joe Akuoko II

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