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Success Journey XXIV: You Don’t Need Plurality, It’s A Myth.

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In business, once you decide who you aren’t going to serve, you are free of tyranny. So also in creating..if you try to appeal to everyone you may end up with no one. The plurality mindset is a myth..those who your product/service resonates with are all you need to succeed. ~ Cmoni I love Seth Godin because of his consistency which is built on repetition. In the Akimbo podcast, he repeatedly exhorts us to aim for the SMALLEST VIABLE SIZE and watch the multiplier effect from those we impact. Just do your best to create value and share it generously. If you rinse and repeat this process it is a guarantee that the ratchet as he calls will take over. He exemplified it thus; “Starbucks doesn’t serve coffee to the majority of the people in the United States. The New York City Crochet Guild appeals to just a small percentage of the people who encounter it. That’s okay. You don’t need a plurality or even a majority. In fact, in nearly every case, trying to lead everyone results in leading no one in particular.” For instance, you are reading this because my caption attracted you or you’ve read my previous essays. Either way, you want to get something at the end. If a line, paragraph or entire message resonates with you the likelihood of reading my next post will be high. Otherwise, you will scroll away next time. This is equally so in business. Products and services that offer value are purchased and repurchased over and over again. There will come a time when your customers/audience will start recommending you to others. They invariably become your advertisers for FREE! When I started the cmonionline writing contest, I only wanted to revive a waning literary culture. And since I planned to fund it as a way of giving back to the society that groomed me, I didn’t want to spend on publicity because I had no plans to profit from it. The initiative received tremendous support from friends and soon enough ideas and suggestions flooded in. Many recommended increased online publicity. A friend advised me to up the ante and take it to the broadcast media. Others asked me to seek corporate and government funding. Conflicting thoughts on strategy threatened to overwhelm me and I began to imagine that we could be the African version of Reedsy. Following tips on social media marketing I increased ad spending to grow page my social media pages, attract more writers and reach a bigger audience. Of course both the writers and audience grew in numbers. By the time we had published close to 1000 stories from over 50 writers the symptoms of inorganic growth became manifest. The engagement level didn’t reflect the followership numbers and some writers just wanted to write for the prize even though I repeatedly made it clear that the aim was not to win but to improve our chosen craft. I started having doubts about the viability of the project. I was certain about my mission initially even if the vision wasn’t vivid, but now there seems to be an increasing lack of clarity on both. In every endeavour, you will likely encounter frustrations but try not to let it dim your determination. I stopped the social media ads. It was time to take stock. Fortunately, the period of rumination was during my Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Arts & Humanities with modules like teaching & learning online, digital techniques and communities of practice. While the interdisciplinarity of the course exposed me to digital tools and methods that can be applied to solve various real-life problems, its hybrid nature prioritised learning through discussion forums like Canvas, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet etc. It didn’t take long for me to apply the knowledge gained. We moved from judges to peer review and that automatically streamlined the group because the selection of winners involved the writers themselves. If you are passionate about writing and improving you are going to partake in these activities. So while some writers moved on to other things those who mainly wrote for the money also left. The ones who wanted to progress remained and that was all the niche I needed. THE SMALLEST VIABLE SIZE. Since then we have moved from weekly writing contests to periodic competitions. In addition, we hold regular Talkshops on related topics and sponsor training in digital skill acquisition. Recently, a member of our community published a book and we are currently writing a book in a year. We can now publicise the project with confidence and hunt for public/private sector funding because it is easier for others to support you when you have gained some mileage. And we have the results to show for our efforts. As you can see, the path is usually not so clear at the start. I mean you can’t possibly have a picture of the route your journey will take but embark on it nevertheless. Learn and unlearn along the way, repeat worthwhile processes, iterate and use the feedback to progress. So long as you have an idea, a basic take-off plan and the resolve to keep pushing you will eventually succeed. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that publicity or paid ads are wrong. Of course, they are great ways of attracting leads and growing your audience. What I’m saying is that if you believe in the value you are creating then you don’t need plurality or publicity, especially at the start when your resources are limited. In business, once you decide who you aren’t going to serve, you are free of tyranny. So also in creating, if you try to appeal to everyone you may end up with no one. The plurality mindset is a myth. Those who your product/service resonates with are all you need to succeed. Whatever you are trying to create doesn’t need those numbers you dream of to be successful. People will come and leave. The key is

Blog, On This Day

Nigerian government forces attacked the breakaway Republic of Biafra

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On this day 1967: Nigerian government forces launched an attack on the breakaway Republic of Biafra 5 weeks after its secession to trigger a 30-month armed conflict during which an estimated 3 million people perished in what is now known as the Nigerian civil war. Post-independence Nigeria remained divided by political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions. It came to a head with the 1964 election being marred with fraud. Violence erupted in the western and northern parts of the country forcing many to flee. On 15 January 1966, Majors Ifeajuna and Nzeogwu led others in a coup and killed leading public figures including Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and the Premier of the northern region, Ahmadu Bello. However, President, Nnamdi Azikiwe survived as he was on vacation in the West Indies. But the coup was crushed by the leader of the military General Aguiyi Ironsi. And by 16 January 1966 most of the plotters except Ifeajuna who fled the country surrendered. Ironsi, however, failed to try them expeditiously according to military tradition. Ironsi’s delay further deepened the widespread belief in the north that the coup was carried out by Igbos to supplant the Northern-dominated power structure with him. On July 29 1966, northern soldiers struck in a counter-coup and killed Ironsi. Yakubu Gowon emerged the head of state but then came the pogrom in which thousands of Igbos were massacred in the north which still held resentment over the killing of their leaders. Gowon promised to secure Igbo lives but failed repeatedly as Igbos were continually killed in numbers. Consequently, on May 30, 1967, Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu and other non-Igbo representatives of the Eastern region established the Republic of Biafra. Many diplomatic efforts failed to reunite the country, and on & July 1967 Nigeria launched an offensive against Biafra.

Blog, On This Day

On this day 1975: Arthur Ashe became the first black wimbledon winner.

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On this day 1975: Arthur Ashe defeated the tournament favourite Jimmy Connors in the Wimbledon finals to become the first black man ever to win the most coveted championship in tennis. Born on July 23, 1943, Ashe lost his mother at six and grew up getting used to discrimination and adversity in an era when coloured people were denied opportunities in a game often perceived as elitist. Determined to succeed he started playing as a boy. After winning a tennis scholarship to UCLA, tennis star Pancho Gonzales recognized his potential and took him in as his understudy. In 1968, Ashe became the first black man to win the U.S. Open and won the Australian Open 2 years later. He famously criticised South Africa’s apartheid regime and was denied entry for the country’s open tournament. Consequently, South Africa was excluded from Davis Cup competition. He won many other tournaments but the Wimbledon title remained elusive. By 1975, Ashe was 31 and seemingly well past his prime. His best finishes at Wimbledon were semi-final losses in 1968 and 1969 but surprisingly he got to the finals. His opponent and the defending champion was the much younger 22-year-old Jimmy Connors. Ashe found Connors who had defeated him in previous meetings arrogant, annoying and unpatriotic for refusing to play for the Davis Cup team. “I swear, every time I passed Jimmy Connors in the locker room, it took all my willpower not to punch him in the mouth,” said Ashe later. Ashe’s handlers devised a gameplan. He wore his Davis Cup tracksuit to annoy Connors. He also reduced Connors’ power play. This ploy saw him racing to a 2-set lead. Connors clinched the 3rd and led 4-0 in the 4th only for Ashe to bounce back and win 6-4 to take the title. Ashe retired in 1980 after suffering a heart attack. And in 1983, after double-bypass surgery, he was infected with HIV during a blood transfusion. He revealed this in 1992 and set about educating the public about the deadly disease until his death on February 6, 1993. He won 51 career tournaments and wrote a three-volume book “A Hard Road to Glory” published in 1988, which detailed the struggle of Black athletes in America. In 1997, the U.S. Open’s new home court was named Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Blog, Lifestyle, Resources

Success Journey XXIII: Consistency

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When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation.~Arsene Wenger In my university days, the big boys are often the loaded guys and great spenders who command influence and loyalty through acts of benevolence. Then came the era of quick bucks. You could break into the big boys club when you suddenly hammer in the Nigerian parlance. But my friend Joly Papa will only hail you as a Chairman if you maintain that status for long. Predictably few eventually qualify to be addressed with that title. The reason is simple; it is easier to hammer than to be CONSISTENT. Consistency is a vital characteristic of success and it’s about repetitions that often involve iterations which ultimately lead to evolution. Repetition: My dad told me that the average Onitsha trader is a millionaire because of consistency. Let’s take Main Market for instance. The traders (ndi oga) and apprentices (umu boy) wake up in the morning, shower and proceed to their respective shops at 6 am. The next day they repeat the same thing. Monday through Saturday, week in and week out, it is rinse and repeat. They rest on Sundays and use it for social engagements too. By the time you know it they would have marked 52 weeks. I used to think this was a boring lifestyle till I had a discussion with my cousin who lives in Lagos. For an educated and sophisticated Lagosian, I found it odd that he had the same routine. His business is located on the Mainland and his home was just about 3 kilometres down the road. When he eventually moved to the Island after many years he continued driving to the Mainland daily. When I asked why he did this, his response was concise. “I get bored at home if I don’t leave the house by midday”. I queried further, “Isn’t being at the shop daily monotonous?” He replied, “Nope because no two days are exactly the same”. “Ok, but you have two experienced shop attendants who run the day-to-day business, so why would you need to be present at the shop?” Again his simple answer floored me. “Well, my business often requires a personal touch for premium clients”. He explained that try as much as they may, his shop attendants will never replicate the marketing style he has perfected over the years. So to him, it is like killing two birds with a stone; eliminating boredom and making money. Iteration: In dynamic system analysis there is what is called the Chaos theory which states that; within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are underlying patterns, interconnection, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals, and self-organization. Though a computation terminology iteration is basically the repetition of a process in order to generate a (possibly unbounded) sequence of outcomes. Each repetition of the process is a single iteration, and the outcome of each iteration is then the starting point of the next iteration.~Wikipedia Consistency isn’t about immediate results neither are repetitions about buxom gains. Rather these habits are about incremental progress over an extended period and these small gains are usually the outcome of iterations from errors, feedback or even distractions. For instance, let’s consider the typical example of a football team. Each weekend a team of players engage each other in a contest to entertain us for 90 minutes. But what we don’t really get to see are the regular training sessions that go on during the week. Through repetitive practice, these players improve their skills and technique. By iteration (weekend contest) they either apply the skills/technique and win or commit errors and lose.  The coach then draws from the feedback to do better next time. This is exactly why teams that have stuck together for longer have better win rates. There is little sense in repeating the same process over and over again if you don’t learn, unlearn and adapt to make progress. Evolution: When you repeat the process and iterate for incremental gains, you will ultimately evolve. Consider a case in point like if you set a target of losing 5kg in a month. You can target 30-minute runs to burn 200 calories daily. But if you discover that you have shed only half a kilo in a week it’s time to iterate. You can adjust your nutrition to consume fewer calories and perhaps increase your jogging time to 40 minutes. I can assure you that by the end of another week, you would have shed over 1kg. So you keep on improving and by the end of the month bang! You have lost 5 kg. You have evolved into a new weight category and it will be time to move on to the next fitness goal. But guess what? Whatever target you set next, it will still be the same process of rinse and repeat. Steps You Can Take: Just like bad habits are tough to break good habits are equally hard to develop. But the good thing is that you can make the process simple not necessarily easy. However, once you get into the flow it becomes a part of you and thus easy. I’m a work in progress and success is a journey so I share what is working for me and many others. There are countless ways to develop consistency in working towards your goal but in the last few months, I have found the following 5 methods to be the most impactful. Set visible objectives/reminders: Be it your goal for the day/week/month/year or even your daily routine. Write it down and paste it somewhere you can always see it. Keep in your face! It is easier to get distracted in our digital world but you can leverage the affordances of this same era to achieve your aims. I use reminders and google calendar. Rise early: I call it the golden rule without which nothing will be achieved. My

Blog, Diaspora Diary., Resources

How You Can Change The Narrative by Enkay Nwangene.

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Is nursing the only profession for Nigerian immigrants in the US? I asked a question some time ago on Facebook and got some very interesting responses. Some said it was the vocation of choice for many who seek to start earning as soon as possible while others suggested it is one way of skipping the endemic racial prejudice in many other sectors. There were varying reasons but the aforementioned two formed majority opinion. Perusing through Facebook recently I saw this interesting story by US-based Enkay Nwangene and decided to publish it. Read on and share…. No Need To Start Life From Scratch While Living Abroad. Do This Instead. “My people, I Dey Greet Una. Let’s get practical here, gone are the days when starting life afresh abroad with new certificates was the norm. You know, the usual enrolment for the ‘high-demand’ professional courses/programs (healthcare, business analyst, information technology, you name it). You may still do so if that’s truly your calling. Most of us know it’s more to get out of that survival mode that we find ourselves in upon arrival in a strange land. Thankfully, the new norm is actually Entrepreneurship. Yes, I said it, Entrepreneurship. Most economies in the western world reward passionate, solution-driven individuals and families as history record how Entrepreneurs or employers of labor impact any economy much more than employees. In fact, it doesn’t matter if you’re just arriving or been abroad for decades. The fact is that leaving the familiar (your home country) to the unfamiliar is a huge step outside your comfort zone. If you already did that, what then is stopping you from harnessing endless privileges available to better your life abroad? Every government needs assets not liabilities. Be an asset. Be different. Build wealth. It takes courage to be different. While you’re here, start a business rather than spending on things of less value or borrowing and getting into more student loans for courses that you may never use. If you must, borrow to build a sustainable business that would out-live your extra certificates and diplomas. On the average, most careers need skills upgrade every 3-5 years. So how long would you keep doing that? In my case, almost 3 years ago, I made a decision to start a digital business that completely changed the course of my life. Little did I know that 16 months later, I would be in charge of my own time. I don dey Canada 10 years, my people. My only regret be say I wish I see this business much earlier than I did. While building a digital business from my laptop, I was able to: -Retire early from my nursing career -Clear off ALL borrowed consumer obligations -Travel around before the global crisis hit -Acquire properties in various destinations -Fulfill one of my ultimate goals which I was just not able to do during the 10 years prior All happened in my early 30’s! The best part is these days, I spend my time impacting lives positively. My calendar is now filled with things I want to do. Living the way I want to. I’m excited to share my journey, as well as to give you a wake up call. Well, it’s your turn to learn! Find out how by signing up for a free one on one coaching and mentoring program that would help you until you feel independent and start living how you want. All you need is just 10% personal effort and the system does the remaining 90%. Full Training Is Provided. No experience is needed. It all starts with our introductory webinar, which is offered at absolutely zero cost. Access that on my webpage: WWW.OASISCONSULTINGINC.NET and check your inbox or spam/junk folder for more info. I can’t wait to connect with you! I tell you, you can actually start enjoying that greener pasture sooner than you anticipated.”

Blog, On This Day

On this day 1979: Sony introduced the walkman to the market

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On this day 1979: Sony introduced the walkman to the market. It was the first personal stereo cassette player and the pioneer innovation that would revolutionise portable audio. Sony’s legendary co-founder Masaru Ibuka was a music lover who often carried a stereo tape recorder along on his travels. But the device was heavy and somewhat inconvenient for his frequent trips. So Ibuka asked his deputy Norio Ohga to come up with something smaller. By then Sony already had the pressman, a portable tape recorder for journalists. So Ohga made a prototype which was a playback-only device for his boss to take on his next foreign trip. Though its battery ran out half way, Ibuka was greatly impressed with the sound quality and portability. So he floated the idea of going commercial with the product to the board. When objections were raised about the salability of a cassette device only for playback, Ibuka asked ”Don’t you think a stereo cassette player that you can listen to while walking around is a good idea?”. His query will prove to be one of the great litotes in business history. Within 4 months Sony engineers developed the walkman which was introduced to the market at $150 before the summer vacation on July 1, 1979. The initial sale of 3,000 units for the first month seemed disappointing since 30,000 units had been produced. But an aggressive marketing campaign was launched and representatives approached pedestrians on the streets of Tokyo to gave them a chance to listen to the Walkman. The remaining stock sold out before the end of August signaling the beginning of one of Sony’s greatest success stories. Over 400 million Walkman portable music players have been sold, 200 million of them cassette players until Sony retired the classic cassette tape Walkman in 2010.

On This Day

On The Day: Franz Ferdinand Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo.

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On this day 1914: Franz Ferdinand Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serb nationalist, Gavrilo Princip in what would turn out to be the casus belli of WWI. The 1908 annexation of Bosna and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, precipitated the formation of several underground pressure groups by angry Serb nationalists who believed the territories should be part of Serbia. They infiltrated other Bosnia movements and on 3 June 1910, 22-year old Žerajić, a Bosnian-Serb student and member of The Young Bosnia Movement, unsuccessfully attempted to kill the Austrian governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina, General Varešanin before killing himself. His action inspired many including Princip who made him a role model. Princip later said “when I was seventeen I passed whole nights at his grave, reflecting on our wretched condition and thinking of him. It is there that I made up my mind sooner or later to perpetrate an outrage.” In June 1914, The Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I instructed his younger brother the archduke to go and inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina. One group notoriously named ‘The Black Hand’ which was formed for the creation of a “Greater Serbia through “terrorist action” hatched a plot to kill the archduke during his visit to Sarajevo. As his motorcade rode into the city from the train station the 1st assassin chickened out and failed to throw his bomb. The 2nd threw his bomb and it bounced off the back of the archduke’s car to detonate under the following vehicle. Seeing his failed attempt the 2nd assassin swallowed his cyanide pill and jumped into a shallow river. Unfortunately, he vomited the pill and was dragged out of the river by a crowd who beat him black and blue before handing him over to the police. Princip who was 3rd in line didn’t get a chance as the motorcade sped off to ‘the town hall where the angry archduke lamented that he was greeted by bombs on a friendly visit. He was calmed by his wife and they later decided to visit the injured in Sarajevo hospital. However, a fatal error was made as the drivers were not informed about the change in route by security officials. As they drove to the hospital the first driver took a wrong turn and the governor-general who was riding with the archduke called him out to reverse. In that brief moment as they braked Princip who had patiently waited by the roadside for the return trip shot the royal couple at point-blank range, killing both almost instantly. The archduke reportedly cried out “Sophie, Sophie! Don’t die! Live for our children!”. The assassination triggered a rapid chain of events, as Austria-Hungary immediately blamed the Serbian government for the attack. Tensions escalated with Russia backing Serbia, while Austria was backed by Germany and Bulgaria. Precisely one month later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia beginning a 4-year conflict now known as the First World War.

Blog, News

Writing Challenge: Free Graphic Design Training

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The prize-winning for this challenge is the FREE graphic design course worth N40,000 each for 10 writers. If you attended our last Talkshop please indicate so in your submission email and your slot is guaranteed. If you missed it your submission will be assessed alongside others to qualify. Please choose from the topics and follow the instructions below; Trace how digital technology has influenced the role of graphic design. (Feature) Imagine your journey to the zenith of the creator economy and narrate it in a creative manner. (Fiction)   INSTRUCTIONS: The word count is (750-1000) ±10% The submission deadline is 11:59 pm 06/07/2023. IMPORTANT!!! Edit & proofread thoroughly before submitting your entry. Your entry will not be published if it is full of errors. Submit via email to admin@cmonionline.com  Note: Read our general rules before submitting your work. Pay particular attention to items 2 & 9 because many entries have been trashed for not following instructions. WARNING!!! PLAGIARISM will get you banned from this platform. We will publish the essays as they come. Please try to submit early to make our job easier. Share your published stories widely for others to read. Good luck!

Blog, On This Day

On this day 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in Belgium

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On this day 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte who conquered much of Europe was defeated in Belgium by British forces under Wellington and Prussian troops under Blucher in what became known as the Battle Of Waterloo. Born in 1769 in Corsica, Napoleon rose through the ranks to overthrow the French Government in 1799. Crowned the “French Emperor” in 1804, his revolutionary tactics and relentless operations defeated every major power in Europe. However, Napoleon’s army was defeated by a coalition of Russian, Austrian, Prussian and Swedish troops in the 1813 Battle of Leipzig. After the capture of Paris in 1814, Napoleon was forced to abdicate the throne and exiled to the Island of Elba. The following year he escaped and sailed to France with over 1,000 supporters. He was welcomed by cheering crowds as he marched into Paris forcing King Louis XVIII to flee. Napoleon then started his famous 100 days campaign. Having raised a new army, Napoleon marched into Belgium where armies of British and Prussian troops were camped. He planned to drive them apart and defeat them separately. At the Battle of Ligny, on June 16, he forced the Prussians under Blucher’s command to retreat. On June 18, Napoleon led 72,000 troops to the farmlands of Waterloo village against the 68,000-man British army which included Belgian, Dutch and German troops led by Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. Because of the previous night’s rain, Napoleon waited until midday for the waterlogged ground to dry before attacking. The delay proved to be a critical error as it gave Blucher’s retreating troops time to march back to Waterloo and join the battle. The combined forces of about 118,000 men outnumbered Napoleon’s troops and consequently delivered him a crushing defeat. On June 22, 1815, he once again abdicated and was later exiled to the remote Island of Saint Helena where he died there on May 5, 1821, at age 51.

Blog, On This Day

On this day: Pope Pius IX was elected.

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On this day 1846: The Papal conclave elected Pope Pius IX who reigned for almost 32 years till his death on February 7, 1878 making him the longest serving Pope in history. Born on 13 May 1792, in Senigallia, Italy, Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti was a frail child with a lively intelligence. He moved to Rome in 1809 for higher education but was forced to abandon his studies twice because of illness. He later became a catechist in 1816 and was ordained a priest in 1819. He served in many capacities in Italy and Chile until 1827 when he was consecrated Archbishop of Spoleto at the age of 35. In the aftermath of the failed revolution in 1931, he obtained a pardon for all, including many who did not merit it. And in 1840 he received the Cardinal’s hat at the age of 48. He remained of modest conduct shunning many honours but fate brought the greatest of them on the 16th of June 1846 when he was elected Pope.  

Blog, On This Day

On this day 323 B.C: Alexander the Great died in Babylon (modern day Iraq).

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On this day 323 B.C: Alexander the Great, the 33 year old Macedonian military genius who forged one of the largest contiguous empires in history stretching from the Mediterranean to India, died in Babylon (modern day Iraq). He was born in Pella, Macedonia to the royal family of King Phillip II and Queen Olympias where he was tutored in military education by his father while renowned philosopher Aristotle taught him philosophy, medicine, art and religion. As a teenager, Prince Alexander led his father’s troops into combat and won the Battle of Chaeronea that brought Greece under Macedonian rule. He would take up the throne in 336 B.C at the age of 20 after his father was assassinated. He then began his life of conquests and ambitious quest to reach the end of the world leading a fleet of over 120 ships to conquer Persia. He also conquered Egypt, The Levant and Syria. Often outnumbered in his battles he displayed tactical military prowess and never lost a battle. By this time he already had the largest empire in the history of the world. He then launched a new eastern campaign and by 327 B.C., he had conquered Afghanistan, Central Asia, and large parts of India. The following year, his exhausted army refused to go farther and Alexander led them on a difficult journey home through the treacherous Makran Desert. Finally reaching Babylon, he began constructing a large fleet to take his army back to Egypt. However, in June 323 B.C., just as his ships were nearing completion he suddenly took ill and died leaving no heir as his son was born after his death. His body was returned to Alexandria, where it was buried in a golden coffin. Till date he remains one history’s most successful commanders.

Blog, On This Day

On this day 1184 BC: Troy was sacked and burnt to the ground (Trojan war).

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On this day 1184 BC: According to the estimation of the famous Greek scholar Eratosthenes, the beautiful city of Troy was sacked and burnt to the ground in one of the most popular events in history known as the Trojan War. There are many historical accounts of the war with some skeptics questioning its authenticity. However, the most popular narrative is that the 10-year conflict was ignited by the abduction of Queen Helen by Trojan Prince Paris from her husband, the King of Sparta, Menelaus. Led by King Agamemnon the commander of the Greek army, Melanus and a coalition of forces declared war on Troy to recover his wife. However, after several attempts they were unable to breach the walls of the great city. Tiring of the endless battles Menelaus offered to end the war by challenging Paris in single-combat. Paris agreed but ran away in fear to the safety of his brother Prince Hektor’s arms after he was thoroughly beaten by Melanus. As the war raged on Hektor led the Trojans to attack the Greek camp killing many fighters. King Agamemnon and his men were enraged. He called on Achilles his greatest warrior who refused to join the battle to protest Agamemnon’s seizure of his female war loot.   It wasn’t until Achilles’ best friend Patrokolos was killed by Hektor that he joined the fight seeking revenge. In a fierce battle, Achilles pursued Hektor around the city walls three times and finally killed him as his father King Priam watched from above. Yet the Greeks were unable to breach the walls of Troy, until a cunning plan was devised to send a large wooden horse filled with soldiers to the gates of Troy. The Trojans believing it was a parting gift of surrender took the horse into the city in celebration. At night the warriors crept out of the sculpture and opened Troy’s gates to allow the waiting Greek warriors to invade. That night the soldiers sacked and burned the city of Troy, killing its inhabitants, desecrating its temples, and finally ending the war.

Blog, Lifestyle, Resources

Six Atypical Tips For Staying Trim.

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I have just returned to my regular workout routine after a six-week hiatus and surprisingly I added just a little over one kilo after all the eating, drinking and the usual overindulgence that come with festive seasons. I looked back and said well done to myself because 1KG is something I can lose with my eyes closed. But the ultimate key is some of the habits I‘ve inculcated these past few years. Here are just six of them for not just your reading but also doing pleasure. Dancing: Dance when you can. At social functions, clubs or parties, during breaks in the gym and when you are happy just dance away. It is fun and healthy. Studies show that dancing can burn up to 300 calories in half an hour and wait. there are other benefits too. For instance, it has been linked to an increase in white matter, especially in the brains of ageing adults and we are not getting any younger. Mobility: Make sure you move a lot. It doesn’t matter where. In or outdoors just move your body. Try and do the chores that you would normally call on helps to do like cleaning, washing your briefs or the bathroom. These chores usually don’t take up much time but you will surely sweat especially back home in Nigeria. Park far-off: When you go to those grocery shops like Shoprite, Spar or Roban park at a distance from the entrance. Most times we want to park very close to that entrance to avoid carrying heavy shopping bags or trolleys the little distance but we are actually avoiding burning some calories. Drive less: Yes ditch your car for short distances. I know some people who will drive to the bathroom if they could but that is not healthy living. I usually walk to the local mall here and if I’m in Amawbia I walk a lot too. Everywhere in Amawbia is within a walking distance so I walk most of the time to see a cousin or buy groceries from a nearby shop. These are mostly 5–10 minute walks but they all add up. Sleep more: There is a common but erroneous belief that sleeping makes you gain weight. But that is pure hogwash. Sleep deprivation will reduce leptin, the hormone that regulates energy balance by suppressing appetite. So lack of sleep will likely make you eat more and add weight. I used to stay out late but now I try to limit that to weekends. I stay back at home during the weekdays and rest, watch a movie or read until I fall asleep. Get 7–8 hours of sleep daily. Tea: For ages, teas have been the universal beverage choice for relaxation. Lately, there’s been increased popularity of herbal teas around the world as natural sleep remedies, making most pricey. Well, I say tea is tea. If you can afford the herbal ones go for it but Lipton yellow label will still do the job. Drink tea before bedtime for a relaxed and calm night’s rest and have another when you wake up to open up your bowels.

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Write A Book In A Year With Cmonionline.

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The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better. ~ Stephen King We are finally here. It is official and it may seem to have come too fast but it’s always good to get started. If there is one thing I’ve learned in my 7 years abroad it is that the Western world thrives on productivity and lengthy deliberations can sometimes turn to prevarication. So it’s always better to start acting on your ideas and improve along the way. It gets better when you are accompanied because you have a challenge and support. ACT==>FAIL/PASS==>LEARN==>CONTINUE It is that simple guys. I know some have already started writing like myself. Some will still start and some may not write a word in the entire period. It’s different strokes for different folks but push on…we must! Now why do we want to write a book? The answer is simple. Because we can write a book! In our last session, we deliberated on spicing up the next 365 days of writing a book. It is important to reward our efforts for good reasons. The obvious is encouragement, and then it is necessary to take breaks — it could be monthly or quarterly — with some rote activities that may help to replenish our cognitive resources. Ideas like spoken word contests, poems, word count, and periodic writing competitions in the manner we usually have were mentioned. Well since variety is the spice of life and writing it will be nice to try these suggestions as we progress. We will simply put them to vote in the group and go with the majority choice. Book reviews: We will recommend 3 or 4 books for writers to choose from and then do a review. Writers will then determine the winning entries to be rewarded. I think this is a brilliant idea especially if we include authors/genres that may resonate with our writing ideas. It is actually killing 3 birds with a stone. You get a break, draw from reading and receive a bank alert. Well, the 3rd bird depends on the house. And finally, we agreed to START on 11th June 2023. So all things being equal, by 11th June 2024 through our effort each person should have published a book or at the very least have a draft. A Tip We Skipped. Find a reader, preferably someone you trust to always tell you the brutal truth. No flattery or undeserved adulation but honest feedback that will encourage you to keep pushing. I have my uncle and because my work will be published here I may request feedback from you at intervals. Next up…  On Sunday, June 25, 2023, we will host two content creators Ada @lightwoxng and Ifunanya @iphie_explores who will share their thoughts on digital creativity and social media. Further details on this will be shared on our social media platforms soon but it’s IMPORTANT to know the Talkshop is part of the criteria for choosing 10 beneficiaries of the FREE graphic design training. If you just started following you can still catch up with previous sessions and read some posts on writing in our resources category. That’s all, start writing and all the best!

Blog, On This Day

On this day 1968: Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan

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On this day 1968: U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. After winning the Democratic Party nomination, Kennedy spoke to his supporters at the Ambassador Hotel. As he left through the rear exit he paused to shake a dishwasher. That was when Sirhan who had a gun in a rolled-up campaign poster appeared and fired several shots at him. Two brave athletes Grier and Johnson who accompanied Kennedy joined his staff and wrestled the assailant to the ground as more shots rang out injuring five others. Grier would later blame himself for allowing Kennedy to be shot. Kennedy who had been hit with three shots bled on the pantry floor for 23 minutes before the medics arrived. Doctors performed emergency surgery but having lost too much blood he suffered irreversible brain damage. He was pronounced dead the next day. On April 17, 1969 Sirhan was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. However, his sentence was commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court outlawed capital punishment. He is now 76 and is serving at the Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

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