I am fascinated with the mind and it’s power and I t’s capabilities.
The mind is a tool that has been made available to us to control. We are in charge, yet, it appears it has been believed that it is the mind that is in charge. As easy as it may sound, it isn’t easy to control, but it’s possible. I am aware it’s a task that requires a strategy abs a lot of dedication for us to conquer, like we would embark on a trip to Mount Everest.
Once conquered, it opens up a path which will lead to success that dreams are made of. The mind is the key to success. You get out what you pour in. You pour in unconsciously and carelessly, and the mind doesn’t fail to deliver its consequences.
On the other hand, if you dedicate time to nourish and nurture the mind, be rest assured, you will be glad for it. Success will gush out like magic.
So, how do we conquer the mind?
I don’t know!
What I do know is that the mind can be influenced, positively or negatively. Also, I am now more conscious of its input and output. I watch what read, listen to, watch and associate with. These activities are what feed the mind. Control that, you will be closer to mastering the mind.
Here are 11 Inspirational Quotes on the Power Of The Mind.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Bible (Romans 12:2)
“The mind is the key.” ATGW
“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” Anonymous
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius
We are what we believe we are.” Anonymous
“There is no limit to the power of the human mind. The more concentrated it is, the more power is brought to bear on one point.” Swami Vivekananda
“Our greatest battles are those with our own mind.” Anonymous
“Your mind is precious. It has the power to unlock infinite possibilities.” Joel Annesley
“A person’s mind is so powerful. We can invent, create, experience, and destroy things with thoughts alone.” Anonymous
“The body achieves what the mind believes.” Anonymous
“Every thought we think is creating our future.” Louise Hay
Dear reader, subscriber and follower, if you haven’t been seeing or receiving notifications from my blog posts, it’s because I have moved to https://jidesalu.website.
Could you do me a favour, visit my new website and re subscribe or re follow my blog. This would be most appreciated. Thank you and God bless. Below is the post for DAY 135.
A lot of things are replaceable, time isn’t one of them.
The statement above was produced during my chat with a dear friend at our morning devotion.
Our discussion took us to the corridors of ‘time’. How precious and valuable that commodity is. That we must first value it ourselves before appreciating it.
Time is the only commodity that is spent and not returned. There is no change. It is that valuable.
Yesterday, I was on a walk with my wife and we were also talking about how time really does fly. It’s a few weeks to Christmas. Our children are all grown ups. We are all adults. Everyday is precious. Everyday should be satisfactorily spent. We should aim never to have regrets and when mistakes are made, ask for forgiveness from self and other.
Time, like the sun is constant. They never disappear. Sometimes, dark clouds hide the sun and make the whole day gloomy, it is for a moment. The same applies to time. It may be accompanied with pain, it is for a moment. That pain shall subside and pass on.
When Leo Tolstoy wrote “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time”, it made a lot of sense then as it does now.
It may seem we have plenty of time, who knows! However, patience is what we cannot have too little of.
Take for instance the number of times we narrowly missed getting on the bus. We pant from the huge dash to get on. We sigh from the disappointment of bus driver leaving you behind. We fret at not knowing when the next bus is due. Then patience beckons, and we take our spot on the queue. And so we invest some time, and another bus does arrive, and the mood automatically switches to relieve and elation.
Whatever you invest in time behind closed doors will eventually protrude like pregnancy.
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important,” said Antoine de Saint. That’s so true!
Stephen King in the The Green Mile wrote, “Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not.” Another bitter/sweet pill to swallow. There is no talk of men killing time here, in actual fact, it’s the other way round. It is time that quietly kills them.
Time reveals how we spend it. There is no hiding away from that truth.
Time! It is free, but priceless.
It can’t be owned, but can be used. It can’t be kept, but can be spent Once lost, you can never get it back. Thank you Harvey Mackay for that wisdom.
Time is what we want most. Unfortunately, we are limited to 24 hours off it in a day, so we have to get on with it and do not waste it on living a life of ‘had I known.’ However, how we spend Time reveals how disciplined we have become.
Life in its entirety is made of time. Thinking we have little of it is time wasting. Jim Rohn believes you either run the day, or the day runs you. It’s a choice that has to be made. Time only needs a bit of tweaking to get the best out of it.
Decide how you have to spend time, or else it does it’s thing and gets spent without your say.
Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” – Bil Keane
I wish you well with your time. Thank you for stopping by.
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Let’s talk Crypto, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
US city sets up Bitcoin ATM in airport after crypto payment adoption.
The City of Williston expects to boost crypto payment volumes by installing a state-hosted crypto kiosk in the airport.
North Dakota’s City of Williston continues its exploration and adoption of the cryptocurrency industry with the installation of a crypto automated teller machine (ATM) in its international airport.
The city’s administration officially announced the installation of the “government-hosted cryptocurrency kiosk” at the Williston Basin International Airport, allowing passengers and non-travelers to buy and sell 40 digital currencies. The list of supported coins includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB).
For the initiative, the City of Williston partnered with the crypto service Coin Cloud, which provided its digital currency machines (DCM) to the city. According to the firm, a DCM is “more than just a Bitcoin ATM” as it allows users to buy and sell not only Bitcoin but also 40 other digital assets with cash. “Old school Bitcoin ATMs can’t do all that,” Coin Cloud asserted.
Hercules Cummings, finance director for the City of Williston, told Cointelegraph that the effort “may be the first case of an airport and government-hosted crypto ATM” in the United States. He also now anticipates the city’s crypto payment volumes to increase, stating:
“By the government accepting cryptocurrencies for utility payments now coupled with hosting cryptocurrency ATMs, a government is a key player providing exposure to the public and accelerating adoption of cryptocurrency.”
The phrase ‘stay in your lane’ is used as a term of admonishment or advice against those who express thoughts or opinions on a subject about which they are viewed as having insufficient knowledge or ability. However, you are about to read how I have chosen to apply the phrase……..
Imagine yourself in a traffic jam. You are in the middle lane. You took your observation skills to another level by concluding vehicles on the lane to your right is moving faster than the three lanes. No one can convince you that you arrived at that mathematical conclusion out of frustration. It surely must be, that the middle lane you are stuck on is not moving at all.
You couldn’t take it any more. You hatched a plan to move between lanes according to how fast the traffic flows. You smiled. Pumped up. Throttle ready, and off you went, indicator busy. Meandering from the middle to the right, back to the middle and then to the right lanes. Surely, you must be making progress. Another remarkable conclusion.
But there is a problem. How would you know progress is being made? That’s easy! You had already taken note of the vehicle directly in front of you to gauge your progress.
After an hour of switching between the three lanes, you decided to gauge progress. You looked in the rear mirror for the vehicle that was hitherto ahead. You looked. Squeezed your eyes to see if you could pick it up in the far distance. It was not to be found. You were certain and chuffed at progress made.
Lo and behold, to your horror, the vehicle was ahead by three or four cars …..in the middle lane!
Shocked and perplexed, you don’t understand what happened.
What happened was that you did not stick to your lane.
This is how I view the journey called life.
How many times have I felt stuck doing something? I cannot count the number of times I switched strategies, not sticking to a plan. Not sticking to my lane.
There is this misconception that to get ahead quicker, you need to move around a lot. While that may be true on some occasions, it doesn’t make it a template for success.
What makes someone leave their lane? Could it be impatience or lack of belief?
Do you think the idea of moving from one lane to another is another way of expressing thoughts or opinions on a subject you have insufficient knowledge or ability?
I don’t know! What do you think?
I’ll be here in my lane. Until next time. Thank you for stopping by.
Don’t forget to Like or Subscribe.
God bless you.
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Let’s have some Crypto News courtesy of REUTERS.
U.S. becomes largest bitcoin mining centre after China crackdown.
The United States has overtaken China to account for the largest share of the world’s bitcoin mining, data published on Wednesday by Britain’s Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance showed.
The figures demonstrate the impact of a crackdown on bitcoin trading and mining launched by China’s State Council, or cabinet, in late May, which devastated the industry and caused miners to shut up shop or move overseas. read more
China’s share of the power of computers connected to the global bitcoin network, known as the “hash rate”, had fallen to zero by July from 44% in May, and as much as 75% in 2019, the data showed.
Miners elsewhere have taken up the slack, with mining rig manufacturers shifting their attention to North America and Central Asia and larger Chinese miners moving as well, though this process is fraught with logistical difficulties. read more
As a result, the United States now accounts for the largest share of mining, some 35.4% of the global hash rate as of the end of August, followed by Kazakhstan and Russia, the data showed.
Bitcoin is created or “mined” by high-powered computers, usually at data centres in different parts of the world, which compete to solve complex mathematical puzzles in a process that makes intensive use of electricity.
The challenge is many believe it has to be extremely difficult. The world has come to equate success to back breaking arduous tasks. It doesn’t have to be. Hard work? Yes! Discipline? Yes!
So, how do you see success? How do you assess your current situation? Do you think you don’t have a choice but to think the worst? Honestly, do you really think you can become what you have been designed for? What am I really designed for?
Look at this scenario for a minute. Your friend says that this week is going to be a terrible one because of the rise in covid infections. You disagree, and say that it is going to be a brilliant week. Both of you will go through the same week, but with very different outcomes. While your friend’s week will indeed turn out to be a terrible one, yours will be filled with brilliance and favours from different people including strangers.
What we don’t realise is the incredible power we have as creators. We are mini gods in our own right. Whether you believe it or not. Go ask Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Adele, Beyoncé, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg and Jide Salu. These people actually believe they possess something special. They don’t care what the world thinks of them or their ideas. They know and genuinely believe they are winners because they know that winning is not made of a day’s euphoria, but small and consistent little victories.
Centuries again, we were made to understand that when someone brought what he had to the priest for a valuation, whatever the priest assessed the value of the item to be, it was so. If he assessed it to be of good value, then it was of good value. If he assessed it to be of poor value, then it was of poor value.
Today, by virtue of our beliefs, we are also priests. Well, I know I am because of my beliefs in the blood of Jesus’. And “as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be”.
If you assess your year to be one of financial breakthroughs, so it will be for you. If you assess your life to be filled with divine health, so it will be for you. If you assess your week to be a terrible one, you have no right to complain.
What is your assessment?
I’ll like to reveal a secret to you. You see, whatever you believe in is the hand that takes from the opportunity handed to you. And it is easy to take from!
You need to begin to see yourself as a creator. The difference between success and failure, is first and foremost believe. Then the audacity to go after that belief. Then the tenacity to get up after every knock. If you can see and feel it, you will eventually get it.
You have more authority than the the priests of the Old. Not only that, you are a king-priest. In other words, you are a king as well! And as a king, your assessment is also binding because where the word of a king is, there is power! But hey what! All this will not mean Jack to you if you don’t believe a word am’ writing.
And to those that believe, it simply means you have a double portion of assessment power. Therefore, from this moment onwards, boldly assess good things for your life, and it will be so for you!
Let that be your perspective because we all live a life of perspectives.
I hope you are able to identify a nugget or two.
Thank you for stopping by. Do like and subscribe to my blog.
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Crypto news, courtesy THE DAILY HODL.
Bitcoin Is the Apex Property of the Human Race, Says MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor.
Here’s Why
Let’s go!
MicroStrategy CEO and Bitcoin bull Michael Saylor says Bitcoin (BTC) is second to none in the history of humanity in terms of property.
In an interview on mixed martial arts YouTube channel Tristar Gym, Saylor unveils what he believes is the big value proposition behind Bitcoin.
“Bitcoin is property rights. It’s technology to deliver property rights to eight billion people for the first time in the history of the human race and that’s life, liberty, and property. That’s what John Locke was all about: property rights.
People diminish property rights saying, ‘Well they don’t matter.’ They sort of do, because if I can steal your life’s work from you, like that, what was your life worth? I mean it’s completely and utterly demoralizing. You’ve stolen someone’s sovereignty and their freedom and their liberty, so property rights does matter.
Half the world doesn’t have any hope of accumulating property and the other half has property at risk, and Bitcoin is technology that gives you back a right to your own personal sovereignty and your own property.”
Saylor also says Bitcoin beats gold, fiat currency and even real estate when it comes to storing value.
“Bitcoin is more efficient than gold. It’s more efficient than fiat money. It’s more efficient than storing your money in an Airbnb rental apartment. It’s just the most efficient energy system and rational people everywhere in the world, they’re looking at it saying ‘Why wouldn’t I want to store my money in a property that is the apex property of the human race?’”
The head of the business intelligence firm also highlights a number of advantages in storing your wealth in BTC.
“If you put your money in Bitcoin, no property tax. It’ll last a million years, a thousand years. It’s not going to decay. It doesn’t get rained on.
You can loan it to anybody in the world. Any bank in the world might give you a loan against it, so you can use it as collateral anywhere in the world. You can generate rent on it anywhere in the world, and in the day when you need to sell it, every wealthy person on Earth is going to want it. That’s why it’s apex.”
How well do you know yourself? If I were to ask you to describe yourself, what would you say or write?
Outlined below are 20 questions, not in any particular order, to help you know yourself better. It’s time for you to read through…!
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1. Am I patient or impatient to get things done?
2. Am I fun to be around?
3. Can I keep secrets?
4. Do I find it easy to forgive and move on?
5. What are my views about money? Am I a spendthrift or a hoarder?
6. Would I describe myself as driven?
7. What is my Unique Selling Point (USP)?
8. When was the last time I starred in the mirror?
9. Do I have yearly, monthly, weekly and daily visions?
10. Do I easily make up my mind?
11. Have I dared to imagine what my future would be like?
12. Would I describe myself as bold or timid?
13. What things would I do if there were no inhibitions?
14. Have I given up?
15. What am I scared of, and why?
16. Do I think it’s too late?
17. What are my expectations in life?
18. What would I consider my daily routine?
19. What is my default reaction to good or bad news?
20. Do I expect good things, or bad things to happen to me?
I hope this helps. See you tomorrow, by His Grace.
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Let’s have some crypto news, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Payments Giant Mastercard To Allow All Merchants and Banks To Integrate Crypto Into Their Services.
Mastercard is massively expanding crypto access for businesses as well as consumers.
In a new partnership with digital asset firm Bakkt, the payments giant is launching a range of options that will allow merchants and shoppers to utilize crypto in a number of different ways.
“Mastercard customers can now enable consumers to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrency, deliver unique, crypto-centric loyalty opportunities, and streamline issuance of branded crypto debit and credit cards.
[This is] a multifaceted partnership to make it easier for merchants, banks and fintechs [financial technology] in the US to embrace and offer a broad set of cryptocurrency solutions and services.”
Bakkt Holdings, Inc. (BAKKT) stock price is soaring after the announcement, up 110% on the day at $19.09, according to Yahoo Finance.
Mastercard says that integrating existing loyalty programs with crypto functionality will benefit merchants and shoppers.
“[We are] enabling… partners to offer cryptocurrency as rewards and create fungibility between loyalty points and other digital assets.
This means that consumers can earn and spend rewards in cryptocurrency instead of traditional loyalty points and seamlessly convert their crypto holdings to pay for purchases.”
The Bakkt partnership is the latest move by Mastercard to embrace crypto going mainstream. Last month the payments firm acquired crypto intelligence company CipherTrace in order to “extend its capabilities deep into the field of digital assets.”
On 14th July, 2021, I posted my first blog post. It was titled ‘Day 1 – Welcome to my Crypto Diary, a reality show in writing.’ That was the beginning of a run of over 100 blog posts, making it 109 posts till date.
How was I able to accomplish this feat? I need you to understand the enormity behind this accomplishment.
I am not particularly a rookie blogger. I have been blogging on and off for over 15 years. I’ll say I was more active between 2008 -2016.
Between 2017 and 2018, I had only two blog posts. In 2020, I posted five blog posts. In January 2021, I posted three blog posts and nothing until July 14th when I posted ‘Day 1 – Welcome to my Crypto Diary, a reality show in writing.’
What changed? How have I been able to blog daily, non stop for over three months?
Here are my 7 secrets.
1. ENJOY IT
I enjoy writing my thoughts in my own unique way. I have identified my style of writing which I am confident with. I am aware every writer has his or her style and I have never allowed anyone to convince me my style isn’t good enough. I was always looking forward to what to share that ideas literally came about without any pressure.
I enjoy the whole process
2. DECIDE POST TIMES, KEEP TO IT.
Once I made up my mind to blog, I decided the frequency and promised to do everything within my means to keep to the schedule.
3. HAVE A THEME
I decided I wanted to share insightful stories about cryptocurrency and the emerging space that is set to revolutionise the way we do things. The government is set against this disruption because of their set ways. I wanted to post stories to encourage people to take a first or second or even a third look at the crypto space. That was the premise of the blog. However I decided it wouldn’t be crypto heavy, hence the reason why you have personal, non crypto related stories.
4. LEAVE OUT THE STATS.
I knew that any blogger would be disappointed if the numbers do not compliment their hard work. As for me, I decided I wasn’t going to focus on the stats. Stats do not come overnight. It’s a production of many months and years of writing. I know because this blog before it’s hiatus has amassed over two million views.
5. MAKE THE READER THE FOCUS
Whenever I write, I deliberately have someone or someone people in mind. My focus changed from getting a blog post out to many, to writing to encourage at least one person. For me, it made it more personable.
6. INVOLVE FAMILY OR FRIENDS
I dislike critics. I see them as experts without expertise. People who made a name by destroying other people’s hard work. Critics are like pigeons who perch on statues to poo. So, instead of waiting around for dislikes, I involve my family. They are always the first to read my posts. They critique not to destroy but to make me better.
7. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Finally, I try to keep it simple. I do not over think it. I get ideas and I write like I speak.
Those are my secrets, my way of doing things. I hope you find these helpful.
Thank you for stopping by.
Don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Subscribe’ to my blog. Take care and God bless.
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Let’s talk crypto, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Fear not, investor: Finding stability amid crypto market volatility.
Volatility in the crypto markets is here to stay. Thus, understanding the utility, necessity and long-term viability of projects is crucial.
In a calendar year, the total crypto market capitalization more than quadrupled from $361 billion to more than $1 trillion in January — reaching an all-time high of around $2.6 trillion in May. Just weeks later, more than $800 million was wiped off of the total crypto market cap, representing a decrease of over 33%.
Volatility of this magnitude in the crypto markets is nothing new, especially for those battle-tested by market cycles of years past. However, research indicates that the global number of blockchain wallet users increased by more than 25 million since March 2020, meaning this is just the first roller coaster ride for 25 million new entrants.
For newcomers, volatility can be downright terrifying — but it doesn’t have to be. With well-researched positions and a long-term outlook, volatility can instead serve as an opportunity to gain exposure to assets with high upside potential at a discounted price.
PayPal logs its largest Bitcoin volume since May BTC price crash.
The world’s leading payment services provider processed $145.60 million worth of Bitcoin trades on the day BTC rallied to its record high of $67,000.
Bitcoin (BTC) trading volumes on global payment service provider PayPal reached $145.60 million on Oct. 20, just as the benchmark crypto rallied toward its record high near $67,000.
The latest spike in volumes came out to be the highest since the May 19 Bitcoin price crash from around $43,500 to as low as $30,000. On the day, some $304 million worth of BTC changed hands, almost double the volumes logged on Oct. 20.
Retail boom?
Notably, PayPal allows users to start investing in Bitcoin by putting as little as $1. As a result, the payment service firm has emerged as a viable platform for retail investors, a move seen by the industry as a cue for wider crypto adoption.
Interestingly, since PayPal’s push into the crypto sector, the sum count of unique addresses holding at least $1 worth of BTC has surged from 26.83 million on Nov. 20, 2020, to 33.89 million at press time. Meanwhile, on Oct. 20, the count was 34.12 million, an all-time high.
On Tuesday, April 21st during the lockdown season brought about by the #coronavirus pandemic, I got invited to compete in a 5km challenge by my daughter Modupe(MD).
She got invited, the previous day and came back home exhausted after competing the milestone in about 38mins. For someone that hadn’t run, I thought that was pretty impressive considering, professional athletes such as the legendary Mo Farrah completed in 16mins. So, for MD to have completed hers in slightly over double the amount of time it took Mo and also considering her preparation which had been limited to the occasional 3km walks including regular walks from her room to the kitchen, I must stress it was impressive.
So, I openly declared to MD that it’s something I could easily do. There is something you need to know about my household – we are fiercely competitive. Everyone stands to be counted. Everyone speaks like they know what they are saying, so, without having to shout down another, you have to come across pretty convincing. Remember, I mentioned we are competitive, declarations do not go unchallenged most of the times which you have to back up with results.
Back to the 5km challenge.
The ‘Nike Run Club’ app congratulated MD after 38mins when she clocked 5km. I confidently told my son Leke, that I could do it in 20mins. In hindsight, I actually don’t know where I plucked out the number 20 from. After a frank discussion and stare down, ‘you must be having a laugh look’ from Leke, I compromised and added an extra 5mins to the earlier 20mins declaration, bringing the total time I boasted of completing the 5km challenge to 25mins. That was how we left it.
Unbeknown to me, MD went ahead to tag me on Instagram inviting me to compete in the 5km challenge. I saw the notification late in the night, so I knew it was a task I had to accept.
There was no time to ponder. I did not have to think about the challenge. I knew immediately I was going to accept and compete. Thanks to a habit which I had developed, I had a quick scan in my mind on the route to take and the audio I would listen to accompany me. You would be surprised the amount of time the scan took…all over in a flash of a second. I went to bed reading a scripture, the last thing I do before drifting off into the abyss of the unknown, courtesy of my creator.
D-DAY
Woke up. Straight on my kneels to focus and thank Jesus for navigating my journey back to life, a feat a lot of us take for granted. Did my devotions. Had another idea downloaded by the creator. Spent time to write and got ready to take the challenge. I did a few unprofessional stretches to ease tension and to loosen the muscles. Put the ‘Nike Club Run’ app on queue to commence the challenge. Finally, I selected a playlist on YouTube from the inspirational ‘Mulligan brothers’ to keep me company. That’s it. I was set to kickstart my interesting adventure.
Prior to this, all that was in the tank was my ‘PDDC’, my Passion, my Drive, my Dedication and my Commitment to complete the challenge. And of course my average daily 6km walks which takes an average of 55mins. That’s all. So, I was fit. Wouldn’t you think?
KILOMETRE ONE
I was ready, face mask on (to guard against a combination of high pollens and spread of Covid-19 ). All apps commenced, and I was off like a gazelle. I must add at this point that my darling wife Adebomi, whom by sheer coincidence came out of the room just as I was about to set off, not to wave me off stressed I needed to pace myself. ‘Pace your self Jide. Just don’t go running with speed from the onset. Pace yourself’ she warned. Like a good and obedient husband, I simply nodded and gave her the thumbs up.
So I was off. First daunting task, the video I had anticipated I had queued to play was the wrong one. I couldn’t stop. I dared not stop, so I had to fiddle with it in motion. I eventually got a video of one of my heroes, the boxing legend Muhammed Ali. That calmed me somewhat. Something wasn’t quite right. My mind was all over the place. I was already panting, and I could have sworn I hadn’t run for 3mins. The mind started to play games with me. Asking me all sorts of questions. “Jide, when was the last you ran? 6,7 or 8 years ago? Walking is not running. Why did I choose to run today when I hadn’t prepared for it? Why on earth did I accept MD’s challenge?” All sorts were racing through my head. The dialogue wasn’t encouraging at all and, by then I didn’t have a clue how long I had been running for and how much distance I had covered.
Then came an announcement through the Nike App via my earphones – “you have completed 1km at a pace of 6mins 41s per km.” OMG I exclaimed in my mind. Desperately panting. Just one kilometre? One? All this while? I had to take a decision immediately. Change tact. Without that, I would end the challenge even before reaching Kilometre two.
I changed my mindset. Focussed on what Ali was saying and set small milestones. I was settled in my mind on the route to take, so it was all about pushing myself to reach milestones I had chosen to cover at least half of the challenge.
KILOMETRE TWO
The route was deserted. It wasn’t as if I was expecting people out in their face masks to cheer. I had to align my mind and my brain. For both to cooperate to get me through the challenge. It was no time for logic or emotions. I had since abandoned the thought of achieving a 25min time slot I had boasted to Leke. Now, I have a new mission. To complete the damn challenge. TIME was no longer a factor for me. FINISHING was now the goal.
My thoughts went to the 6mins 41s per km pace…did a quick mental calculation that I have about 25 more mins to complete the challenge if my pace does not drop. At this time, the dialogue was getting louder, with my chest pounding. My mind went straight to the second milestone. Then the announcement came on again. Boy, was I glad to be updated. It felt like eternity.
“Congratulations”, the Nike App announced, “you have completed half of your challenge, 2.5km at a pace of ….”.
As soon as I heard half, instinctively, I swung round to travel in the opposite direction knowing fully well that I had traveled past the route I was now heading and it would be much easier to set new milestones as I was now heading back home.
KILOMETRE THREE
At one point, I thought my the ‘Nike Club Run’ app was faulty because it was now taking forever to announce “you have completed….”.
I kept on running, thinking of my pace. Gauging the distance to what I had marked out in my mind as the finishing line. It was comforting. It was at this point I now see why it was called a ‘challenge’. It really was stretching every fibre of temptation to stop, and walk. Every fibre in my muscles were stretched. I certainly can not remember the last time I was this mentally challenged.
At long last, the App announced, “you have completed 3 Kilometres at a pace of 6mins 31s.”
Thank God, I muttered. Wow! Two more kilometres to go I told myself. “You can do it BBK. BBK you have done it.” It was now a challenge of MIND over MATTER. I have refused to stop to take a break. The temptation was growing. It was increasing. I refused to contemplate what was left in the tank. I trudged on. “BBK, well done”, I
ENCOURAGED myself. My mind was now focussed on the next milestone.
KILOMETRE FOUR
This was probably the hardest mile for me. My heart was pounding. I dared not imagined my heart rate at this point. It was becoming increasingly difficult and unbearable even as I knew I was almost home. The 4km milestone has refused to come nearer. I have to run to this immobile post to claim it.
I was spitting thick phlegm. I was now in pains. I was aching. I was disgruntled. I was discouraged. At some point, I almost blamed MD for tagging me to compete the challenge. All this on my way to km four. “Where is the milestone for heavens sake?” Just like life, in a race, even after putting in all the hard work, discouragements still come knocking on the door. Knowing the race is almost completed does not discourage the distracting thoughts. They have a role to play. To stop me from completing the challenge. And I am set on my OBJECTIVE, my goal…to get to Kilometre five by all means.
Yes! Yes! Yes! at last. The announcement came through. “You have one more kilometre. You have completed four kilometres at a pace of 6mins 44s. I could not give a hoot about the pace right now as all I wanted to do is complete the challenge.
KILOMETRE FIVE
I was now on my last leg. I have done it. “BBK, you have done it…well done” I kept on repeating. Unfortunately, it was like it was meant to be harder as I now had to run up a hill. I couldn’t care less by this time. All I could see was the door to my house – where it all started. I increased my pace to compensate for the uphill. I ran for dear life. All sorts were now going through my mind.
A smile visited my face for the first time. My demeanour changed. I was getting closer to the finishing line. I was getting pumped up but I still kept a mental note on my pace.
My mind was now in full gear. This 5km challenge can be likened to life itself. Life and it’s challenges. Life is a challenge. Nobody has said it was going to be easy.
On this challenge, I have been stretched mentally like never before. The lessons for me are that nothing is impossible to achieve. Absolutely nothing. It all depends on
How badly one wants it.
The internal dialogue that takes place.
The pain one is prepared to go through.
I was very excited to see a major landmark to completing the 5km challenge. The pain seems to have reduced. I was no longer as tired as before.
“Congratulations, you have completed your 5km challenge at a pace of 6mins 26s.”
I was extremely excited and glad it was over.
Wow! I completed the challenge in 32min 44s. I was more than elated.
Personally, I believe everyone has their own 5km challenge to achieve.
Let’s talk some crypto, courtesy CoinTelegraph.
200 Bitcoin ATMs installed at Walmart… with plans for 8,000 in total
Walmart plans to eventually install 8,000 Bitcoin ATMs in the U.S. and has installed 200 in a pilot program.
Although the pilot includes only 200 kiosks, the broader launch plans to eventually see the installation of 8,000 Bitcoin ATMs across the country, according to Bloomberg. There have been no further details on timelines as of yet.
Customers can use the Bitcoin ATM by inserting a banknote and receiving a paper voucher with a redemption code. To redeem the code, customers need to then set up a Coinme account and complete a background check. Users cannot withdraw Bitcoin from their account, with no indication of plans to offer this functionality in the near future.
For every area of our life where we expect success, there is a basket full of mistakes.
To experience success, we must be courageous to try to empty the basket full of mistakes.
Let me explain.
There is a basket full of mistakes that everyone of us have. We may not be aware of it, but these baskets are there for a purpose. To help us succeed.
How? People that succeed in life are not scared of making mistakes. They are daring. Calculating, but daring. They recognise that nuggets are hidden in mistakes. The more mistakes they are prepared to make, the closer they are to succeeding.
You have to be courageous to reduce basket full of mistakes.
We all have to take decisions to get somewhere. Those that are waiting for the perfect weather will always accomplish less because they don’t want to get wet. That is the first mistake.
Next time you make a mistake, embrace it in the knowledge that your basket of mistakes has reduced by one. And, most importantly you are getting closer to your success.
I wish you well.
Blame this late post on James Bond’s latest film – ‘No Time To Die’. Just literally leaving the cinema. It was worth the wait.
Money is good. And of course money answers all things. It is the bearer of money, and not money that could be evil.
I don’t, however, believe money on its own will make you happy.
Here are my thoughts;
Money is liquid. Money flows. Like water filling the shape of a container, money will take the personality of its bearer.
There is no amount of money that can change a sad person. Someone that has something to complain or moan about all the time would also have something to complain with plenty money.
A person that is not a giver by nature or nurture will not suddenly start giving when there is plenty.
Plenty money will not necessarily make someone do extra if that person didn’t already have the mindset.
The spirit of money occupies the bearer. If the bearer is a life time stingy person, money will not turn that person into a philanthropist.
It is people who make you happy, not money.
What money does is it gives you choices.
Check this out;
A child from a rich family had this to say after a week’s stay in a house owed by a poor family; “I’ll rather have a father with little money and plenty of time than a father with plenty money but little time.”
Profound!
Thank you for stopping by. See you tomorrow, by His Grace.
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Bitcoin has hit an all time high! Let’s talk crypto, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Bitcoin price action reenters uncharted territory after beating out final resistance before April’s existing peak.
Bitcoin officially hits new all-time high above $65K.
On the second day of trading for the hugely popular ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF, BTC/USD again surged ahead of the U.S. open — a practice that has characterized the pair in recent days.
This week has already seen all-time highs for Bitcoin against several major fiat currencies, including the euro.
As Cointelegraph reported, expectations remain for even higher levels to hit in the coming weeks and months, these interspersed by brief corrections to establish new support levels.
The highest estimates for the short term currently center around as much as $300,000 per Bitcoin.
I was having a quiet time this morning when I had an ‘aha’ moment. That all beings have been endowed with room to believe in anything desired.
I pondered that nugget and wondered what I have been filling my room with.
I reckon the easiest way for anyone to figure out is to imagine what you need to think of to decorate a newly refurbished room at home.
I bet it wouldn’t be anything wishy washy. It would be properly thought of.
The same goes for what we allow in our mind. What thoughts do we fill, or litter our minds with? Are we conscious enough to guide our minds from useless thoughts?
Do we fill the rooms with
fears, doubts, worries, anxieties, condemnation or ‘I can beliefs’?
I’ll like to assure you that there is enough room for you to believe that it is possible.
How we decorate the rooms in our mind, which reveals our personalities is akin to how we decorate our homes.
I hope this helps.
See you tomorrow, by His Grace, and thank you for stopping by.
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Let’s see what the crypto space has for us today, courtesy of ‘The Block Crypto.’
Coinbase announces multiyear sponsorship deal with NBA, WNBA.
Coinbase has entered into a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to serve as their exclusive cryptocurrency sponsor, the company announced Tuesday.
Coinbase’s logo and branding will appear during televised games for the aforementioned leagues. It will be the leagues first crypto platform partnership. The exchange will also be a partner of the NBA G League, NBA 2k League, and USA Basketball.
“The freedom to participate and benefit from the things you believe in is at the heart of Coinbase’s mission. Nobody believes this more than NBA and WNBA fans. We’re proud to become the Leagues’ official cryptocurrency partner,” said Kate Rouch, chief marketing officer of Coinbase.
Coinbase, is an American company that operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform that makes it easy to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more.
Everything created or developed has a manual to guide its operations. Basically, a handbook of instructions.
The interesting thing is this. Humans are beings that live by habits. We live by default. For instance when we replace our television or mobile phone, we automatically assume, possibly out of pride, that we do not need to read or scan through the manual. This is why we under utilise it’s functions.
The same can be applied to humans. What is your manual? Do you have a handbook of instructions?
A manual reveals the functions of, say, a television or mobile phone was developed for. It informs us on steps to take to understand its functions. A manual states what to avoid in order to get the best.
To summarise, a manual helps us to avoid wasting time at guessing. Just like driving a car, what would you rather do? Properly learn how to drive with the aid of a manual or not?
It was former PM Tony Blair who said “we are not going to win despite our beliefs, we are going to win because of our beliefs.”
What do you believe? A manual, or not?
I wish you well!
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And here is some crypto news courtesy of Finbold.
Brazilians purchase over $4 billion worth of crypto in 2021, central bank reveals.
Brazilian residents have purchased a significant amount of cryptocurrencies even as the country plans to introduce new laws regulating the sector.
According to data provided by Bruno Serra, the country’s central bank, in 2021, residents have purchased $4.27 billion worth of cryptocurrencies.
The value of purchased cryptocurrencies highlights the role digital assets play in the country’s economy, especially after the coronavirus pandemic that resulted in the debasement of most national currencies.
Like most South American countries, Brazil’s economy has been hit with a combination of inflation, hyperinflation cycles, and deflation. In this case, cryptocurrencies have emerged as a hedge against such economic turmoil.
The significant number of crypto purchases potentially serves Brazil’s large unbanked population. Notably, relying on cryptocurrencies makes sense for this population as a vehicle for financial inclusion since the sector has no strict entry barriers.
Furthermore, Brazil’s young population might be a force behind the significant purchases. Generally, the younger generation has been known to lead the way in cryptocurrency adoption.
It’s easy to associate products with their brands. A brand is a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name. It’s a business and marketing concept that helps people identify a particular company, product, or individual.
The company, product, or individual have certain characteristics they believe in. The goal is to get the message out in such a way that we, the consumers believe in the traits. Eventually the brand’s traits become identifiable. These gradually metamorphoses into identity.
A catchy slogan, or tagline ensues which defines the brand. This goes on to solidify it in the minds of customers.
What is your brand? What do people identify you by? When your name is mentioned, what image is conjured in the minds of others?
Your brand is produced by your belief system. You are what you believe. Over time, your beliefs shape you into what you are, into how people see you.
There really isn’t much to ‘say’ except to encourage you to be conscious of who you really are. What would be your legacy?
We are all on this journey for a reason. I know that I wasn’t created to just exist and fill in the time.
The good news is that it’s never, ever too late to discover your brand. You are not too old to start, or too young not to start to think of your legacy.
You never know how long it would take to develop your brand, so why not start now.
I hope when someone thinks of Jide Salu, they would think of a blogger who always encourages others to be the best they can be without ever giving up.
I wish you well.
Don’t forget to Like and subscribe.😊
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Let’s have some Crypto news, courtesy of CoinDesk.
ProShares is set to launch trading of its bitcoin futures ETF next week.
After years of trial and error by would-be fund sponsors, cryptocurrency investing is finally opening up to the masses with the tacit U.S. approval of a bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) greenlighted bitcoin futures ETFs in a first for the industry on Friday, after the regulator’s five commissioners met on the issue. ProShares, which filed for its Bitcoin Strategy ETF this past summer, may be the first to launch next week.
Proponents of a bitcoin ETF believe the product will be more widely accessible for individuals interested in bitcoin than the actual cryptocurrency by giving investors a regulated alternative to the underlying digital asset. The first product will track bitcoin futures, rather than the price of bitcoin directly, however. SEC Chair Gary Gensler indicated he believes futures-based products might provide stronger investor protections due to the laws under which they operate.
The SEC has, in the past, explicitly rejected bitcoin ETF applications, but it does not need to formally approve one. Under federal law, the SEC can just allow an application to become effective, rather than make a formal announcement.
‘Encouraging sign’
ETFStore President Nate Geraci told CoinDesk the form is “a step forward” for digital assets and bridging them with the more traditional financial sector. He confirmed that the filing of a post-effective amendment is confirmation of the SEC’s tacit approval.
“It’s an encouraging sign for the future of crypto to see SEC Chairman Gensler get comfortable in helping mainstream investors more easily access bitcoin exposure,” he said in an email. “The availability of a bitcoin ETF will now bring more investors under the crypto tent and facilitate greater education across the space.”
What will make you happy is when you operate in your gift. It is your gift that will make you successful. Simply put; it is your gift that will make room for you.
Jide, how do I discover my gift?
It’s pretty easy. When you were a child, what was that thing your parents didn’t need to encourage you to do before you jumped into it? What was that thing you do effortlessly?
As an adult, what is that thing you effortlessly do for others without getting paid? What is that activity that makes you lose all sense of time? What is it you do that you tell your partner “I’ll be with you in a minute”, only for you to still be at it an hour after?
Hidden in those activities are your gifts.
Today, people have become incredibly successful financially by playing video games. Some have are making people laugh and laughing all the way to the bank. Some are engaged in sporting activities and would have been happy doing it for free. Some love to crunch numbers or plea on behalf of others. And lose all sense of time.
I celebrated with an old university mate of mine who was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an OBE is the second highest ranking Order of the British Empire award (excluding a knighthood/damehood), behind CBE but ahead of MBE) for doing his job.
Success is not necessarily
measured by the money in your bank account. Many people confuse being successful to being a millionaire. Of course who wouldn’t want to be rich. However, there are many millionaires that are not happy. Primarily, the role of money is to provide us with choices.
Every single person has a gift. The dilemma is how to recognise it.
Look at the problems you are most attracted to providing solutions to. That is another clue to identifying your gift.
So, don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have any gift. As I said God, the creator (whether you believe in God or not) has given each person a gift that can open doors of opportunities, and bring in great success.
You may yet not be aware of that gift you have inside you, or perhaps, for others, it hasn’t been of any benefit so far as they haven’t found out how best to use it. You need to take your gift and ask the creator for ideas to cultivate it until it becomes such a powerful tool to prosper others.
Now that you know you are gifted, I am sure a flurry of thoughts would come to mind. It’s for you to spend time to identify which activity is the most effortless for you.
For instance, writing to encourage is one of many effortless gifts I have. That was why I started a blog. Have I made millions from it? Not yet😁
Am I happy doing it? You bet!
For my wife; cooking is one activity that she does effortlessly. Picking stylish clothes that people may over look is another of her gifts.
Whenever my wife is engaged in those activities, you feel the energy. The aura is infectious. She sings and dances. No wonder family and friends afar can’t have enough of her delicious meals.
Compare that to those who wake up in the morning to go to work they hate. But have to go because they have no choice. By the time it’s noon, they are tired. Their energy is completely leaked. It’s like a battery that has been drained.
We must all endeavour to engage in our gifts. Don’t engage with the purpose of making millions of dollars. Instead, be a solution provider. Only then would your gift make sense to you.
Helping others with your gift will not only make others happy, it would make you happier. And that happiness produces an energy force that makes you do more, effortlessly. You become aligned with what you are doing. You find you are in resonance with helping others solve their problems. That is how you discover your gift.
I promise you that once you make the effort to discover, and put your gift to work, you will never have to wake up again to a job you don’t like.
I hope these ideas will help you to discover your gift.
Wishing you a pleasant day. Do let me know what you think. And don’t forget to subscribe to receive notification of my next post.
Bye for now!
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It’s crypto time, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
‘Thank God for Bitcoin,’ Cynthia Lummis says on US debt limit raise.
Bitcoin should be there to allow people to save in the event the government fails, Senator Cynthia Lummis said.
Amid the United States President Joe Biden signing legislation to raise the government’s debt limit to $28.9 trillion, Senator Cynthia Lummis said that Bitcoin (BTC) is a blessing of God.
Senator Lummis gave a speech to the Senate on Thursday, providing her perspective on how digital currencies like Bitcoin could potentially help countries like the U.S. address the looming crisis when the state runs out of cash.
Lummis said that one of the reasons she had become so interested in non-fiat digital currencies like Bitcoin is because they are not issued by the government and thus aren’t beholden to the debts that are “run up by governments” such as the United States.
As cryptocurrencies are not beholden to governments and political elections, they should grow and be there, allowing people to save in the event governments fail, Lummis argued:
“Time and again, presidents of both parties have run up the debt irresponsibly, with no plan to address it. So thank God for Bitcoin, and another non-fiat currency that transcends the irresponsibility of governments, including our own.”
It is not the trials that make us strong, but our responses in those trials.
You can’t avoid trials.
You can’t avoid failures.
You can’t avoid disappointments.
You also cannot avoid how you respond in those situations .
What I do, how I react whenever I find myself in these situations will either make me stronger or hold me in bondage.
I know it. You know it. Am I in control of my reactions?
We are set by years of doing the same thing over and over again. Be it good or bad.
Serial winners and failures have developed a habit. The only way either can change the setting is when it’s done consciously. And it wouldn’t be accomplished overnight.
For instance, our default setting, out of many years of practice is to go straight into a mood when we are disappointed. We feel sorry for ourselves. We beat ourselves up. We revisit past failures which remind us of how bad it was. Then the feelings, the emotions get stronger. A self-pity party gathers momentum. The mood thickens. The frown on the face gets more pronounced. The demeanour oozes of upset. And by then, you become a zombie to whatever direction your emotions are pulled to.
Executed over a number of years, it forms into a default setting.
Now that we know how the setting is formed, it can be reprogrammed with a new setting.
It wouldn’t be easy, but the challenge can be won. You will have to create a way to disrupt your setting by reminding yourself to be in charge of your reaction. You must not allow the powerful subconscious mind to take control. That mind regurgitates what has been laid over a period of time.
What the subconscious mind releases is in order of priority. It groups reactions dependent times executed.
For instance, if you have a disagreement and the reaction is to hiss and slam the door behind you. And this is done, unconsciously over and over again, that could be listed as No.1 on the list.
Power in Disruption
I must say that there is magic in singing and smiling in these situations. It sends shock waves to the subconscious mind. However you need to be full of courage and strength to do this.
But it is an idea. One that will surely prevent you from being held in bondage by your default feelings. How many people can sing in failure? It’s easier to sing when everything is going on well.
The key is to disrupt the default setting that is producing the mood swings, the looks, the frowns, slamming of doors, caustic and sarcastic responses or comments. If we don’t, we will keep on getting the same result.
We are parents of our own mind and body and we have to nurture them.
That’s the challenge to unlearn and re learn. It’s an exercise in character building which has no expiring date.
The martial arts legend Bruce Lee once said “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”
I wish you well.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog.
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Let’s talk crypto, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Billionaire Forex Trader George Soros owns Bitcoin.
Soros Fund Management, the family office of billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros, has recently been confirmed as owning bitcoin by its CEO/CIO Dawn Fitzpatrick, reports The Block.
There had been reports by anonymous sources earlier this year that Soros Fund was trading in bitcoin, and now Fitzpatrick has confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that the company does indeed own some bitcoin. The company is familiar with investing within the crypto space, having previously invested in NYDIG, a financial services and technology firm that specializes in bitcoin, and Lukka, a blockchain data technology company, but this is the first foray into actual cryptocurrency investment.
“From our perspective again, we own some coins, not a lot, and the coins themselves are less interesting than the use cases of DeFi and things like that,” Fitzpatrick said in the interview.
This is a trend that is becoming more common among hedge fund giants and family offices as increasingly more companies are investing heavier into crypto assets. Fellow billionaire investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist Dan Loeb’s Third Point fund also supposedly holds cryptocurrency as well. That, coupled with Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management’s investment into crypto startups Zero Hash and Messari, indicates growing and continued interest within crypto by some of the big players.
“I’m not sure bitcoin is only viewed as an inflation hedge. Here I think it’s crossed the chasm to mainstream. Cryptocurrencies now have a market cap of over $2 trillion. There’s 200 million users around the world, so I think this has gone mainstream,” Fitzpatrick explained.
The price of bitcoin has soared recently, climbing from $50,000 last Tuesday to over $57,000 at time of press; as of two weeks ago, the cryptocurrency was worth approximately $43,000, reports CNBC. The rise comes at a time when the SEC Chair Gary Gensler and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have both said that they do not plan to set any restrictions on cryptocurrency trading.
To worry is to have butterflies in the stomach. To be restlessness. To be in discomfort. To be edgy, agitated. To have uneasiness. To be nervous or to be anxious.
We all,at one point or another gone through all those experiences. And it wasn’t pleasant for self and for those who were unfortunate enough to be around us at the time.
I have found out that even when all is well, some people still worry because they have heard others say, “You should worry when everything is peaceful because something is wrong when the devil leaves you alone.” So they worry even when there is nothing to worry about!
So, why do people worry?
Have you ever worried by instinct?
Are your levels of worry directly proportional to your bank balance?
Some peoples’ worries have never come about as a result of material things. Some worries has never been about health related issues.
Some people go beyond worry. They see their concerns as a form of terror, especially when they are unable to pay their bills for instance.
Some have sleepless nights before they honour the doctor’s appointment.
Some worry each day because of the sort of boss they have. Some fall sick and worried because of the parents they have. Fathers and mothers who never praise but go through situations with a fine-tooth comb.
So this month’s mortgage was paid. Should I be grateful? How about next month’s to worry about!
Some people feel bitter because they feel life hasn’t given them much. They reckon they don’t deserve what they are going through. They haven’t exactly asked for a large bite of the cherry yet life hasn’t been kind to them. Why does it have to be hard they often ask.
While worry is the default setting fore many when a concern arises, many people have not thought they needed to face how they got into the situation that has produced the worry.
Would it be too much to ask how honest people are with themselves?
Some people try to cut corners to get to where they want to be. Some succeed and become cocky.
However, there is no honest successful person who has bypassed the fallow period. They put in the work. They are patient.
People don’t want to go back to the basis.Taking it step by step, day by day and not looking too far into the future. In the process they will slowly gather their thoughts, become more confident. They are no longer overwhelmed. Clarity on the basic things are no longer missed.
Of course I worry sometimes over my children, however over the years I have learned to pass it on to my creator. I know I cannot always be physically there for them. They would have to make their own mistakes. I pray though that their mistakes aren’t the ones I have paid for.
I was told of a 12-year old swot who read a book about perspectives. I don’t have the name of the kids book. But the gist of the story is that she learnt to be appreciative of life after reading this book.
She read that some see the ‘glass half full. Some see the ‘glass as empty’. While some are simply grateful for having a glass at all. That’s a powerful perspective.
By nature, some people look out for the worst case scenario in any situation, and they are others who look for the best. Who do you think will have a higher success rate?
Some children come home with a fantastic report only for their parents to…….
All of us need to be made to feel good. We all do.
Like a bolt out of the blue, I got a feedback from a dear brother early this morning. I must say It wasn’t on the cards, it was not on my to-do-list, but who knows what the next moment is pregnant with except the maker, our creator whom we have been made to understand knew us in our mother’s womb.
I don’t believe in coincidences even if what transpired this morning does feel like one.
All shall be revealed very soon, as I am not prepared to be vulnerable about the specific concern. This concern has taken a bit of a time to deny me from expressing myself.
You see, what we internalise will materialise – I kind of like that statement, if I may say so myself.
I held onto a false belief for many years in spite of what my wife thought of it. It’s incredible that I had fallen victim to those negative impressions and thoughts. I normally wouldn’t, and that says a lot about the incredible power a deluge of ‘I-can’t-do’ thoughts can have.
My mum used to tell me ‘show me your friends and I will tell you who you are’. I am blessed to be surrounded by friends who I can call upon – I must say the numbers have dwindled over the years, with many demoted to acquaintances, never the least it’s not the number that matters, but the quality.
So, when a brother and friend sent me messages I am certain he did not have a clue of the magnitude of impact it had on me. I simply smiled, expressed my sincerest of gratitude and said a thank you to Jesus, whom I adore.
This is to encourage you not to hold back when you have an encouraging word to offer, however, think about how the word is to be delivered if what you say is meant to be candid.
My brother Mululi Mudenda was candid and encouraging and I thank him for indirectly telling me ‘you can do this.’
See you tomorrow, by His Grace.
Now let’s talk Crypto, courtesy of DailyHodl.
Nearly 45% of Consumers Around the World Will Use Crypto for Payments by 2023.
A new study conducted by an information technology company indicates that crypto payment method adoption is primed to skyrocket in the next two years.
The Capgemini Research Institute surveyed customers and industry stakeholders around the world to provide an analysis of the world’s current payments landscape. The think tank also combed through statistics from the Bank of International Settlements, the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other central banks.
Capgemini notes that less than 10% of consumers around the world currently use cryptocurrencies for payments. However, the research institute predicts nearly 45% of customers will use the emerging payment method within the next 1-2 years due to the growing need for cross-border payments in addition to concerns about high transaction fees.
Capgemini also says crypto credit cards are leading the way in terms of adoption.
“Cryptocurrency market volatility indicates a lack of maturity. Still, crypto-linked cards are taking the lead in the crypto-payments space fueled by global card player initiatives to create a fertile crypto-payments ecosystem.”
The study, however, still thinks the outlook for cryptocurrencies and stablecoins is “hazy,” citing the mixed reactions to crypto assets by governments around the world. Capgemini says Russia, India, and the United Arab Emirates see potential in the adoption and regulation of crypto assets and stablecoins. Meanwhile, the study notes other countries such as China and Egypt have moved to ban crypto assets due to the rising risk of illicit transactions.
It was Miles Davis who made that statement. He said Music was the same. I say life is also the same.
I knew of the name, Marcus Miller, as a Jazz maestro but like some things in life, I did not appreciate his music until much later. Actually, it wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago, if I may be vulnerable, that I was ushered into the season of appreciating the legend Marcus Miller.
I stumbled upon this most gifted of bassist and multi-instrumentalist by chance. I was hooked. You could ask my wife, he is all I listen to when I am working on the laptop, relaxing, reading…you name it…it’s all Marcus Miller.
I found out he was in Miles Davis’s band for several years and went on to produce several albums for him. Albums which included ‘Music from Siesta’ and the acclaimed ‘Tutu’ which he co-produced with Tommy LiPuma.
If you want to have a feel of Marcus for the first time, I’ll suggest you watch or listen to ‘Tutu’. This is the track he wrote for Miles Davis, a track he asked Miles Davis if it could be dedicated to Bishop Desmond Tutu. Miles didn’t object. Marcus went on to record ‘Tutu revisited’, a celebration of the album’s 25th anniversary. It’s a must listen.
Marcus was asked by producer Tommy LiPuma to contribute music for a new Davis studio album after a move in which Warner Bros were looking for a fresh direction. There prayers were answered in the funk-infused bass lines, synthesiser soundscapes and machine-tooled drum beats of Tutu, mostly composed and arranged by Miles’s young protégé, Marcus Miller.
The jazz critics hated this bold and radical sound, Miles on the other hand loved it.
I was fascinated with this quote by Miles Davis; ‘The line isn’t wrong until after you put the next one down.
I thought that statement is profound. For me, it simply means
‘You don’t need any enemies, don’t be mean to yourself. The more we tell ourselves something, the more we believe it.’ Keep at it. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Embrace mistakes. What do I mean by that? It’s for you, and me not to be afraid to try. If by trying, we end up falling flat on our faces, no big deal. Nothing to be ashamed of. We must get up and look for another way to give it a go. Giving it a go is a must.
It was a life changing moment for Marcus Miller when he was invited to play alongside the legendary Miles Davis.
For those who may not know who Miles Davis was, he was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He was a phenomenal Jazz musician. He is reputed to be among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.
Here are some inspirational quotes to remember this talent who sadly departed mother earth in 1991. He was aged 65.
1. “If you’re not making a mistake, it’s a mistake.”
2. “Don’t worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.”
3. “Don’t worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.”
4. “First you imitate, then you innovate.”
5. “It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note – it’s the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.”
6. “It took me twenty years study and practice to work up to what I wanted to play in this performance. How can she expect to listen five minutes and understand it?”
7. “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.”
8. “Always look ahead, but never look back.”
9. “I was minding my own business when something says to me, ‘You ought to blow trumpet’. I have just been trying ever since.”
10. “I know what I’ve done for music, but don’t call me a legend. Just call me Miles Davis.”
Some crypto info, courtesy of DAILYHODL.
Record Amount of Venture Funding Flooding Into Crypto Companies, Clocks $15,547,000,000 in Nine Months.
Blockchain companies this year are being inundated by record amounts of venture funding to the tune of over $15 billion.
According to distributed ledger market intelligence platform Blockdata, blockchain networks secured a record $6.58 billion in funding during the third quarter of the year, breaking the previous all-time high of $5.13 billion set in the second quarter of the same year. In the first quarter, they raised $3.83 billion, bringing the total amount of funds raised during the first nine months of 2021 to a staggering $15.54 billion.
“Q3 marks an all-time high: never has so much funding been raised by blockchain companies in a single quarter. Note that Q2 previously already marked an all-time high.
The total (disclosed) amount of funding for blockchain companies in Q3-2021 was $6.586 billion.
This is almost double the total amount of funding which was raised in all of 2020. In 2020, a total amount of $3.802 billion was raised by blockchain companies.”
Centralized crypto exchange platform FTX received $900 million in July, the largest funding round ever made by a blockchain network to date, according to Blockdata. Other companies such as Bitcoin-focused firm Blockstream, crypto exchange BitPanda and BTC mining company Genesis Digital Assets were also able to raise hundreds of millions of dollars during the Q3 peak.
The most active fund contributor in Q3 was San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange giant Coinbase, which participated in 18 rounds of blockchain investments, including endowments for rival exchange companies FTX and CoinDCX.
Other notable institutional contributors were US-based investment firm Polychain Capital, crypto operator fund Divergence Ventures, seed money startup Y Combinator, and mobile and blockchain gaming investment company Animoca Brands.
Do you still compare Bitcoin to the tulip bubble? Stop!
Crypto is still at an early stage, but with NFTs and DeFi, blockchain is obviously the future of fintech and not just a bubble.
To compare Bitcoin (BTC) to the Dutch tulip bulb bubble is to perpetuate a fallacy. Technology evolves more rapidly than nature, and decentralized networks have more financial utility than a bouquet. Bitcoin is a technology, tulips are plants, and no discerning person would take the comparison much further.
Tulipmania, a 17th-century market bubble in which the price of the flower bulb increased due to speculation by Dutch investors, resulted in a major crash. Prices exceeded the average annual income of the time by six times. The rarest of bulbs became among the most expensive items on the planet.
Even though the Bitcoin network has been operating since 2009, its comparison with the tulip bubble continues ad nauseam. Last February, British economist and European Central Bank council member Gabriel Makhlouf, speaking of Bitcoin, reminded us tritely:
“Three hundred years ago, people put money into tulips because they thought it was an investment.”
The Tulipmania
Time and again, Bitcoin contrarians use Tulipmania to justify their myopic expectations. Stories of tulip mania were popularized by Scottish journalist Charles Mackay in his 1841 book Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. As Mackay wrote: “A golden bait hung temptingly out before the people, and one after the other, they rushed to the tulip-marts, like flies around a honey-pot.”
He continued: “Nobles, citizens, farmers, mechanics, sea-men, footmen, maid-servants, even chimney-sweeps and old clothes-women, dabbled in tulips.” When the tulip bubble burst in 1637, however, Mackay claims havoc was wrought upon the Dutch economy.
While the absurdity of the situation does make for a good story, scholars have noted that Mackay’s retelling of tulip mania may not even be true.
This version of events, in particular, is not supported by historians. Anne Goldgar, a professor of Early Modern History at King’s College London and author of Tulipmania:
Money, Honor and Knowledge in the Dutch Golden Age, explains why Mackay’s version doesn’t add up.
“It’s a great story and the reason why it’s a great story is that it makes people look stupid,” says Goldgar, who laments that even a serious economist like John Kenneth Galbraith parroted Mackay’s account in A Short History of Financial Euphoria. He continues:
“But the idea that tulip mania caused a big depression is completely untrue. As far as I can see, it caused no real effect on the economy whatsoever.”
The dot-com bubble
In addition to the Dutch tulip mania, bull markets in blockchain technologies are sometimes written off as a bubble akin to that of the dotcom bubble. This is a better, albeit inaccurate, comparison. In all its forms, including crypto, DeFi or nonfungible token, the internet of money has yet to enter a bubble stage or demonstrate all of its use cases. We’re in the mid-nineties equivalent to the dot-com era, and nowhere near the bubble stage.
Furthermore, the dot-com bubble’s impact on humanity was far less than that of the impact of the internet, a pattern which blockchain will most likely follow ― especially when compared to tulip bulbs. Past bull markets in crypto have had far more significant implications than price gains. In 2013, the world acknowledged that Bitcoin exists. In 2017 and 2018, they recognized that crypto exists. Since all too many projects from 2017 turned out to be nothing-burgers ― it seems many projects were in it simply to raise money ― that period serves as nothing more than a preview of what’s to come.
No match with tulip mania.
The recent 2020–2021 bull market, the first after the initial coin offering re waiting. Rather, like 2017–2018, it was another showcase of what the future could be, putting blockchain in the spotlight even further.
During the forthcoming bull market, which is probably a couple of years away, leading institutions will incorporate DeFi and crypto. This process has already started. In the meantime, employees at FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) see the writing on the wall and quit in droves, looking to build out the crypto landscape with intuitive products. Anyone in finance should be exploring DeFi and thinking, “I am going to lose my job if I am not careful.”
The Winklevosses once stated that every FAANG company will have its own crypto project, a process known as hyperbitcoinization.
This exodus to DeFi hints that blockchain is the future of fintech, not just a bubble. We are still so early. During the dot-com boom, people in tech began leaving the companies for which they worked and started to build their ideas and challenge the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) of the time.
The subsequent improvements and UX and UI design simplified the internet and ultimately brought it into every home. Brilliant blockchain programmers and developers are pushing the envelope in so many verticals. But too few are pushing the boundaries of UX and UI. That’s next.
Because blockchain UX and UI isn’t particularly user-friendly, the average institution won’t be able to adopt and integrate the system into their pre-existing processes yet.
Having left for blockchain’s greener pastures, Silicon Valley and Wall Street talent will start to push things forward. Top-tier funds and projects are thinking about improving blockchain’s UX and UI for the coming showcase.
Once technologists realize blockchain is the future, they will bring a unique skill set that will push the boundaries of the UX and UI crypto-powered internet. Like the dot-com era, technology will become easier to use and feature more regularly in everyday life.
Literally I don’t mean a radio station, I meant what are you consciously conscious of? What is that thing that has been a bother to you? That thing that has been uppermost on your mind.
I am currently at the barber’s awaiting my turn and taking the opportunity to write this post. I was focused on having a hair cut today, and here I am. I tuned into that station a few days ago. Noted my date with the barbers, and all I could think of on Saturday was to complete the task of having a hair cut. That’s how focus works. You know that, right.
So are you tuned into the wrong station? Let’s find out. Come with me…
To create your future, you have to be aware of the frequency of the station you are tuned to.
Take for instance you tune into a radio station with frequency 97.8fm, you shouldn’t be surprised if the station broadcasts Hiphop music instead of Jazz. If you think about it that way, the question to ask yourself is what station do you tune yourself into daily?
Have you being alone at home, and all you could think of is someone breaking in? What you may not be aware of is that you had tuned into the ‘BREAK-IN’ STATION.
Tuning into that station scares the living daylights out of you because all that you are focused on is the likelihood of a break in. Any movement or sound, near or afar, inside your house or outside will produce trepidation.
The same with seeing a spider. Even after moving away from the spider, any slight irritation on your body would feel like a spider crawling on your body. Right!
What about hunger! If you are hungry, you start to notice everything edible in the house.
All these feelings come about because you are tuned into ‘there might be a break in’ station. The fear station. You are tuned into the ‘hungry’ station.
You have to ask yourself what are you tuned into through out the day? Are you tuning yourself into Fear station? Or stress station, by thinking of stressful thoughts and all the things not going on right in your life or all the things that could possibly go wrong through out the day? You shouldn’t be surprised if your day is filled with fear or stress all day long.
Now you know you are fearful and stressful, are their things you can do to cancel out the fear or stress?
I can tell you now that you wouldn’t be less fearful or stressful by going onto social media to calm your thoughts or get distracted. It’s the worst thing you can do.
Have you thought of unfollowing friends whose tweets, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp messages add to your stress?
The world is at one of its nosiest levels for years, no thanks to the global pandemic. All you listen to on the radio or watch on television are stories that will only add to your fear or stress level. Videos also do the rounds via social media platforms. There is only one thing you can do to stop watching, that is to disconnect yourself from the providers of these videos. I have. I don’t watch videos sent to me on WhatsApp. I don’t participate in discussions on the state of affairs in the world and I certainly don’t forward messages with these attached stories or videos. All you read or hear are opinions, arguments and counter arguments that wouldn’t change the situation. I don’t feel good when I read or watch these videos, and those in power will never get to hear these tales, so why do I have to waste my time as a participant. Therefore, I stay away because they tune me into the stress and fear stations.
There is something called the Reticular Activating System in our brain.
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so the important stuff gets through.
The RAS is the reason you learn a new word and then start hearing it everywhere. It’s why you can tune out a crowd full of talking people, yet immediately snap to attention when someone says your name or something that at least sounds like it.
Your RAS takes what you focus on and creates a filter for it. It then sifts through the data and presents only the pieces that are important to you. All of this happens without you noticing, of course. The RAS programs itself to work in your favour without you actively doing anything. Pretty awesome, right?
In the same way, the RAS seeks information that validates your beliefs. It filters the world through the parameters you give it, and your beliefs shape those parameters. If you think you are bad at giving speeches, you probably will be. If you believe you work efficiently, you most likely do. The RAS helps you see what you want to see and in doing so, influences your actions.
Some people suggest that you can train your RAS by taking your subconscious thoughts and marrying them to your conscious thoughts. They call it “setting your intent.” This basically means that if you focus hard on your goals, your RAS will reveal the people, information and opportunities that help you achieve them.
If you care about positivity, for example, you will become more aware of and seek positivity. If you really want a pet turtle and set your intent on getting one, you’ll tune in to the right information that helps you do that. (culled from Desk of van Schneider)
The RAS literally brings into your subconscious whatever you focus. You don’t see a type of car before you buy it. Guess what happens after you you bought it, you begin to see it all over the place because it now exists in your brain. What you focus on expands that is why whatever it is, you get.
What you feel the most is the station you are tuned to. If you are hopeful for the future, all you are going to see are all the positive things that are about to unfold.
Now that you are now aware of what controls how you feel and you now know you can change it, why don’t you try tuning into the GRATITUDE station. Instead of waking up fearful and stressful, you can wake up feeling grateful.
The first thing I do, this is me, I am not suggesting it is a template for getting rid of fear or stress, it’s what I have been doing for years now is to wake up saying THANK YOU JESUS. And immediately I go on my knees and just thank Jesus for another morning, for the breath of life, for the opportunity to win today, for the opportunity to impact someone. I am just filled with gratitude. By the time I get up and head to the bathroom where I look into the mirror, and smile, I am already pumped up for the day.
It is not possible to experience fear and gratitude at the same time. You can choose either to have a victim’s mentality where everything in the world is affecting you or a live with a champion’s mentality.
Do you confess the reality you are living in or the reality you want to live in? Like magic, one always finds whatever they focus on long enough.
For instance, if you have the attitude of asking ‘why do I always attract men who cheat’ those are the men you will keep on attracting. Whatever you ask for, you will get. Seek and you shall find. It’s been written about for thousands of years in the best book in the world.
Do you know that the phrase ‘abracadabra’ is not just any word that a magician says, it’s an ancient Hebrew word that means “As I speak, I create.” Everything that I see or speak creates the reality around me. I need to accept this because I can no longer blame anyone for my life.
Now that I know I created my reality I am not happy with, it is also possible to create a new life anytime I want.
The challenge is many people do not know what they really want. You have to become very clear on what it is you want. People are unclear of what they want. You need to know in detail what you want.
You need to bring into the Reticular Activating System (RAS) that thing you want. You repeat it to yourself on a daily basis, with passion and a belief that you will have it. You need to have images of it and once you do long enough, you will eventually have it in your life. The RAS will simply go to work to bring it forth. That’s just how it goes.
What this means is to set the RAS every single morning. You need to be intentional with what you want in your life.
For instance if you want Love and Happiness in your life, focus on what will give you love and happiness and get rid of whatever that doesn’t align with love and happiness.
This is not rocket science but it takes intention to achieve this purpose. Most people don’t bring intention into their daily activities, into their moments. They live by default.
What would happiness station look like? You need to be intentional with achieving happiness. It will not come looking for you. You have to go for it and welcome it.
A tip could be to note all the things that make you happy and ensure you experience at least one of these things everyday.
Be aware of your morning, you’re daily routine. Make sure it supports the future you want to create.
These ideas are very profound and it takes intention to achieve.
To conclude, in order for you to get the life you want, you have to start focusing on something different than you have been focusing on to get you to where you want to be.
How about that. Let me have your thoughts and I wish you Joy, Peace and Happiness.
Rob Dial of ‘The Mindset Mentor’ podcast inspired this post.
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Let’s briefly talk Crypto courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Blockchain to Disrupt Music Industry and Make It Change Tune.
Blockchain technology has the power to increase financial inclusion and change the lives of many throughout the world, especially in emerging economies where it’s needed the most. While the potential of blockchain technology has been widely recognized, even among the harshest critics of Bitcoin (BTC) itself, the possible use cases for blockchain technology are often thought of as limited only to the financial industry.
While the distributed ledger system created alongside Bitcoin has a powerful use case in the realm of currency and assets, in which value can now be digitally transferred without any middlemen or risk of duplication because ownership is immutable and provable, these same applications can be translated into many other industries beyond finance.
In this instance, the music industry, which has too often been dominated by gatekeepers, will go under the microscope. While the advent of the internet — followed by streaming platforms such as Napster, Soundcloud and now Spotify — has changed this to a degree, blockchain technology seems to be the next step when it comes to giving power back to creators and their listeners.
So, how is blockchain changing the music industry? One of the, if not the, most noticeable of its effects is the ability to remove middlemen from the process of music sales and streaming. While streaming platforms have changed the way music is consumed, making it more widely available to the listener, it has also created a whole new level of intermediation between artists and fans.
Ujo, a New York-based company, provides a decentralized database of music ownership where artists can not only upload their works and earn 100% of their sales and tips with no fees but also automatically split payments with collaborators of each project. Another project from the United States, the Open Music Initiative, uses blockchain technology to identify music rights holders and has already drawn the likes of Soundcloud, Sony, YouTube, Spotify and Netflix as members, showcasing just how impactful the technology can be.
Blockchain is already improving the way artists, especially independent ones, are paid and increasing the amount they get to keep while also streamlining the process of copyrighting and distributing the work, which doesn’t just end there. Blockchain technology already allows musicians to tap into another key category for independent artist revenue: highly engaged communities.
Do you ever question when someone is described as your friend?
Would you consider that person as a friend? Can she really be called your friend?
Asides the definitions of friend and acquaintance, which we will come to later, for me, the real definition would be defined when you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation and urgent sacrificial assistance is required to bake you out of a dire circumstance.
A friend can be described as someone who you know well and like, but who is not related to you. While an acquaintance is someone who you have met and know slightly but not quite well.
Based on those interpretations, do you still claim you have hundreds of friends? or acquaintances?
An example that comes to mind is referring an old school mate who was known to everyone as my best mate decades ago as a friend. Honestly, I don’t get it twisted. Of course we were once close friends, a friend, a confidant who knew my secrets, a friend whom I saw on a daily basis, however, the same cannot be attributed to this ‘friend’, someone who doesn’t even know the name of my wife, the mother of my daughter who has long forgotten she graduated from university. I ask; would it be fair on that person to still be referred to as a friend?
How about asking if you would include the supposed friend in your top ten list of persons to approach were you to find yourself in dire a circumstance?
I am cautious to call anyone a friend, especially those whom I barely know anything personal about. I have bucket loads of acquaintances, but friends? I know I don’t have many friends.
It takes years to know someone, and plenty of effort to stay in touch.
That’s it from it. Thank you for stopping by. Do take a few moments to take a tour of my blog, read, like and subscribe if you think you’ll like to be notified of new posts. Till another time. God bless you.
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Let’s talk Cryptocurrency, courtesy of DailyHodl.
US Banking Giant With Over $8,600,000,000,000 in Assets Under Custody Launches Bitcoin Storage Service.
A banking giant in the United States with more than $8.6 trillion in assets under custody and administration is now expanding its services into Bitcoin (BTC).
US Bank is now offering institutional investment managers with private funds in the US or Cayman Islands a custody service for BTC, according to a company press release.
The bank also says it plans to roll out custody services for other crypto assets in the future.
Crypto giant New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG) will act as the first “crypto sub-custodian” in US Bank’s network of providers. NYDIG is a Bitcoin-focused technology and financial services company and subsidiary of investment management company Stone Ridge Asset Management.
Gunjan Kedia, the vice chair of US Bank’s wealth management and investment services, says investor interest in cryptocurrency and demand from the bank’s fund services necessitated the move
It was said at a group session I was a part of that we, you, us, humans have been created to withstand adversity. Let that sink in.
Think of all the things you had gone through and lived to tell the tale. You survived. All the pain you thought you couldn’t handle, you now know you could, because you were made to withstand adversity.
I woke up at around 2.55am. Couldn’t go back to sleep. Spent the time thanking the creator, the provider of the breath of life. Had other thoughts I was pondering on.
Then the word AUDACIOUS popped into my mind. And because I no longer believe in coincidences, I knew something was up.
I pondered more on the word; “to be audacious is to be daring. It is to be bold, brave, courageous, fearless, unafraid…even enterprising. And not to be adventurous is the exact opposite. To be guarded, to be timid, frightened, cowardly, wary or unenterprising.
It is often said that ‘Fortune favours the brave.’ Do I actually believe in that statement, or I see it as a cliché?
The famous German poet Goethe once said “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” How about that? Truer ore false?
JFK said “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” Really?
And finally Walt Disney famously said “First, think. Second, believe. Third, dream. And finally, dare.” How daring am I?
When I woke up this morning, at precisely 4.26am, I wrote this down; If you are afraid to lose money, you can’t make money. Like death, if you are afraid to die, you wouldn’t live.”
On earth, Jesus Christ acted audaciously. He withstood all the lies, insults and ended up being crucified. He went through all that pain in order to set those who believe in him free and also set an example of how audacious he wanted them to act.
If you think of anyone and everyone considered a success in their field of endeavour, they are pretty audacious. At sometime they all had a face-off with fear in exchange for freedom. That was the price paid. In order wards, Freedom is synonymous with success.
Be audacious!
I wish you freedom.
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It’s time for some Crypto update, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
MoneyGram launches USDC settlement using the Stellar blockchain.
The partnership will enable MoneyGram customers to fund and withdraw from their accounts using the USDC stablecoin at physical branches.
Financial services company MoneyGram International has partnered with the Stellar Development Foundation to enable consumers to send money using Circle’s popular stablecoin, USD Coin (USDC), and convert directly to and from fiat.
United Texas Bank will act as the settlement bank to complete the process within the regulatory framework.
“As crypto and digital currencies rise in prominence, we’re especially optimistic about the potential of stablecoins as a method to streamline cross-border payments,” said Alex Holmes, chairman and CEO of MoneyGram.
The partnership is expected to launch at the end of 2021 in select jurisdictions, with an expanded international rollout planned in 2022.
Yes, it’s true…Bitcoin has risen 6,529,479,430% since 2009. I will get to that incredible story later.
Let’s talk sowing seeds.
How was I conceived? Not sure if it was planned or unplanned….that’s irrelevant for this post, what is relevant is that a seed was planted, fertilised and 9 months later, I was born.
And that Oreo was couldn’t have taken place without the involvement of two people.
With all the intelligence in this world, the best anyone has been able to come up with is Siri, of Apple and Alexa, of Amazon, together with countless numbers of Ai out there. There has not been any human being with red blood cells that have been created. That says a lot about the creator. Doesn’t it.
So, how do I sow seeds everyday?
By impressions you leave. The words you speak. The thoughts you deposited. The ideas you shared. The looks you gave. The smiles you shared. The jokes you cracked as well as the tips you gave.
All those natural acts are the seeds which have invested.
Like the fertilised egg in a mother’s womb that grows, your words of encouragement, your smile, ideas, tips, silence, corrections grow. One day, not sure if it’s nine months long, it will be launched, produced, given birth to. This phase will take place. It always does. I no longer focus on the birthday. It’s energy sapping. Anxiously waiting for a birth can send anyone bunkers. One may argue the right to be anxious if you are unsure off delivery. As for me, I know at the due date, birth WILL surely take place.
This is why I am conscious of the seeds I release.
I plant seeds every time I post on my blog. And each time someone likes or subscribes, that is birth time. The seed wouldn’t and couldn’t have germinated without you the reader.
With that in mind, I wake up each day, excited and conscious of the seeds I sow.
What seeds have you sown today? What seeds do you intend to sow today?
Wishing you a happy sowing day. 😊 —————- Let’s talk some crypto, courtesy of Bitcoin Magazine.
BITCOIN IS UP 6.5 BILLION PERCENT SINCE IT WAS FIRST PRICED IN USD.
Twelve years ago today, pseudonymous Bitcoin user NewLibertyStandard published what is likely the first pricing of Bitcoin in US Dollar terms.
On his website of the same name, NewLibertyStandard went on to describe how they formulated their 2009 exchange rate:
“During 2009 my exchange rate was calculated by dividing $1.00 by the average amount of electricity required to run a computer with high CPU for a year, 1331.5 kWh, multiplied by the the average residential cost of electricity in the United States for the previous year, $0.1136, divided by 12 months divided by the number of bitcoins generated by my computer over the past 30 days.”
On 6 October 2009, the price in Bitcoin rose by NewLibertyStandard’s measure. For a moment that day, the price of 1 BTC was $0.00088454.
At the time of writing, 1 BTC costs about $49,880.00.
Let’s compare:
5 October 2009: 1BTC = $0.00076392
5 October 2021: 1BTC = $49,880.00
49,880.00 – 0.00076392 = 49,879.9992
49,879.9992 / 0.00076392 = 65,294,794.3
65,294,794.3 * 100 = 6,529,479,430%
Bitcoin has risen 6,529,479,430% since it was first priced in US dollars. Bitcoin is the most appreciating asset in human history.
Residents of La Palma are taking precautions as the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to spew lava and toxic material into the atmosphere.
Ash coats the streets and potential acid rain falls with the island’s coastline being reshaped by the flow of lava, which has created an entirely new section of land mass.
Tropical Cyclone Shaheen ‘rare event’ say meteorologists. The Gulf Marine Center in Qatar Department of Meteorology on Sunday said the governorates of Muscat and South Al Batinah in Sultanate of Oman are now being affected by tropical cyclone (Shaheen) with heavy rain ( 50-110mm)
Those were a couple of stories that many people around the world may not even be aware of. Honestly, without the aid of Google, I also wouldn’t be aware of these natural disasters.
It’s a gentle REMINDER to put our moans in perspective.
What is it that I am moaning about today?
Am I in a location currently experiencing a natural disaster? Or are my moans about the fact that my neighbour has only just gone to buy the latest jeep? Or that my acquaintances (once friends) have private jets and I have no idea when I may buy myself one?
Do you know the number of times you involuntarily swallow saliva? I can tell you that if you do, it means you have a soar throat.
Decades ago I had a soar throat that kept me up at night. Every swallow was met with trepidation. That was how bad it was. Thankfully, I have never had to go through that experience again. But I am sure there are some who have to go through that pain for a living. So, what could my moan be all about?
I try as much as possible to live life through the prism of perspectives. My cup is half full, rather than half empty.
Should I really complain or moan there is traffic? Should I be disrespectful to the hard working receptionist because he kept me waiting on the queue as he was busy attending to needs of guests ahead of me?
Should I have moaned at the waiter?
Come to think of it, what do I consider as problems?
Are there problems that can’t be challenged?
That brings me to another aspect of life; Living a life of PEACE in the midst of CHAOS.
I made the choice a while ago not to buy into chaos offered by others. A friend advising me based on his reality. The News channels daily vomiting of chaos served as dishes of news. I have given myself permission to be at peace with myself. There is always someone trying to sell you chaos, whether you recognise it is one thing. The other thing is if you buy into it. Personally, I no longer buy into anything that will rob me of my peace. It’s a choice we all have at our disposal. I have chosen to activate mine.
And with peace comes GRATITUDE.
When was the last time you were grateful for anything?
I hope you haven’t been spending the bulk of your time wishing for what you don’t have?
Have you shown enough gratitude for that which you have?
For many, due to no faults of theirs who may have experienced a natural disaster would have no choice but to give gratitude to the creator for sparing their lives. They don’t see it as a big deal to start all over again. They know they would have to take stock of what is left, what is of value, what is important and just get on with it like
children who have to arrange the funeral of their parents. They are happy to knowing they have been given another opportunity to start again. They know they are without a choice but to get on with it. And they are happy to.
This is where putting value in perspective becomes important. Those who were blessed to escape the natural disaster had that ‘cup-is-half-full’ perspective forced on them. Do you?
My tip; take stock of what you have and put value on it.
Apply the perspective rule.
What should you be grateful for? Only you can tell.
Thank you for stopping by….oh yea….and I am grateful to you for reading my blog and hopefully becoming a subscriber.😊
What’s the opposite of a declaration or assurance that one will do something, or, that a particular thing will happen? That’s a breach or a break in promise, isn’t it!
Let me share with you some promises that were made to me. I chose to believe these promises because of the promise keeper.
You all know promises have been offered at all kinds of situations, and many get broken. I must say it hasn’t stopped me from believing, because what would be the point in living a life of less hope, a life of hopelessness.
I have been promised that should I become daring enough to believe in LOVE, I would be surprised at how peaceful life would become. I found that very comforting. So what’s all this about Love?
MY DECLARATION ABOUT LOVE!
Love is my refuge, my place of safety. Love is who I believe in, whom I trust.
For Love will rescue me from every trap, insecurities and protect me from the pandemic.
Love will cover me with his feathers. He will shelter me with his wings. His faithful promises are my strength and it’s what assures me.
I am no longer afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
I no longer dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Even though the media has never stopped broadcasting how a thousand will fall at my side, and how millions are dying around me, Love has promised these evils will not touch me.
It’s there for me, for you to see what the lack of LOVE does. Just open your eyes, and see how those who peddle false news, the anti-this and anti-that are faring. It would not be far fetched to suggest they are being punished.
Now, here is the fabulous news; If you put love in all that you do, by making Love your focus, your fountain, your source, the epicentre, the centre of attention, your pivot….His promise is that no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
Why is this so? Because Love has a way that you and I will probably never, ever be able to decode. Love loyalists will go all out to protect you wherever you go. That’s the promise.
They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
You would be stunned when you walk over your fears. When you step on innuendos whose primary aim is to make you feel inadequate. You will be pleasantly surprised when you confidently talk back at those misleading thoughts.
You will be astonished when you hear back your voice saying ‘No’ to those so called ‘friends’ who envied you behind your back.That’s the power of Love.
Love says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in me.
When you dare give in to LOVE, trust me, he will answer you; Love will always be around to comfort you when you are in trouble. Love will rescue and honour you.
Finally, the promise is that LOVE will reward you with good health, long life and redemption.
That’s the promise of Love and I am a believer. 😊
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Let’s talk some Crypto, courtesy of DailyHodl.
Bitcoin is a great hedge against inflation. It has “essentially replaced Gold”, according to Billionaire Virgin Galactic Chairman.
Billionaire and business tycoon Chamath Palihapitiya says that Bitcoin’s network is the best version of the internet we have today.
In a new interview with CNBC, the CEO of Virgin Galactic says that big tech players such as Google and Facebook have dominated the first two versions of the internet by creating and organizing much of what people interact with online.
But Palihapitiya, a former executive of Facebook himself, believes that Bitcoin (BTC) and other decentralized peer-to-peer cryptocurrencies can change that.
“[Web 3.0] is rebuilding all of that stuff without an obvious leader. It’s completely headless. It’s entirely peer-to-peer. And I think that that’s both scary and exhilarating.”
Palihapitiya also believes that Bitcoin is a great hedge against inflation and that it has “essentially replaced gold.”
“I’m very concerned about medium-term inflation. In an inflationary environment, in my very simplistic view of the world, I want to own three things: hypergrowth [assets]… cash-generative assets… and then I want to own non-correlated assets [such as BTC and Solana].”
Despite previously predicting that BTC could reach a price of over $200,000, Palihapitiya now says he doesn’t have a solid forecast for the token.
“It’s very hard for me sitting here to give you a price prediction, but I can pretty confidently say that Bitcoin, I think, has effectively replaced gold.
It will continue to do so. And so that market cap is just going to grow.”
Bitcoin is trading at $43,423 at time of writing, according to CoinGecko.
Thank you for stopping by. See you tomorrow, by His Grace.
BE ON GUARD – be on the lookout. Be conscious of your presence. Notice your moods. Notice how, why and when it changed. Be the warden of your heart, your vessel, for that is where the battle is won.
Every aspect of life requires the application of wisdom to accompany the psychology of winning the game of life.
The mind, being the engine room of the body, once occupied or distracted by mere nonsensical becomes immobilised. THEREFORE GUARD YOUR MIND LIKE A DEFENDER. Like a chaperone. Like a night watch man or a bouncer. Like a shepherd. Like a body or security guard.
STAND FIRM – no one says life would be easy. No one. Ask the cemetery cleaner who is daily reminded of the fragility of life. It’s been often recounted that the cemetery is the richest inhabitant on earth. For it occupies talented lifeless bodies of authors who were too overwhelmed starting chapter one of that potential bestseller. The cemetery houses world class athletes who were too lazy to sacrifice a few hours of their time in the gym. The cemetery has swallowed up brilliant inventors who couldn’t be bothered to take time out to give it a go. Stand firm and believe you are good enough. Age is just a number, so are failings. I am proud to announce to you that I have failed countless numbers of times, but here I am making that announcement. What does that say about my failures. I never once failed. I only had more than the usual lessons to grapple with, and here I am sharing them via this platform.😂
FAILURE! I am no longer afraid of you. I am used to failing. Therefore, I am immune to failing. I am a winner. You are a winner. We are winners.
So I write to tell you to STAND FIRM IN YOUR BELIEFS. You are good enough. You are a creator. You are uniquely created. No one is like you. Give it a go now, with however little you may have at wherever you may be. Give it a go today I beg of you.
COURAGE – the faint hearted will never rule the world, let alone their corner. There are achievers who aren’t special at anything except having the ability to put courage in front.
Those we read about aren’t anything special without courage. They are DARING! That’s what they are. Daring. They are audacious. They have less fear than the majority, which makes then FEAR LESS. Perceived ugly ducklings have the most beautiful looking ladies. Why is that? Because they have the courage to act. They aren’t afraid to fail. They are undaunted. Fx Traders like Alonso (my mentor) has failed, God knows how many times, however, he is courageous not to give up as a result of his many losses. Today he creams the market on a daily basis. Alonso is courageous. He’s is unafraid to fail. You too can be courageous. Courage is available to us all. The only barrier between courage and self is CHOICE. Be courageous. Be strong.
LOVE – the most power weapon in the world is L.O.V.E.
It is! Honestly it is!
Many think love is weak. It isn’t. It may be described as meekness, but it’s much more than that. Love has the virtues of a shepherd who is always on guard and the firmness of a believer who has the courage to go out and do his thing. Once accomplished, he is vulnerable wnough to admit that the accomplishment is due to a combination of so many factors which includes TIME and CHANCE.
Love has no boundaries. It conquers all. We all have what it takes to exhibit love. The question is, do we have the courage to? Can we stand firm to be loved in return? Or, are we strong enough to have love thrown back in our face?
Love conquers all critics put together.
I encourage you to ‘Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.” Have a go!
Till tomorrow, One Love!😊
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Let’s talk Crypto, courtesy of DailyHodl.
Crypto Is Unstoppable, Says Billionaire Elon Musk – Here’s His Advice for the US Government.
Business magnate Elon Musk says that there’s nothing governments can do to stop the growth of cryptocurrencies.
In a new interview at Code Conference 2021, Musk advises that governmental bodies should “do nothing” when it comes to regulating the crypto industry, and if they try, the best they can do is merely slow it down.
“It is not possible, I think, [to] destroy crypto. But it is possible for governments to slow down its advancement.”
The billionaire was asked about U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) head Gary Gensler, who previously took the stage at the conference and told the audience that cryptocurrencies were the “Wild West” of finance. Musk said Gensler and the US government should back away and just let the industry play out.
Mr and Mrs Google has described living in a bubble’ as someone who doesn’t listen to people with different ideas, or maybe is a little sheltered from society.
For mean, it goes further.
When you surround yourself with ‘yes’ people, people afraid to tell you what they actually see as opposed to what you actually want to hear, that person is living in a bubble.
When you see yourself as a great success, and you have finished believing in the hype that it was all down to you. That can also be described as living in a bubble.
When your partner is scared to reveal to you what resides in her or his conscience, I have news for you. You are living in a bubble.
Just because you now have more than your parents financially, and you acquire the erroneous beliefs that your parents no longer make sense, that can also be described as living in a bubble.
When you think you can shove the problem under the carpet just because of your newly acquired status, that is living in a bubble.
What has brought this on, you ask? I don’t know! Just thought of an old friend who has made it big, but is making life a living hell for others. I wouldn’t say more than that because it’s not for me to say. I am just saying that he has excluded his friends who could, and would tell him straight to his face.
What a pity, he no longer has that choice to enjoy their company. It hurts to see from afar his decision makings, and hurts more to learn of its repercussions. It saddens me, but we all have the gift of choice.
How do you know if you are living in a bubble, you ask!
I ask back, when was the last time you reacted with the question “how dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?
Yes! You were that upset when someone talked back at you. You felt disrespected! In actual fact, you were being told what you hadn’t been told for a long time. It was no longer a norm. No longer is there anyone hanging around to tell the sky is blue. That’s a problem.
How do you burst the bubble? Do you really want to?
You really want to know? Honestly! My answer would be ‘you already know how’.
Just do it.
That’s straight from the heart, as per usual 😂.
See you tomorrow, By His Grace.
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Let’s talk Crypto, courtesy Cointelegraph.
Visa working on blockchain interoperability hub for crypto payments.
Global payments giant Visa has introduced a project that aims to be a “universal adapter” of blockchains that can connect multiple cryptocurrencies, stablecoins as well as central bank digital currencies (CBDC).
According to an official announcement on Thursday, Visa’s research team is working on a “Universal Payment Channel” (UPC) initiative, a blockchain interoperability hub connecting multiple blockchain networks and enabling transfers of digital assets from different protocols and wallets.
“Imagine splitting the check with your friends, when everyone at the table is using a different type of money — some using CBDC like Sweden’s eKrona, and others preferring a private stablecoin like USDC,” Visa wrote, adding that such a tool “well may be a reality” in the “not-too-distant future” with the UPC project.
Developed by Visa’s research and product teams, the UPC project is designed to establish dedicated payment channels between different blockchain networks, connecting CBDC networks between countries as well as connecting CBDCs with private stablecoin networks.
It’s not type end of the world. Look at the images and tell me he is putting up a front?
If you don’t already know, let me write it out here for all to read; Not everyone is happy at your success. Not every one will gladly rejoice with you when you announce your latest victory. Not everyone will circulate the news about your new promotion, your academics success, that publishing deal that has taken years to realise, that first commercial gig, that blog that hundreds and thousands of people are reading – not everyone. Don’t kid yourself.
Was I surprised that AJ has been lambasted by arm chair critics who can’t and will never have the opportunity to lace any of his boots? Not at all.
The greatest boxer, in my opinion – Muhammad Ali lost three professional fights – so, what’s the big deal.
It’s not criminal to lose. The offence is if you refuse to acknowledge the loss and learn from it.
I didn’t watch the fight. I couldn’t because I am too much emotionally invested in ‘AJ’s fights. Personally, I like everything I see about him. The way he composes himself in public. The manner in which he extends his gratitude to others. His relationship with his mother and father and childhood friends….and wait for it, the mere fact that he still associates himself with Nigeria, his home birth is a delight to see. And his general attitude in life.
So, was I surprised that after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk a journalist introduced him as ‘BritishNigerian’? 😂😂😂😂! Honestly, we all knew that was coming.
So, how do you react after a loss? “Keep positive even if the world’s crumbling in front of you!,” that was what ‘AJ’ tweeted to break his silence. That was his reaction after his loss.
If ‘AJ’ retires today – and I am not in anyway suggesting he could, or would, but should the extraordinary happen, and he announces his retirement from the ring – his name and achievements will never be retired. His name will be a constant reminder to his naysayers on what a man with a heart and positive attitude was able to achieve.
And to all his haters, AJ will always be a winner and there is nothing you can do about it.
He may have been defeated, but his attitude was not.
‘AJ’ never complains. For a minute, after his loss, I never expected him to complain, and he didn’t. Instead, he will dig in, examine where he could have done better and get on with it. That is just ‘AJ’s attitude.
Any day, attitude will always be the champ.
‘AJ’ once said “When you are around people who have money, you realise money isn’t that impressive, it’s about your class, morals and how you conduct yourself.”
In defeat, ‘AJ’, the former World heavyweight champ has shown himself to be a class act.
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Let’s talk crypto, courtesy of DailyHodl.
Majority of Institutional Investors Plan on Buying Crypto for the First Time Within a Year.
The majority of institutional investors intend to gain exposure to digital assets for the first time within the next year, according to a new survey.
In data shared with City A.M., digital asset manager Nickel Digital says that more than six in 10 institutional investors and wealth managers from the US, the UK, France, Germany, and the UAE expect to test the crypto waters within a year’s time.
The most common reason given for wanting to invest in crypto was “long-term capital growth prospects,” a sentiment shared by 47% of respondents.
Forty-four percent said they were more confident in the sector now that other leading corporations and hedge fund managers were invested in crypto. Forty-one percent cited an improving regulatory environment as a positive factor.
More than one-third of respondents said they intended to invest in crypto as a hedge against inflation.
Henry Howell, head of business development of Nickel Digital, names a few reasons why investors may be opening up to the nascent asset class.
Earlier this month, former Goldman Sachs executive and current Real Vision Group CEO Raoul Pal said that institutions are “all over” crypto, but still navigating how to participate while also adhering to regulations, accounting practices, and other hurdles within corporate infrastructure.
When something happens, are you aware of the exclamation that naturally comes forth from you? How do you react by default when something sudden, a bad thing or a good thing happens to you? Come on….you must know!
Let me tell myself something; Jide, anything you say to yourself will have an impact on you, not your wife or children…on you.
Now, anything you repeatedly say to yourself will have a long lasting impact on your life. Jide, you have to believe that whatever you talk about with your friends and family simply reinforces your beliefs about the threats and negative impact of whatever it is you were talking about. Unconsciously, and innocently engaged, the mind soaks in all the negative vibes. That’s what happens. The more we repeat the story, the more the mind warms up to it. The mind CANNOT differentiate a bad story from a good story. It will soak it in, store it and feeds it back to us whenever it is called upon. You can’t blame the mind for its excellent ability to function.
Repeating all those stories about how the world is coming to an end, re circulating all those videos of whatever it is that frightens the living daylights out of a stuntman regarding the state of the economy, fuel shortage or the state of the health in the world will only accomplish one thing – fill your heart to the brim with fear.
The more you watch and discuss those negative news, the more conscious you become. We all are aware that we attract what we are consciously thinking of. It’s a principle. It’s not magic.
So, why do we take delight in feeding ourselves with those things that end up generating fear and anxiety? The CHOICE is not somebody else’s. It mine to make. It’s yours to decide.
What I have chosen to do is to PUMP myself with words that will produce my goals and objectives.
I will give you a quick example. I tell myself that thousands and millions of people are reading my blog posts everyday, and readers cannot wait for each daily post to be published. And that I am positively influencing thousands and millions of readers. That to me is my reality and I care less of what anyone thinks or says.
I say it to self.
Self gets excited.
Self cannot wait to think of the next blog post.
Self is happy, joyful and full of gratitude.
How about your self?
Thank you for popping by. 😊
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Let’s talk Crypto, courtesy of Bitcoinist.
Deutsche Bank Analyst Marion Laboure Says Bitcoin Is Here To Stay As Digital Gold.
Bitcoin has gotten some wild, and not so wild, predictions from analysts recently. The growth of the digital currency this year has led some analysts to predict that the digital asset was not done growing just yet. One thing has mostly remained constant across the predictions. The value that bitcoin carries cannot be denied. Bitcoin has made its mark in financial markets as a store of value and has been touted as digital gold ever since the asset began to gain notoriety.
Analyst Marion Laboure does not see the cryptocurrency as a viable means of everyday exchange.
Although Laboure does not consider the digital asset to be a dependable means of payment, the analyst believes that it could be digital gold. To Laboure, the limited supply of bitcoin means that it cannot be effectively used as a payment method. With 89% of BTC’s 21 million supply already in circulation and less than 10% of the world’s population owning the asset, there simply is not enough to go around for it to be considered as a payment method around the world.
However, the same reasons which Laboure cites for bitcoin not being a good mode of payment played into the analyst’s reasons for referring to it as digital gold. Its deflationary nature lends it as a hedge against inflation, which has been growing in recent years. Since bitcoin has a limited supply, more cannot be created and over time, the asset will become more scarce. As such, the value will increase as supply drops in relation to demand.
“People have always sought assets that were not controlled by governments. Gold has had this role for centuries. And yes, I could potentially see Bitcoin become the 21st-century digital gold.”
It’s being billed as the ultimate crypto service that allows people, specifically from the continent of Africa to send remittances, make payments and protect the value of their wealth against the incessant currency.
Yellow Card is powering the cryptocurrency ecosystem in Africa. It’s team of 110 employees in 16 countries is rapidly building a Pan-African crypto network. Yellow Card makes it easy for anyone, anywhere in Africa to buy crypto using cash, mobile money, card, or bank transfer. Yellow Card enables anyone on the continent to buy, sell, spend, and store Bitcoin, Ethereum, or USDT to solve basic financial service issues. Serving Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia, Uganda, Gabon, Malawi, and more coming this year.
How did it all start?
Oluwaseun Adeyanju, Forbes magazine contributor brilliantly captured it this way;
‘In 2013, Chris Maurice and Justin Poiroux made over $40,000 selling bitcoin on eBay, charging buyers a 100% markup. It was going well for them until they were hit with credit card chargebacks. They tweaked their model to avoid accepting credit cards directly, effectively eliminating the risk of chargebacks. That decision began the journey that birthed Yellow Card, where Maurice now serves as the CEO and Poiroux as the chief technology officer.’
‘Their first idea was an in-person model that involved posting ads on Craigslist and LocalBitcoins, with the meetup location being Taco Bell outlets across the Eastern United States.’
“We decided we wanted to do something more scalable, and the idea was we would put gift cards in Walmart, CVS, etc., where anyone could walk in, buy the gift card and redeem it for crypto,” Maurice said.
‘Yellow Card’s future would start pointing toward Africa when Maurice met a Nigerian man at a Wells Fargo in Auburn, Alabama, who was sending $200 to his family. The bank charged him $90 to send $200 to his family in Nigeria.’
Yellow Card’s Nigeria team. YELLOW CARD
“I talked to the guy, ‘Hey, have you heard of bitcoin? It’s free, instant, fun and all this great stuff’,” Maurice said. “But I went home and just kept thinking about his mom; I was envisioning this elderly woman in Nigeria who probably hardly knows how to use the internet with $200 in bitcoin on her phone. All I could think is this doesn’t solve anything for anyone.”
‘Maurice became interested in learning as much as he could about Nigeria and its monetary system, which led him to meet Munachi Ogueke via LinkedIn. Ogueke is now Yellow Card’s chief bitcoin officer.’
‘Looking ahead, the company’s ultimate goal is to become a crypto service that allows Africans to send remittances, make payments and protect the value of their wealth against the incessant currency devaluation in many African countries. This is something that many crypto platforms do already. However, Yellow Card wants to differentiate itself by building products that doesn’t require users to understand crypto.’
“The big picture is to change the way that money moves around the continent using crypto, and we want to make it easier for people to be able to just jump from their local economy into the economy of the internet and vice versa,” Maurice added.
Thank you for stopping by to read my blog…hopefully, by His Grace, I will see you tomorrow.
It was Alan Cohen who said “there is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.”
How often do you see yourself nodding off in front of the television?
Do you feel guilty when you rest?
When was the last time you took a break from work?
Are you one of those who believe being a workaholic is self righteous?
How many hours a week do you really get to spend time with your loved ones or are you like Elon Musk who is notoriously known for working very long hours and getting very little sleep.
In my opinion, 80 hours a week is still over the top. That is 16 hours a day for 5 consecutive days. 10 hours more than the average CEO of a multibillion-dollar company works.
I read of a study published in by Harvard Business Review. They found that CEOs worked an average of 62.5 hours a week. On average, the CEOs monitored for the study worked 9.7 hours per weekday, which totals just 48.5 hours per work week. They also worked 79% of weekend days at an average of 3.9 hours daily, and 70% of vacation days with an average of 2.4 hours on those days.
So, how often do you rest? It was only recently that I decided I was going to totally abstain from work on Sundays. Why? Because I found my self working round the clock Monday’s through to Saturdays. As a creative, there are many things I am involved in which tends to occupy every minute of my day.
It’s incredibly important we shouldn’t feel guilty about rest. I no longer do.
Personally I believe everything the creator does is by design. He created us to have total control here on earth…to have dominion as the most influential book in the world has made us to understand and he wants us to follow his queue. God rested on the seventh day. Yes he did. That is powerful.
Think about it. You may think you don’t need to take a break, but breaks are essential to the body.
Taking breaks has been shown to be important in recovering from stress, which can, in turn, improve your performance. Recovering from work stress can restore energy and mental resources and decrease the development of fatigue, sleep disorders and cardiovascular disease[courtesy of the well-being thesis]
So taking a break improves focus and concentration and provides the opportunity for a mental reset.
So, let’s all make time out to rest, to take that much needed break.
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Let’s talk Crypto, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Blockchain will transform government services, and that’s just the beginning.
Governments are tasked with bringing fair and efficient services to the public. Unfortunately, providing transparency and accountability often results in a reduction in efficiency and effectiveness or vice versa. Governments are usually forced to choose to improve one at the cost of the other. On rare occasions, technology comes along that enables governments to improve fairness and efficiency.
The move from paper-based record keeping to computer databases was one such technology. The internet was another. Blockchain is the next. Like the internet before it, blockchain will not only improve how the public interacts with government services, it will have broad economic and social implications.
Blockchain technologies are now taking their place as a foundational infrastructure for forward-thinking governments. The technology has reached the highest levels of national strategic importance, as evidenced by China and Europe’s efforts to build blockchain infrastructure. While it is impossible to predict exactly what form global blockchain infrastructure will take, what is certain is that the technology is on the rise.
There is this very interesting story brilliantly captured by an author I love to read his writings, or shall I say commentaries. He happens to pastor a church. His name is Prince.
He told a story of what happened a very long time ago. Considering the reference was the Old Testament, that must have been 1200 and 100 BC.
I know you would ask. What exactly does BC mean?
Well, B.C. stands for “before Christ,” meaning before Jesus was born. So 800 B.C. means 800 years before Jesus was born.
On the other hand, A.D. comes from the Latin “anno Domini,” which means “in the year of the Lord.” A.D. applies to years following the birth of Jesus.
So back to the story told thousands of years ago….to many, it may be a fiction, but that really doesn’t matter does it. After all, you watch movies.
Don’t loose me here. Just focus on the story which I believe will provide you with some golden nuggets.
So, Prince wrote how in the Old Testament, it is written of how God, the creator of the World (the good guy in the movie) brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. The devil (the bad guy) thought that they could foil God’s plan by putting giants in the promised land to stop the Israelites from inheriting it. But God outsmarted the devil. He allowed the giants to build their homes and cities, dig wells and cultivate crops until the right time came. Then, He brought the Israelites into the land and evicted the giants!
So the Israelites ended up inheriting large beautiful cities that they did not build, houses full of all good things that they did not fill, hewn-out wells that they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that they did not plant! Although the devil tried to prevent God’s plan for His people from coming to pass, they ended up receiving so much more!
I thought that was so real!
Like you know how we get attached to characters in a movie or how we identify with certain story lines, this story illuminated how challenges can be viewed – well, certainly for me.
It’s a given that we would always combat challenges. We have to go through them to get our ‘promises land’, just like Israelites in the Old Testament. Remember!
The devil may throw obstacles and evil circumstances at you, you may be fired from work, or going through a divorce or going through a miscarriage, or going through an illness or having to deal with a rejection of any kindly, the fact of the matter is that it is a challenge and I have deliberately used the word ‘going through’ because that is what we do. We GO THROUGH. The Israelites also went through.
What eventually happens is that at the other end of the challenging journey, the challenge is turns out to be in our best interests. Challenges are their to make us feel inadequate, but in actual fact, it stretches us out of our comfort zone into the next phase of our journey in life.
Something for you to bear in mind; see your challenges as giants in your Promised Land bearing large gifts too heavy, expensive and precious for you to carry, afford and appreciate. It is only when you get to the promised Land, after going through, that you can only begin to fathom what you went through, why you went through and begin to appreciate what the ‘giants’ created.
By the way, this blog post was written at around past 4am this morning. You just never know when these ideas pop into you. Tip! Always be ready. Don’t put it off. No procrastination.
I hope this story encourages someone today. If it does, please do let me know by encouraging me as well. 😊
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And a bit of Crypto story courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Yemen national uses crypto donations to fight starvation amid civil war.
A Redditor living in Yemen’s capital city of Sana’a claims to be using cryptocurrencies to buy food packages for families unable to access supplies during an ongoing civil war.
According to a Thursday Reddit post from user yemenvoice, the Yemen national has raised roughly $12,000 in crypto donations to be used towards fighting starvation in the Middle Eastern nation. They claim to have provided 15 families with flour, rice, oil and beans and hope to reach 30 more in the near future.
“I have tried very hard to help my people by finding any possible way,” said yemenvoice. “I have tried to set up online donation campaigns, but unfortunately, all online donation platforms do not support Yemen. So, I thought of using cryptocurrencies as an alternative method, and indeed it was much easier and more effective.”
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, followed by a Saudi Arabian-led coalition of forces responding to a request for assistance from ousted President Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. The country has been subject to a blockade by air, land and sea since March 2015, leading to millions of Yemenis in need of basic necessities.
According to David Beasley, the executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, 16 million people in Yemen “are marching towards starvation” — including 400,000 children under the age of five, according to a separate report — with food supplies already at critical levels. Yemenvoice claims to have been able to “break the siege” and get funds into the country to buy food by using cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Nano (NANO).
Though the story and use of the funds could not be verified independently, yemenvoice claimed to have selected people in need and “paying them wherever I found them.”
While the efforts of this Redditor seem to be using crypto as a force for good, others based in different countries have bypassed sanctions from the United States or United Nations by relying on cryptocurrency donations. In Venezuela, authorities went so far as to tacitly endorse the use of crypto seemingly as a measure to evade various sanctions imposed on the country.
I didn’t know what to expect, but I was keen to watch ‘Schumacher’ the documentary, and contrary to some critics who gave it an almost thumbs down, I thought it was an inspirational watch. Emotional in many respects, but a frank reminder on how fickle life is.
I have to commend Corinna, Michael’s wife and family who cooperated with the making of the film using private family archives, Formula One archive footage, and interviews. This documentary can therefore be regarded as the family’s update on Michael’s condition. ‘Schumacher’ the documentary traces a personal portrayal of the Formula 1’s legendary seven-time world champion.
Michael Schumacher is still in rehabilitation after suffering a devastating head injury in a skiing accident on the French Alps in December 2013.
The Formula One legend hit his head on a rock while skiing off-piste in Meribel and was air-lifted to a hospital in Grenoble.
After undergoing two surgeries, Schumacher was placed in a medically induced coma for six months to help reduce the swelling of his brain.
Schumacher was moved to another hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland after coming out of his coma in 2014 and after 250 days was eventually allowed to return to his Lake Geneva home.
As mentioned earlier, it was poignant. Below are notes I jotted to share with you. They are quotes, not necessarily verbatim that summarises for me moments in the documentary.
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“Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here, different, but here,” “He still shows me how strong he is every day. – Corinna
“We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.” – Corinna
“I never blamed God for why this happened now. It [the accident] was just really bad luck, all the bad luck anyone could ever have in their life.” – Corinna
And here are other points noted;
⁃ You only get out what you put in. A reference to Michael’s incredible work ethic and attention to details
⁃ He carried his team members with him on his journey, including knowing the names of his engineers as well as their partners’ names.
⁃ He motivates his team members by taking time to play football in the garage as well as telling them how good each of them were.
⁃ The amount of work he does outside public view was incredible.
⁃ He worked closely with his engineers when he didn’t to.
⁃ He demanded a lot of himself by TESTING the car from 8am to 8pm on days long.
⁃ His approach to winning was that there was no fear.
⁃ There was Michael the race driver, uncompromising and Michael the cigar smoking private, family man.
⁃ He was actually a loner who didn’t quite warm up to journalists.
⁃ His 100% commitment and concentration plus his talent was what enabled him to be the champion.
⁃ Michael was fearless. He knew his limits, but others thought more of the risks.
⁃ He became untouchable
⁃ He had strength and total peace of mind says, his son, Mick Schumacher.
⁃ Fate is unpredictable. Fate, it’s been said has been unfortunate to Michael.
⁃ It’s always wrong to say “why is this happening to Michael and us. But why does it happen to others?” – Corinna
⁃ Michael has always protected us, it’s now our turn to protect him. – Corinna.
The documentary, I believe was the emotional family update on Michael.
If you have the time, it’s worth a watch. I enjoyed it.
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And a bit of Crypto courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Twitter launches crypto tipping for all users.
Social media giant Twitter will be enabling cryptocurrency options to its tipping jar, allowing any user to pay through the platform.
In a Thursday blog post, Twitter staff product manager Esther Crawford said the crypto tips feature would be available for all iOS users globally and the platform plans to roll out options for Android in the coming weeks. The crypto option will allow users to link third-party apps, including Cash App, Patreon, Venmo, Chipper, Bandcamp, Razorpay, GoFundMe, PicPay, and Wealthsimple Cash — depending on their region — to their Twitter bios and individual Tweets to receive funds.
“We want everyone on Twitter to have access to pathways to get paid,” said Crawford. “Digital currencies that encourage more people to participate in the economy and help people send each other money across borders and with as little friction as possible — help us get there.”
In addition to the linked services, Twitter tips are available to use through the Bitcoin (BTC) Lightning Network, which sends payment using the Strike app, or by adding a BTC address directly to one’s profile. “Twitter takes no cut,” according to Crawford.
Covid-19 is here to stay, just like Flu and Malaria. The ricochet effect of Covid-19 is still being felt daily. Many have lost loved ones, while many have also survived hospital admission. We all can see how lucky survivors have openly expressed their ordeal.
It appears these lucky people now count themselves unlucky after hospital discharge. They thought they had recovered, they haven’t really because of a variety of symptoms they are experiencing which, unfortunately is described as ‘Long Covid’.
WHAT IS LONG COVID?
Long COVID is used to describe signs and symptoms that last for longer than 4 weeks after getting COVID-19.
Here is how UK’s National Health Service (NHS) describes it;
How long it takes to recover from COVID-19 is different for everybody.
Many people feel better in a few days or weeks and most will make a full recovery within 12 weeks. But for some people, symptoms can last longer.
The chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get COVID-19.
People who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems.
Symptoms of long COVID
There are lots of symptoms you can have after a COVID-19 infection.
Common long COVID symptoms include:
• extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• shortness of breath
• chest pain or tightness
• problems with memory and concentration (“brain fog”)
• difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• heart palpitations
• dizziness
• pins and needles
• joint pain
• depression and anxiety
• tinnitus, earaches
• feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
• a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
It’s down to everyone to take responsibility for their decisions. If you are one of those who think Covid-19 is man made, I will not think twice of not trying to talk you out of that conspiracy theory.
If you are an anti-Vaxxer, again good luck to you.
If you are still researching to make an informed decision, at least you are opened minded about it. That’s a plus and I wish you well.
In a few weeks time all of my children would be bona fide adults. Forcing them to do anything has never being our thing. My wife and I don’t force, we reason together as a family. They have made up their minds on the way forward and they know they have to live with the reality of Covid-19.
I wish you a healthy livelihood.
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And a bit of Crypto…
I watched a documentary about ‘The Nineties’. It was the episode about ‘The Information Age’ where the 90s saw the mainstream adoption of the internet leading to browser wars, the rise of the dot-com giants and fears over thee millennium bug.
What was fascinating to watch was being reminded of the challenges an idea such as the Internet founded in the 90s was as hard to fathom as Cryptocurrency is today, thirty years later.
The Internet was incomprehensible then as Cryptocurrency is today. It was such a new, original and never been seen before idea. Many kicked against it as they do Crypto. Initially many lost out because of their closed minded attitude towards having an email account to start with. How ludicrous this sounds now.
The attitude of the government was particularly embracing, like it is today with the Crypto space. Even the media poked fun at the advent of the internet. But we all know what happens to an idea that has been birth to revolutionise the world.
I am writing to give you a tip. Open your mind to the crypto space. You don’t have to know every aspect of this world. You can’t. I don’t. But I have chosen to be a participant. I regard myself as one of the luckiest people alive to witness the technology revolution.
Just to put it into context, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1993, which makes it 28 years old. Google is 23 years old. Facebook is 17. Youtube is 16. Twitter is 15, and Instagram is 11 years old.
In less than 30 years, look at how the world has changed and still changing with the introduction of crazy ideas built around the WWW. This is what BLOCKCHAIN, Crypto TOKENS, Crypto COINS, De-Fi, DEX, NFT, P2P, etc.
How old is Bitcoin? 12 years old. Give it a chance because it’s going nowhere.
Thank you for reading.😊
Have you subscribed to my blog yet? I look forward to having you on board.
Is it a deliberate thing to say or could it just be abject ignorance?
Celebrities make inference. Foreign journalists whom you would have thought should know better blatantly write it by default. Tv and radio news writers are worse. They just don’t bother to do any research. I call it lazy journalism. It is said so often that non Africans believe it and Africans no longer give a damn to complain. But enough is enough. I give a damn.
For crying out loud, AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY. I cannot over emphasise this irritation…
Here is an example of one of my ‘Africa is a country’ irritation; I seat to listen to the news. It’s about some people in Namibia, a country in Southern part of Africa. Then you listen on and no mention was made of Namibia, the country nor Namibians, the people. All you hear is Africa, this, Africans that.
Then you move on to reading about the unbelievable Kenyan Athletes in the western press. You wondered when the Kenyans would be recognised for their prowess. Not at all. The journalist constantly refers to the athletes as Africans.
How about the mother of all my irritations. I watch football and I hear commentators and punters announce Keïta, the Liverpool player just returned from Africa. WHERE IN AFRICA? Where? You will never hear anyone say Ronaldo just returned from Europe. Think about it! Does it really make sense? I can hear you ask where in Europe is Ronaldo just coming back from. That is precisely my point.
Have any of these people googled ‘how many countries there are in Africa?’
The answer will be 54!
Yet, Europe has 44 countries and I have never read or heard of an English, Portuguese, German or Spanish athlete or footballer plainly described as European.
It’s not that difficult for the News researchers of the TV channel or radio station to get the name of the African country that is being reported. It upsets me when Africa, instead of the country is the reference.
Here is me drumming home my point…there are 54 African countries with an estimated population of 1.216 billion people speaking over 2,000 languages. That is huge. I hope you see why it irritates me if anyone thinks of Africa, the second most populated continent after Asia as a mere country.
For your information, here are the 6 remaining continents;
Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, South America, and Antarctica.
Just thought I ought to bring this to your attention.
Thank you for popping by. Hope to see you tomorrow, by His Grace.
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Here’s Crypto news, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Central bank of Ukraine to promote ‘fair’ Bitcoin regulation.
The central bank of Ukraine has moved to support the development of the cryptocurrency industry after the Ukrainian parliament adopted a major crypto law in early September.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) issued an official statement on the basic principles of monetary policies for the upcoming year in which it paid particular attention to the regulation of cryptocurrencies on Sept. 13.
The central bank emphasized that the NBU recognizes the importance of technological innovations associated with virtual assets and sees “many promising opportunities,” like improving access to financial services and increasing competition in the payments market.
According to the NBU, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) have not had a significant impact on the Ukrainian monetary policy and financial stability due to its current “relatively limited” adoption level and high price volatility.
However, as the bank is confident that further adoption growth would eventually make cryptocurrencies less volatile, the NBU will be taking certain measures to ensure financial stability. As such, the NBU will “pay proper attention” to monitor the risks of the rapid adoption of crypto, particularly focusing on private stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency pegged to an underlying asset like a fiat currency or a precious metal.
According to the bank, cryptocurrencies ultimately pose a potential risk of replacing the national currency and the “emergence of parallel money circulation” outside the control of the NBU.
When I came across this story I nodded my head with a smile to express my delight and confirmation that all hope is not lost in humanity.
There is so much greed out there, it is unbelievable. There is nothing wrong being wealthy, however, if wealth is acquired by any means possible, it brings with it dire consequences.
Thanks to ‘Happy Money’ by Ken Honda, the book I am currently reading, I have joyfully discovered there is ‘Happy Money’ and ‘Sad Money’.
There is no doubt that Dan Price produced and is still producing Happy money for himself and his employees. Read on….
Research shows that there are 56 million millionaires in the world…I bet there are more, much more, not considering the quiet ones whose frugality will dazzle you. I know the wealth of these millionaires can radically reduce poverty in the world. However, there are few Dan Prices in this world.
Six years after his extraordinary generosity, he said his company has tripled in size and he is still paying his employees at least £51,300 yearly. Shame on the disgruntled naysayers who thought it was too crazy an idea.
So, why did he increase his staff’s salaries?
It came about after a member of his staffs told him her £31k salary was not enough to pay her bills in the expensive city of Seattle, U.S and as a result she had to secretly take up a second job working at McDonald’s.
How did her boss, Dan Price react?
He didn’t fire her, instead he slashed his own salary by a whopping £730,000. Yes!! £730k!
Why? In order for him to afford to pay new salaries to his staff. He also sold a second home and spent some of his savings as well to fund this ‘crazy’ idea.
Did he need to do that?
Of course not. The boss also lowered his salary to about £51,300 bringing his earnings on par with his lowest paid employee.
Who is laughing last now, huh! To all those who thought his bold decision will make him bankrupt, well Dan is smiling all the way to the bank. His incredible long serving loyal employees honoured him with a car, a new Tesla to show their appreciation for his sacrifice.
Here is what the Gravity Payments boss had to say about the gift from his employees;
“My employees have done way more for me than I could ever do for them. So the fact that they wanted to get me such an unreal, amazing gift, it’s pretty special. I don’t know if I can put it into words.”
I hope this story inspires you to think more of what you can give than what you can get. The hand that gives is always on top.
On behalf of humanity, I celebrate you Dan Price.
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Crypto news will return tomorrow. I had to dedicate today’s post to Dan, a man I truly appreciate.
We may be asleep, but our mind isn’t, especially a part that stores everything that passes through us – our thoughts, what we hear, what we listen to and what we say even.
Have you ever noticed that the first thing you remember when you wake up is something that may have been heavy laden on your mind or a film that you may have been watching before you drifted off to sleep.
As much as I consider myself a media man, I am very careful of what I read, or the videos I click to view. News channels are 99% negative. Most of what is relayed to us is bad news. Hardly uplifting, which probably gives credence to the conspiracy theory that there is an agenda to hold viewers minds captive.
I am aware we have two minds, the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Our conscious mind is our creative mind that is responsible for critical thinking decision making, while our subconscious mind is where our beliefs, emotions, and memory are stored. This mind is more influential than the conscious mind. It holds the programs that hold domination over our habits, actions, and life experiences.
The good news, and also the scary thing is that our subconscious mind is programmable and will respond to the suggestions you give it. And we all know how powerful TV is at emitting suggestions.
Let me tell you a story which sheds more light on the role of the subconscious mind;
“There is story about the guardian angel that always follows you. When you say to yourself “my life is awful”, it writes down awful life. When you say “my job is boring”, it writes down boring job. And when you say “my body is ugly”, it write down ugly body. And then it goes on and grants you all those wishes, because they are filled with strong emotions (sadness, disappointment, regret, self-loathing). That angel is your subconscious mind.”
Did you know that your subconscious mind works throughout the day when you are both awake and asleep but takes over entirely when you sleep. Free from the interference of daily life and external stimuli, at night your subconscious mind has nearly all the resources of your brain at its disposal.
“Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious” says Thomas Edison.
Should we therefore leave the TV on overnight for it to make requests on our behalf?
Personally, I wouldn’!
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A bit of Crypto news….courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
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Coinbase signs new $1.36M contract with US Customs enforcement agency.
Leading U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has secured a contract to develop tech for the Department of Homeland Security that is worth as much as $1.36 million.
Under the agreement, Coinbase has been contracted to deliver “application development software as a service” for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The contract took effect on Thursday and will see Coinbase receive $455,000 from the department. However, the contract could be extended to last for up to three years in total, which would see Coinbase receive up to roughly $1.36 million.
The deal is the second partnership inked between Coinbase and ICE, with the exchange having secured a $30,000 contract to provide “computer forensics services” to the agency in August.
I came across these images and they made an impression on me. I thought I share them with you. Really, they are self informative. They don’t need my commentaries.
Thank you moonbergfx for posting. I follow moonbergfx on Instagram.
Let me know which of the lessons hit home with you.
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….and Cryptocurrency news, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
100 years ago, Henry Ford proposed ‘energy currency’ to replace gold.
Bitcoin appears to meet the definition of an energy-backed currency proposed by the famed American inventor during the interbellum period.
In 1921, American industrialist Henry Ford proposed the creation of an “energy currency” that could form the basis of a new monetary system — offering striking similarities to the peer-to-peer electronic cash system outlined in Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 Bitcoin (BTC) whitepaper.
Front page of the New York Tribune dated Sunday, December 4, 1921. Source: Library of Congress
Bitcoin as an energy currency.
On Dec. 4, 1921, the New York Tribune published an article outlining Ford’s vision of replacing gold with an energy currency that he believed could break the banking elites’ grip on global wealth and put an end to wars. He intended to do this by building “the world’s greatest power plant” and creating a new currency system based on “units of power.”
Ford, who founded Ford Motor Company in 1903, told the publication:
“Under the energy currency system the standard would be a certain amount of energy exerted for one hour that would be equal to one dollar. It’s simply a case of thinking and calculating in terms different from those laid down to us by the international banking group to which we have grown so accustomed that we think there is no other desirable standard.”
The specifics around currency values “will be worked out when Congress cares to hear about it,” he said.
Although Ford was never able to advance his vision of a fully-backed currency, Bitcoin has seemingly vindicated the idea a century later. Since 2009, more than 18.8 million BTC have been created through energy-intensive mining that requires computers to solve increasingly complex math problems. This proof-of-work mining process has drawn heavy criticism over its alleged environmental impact — a short-sighted claim that ignores Bitcoin’s abilily to accelerate the shift to renewable energy.
In the thick of the suffering, it will not make sense. How can it? You are hurting. Why this so much suffering, you ask your beaten self. What have I done to deserve this, you query in anguish.
No one really can understand or feel the pain inflicted like you do. Pain is individualistic, regardless of how vastly traveled. We all have gone through various sorts of pains.
Personally I have gone through countless numbers of pains. Too many to bore you with. And guess what, you really never forget those pains. It seems they become embedded in the subconscious mind by default.
I remember when my dad died. That was so so painful for me. It was like, ‘what?’. ‘Soccer’ (his nickname) Emmanuel Abiodun Salu? Died? At that point I just couldn’t comprehend it. That was 17 years ago.
Life didn’t wait, neither did it stop. It continued like nothing happened. But that traumatised situation prepared me, 16 years later for the loss of my dear mum, Modupe Esther Salu. Another monumental loss. However, for some reasons the pain was not as deep as the first loss. I cannot explain it. I now believe my dad’s demise prepared me for my Mum’s sudden departure.
Notwithstanding, nothing can prepare one for the loss of the youngest sibling. Kemi Salu, my darling sister suddenly died 7 months after the demise of my Mum. I can tell you it still hasn’t made any sense to me 12 months on, but I know it will, eventually.
There is an orderliness to the seemingly disorderliness of the world. Everything has a pattern mostly invisible to man. We are incredibly resilient by nature. We have been created with the wherewithal to naturally withstand pressure, and like the lumps of carbon, one goes through and ends up being polished into a diamond while the other lump feels sorry for itself, complaining and ends up as coal, used and discarded as ashes.
Having the right perspective to every single situation is a major tool that can not be over emphasised, and under utilised.
To a great extent, if you are experiencing any form of suffering right now, embrace it. Tweak your perspective to how you view challenges. In the end, you will go through and only then will it begin to make sense to you.
I wish you well. Don’t give up. Don’t even consider it.
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Thank you for reading. Appreciate you loads. God bless. 🙏🏾
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Let’s talk Crypto, courtesy CoinTelegraph.
Bitcoin-based security token offering approved in Germany.
Germany joins countries such as France, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal by greenlighting the Bitcoin-based EXOeu token.
German financial regulators have approved a security token offering (STO) based on a Bitcoin (BTC) sidechain.
Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has greenlighted the EXOeu token by game publisher Exordium, making local retail investors eligible to participate in the sale on Stokr, a major European digital marketplace.
“Bitcoin is shaping payments, and it’s about time it shaped capital markets — this can be done via layer two technologies,” Stokr co-founder Arnab Naskar said, adding that Ethereum is “losing its charm” as an STO platform due to high gas fees and the uncertainty around Ethereum 2.0.
……a diamond is just a piece of coal that handled stress properly. 😊
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There is this story I came across, that brought to life what the right perspective can produce.
The story below, ‘the lump who turned into a diamond’ has been culled from babarahmad.com.
I hope you find it inspiring as I did.
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‘Both lumps occupied lived so deep underground that no one knew about them. Both of them endured years of pressure and heat. One of the lumps lost hope and allowed his conditions to define who he was. In doing so, he was transformed into a coal who was dug out of the ground by a machine. His life ended when he was burned to ashes in someone’s fireplace.’
‘But the other lump rose above his conditions. He survived and thrived. As the years went by he grew in brilliance and radiance. He slowly transformed into a diamond. One day he was spotted by those with an eye for beauty. They took him and refined him and polished him. Today he lives on and brings light and joy to the world. And yet no one knows that the diamond was once just a lump of carbon that no one knew about.’
End.
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Crypto News courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
PayPal completes crypto trading rollout for UK customers.
PayPal’s Bitcoin trading services are now fully available in the United Kingdom after the global payment giant began rolling out services last month.
PayPal officially announced on Friday that all eligible customers in the United Kingdom can now buy, hold and sell cryptocurrencies using their PayPal accounts.
Customers can trade four major cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). As announced previously, crypto trading will only be available to PayPal customers with verified identities.
PayPal announced plans to move into the British cryptocurrency market in late August, immediately proceeding with a partial rollout of crypto trading services. The move marks the first expansion of PayPal’s cryptocurrency services beyond the United States.
PayPal’s British crypto launch is a “breath of fresh air,” according to Gregory Klumov, CEO of tokenization firm Stasis. “Since the country is in the world’s top 10 economies, such a milestone will clearly drive the continued adoption of digital assets in Europe and beyond,” he said.
Best selling author Ken Honda in response to Tom Bilyeu on his podcast ‘Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu’ made the bold statement “forget about money”. It was an advice given to him by his Zen mentor.
So, what exactly did he have in mind? What did Ken’s mentor mean? I wanted to find out more, and I did.
Ken explained. He said the first thing his mentor pointed out was his FOCUS. He pointed out to Ken that if he wanted money, he has to focus on people service he is prepared to give, only then will money come. Ken was advised that he should not focus on money because money is the END RESULT of what he gets after SERVING the world. Don’t focus on what you get. Instead, focus on what you give, he said.
“Our life is in the middle of giving and receiving, so unless we give well, we cannot receive.”
We are in the circle of appreciation, or resentment, either cycle you are in, your life exists. If you start appreciating your life about everything, including money, your life will be filled with money and appreciation. And on the other hand, if your life is filled with resentment, anger and fear, around life and money, your life will be surrounded by anger, fear and anxiety.
I found Ken’s detailed explanation a reminder of what I had heard several times over. An attitude to give in order to receive. It doesn’t come naturally to many, hence the need for cultivation and practice.
WEALTH is an emotion. It doesn’t really matter how much you have or make.
Ken who has interviewed countless number of millionaires and billionaires said some of them are very unhappy and upset with everything around them. That is not to say that many other super wealthy are not happy. The same can be said with people that are struggling with life. Some are happy, while others aren’t. He came to the premise that ‘Wealth is an attitude’. If you feel you are happy and content with what you have, you are already wealthy. But if you have to struggle everyday and cannot find happiness either in business or personal life, Ken thinks those people are not wealthy, even if they have millions or billions in their bank accounts.
The wisdom behind Ken Honda’s mentor is for everyone in pursuit of money to be more mindful of their attitude. Money isn’t a bad thing he said.
Tom Bilyeu chipped in when he said money is powerful. He narrated how he totally ignored all the talk about ‘money cannot buy you happiness’ and went ahead in pursuit of money. He got the money only to find out for himself that money indeed can’t buy happiness.
How can one adopt the right attitude in pursuit of money? Here is what Ken said;
“I think most of us, and the biggest problem I see today is that we are so afraid of money. So, as much as we want money, we are so scared of it. (That’s interesting.)
Why are people scared of money, Tom asked?
“Because of our money trauma we have had since childhood. Unless your parents are perfect, we all have been scolded about money. Statements like ‘we spend too much or we waste money’ haven’t helped. Also, many have been denied denied karate, ballet, piano or soccer lessons because it’s expensive. Some of my friends were told they were not worth it. That was a big blow. That is why as much as we want money, because we feel money can buy happiness or freedom, at the same time money has abused us in many ways. As much as we want to get close to it and as soon as we do, we get burnt. So, for a lot of people, money is a mystery person” says Ken.
So, how do you begin to change your attitude or relationship with money, Tom probed further.
Ken responded by stating “you have to start watching your language around money. Many say things like I was ripped off. They say so many negative things about money. My mentor says you have to use positive words around money, otherwise money will not like you.”
“If money were a person, who would it be?” Will it be a gentle person or an angry person? So, you have to pay attention to how you relate to money. If you just think money is a thing and you don’t care, you end up being in debt. You have to be very careful and respectful of money,” Ken stressed.
He continued; “unless you show respect for money coming in and money going out, you cannot feel peaceful around money especially during this period of uncertain economic times. You have to pay close attention to your emotions, and most of us are so controlled by our anxiety and fear around money. This is why we do things to survive. We feel that if we don’t have money, we cannot survive.”
If you want to listen to the podcast in full, search for episode #176 – ‘The Zen Millionaire’s secret to creating Abundance| Ken Honda.’ You will thank me for it.
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Let’s talk crypto, courtesy Cointelegraph.
Cinema Operator has expanded its plans to accept crypto payments for movie tickets.
AMC Entertainment will not only accept Bitcoin (BTC) payments for movie tickets by the end of 2022 but will also include other popular digital currencies in its crypto acceptance policy.
Tweeting on Thursday, the company’s CEO, Adam Aron, announced plans for AMC to accept three other cryptocurrencies — Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
At the time, Aron said that moviegoers were eager to use crypto as payment means for tickets and concessions at AMC locations across the United States.
Hope you enjoyed today’s post. See you tomorrow, by God’s Grace. 😊
That was the question Brené asked her guest Scott Sonenshein on her podcast ‘Unlocking Us with Brené Brown’ in the episode ‘on stretching and chasing’.
You see, my wife is a huge fan with a capital ‘H’ of Brené. To be quite honest with you, it would appear there is no episode podcast she hasn’t listened to.
So she sent me this text message “👆🏾this is one you really need to listen to🤗”
And that was how I got straight onto the podcast, and true to form, it was one of those moments when the mind sets positively.
By the way, Brené Brown is an American professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host. She is good, I can tell you that.
So, tell me, what is that one thing that you are deeply grateful for right now?
When Brené ask Scott the question, his response was representative of the mood of the world. Without a moment of hesitation, he replied “My Health….and my family’s health.” To which Brené responded “Amen!”
Then she went on to say that “even when people get in touch with her by email and ask Dear Brené, I hope you are well, it just has a different meaning.”
And that got me thinking. How we say things by default, like we say it to fill the space or time. How much of the pleasantry do we really mean? How are you really means How are you? Right!
This season has shown us why we can’t afford to be flippant with our pleasantries. ‘How are you?’ should be intentional. When you say ‘God bless you’, it should be a cliché.
With the global Covid pandemic, the world has changed. We have to learn to live with this virus, like we have learnt to live with Malaria, Measles and the Flu.
We must be conscious of the fact that there is nothing special about some of us who wasn’t infected with Covid. We must also remember those that have and survives it, and those who have and unfortunately passed on. I doubt if there is anyone living that hasn’t heard of someone they directly or indirectly know of that died of Covid. We all have.
That makes me grateful that I am in good health, and I am eternally grateful for my family’s health.
I am also grateful to everyone for taking the time to read my blog.
Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t. God bless you…and I mean it. 😊
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Let’s talk Crypto, shall we….courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
EU set to invest $177B in blockchain and other novel technologies.
EU officials have set their sights on significant direct funding for emerging technologies including blockchain.
The European Union is reportedly looking to bolster technological development in the region with a planned $177 billion investment war chest.
According to Bloomberg, EU officials plan to fund direct investments in areas like blockchain, data infrastructure, 5G, and quantum computing, among others.
Indeed, blockchain has been identified as one of the more important emerging technologies that could shape Europe’s future. Because of this, EU officials are pushing for region-wide legal standards to prevent regulatory fragmentation.
However, a recent survey has indicated that a majority of Europeans prefer national regulations for crypto and blockchain rather than a European regulatory standard for the emerging industry.
Meanwhile, the EU and the United States may soon begin to collaborate in the area of drafting standards for crypto and blockchain regulation.
I felt an incredible sense of been loved this morning. You know how it is, well, for me, the first thing I do when I wake up is to thank the creator of the earth, the provider of breathe for waking me up. Many still wrongly assume they are in control. I’ve got news for you! You aren’t!
The moment you are asleep, you have lost control. Within those few hours of hibernation, anything can happen. Haven’t you heard of tales of people who departed mother earth from sleep? Haven’t you read of many people who died peacefully in their sleep? So, who gave us the impression that we are in control?
I am mindful of making “see you tomorrow” declarations, like it is a must, or certainty that it will happen! It all happens by the Grace of the creator. That’s what I believe.
Anyway, I woke up, called on the creator, in my case, Lord Jesus, and thanked him for the new day. And then an incredibly sense of love descended upon me. I smiled. I thanked him more. And I smiled more. It was a good feeling to feel loved.
That feeling led me to ask ‘What is love?’
Love is joy.
Love is not anger.
Love is Hope that is full.
Love is not despair.
Love is peace.
Love is not anxiety.
Love is forgiveness.
Love is not holding a grudge.
Love is letting go.
Love is not having the last word.
Love is caring.
Love is not selfish.
Love is depriving yourself.
Love is not selfish.
Love is encouraging.
Love is not ‘I told you so’.
Love is smiling.
Love is not frowning.
Love is to inspire.
Love is not to demoralise.
Love is to motivate.
Love is not to demotivate.
Love is loving.
Love is not hating.
This is what Love means to me. What does love mean to you?
Hope to see you tomorrow, by the Grace of the Creator. 😊
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Unfortunately I don’t have any Crypto titbits to bring to you today. My aim is to provide you with stories that will increase your awareness of the crypto sector. I promise not to bore you with stories of individual coins. That’s not my goal. Hopefully, I will have a story worthy to report tomorrow.
I thank you for stopping by. Take care, and God bless you. 😊
$1K Invested in Solana In January 2021 Worth $138K Today.
Investors fortunate enough to purchase $1,000 of certain cryptocurrencies would have expanded their portfolio by a margin of 100x in months.
Playing “what if” is a dangerous
game, especially when it comes down to investing. Sometimes, however, it could be rather intriguing to review what could have happened if investors made a particular investment. The highly volatile cryptocurrency market could produce some impressive scenarios. For example, putting $1,000 in Solana on January 1st, 2021, would have resulted in nearly $140,000 today.
The Cryptocurrency Landscape Change in a Year.
It’s safe to say that the past year or so has been wildly bullish for the cryptocurrency industry. A brief look at the landscape in September last year shows that the entire market capitalization was roughly $300 billion. Today, it’s in excess of $2 trillion even after the recent market crash that wiped out billions – in fact, it evaporated in just a few hours more than what the capitalization was one year ago.
Ethereum entered this year at just over $700. Being the home of many DeFi and NFT projects, as well as numerous stablecoins, increased the appetite for its native cryptocurrency. Let’s not forget the upcoming transition to ETH 2.0. As a result, ether’s price skyrocketed to above $4,400 for a new ATH just five months after the start of the year.
Despite retracing by over a grand since then, a $1,000 investment in ETH on January 1st this year would have resulted in an ROI of more than 4x. An identical allocation in other projects like Binance Coin would have returned roughly $11,000, in Cardano – $14,000, in Luna – just under $50,000, and in MATIC – $80,000, the graph shows.
Emotions are powerful. So powerful that it emits energy. One can be silent and be as emotional as an expressive person. I know I am going on about energy, but it does have a force that makes things happen, good or bad.
Adrenaline is a form of energy emotion produced either by stress or excitement.
Energy is invisible, but it can’t be ignored because you see toys impact. Energy can be contagious and transferable.
Emotions attract. As invisible as energy is, it proves my point that, that which is unseen is more lethal than that which is seen.
By default, man places more focus on what the eyes can see, neglecting, or giving no regards to what cannot be seen. That is a big mistake.
For instance, every thing created is seen first by the eyes of the mind, so to say. This is why imagination, a film produced within, is more powerful than you can ever imagine.
The point I am trying so hard to make is this – that the battle, the challenge is won within. That emotions can be influenced from within by what you choose to focus on. That the power of your imagination should never be under estimated. That you can shift from one emotion to another based on the longevity and accuracy of your focus, which occurs within.
I say it again, emotions emit energy and it is this energy that powers how we feel, how we react, what we do or not do. Once we retrace the thought that engineered the negative emotion, we can shift it by de energising it with the laser focus of our imagination.
I hope this helps….😊
Let’s talk some Crypto, courtesy of Finbold.com.
UK Post Office to offer customers option to buy Bitcoin.
The UK Post Office is now offering clients the option to buy Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies after collaborating with Swarm Markets, a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange.
Apparently, with this new effort, the UK Post Office is not anticipated to collect commissions from the voucher sales, according to a recent report by The Telegraph. It would, however, get a payment for the ID verification software that is in place for these BTC sales.
Customers using The Post Office’s EasyID app will be able to purchase cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin starting next week with the smartphone app used to make purchases on Swarm Markets. Additionally, the app is said to help users safely authenticate their age and identity to access online services.
Local analyst considers crypto risky.
According to local analysts, despite the fact that the company has decided to provide Bitcoin to its consumers, the move might be extremely risky for investors. Chartered financial planner Warren Shute commented on this situation:
“When people buy cryptocurrencies, they should be sold with a very clear wealth warning: that you could get back a lot less than you purchased. It’s one thing buying crypto online via an investment platform as that’s what the audience expects, but you don’t associate this with the UK post office.”
In contrast, Philipp Pieper, co-founder of Swarm Markets, stated the lack of a secure and regulated platform had prevented people from accessing DeFi, adding:
¨By making it easy and safe to buy real Bitcoin and Ethereum, more people now have the option to get started in crypto and enjoy the benefits of DeFi – and not just those who understand crypto jargon.”
Cryptocurrencies acceptance growing
Crypto adoption throughout the world has been growing; recently, the digital asset became legal tender in El Salvador, while Ukraine is on course to legalize cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin after the country’s parliament passed the second reading of the Virtual Assets Bill on Wednesday 8, September 2021.
Not only that, but also this isn’t the first time a Post Office has offered Bitcoin to clients who want access to the world’s largest virtual currency. In 2019, the Post Office in Liechtenstein began selling Bitcoin vouchers over the counter. Liechtensteinsche Post AG was one of the pioneers as this made it possible for anyone in the nation to access BTC without having to rely on internet exchanges for it.
In the end, there are mixed feelings about the news, with some fearing that it will tarnish the Post Office’s image, while others are excited by the idea of acquiring crypto vouchers that can be redeemed for Bitcoin or Ethereum with a few taps on their phones.
Thank you for stopping by. Hope you drop by again.
Conflict has been described as having a serious disagreement and argument about something important. I can tell you for free that conflict can take place over anything. It doesn’t have to be deemed important. What is important to me may be frivolous to you. How about that! So conflict doesn’t need an excuse to show up.
We are all susceptible to the conflict ‘family’. Is that a question? Well, it’s more of a statement.
I honestly believe CONFLICT frequents some peculiar type of people, more so than others. Don’t get me wrong, conflict is conflict, but while some people thrive on it, others abhor it.
I am also of the opinion that some personalities embrace it to show off a certain character trait. And for those that avoid it, it shouldn’t count against them.
So what happens if you found yourself in an unusual situation that leads to a conflict? How would you handle it?
Personally, I have been described by those closest to me as having a ‘long rope’ type of character. What does that mean? It means my patience with situations, let’s say, is longer than most. However, the opposite of that personality produces a conflict at things that many would consider frivolous or the least likely to provoke conflict.
Would I say that description of me is correct? Well, let’s say, yes, I offer people long rope by default. Many have mistakenly interpreted this to be a sort of weakness. Not that it bothers me one bit. I know me.
For instance, I don’t easily get offended when am’ expected to, which also means, I get irritable when am not expected to.
How do I deal with it? I don’t let it fester. I do what works best for me. I engage in an internal dialogue. It creates that much needed few seconds to think the situation through.
The dialogue can last for as long as a few minutes, but not more than a day at best. After which I find a way to have the conflict resolved. This internal dialogue exercise has never failed me. This is how I resolve conflict.
Conflicts do reveal the true character of people. The real personality of anyone is revealed when faced with conflicts. Some become moody, some get very angry and takes an eternity for the dust to settle, others forgive and move on while others don’t and hold a grudge. Others don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with conflict and flee instead.
However you may decide the best way is to deal with that conflict, one thing I am certain of is that grudges don’t empower, they don’t. It hurts and it never goes away. My tip, it’s always better to get it off your chest. It just makes you feel lighter.
Take good care of yourself and God bless you. And thanks for stopping by.
And a bit of Crypto courtesy of
The largest cryptocurrency exchange in Spain is ready to take its platform global.
A cryptocurrency exchange focused on frictionless transactions is positioning itself as the bridge between fiat and digital currencies across the globe.
The concept of decentralized digital money has raised significant curiosity among investors and individuals alike, as alternatives to conventional currencies have proposed benefits such as the ability to provide a safe haven against uncertainty in traditional markets.
Unfortunately, before cryptocurrencies gain widespread adoption, investors need a method for simple transactions, one that can support the sudden rise of new cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Additionally, enterprise adoption has also been an obstacle for cryptocurrencies due to the current lack of infrastructure.
To address these concerns, Bit2Me created a platform with the ultimate goal, “to become a frictionless gateway into the cryptocurrency world.” As a result, the Wallet has become one of its key products, allowing users to receive, store and send euros, and buy, sell, exchange, receive and send over 20 cryptocurrencies. When linked with a VISA debit card, users can use cryptocurrencies in the same way that fiat money is used with cards by traditional banks.
To further accelerate cryptocurrency adoption, one of the platform’s first initiatives was the launch of Bit2Me Academy, which is currently the largest cryptocurrency training portal in Spanish. At the moment, the content includes over 400 free articles, various certified courses and videos for those interested in learning more about the operation and growth of cryptocurrencies and the rest of the blockchain world.
Thank you for stopping over to check out my blog. Really appreciate your time.
How do you face criticism? How do you come back from hearing or reading comments from total strangers on a feat you never quite lived up to? How do you react to that someone who will always have something to say?
I bet you have had such an encounter! I have. At that moment, the worst thing one can do is to either engage the unknown, self appointed, critic or go further to read, digest and believe. That would be a terrible thing to do.
Just like Emma Raducanu, the 18-year-old British. tennis sensation who was catapulted into the spotlight by her displays at Wimbledon where she unexpectedly qualified to the round of 16 as a wild card ranked 338th in the world. She thrilled the world but had to retire with breathing difficulties.
Guess what? There would always be someone who has something to say. And one person in particular whom I would not give the pleasure to feature in my blog had plenty negative comments to say to the 18 year old who could have passed as her daughter.
Any way, moving on!
As the negatives appeared, so did the positives. Emma has come out to publicly acknowledge one of the many positive comments that was of comfort to her at the time.
Speaking to British Vogue, Emma said Marcus Rashford’s tweet was “very comforting in that moment.” She went on to say that “I was feeling like I let people down, so for him to reassure me like that – I was extremely grateful.”
Rashford, the Manchester United star player tweeted;
“It happened to me playing for the national team in U16s against Wales. I remember it to this day. No explanation for it and it never happened again. You should be very proud of yourself. The country is proud of you. Glad to read your feeling better.”
Emma is currently having a very good tournament at the US Open where she has qualifies for the quarter-final. I wish her well. She is indeed an inspiration to all.
There will always be critics. They will always talk. Yours is to do, and keeping on doing.
Always remember that critics are like pigeons, they fly onto statues to poo. What do you expect.
Let’s talk some Crypto….courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Institutional investors dominated the DeFi scene in Q2: Chainalysis report.
The decentralized finance (DeFi) market appears to no longer be the domain of retail actors alone as the institutional investment footprint in the crypto market segment continues to attain more significant levels.
According to blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis, institutional investors played a major role in De adoption in Q2 2021.
In its soon-to-be-released “Global DeFi Adoption Index” report, Chainalysis stated:
“Large institutional transactions, meaning those above $10 million in USD, accounted for over 60% of DeFi transactions in Q2 2021, compared to under 50% for all cryptocurrency transactions.”
Indeed, DeFi has become a major draw for big-money players in recent times, with banks and financial institutions beginning to commit funds to the crypto market segment.
The trend likely signifies a diversification of interest from offering Bitcoin-related investment products with large-cap investors looking to tap into the expanding DeFi scene.
Thank you for stopping by. Take care and God bless.
My wife and I got into a discussion that led us to revisit some of the things we could have done better with the benefit of hindsight when we started off on the matrimony journey.
I can tell you that experience is definitely a good teacher. Having said that, there were some basic things that we just didn’t have a clue about when we were started off as a newly wedded couple, no thanks to our culture.
For instance, in Africa, it was a taboo in those days to talk about, let alone decide the number of children to have, and when you want to have them. Culture dictates, and expects a newly married couple to start breeding from day one. Bride and groom were never taught to plan on when to have children, and how many. Africans generally believe God decides when a couple should have children, and the numbers.
Asides planning for a big native wedding, church wedding, and reception that will feed the ‘5,000’ guests, yes, comprising of mostly strangers, little effort is put into life after the wedding. You are left to your own devices. That was Africa. I have been told that it’s changing – thank God for that.
I have read of new couples getting married with an austere list to feed. These couples openly talk about their dream jobs and a master plan to accomplish this goal. They discuss the number of children they would like to have, where they would reside based on schools and social amenities, etc. They even go as far as talking money. Having joint accounts. That was like a taboo in Africa. “How can my wife know how much I am earning?” many men would quip.
I am glad all that nonsense is being discarded. The young cannot afford to make the mistakes of their parents.
What do you think?🤷🏾♂️
Let’s talk Crypto, courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Cryptocurrency can actually make a difference by helping people.
The simplicity of crypto could be a game-changer for charities. One influencer is capitalizing on this to save a sanctuary for at-risk youth.
Between Bitcoin (BTC) breaking the $50,000 hurdle and the upswell in the altcoin markets, crypto has never been more appealing to speculators. But, stacking profits through trading is worthless unless that money is spent. Luckily, charitable organizations are waking up to the possibility of crypto donations as the world embraces crypto. For blockchain entrepreneur Wendy O, when a local gym was in jeopardy, she knew to tap into crypto Twitter for help. Using social media, her YouTube channel and Tik-Tok, the influencer sent out the call to save a business dear to her heart.
The Self Care Lab is a boxing gym located in Pomona, CA which caters to underprivileged and at-risk youth. Owner Nita Watson recently discovered that the ownership of the gym’s building had changed hands and she had a mere 30 days to vacate and find a new home for a community she had spent years building up.
Thankfully, Wendy O is a long-time client of the gym and a strong proponent of using physical fitness to uplift the youth. Wendy tapped into her network of blockchain enthusiasts, traders, entrepreneurs, and self-declared “degens” to raise the funds to not only move locations but upgrade various, worn-down pieces of equipment.
Most recently, the blockchain sector has been supporting charities focused on assisting humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan. As thousands of refugees seek new homes all over the world, nonprofits are stepping up to take action.
As impactful as these donations are, it may be the convenience of crypto that ultimately drives more users to send funds. Generally speaking, the traditional route to donate online includes filling out a lengthy form, manually inputting credit card info and other steps to complete a donation. In contrast, for crypto investors comfortable making blockchain transactions, sending BTC or Ether (ETH) is second nature.
Grew up on Cat Island in the Bahamas. The family later moved to Nassau. His parents sent him to live with relatives in Miami at age 14. After an encounter with the Ku Klux Klan, he left Miami at age 16 and moved to New York.
Lying about his age, he joined the Army at age 16. He feigned insanity to obtain a discharge after nine months, and later admitted the ruse in his book, “The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography.”
A heavy Bahamian accent and limited reading ability cost him an acting job at Harlem’s American Negro Theater. He overcame the accent by imitating radio announcers and improved his reading skills by studying newspapers.
Has dual citizenship in the United States and the Bahamas.
TIMELINE
1946 – First audition after losing his accent earns him the role of understudy to Harry Belafonte in “Days of Our Youth.”
1950 – Film debut in “No Way Out.”
1959 – First African-American to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for “The Defiant Ones.”
August 28, 1963 – One of many Hollywood celebrities in attendance at the March on Washington.
1964 – Wins Academy Award for Best Actor for “Lilies of the Field.” He is the first African-American to win for Best Actor and only the second to ever win an Academy Award. Hattie McDaniel was the first; she won Best Supporting Actress for “Gone with the Wind.”
1967 – Stars in three of the highest-grossing films of the year, “In the Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “To Sir, with Love.”
August 14, 1967 – Keynote speaker at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta.
1980 – His autobiography, “This Life” is published.
1983 – Nineteen-year-old David Hampton pretends to be Poitier’s son and convinces wealthy New Yorkers to provide him with food, clothing, money and a place to stay. Hampton is charged with grand larceny when his lies are discovered. “Six Degrees of Separation,” a stage play in 1990 and a movie in 1993, is based on the story.
1995 – Receives the Kennedy Center Honors.
1997-2007 – Bahamian ambassador to Japan.
2000 – His second autobiography, “The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography” is published.
February 21, 2001 – Wins the Grammy Awardfor Best Spoken Word Album for “The Measure Of A Man.”
2002 – Receives an honorary Academy Award“in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being.”
2006 – Receives the Marian Anderson Award in recognition of his humanitarian and diplomatic work and the Cunard Britannia Award for Lifetime Contribution to International film from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
2008 – “Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter” is published.
“You talk to the one that you least like.” That is one of my favourite and inspirational quotes by The Arch, Desmond Tutu.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace prize laureate who helped end apartheid in South Africa, has died aged 90.
Tutu was one of the country’s best known figures at home and abroad.
A contemporary of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, he was was one of the driving forces behind the movement to end the policy of racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the white minority government against the black majority in South Africa from 1948 until 1991.
He was awarded the Nobel prize in 1984 for his role in the struggle to abolish the apartheid system.
Tutu’s death comes just weeks after that of South Africa’s last apartheid-era president, FW de Clerk, who died at the age of 85.
President Ramaphosa said Tutu was “an iconic spiritual leader, anti-apartheid activist and global human rights campaigner”.
He described him as “a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.
“A man of extraordinary intellect, integrity and invincibility against the forces of apartheid, he was also tender and vulnerable in his compassion for those who had suffered oppression, injustice and violence under apartheid, and oppressed and downtrodden people around the world.”
The Nelson Mandela Foundation was among those paying tributes, saying Tutu’s “contributions to struggles against injustice, locally and globally, are matched only by the depth of his thinking about the making of liberatory futures for human societies.
“I practice my saxophone three hours a day. I’m not saying I’m particularly special, but if you do something three hours a day for forty years, you get pretty good at it.” – Kenny G
Watching a documentary about Kenny G took me to another level of appreciating the significance of developing a thick skin to critics, combining it with knowing precisely what you want and going for it and…..not forgetting the power of PRACTICE. That is Kenny G personified.
On a number of times, I noticed Kenny G mentioned how good a student he is. He made a lot of emphasis on the importance of practice. That stuck with me.
The incredible artist whom I have had the honour to watch live has been lampooned by Jazz critics for years, yet he persevered with what he knows how to do best – Practice, Practice and more Practice doing what he does best.
Next time you tune into Smooth Jazz station anywhere in the world, remember it was Kenny G’s brand of music that inspired the radio station.
Next time someone laughs at you for doing what you believe in, ignore them and practice, practice and practice more.
The crypto lending and borrowing platform Crypto.com has published a report that details its five main predictions for crypto in 2022. And judging from the report, 2022 may be the year when even the nation-states realize that crypto is here to stay, leading to a friendlier stance from countries around the world towards the industry.
1. A billion crypto users by end of 2022
The first prediction for 2022 Crypto.com’s analysts make in the report is that 2022 will be the year when the global number of crypto users for the first time reaches 1bn people.
As of November 30 this year, there were more than 292m crypto users worldwide, the report said, while adding that the top three countries in terms of their number of crypto users are India with 100m, the United States with 27m and Russia with 17m.
“Nations can no longer afford to ignore the growing push toward crypto by the public,” which forces them to adopt a friendlier stance towards crypto, the report predicted.
It added that developed nations will likely develop clearer crypto regulations during the year, and that some countries with high inflation could follow El Salvador’s example and “adopt cryptocurrency as legal tender.”
2. Crypto to become “a staple” in investment portfolios
Secondly, Crypto.com predicts that crypto will become “a staple in TradFi [traditional finance] investment portfolios” through crypto exposure adapted to the traditional financial market.
“Crypto will become a fixture in the alternative asset class for investment portfolios. The first crypto ETFs [exchange-traded funds] launched this year were met with demand beyond their capacity, suggesting that more crypto instruments in the mainstream finance industry will soon follow,” the report said.
It also noted that major firms from the world of traditional finance, including Morgan Stanley, Citi, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and others, are already seeking partnerships with crypto exchanges, and that more firms are likely to follow in 2022.
3. Play-to-earn will fuel crypto adoption
Crypto-based play-to-earn games, sometimes referred to as GameFi, has grown exponentially in 2021, and will become “one of the main vehicles for mass conversion to the crypto space,” the report predicted.
Traditional game studios will be in a race to introduce play-to-earn features in their games, which will accelerate the boom in this field further in 2022, Crypto.com said.
4. Multi-chain becomes the norm
The researchers said that the multi-chain development that we have already seen with many decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols this year, will continue.
“Cross-chain DeFi protocols will become the norm, paving the way for a multi-chain future of replacing the siloed chains of the past,” the report predicted, adding that interoperability and bridging between blockchains is becoming – and will continue to become – “more seamless.”
5. DAOs to change the way we work
Lastly, in this year’s report, Crypto.com predicted that decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs, will change the way we work in the new year.
“In the era of Web 3.0, we will see the influence & outreach of [DAOs] expanding significantly beyond the crypto space, and becoming a widely accepted governance mechanism,” the report noted.
The researchers added that they predict more countries to develop legal frameworks for DAOs, and eventually recognize them “as legal entities,” opening up the possibility of using DAO structures instead of traditional companies.
Compromise where you can. Where you can’t, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say ‘No, you move’. ~ Christopher Markus (Captain America)
Crypto News courtesy of Independent .co.uk.
FACEBOOK UNBANS BITCOIN ADS IN HUGE BOOST FOR CRYPTO INDUSTRY.
Meta, formerly called Facebook, has reversed its ban on cryptocurrency ads across its platforms.
The move will give bitcoin exchanges, wallets and other crypto companies access to more than 3 billion people around the world who use the firm’s various platforms, which include Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook itself.
Early in the morning, inspiring thoughts usually drop in my mind. When that happens, I get my phone to take notes. Below are a few of those golden thoughts. I hope you are as inspired as I was and still am.
“I speak not to be understood, but to understand.”
“A wise man once said, there is no sense in rehearsing for a tragedy.”
“Nobody likes to be pushed, however everyone is pushed (on purpose or inadvertently) towards achieving their destiny. Some push you on purpose towards greatness, like your inspirational boss, coach, brother or parents, while some insult you, cheat you, mock you….unintentionally pushing you to keep your eyes focused on the goal which will drive you towards your destiny.”
“The Sun comes out regardless…”
“The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.”
“Everyone has a bucket load of genius deposited in them. However, to get it out, you have your mind set in a peculiar way not to ever give up.”
“Some people don’t have the opportunity to wake up. Feel privileged. Live in Grace, not in disgrace. Live in the moment.”
“If my plans worked out the way I wanted them to work out, I wouldn’t be me today.”
“If you have all the things you wished or prayed for, you wouldn’t have had all the experiences in your possession.”
“I am not religious in any form or shape. If by me referring to my spirituality is what you term as religious, then you are mistaken.”
CRYPTO NEWS courtesy of MarketWatch.
‘No longer just bitcoin and ether’: Crypto industry braces for wider adoption, more competition and perhaps regulatory clarity in 2022.
Broader adoption of crypto related technology could drive further growth in 2022, while competition is also increasing among different blockchains and sectors, industry participants said.
The past year has proved that crypto is “not just a fad,” said Devin Ryan, director of financial technology research at investment bank JMP Securities. “This is a market where there’s been significant network effects building. And there’s a very strong vested interest in the ongoing success,” Ryan said.
In November, total crypto market capitalization topped $3 trillion for the first time, before it fell to $2.39 trillion as of Tuesday, according to CoinGecko.
Meanwhile, the companies that are supporting the crypto economy also boast a value of $500 billion or more, according to Ryan. “This is the infrastructure companies and the exchanges and all the other plumbing and picks and shovels of the industry.”
As the crypto industry grows increasingly mature, some analysts expect more funds to flow into cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin and ether.
“In 2022, people will begin to understand the vast scale of what’s possible with crypto and blockchain technology,” said Diogo Monica, president and co-founder of Anchorage Digital, the first federally chartered crypto bank. “It’s no longer just speculative investing in Bitcoin or Ethereum; we’re talking about NFTs (nonfungible tokens), DeFi (decentralized finance), remittances, capital preservation, and many other verticals,” Monica said.
Some analysts are positive that the U.S. regulators will provide more clarity in the coming year. “It’s been very nice to kind of see across the board, a thoughtful and careful approach to regulation, and very good engagement from federal regulators with the industry,” Nathan McCauley, co-founder and CEO at Anchorage Digital told MarketWatch.
Mancias said that a key to James’ longevity is his “never-ending” recovery and that sleep is a crucial component.
James said Mancias is always on his case, asking if James got at least eight to nine hours of sleep.
James also discussed how important sleep is to his mental and emotional health.
“That’s the best way for your body to physically and emotionally be able to recover and get back to 100% as possible,” James said
“Now, will you wake up and feel 100%? There’s some days you don’t. Some days you feel better than others. But the more and more and more time that you get those eight — if you can get nine, that’s amazing. Sometimes I even get 10 hours of sleep,” he added.
“I just think that’s just the best way to recover,” James continued. “I mean, I can do all the training, I can do all the ice bags and the NormaTecs and everything that we do that we have as far as our recovery package while I’m up, but when you get that good sleep, you just wake up and you feel fresh. You don’t need no alarm clock. You just feel like ‘OK, I can tackle this day at the highest level.'”
James, who says he sometimes even gets 10 hours of sleep, says that if he doesn’t get enough rest, then he’ll often take a one to two hour break from his day to sneak in a nap.
(Culled from BusinessInsider)
LeBron is right. You can spend loads of time, money and energy on training and recovery, but if you don’t get adequate sleep, much of it will go to waste. Restorative sleep is what gives your body the opportunity to cash in on all that hard work and turn it into significant, lasting improvement.
“Not meeting your sleep requirement has serious deleterious consequences. It significantly increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, cancer—you name it,” renowned sleep expert Dr. James Maas told STACK.
“Sleep deprivation lowers your immunity and puts your health at risk. Emotionally, sleep deprivation increases your risk of clinical depression and makes you more irritable and anxious. Your motor coordination and reaction time suffer. Cognitively, there’s a huge detriment. Concentration, critical thinking, creative thinking—it all suffers when you don’t meet your sleep requirement. Sleep quality and quantity is also the best prediction of how long we’re going to live. In short, sleep deprivation makes you clumsy, ignorant and shortens your life.”
For athletes, not getting enough sleep is particularly harmful. A 2011 study in the journal SLEEP found Stanford basketball players were able to dramatically improve their on-court performance simply by increasing their total amount of sleep time. After increasing their sleep to 10 hours per night for five to seven weeks, players clocked faster sprint times, increased their free-throw percentage by 9 percent, and boosted their 3-point shooting accuracy by 9.2 percent. Reported fatigue also decreased.
(Culled from Stack)
Crypto news courtesy of CoinTelegraph.
Dubai World Trade Centre to create new crypto hub and become regulator.
Another government-backed project in Dubai aims to set up an attractive environment for the crypto industry.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues to emerge as one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency-friendly jurisdictions as the government of Dubai has a new initiative to support local crypto development and regulation.
The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), a government-owned event and exhibition venue in Dubai, will become a comprehensive zone and regulator of cryptocurrencies, products, operators and exchanges, DWTC officially announced Monday.
As part of the initiative, the DWTC will design a comprehensive ecosystem for this progressive sector within Dubai and collaborate with the private sector to set up an “attractive environment for the sector.” The project also aims to enforce rigorous standards for investor protection, Anti-Money Laundering measures and combating the financing of terrorism, the DWTC stated.
“The World Trade Center will deliver and oversee a new world-class regulatory framework of Virtual Asset legislative and enforcement policies,” the statement reads.
Cointelegraph reached out to the DWTC and will update the story pending new information.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao was among the first people in the crypto community to celebrate the new announcement from the DWTC. Zhao has apparently been growing interested in the crypto ecosystem in the UAE as he reportedly bought his first home in Dubai in October.
“Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress,” Richard Branson told us.
Justin Brown said he was fortunate to be part of a small group of entrepreneurs visiting the British entrepreneur’s home on his private island.
What struck him over the course of the 5 days he spent with Branson was how well he treated everyone on the island. It made sense that he treated the visiting group well.
However, he treated all of his staff with the same level of respect.
He seemed to be to be a truly humble person with clear values on how to live a good life. He also loves to have a good time, as you can see with the costume he chose below for one of our dress-up parties.
Personally, I have always admired Richard Branson for his attitude to life. How he treats his staff, strangers, business approach has inspired me for many years
Here are a few inspirational quotes by Branson.
“Please be polite. Nothing in life should erode the habit of saying thank you to people or praising them.” – Richard Branson
“Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.” – Richard Branson
“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.” – Richard Branson
“Listen. Take the best. Leave the rest.” – Richard Branson
“Life is a series of ups and clowns. Make it worth your wild!” – Richard Branson
“Take a chance. It’s the best way to test yourself. Have fun and push boundaries.” – Richard Branson
“My general attitude to life is to enjoy every minute of every day. I never do anything with a feeling of, ‘Oh God, I’ve got to do this today.” – Richard Branson
“Being a good listener is absolutely critical to being a good leader; you have to listen to the people who are on the front line.” – Richard Branson
“There’s no point in starting a business unless you’re going to make a dramatic difference to other people’s lives. So if you’ve got an idea that’s gonna make a big difference to other people’s lives, then just get on and do it.” – Richard Branson
“Those who know me know I’m passionate about lists, and top of my list of priorities is my family. My wife Joan and I do not consider our legacy to our children to be wealth or fame but the opportunity to pursue happiness by following their own path.” – Richard Branson
“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” – Richard Branson
“If you don’t succeed at first, there’s no need for the F word (Failure). Pick yourself up and try, try again.” – Richard Branson
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” – Richard Branson
“My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you’re moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again.” – Richard Branson
“Overcoming fear is the first step to success for entrepreneurs. The winners all exemplify that, and the hard work and commitment they have shown underlines what is needed to set up a business.” – Richard Branson
I have always been fascinated by Mountaineers and Astronauts. I have watched a few documentaries on conquering Everest and other peaks. I have also spent hours watching films, captivated by the unbelievable feats exhibited by astronauts. I have a great deal of respect for these resilient humans who have extraordinary strength to go beyond.
Today, I post thirteen inspirational quotes that capture the heart of mountaineering.
“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” – Barry Finlay
“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you.” -John Muir
“The cliche is that life is a mountain. You go up, reach the top and then go down.” – Jeanne Moreau
“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” -Greg Child
“The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think. Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far.” — Paulo Coelho
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” – T.S. EliotMountain
“I’ve realized that at the top of the mountain, there’s another mountain.” – Andrew Garfield
“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more that what we could learn from books.” – John LubbockMountain
‘’The most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe.’’ – Casey Neistat
“May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to climb their summits.” -Harley Ki
“The farthest mountain is the one you think you can never reach and it may even be just by the side of you!” -Mehmet Murat ildan
How you do things is more important than what you achieve. You can’t take medals with you. That was a statement made by Glenn Hoddle in appreciation of the second opportunity he was given to live.
Glen Hoddle survived a cardiac arrest after he was saved by CPR applied by a staff of BT studios where Glen works as a TV punter.
He wanted to say a big thank you to Simon Daniels (Sound Supervisor, BT Sports).
Simon narrated how he how heard the commotion after Glenn’s collapse. He rushed to his side where he felt no pulse in his neck. His lips had gone blue. He said Glenn’s heart had stopped, which meant he was technically dead. Simon was now hoping CPR to give the heart a jolt, which it did before he was rushed to the Royal London Hospital where he was eventually given a quadruple heart by pass. Thankfully, Glenn has lived to tell his story.
Glenn is ever so grateful to be alive to see his grandchildren. He said there is not a day that goes by that he doesn’t send positive thoughts towards Simon for saving his life. In his words, he has been given ‘extra time.’
“Life is just like that. Realistically, we are dust. Every minute is precious. How we treat people is far more important than what I have achieved. You can’t take your bank balance with you, your house or car. It’s your link with people that is more important” says Glenn, England’s former Football manager.
What do you make of life?
Are you living a life of regret or a that of gratitude?
The choice is yours to make.
CRYPTO NEWS courtesy of Yahoo!
Ray Dalio: It’s ‘very impressive’ that cryptocurrency has ‘held up’ for a decade.
“Every country treasures its monopoly on controlling the supply and demand. They don’t want other monies to be operating or competing, because things can get out of control,” Dalio said. “So I think that it would be very likely that you will have it under a certain set of circumstances outlawed the way gold was outlawed.”
But this week, in a new interview Monday for Yahoo Finance’s Influencers with Andy Serwer, crypto came up again and while he didn’t address whether the government would eventually outlaw the currency, the billionaire investor’s tone had noticeably changed over past comments.
For one thing, he revealed he is getting deeper and deeper into the pool with an investment in Ethereum (ETH-USD) in addition to his bitcoin (BTC-USD), though he declined to reveal exactly how much he held. He also said he had taken notice of the industry’s staying power.
“I think it’s very impressive that for the last 10, 11 years, that programming has still held up,” he told Yahoo Finance’s editor-in-chief, Andy Serwer. “It hasn’t been hacked and so on and it has an adoption rate.”
But the legendary hedge fund founder is still a long way from being a crypto evangelist. “I’m very big on diversification,” he said of his investing strategy. “And it’s a relatively small part of the portfolio.”
Stiill, Dalio is far more enthusiastic about crypto than he is about a more traditional currency — cash, especially in an inflationary environment.
“I view [crypto] as an alternative money in an environment where the value of cash money is depreciating in real terms,” he says. Later, he added, “I would like to say that cash, I’ve been quoted [saying] ‘cash is trash.’ That cash, which most investors think is the safest investment is, I think, the worst investment.”
Greatness can be found in the most unlikely places, and here is the story told by Tunde Onakoya (@Tunde_OD on Twitter) who passionately believes that “it is possible to do great things from a small place.”
Here is is story.
Adeoye Fawaz, an 18 year old boy who works as a bus conductor and has lived years of his life under Oshodi bridge emerged as our overall champion in both chess and mental maths.
To us, A STAR IS BORN!
It was impossible to hold back tears in this moment when Oshodi came to a complete standstill to celebrate our newly crowned chess champion.
The final phase of the Mental maths competition was fast and furious but Fawaz aced the questions.
Now imagine if you gave these boys a proper education?!
Imagine if you gave them coding?!
Imagine how many of them we’ve lost to the streets because no one paid attention.
I took the pictures (Third and fourth frame) of Fawaz about a month ago when we saw him for the first time and wrote down his name. He mentioned that his dream was to become a musician and a comedian.
Who could have thought that he was an UNTOLD STORY.
His dreams are valid.
Everyday for two weeks, we taught them our mantra and made them believe that it was possible to do great things from a small place.
It bothered us so much to see them wear the same clothes (Rags) everyday for almost a month, so we thought about what we could do to give them a new look on the tournament day.
So we brought in a barber to give them nice haircuts and a stylist to take their measurements.
We styled them in classy Native attires with Fìlà and new shoes to match their Owambe swag.
They switched up very quickly from RAGS to ROYALTY.
This simple gesture of LOVE is a reflection of what their future could really look like if we gave them equal opportunities to thrive.
The grand entry was so beautiful.
Cars came to a halt.
Market women cheered for them.
Everyone wanted to associate with them.
We gave them the GIFT of CHESS.
BECAUSE WHERE THE MIND GOES, EVERYTHING FOLLOWS.
The Nigerian National Chess champion – International Master Femi Balogun was impressed by their performance and had a heart to heart talk with them after the games to inspire them on their journey towards chess mastery.
And for the ones we SUBCONSCIOUSLY tag deplorable criminals and refer to as the scourge of society, they were critical to the entire success of this project and none of this would have been possible without their commitment to our activities.
We forget that they’re humans too!
Tope was the only girl in the midst of the 51 children we trained, she’s incredibly smart but has lived a horrible experience trying to survive on her own out here.
She now lives with one of our volunteers and will be enrolled in a school next year.
51 homeless children in one of the most dangerous ghettos in Nigeria showed up everyday for our chess training because they saw an opportunity to learn – A NEW LEASE OF HOPE.
Some of are them orphans,while some ran away from their villages to seek greener pastures in Lagos.
During our mentorship sessions with them, they confided in us about some of the terrible vices they’ve committed in the past but they have shown great remorse and a willingness to follow a new path.
We created a Database for everyone we trained between the ages of 11-20.
We’re already in contact with Shelter homes, rehabilitation centres and Orphanages while working out modalities to enroll them and mapping out a financial plan to cater for their education/Skills acquisition for at least the next one year.
I now carry a great burden in my heart for those 51 children because now I know their names and I have seen what they can truly become if they are given an opportunity to let their light shine.
Even if it means going to sleep under the bridge with them….
We’re far too disconnected from the realities of these people we call “Area boys”.
Often than less, we underestimate the power of kindness. We query the security of our country whilst inadvertently turning a blind eye to the dreams of these little ones.
For most of us, the Oshodi bridge is just a means from point A to B, but for these people, it’s the only home they’ll ever know.
This is a call to action for all of us.
The only future worth dreaming of is one that includes all them.
The story!
We’re all Area boys!
LET’S DO THIS.
If you’re in Nigeria, you can donate to :
0491316991 Gtbank
(Chess in slums initiative)
If you’re outside Nigeria, you can donate to our Go fund me page:
2021 is ticking to an end. 2022 will gracefully slide in, like minutes and seconds.
Ecstasy fills the atmosphere. You notice the mood of everyone, more smiles and laughters. Love is in the air.
Shopping malls packed to the brim with people spending, buying goodies with money saved or borrowed.
There is excitement all over the place. People no longer mind stuck in traffic, smiling in the gridlock.
Why should you be thankful you ask. There would be some who have lost loved ones. Some have lost their livelihood. Many have been admitted in the hospital due to an illness. And here you are complaining of your salary, or your boss, unaware that many are unemployed.
This period is always a reminder to be thankful for where you are and what you are. Twenty Fours hours is a long time, let alone Three Hundred and Sixty Five Days. If you lack any reason why you need to be thankful, I hope you don’t any more.
I am always thankful to God for every moment of my life. If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.
Remember, there are many things around you to be thankful for.
It is gone! Forever! Unless, you insist you have to recreate it. That power and choice belongs to you.
Is your past robbing you of the joy of today? Then forget your past!
Don’t let your past rob you of today’s joy.
A lot of people hold dearly on to the past. Past failures. Great achievers don’t. They learn from past mistakes and enjoy moments of glory, and move on to the next challenge. That’s the difference.
Why should you empower your past if it’s not empowering you to take strides towards your future?
On a scoreboard of between 1 to 10, which of your past with a score of less than 5 do you hold on to abs why?
I have to live an intentional life. Whatever decisions I make must have a reason behind it. I cannot afford to live by default, unable to account for 24 hours. I just cannot.
This is why I have chosen to view ‘the past’ as a step taken on a staircase on my way to the top. And whilst descending, ‘the past’ will not be viewed differently. It still remains the step taken, this time on my way from the top.
Imagine I stood still on the step, still on the staircase analogy, there would not be any movements, either up or down. There will not be any experience to record.
THE PAST IS IN THE PAST!
14 QUOTES
“The past is a stepping stone, not a millstone.” ~ Robert Plant
“Forgiveness means letting go of the past.” ~ Gerald Jampolsky
“The past has no power over the present moment.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
“Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.” ~ Robin Sharma
“I realise there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go.” ~ Jeffrey McDaniel
“Hanging on to resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head.” ~ Ann Landers
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”
~ Bill Keane
“The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.”
~ Unknown
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ~ Mother Theresa
“I use memories, but I will not allow memories to use me.” ~ Deepak Chopra
“There is a fine balance between honoring the past and losing yourself in it. For example, you can acknowledge and learn from mistakes you made, and then move on and refocus on the now. It is called forgiving yourself.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
“The past can’t hurt you anymore, not unless you let it.” ~ Alan Moore
“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” ~ Rick Warren
“What’s done is done.” ~ Hilliard MacBeth
CryptoNews courtesy of BitCoin Magazine.
U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: BITCOIN CAN BRING POWER BACK TO THE PEOPLE.
An interest in power decentralization and freedom is pushing U.S. senate candidate Morgan Harper to learn more about Bitcoin.
Morgan Harper has begun her Bitcoin learning trajectory. The 38-year-old Senate Candidate for Ohio is researching opportunities that the decentralized monetary network can bring to her constituents, namely a push for the decentralization of power — which she believes is overdue.
“One of the greatest problems in our society is too much power centralized in too few hands, which produces anticompetitive effects that entrench incumbents and prevent innovation,” Harper told Bitcoin Magazine. “It shifts power to a select few, large cities and a few dominant players within each market and away from people in states such as Ohio.”
“I’m intrigued by the concept of decentralized networks, where we can have the benefits of network effects without concentrating power in the hands of a few people or corporations,” Harper said, adding that so far she has “mostly focused on Bitcoin and its potential to disintermediate banks and to serve as a store of value.”
Harper said that for her state, Bitcoin could help create economic power and freedom for individuals so that the people of Ohio are less reliant on “outsized corporations that stifle growth and innovation in a system rigged in their favor.”
Bitcoin has been very appealing to underserved communities in countries like El Salvador and Nigeria, where clumsy and unequal financial systems prevent many people from obtaining even the most basic access to money and banking. The peer-to-peer (P2P) monetary network aims to restore financial sovereignty by enabling anyone to store and transact value, irrespective of gender, skin color or power status.
“By contrast, traditional banks put you at the mercy of arbitrary and often discriminatory policies,” Harper said. “The banks are set up to favor the rich, with preferred access and preferred terms. But a lot of working class people and Ohioans don’t get those benefits. Instead, they get hidden overdraft fees and almost no return on their capital.”
When you have waited and plotted strategies and after a few days or weeks or months, the plans all look wrong. What happens next?
Well, what happens next is to dust yourself up and plan again.
The goal is not to get distracted but to keep your eyes on the ball.
Nobody has said it would be easy. Failure is part of the equation. The twist is that I don’t equate a failed plan as a failure, but a lesson.
I know it’s coming to the end of the year, and the customary exercise is to look at goals you never once revisited during the year and stamp a seal of failure on it.
Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh? Those plans were mapped out as a new year’s resolution. And like all the years gone by, you have never sat down to review the year’s resolution.
I would suggest not to be harsh on yourself but to do something different this year.
This is the time to think carefully of one thing, just one thing you will like to accomplish and stick with it for the following 12 months.
Just one thing!
Write it down!
Visualise yourself achieving it!
Review it every end of the month! Yes, set an alarm for a day’s review!
And continue believing!
This is what I am doing.
I wish you well and let me wish you a Merry Christmas and a fulfilling 2022.
God bless you!
Crypto news courtesy of CryptoNews.
State-Owned Investment Giant Mubadala Invests In Crypto, Blockchain-Based Ecosystem.
In a move that could potentially inject billions of dollars into the global crypto markets, Abu Dhabi’s leading state-owned holding Mubadala Investment Company is acknowledging it has started to invest its assets in cryptocurrencies and their surrounding blockchain-based ecosystem.
Khaldoon Al Mubarak, CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, made the announcement in an interview with US broadcaster CNBC during which he said that while “many people are skeptics” of cryptocurrency he did “not fall into that category.”
“I see it as real,” he said of cryptocurrencies. “I think the regulatory environment that isn’t there yet in its final form, [and] that will have to be there at some point, I think will come in and will help, I think, transition this asset class into something new.”
Al Mubarak stated that the business was looking “at the ecosystem around crypto” and is “investing in that ecosystem. That could be the blockchain technology, energy usage etc.”
Was Lewis Hamilton ‘robbed’ as Max Verstappen wins F1 title?
Lewis Hamilton looked destined for victory before Verstappen capitalised on a crash by Nicholas Latifi to win what was effectively a one-lap dash for the title.
Masi was at the centre of two controversial incidents in the race which drew the ire of Mercedes.
The first saw Hamilton and Verstappen appear to touch on the opening lap but Masi ruled there was no need for an investigation.
That was despite strong protests from Verstappen that his rival should give the place back but Masi explained that Hamilton had already ceded the advantage.
Verstappen was formally confirmed as the Netherlands’ first ever champion. But only five hours after the race had ended, and only after Mercedes had had two separate protests thrown out by the stewards.
Mercedes informed the FIA of their intention to appeal those decision and have 96hrs in which to lodge it.
Hamilton was stunned, but collected himself to congratulate Verstappen before making a strange remark to Jenson Button in his post-race interview, saying “we’ll see about next year” which some took to mean he might quit.
If that also goes against Mercedes, there is the option to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner indicated that he would fight them to the bitter end.
“We’ll fight them in the appeal court and in the legal court after that if they go that route.”
Hamilton and Verstappen started side-by-side for one final trip around Yas Marina Circuit and the British driver surged to the lead. Verstappen stalked him through the first four turns then made his pass in turn five and pulled away in his Red Bull.
Some would say it was a fitting end to a season that saw the two contenders go wheel-to-wheel over 22 races spanning four continents and arrive in Abu Dhabi tied in the championship standings. It marked the first time the contenders were level going into the season finale since 1974. But was it?
Was there a conspiracy to deny Lewis Hamilton of his 8th World title?
Was the chief referee Michael Masi right to change the rules in the middle of a world title race?
Should Michael Masi resign his position?
All in all, you cannot blame Verstappen. He never gave up. His team Red Bull didn’t give up daughter based on their strategy. Or was the crash part of the conspiracy? I am laughing here because I don’t believe it is, but conspiracy theorists will create so many theories riot back up Masi’s crazy decisions all season long.
Congratulations to both drivers, it was an unforgettable season.
QUOTES
“Michael this isn’t right,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff desperately over the radio.
“Toto it’s called a motor race,” Masi replied.
“Masi is surely finished here as Race Director. Can see why the protests have been thrown out, they had no other option but to stand by his shocking decision. You can’t take the title from Max. It wasn’t Max who broke the rules. Masi did. A terrible ending to an incredible season.” ~ Sophie Barley
“Michael Masi wanted an entertaining race ending so he broke his organizations own rules to put Max as close as possible to Lewis in the last lap of the last race knowing Max had the upper hand with brand spanking new tyres. That’s it.” ~ Yizo Yizo
“Does Masi work for FIA or Netflix with this scriptwriting?” ~ Fnatic Alex
“Incredible finish! This will be talked about for years to come. Happy for Max who has been mega this year!
That being said Masi needs to walk. Totally out of his depth all year and now we have this situation. Basically making the rules up as we go along!” ~ Dan Cammish
“Michael Masi has some serious answering to do! This could/should end in court #f1” ~ Freddie Burns
“Mercedes are going to go mental. That is absolutely outrageous from Michael Masi, an astonishing change of heart. He’s been so weak all through this championship.” ~ Tyrone Marshall
“Wonderfully generous and dignified reaction from Lewis Hamilton. He really is very special, on the track, and off it. Class act to the end.”~ Gary Lineker
It has often been said that it is lonely at the top.
Grover agrees. “To win consistently, you need to be different, and different scares people,” shares Grover. We are conditioned to fit in.
In his book, Winning, Tim Grover shares stories of some of the basketball legends he’s trained, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade. Their road to greatness, according to Grover, is based on 13 principles, which he calls The Winning 13.
The Winning 13 are distinct mindsets, which Grover all ranks as number one because there is not a single step that is more important than the other.
To achieve greatness, you need to accomplish all thirteen steps. You can decide which order and where to put greater emphasis, but you cannot pick and choose which steps to take and which to ignore.
When you become a high achiever, you stand out, not fit in. Most people want to be an accepted member of a social circle.
Getting to the top of the elite level means you do not conform to the masses.
There are few people at that level. “One day, your success wears a halo,” writes Grover, “the next day, it has fangs.”
Listed below, in no order of preference are the 13 principles.
1. Winning is everything.
2. Winning makes you different, and different scares people.
3. Winning wages war on the battlefield of your mind.
4. Winning is the ultimate gamble on yourself.
5. Winning isn’t heartless, but you’ll use your heart less.
6. Winning belongs to them, and it’s your job to take it.
7. Winning wants all of you; there is no balance.
8. Winning is selfish.
9. Winning takes you through hell. If you quit, that is where you will stay.
10. Winning is a test with no correct answers.
11. Winning knows all your secrets.
12. Winning never lies.
13. Winning is not a marathon; it is a sprint with no finish line.
“Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see.”
Hope is seeing what you can become.
It is writing down your success story ahead of time.
It is attending rehearsals to your success scripts.
What is the point in calling out obvious things that you despair?
What is the point in calling those things that you are afraid of…those things that you call problems.
What is the point? Will it change anything?
I must say it will help if you believe in God, because I do and I call those things that do not exist as though they do. It reassures me that there is a better tomorrow. That change is a journey on its way to visit the expectants.
I am nothing without Hope.
I always look forward to tomorrow with Hope.
We can always hopeful.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Don’t go to bed without deciding on what you are hoping for tomorrow.
Crypto view courtesy of Coindesk.
What Intellectuals Still Don’t Get About Crypto.
“Yes, Web3 is a bunch of bullshit. The problem is, compared to what?”
That subhead to Matt Stoller’s newsletter this week set me off even more than the headline, which read, “Cryptocurrencies: a Necessary Scam?”
No, what got me was the “yes” in Stoller’s statement. It was a wink to the intellectual elite, as if to say, “Don’t worry, it’s okay to acknowledge that those crazies in the crypto community, while possibly well-meaning in their critique of broken political-economic order, are, yes, Kool Aid-drinking cultists.”
It was especially galling because I’d been scheduled to join Stoller on Peter McCormack’s “What Bitcoin Did” podcast this past weekend, with a format that Stoller suggested we describe as “convince Matt Stoller.” Scheduling conflicts meant I couldn’t make it. I guess he remains unconvinced.
It also stung because I’m a big fan of Stoller, a leading light in the so-called Hipster Antitrust movement who is closely aligned with Lina Khan, chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission. Stoller’s book Goliath is a must read on why we must confront monopoly power to protect democracy and long-term prosperity. In so many other respects, his worldview aligns with mine. He’s a believer in free, open, competitive markets and, most importantly, that it’s necessary to prevent excessively powerful gatekeepers from manipulating and distorting those markets. In an age when dominating internet platforms have forged an insidiously destructive system of surveillance capitalism, Stoller’s writings – found in his BIG blog/newsletter – have done much to focus our attention on why society needs to act on this, now more than ever.
Where we clearly disagree is on whether cryptocurrencies and blockchain are a viable mechanism in the digital age for executing on that.
Jide Salu’s Diary 