MUST-READ: 6 Things To Start Doing For Yourself In 2020
When you look back on 2019, what comes to your mind? Do you focus on the pains, regrets, and mistakes you made or do you concentrate on the strength you gained and all the blessings that came your way? Since this is the beginning of a new decade, here’s a positive to-do list for the year ahead. With 2020 now in full swing, keep doing these 6 things for yourself: 1. Embrace your humanness and give yourself more credit Human is the only real label you’re born with. However, it’s easy to get so focused on what others tell you that you forget how far you’ve come and what you’ve managed. Give yourself some credit and appreciate all that you are. 2. Make your happiness a priority Just in case you’ve forgotten, you matter A LOT. Your needs matter too! If you fail to put your needs first or look out for yourself, you hurt yourself more than you can ever imagine. 3. Enter new relationships for the right reasons Every relationship whether romantic, business or friendship has a purpose. Focus on starting relationships with dependable and honest people – people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. 4. Forgive yourself and others Ever heard, forgiveness is not for the other person but for yourself? Stop rehashing old wounds and reliving the pain of the past, but forgive yourself and let go of the pain. 5. Build up your confidence It’s never too late to chase after your dreams. Don’t think you’re left behind; start from where you are and work your way up towards where you want to go. Every day and step is necessary. 6. Track how you invest your energy and make productive shifts You can’t do the same thing and expect change. Be mindful of what you spend your time on and focus on what really matters. Want to invest in yourself? Join the Motherland Mogul Insider – an 8-week online program to help you grow your network and reach your professional goals.
Want to Join an Investors Club With a Low Budget? Here’s what you need to know
Ever heard of the term Plutophobia? Plutophobia is derived from Pluto (wealth) and Phobia (fear) is the fear of wealth. Yes, it is actually a thing that there are people who are afraid of being rich. It sounds funny, I even feel like laughing out loud as I type this, but looking at it deeply makes it not so funny. Like, how can someone be afraid of being wealthy when we all know that money answereth all things? (We are well aware of immaterial wealth but for the sake of this article, all mention of wealth refer to money and all the riches that come with it). There is also something called Chrometophobia. Chermato (money) and Phobia (fear) which is the fear of money. The key triggers of phobias are external events which might be heredity or life experiences. You might have heard time and time again that investment is not for the rich only. But then, you don’t know how exactly to invest with a low budget. What if I told you that you do not need huge amounts of money to invest in portfolios that can give you beautiful rewards. All you need is to have the right information and go where the opportunities abound. Before you invest, first decide if you are willing to invest either for a short term or a long term. This will enable you to look in the right places, thereby saving time and being decisive from the onset. Pay attention to the following before your first investment: Beware of “too good to be true” offers. Examples are investments that offer high returns just after two days. Understand the risks that come with the investment you are taking up. Do your own proper research. Always get the second opinion from friend, family or an investments expert. Ensure that there is physical paperwork stating all the terms of investment. Now that you have the information on what to do before you invest. Here are some investment opportunities you can start investing with as low as N5,000 monthly: Mutual funds Money market funds Real estates Treasury bills via i-invest app Agriculture Invest in a friend or family’s business with properly drafted contracts There are also private investment opportunities where you get up to 10% monthly on commitments from as low as N50,000 Remember that you won’t get rich by hoarding money in your savings account or leaving them in a piggy bank. It is by investing. A change in mindset would help you navigate away from societal misconceptions about being wealthy as a woman. It would also help you overcome the fear of charging your worth for services you render or the good you sell. And as time goes on, you will see yourself making the money that you were long due to make, but afraid to ask for. Like I mentioned earlier, decide on the type of investment you want and why you want it then go for a suitable opportunity. Now that you are well informed about investments and how it can help you become wealthy, do you still hold any reservations about it? How are you improving your spending habits this month? Click here to join the SLA #SecureTheBag challenge.
5 Powerful TED Talks every MotherlandMogul must watch
Getting addicted to TED is a habit that would not only spur you to greatness but would keep your mind bubbling with ideas. If you only watch TED videos once in a blue moon, it’s time to make a switch and come to the winning team. TED seeks to share great ideas with the entire world through storytelling and sharing insights. With the many TED Talks I’ve watched, it’s been hard to choose my favorite. However, those I liked were by women who have ignited my passion and encouraged me to chase my dreams. The following videos have left me sprawling with laughter, and I must tell you, they are the top TED Talks that every Motherland Mogul should watch. 1. Natasha Case and Freya Estreller –Female and Millennial Entrepreneurship If you think you’ve reached the peak of your entrepreneurial journey, this video is definitely for you. In this TED Talk, two co-partner entrepreneurs talk about their journey starting a distinct ice cream brand – Cool Haus. With over four thousand stores in the United States alone, Natasha and Freya are making a huge impact and taking a fair slice of the market. In this talk, they talk about their experiences navigating the business world as female CEO’s and the changing trends of women in business. Though a lot of data shows that there is still work to be done in bringing more women to the top of the corporate ladder, some women such as Natasha and Freya are already slaying! 3. Sara Nuru -Finding your Identity Do we get to choose what we do without existence? In this TED Talk, Sara presents a strong message of an identity of how we can make a choice on positive living. As a model and an Ethiopian activist, Sara has spent her life bringing impact to young children in Ethiopia. Her talk is both insightful and inspiring. She shows us that nothing stops us from being who we truly are if we dare to believe. [bctt tweet=”“Who you are right now might not be who you will be in the next five or ten years, sometimes all you need is a breathing space, to step back and look at your life” @therealsaranuru” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 3. Whitney Thore – Living without Shame No one can achieve much without a healthy self-esteem. Having self-confidence and loving yourself should be something we strive for every day. Whitney is bold, powerful and very unlike any other speaker you have heard before. She spares no ground in sharing her experience of Obesity and it’s grappling effect in her life. She dealt with shame, something we all have experience in one way or the other. Using emotional intelligence, Whitney keeps you captivated with her story of self-confidence. At the end of the Talk, you are left with one lesson: learn to love yourself because nothing changes until you do! 4. Yvonne Orji – The Wait is Sexy You may not agree with everything Yvonne says but this girl knows how to work her space! She knows how to knead her dough. Yvonne is audacious in her choice of waiting until marriage and she explains her reasons for staying true to her stand. According to Yvonne, we all have to sacrifice short-term comfort to get a long-term quality relationship. This principle can be applied to everything including business and personality. When making decisions, we should consider principles such as compromise, purpose and taking a stand for what you believe in. Whatever you’re working towards will definitely be worth it. [bctt tweet=”“The wait is powerful, disciplined and focused. The wait keeps the main thing, the main thing.” @YvonneOrji ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 5. Courtney Ferrell – Girl Up! The Secret to the Extraordinary Life This has to be my absolute best video! From the moment she walks on stage, Courtney keeps you wanting more. She cleverly engages the audience through picking one random person who she delivers her message through. Courtney’s intimate yet personal talk carried a strong message for women and girls. She believes these are the key to development in every society. Sometimes, all we need is to be who we are and say what we believe in. Though these are just a collection of some of my favorite talks. There are many more TED Talks that will inspire you, challenge you and expose you to many more great ideas. From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to film director Wanuri Kahiu, there are a lot of Motherland Moguls who will definitely set you on the path to slaying. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Why your ‘I Can’ is more important than your IQ
[bctt tweet=”You can have a high IQ and EQ but still fail to create tangible results without this skill” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In the journey of entrepreneurship, it’s important that you walk with three necessary companions. They are your Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), and the skill of I Can. IQ, which is a measure of intelligence, will tell you how to navigate this interesting but challenging journey. EQ, which deals with the understanding of our feelings and those of others, will make your journey less challenging. It will make your business that ‘person’ whom people are endeared to and are willing to be with no matter what. But you can have a high level of Intelligence as well as Emotional Intelligence Quotient and still find it difficult to turn your business ideas into tangible results. And this happens when you don’t have the skill of I Can. We call it a skill but I Can is a strong inner feeling that you can make anything possible. In running a successful business or building an enviable career, you can only go as far as your inner voice takes you. In fact, you can have an average level of intelligence but with the skill of I Can, you can go on to become a successful entrepreneur. How is this possible? For a very long time, many of us have been made to wrongly believe that having only business knowledge, skills and intelligence can make us become successful entrepreneurs. This article is about getting things right. Entrepreneurs don’t have two heads Entrepreneurs are often portrayed as distinctive individuals who are set apart from the rest of humanity. Not true. As long as you can employ the use of I Can to turn that good idea which you are passionate about into an enterprise, you can become a successful entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship goes hand in hand with failure and risk taking. You cannot hope to run a successful commercial enterprise without failing. In fact, the more you fail the better you become. Each time you fail, you have to pick yourself up. You need more than just intelligence to pick yourself up, you have to turn to the inner strength that you possess —and that’s your I Can. To challenge the status quo with your idea, to change the narrative of the market you’re willing to transform, you must take risk. In reality, the more risk you take as an entrepreneur, the more successful you’re likely to be. [bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurs aren’t distinctive individuals, to run a successful enterprise expect to fail” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Without self-confidence, you’re going nowhere When you have self-confidence, things begin to take shape. To rise each time you fail, to take risk in order to transform your dreams into tangible products and services, you have to have self-confidence. Making the choice of becoming an entrepreneur, as challenging as it is, is an opportunity of a lifetime to make a huge difference. It means you now have the chance of building a great legacy. You’re telling the world that your potential is not a waste. Each time you remind yourself of all these, your self-confidence jumps to a new level. Until you develop the skill of I Can and constantly say to yourself with a strong conviction that you can do it, your self-confidence might be just disappear. [bctt tweet=”Running on the conviction that you can succeed as an entrepreneur will take you nowhere” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Keep your eyes fixed on the ball To be successful at running a business or social enterprise, you have to be focused. Know what you want and where you’re going; set your eyes on the goal. No one understands your business goals more than you, so keep moving in the direction of your set goals. When you take a risk and probably fail, your self-confidence tends to wane. So you have to go back to the drawing board, dwelling on your ultimate goals, saying directly to your challenges that of course I Can. In the face of challenges, which are inevitable if you would become a successful entrepreneur anyway, your intelligence crumbles, your self-confidence is shaken to its foundation; however, holding on to the belief that you can still turn your dreams into tangible results is the only way to go. Nonetheless, having the inner strength and conviction that you can succeed as an entrepreneur will take you nowhere. Turning this conviction into a habit that is used on a daily basis will no doubt take you somewhere. And that’s what the skill of I Can is all about. Your I Can will help you break barriers The journey of entrepreneurship is a tough and long one, no doubt. But having the requisite skills, knowledge and intelligence can make it easy and short. However, having the skill of I Can will make it even easier and shorter. Downplaying the hype about entrepreneurship, building your self-confidence, and of course having focus can help you build the all important skill of I Can. And with it, you can go on to break barriers and build that business or career of your dreams.
Be good to yourself: The art of self-love
We were all born and celebrated as cute little bundles of joy. Then we blossom and the cuteness somewhat fades away. Then comes the bosses, colleagues, mates, boys, men, and friends. This is when the seed of self-love you’ve sowed is put to test. If you have learnt the art of self-love, then you will easily get through life. Loving yourself more is not being greedy, selfish or unfair. We are taught to be considerate and put others first but never how to love and prepare ourselves for the journey ahead. While you can be generous and kind, it shouldn’t be with a low self-esteem. Self-esteem, self-care, self-acceptance, self-awareness, self-empowerment, self-respect, self-compassion, self-expression and self-worth are characteristics that all women should have. Notice that these words all begin with “self”? We need to get over the fear of the unknown and understand our worth by simply practicing self-love. Self-love is not a one-time event but an endless, ongoing process. “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” – Oscar Wilde Here, ladies, is what happens when you love yourself: You take ownership of your life and understand that it doesn’t matter what others think of you, but how you feel about yourself. You stop acting small and instead allow growth in. You let yourself live your purpose and see no need to compete, prove or compare yourself to others. Negotiations become easy because you know your value and will not settle for less. You accept your failures as learning curves and know your significance isn’t dependent on what you produce. You naturally attract peace and harmony in your day-to-day relationships. I’ve got some great self-love ideas for you. Honour and love yourself Think about what makes you happy and JUST DO IT! Put yourself first Act upon your own needs first, rather than on what others expect from you. Remember, other people’s needs are not your responsibility. Take care of yourself Exercise, eat healthy, pamper yourself and interact socially. Remember to treat your body like the temple it is and spend time doing things that enrich your soul. Set boundaries and maintain them Always let people know what you will and won’t tolerate. When you set boundaries, you avoid situations at work, in relationships, or in any activity that emotionally or physically damages you. Select the right friends Don’t waste time with people who won’t mind taking away your happiness. Spend more time with like-minded people or those that bring out the best in you. Do all it takes to be you Your purpose doesn’t have to be crystal clear but figure out what makes you feel good, and do it as often as you can. Feeling good is all the permission you need to do what you love. Acknowledge your imperfect self Stop judging and criticizing yourself. You don’t always have to win. Remember, it’s the effort that counts, no matter the results. Engage in spirituality By doing this, you will just learn to naturally fall in love with yourself. Improve your skills Look for opportunities capable of increasing your self-confidence, like making time to focus on what you are good at. This will boost your self-confidence and esteem. Identify a go-to place Find a place you can sit and embrace life without anything getting in your way. Forget about work deadlines and bills that need your attention. Have a moment to connect with just yourself. These suggestions will help you to develop a sense of accomplishment and pride in what you do and who you are. You will realize that you are worthy and talented and deserve to be loved. When you start experiencing the power of self-love, trust me, the effect will be magical and everything will simply fall into place. Life can actually feel really good.
Why the way you speak to yourself matters
Many times, we find ourselves having a conversation with ourselves. We sometimes do it subconsciously but what you don’t know is, self-talk has a great impact on your life, your career and your business. Your inner voice and what you tell yourself contributes tremendously to how you react to several things in your day to day life. Self-talk can be the negative self-talk or the positive self-talk. As a business woman, I find ways to encourage myself on a daily basis. Whether I am exercising in the morning or heading into meeting, I find positive self-talk a great motivator. Words like ‘you can do it’, ‘blow them away’ and ‘go girl’ are words that I use to encourage myself to achieve goals I set out to do. For instance, if you are going for a meeting, you check yourself in the mirror and think, ‘ I look so fat in this dress’ , don’t be surprised by how your day will start. You will be conscious of yourself, you will think everyone is looking at you and you will not exude confidence. You have brought down your self-confidence with negative self-talk. However, if you step out and go‘ I look too good for them not to give me that deal’, you have already set a positive tone to your day. You will kick ass with confidence. You will feel good about yourself and it will show in your work. Why is positive self-talk important? 1. Motivation and inspiration When you say something positive to yourself, you not only motivate yourself to keep pushing but you also force yourself to act. Whether it’s finishing a proposal late at night, or the early morning run, if you convince yourself with words like ‘I can do this’ or I can run an extra two miles’, you will find yourself achieving these goals because you inner voice is telling you to. 2. Build self-confidence The positive inner voice helps you build self-esteem and confidence. Your words will make you feel good. When you feel good about yourself, the better your mood will be and your performance will greatly improve. Confidence is very crucial especially in business as it enables entrepreneurs perform well in stressful situations. It enables them build networks with ease and helps them to sell their ideas and make others believe in them. 3. Being in control Positive self-talk enables you to be in control. When you say ‘I am made to do this’, it trumps the negative self-talk that sabotages your day and distracts you as you work. With positive words, you are in control of the day. Soon enough, you will find that with more positive self-talk, you will react to things differently. Things that used to make you angry will not annoy you anymore. When you are in control of your emotions , you are more likely to live a happy and fulfilled life. We all struggle with the negative self-talk. The negative voice in your head sometimes comes out very strong and convinces you that you cannot do it. It creates self-doubt. Have a mantra you can live by, and whenever you start listening to the negative voices, say it over and over again. Slowly, the negative voice will vanish.