Arise and Succeed: Becoming the Champion You Are!

By Samuel Ekundayo

Are you living life feeling you could be more successful than you currently are right now? Are you finding yourself feeling you could be doing more but just lacking the motivation to take the bold step? Are you finding it hard to challenge yourself to find your purpose and living it through? Are you working like an elephant yet feeding like an ant? Are you feeling like you've been shortchanged in life? Is life for you like a rocking chair, and even though you're moving, you are really not going anywhere? If you find yourself answering yes to any of the above questions, this book was written for you.
Arise and Succeed is an inspirational book written to help you reach your goals and to make your mark in your generation. This book has been written to help you find your life's purpose and to awaken the champion on your inside. Indisputably, there is a champion in every man or woman. However, that champion could either be sleeping or awake, alive or dead, defeated or standing strong. For you to be successful and live a purposeful life, the champion in you needs to be awake, alive, agile and unstoppable! Life's struggles may have caused you to grow weary, weak or tired, leaving you feeling like you can't go on but the time has come to turn every setback into setups for your success. The time has come to set the stage for your come back. The time has come to be unstoppable, unshakable and unwavering. The time has come to Arise and Succeed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jun 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504942348

Samuel Ekundayo

Samuel Ekundayo is genuinely passionate about inspiring people to believe in themselves and to rise up to every challenge life brings. His mission is to help every man or woman see the potentials in them, find their purpose in life and live successfully. His favourite slogan is; "You can achieve anything you set your mind on to achieve". An award winning author and speaker, Samuel is a dynamic young man with fire in his bones. While Samuel is a doctor of Business Information Systems, he is a natural teacher, life coach and motivator. He is available to speak at conferences or seminars worldwide organised to inspire people. He is married and lives in New Zealand with his wife, Blessing Ekundayo and they are both blessed with a son, Oluwasemiloore Ekundayo.

Book preview

AuthorHouse™ UK

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403 USA

www.authorhouse.co.uk

Phone: [phone]

© 2015 Samuel Ekundayo, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/02/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4235-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4236-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4234-8 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1 Dangers Of Low Expectation

Chapter 2 Turning Your Professions Into Possessions

Chapter 3 But For This!

Chapter 4 Take The Alternative Route

Chapter 5 In The Labour Room Of Dreams

Chapter 6 Five People You Must Have In Your Life

Chapter 7 Five Things I Bet You Don’t Know About Yourself

Chapter 8 Sorry We Don’t Fix It

Chapter 9 Different But Not Disadvantaged

Chapter 10 The Record Books

Chapter 11 Multiplying Effect

Chapter 12 Think Again

Chapter 13 My Resolve

Chapter 14 No Way Around It

Chapter 15 So What’s Next?

Chapter 16 That Look In Your Eyes

Chapter 17 Your Life As A Magnetic Field

Chapter 18 Five Things You Must Know About The Right Track

Chapter 19 Do You Believe In Me?

Chapter 20 The Easiest Thing To Do

Chapter 21 You Too Can Work Miracles

Chapter 22 You Are Not Good Enough

Chapter 23 You Are Not Everyone

Chapter 24 Do You Have A Head?

Chapter 25 Be Found In The Doing

Chapter 26 Travel Light

Chapter 27 Your Reflection

Chapter 28 I Know Your Problem

Chapter 29 It Is Not Enough

Chapter 30 Let The Lion In You Roar

Chapter 31 Let’s Play Check

Chapter 32 What Drives You?

Chapter 33 Heart Fixed…Unwavering

Chapter 34 It Is Normal

Chapter 35 Impossible Is A Good Sign

Chapter 36 I’d Take It Like That

Chapter 37 I Dare You

Chapter 38 What You Have Is Enough

Chapter 39 Fight Or Flight

Chapter 40 Seek Help, Not Pity

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The book is a project that came out of a vision to connect with this generation and the ones to come. It came out of a sheer desire to see a change in the way success is defined in our world and to awaken the sleeping champion in every man. The work would not have been possible without the support of the great people God has put around me. As such, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all of them.

To my beloved wife, Blessing Ekundayo and our wonderful son, Oluwasemiloore, for constantly encouraging and supporting my dreams and visions. This book is a product of your sacrifices and endless love.

To my parents and siblings for being sources of encouragement throughout this journey, I would like to thank you. Particularly, my Dad, Dr John Ekundayo, who bought me the book - In pursuit of purpose (by the late Dr Myles Munroe) - that was instrumental in finding my purpose at a very young age, I am grateful.

I would also like to express my sincere thanks towards my family in New Zealand - trusted friends and circles, my spiritual family (Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory House, Auckland) - and all the people God has used greatly for me on this journey. I appreciate you all.

Finally, all thanks to the Almighty God for the opportunity to be alive and well to undertake this project. Also, for placing the desire in my heart to be a blessing to this generation.

CHAPTER 1

DANGERS OF LOW EXPECTATION

You may have been under the ground a long time but that’s where gold and gems come from

In 2007, I was at a Toastmasters competition in Singapore. The competition involved presenting any topic of your choice to inspire the crowd at a 200-seater lecture theatre. Prior to that night, several auditions were held to pick the top 12 presenters for the main event and I was one of the 12 selected. I said to myself, I think I have done well enough to be amongst the top 12. I was contented enough to just be amongst the top crop, and never imagined anything more. In fact, I don’t recall bringing any of my friends along to the event, as I never thought anything would come out of it. I had done a lot of practice, not with the aim of winning but so as not to embarrass myself on that day. At the event, listening to the first five speakers almost sort of validated my initial thoughts. Those guys spoke so well, I applauded them so much you would think I was not competing. I was so inspired! My turn came and I spoke on a very abstract topic Who are you and where are you going? I managed not to stutter through my presentation and looked into the eye of nearly everyone in the room to get my message out. I was done and I heard a thundering applause. The audience had to vote the winner based on how inspired they were by the speakers. The results were announced and my name was on top. I couldn’t believe it, I had won the competition. I was the CHAMPION!

Often times, you and I underestimate the potentials within us. We fail to see greatness and we are quick to see our weaknesses. We judge ourselves even before the people around us do so. We shoot ourselves, choose our position in the crowd and define our limits in our quests. We paint a picture like this: erm… I know that level is not for me, that seat/school/course/position/marriage is reserved for the rich, intelligent, wealthy, pretty, experienced, etc; of which I am not one, and will never be. Question: Who told you that; where did you get that from?

See, it is possible to be buried in the mud of negativity and criticism that the good in you becomes soiled so much that even when opportunities come, you’re tempted to chicken out. Maybe you’re often caught in the web of the ‘ideal person’ that you discount yourself as disqualified even before you’re called. Either because of your past mistakes and failures or what people have said about you; you become cowardly in your acts, ambitions and pursuits. Peradventure you’ve compared yourself with so many people around you so much so that there’s just about little hope in your existence and you barely believe in yourself anymore. These things make you lose confidence in yourself and consequently have low expectations. My friend, that is dangerous!

We only think of those who commit suicide as those who have given up on life. Guess what! Many are committing suicide in their careers - they just resign themselves to the bottom of the ladder. Some are committing suicide in their social lives - they just feel they are no good for anyone. Many are committing suicide academically, they try to study like others but in their minds they expect nothing! Dangers of low expectation!

Let me share a secret with you; you may have been