It’s Been Real – #YourTurnChallenge Day 7

Day 7: What are you taking with you from this Challenge?

I take with me a renewed encouragement to step into the light

I take with me the habit of shipping

I take with me the effect of the power of a virtual tribe and the power of accountability and discipline

I take with me a  mental awakening

I take with me a confident acknowledgement of the fact that ‘It’s my turn’

It’s been real

Thanks to the ‘Your Turn’ tribe – @SethGodinBlog and @winniekao for doing this.

P. S – It’s 2 days to my birthday and I will be releasing a single from my upcoming album ‘Organically Singing’ , pre~orders available on my website at http://www.tosinger.com/music-store, stop by and check on it 😉 Thank you.

Love, Peace and Beautiful Music to pull your heartstrings.

Beautifully Dreaming…. Positively Doing

Tosinger

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When Network Does Not Equate Networth – #YourTurnChallenge Day 4

Day 4: Something you do well. #YourTurnChallenge

As I write this, I just finished making an introduction. All it takes for me is the click of a button, a few good words and an email introduction and good vibes start to roll, and sometimes to my ignorance, they bankroll too. All done out of goodwill, based on established reputations. Mr John is in your network, so is Mr Doe,  you’ve known them for eons, albeit on platonic levels, even say in business circles, but neither Mr John or Doe added any worth or value to you or vice versa (financially speaking) for one reason or the other but you introduce them to each other and they are the better for it. That, right there, is a good example of when network absolutely did not even add a dime to your net worth. They say your network is your net worth, so why would one have a seemingly high network and be as broke as a church rat.  What is going wrong with what is being done well. Is something not right somewhere? Are the right people in the network? Is the network not being used well to one’s advantage maybe? It’s one thing to know people, on the other hand, is knowing them relevant to your life, progress, business, career, future?.

Networking. Not a big deal. I connect.  I introduce albeit online/social media. In business, ‘they’ call it PR/Branding.  And that’s what it is when it is structured. When it is informal and unstructured, it is ‘Word of Mouth’ which is said to be the most effective and traditional mode of ‘marketing’, but which unfortunately is the most ‘less monetized’, you can’t trace the chain of who initially said what to who, you can’t track gains and losses, words are like eggs, once broken, it spills.

Guard your influence/your network

“You’ve got a great fanbase/ following, please help me share this link” No Sir, No Ma’am. My value statement and beliefs are important. It’s more like I love this content and I think it will benefit whoever reads this/listens to this within my network/target audience. What is worth sharing is worth sharing well. Quality is key.  I share what I believe is worth sharing not what friends or random persons cajole me to share, if it doesn’t even resonate with my business values, it will not be a paid for PR/Branding service.

You read in some notable influencers’ Twitter bios – “Tweets are not endorsements”, these are disclaimers that are necessary to be communicated, just in case for example, an unsuspecting individual connects with a tweet subject (just because Ms XYZ tweeted about it) and their business deal goes sour.  So yes, sometimes, network does not equate to net worth. People may have made millions on your tab, you made it happen yes and that’s about it. There is consolation in the fact that – “Give and it shall come back to you in other ways not necessarily monetarily, goodwill shared is a seed that will always bring a good harvest, pass it on, the God who sees in private rewards publicly, karma has its ways, universe bounces back good energy”..so many sayings to compensate for when network does not equate to net worth. Even the bible says:

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin

So if not why not, if you know Sallie Mae needs to meet John Doe to make magic happen, go ahead and make that intro, they’ll thank the day you were born.  Guard, but yet be selfless with your network and expect your emotional/spiritual assets to grow significantly.  Or better still, revamp your network to see the financial growth you need. Right? Wisdom is the principal thing. Comments anyone?.

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing..

Tosinger

State Of The Onion – #YourTurnChallenge Day 3

 

Day 3 #YourTurnChallenge is centered around – “Tell us about something that you think should be improved”. I know a lot of people will have loads of suggestions for improvement with regards to  POTUS’s SOTU address from last night. I’d like to switch things around and not go there, why not start with the state of mind of every individual. The man/woman makes the home, the homes make the community, the community makes the town/city, the town/city makes the state, the state makes the nation which in turn chooses the man/woman that leads her. It’s a cycle. So let’s deal with the nitty gritties of the state of individuals’ onions. Do your onions make you cry? or do you know well enough to slice them under running water to avoid the tears? What is the state of your onion? Are they all good or rotting in the vegetable rack? Here is a story I’d like to share about the onion that made my eyes water.

Let’s call her Ms Angel. She crossed my path today. A little precious Caucasian boy calls out to her “Mom”!. She looks at me and answers the question I did not ask.  She tells me the story of her 3 adopted children, all under 10. You see, Ms Angel has a Caribbean accent, she must have been originally from Jamaica maybe. 2 of the 3 of the kids are of a different race, they were abandoned babies. The pretty little doll eyed 2 year old’s name is “Miracle”. Miracle because she was birthed in a hospital restroom, abadoned and later discovered. Ms Angel adopted her and showers her with love. She is improving health wise and Ms Angel is grateful to God. I fast-forwarded my imagination and pictured them all grown, this Mom who saved them all, loving on Ms Angel like crazy and someone will tell them otherwise about color. No way! They are color blind with a clear vision of love. My eyes started welling up.  I said a prayer for them.The onion of this situation made me realize you cannot choose the circumstances of your birth, what you look like or your genetic formation. It also affirms that “love indeed conquers all”.  With a foundation of love in a home like this, the nation can be stronger. It is as you grow older that you start to make decisions that will determine what the next generation will be like. It’s time to choose wisely and make decisions that positively affect the next generation.

You have onions all around you. What do you make of them? Do you  let them make you cry and that’s it? or do you close your eyes and slice them under running water? Do you use them to cook or you let them rot away? What is the state of your onion? I will like to improve on the state of mine, I won’t just let them make me cry. I’ll make them useful.  I will do something.  Cook them. Stir fry them. Do something. Be the change I want to see.

Beautifully Dreaming…. Positively Doing..

Tosinger

 

While They Were Sleeping…. #YourTurnChallenge Day 2

#YourTurnChallenge Day 2

While they were sleeping, I pray

While they were sleeping, I read & write 

While they were sleeping, I get inspiration

While they were sleeping, I think & reflect

Your state of mind actually determines what you do while ‘they’ sleep. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be during the night, or when ‘they’ are literally sleeping;  basically ‘they’ are sleeping when ‘they’ are not aware of your toil, hustle or challenges. As I write this, I have multiple  browsers open, I think I suffer from a mild case of self diagnosed internet specific ADHD, I know I am not alone. I can’t seem to focus on writing a blog post at one go without multitasking, but I stand challenged. Focus.

Back to the topic –   today’s guide question of the 7 day  #YourTurnChallenge ( a blog post a day for 7 days, here’s Day 1)  is “Tell us about something that’s important to you”. Focus for one, is important. Focusing on what is important (Focusing on my life’s purpose,  my faith in God, family, leaving a legacy for future generations) The ability to focus on the task ahead, the goal in view, the vision in sight, the dream on the horizon – important!.  Because, really, how can I ‘ship’ if I don’t keep my eyes on the target, the destination, the light at the end of the tunnel. As I write this, ‘they’ are still sleeping. Who are they? Well, ‘they’ is a mental construct. ‘They’ are _________ insert whoever_______ you think ‘they’ are.

‘They’ is whoever you empower ‘they’ to be. ‘They’ brought the gas prices down , ‘they’ just sent some good vibes my way, ‘they’ gave me a virtual pat on the back, ‘they’ said I can’t wear my hair this way, ‘they’ said “keep pushing”, ‘they’ said “we will get back to you”  or ‘they’ live by the wishing well but definitely don’t wish you well.  Angels, enemies, believers, leaders, the government, bosses, the naysayers, the gatekeepers, the policy makers, the controllers,  savages,  humans, decision makers, family, friends, the stranger down the street, the talking heads on TV, the faceless CEOs, the invisible internet trollers, haters, lovers, copycats, fans, demons, facebook friends, twitter followers, instagram stalkers, pastors and healers, whatever. ‘They’ is whoever ‘they’ are in your mind. As long as ‘they’ aid your progress, or you don’t let ‘them’ pull you down, you are ok. They (whether negative or positive) should always be your catapult of success, whether ‘they’ are aware or not, in here or out there.

I seem to do the most important things while they are sleeping.. I write new songs and I draft blog posts…because I am a Singer and a Writer, expressing my talent is important to me. So, I just got Day 2 of my #YourTurnChallenge down. What do you do while ‘they’ are sleeping?

Beautifully Dreaming….Positively Doing…

Tosinger

 

 

Day 1: It’s My Turn To Sing … and Write – #YourTurnChallenge

Hello there. I am participating in the #YourTurnChallenge. I’m doing the #YourTurnChallenge starting today Jan 19 — 1 blog post every day for 7 days powered by Marketing Guru and BestSelling Author Seth Godin (who I’ve followed for a while) and curated by his project manager @winniekao. No regrets.

Why am I doing the ‘Your Turn Challenge’?

I’ve chosen to do this challenge because I  know that I need to stretch. What am I stretching? my mind, my state of mind, my abilities. My resilience. This challenge will definitely make me stretch, intellectually, mentally and even spiritually. It’s also good for where I am creatively at the moment. The #YourTurn challenge came at a very good time when I was  hitting a roadblock with the whole blogging thing. As a blogger, my first post of 2015 was delayed until Jan 14, that does not sit well in the blogosphere which depends on frequency of content. And when I eventually posted, it was audio visuals – videos, photos and musical expressions; something I usually do when I have no words to describe my state of mind or when I am just absolutely speechless on a situation. The situation in this case being the massacre of about a reported 2,000 or so of my Nigerian people by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram, coming at a very politically sensitive time. But will my keeping mute help? No. It’s time and it’s my turn to write. It’s my turn to speak up, put pen to paper, write, sing, address issues, be the change I want to see.

Thanks to my subscription to Seth Godin’s blog and grateful that he stepped out to write his book  ‘Your Turn’ ;  I would have missed this life changing opportunity. Life changing? Yes! because if I say I am a Writer (albeit a very underground and succinct one) Why does the momentum to write (express) fluctuate like the waves of the sea?. So it is very life changing to get a wake up call to rise up to the occasion and conquer fears of contradictory mental voices of one’s adeptness.

Frustration number 1,  is anyone out there? The readers, “where they at doe?” . My blog was the best place I could express my writings on topics/subjects I am passionate about – the Arts, Africa and the diaspora, hoping someone out there is reading.  Being a writer of brevity, the blogosphere was a space I could express my interests without being judged (per se) on the specificity of content or the length of it  (Side note – Seth Godin’s blog made feel OK about the latter part).  However, I thought twice about the challenge. What if my post was too short, what if I hit another roadblock? but I breathed a sigh of relief, there was no word limit, and there were question guides. Phew! Good. It’s a challenge but it’s a pleasure.

My body of writing work includes but have not been limited to a few random, seasonal,  freelance copy-writing work for brands here and there, ghostwriting, academic work and a short poetry blog which has not been recently updated. I have made absolutely no attempts to write a novel and my short stories/poetry has not made it into any anthologies. I waded in the waters of the writing space, but never really took a dive.  But wait.  I do sing.  And I am known for that. Oh yes, my songwriting  – writing lyrics to music is a great strength of mine and singing is my thing, more than a thing; it’s my calling. I do it well and I am well received doing it. So that exactly is  what’s my turn to do. It’s my turn to sing and write more. Generations have come and gone, they did their part, they left their footprints. Now It’s my turn.

What is it that it’s your turn to do? Is it your turn to _________? ( see below, an excerpt from Seth Godin’s book)

Ship.

Speak up.

Stand out.

Build a following.

Market a product.

Make a connection.

Solve an interesting problem.

Write, sing, invent, create, ask a

question, launch a project, organize a protest,

open the door for someone, question authority,

make a short film, direct, produce, create, or adopt.

Learn a new skill.

Help someone who needs you.

Be missed if you’re gone.

Your Turn to make a ruckus

How will I be missed  when I’m gone..? What is my legacy? Well, I have my songs and my writings, I’ll love to keep copy-writing for other brands for income,  express my poetic side and write more short poems and of course continue to mark my footprints on the blogosphere. How about you?

Can I? Will I? Sure. I’m up to the challenge. A mini step to the bigger steps. And this is why I am doing the #YourTurnChallenge. Thanks Mr Godin.

 

 

Beautifully Dreaming…Positively Doing..

Tosinger

JOIN THE ‘#IAM’ MOVEMENT

Hullo Friends..

You gotta stay motivated, keep the year moving with much needed positivity that is why I totally and instantly resonated with this new campaign started by Lagos based Wiz Design Artist James Abinibi tagged the #iAm campaign. There is surely power in fortifying the mind and professing daily affirmations, albeit via visual tools such as these lovely eye-catching #iAm graphics.

The #iAm Campaign is aimed at promoting a self motivating attitude among African youths . The average young African is faced with daily challenges enough to criple every aspiration and hopes they have. Yet, we are strong willed and despite all the odds we face we are still ready to put in our best everytime we have an opportunity to. This kind of spirit is what the campaign aims to encourage; our environment does not define us, we can show the world who we really are through our lifestyle, culture and beliefs.
We believe, as Africans – whether male or female, we have the #iAm DNA in our system which enables us to achieve things beyond our presumed capabilities. We are able to create and achieve the moment we set our minds to it. Everyone of us should confidently proclaim this in any way we can; “I am Talent, Culture, Strength, Style, Hope, Love, Awesome… I am everything positive, I am everything I choose to be!”
The #iAm icon carries within it, the African Spirit. The motifs are a representation of our diverse culture and the different elements represent creativity in the authentic African culture.
“I define myself by my thoughts and words. I achieve because I put my mind to it, I am limitless! My Yesterday has nothing on my Tomorrow, I am the Future. Society doesn’t define me, Culture can never hold me back. I am whatever I put my mind to.”

For more :: Join the movement and like the page here .

www.facebook.com/theIAmCulture

Beautifully Dreaming.. Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger

P:S – Abinibi also does custom digital painting, click here for more info

‘Ile’ (Home) Music Video gets National Airplay

Hello Everyone,

How is the countdown to the end of 2013 looking like? Remember to always count your blessings and always believe. Never Give Up.  Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.  Realign your mind for even greater things in 2014. I was excited to wake up to a tweet from Pulse Records with the good news that my new music video ‘Ile’ (Home) will be airing on National US media outlets #WorldMusic. How sweet. Pulse Records is dedicated to redefining the modern record label by providing top-tier music opportunities to Independent & Unsigned artists. It’s time to #BeHeard. It is time to be encouraged to make more real and fresh music with a real message #Inspiration

“How can they hear without proclamation”

Make music you LOVE, something that represents your mission and pride. Authenticity prevails for fan support – PulseRecords

If you have not seen the video, here it is: “Home is where the heart is”

Click image below to read the news

Thank you all for your support so far. Be inspired.

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

WHEN STOP! PUSHES YOU TO GO!…

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give
the right things a chance to catch you.

Hullo Everyone,.. Today being the last day of the month of November…If you are like me, then I am sure reflections are already or about to get started and goal-setting for the new year is in process..

So I personally handpicked 7 of the 30 things to STOP (compiled by marcandangel)  and thought they were very important enough to share with you and may be a good mental ‘unlock key’ to open the doors to GO into 2014  on a positive slate.

1. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become
3. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now

5. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did

6. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

7. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

And ultimately, with God on your side, you CAN stop and GO!—>

If there is anything you should NOT stop —> ↓ ↓ ↓

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger