STRANDED!

Hi guys,

I trust you are all well!

I got back on Virgin Atlantic this morning, and it’s good to be home!

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult, impossible and seemingly dead-end situation? How did you get out of it? How did you deal with it?

 I had my share of being stranded recently when I went to London to attend a series of meetings.  I was only planning to be there for three days, and on the very day I was meant to return to Nigeria, the Iceland volcano erupted.

It started like a joke, and then I realised that it was really serious. All the UK airports were shut; and there was no traffic in the UK airspace because of the flying hazard that had been created by a volcanic ash cloud. It was a deadlock – no one could come in, and no one could leave.

I’m quite spiritual, and though millions of people were stranded, I felt that I was stranded in London for a particular reason. As a result, I became very expectant; waiting on God and praying to Him to show to me why my trip had been delayed – because I don’t believe anything happens by chance.

I got back into Lagos today, and when the plane landed at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, I felt a strange sense of warmth and relief. I love Nigeria and I’m very excited about being back!

One thing that this whole experience made me realise is that God is greater than any man, and if you don’t believe in God, this is probably the time to start.

I think it is important we look within to find out when things happen to us whether they happened for a reason and to explore to the fullest why things keep happening.

So, have you been stranded recently? Have you ever found yourself between the devil and the deep blue sea? What are some of the approaches you took and how did you handle it? I’d like to hear your story!

What's in a name?

Hi guys, 
What is in a name? And how important is it that we choose names that are meaningful andrelevant?  A name is more than a means of identification. 


A name is a mark of distinctionthat distinguishes an individual or a product. 
When i decided to go into my full time business, I started a company called VLA. VLA is an acronym of Victoria Lawrence & Associates, which are my parents’ names put together. My mum’s name is Victoria, my dad, Lawrence, and the Associates– that’s me, bringing them together.  


I want to advice that when you’re thinking of a name for your business, your pet,your son or daughter, you select a name that has plenty of meaning, something you can look back on. That’s the unique thing about Africans, we live our names – we are our names. Why don’t you tell me about names that you have found most significant? Do you findthat your name is working for you, or against you?


And if you have a moment, please check out Femi Odugbemi’s very interesting and fascinatingnew documentary, Oriki, on youtube. To view this documentary, go to www.youtube.com, and type in - ‘oriki a documentary by Femi Odugbemi’ into the search window.  


Do you know what your oriki is?  Guess what guys – mine is Ajifowoke, and in my next post, I’ll tell you all what that’s all about.


Thanks for staying with me. I’d like to hear from you!

April Fool’s Day

Hello guys, Happy April Fool’s day! I don’t know if you’ve fallen for any of the April fool’s jokes today. I certainly have not. Which is really strange, because I’m a worrisome type; the kind that gets concerned and wants to act and change the world immediately I receive troubling messages.

This morning, my BB went off, it was a message from one of my friends. Just to show you the kind of crazy friends I have, the message read: suspected palace coup in Nigeria – Yaradua feared dead, whereabouts of Goodluck unknown, but the leader of the coup is unknown lieutenant Balad Usman, CNN.

My initial reaction was to panic, and then, I thought – come on, this is April fool’s day!

My other phone goes off and it’s Jade, one of the producers on my show.

She sent me a message - Turai had been made a minister! By then, I already knew she was trying to fool me.

I tried to fool someone else, but that didn’t work either.

So, what about you? I don’t know what your April fool’s day experience has been. What has been the most interesting thing you’ve heard today?  Share with me!

Have a blessed April!