Coincidence or God-incidence?

It happened again...and I like it!

Last Saturday, I accepted an invitation to join a 'social networking' group. My normal reaction is to delete these mails, but this time, I thought, "What the heck?" So I signed up.

First thing I did was to browse my sponsor's friend list. I saw a name that made me think of a friend I had not seen for almost one score years when we were at university.

In the afternoon, my plan to attend a friend's wedding reception changed when I had a massive rip in my skirt (it happened in my car, thank God), so I ended up having a late lunch near where I work after I had gone home to change.

Guess who walked into the same restaurant barely half an hour afterward????!!! It was my friend from university. I could not believe my eyes...there he was...moving and breathing. I was deeply pleased to see the smile of recognition spread across his face when he saw me.

I wonder if there is any 'scientific' support for this kind of occurrence? Not that it is necessary. For me, these encounters are like a big warm hug from God!

Count the cost...and frequency

I am in the middle of a renovation project that I have been planning to do for about 5 years. My project manager is so enthusiastic and passionate about the project - which I like - but he's moving the work faster than I have money to pay for it :)

We had a tough (for me) discussion today. We have reached the point where my budget expires and everything from this point would hurt my pocket. At this rate, I may not be able to furnish the place for another century!!!

After I got off the phone, my mind went to the verse in the bible about a builder counting the cost before he starts. I would like to highlight that he needs to put into account the frequency vs availability of the resources needed to build the house.

It's not always in life that we have everything we need to do all we want to do but it is important to start...and pace yourself. Sooner than later, every step will add up and you will enjoy the fruit of your labour...eventually.

Coincidence or Fate?

It may have been a year or two ago - I don't remember.
What I do remember is that I got an email from a freind to check out a couple of companies in the US and UK, companies doing innovative work that they were looking to emulate.
I remember looking at the websites and thinking in my mind that it would be interesting to visit those companies to see how they work - or something along that line.
Today, by coincidence or fate, I spent half a day in one of those companies in Palo Alto, California, as part of an intensive one-week executive course i'm doing at Stanford.
It was not until I got there that the thought struck me: without any effort or deleberate intervention from me, here i am living a secret wish whispered from my heart to God's ears. I felt overwhelmed by how connected everything is, and how the spiritual realm must be alive to possibilities that if we are 'lucky', we will experience in the flesh realm.
Also makes me wonder what other goodie is just around the corner...

Sleepless in Lagos

In the run up to the governorship election, it dawned on me that all the candidates were saying the same thing: top of the agenda is 'constant electiricity supply'. For a country with our resources and skills, it still bends my mind why electricity should be a promise carrot dangled in front of our faces in exchange for votes.

I've heard many arguments, but no matter the justification, the fact still remains that we are losing masses of productivity hours just because of this one thing. Not to mention the oppressive heat in the office because we can't have any air conditioning. I have taken to walking up the 14 flights of stairs to my office because i am petrified of getting stuck in the lift (elevator)!

It's been so bad that i have taken to working at night, when the generator in my housing estate is switched on, and sleeping late in the morning. Well, at least till 5:30 am because i have to be out of the house by 6 if i dont want to spend the whole morning sitting in traffic.

It's past midnight as i write this, and i'm glad today is saturday. Election Day. Maybe i'll get some sleep...

Ideas

I get a lot of ideas. I like to think they are good ideas. If i had a Naira for every 'good' idea that i've ever had, i'd be a very rich woman today. I had a very good one today.

Yet, no matter how special and unique i think my idea is, someone else seems to have the same idea. I know because they do something about it before i do and i HATE that.

Once i had a brilliant idea and spent a couple of months putting together a business plan. The day the plan was ready, i read a full page article of a man who had implemented my idea to the letter. So spooky...like someone gave him all my material!

I was stunned and hurt, but i sent him an email to say congratulations anyway. At least this time, i had not spent too much money before finding out someone else got there before me...like the last time.

I tried to stop thinking once...but that only lasted a couple of hours. I found i was thinking about how people who had too many ideas could take a vacation from their toughts :)