Author: Zamai (page 45 of 49)

July 1, 2020 / 1 Comment

FOR THE LOVE OF JON BELLION: 7 Things To Emulate From His Creative Style

In 2017, I first got introduced to Jon Bellion through his hit single, “All time low” and since then, I have become a loyal fan (a.k.a Bellionaire) till date.

Jonathan ‘Jon’ Bellion has been able to bring a unique and thoughtful style of music through his lyrics, energy and how his mind works. As a song writer, producer, singer and child of God, Jon successfully built a loyal fan base, coupled with hundreds of million streams on his music albums.

Personally, his 2016 album, “The Human Condition” is still the best album in terms of composition, and meaning. Even the outro on the album, “Hand of God” has to be the grandest finale in music history.

Indeed, Jon Bellion is worthy of emulation and a creative force to reckon with. That’s why I coined out seven tips we can learn from how this beautiful mind (wordplay intended) approaches music.

Here we go…

1. HAVE AN EXTREME LOVE FOR WHAT YOU DO

Jon Bellion is crazily passionate about music and clearly showcases it in his workflow and songs produced. In his interviews and documentaries, he is dubbed as the artist who uses ‘the human voice as an instrument’.

Facial Expressions and Artwork for Jon Bellion

In his early days, Jon was responsible for the vocals, instrumentals, lyrics and even minor ad-libs of his songs. This speaks highly of his drive for excellence and unique sound synonymous with his music.

FYI: it’s important to find that one thing you are good at and love to do at the same time. The Japanese call it “Ikigai”. This is your true calling.

If you have not found it yet, cultivate a welcoming love for what you currently do. You can do this by gathering knowledge, and developing a curious nature in that particular field.

Keep the huge boundless energy for the work you love to do.

2. FIND CIRCLES OF FRIENDS WHO SHARE THE SAME PASSION IN YOUR DESIRED FIELD

After listening to Jon Bellion’s songs a dozen times, I noticed some familiar voices throughout the course of his musical journey.

Cover art for ‘He is the Same’ Music Single

This includes other talented artists like Blaque Keyz, Vice and some others. While they play only small roles (e.g ad-libs and short rap verses) in his songs, it’s obvious Jon spends a lot of time on and off his studio sessions with these guys.

FYI: So dear, there will always be time when the creative juice is not flowing. That’s what this circle of friends is for. These guys will always be there to pull you through. They will be there to cheer you during your success. These set of friends will also be there to laugh and correct your mistakes.

Always be on the lookout for such people. You can find them in related communities or random events related to your chosen field. And when you find them, don’t let them go. Also prepare to offer value to them too.

This brings us to the third advice:

3. DEVELOP YOURSELF BEFORE FORMING OR JOINING A TEAM

Yeah, this is an advice most young people like you and I fail to understand. Guys have rushed into sour partnerships because they failed to assess their strength and that of their teammates.

Cover art for ‘Weight of the World’ music single

I am a huge believer in collaboration and I strongly believe everyone has to bring something to the table. Collaboration is truly achieved when all parties benefit from each other. Hence, a group is only as strong as its weakest link.

So develop yourself first before forming that dream team. Acquire the necessary skills. Build the portfolio. Achieve something independently before seeking interdependence.

In this context, your vision becomes clearer to others once they see what you are already building.

In the case of Jon Bellion, there is a huge difference between his previous albums and his most recent – Glory Sound Prep (GSP). The latest album was more organised, sophisticated and mature as a result of his collaboration with other artistes. Same goes for his acoustic songs done with groups of instrumentalists.

The reason is simple. Collaboration works best when each member of the team is good. Your enthusiasm and objective is also shared and achieved when there’s clear proof of what you’ve done.

I always want to approach records from where it feels very graspable. You know what the song’s about, but it’s presented to you in a way that’s like, ‘I never heard something like this before,’ but it doesn’t push you away.
Jon Bellion in an interview.

4. LEARN TO DRAW INSPIRATION FROM OTHER INTERESTS

Jon Bellion once said, he gets inspired by watching a Pixar movie on silent and listening to Nas. He clearly expresses his other interests and influences to produce the music he wants to do.

Album art for ‘New York Soul’ music single

Besides, I first got drawn to the well-illustrated and visually appealing cover of the Human Condition album. (And I am a lover of animations too.)

FYI: I hope this shows that you can combine your interests into your current work. After all, originality is simply the refinement of old ideas in a new and creative way.

5. SHARE YOUR VULNERABILITY IN YOUR WORK

Another beautiful trait of Jon Bellion’s music is how honest and relatable his lyrics are.

Honesty. Empathy. Relatability. These values are essential.

So when sharing your work, always remember to add a personal touch of vulnerability and openness. People love to relate with who they understand. They want to understand how you make them feel. Trigger those emotions by being open to them.

We are all attracted to success stories because of the struggles they faced before triumphing.

So learn to share yours. Because it is one of the ways your audience can connect with you on a deeper level.

“Although I guess if I knew tomorrow-I guess I wouldn’t need faith,
I guess if I never fell, I guess I wouldn’t need grace,
I guess if I knew His plans, I guess He wouldn’t be God”
Jon Bellion, Maybe IDK

6. SEE YOUR WORK AS A JOURNEY

I guess this is why I am still stuck to the melody of Jon Bellion. For instance, the hook of ‘Want to be Loved’ (2011) goes like this:

See we just want to be loved, is that so much to ask?
See we just want to be loved, is that so much to ask?
See I just want to be loved, is that so much to ask?
See I just want to be, see I just want to be loved

Then, in 2018, the chorus of “Stupid Deep” goes like this:

What if who I hoped to be was always me?
And the love I fought to feel was always free?
What if all the things I’ve done
Were just attempts at earning love? Yeah
‘Cause the hole inside my heart is stupid deep, oh, stupid deep.

This alone signifies improvement in his music and outlook towards life. Coincidentally, Jon Bellion has an album titled ‘Growth’, a collection of previous songs before the GSP album.

FYI: In life, there are several phases. When you’re young, you are currently in a phase too. It’s important to enjoy the moments in each phase. Acknowledge the fact that Excellence is an act. It’s a process. Learn to document it as you go on.

Conversations with my Father and he’s telling me
There’s a point in making memories
‘Cause they’ll be even better when we’re heavenly
Jon Bellion, Mah’s Joint

You are now at the best part. Here is my most important tip from Jon Bellion.

7. HAVE FAITH, BELIEVE IN GOD AND HAVE A SENSE OF PURPOSE

I came to the realization that I’m a child of God, and that’s my identity. If this all goes tomorrow, I don’t have the proverbial rug under me that can be pulled out. I’m taken care of, and there’s someone who loves me.

– Jon Bellion.

Yeah, I was glad to know Jon self-identifies as a child of God. This makes his songs more memorable and appealing. He preaches a message bigger than himself through his music.

So in sum,

When you’re lost in the universe, lost in the universe
Don’t lose faith
My mother says, “Your whole life’s in the hand of God”…
Jon Bellion, Hand of God

Have Faith.
Believe in God.
Have a sense of purpose.

With this mindset, you will approach your life and work with long-term thinking and wider perspective.

Life becomes more satisfying and eternity becomes inevitable.

Jon Bellion illustration – Glory Sound Prep Album

(All pictures used in this post is the creative work of David Ardinaryas Lojaya, a character designer and amazing illustrator)

May 31, 2020 / 1 Comment

TIME MANAGEMENT: 6 PROVEN STRATEGIES TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.

Note: This is a Guest Post. The thoughts and words contained in this article is the beautiful work of Diana Ufuah. Enjoy reading. Please comment and share when you’re done.

Have you ever felt like time was overwhelming or out of control? Have you struggled towards getting what you want and it seemed like there was no way out?

There might have been some dark days when you felt time wasn’t and would never be enough no matter how hard you tried. Well, let’s not conclude on that yet cause here lies all the strategies you need to make the desires of your heart reality.

Time is an element of Life that doesn’t stop, fast forward or rewind; it just is. Once wasted or carelessly used, it cannot be retrieved but one can always make adjustments to repair the past with the present in order to make strategies for the future.

Time management is the conscious act of planning and organizing specific activities over a specific timeline. Nobody actually has the ability to control time but everyone has the power to control what they do with time so time management is a skill that every interested person can master.

Time is an element of Life that doesn’t stop, fast forward or rewind; it just is. Once wasted or carelessly used, it cannot be retrieved but one can always make adjustments to repair the past with the present in order to make strategies for the future.

Every successful individual or organization has embedded in their structure, the value for time. The popular saying “Time is money” signifies that the proper use of time is what creates the value for money if wisely channeled.

WHY YOU NEED TO MANAGE YOUR TIME TODAY.

Time management is a stress reliever. It is an antidote for procrastination. It has an outstanding way of eliminating anxiety. It takes away the feeling that you’ve lost control and rewards you with even more time to spend playing video games or doing whatever you do for fun.

Time management helps you reach your dreams and goals faster with so much ease. Time is like the journey to a destination; a destination which is your dream and goal.

Every activity you engage in are the steps that you take in that journey. The problem is that most people never take any step towards their destination.

Time management is the fuel that drives and guides all the steps (activities) towards that destination. If you take the right step in the right direction, you’d reach your destination (goal or dream) sooner than you expect.

No matter how small the steps are, if consistency is applied you are guaranteed to reach your goal.

LIFE CHANGING TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Below are six unique strategies that have been used by people of all ages to manage time and get everything they desired.

CLARIFY YOUR GOALS

The first and most important aspect of reaching that destination is to know exactly where you are going. You must clarify what it is that you want to spend the asset called time on. Definition of purpose is reaching the purpose half way.

Stating your goals, dreams or desires allows you to Identify your specific destination which is different from somebody else’s. One way to do this is to write the goals you want to achieve whether long or short term.

BREAK YOUR GOAL INTO SPECIFIC PIECES.

The surest way to eat an elephant is to first cut it piece by piece. Now that you have your specific goals outlined, take time to break these goals into tasks or activities. These are the steps to your destination and they are very important as they make up the journey.

For example, let’s take a goal to be “Get a job in a month”, your activities would look similar to these;

– Apply for 5 jobs a day
– Watch 1 YouTube video daily on how to ace a job interview.
– Read 1 article on a job hunt site.
– Rewrite Resumé.
– Start an online course to increase skills.

Make sure to keep the tasks basic, easy and add fun to it. Make it Interesting so you don’t burn out.

CREATE A TO-DO LIST AND STICK TO IT.

A to-do list is a wonderful guide to reaching all your goals. It is a map to your destination; a graphical pattern of how time should be wisely spent.

A to-do list actually changed my life. I write my to-do list a night before the next day, sleep over the thought, wake up the next morning, go through it and kick off with the right energy (because it was written a night before, my subconscious mind prepares for it by the next day).

This simple technique drew me faster to my goals and I achieved them sooner than I expected. Start a to-do list, write 10 basic activities to engage in for the day, stick to it and watch the magic happen.

PRIORITIZE YOUR TASKS.

Prioritizing the tasks in your to-do list helps to utilize maximum energy for the most important tasks. From my personal experience, I divide my tasks into A, B and C.

The ‘A’ tasks are the most important tasks. I do these tasks in the morning because that is my most creative and most focused state of mind.

The ‘B’ tasks are necessary tasks with milder consequences. This I do at noon times.

The “C” tasks are tasks that can be delegated. Something with little or no consequences but still needs to be done. I do these tasks in the evenings and I usually add my leisure activities here.

You can adopt this strategy or find something that works for you, but make sure you do your most important tasks at your highest time of creativity.

FOCUS ON ONE TASK AT A TIME.

While multitasking helps you do a lot of activities at a time, it reduces the quality of the work done. So, I recommend monotasking. Quality over work done is a truck-load of value and satisfaction. It actually saves you more time because the chances of errors are limited, you wouldn’t need to come back and redo them.

Performing one task at a time prompts high level of concentration.
The more you practice monotasking, the more you’d master speed and accuracy which is invaluable.

ASK YOURSELF “WHAT IS THE BEST THING TO DO NOW”

“Now” is the name of time. “Now” is what you can always control. “Now” is when you can make all the choices, not “before” and not “after”. If you always use this very moment wisely, then you’ve mastered life and time altogether.

At those moments when you might drift away from your to-do list, ask yourself “what is the best use of my time now” and you would always come up with the best answer.

“Now” is the name of time. “Now” is what you can always control. “Now” is when you can make all the choices, not “before” and not “after”. If you always use this very moment wisely, then you’ve mastered life and time altogether.

Make the decision to follow each strategy outlined in this article “now” if you are really keen about starting the journey to getting the things you want and you will surely be amazed at the wonderful outcome.

These strategies here have been used in different formats by highly successful people of the past and present. If you want to be called successful, then take the same actions of successful men and women.

Master Time Management, Get All You Want.

Diana Ufuah.

April 23, 2020 / 26 Comments

The Best Investments To Do Right Now In Your 20s and 30s

At the beginning of the year, (5th January 2020 to be precise), I posed this question to a popular Nigerian venture capitalist and investor on Twitter:

“Sir, as a young millennial just starting a career and investment portfolio; which investment plan in Nigeria could workout and pay off in the long game for the next decade?”

I never got a direct answer till today. But after some research, personal experience and interactions with other like-minded individuals, I finally found the answers. And this is what this article is about.

At the end of this article, you will learn six investments you can do right now and the direct steps to undertake these investments.

First of all, Investing is committing money or capital with the expectations of financial gains. In finance, it is defined as placing your capital in the hopes of getting profit from its usage or appreciation.

For the modern millenial like you and I, Investment must be a smart game. A game that is carefully leveraged with the right information and technologies to reap future benefits.

So here are six investments you can do right now in your twenties or thirties with the above perspective in mind:

1. INVEST IN U.S STOCKS

One of the world’s richest men and the godfather of investing, Warren Buffett got rich through this type of investment. He transitioned from buying stocks of companies in his country at a young age to owning major shares and eventually owning some of these companies. Buffett got wealthy because of two reasons:
– The stability of the United States (U.S) Economy
– His consistency, discipline and due diligence

The second reason can be honed and developed over time but the first reason (financial stability) is only achieved in developed countries with strong economic background. This is why I am specifically about investing in U.S Stocks, not just any shares or stocks.

So the question is…

How Can You Invest in U.S Stocks?

If you are an American, the process is pretty easy for you. But if you’re a Nigerian (like me), you can’t physically walk into the United States Stock market to get started.

Nonetheless, today’s technology makes it possible to buy and sell U.S Stocks. Personally, I use a mobile app called Bamboo. Bamboo is a platform that allows you to use your Nigerian bank details to access these shares. They have a limited number of companies to buy stocks from, but it suits my investment needs so far.

I have also heard about similar platforms like Chaka, Rise but I haven’t tried them out. You can always do your research and due diligence. It’s also possible to find a more secure, faster and convenient way to buy U.S stocks if your research is done right.

2. INVEST IN MUTUAL FUNDS

Mutual fund is a form of collective investment where money from many investors is pooled and invested in various securities (such as stocks, bonds, treasury bills e.t.c.) under the direction of a fund manager.

In simpler terms, Mutual funds can be imagined as Pizza slices where you are able to get extra value (in this case, profit) usually exclusive to the table of the affluent.

Personally, I love mutual funds because of its stability, diversification and competitive returns. There is always a specific mutual fund that can fit your investment needs and risk/profit appetite.

How Can You Invest in Mutual Funds?

You can always purchase mutual funds from licensed and authorised asset management companies. For instance, I invest in mutual funds through Anchoria Asset Management Limited (you can find more details here).

As usual, I advise you to gather knowledge, seek guidance before purchasing mutual funds. Due diligence is also key here.

3. INVEST IN CRYPTOCURRENCY

This is definitely the most futuristic and arguably a debatable Investment path on this list. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency based on a cryptographic system. For example, Bitcoin is a currency based on complex digital technology and solely traded on the Internet.

How Can You Invest in Cryptocurrency

Presently, I don’t have an investment in cryptocurrency (even though I used to have a Bitcoin wallet and dabbled in other cryptocurrencies too), but I have friends who get gains and preach the gospel of the cryptocurrency. (And I hope to join them soon. I am still gathering specific knowledge)

As a millenial, you have to embrace technology and the role it is playing in the modern society. Technology is accelerating rapidly, entering virtually all sectors of the economy. And Money will eventually be one of them. So endeavour to balance both your knowledge and experience before venturing into the beautiful world of Cryptocurrency.

This is not all. Do you want to know what the last three best investments are?

4. INVEST IN YOUR DREAMS

Photo by William Bayreuther from Unsplash

Your best investment is still yourself. Strive to be the best version of you. Invest your time, energy and resources in building your income, impact and influence. Because investing in yourself is the only way the other investments can grow and flourish rapidly.

How Can You Invest in Yourself?

Build relevant skills. Expand your knowledge. Do this with intentionality and purpose. Always remember to invest in your dreams.

5. INVEST IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE

When investing in yourself, the next closely related investment is building quality relationships with people. Why is this investment also important?

Because People own companies. People build businesses. People sell products. People buy products. People share knowledge. People teach skills. People develop technologies.

The closer you get the right people, the faster and better your chances of building a wealthy future. The closer you enter those circles of influence, the bigger your sphere of affluence becomes.

How Can You Invest in Relationships

Trust me, I keep learning to do this investment every day. And I try to build these relationships using the law of 33%:

– Spend 33% of your resources with people below you (your mentees)
– Spend 33% of your resources with people on the same level with you (your peers)
– Spend 33% of your resources with people above you (your mentors)

Your resources involves your experience, energy and expertise. Using this law, you get to teach, interact and learn from everyone you come in contact with. It also gives the needed balance in your relationships with people.

Here is the last and most important investment of them all.

6. INVEST IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Whilst you are young and agile, there is always the tendency to throw caution to the wind in a bid to enjoy the pleasures of life. That youthful exuberance. That boundless energy. I still pass through this phase every moment of my life and I have found out that a close relationship with God brings the balance.

Investing in a close continuous lovely relationship with God eliminates your anxieties and worries for the future. It also allows you to make peace with the past and be content with the present.

Note this down – You were created for eternity. And you are a spiritual being simply having an earthly experience. The investment with God enables you to enjoy both worlds. Savouring Today and Enjoying Tomorrow’s rewards.

How Can You Invest in a Relationship with God?

For me, I know God more by studying His Word – the Bible. I communicate with Him through prayers and I observed His marvellous works through the circumstances around me. All these are parts of investing in a relationship with God.

You can start with these principles and carve your path. A path that suits you. It’s a personal relationship after all.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, but lose his soul?”
Mark 8:36

FINAL WORDS

Investments will always come with risks. No pain, no gain, right? But there’s one key factor I have highlighted throughout this article:

Constantly seek Knowledge. Because Knowledge is the biggest insurance against risks.

Acquire knowledge in the fields of investments you plan to venture into. Watch and ask from seasoned Investors in that field. There will always be mistakes, so learn to use your experience to maximise success and reduce future failure. Learn to take smart risks.

So that’s it.

In sum, Invest in U.S Stocks, Mutual funds, and cryptocurrencies. More importantly, Invest in your dreams, people and your relationship with God. These are the best investments you can do right now.

Finally, remember investment is a marathon and could be boring at times. But it always pays off at the end.

Cheers to your continued success and creativity.