The Impactful Moments of Tolulope Ahmed
Some people
might think it is self-deprecatory while others might think it is
self-aggrandizing to start to write one’s biography at an early age. But if you
look at it very well, you might notice some few reasons why this is so important:
1.
It helps to effectively CAPTURE some
transforming moments that could greatly impart other lives before those moments
are forgotten [or before one cannot make time again to document them].
2.
It is a form of self-science. You learn and discover
more things about yourself as you write in retrospect. It’s just like when you see
a movie again; you pick up on some SUBTLETIES you didn’t pick when you saw it
the first time.
I believe this
is just the first season of this biography.
I’ll start with the very first visible impact that occurred in my
life. It was when my Dad told me that I was going to be attempting UME (now
UTME) in my SS2 [as against the conventional SS3]. This was a great challenge for me. You would understand
why I said it was a challenge in the following paragraphs about my educational
background:
Contrary
to the convention of leaving school in primary 5 or 6, I left primary school in
primary 4 and went straight to JSS1 without writing common entrance [This was enough
for my brain to be 1or 2 years behind]. My JSS1 was a total waste
because all I constantly did in school was to go out and play video games with
my friends. I never saw any of the results of the exams I wrote [I wasn’t expecting
any result anyway]. I changed my school and struggled to catch up with
my colleagues in JSS2 and JSS3 in which my performance got better [at the end of
JSS3, my rating was 2nd position in a class of about 50].
Again,
contrary to convention of writing the Junior WAEC, I changed school and went
straight into SS1 (science class) without writing any exam. As though that wasn’t
enough, I found that I was the only science student in my class [a class of
two]. It was only me and my teacher. He taught me almost all my science
subjects for TWO YEARS. I practically learnt nothing in most of my subjects. So
you can imagine how it felt when my Dad now told me I was going to be
attempting UME in my SS2!
This
challenge was the beginning of
personal discipline and personal development for me. I didn’t want to fail the
JAMB exam and I didn’t want to fail my Dad either; so I developed a commitment
to PERSONAL TRAINING. I began to teach myself several topics in my subjects.
“Break times” were “study times” for me. In no time, I attracted the attention
of some of my teachers. I told them my goal and they gave me personal
development books that could help me. I had a great determination. I learnt so
many things during my study times and I came up with the following statements
of success:
1.
“If you can read, write and
understand; you can TEACH YOURSELF anything!”
2.
“If you are waiting for people to
teach you everything, there is a big probability that they will not; and you
might end up not learning anything. Therefore, develop yourself!”
Results:
Today,
I have applied these two principles to achieve many things in my life: I
studied many personal books to teach myself how to design. Today I’m the
managing director of Spectacular Designs [and I never went to a design school]. Also I
type at the speed of 50 words per minute with the keyboard by practically
sitting down to say “I can teach myself certain things” [and I never went to a typing
school] and many other things I’ve learnt this way. You too can do the
same. Remember, “If you can read, write
and understand; you can teach yourself anything!”
The Choice for Principles—the means for achieving my goals
I passed my exams but later went for
pre-degree program of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun
State. It was at the pre-degree program that I had the greatest experience with
God. I got filled with the Holy Ghost [with the evidence of speaking in tongues]. I
started finding out the principles of God concerning every area of my life especially
my academics. I found out those principles, applied them accordingly, and to my
amazement, I started walking in excellence in my academics. I averaged 74% in
my pre-degree program and was admitted to study Engineering Physics, in the
Department of Physics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (OAU Ife).
At
this time I had learnt two big lessons:
1.
To manifest excellence, I must walk along side with God, and
2.
Results will become obvious in my
life after I have APPLIED principles in alignment with God’s Word.
I realized
that in this world, there are principles that cannot be changed. All I need to
do is to learn those principles and ALIGN myself to them. The Reality Principle states: "Deal with the
world as it is, not as you wish it would be." This was my resolve from that time onward.
Serving others—the Greatest Secret to becoming a True Leader
I had developed a great passion for
serving God from my pre-degree experience. I loved God so much! I was willing
to work for the Lord in my fellowship. I was a passionate student of God’s
Word. And in no time, God noticed me and chose me as one of the leaders that
would lead other first year students of my fellowship (2Tim. 2:20—21).
This
was surprising to me. But I was not willing to fail God. So I started
again—reading and learning all I could find on leadership, communication,
spiritual development [being more like Christ], etc. It was around this
time I got to know about “The ministry of listening to messages” [like I now call
it]. This gave me speedy growth. I learnt 3 great lessons:
1.
Audio trainings [and audio
messages] is the greatest breakthrough in education since the invention of the
printing press.
2.
Personal development is the NATURAL
springboard [or
launch pad] to personal excellence, and the big one.
3.
Serving others is the KEY to
greatness in life!
I learnt the
great quote: “What do we live for if not
to make the world less difficult for each other?” (George Eliot). All my
successes in the university can be summarized in one word, “service”. I served
at all the levels of my stay on the campus. “Who I had become” was through
service. Who I became was the greatest thing I took out of the university [and not even my
first-class CGPA].
The Choice for Purpose—discovering and accepting my destination in life
In my second year, I was serving as a
teacher in the Principles’ School of the Gospel Students’ Fellowship (GSF OAU).
I had 7 students. I constantly developed myself spiritually in order to be able
to impart the “life” of the Word of God into their lives. I loved them so much!
I was always concerned about their well-being.
Then
I began to have a sense of “purpose”. I basically define purpose as “God’s use
of a person in life”. I began to ask God what was the best thing I could do in
life to effectively advance His Kingdom. After several prayers, meditation,
thinking, and great encounters with God [especially through the ministry of listening to messages], I had a glimpse that I
would be in the ministry as a teacher and a trainer of young people in life. I
had an idea that I have a career in Information and Communication
Technology—solving people’s problems with computers [and technology]. The other
details were to come later. I realized that purpose is not a thing to be
assumed and it is not a thing one discovers once [and fully]. It’s uncovered day
by day as one’s knowledge, encounters with God, and insight increase.
The Choice for Mentors—the key to alignment to my purpose
Then I learnt The Four Fundamental Questions a man of purpose must be able to
answer [in
the following order]:
1.
What is my purpose in life? [In what way can I
best serve the interest of the Kingdom of God?]
2.
Who would mentor me along this path of purpose? [Who
is already walking in this path of my purpose?]
3.
Who will be my life partner for this purpose? [Who has the potentials compatible to my purpose?]
4.
Do I have all the necessary resources to maintain these
decisions for the rest of my life? [Am I ready to
follow through?]
Then all of a
sudden, a lot of things became so clear to me. I am not in this world to live
for myself but to live for others. I realized that if the first two questions were
not answered well, I wouldn’t be ready yet to perceive who my life partner would
be. I realized that marriage relationship is based on the discovery of purpose with the guidance of mentors.
Then I went straight under the tutelage and mentoring of my Pastor, Tunde
Aroyehun of the Living Epistles Family Church, Alakuko, Lagos State. This choice
affected ALL the things I was involved in especially in the ‘positions’ I was
serving God in my fellowship.
In my third
year (2009), I had the opportunity to serve as the Vice Principal of the
Principles’ School of GSF OAU. Serving God and the students took me through a
training process of handling practical life issues. I was practically doing the
work of a pastor and a mentor for all the students I had to oversee.
In my 4th and
final year, I served as the senior pastor of the University Joint Christian
Mission, Pre-degree Students’ Fellowship, Ipetumodu, Osun State (2009/2010). At
the same time, I was serving as the President of the Christian Association of
Physics and Engineering Physics Students (CAPEPS OAU). The training processes I
went through became intense. It shaped me into the person I became at the end
of the day.
In the same 2009,
for the very first time, I wrote down my dream list (or statements of purpose
in life). This was perhaps the greatest personal development exercises I did.
It practically set my life on the path that I ‘know’ I must follow. Then I
chose my second mentor, Pastor Segun Obadje, Senior pastor of God’s Love
Tabernacle International Church, Ile-Ife. My vision after locating him was to
walk with speed, grace and excellence towards fulfilling purpose and
destiny—for which I am experiencing and enjoying today!
In the same
year, God told me to write a book on academics to transform the academic
performance of many students of the university [and also secondary schools]. I
completed the book within 7 months and the reviewed it for another 1 and half
years. I titled it “10 Absolutely Unbreakable LAWS OF ACADEMIC
EXCELLENCE”. The book was completed in
February, 2011 and was launched in March 11, 2011. And I have received many
testimonies since from a lot of people who have read it.
With my
purpose quite defined for me, my mentors strategically positioned in my life,
my covenant friend and my students I directly influence [especially my mentorees],
I can proudly say that I have a structure of relationship that would guide me
to always take the right decisions as I live life. I am quite sure that I am
set on the path that I must follow for my life, career, purpose and destiny.
You too can put these structures in place in your life and experience the same!
To be
continued…
Tolulope
Oluwaseun Ahmed,
Author, “10 Laws of Academic Excellence”
08033924595
| 08156924520
BlackBerry PIN: 22559139
tolulopeahmed@gmail.com
http://avenuestowealth.com/tolulopeahmed
