BY ARC. MUFADIL O. BAKARE A PRESENTATION AT MICA ABUJA ANNUAL RETREAT 1430 A.H,

BY JOHN C. MAXWELL TALENT IS NEVER ENOUGH

TALENT? 1. endowment: natural abilities or qualities. 2. a person who possesses unusual innate ability in some field or activity. It points you out at the beginning It is a God-given gift

INTRODUCTION 1.0 WHEN TALENT ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH Obafemi awolowo Onagoruwa Arc. Ovredjo Ustaz AbdulMalik Nurudeen

2.0 DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES ? a. EVERYONE HAS A TALENT It does not matter how you feel about yourself, or whether you had previously achieved success. You definitely have Talent and you can develop it. b. Develop your given Talent not the Desired one. The 20% principle of growth c. Anyone Can Make choices That Will Add Value to Talent. THE KEY CHOICES YOU MAKE, APART FROM THE NATURAL TALENT YOU ALREADY HAVE, WILL SET YOU APART FROM OTHERS WHO HAVE TALENT ALONE.

3.0 YOU CAN DO IT! MUHAMMAD BILAAL DREAM TEAM 4, 1996 OLYMPICS GEORGE OPONG WEAH OBAMA BARACK YOU – Have to make Choices, every choice you make makes You. Choice about Marriage, Education, Leisure, Pleasure, Accommodation, etc. Most importantly, who will you become in life and where will you be for ETERNITY?

TALENT + RIGHT CHOICES “ You have brain in your head You have feet in your shoes You can steer yourself Any direction you choose” Talent + Right choices =

A talent-Plus Person A talent- Plus Person must discover, adapt adopt and live with the following 13 Key choices: 1. BELIEF LIFTS YOUR TALENT. 2. PASSION ENERGIZES YOUR TALENT. 3. INITIATIVE ACTIVATES YOUR TALENT 4. FOCUS DIRECTS YOUR TALENT 5. PREPARATION POSITIONS YOUR TALENT 6. PRACTICE SHARPENS YOUR TALENT 7. PERSEVERANCE SUSTAINS YOUR TALENT 8. COURAGE TESTS YOUR TALENT 9. TEACHABILITY EXPANDS YOUR TALENT 10.CHARACTER PROTECTS YOUR TALENT 11. RELATIONSHIPS INFLUENCE YOUR TALENT 12. RESPONSIBILITY STRENGTHENS YOUR TALENT 13. TEAMWORK MULTIPLIES YOUR TALENT

BELIEF LIFTS YOUR TALENT Wa man youmin biLlah yahdi qalbah Aaminul biLlah wa rasulih, yutiikum kiflain min rahmatih  Belief in your Potentials “ The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing can solve the world’s problems” Ghandi  Belief in Your Mission – It will empower you, it will propel you. And it will encourage you. Arc. Frank Lloyd Wright noted “ the thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing make it happen. Example restoration of Abuja Masterplan- El Rufai. Prof and Exam

EXERCISE 1  WRITE A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF YOURSELF  WHAT ARE 5 TOP TALENTS? GET HELP IF YOU DONT KNOW, READ BOOKS, ASK FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND FAMILY  LIST 3 ACTIVITIES YOU ARE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT

What is the greatest threat to your talent? Lack of resources? Training? Opportunity?

It is Lack of Character!

Components of Character Self discipline – the ability to do what is right even when you don’t feel like doing it. Greek philosopher Plato said “The first and best victory is to conquer self”

Core values – the principles we live by everyday. They define what we believe and how we live. Ideally we should write out our core values so that they become a clear beacon we can always use to guide us

A sense of identity – who am I? “No one can for any considerable time wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered s to which is the true one” – Nathaniel Hawthorne No matter how hard you try, you cannot consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with how you see yourself

Integrity – alignment of values, thoughts, feelings and actions. In his book American Scandal, Pat Williams tells the story of Mahatma Ghandi’s trip to England before Parliament. The british government had opposed Indian independence, and Ghandi, one of its most vocal proponents, had often been arrested, threatened, and jailed as a result

Ghandi spoke eloquently and passionately for nearly two hours, after which the packed hall gave him a standing ovation. Afterward a reporter asked Ghandi’s assistant, Mahadev Desai, how the Indian statesman had been able to deliver such a speech without any notes

“You don’t understand Ghandi,” Desai responded. “You see, what he thinks is what he feels. What he feels is what he says. What he says is what he does. What Ghandi feels, what he thinks, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes.”

Do you know there are many people with less talent who go the farthest because they care more about character and integrity and all the other positive life traits that support that talent.

It comes down to commitment to your talent. Developing it means caring enough about it to make right decisions in all the areas of your life so your talent isn't sidetracked or put on hold.

Reflect on who you are for some minutes. What are your core values? Write it on the piece of paper provided What is it that thing you are so passionate and talented in, you consider it a natural gift? What have you done to develop this area of gifting.

WA BILLAHI TAOFEEQ. oKAM MIN FIATIN QALILLATIN, GALABATIN KATHEERATIN BI ITHNI LLAH.