“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

If you ask many young, determined Naija persons what is on their mind now, their almost immediate response is how to “japa”! And to be honest, I don’t blame them. 

Every talented and focused individual should at least have a working system that supports and enables them to fulfil their dreams, not frustrate them and make things difficult for them.

It’s merely logical for everyone in the right frame of mind to find better pastures. Every farmer knows that the type of crop you want to plant determines the kind of soil you choose which in turn determines your harvest amongst other climatic conditions.

Right now, it would seem to many Nigerians that Nigeria is an arid, unproductive land. Hence, the urgent need to “japa” to give them an enabling environment to be “fruitful and multiply”.

I can’t even count the number of my colleagues that relocated last year and the ones that already have plans in motion to leave this year. The other day, I was on the phone with a very close friend and what summed up our discussion that night was how we could “japa” and leave this supposed mess of a country.

It’s not even just about greener pastures anymore, it’s also about security. People want to be able to have peace of mind and to be able to celebrate the holidays without being shot at by policemen. They just want to make their honest living without being harassed or accused of being yahoo boys. 

We want to be able to be in our houses and to travel when we need to without the fear of being kidnapped. We want a stable economy where even the poor man is catered for. These are the issues.

However, even before that call, I have been pondering on this whole “japa matter” which has become a fad and I have been asking myself some questions which I am going to throw at you.

Why exactly do you want to japa? Is it because everyone else is leaving? Have you even discovered your purpose? Do you ever wonder why international schools ask you to write a statement of purpose? It’s so that you can prove how that degree is relevant to your career and life goals (short-term and long-term). 

Can you categorically demonstrate how moving abroad is going to influence your goals positively? Do you even have a life map?

Trust me, if you’re purposeless in Nigeria, you’re going to be purposeless wherever you go. You will just be going with the flow. You will keep trying out things just because everyone you know is doing it.

Have you asked God what He would have you do at this juncture? For I  remember Isaac wanting to leave Canaan for Egypt because there was a famine in the land. This was an adequate thing to do because that was the exact thing his father Abraham had done when he encountered the same dilemma. But God specifically told Isaac to remain in Canaan. Thank goodness, Isaac obeyed.

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold because the LORD blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy (Genesis 26:12). The people of the land became envious of him and sent him away because of how enormously blessed he was by God.

Our success lies in our ability to hear what God is saying per time and our obedience to what He has told us. It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich without adding sorrow.

This is not to discourage you from your japa mission but to help you make an informed decision. What if you were destined to make it in Nigeria?

For some of us, our first instinct is to run when confronted with a challenge. What if we’ve been called to face this problem and deal with it headlong though? If we all leave, who will make the country work?

Even if you’ve got it all figured out, have you asked God what His will for you is? Just know that whether God gives you green lights or red lights, it’s all for the best. In God’s will abides our provision.

In The Right Brain God, by Michael Faust, it says “Anyone can jump on a bandwagon…You have to find a cause and commit yourself fully.” That’s the first step in giving meaning to your life.

Therefore, to japa or not, is at your discretion; the choice and all that comes with it.

Regardless, be intentional.  Discern and understand the objective and mission of relocating. Otherwise, you might have nothing to show for it at the end of the day. 

Commit your ways to God and He will establish you.

May God bless our undertakings.

God bless Nigeria!

About three years ago, I finished serving my fatherland (the popular NYSC) and because it was during the COVID-19 outbreak, I had to return home because I couldn’t get a job.

Towards the end of that year, I landed my current job. Of course, I had done some jobs in between but they weren’t as good as this one. 

Shortly after I got this job, a place opened up very close to us and I later discovered that it was someone I knew that was in charge of the place. We had served together and he gave off this vibe like he owned the place. 

I remember asking myself whether it was the 19,800 naira “allawee” we were receiving that he saved up and used to set the place up and equip it. I just brushed it off; concluding that he might have gotten a loan or that he had a sponsor that provided him with capital and afterall it wasn’t my business. 

So we continued to work; we had some collaborations between us and everything was moving smoothly.

Fast forward to this year that we just started, he got a better job and had to leave. That was when I found out that he wasn’t the one that owned the place.

I’m learning that people only show you what they want you to see. Everything is not always as it seems. You only see in part; you don’t always get to see the full picture.

That’s why we get frustrated most of the time; because we’re comparing our real-life moments with people’s highlight reels. 

More importantly, I’m learning to stay in my lane and focus on my journey. When athletes run, they don’t focus on their competitors or spectators. They maintain their lane and their eyes are fixed on the finish line. 

Stay in your purpose lane. The most crucial part of success is discovering your purpose. The journey is a lot easier when you know where you’re headed. Yes, there may be detours, impediments, delays, cancellations, and all manner of setbacks but as long as you press on, you’ll eventually get there.

Don’t allow anybody to pressure you with what they show you. Some people are actually who they say they are; others are just fronting. I saw a quote somewhere that says “Don’t compare your back of house with someone’s front of house” (paraphrased). 

In other words, don’t compare your day one with someone else’s day ten thousand.

I remember when I had just gotten admission into the university, one of my senior colleagues that was in his final year at the time used to tell us that the only difference between him and us was time. Given time, we would all become like him someday.

Permit people and their progress to inspire you when you start to feel under a lot of pressure to be like someone, remind yourself that you aren’t on the same journey as them. 

Eventually, if you stay true to your calling and are diligent, everything will fall into place for you. In the meantime, enjoy your process and cherish every moment.

Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.

Rosalynn Carter

I used to have a colleague that always referred to himself as a genius and it would usually irk me but it has worked so far for him. He has accomplished great feats over the years. To me, I felt it was a display of hubris but I had to ask myself why I was triggered or threatened by someone identifying themselves as a whiz. 

Could it be that I expected him to be modest about who he was or to downplay his worth just to make me and others around him feel more comfortable?

Have you noticed that we sometimes feel intimidated by those who are doing the things we don’t dare to do? 

Have you also noted that people tend to see us more than we see ourselves? 

Have you asked yourself why you brush off compliments completely or never see yourself in the positive light that others see you? 

Maybe, it’s because you do not give yourself enough credit for who you are or maybe it’s because you do not know what you’re made of. If you don’t know how great or how incredibly talented you are, it doesn’t matter if the whole world tells you that you are, you will never fully accept that you are. 

A negative comment by somebody on your work or art or fashion sense and you could be completely thrown off balance because your validation comes solely from what everyone else thinks or says that you are, not from who you know yourself to be.

It is not sufficient to know what we’re made of but we must come to embrace them. Living in denial will not take us anywhere. Playing down who you are or what you’re capable of accomplishing is not humility. It is self-sabotage.

This is not to support toxic positivity in any way. I rather people become self-aware of who they are and what they’re made of and come to completely accept their true selves. This is the first step to living a fulfilled life. 

When you can stare at your truth in the face and acknowledge it without shame, then you become liberated. You become free to live in your truth and work on areas where you need to be better.

You need to be honest with yourself. Some of you have the most resilient of spirits so what are you doing hiding in your comfort zone? 

Some of you have been groomed and the world could do with your intellectual ideas right now, so why are you lurking in the shadows? 

So, instead of loathing those who have already identified what they’re made up of and are putting in the work to become all that they have been made to be and have begun to attain yields, why not take your eyes off of them and begin a self-discovery? They are not your competition. 

 You are just ignorant about who you are. Do the work. Put in the labour; all that it takes.

As this quote commonly attributed to Maya Angelou goes “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Be kind to yourself as you proceed along this journey. This kindness, in itself, is a means of awakening the spark of love within you and helping others to discover that spark within themselves.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche

These days, the hustles and bustles of life are becoming more real. We are getting more obsessed with the need for more that we do not often stop and think about how far we have come.

I think we’re so preoccupied with what we can be that we lose focus of who we are at the moment.

We forget that it is who we are now, that will get us to who we want to be. It is this body that we have now that will do the work for us to attain the heights we so long for.

But how do you expect this person to get you to your destination when you aren’t kind to them?

The fact that you want to get a Mercedes Maybach someday doesn’t mean you won’t take care of the Volkswagen Beetle that you have right now, would it? You don’t handle what you have carelessly because you’re hoping to get something better. 

What if that ” better” never comes? Even if the “better” eventually comes, how do you hope to take proper care of it since you’ve developed a “nonchalant” culture towards what you have?

It is commendable to strive for a better life but are you taking care of the one you possess now? If you cannot be kind to yourself now, do you think you can suddenly become kind to yourself when you become that person you have always envisioned? 

The truth is there’s always more to become, a mountain to surmount, a battle to win and a race to finish.

So, in this journey of your becoming, one good thing you can do is to be kind to the version of you that you have.

You have to talk to yourself kindly and with respect. Some of us go all out for others but never cut ourselves some slack. You have to love yourself enough to tell yourself the truth, even when it’s cold and bitter. 

And again, you would have to forgive yourself for all the mistakes you made when you didn’t know better. To be kind to yourself is to show you mercy because you’re human. 

It is to extend the same level of grace that you extend to others to yourself. It is to awaken your potential and tap into it. It is to give yourself rest when you need it and to take care of your spirit, soul and body. It is to set healthy boundaries for yourself and others, to nourish and nurture your essence with the right nourishment.

Sometimes, being kind to yourself would mean denying instant gratification for interminable rewards in the long run. It would mean imbibing discipline to do what is right.

Kindness means different things in the different seasons of our lives. So recognising how to be kind to ourselves in each season is equally crucial. You don’t just owe it to others to be kind to them, you owe it to yourself to be kind in each step of your fickle voyage. 

Brené Brown agrees when she says “As it turns out, we can’t practise compassion with other people if we can’t treat ourselves kindly.” Simply put, you cannot give what you do not have. The more we love ourselves, the better we can love those around us.

Of late, the surge in young people having high blood pressure amongst other illnesses has left me puzzled and it’s largely because a lot of us are just driven by the passion to make it big that we neglect our health and we do not sit to weigh the ramifications of our lifestyle choices.

So, please, today, be kind to yourself; be patient with your process. You need to be alive and in the right physical, mental, social and emotional space to get where you’re going and to remain there. 

If you cannot be kind to the person you see every day in the mirror, how do you expect to be good to the one you haven’t seen? Don’t be selfish, just be kind. Kindness is still in vogue and it suits you.

Tony Robbins was accurate when he said “The quality of your life is in direct proportion with the quality of your relationships” and the truth is most sane people only associate with those who add value to their lives. So how do you intend to have quality relationships when you keep behaving in ways that make you unattractive as a person?

If you want your relationships to thrive better, you must stop these behaviours if you’ve been indulging in them:

1. Sharing People’s News Before They Do.

I know you’re super close with them and you can get all giddy and excited or even emotional that you feel the need to quickly share your friends’ news to show your support and care but not everybody likes for their life to be put in the public space. Some people cherish their privacy. 

So before you share the news of your friend’s engagement or the death of their loved one with your community (both online and offline), normalise asking the person(s) involved whether it’s okay to share. 

So that you will not be wondering what offence you committed when your friends stop sharing their news with you.

2. Violating People’s Boundaries.

You don’t always have to understand a person’s boundaries before you respect them. You might not know what people are going through and this includes your friends. 

A lot of people are just trying to get by even though they seem “fine”. So when they tell you a certain thing triggers them and they ask you not to do it, please don’t do it.

Also, be sensitive. Don’t be that person that just opens their mouth “waaaa” and spills out whatever comes to their mind without processing or thinking about the implications of your words.

When you respect people and their boundaries, it says a lot about your character and it makes people have a high regard for you.

3. Asking People For Money Because You Feel They’re Living Life.

When your friend just bought a house or returned from an exotic vacation, that is not the time to ask them for money. You might be tempted to think that they must have money in order to be able to afford that kind of luxury but you should be reasonable enough to know that what they just spent must have taken a toll on their bank accounts. 

Sometimes, they might have had to save for a very long duration of time that you have no idea about. Allow people to enjoy the reward of their hard work in peace. Don’t be a “winch“.That’s why they blocked you from viewing their status on social media (pun intended).

4. Taking Advantage Of Those Around You Under The guise of friendship.

You can fool people for only so long. Eventually, they will see right through you and your intentions. 

Nothing screams toxicity like keeping people around just to manipulate them and use them to do your bidding. Stop abusing people’s children. Relationships are a two-way street. It’s only when you give that you can hope to take. Don’t expect to reap where you haven’t sown.

5. Sharing A Secret Your Friend Told You In Confidence With Your Lover.

This is downright wrong. You shouldn’t be spilling your friend’s secrets to your lover. If they wanted a third party to know, they would have told you in the presence of your spouse. 

I know you tell your spouse everything but do not betray your friend’s trust in the name of “Spilling Tea”. You could ruin years of friendship over an hour of gossip. Remember, your spouse cannot be everything you need them to be and your friends make up part of your support system. So, don’t damage connections that you should be protecting.

If we must have quality relationships, then we must be value adding individuals with quality character traits. We all can do better if we’re willing to put in the work that it takes.

2022 must have been a great year for many but you can agree with me that a lot of us had our own share of “shege” served to us on a platter in different proportions. For some of us it wasn’t just “shege” but for others it was “shege pro-max”. 

Nigerian Gospel Singer Enyo Sam launches his long-awaited “Rescued Podcast” with the first episode titled: Why Doing this thing?

Enyo Sam who is yet to release any new song for 2020 reveals that he is doing this thing called Rescued Series which comes in the segment of Rescued podcast, Rescued webinars and Rescued articles because God laid it in his heart to share with people, especially the younger generation things that will help them become revived improve their faith, creativity, skills, empower them to use technology to make positive impacts and help them live a balanced life purposefully.

The singer who released his highly acclaimed song, Rescued featuring Yadah in July 2019 that bagged double awards “100percent Gospel Media – Award of Excellence” and “Annual Gospel Music Award Collaboration of the Year” in 2019 is the inspiration for the Rescued Series.

Speaking further about the Rescued Series, Enyo Sam highlighted the vision for the Rescued series, that it will launch out a series of entrepreneurship development, ethical leadership development, Physical wellbeing development and Spirituality been essential components that will help any person become productive and purposeful here on earth. You will hear him share practical secrets that have helped him and he will bring other guests such as mentors and professionals in different areas of our core development components to share with you their thoughts.

We employ you to follow Enyo Sam on all social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn with his handle @iamenyosam and subscribe to his channel on YouTube @enyosam to get updates on when each episode of Rescued Podcast series drops.

Meanwhile, listen below to the first episode on the Rescued Podcast

Episode 1: Why Doing this thing?

Rescued Podcast also available here: Spotify Podcast | Google Podcast | Apple Podcast | Boomplay | YouTube

About Enyo Sam

Enyo Sam is a multi-talented Award-winning Nigerian Gospel Singer, Personal Development Mentor and Tech Entrepreneur who loves to use Faith, Creativity and Technology to make a positive impact.

He started his musical career in 2018 with his debut single “Loving Me” and a follow single “You Love” all released in the same year. These were all coated as the testing phase into the career path.

The breakthrough year for Enyo Sam was in 2019, summing up with burning passion and love to become a blessing to people, He released “Nations will Rise” and went on to release his critically acclaimed song “Rescued” featuring Gospel singer Yadah. Crowing the year, he engaged in his first-ever International collaboration featuring amazing rapper Mimshach from Malawi on the Afro-pop song “Far Away”.

Enyo Sam’s single “Rescued” won the “100percent Gospel Media – Award of Excellence” and also won “Annual Gospel Music Award Collaboration of the Year” in 2019.

Enyo Sam is a talent you all should watch out for because he has gotten a lot of potentials and gifts to write powerful songs that will be a huge blessing to you.

His style of music and genre is Contemporary Gospel and Afrobeats

Aside from music, Enyo Sam is a Personal Development Coach and a Digital Entrepreneur who specializes in website development, digital marketing, artist promotion and media/music consultations.

His Personal Development program comes under the umbrella “Rescued Series” that comes in the form of a Rescued podcast, Rescued webinars, Rescued articles and close mentorship to young adults and teenagers. With the aim of empowering people to become a tool of change to their communities.

Connect with SAM

Facebook: https://facebook.com/iamenyosam
Instagram: https://instagram.com/iamenyosam
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamenyosam
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamenyosam/
Website: https://www.enyosam.com/

Acclaimed gifted recording artist Neken Chuwang offers fresh single No Condition Is Permanent- his second for the year 2019.

The Jos-based favored singer who dished his 16-track debut album back in 2018 has never relented in being a blessing to his fans and music enthusiasts especially with hit tracks: Ungrateful man, Grateful, Never Forget and others.

No Condition Is Permanent is basically a reggae themed song, lined in pidgin English reminding us that no matter how bad things get No Condition Is Permanent . This life is too dynamic to be condescending to anyone.

Listen, Download & Share

DOWNLOAD

Echoes (Till We See The Other Side) by Hillsong United was recorded live at Hillsong Worship & Creative Conference in Sydney, Australia. It is the 12th and the last track off her highly anticipated PEOPLE album.

The multi award winning worship Band Hillsong United released her very much awaited 14th (Live) Album PEOPLE, officially on the 26th of April 2019.

For the first time in three years the gifted worship band commenced her tour in from the 25th of April which would come to a halt on the 2nd of July 2019 (Find dates and get tickets at hillsongunited.com.)

Watch, Download & Share

Easter, that special time of the year believers all over the world celebrates the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, irrefutably the most eccentric milestone in the Christian faith.

COGHIVE has always had a flair for organizing playlists, Mixtapes for her peculiar audience and as such we have decided to make a list of the best Easter themed songs for 2019, which might just be impeccably resourceful to Choirs, Music Groups and bands.

We would very much appreciate your feedback by indicating your top Easter themed songs at the comment section.
Here below is our list of top Easter themed songs,

1 – What A Beautiful Name – Hillsong Worship

Hillsong Worship is actually no stranger to making chart topping songs and What A Beautiful Name is just a screaming example of how their angelic song writing aptitude can be. Extolling Jesus for all he did and who he actually is by reason of all that transpired at the grave.

This Anthem essentially earned them their very first Grammy Awards back in 2018.

2 – Christ Is Risen – Bethel Music

Bethel Music has indeed become a force to reckon with given the A-list artists making their rosters: Cory Asbury, Steffany Gretzinger, Jeremy Riddle, Amanda Cook and others making a tremendous impact in Gospel music under the label.

Christ Is Risen is basically from Bethel Music’s Victory Album (2019), an awe inspiring song lead by Hunter G. K. Thompson. An Easter classic expressing the joy of Christ rising from the grave.

3 – Victory Belongs To Jesus – Todd Dulaney ft K.

At the mention of Todd Dulaney, the song that comes to mind is Victory Belongs To Jesus guess we can’t help it given that’s arguably one of the very best songs he has inked which has also birthed quite a number of versions with collaborations with other artists.

This version was at a live recording in South Africa featuring award winning South African vocalist K. Lebohang. Trust us for always giving you the latest.

4 – You Got Up – Travis Greene

Travis Greene is apparently someone that has nothing to prove in the music world at large ( He was nominated three consecutive times for the Grammies), Him being himself is just breathtaking and he has never dwindled in being a blessing in fact his influence in the past five years can not be overemphasised.

You Got Up is a Caribbean themed melody celebrating risen King, who clearly got up so we could get up again.

5 – Forever – Kari Jobe

Contemporary Christian Musician Kari Jobe, who only just became a mother of two back in Febuary has always had this aura of leading people to the very deepest part of worship with her Timeless ballads.

This particular version of Forever was that she did with Bethel Music at one of their concerts. Apparently we couldn’t resist not having it on this list.

6 – Reckless Love – Darrel Walls (Musiqcity)

We can’t talk about Easter and refrain talking about the overwhelming and never-ending reckless Love of God. This season depicts how far the Love of God is willing to come after us despite our countless shortcomings.

Darrel Walls, eldest member and leader of the multi-award winning group Walls Groups did a fine job making this Superb version a classic featuring Keith Richardson off his solo Ep project back in November 2018.

7 – Agreed – JJ Hairston and Youthfulpraise

JJ hairston is practically one of the best music directors of our time and he has evidently been in his prime lately as we have observed from the stellar performances from him and his endearing group Youthfulpraise.

“Knowing all he would have to go through, He Agreed”.

This is actually an anthem any choir would want to hop on, A classic JJ Hairston & Youthfulpraise on an Easter themed anthem.

8 – You Took The Nails – Vashawn Mitchell

Thanks to Vashawn Mitchell’s CROSS Ep, The famed gospel artist was able to earn “A Traditional Male Vocalist” of the year at the just concluded Stellars. Even as we anticipate his forthcoming project, we couldn’t resist not having this on our list.

We can’t imagine what he endured, we’ll never know the pain but the one thing we know is that we have been redeemed as a result all he did at Calvary. He took the nails for us.

9 – Jesus Is Alive – Shana Wilson Williams

Shana Wilson Williams has actually enjoyed quite a lot of features in many top notch projects in recent times. However, she pulled a stunner in her latest 13-track project Everlasting.

Jesus Is Alive is an upbeat Easter themed song off the Everlasting album. Jesus is not only alive, but he is alive in us.

10 – Mighty To Save – Israel Houghton

Grammy Award winning music maestro Israel Houghton has actually made a lot of anthems in the church today and it’s no surprise we are literally having three of his songs on this list.

The Ben Fielding written song has sustained quite a number of covers, remixes, and remakes. Israel is obviously not shying away from making his own version. Definitely timeless Easter piece.

11 – Resurrecting – Elevation Collective ft Walls Group

In a nutshell Elevation Collective is an assemblage of award winning artists which includes Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Israel Houghton, Travis Greene, The walls Group and Tye Tribbett collaborating with Elevation Worship to produce a single album EVIDENCE.

Having The Walls Group on Resurrecting was irrefutably Epic, It would be fair to assume it couldn’t have gotten any better. By his Spirit, we will rise, From the ashes of defeat, The resurrected King is resurrecting in us. Who else to proclaim his victory if not us.

12 – Raised to life – Elevation Collective Walls Group

The very last song but not the least is a continuation of the above song “Resurrecting” accompanied with series of chants.

Yes our sin was strong but Jesus was stronger, Our Shame was great but Jesus was greater. Indeed our redeemer was, is and will forever remain stronger and greater than our sin and shame. Glory!