THE PURSUIT OF SUCCESS - ITUNU PARA-MALLAM (13/07/2015)

‘In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can’ – Nikos Kazantzakis

Believing in yourself is one of the most important steps in the pursuit of success! I

myself have struggled with believing in myself for years, and it is only recently that

I have understood just how important self-belief really is. If you don’t

believe in yourself who will? Without self-belief there is an automatic lack of

confidence, and without confidence, you become unsure of yourself, your goals

and self-doubt begins to overpower your desire for success.

Once confidence is gone, the journey to success takes a back seat while

regaining your confidence takes the front. The key word in this process is

CHANGE! Before you can get back to your pursuit of success, you must first

change the mind-set of self-doubt, and ‘the secret of change is to focus all of your

energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new’ (Socrates). But in order to

build the new, you need to identify your purpose in life, and it is important to know

that YOU HAVE A PURPOSE!

They say the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and

the day you find out why! Without realising that you have a purpose, your road to

success is almost meaningless. Without purpose, where is this ‘road to success’

leading you to? Where are you going? Identify your purpose, take time to

understand yourself, notify where you want to go in life, and you will be one step

closer to knowing your purpose. Keep in mind, it is important to understand that

purpose is not just something that happens, it is knowledge that you acquire on

your journey to success; ultimately, your journey through life.

‘Nobody gets everything in this life. You decide your priorities and you make your

choices. – Donald E. Westlake’

To change your life you must change your priorities. Before you can become

successful in your journey TO success you need to identify what needs to come

first in your life and organise your priorities effectively! Ask yourself, ‘where am I

headed?’ If where you are headed is not in line with where you want to go, then

you need to get your priorities straight and get yourself back on the right track. Of

course, you may have several important things to do within your day, but ‘the key

is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities’

(Stephen Covey).

In addition, try to remember that perspectives of success vary. Success to one

person may differ to another, but no matter what kind of ‘success’ you are

pursuing, it is important to understand what it really is. Success is Seeing your

goal, Understanding the obstacles that may come on the road to

success, Creating a positive mental picture of what you’re trying to

achieve, Clearing your mind of self-doubt, Embracing the challenges that the

journey to success will bring, Staying on track and Showing the world that you

can do it; prove those who never believed in you wrong! And remember… no

pressure! Success has no time limit.

‘There are no secrets to success. It is a result of preparation, hard work and

learning from failure.’ – Colin Powell

Here are 10 helpful tips on how to reach success:

1. Set yourself weekly, monthly and yearly goals & targets

2. Make a daily to-do list and tick each one off your list once completed! Be

PROACTIVE and PRODUCTIVE! I always say, every day should be a

productive day when you’re chasing success!

3. Set yourself reminders ahead to keep your day organized in your diary,

planner, phone, Ipad… whichever is more convenient for you

4. BE CONSISTENT! Follow the Kaizen approach. This is a long-term

approach that systematically seeks to achieve small changes in order to

improve efficiency and quality. Strive for continuous improvement!

5. Remain focused! It’s easy to get distracted during the day and hard to

remain focused, but remember, you have to work hard for what you want

to get what you want

6. Believe in yourself and your goals! You can never dream too big

7. Humble yourself! Always be willing to take corrections and constructive

criticism

8. Surround yourself with positive people, those who are also striving for

success and those who are where you want to be

9. Learn how to balance everything! The road to success will be a busy one.

Try not to juggle everything at once; learn the art of time efficiency

10. RELAX

So, now that you’re ready to embark on your journey to success, you need to not

only prepare yourself for the success ahead, but also prepare yourself for all the

obstacles and trials that you are about to face! Nothing in life comes easy! If you

want something you need to GO OUT AND GET IT! Opportunities are not given,

they are TAKEN!


-Stay Tuned-

Twitter - @Miss_Tunes|| Email - itunupm@hotmail.co.uk

www.roseandredbottoms.blogspot.co.uk

MCLAREN HONDA: FALL BEFORE THE RISE - OLA ADEOTOYE (3/07/2015)

As hard as it may be to believe at the present time, there was actually once a time that

McLaren were at the forefront of championship battles. Boasting past mercurial drivers

such as the late and often heralded 'great' Ayrton Senna, Fins Mikka Hakkinen and Kimi

Raikkonen, Alain Prost and the billy whizz of the F1 world Lewis Hamilton. The present

driver pair of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button isn't too shabby either, all are world

champions in their own right. However the current McLaren car is a pale shadow of it's former glorious self. Forget that

their livery has changed multiple times since it was last a championship winning car as far

back as 2008, the performances have changed even more so. Having made the move

back to manufacturers Honda, a team they enjoyed so much past success with, after 19

years with Mercedes as their engine provider. Those within McLaren have staunchly supported switch to the Japanese manufacturers

since the rather bleak results suffered this racing season (barring an 8th place finish from

Jenson Button at the Monaco GP). In particular the 'Godfather' of McLaren Ron Dennis

has been particularly vocal in his backing. As far back as the first grand prix in Australia he

reiterated that "if your objective is to win a World Championship, you have to have a strong

OEM (original equipment manufacturer) behind you which has the technology and

capability to produce a winning engine." Can you say he's wrong, the sport is dominated by Lewis Hamilton's and Nico Rosberg's

Mercedes cars. Like the previous team to rule the roost at F1, Red Bull Racing, they are

both OEM's with Sebastian Vettel's former team backed by French manufacturers Renault.

Despite the performance slump Renault and Red Bull have suffered this season since the

Germans switch to Ferrari, they just as Mercedes currently do, had the competition in a

choke-hold from 2009-2013. The only team that has threatened Mercedes and actually

pipped both of their cars to the chequered flag is the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel.

It should come as no surprise to those of you reading this, that Ferrari is also an OEM and

with Mercedes and Renault they supply the engines for the rest of eight teams on the grid

(seen below). So even for a team like Williams that have emerged as front runners after

years in the middle-row wilderness, being realistic they will never receive the quality

engine that Mercedes do. Same can be said for Sauber, Ferrari will always be the first in

the line from their Italian engine supplier. Teams like Williams, Force India, Lotus, etc, can

do is try to build on the older versions of Mercedes engines given to them. But will they

ever really have enough to dislodge Mercedes at the summit, highly unlikely.

As you can see from the table below McLaren are the only other team outside of Ferrari,

Redbull and Mercedes to be backed by an OEM.

Constructor   Engine supplier

Ferrari             Ferrari

Force India     Mercedes

Manor             Ferrari

Sauber            Ferrari

Lotus              Mercedes

Torro Rosso    Renault

Red Bull         Renault

Mercedes        Mercedes

McLaren         Honda

Williams         Mercedes

It is going to take a while for the Woking based team to catch up, but I firmly believe that

this is the best route for them to take if they are to once again reach the pinnacle of

Motorsport. Having been a McLaren fan since the Mikka Hakkinen/David Coulthard driver

lineup of 1996, the last few season have tested my patience and that of every other

supporter. The recent testing in Austria done by Fernando Alonso and 3rd driver and

current runaway GP2 leader Stoffel Vandoorne was encouraging. Both driver managed

181 laps between them with no problems and hopefully the penalties incurred at the

Austrian GP will allow for them to have a more positive race at the British GP this

weekend.

However for now the thought of podium finishes should be put firmly to the back of the

mind, at the moment those affiliated with the team, from the driver to the engineers are

working towards creating a more reliable and consistent point scoring McLaren.

Only time will tell whether the patience needed for now will be rewarded with future race

wins and dare I say perhaps a return to a Championship winning team for the 21st century

McLaren-Honda team.

Punch Records are delighted to announce that Capital XTRA have launched their 2015 Music Potential course.

The hottest stars in UK music are heading to Birmingham this July ­not to perform, but to teach. ​

Names already confirmed include Jacob Banks, Tim Westwood ​and PBN. Punch Records​, in association with Barclaycard and Capital Xtra​, are running two free "creative camps" for young people to choose from, on the 22nd and 23rd of July 2015​. Both days are packed with exclusive free workshops in performance, production skills, events management and more. They’ll be delivered by talented professionals for young people with a burning passion to work in the music industry.

Music Potential involves creative training in an area of talent or interest from music industry

development agency, based in Birmingham’s Eastside.

professionals, while learning transferable employability skills and tips on finding employment,

education or training in the music/creative sector. These camps will be a gateway for 60 eligible

participants to go forward on to a free, two­month learning programme delivered by Punch, a music

Punch CEO Ammo Talwar says: “Music Potential is a proven opportunity for the creative industries

to step up and show they can give back to the community. Some of these young people will have the 

ideas and the skills that can help to boost the region’s economy.”

CONTACT:​Mindy Virk ( Music Potential Project Co­ Ordinator)

mindy@punch­records.co.uk / 0121 224 7444

Create The World You Want To Live In. It All Starts With YOU - Whitney Oladeinde (26/06/2015)

Many complain about every issue and problem with the “broken system” in the UK but the saddest part is that very few are willing to stand and make a difference. Personally, I live by the philosophy that “If you’re not helping to make it right, then stop complaining about it being wrong.”

As a young person involved in politics, all I hear from my peers is that the education system is broken, politicians don’t care about the needs or opinions of young people, it’s impossible to get jobs after university, etcetera.

My argument isn’t that these issues aren’t there or are over-exaggerated; my point is that the beginning of the solution to these problems is not in saying… “I can’t be asked to vote, they’re all the same. My vote really doesn’t make a difference.”

It all starts with YOU. Let me explain…

Politicians produce policies based on where the vote is because their aim is to get re-elected. It really is that simple.

In the 2015 election, voters aged 65 or above were the highest turnout group (78%), whereas the number of 18 to 25-year-olds who cast their ballots was 58%. I’m happy to say that it has increased from 52% in 2010 and 38% in 2005. Platforms like Stand Up and Be Counted, has grown to have over 500,000 members where young people can debate on all kind of issues from the NHS to unemployment. Moreover, in 2010, British politics witnessed the influence that young people can have in this nation with the success of the Liberal Democrats getting into government partly because of their promise that university tuition fees would not be increased.

You can argue that well, Nick Clegg never kept that promise. But the wider effect of that was that we have seen more of an interest from the larger, main parties in the concerns of young people. For example, the coverage given to the possibility of lowering the voting age is just one example of how we, as young people, can make our interests some of the most important policies of the main parties. Imagine the influence that young people could have over mandates and major policies from the main parties just by choosing to vote and take part in all elections from now on!

This seems pointless after we’ve just had the General election but I’m trying to show you the power of your vote, and not just in a General election! VOTE… In your local elections, for your MEP’s, your councillors, take part in every election! The higher the young vote is the more policies will be tailored to what we, as young people want. Every vote counts!

I really do think that this is the MINIMUM requirement to create the world you want to live in… Thanks for reading and stay tuned to read the next level in next month’s “Create the World You Want to Live In – part 2”.

The Art of Letting It Go - Damilola Gbadamosi (19/06/2015)

At some point in life we will all find ourselves hung up over someone or

something, and someone will say that oh to familiar phrase “let it go”. Whilst we

often would like to, the art of “letting it go” however is far easier said than done.

Still over the years I have found that adopting some habits and techniques, when

I need to get something off my chest or out of head, have been invaluable.

 Don't Be A Hoarder:

Be it electronic hoarding of pictures, and texts with someone you

need to cut off, or physical mementos and items from an unhealthy

habit, Or maybe even old friends whose life goals now contradict

yours. It’s in your best interest to identify when things and people

are no longer playing a positive role in your life and remove them.

Hoarding will only lead to lots of reminders and temptation to stay

hung up on your problem or trapped in your current habit.

 Find A Productive Distraction Or Outlet:

Sometimes plain old distraction is the best thing to help you let go.

You might find that keeping yourself occupied with work or a

hobby is sufficient. Alternatively, finding a constructive outlet like

exercise for frustration will keep you channelling your energies in

a safe way and give you an alternative set of goals to concentrate

on.  If you keep something out of your mind love enough

sometimes it just stays out.

Accept things you cannot control (and give the ones you can your best effort): 

Knowing the difference between situations you can affect and

change and the ones you cannot makes it easier to let things go.

Sometimes the things we obsess about the most were things we

had no power over in the first place. When you realise that

something’s are just not up to you, it helps you accept outcomes

quicker. You’ll also find that this acceptance will make you able to

do the things in your control better, cause you focus your effort on

the right things.

Manage Your Expectations 

Humans, systems, and life are all imperfect and eventually one of

them will disappoint you. It doesn’t mean you cannot have

standards or expectations, but accepting that they will not always

be met will leave you disappointed less often. Additionally, avoid

putting anything on a pedestal, it just gives them further to fall and

makes you less realistic. Remembering your expectation and

standard cannot be forced on others is also important. You’ll find

yourself less frustrated this way.

 Don’t Fake It:

What ever you do, do not pretend to let go of things rather than

actually doing so.  The effort pretending to let go is wasted and

would be better spent actually letting go. Pretending means

bottling up emotions, which will eventually come out as passive

aggressive behaviour, leaving you acting childish and irrational.

When it comes to letting things go, you cannot “fake it till you

make it”.

Letting go is the best was to ditch emotional baggage, and stop life weighing

down on you. So be it your friends annoying habits, your boss’s tendency to say

dismissive things or an old relationship, pick your battles and let the rest go.

“The day I understood everything was the day I stopped trying to figure

everything out. The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go.”

― C. JoyBell C.

Fix up, look sharp - Paul Olasehinde (11/06/2015)

So a couple days ago we passed the halfway mark in 2015. We are now officially closer to 2016 than the beginning of 2015. Scary right? I always dedicate the first couple days of June for self-reflection, as it’s always a good time to take stock of what you have and haven’t achieved so far. Personally I think this should be a practice everyone does. So now I ask you dear reader, how has it been going? Have you reached some goals? Have you reached none? Are you finding yourself running out of fuel? Take some time out and think about those questions if you haven’t done so already. You might find that you’re doing better than you thought or maybe not as good as you should be.   

Like a lot of people I make goals at the beginning of the year and hope to have them all ticked off by the time the 31st of December 23:59 hits. Now, I’m aware not everybody makes them (I highly recommend you do) but I’m sure even in the back of your mind you have things you would like to do this year. They can be as big as wanting to start your own business or just making sure you smile more to your friends and strangers. The size of the goal isn’t paramount rather

Now if you’re on course or even better ticked off the majority of your goals that’s fine you’re on fire. But like a lot of teams after they’re 3-0 up at half time, they get complacent. Your biggest task is to come out with the same energy and motivation you displayed in the first half of the year, which isn’t as easy as it, sounds. To those who maybe the first part of the year didn’t go right there is still a massive 6 months to go and they could be the best 6 months of your life. You may feel like you’re 3-0 down at half time and I know the feeling your heads are low and if you’re not careful it can get worse. But you need to get back out there and show yourself what you’re capable of and turn the year around in your favour.  

Below are 4 quick points, which can help, sustain and better your year:

1. The past is the past

The past only provides lessons, so take note and face forward and keep it moving. You can’t go back so leave the past where it is. Remember, It’s not about how you fall but about how you recover.

2. Make realistic goals

Firstly, the most important word in the above title is realistic. Your goals must be realistic otherwise it makes giving up all too easy. Goals give you structure. Goals keep you looking ahead. Goals keep you accountable and lastly goals are motivational! So make goals long and short term, you’ll find yourself so much more productive.

3. Believe you can achieve

There is no point in starting if you don’t believe you can finish (still start though). If you don’t believe you can do it no matter how lovely the words are from someone else you will more times than often, fall short.

4. Don’t be afraid to fail

So it hits the 1st of January 2016 and you didn’t meet your entire goals, you didn’t even meet half! It is ok! Use that to kick-start the next year to make sure its better than the last. Don’t wallow and focus on tomorrow! Failure is hard to take but there can be grace in defeat.

Of course there are so many other points you can add so it’s tailor fit to your needs. But I believe with those tips up your sleeve you’re more than equipped to tackle the rest of 2015.

So brush yourself down, fix up look sharp and keep the momentum going. There is still a while to go. God didn’t build the world in 1 day he made a plan; so don’t get discouraged when your year doesn’t come together overnight. With time and planning you can look back on 2015 and wonder ‘how do I beat that?’ =]

Confessions of a University Student - Itunu Para-Mallam (05/06/2015)

You probably had preconceptions of this blog post before you even clicked the link. You had your own idea of what it was going to be about, and the title pretty much gives it away. But believe me, I wasn’t playing; there WILL be embarrassing, friendship, weed, sexual, academic, and spiritual confessions listed at the bottom of this post. These confessions are from university students across the UK, and don’t worry, they’re all anonymous. But in the same way you had preconceptions of this post, I had my presumptions of university before I started. In many ways it was exactly what I thought it would be, but in more ways than not, it was the complete opposite.

For those of you who haven’t been to university yet, I’m about to tell you the truth about university and fill you in on some of the things that you were never told to prepare for; that’s right… I’ve got you. For those of you who are in university, you know this post is probably even going to sugar coat the truth; I mean I don’t need to air ALL our dirty laundry. And for those of you who have graduated, university was just the beginning, a walk in the park, a bubble; nothing like the real world.

So this is the part where I tell you the truth about university. Now, realistically, I don’t actually know the whole truth about it, because I’ve only just finished my first year and my experience is probably completely different to the millions of other students that go to university. 

Before I started, my presumption of university alongside the several words of advice from my older friends led me to believe that having a guy in university was essential. Puberty had finally hit, and my ugly secondary school days were long gone. So it was no surprise that I came to university thinking I was going to find my husband. I had it all planned out! I was going to have a ‘uni bae’ in first year and we were going to make it official in second year. By third year we would be going steady and by the time I turned 25 I’d be ready to walk down the aisle. Talk about being naïve! THEY SOLD ME DREAMS! In university, don’t come expecting to find Mr or Mrs right because you won’t find them, they don’t exist. In my opinion.

University affects your habits, mannerisms, the way you perceive others and even yourself. I came to university as a 19 year old female who didn’t even know how to wear foundation. I’m now finishing my first year with the vast knowledge of God’s new gift to women, CONTOUR! Best believe my face now has curves and edges in all the right areas enhancing every feature.  I’ve also noticed that people who never picked up a shisha pen a day in their lives have become regular weed smokers, and at times, even your local dealer. It’s like people get dropped off by their parents at their various student accommodations, step out their invisible wrappers and become brand new.

Now, let’s talk about embarrassing moments, and believe me, I’ve had my fair share. If you thought you were going to read this post and find out all my dirty little secrets you’ve got another thing coming! Today, I’m anonymous along with the 30+ other students who gave their juicy confessions.

In university, embarrassing moments spread like wildfire. One person witnesses your unfortunate situation and the next thing you know you’re trending on twitter. Ok, that was a bit dramatic but things really do spread quickly in uni. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that PEOPLE LOVE TO TALK, and it’s even better when the subject is you!

University is a degree as well as an experience. Join societies, network, do things you would never have had the chance to do if it weren’t for university. But be sure to balance it all, because the moment you put one before the other, is the moment you give yourself the chance to jeopardise your future. Remember to remain consistent. I know it's easier said than done, but if you want to finish with a first class, CONSISTENCY IS KEY!

For me, coming from a Christian home, I found that my spirituality was the hardest thing to keep up with while in university. I found myself slipping in and out of bad habits and if I’m honest, it became a chore to pray, and my visits to church became fewer and fewer. University really tests your faith! You’re away from home, your parents (your trusty Sunday service alarm clocks), and your usual church. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that if you want to succeed spiritually, you need to, in fact YOU MUST surround yourself with likeminded people who are also striving to succeed.

Finally, one of the main things we all need to consider when coming to university, whether it’s for the first time, or you’re coming back from the summer holidays is, you need to come with an open mind and the right mind-set. A lot of things you expected to happen, may not happen, and a lot of things you never expected could come crashing down on you like a ton of bricks when you least expect it. You need to be ready and prepared for anything and everything! Also, don’t even dream of coming to university without having some sort of morals. Without these morals you may find yourself not knowing which directions to take and you may find that the person who you once were when you came to university is no more.

HOLD UP! SCROLL UP! BECAUSE I KNOW YOU DIDN’T JUST TRY TO SKIP TO THE CONFESSIONS! I’m only joking, I’m sure you all sat down with your cup of coffee, read that post, ditched the mug, and now have your popcorn in hand, ready for the confessions!

To find out what all the juicy confessions are, click here: www.rosesandredbottoms.blogspot.co.uk

-Stay Tuned-

Twitter - @Miss_Tunes|| Email - itunupm@hotmail.co.uk