My Top Three Reads of 2020

My Top Three Reads of 2020

My Top Three Reads of 2020

30

DECEMBER 2020

Samuel Osho

Do you remember shopping for Christmas as a kid? Everything in the store is screaming at you, “Pick me! Please, pick me!” If you’ve ever been to those crowded stores, you will agree that choosing a dress is not an easy task at all. Well, the decision paralysis ends when one of your parents intervenes, “Esther, pick this dress. It looks good on you.”

I was like a restless kid shopping for Christmas wear as I hunted for the top three reads of 2020. As I reflected on my journey in 2020, the voices of some authors stayed with me. The works of these authors moved me and their words found a space in my heart. It was either their stories that influenced my thoughts or their counsel that made my light shine brighter.

Brene Brown showed me how to lead from the heart as a leader. Clark’s Writing Tools helped me to become a better writer while Austin Kleon revealed ten ways to share my creativity with the world. These books made it into my top three because they made me become a better version of myself.

My Top Three Reads of 2020

1. Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, Ph.D.

Brene Brown is a research professor with over two decades studying courage, shame, vulnerability, and empathy. Her TED talk — “The Power of Vulnerability” — is one of the top five most-viewed TED talks in the world, with more than fifty million views.

Dr. Brown’s book, “Dare to Lead” is a treasury of abstract ideas in concrete form, capable of making daring leaders. I learnt how to embrace tough conversations within and outside the workplace. I loved how she defined courage, empathy, shame, resilience, trust, vulnerability, and transformational leadership. While defining courage, Dr. Brown wrote:

“The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome.”

This definition resonated deeply with me — an offshoot of Theodore Roosevelt’s iconic quote popularly tagged “Man in the Arena.” It’s been a long time since a book tugged to my soul and gripped my heart. I could see myself on the pages of the book and ultimately, the path from my struggles into the light. Stories and insights from her research work with outstanding organizations provided varied perspectives on the subject of courage, fear, and vulnerability.

I picked up new tools: giving permission slips, delegating duties with clarity because to be “unclear is unkind,” asking my co-workers what help or support on a project means to them, and admitting the stories I make up in my head about people and situations. I also did a personal reflection and selected my top two values — faith and excellence — that serve as drivers for everything I do.

This is a book that every daring leader passionate about transformation should read. It will help you lead with grounded confidence.

2. Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark

Roy Peter Clark is a senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, one of the most prestigious schools for journalists in the world. He has taught writing at every level — to high school students and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors — for more than thirty years.

I have always believed that writing is a craft which means that it can be learnt. Clark’s book offers tools, not rules. This paradigm shift made the book highly engaging and easy to use for all classes of writers. The book addressed writing in different genres — fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, and technical reports. Clark shared more than 200 examples from diverse writers to reinforce the explanation of how the tools are used.

From the book, I learnt new techniques for making my writing pop and also got name tags for my favourite writing styles. I became more confident critiquing my work and offer advice to young writers. The tools taught me the art of X-Ray reading which is needed to understand the structure used by some of my favourite authors.

In Writing Tools, Clark shares decades of experience through fifty-five tools that writers can use daily. He advised against using all the tools at a time. Start with one and move to the other. In no time, you will have a full workbench and your writing will become more polished and effective.

Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

3. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

Austin Kleon is the author of the bestselling book, “Steal Like an Artist.” Kleon in “Show Your Work,” unleashed ten revolutionary ideas that every artist can use to share their creativity with the world. It’s a concise book that you can finish easily in two days, but the ideas are so powerful that I kept coming back for more inspiration. Artist is a broad word used for writers, singers, actors, poets, graphic illustrators, sculptors and other creators of art.

Artists struggle to share their works because of the expectations from fans and admirers; everything must be perfect. But Kleon advises artists not to wait until they are experts before they start sharing. It’s encouraging to know that amateur artists can share their imperfect works with the world, so they can find their voice in the process. Kleon drops the bomb:

“You can’t find your voice if you don’t use it.”

I totally agree with this quote. As a budding writer, you need to be fearless when sharing your flawed works with readers regardless of their expectations. That constant sharing spurs you to stay productive and receive feedback on your work.

Kleon advised artists to share their works but to refrain from oversharing. Kleon wrote:

“The act of sharing is one of generosity — you’re putting something out there because you think it might be helpful or entertaining to someone on the other side of the screen.”

The rule of thumb is to ask if what you are about to share is useful or interesting. If you have your doubts, just toss it into the trash can or hit “save as draft.” If you are scared of sharing your works with the world, this is the book you need for that push towards action.

Show Your Work

Conclusion

For a list of my favourite books, you can find them here

 

It’s your turn, please share with me in the comments section – what are the best books you read in 2020?

Do you have an idea that you would like to share with me?

My 5 Best Reads of 2019

My 5 Best Reads of 2019

My 5 Best Reads of 2019

28

DECEMBER 2019

Samuel Osho

Asides my love for writing, I am a voracious reader that devours books both for relaxation and education. Reading helps to relax tense mental muscles and amplify imagination, it’s also an avenue to gather information on a new subject. 

In 2019, I read more books than I have done in previous years, and I am excited to share some of my best reads with you. I hope you find these books inspiring. The books on my list were necessary not published in 2019; in fact, some are quite old, but they are still relevant in their respective fields. 

5 Best Reads of 2019

1. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott’s compendium of instructions on writing is a superb blessing for any passionate writer. The book uncovered some nuggets via personal stories blended with humour. 

Lamott insists that to become a superb writer, you have to write more and don’t judge your competence based on your first drafts. You will have terrible first drafts. The earlier you know that, the better for you. For storytellers, Lamott’s advice is to keep writing until you unravel the hidden gems – the profiles of your characters, the dialogue forms, the setting and many more. The book offered tasks you can do to warm your writing engines before embarking on the “big” writing project. 

To finish a story, if you need the help of experts on unfamiliar subjects, don’t hesitate to reach out. Get those conversations going, and the perfect words might just come to you. Lamott also emphasized the essence of joining writing groups and seeking constructive criticism from editors or writers that believe in you.

2. The Dip by Seth Godin

Success requires lots of dedication, hard work and resilience. Everyone knows that, but Godin introduces a new angle, which is knowing when to quit a project, a company, a relationship so that you can win in other things.

Godin describes those tough times before success as either a dip or a cul-de-sac. In a cul-de-sac, you recite the mantra of resilience and perseverance, but it’s a ploy to drain your energy and resources – it’s a dead end. While a dip mirrors the same climatic conditions you face in a cul-de-sac, except that it’s going to lead you to a bright side – things get better if you push hard enough. 

A dip is a shortcut to success and weeds out your competitors. Still, it takes intuition, wisdom and sometimes, data to know the difference between a cul-de-sac and a dip. If you spot a cul-de-sac early in your journey, quit the race, save your energy and resources for better ventures. That’s how you quit to win.

“What a blessing it is to love books.” – Elizabeth von Arnim

3. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

This is a must-read for anyone interested in today’s style of entrepreneurship and start-up business. Peter Thiel is a highly intelligent founder and entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience in pioneering innovative technologies. The book makes a case for the true meaning of technology and demonizes the word “globalization” as copying what others are doing.

Thiel goes deep into business secrets that every entrepreneur needs to explore before making entry into new and existing markets. The book contains logical arguments fit for discourse in our ever-evolving world. Although the book tilts towards collaboration between businesses and paints unhealthy competition as idiotic, it has answers for entrepreneurs in both monopoly and competitive terrains.

What takes any business from zero to one is doing what others are not doing – creating new solutions and not merely repackaging what others are doing. I love the part that delved into how to set up a mafia team for a start-up, how to distribute and sell a new product, how to build a company with a robust culture. 

4. I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Ramit Sethi’s expert advice on personal finance is a brilliant place to start if you are bent on living a life of financial freedom. Management of personal finances requires one to take charge; don’t be reactive but be proactive. The book propels you to take necessary actions towards your long-term financial goals. You will learn the rules of optimizing my credit card(s) and how to enjoy the perks that come with it. 

The book shows practical ways to supercharge your negotiation skills and avoid unnecessary bank charges. It went deeper into practical strategies for investing and how to start immediately. Ramit shows how to create a conscious spending plan after looking closely at your monthly spending behaviour. And then the exciting part kicks in with using automation as a smart way of saving more money. 

 In the end, I enjoyed the comments on saving for a wedding, getting a prenup, buying a house and buying a car. I am more confident about my finances and equipped with the information to make better decisions.

5. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Jean Greaves and Travis Bradberry

Greaves and Bradberry teamed up to create an instant supercharger for Emotional Intelligence. The book is a robust tool for anyone interested in learning about Emotional Intelligence and seeking practical ways of improving their Emotional Intelligence Quotient.

The introduction gives an eye-opener on how the emotional part of the brain continually overrides the rational part of the brain. It explains why the default response of human beings is usually a gust of emotions and not a series of logical and thoughtful reasoning. The scheme of emotional hijacking as many call it. 

The book further emphasizes the impact of High Emotional Intelligence on personal and professional pursuits. I learnt that Emotional Intelligence could be seen through four lenses: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. Asides painting what it looks like being in the top or bottom percentile of each category, there were several daily practices you could start immediately to increase your emotional intelligence.

Conclusion

For a list of my favourite books, you can find them here

 

It’s your turn, please share with me in the comments section – what are the best books you read in 2019?

Do you have an idea that you would like to share with me?

5 Amazing Tips on How to Resume Writing After a Long Break

5 Amazing Tips on How to Resume Writing After a Long Break

5 Amazing Tips on How to Resume Writing After a Long Break
01
AUGUST, 2018
Samuel Osho
As a student, the toughest time to read is when you are fresh in school from a long break. It’s hard to concentrate and get the reading done. Digesting two pages of course content is a headache and pouncing on a chapter is a battle.
Your favorite places are library halls and reading rooms because you are “roaming for a network.” Perhaps, you could call it the calibration of the body and soul to a condition that can confidently assure you of assimilation. The same is true when you plan to resume active writing after a long break.

For writers, taking a protracted break from writing can happen due to several reasons. It could result from a barrage of unforeseen contingencies or a product of sheer laziness. Regardless of the cause of the break, when resumption beckons, it’s usually the hardest part.

Asides the tendency to churn out insipid works, you grapple for the right words to express your thoughts, you suffer from an absence of punchlines, and the drought of inspiration. Some of your readers wonder why your recent works are so bland and shallow. It’s a pathetic state.
What if I can show you how to insert the key in the ignition and jump-start your writing engine? Yes, that’s why I am here. This blog post will show you five simple ways to resume writing after a long break.
5 Simple Tricks

1. Write about the things you are grateful for

The goal is to get you to write, and you can start by writing about the things you are grateful for. If you think genuinely, you will discover a long list of things that fuel your gratitude. You can write at least three sentences about each item on the list to express the details of your euphoric feeling.
From a generic level, go more in-depth to the degree that exudes a detailed description of what makes you go head over heels about the things you are grateful for. Furthermore, researchers have shown that keeping a gratitude journal can make you more optimistic and happier about life.

2. Summarize lessons from your favorite books

It’s advisable to read as much as you can while trying to revive your creative juices. You can re-read some of your favorite books or read a new one from your wish list. From your latest read, you can create a summary of the key points from the book, you can also itemize lessons that you would love to apply to your life practically.

During this exercise, focus on writing your reflections either by supporting or disagreeing with the author’s standpoint. In all, let your voice stand out and shun mindless lifting. Don’t fall into the trap of rewriting the author’s work verbatim because that’s not writing, it is called photocopying.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” – Stephen King

3. Share about an unforgettable experience

As you go about your life, you will have some unforgettable moments etched in your memories. Either they are broken shards of events that happened recently or in the distant past, but they seem not to get out of your head. You can embrace these memories and give them life by writing about them.

Asides reliving these moments, you also flex your writing muscles and paint images of your sacred moments in letters. When you are finally done with this exercise, it will leave you levitating in a creative atmosphere with your lungs full of euphoria. It’s a magical feeling!

4. Comment on your favorite quote

I have some quotes that are stuck in my head – I love them because they inspire me. You might have just one quote that gives you goosebumps or motivates you to chase your crazy dreams. This is the time to bring such quotes from the dusty shelves to the front porches. Take time to think about one of these quotes and write at least 300 words on what the quote means to you.

5. Write a letter to your younger self

If you are in a position to advise your younger self, what will you say? This is a fun-filled exercise. The last time I did this exercise got me reeling in laughter and trust me I had so much to say to my younger self. By the time I was done with the young lad, I have garnered close to 500 words.
Just some tips to accentuate your flow while writing this letter – focus on your eccentricities, expose your childhood adventures, and flog your youthful exuberance with words of discipline. Here’s a good place to start: celebrities you admire took time to advise a younger version of themselves – from Oprah Winfrey to Gabrielle Union.

Conclusion

If you are able to engage in two or more of these exercises, you will be amazed at how quickly you find your writing frequency. You will be surprised at the pace of your pen sprinting like Usain Bolt on a blank papyrus. Give yourself some time, enjoy the process, and you will soon find yourself grooving in a pool of inspired letters. You can also share some of these new write-ups on your social media account and let your audience have a feel of your seasoned thoughts.
If you have some other tips that you think will be of great help to a writer launching out of a sabbatical, kindly drop them in the comment section below. Gracias!

6 Things to Consider Before Writing a Book

6 Things to Consider Before Writing a Book

6 Things to Consider Before Writing a Book

14

MAY, 2018

Samuel Osho
I have heard on several occasions that winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win.
But I really wanted to quit. Yes, I wanted to quit writing. I wanted to join the growing list of writers who execute their creative pens on the gallows of fear.
I felt it was time to close that chapter of my life not until I spoke with one of my friends – a published author. Prior to this conversation, we became close friends after I read his first book which I consider to be a brilliant literary meal for intellectual minds.
He took his time to itemize a million reasons why I should not quit writing. I guess his words stuck and that’s why I am still here.

 

 

He told me how he fought self-doubt and summoned the courage to publish his first book. The book was scripted in 1993 but was unpublished until 2016.

Oh! Why did it take so long before hitting the press?

To be honest, writing a book is one thing, having the audacity to publish it is another. And on to the next step, marketing the book is a different game.

You are probably at a crossroad wondering if the time is ripe for the unveiling of your book. The headache is usually intense if this is your debut appearance in the hallway of published authors.

Self-doubt peers at you from its hole and lack of confidence in your ideas threaten to heighten the span of your indecision. Writers often ask for pointers to know when their ideas are worth sharing. Perhaps, you have pondered on the same question.

Providing answers to the six questions listed here will shed more clarity on the future of your book.

The Six Questions Begging for Answers

1. What’s the idea behind your book?

I always advise writers to stick with one idea per book. I love the way Myles Munroe describes books, he called them “Idea-containers.” Yes, that’s true. A great book contains a revolutionary idea that can be summarized in two or three sentences.
Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad was all about one idea – learning financial education as the key to realizing financial freedom.
Seth Godin’s Purple Cow dramatically played down on the antics of advertising and canvassed for the creation of remarkable products.

 

Today, these books are bestsellers because they contain clear and simple ideas. These ideas were reinforced with a wealth of research mixed with experiential knowledge. An idea is powerful but it’s not enough.

2. Do you believe in the idea?

It’s okay to have great ideas but do they come from your heart. Ideas that come from your heart and soul are the ones that will stir the hearts of others. When an idea works its way from your head to your heart, it becomes an inseparable part of you.

 

Yes, you believe in it. This is very important! It’s important you write from your heart.
If you don’t believe in the idea you are about to share in a book, it will be obvious when you talk about the book to others. When the unbelief festers unattended to, it spreads like cancer when you talk to others about the book. Address it now!

3. Is your idea worth sharing?

TED’s slogan – “Ideas worth spreading,” encapsulates the genius behind the millions of views that greet TED Talks on YouTube. Talks from TED keep garnering millions of views across the world because the speeches contain ideas that are worth sharing/spreading.
Some ideas are just good enough for you; they have got no potential to attain global relevance. Why waste time sharing such ideas in a book? Despite writing the book in Johannesburg, can someone in Argentina be guaranteed of outstanding results after applying your idea?
If the idea contained in your book is worth sharing, you will spend less on marketing and advertising. This is the secret to creating a book that eventually becomes an “ideavirus.” Your book is an ideavirus when readers can’t resist talking about it and sharing it with others.

4. Have you experienced what you are writing about?

There are some books you can’t get out of your head because you felt a connection between yourself and the author. Often, it’s more like an emotional bond – a part that reminds us of our humanity. The author shares lucid descriptions about his experiences and it turns out to be a perfect reflection of your current ordeal.

 

That was how I felt when I read John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. At that time, I just assumed a new leadership role and was looking for insights on how to effectively lead my life and manage people. Maxwell’s book on leadership gave me goosebumps as I could see myself as he shared his experiences. And now to the best part, he did not just talk about my predicament, he cracked the code and offered solutions.

5. Do you have proven and tested solutions?

As a rule of thumb, whenever I am faced with a challenge, I consult books before calling my mentors. I spend a lot on books because they have proven to be a mine of solutions.
It’s unfair to make vague promises or polish lies as click baits. Can the idea in your book offer solutions? Have you tested your idea? Do you have proven solutions to the problems of your readers? We buy books because we are looking for answers. We can’t just live without finding answers to our numerous questions. Unanswered questions make us restless and that’s why Google is making a hell of a fortune.
Proven solutions reinforce the integrity of your book and increase its selling power.

“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” – George Orwell

6. Do you have a market for the book?

Many authors end their publishing career with the first book because their financial expectations were frustrated. After the glamour on the day of the book launch, it looked more like shoving the book down people’s throat. The little sales were proceeds from close friends and family members who felt obliged to offer a pitiable gesture towards a friend’s audacious leap.
Publishing a book can be financially demanding especially if you stick with traditional publishing. Some writers have landed in debts because of inability to realize enough sales to offset the cost of publishing their books. If you don’t have a market for your book, publishing it can be a disaster.
I know that writers are lovers of art who care less about the financial side of things. But with the recent twist in the publishing industry where few publishers do marketing, writers are challenged daily to learn strategies for marketing their books.
Just to be on the safe side, do your market research before heading to the press. Are people in high demand for these ideas?

 

If you echoed YES to all these questions, then you are ready to write and publish your book. Self-doubt will take care of itself and you are on your way to scripting one of the bestsellers that will make readers smile again.

 

5 Things That Only Writers Will Understand

5 Things That Only Writers Will Understand

5 Things Only Writers Will Understand
12
MARCH, 2018
Samuel Osho
Writing can be that unique addiction that exhausts you; you write all through the night and read during the day to get inspiration. You assemble letters like a coach sets out with his winning team but you get pummeled like Arsene Wenger.
People tell you that they like your articles but the visible likes are abysmally low and the number of shares needs some high heels to see above a fence that is 1 ft. tall. The comments section is as lively as a bar immediately after breakfast.
Sometimes, they call you a jobless folk sitting behind screens and punching keys without paying attention to the hands of time. It’s your abode and you gladly enjoy the pains of your solitude. Gradually, you become the master of words and you know how to send them on errands. Your words birth smiles; they wipe tears and comfort broken souls.
You fill blank screens with millions of words; you search for the right words in the jungle of letters to dress thoughts in beautiful attires. It’s a feisty war and a fierce battle to tell stories that touch the heart. You are the real MVP. Every writer out there deserves a medal.
From ideas, you create a catalog of captivating stories. Your numb fingers pierce through writer’s block like iron prongs; every piece is a product of resilience. You are just so gifted with words and make them look more than an assemblage of alphabets. From the castles of solitude, you send a storm of letters that resurrects our memories from the ashes of history. Everything comes alive because your pen gives life.
Despite the seemingly boring life of writers, there are some distinctive features that separate this clan of creative artists into a community. We’ve got some unique traits, it’s very easy to tell if someone is a writer.

 

The 5 Crazy Things About Writers

1. All eyes on you

There is this eerie feeling of all eyes peering at you while reading your published work. Even if it is a Facebook post, you nurse the possibility of your readers judging you and your work. Then, you begin to plot several trajectories of a million thoughts in your head. After observing from the sidelines, you create a long list of folks who love your work and those who just ignore it. Often, those who truly appreciate your work are the conservative ones who never click the like button or drop a comment.

2. Books are your best friends

I know you have great people in your life that you can call friends but nothing can be compared to the joy in your heart when you see your favorite books. Books are your best friends; they are treasured pearls. You’d sacrifice new shoes for getting the latest book of your favorite author. Your bookshelf is full but that never stops you from getting a new book.

And perhaps, maybe you are like me, people call me bookish because I carry a book with me everywhere. I have this terrible habit of reading books in the washroom while on the toilet seat. I have met some writers who do the same. We just love books and we can’t hide our love.

“It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.” – Robert Benchley

3. Hibernate in your crib

You love to steal some lone time so you can scribble new stories and write new blog posts. Writing takes time and it usually comes at the price of solitude. Apparently, because you love to spend time with yourself, people tend to decorate your personality as a quiet frame.

At weekends, when a bulk of your friends choose to attend parties, you already have a plan to catch up on your writing adventures. For the worst part, every time there is a debate about being social, you try so hard to convince people that you are very social but they still don’t get it.

4. Hating your own work

From close friends to family members, everyone shows appreciation for your work but it could be very difficult to believe that you did a great job. Every time, you cast a glance on your work, you perceive that there is a missing piece and you find every chance to trash the work. This is why you often get utterly amazed when the accolades for your work come in showers as against your expected trickles.

5. You are a deadline ninja

I will assume that you are a saint and you don’t belong to the clan of writers that are often inspired by deadlines. You follow the schedules and you hit the deadlines without breaking a sweat. But for some of us, we have suffered a great deal in the hands of deadlines that look like nightmares.
When the deadline is approaching and it’s about two days away, you begin to observe crazy mannerisms – staying indoors for two straight days, surfing the net like a spiderman, reading books like a nerd and eating in bed. It’s a crazy life but it is because we want to pay a homage to the golden deadline. The battle to crush procrastination is an ongoing process and we believe we are getting better with every passing week.
In conclusion, regardless of your interaction with words, I just want you to know that you are awesome. Either you are a professional writer or you love writing as a hobby, thanks for putting your works out there. Our world is beautiful because of your boldness with words.

 

 

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