Few days ago, Linda Ikeji, shared photos of her recently acquired Banana island property and some more than a few words...inspiring message actually... to young women.
Every young
lady needs to read it on her blog, but here are ten things we learnt from the
post.
10 Powerful Things We Learnt From Linda Ikeji's Inspiring Banana Island Mansion Story
1. She has never slept with any man for money.
"My name is Linda Ikeji. I'm a blogger. I'm 35
years old and I have never...never ever in my life slept with a man for money.
Not only have I never done it, I have never even consider it...and here I am
with a house that cost me over half a billion naira.
2. Anybody can be a
billonaire as long as you are determined to succeed.
Listen, you are beautiful and you are stronger than
you know. There's absolutely nothing you can't achieve if you set your mind to
it, put her heart and soul into it. Up until five years ago, I was a struggling
entrepreneur. I can't tell you how many offices in this Lagos I sat in for
hours waiting to see people who could support my business...but most times, I
never passed the reception area. But I never gave up and I never stopped
believing and here I am today.
3. No dream is too big:
You too can be this..you can be better than this. No
dream is too big, no dream is too small, no mountain is too high...it's all in
your mind. It's all up to you. If you believe in you, in your God who is
guiding you, then the sky is your starting point.
4. Ladies need to be independent
Please stop waiting around for a man to give to
you...to put food on your table and put clothes on your back. I promise you,
you can do it for yourself. Start thinking big, believe in yourself, be
creative and start working. Realize that your dreams are valid...and nobody
will make your dreams come true except you. Find what you are good at. Find
something that you are passionate about. Work hard at it. Be consistent. Be
patient. Start young. Even if you're not young, it's never too late!
5. She started hustling from secondary school
"I have been hustling since I left secondary
school..started modeling before I entered university in 1998. Was running a
modeling agency even while I was a student and made it a full time business
after I left university. I never doubted that I would succeed one day, because
I was determined.
Like Barack Obama's sister said, poverty is not an
excuse! I used to sell/market beer at Sheraton hotel, Lagos when I was in
university for N1,000 a day.
I once lived on 'puff puff' and garri for weeks in
UNILAG and I was supposedly a top model but nobody knew what I was going
through. Trust me, I know poverty. Did you know I lived in Idi-oro, Mushin for
15 years? Up until when I was 25? Did you live in Mushin? Eh, so what's your
excuse? I can't even say some things here for my family's privacy but here I am
today because I never doubted myself and I never allowed all the doubters to
distract me.
I was focused. I was determined. I worked hard and I knew the God
I served won't let me down. The road was long, sometimes very frustrating and
painful but look at me now. God did it because he saw that I was willing!
"Because I am a woman, I must make unusual
efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “She doesn’t have what it
takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.”
6. She did not become rich overnight
And please do not think this happened over night.
I've been blogging since 2006...November this year will make it exactly 9
years. God, consistency and hard work brought me here today.
"Unfortunately, a lot of our young girls aren't
patient and some are lazy, they want it quick and fast but it doesn't work like
that. Success takes time - takes hard work - takes passion - takes consistency
- but more than anything else, it takes the Grace of God.
7. Until after her 30th birthday
I was a 30 year old broke woman and on my birthday,
a very sad and depressed me turned to God and begged him. I told Him you
promised me, when will You fulfill Your promise? Am I not Your child? Have I
not lived according to Your teachings?
When will You bless me? Please God help
me...and with tears in my eyes, I begged Him. I cried and I begged and I begged
and I begged. A few months later my life changed. Never underestimate God's
love for you and the power of prayer.
8. She works too hard, sleeps late, wakes up early
"And never stop working. Listen, I make enough
money to hire so many people to work on this blog while I go do other things
and enjoy myself...but I don't do that. I'm up while some of you are sleeping,
and already blogging before some of you wake up.
I don't take this for granted.
I know to stay on top, I have to constantly work and nobody will be as
dedicated as I am because this is not their own thing. It's mine and I have to
keep feeding it. So I'm constantly here!
9. Her shoes cost over N200, 000
Young ladies, I promise you...you too can do this.
You don't need to spread your legs for any bladdy man - because of how much?
N200k? That's how much my shoes cost - so why you should give up your body for
that? Your sacred body? God's temple? 200k that you can make in a week or even
in a day if you pursue your dreams and still have your dignity intact?
You
think people don't see that you're messing around with all dem old married men
and talking about it? Think ladies, think! When next a man propositions
you...tell him to get lost, that you will get yours yourself! Abi, aren't you a
woman? You know what they say about women? "A woman is like a tea bag, you
never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.". You are so
strong, you don't even know!
10. The God factor
Also, if you want God to bless you, you have to have
a clean heart. All these backbiting, hating on others, trying to bring people
down with hateful words, action etc - God doesn't like ugly. He has over 6
billion people to look after and you think he will pay extra attention to you
if your heart is ugly? Wish people well, help people when you can. Be good to
others.
But more than anything else be good to yourself. Believe in yourself.
It's very easy to give in to feelings of self-doubt and back down when things
get tough, but you have to know that God will not give you anything you can't
handle.
I swear to you, you are underestimating yourself. If
you know the power that you have inside. If you know the things that you are
capable of. If you know how far you can go...how high you can reach but you are
holding yourself back because you're afraid of failing, because you don't think
you have it in you. If only you know that you're stronger than you think. You
are so powerful, you don't even know it. I'm not more special than you are. I
don't have two heads. We serve the same God. Why can't you succeed? Think
ladies, think.
More photos of her house as shared on her blog
Happy woman. Had to wear my Selfmade Tee...:-)
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Please believe in yourself and watch God use you to
set as an example for others.
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