Steemit Engagement Challenge -S7W5/Meet Mrs Ibukun Awosika: A woman who loves to dare.

I appreciate @steementrepreneur for hosting this powerful engagement contest. Everyone has someone they look up to, one who inspires and encourages them to pursue their goals in life. For me, that person is Mrs Ibukun Awosika.

WHO IS MRS IBUKUN AWOSIKA

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Mrs Ibukun Awosika was born 60 years ago on December 24, 1962. She is a Mother, Businesswoman, Author of multiple bestselling books, Founder, among many other things.

WHY IS SHE MY FAVOURITE

From a young age, she took the leap to start up her furniture company from scratch after working as a Showroom Manager with Alibert Nigeria Ltd. Working there made her reconnect with first love - architecture.

God does not expect something from you that he knows you cannot deliver. He expects something he knows you have the ability to deliver.

Mrs Ibukun is a strong believer that everyone was born with something great in them. It's only left to every individual to discover what God has brought them into the world to accomplish.

Although it was frustrating starting a business with inadequate funds and backing from the bank, it took the assistance of her parents and friends that she was able to pull through and stand strong.

Her company has evolved from Quebees Limited, into The Chair Centre Ltd, later changed to SOKOA Chair Centre Ltd, after they successfully merged with SOKOA S. A and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) in 2004, after it has been operating for 15 years.

She became the first woman to be appointed Chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria on the 7th of September, 2015.

WHAT LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM HER AND HER INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE

Your life is not accidental. Be more deliberate about your life and how you live, knowing that every action has a consequence for the choices you make. Extend this knowledge to the rest of your life

If you follow her closely, you will realise that she has taken strategic decisions every step of the way, and each decision she takes has yielded massive results.

Once during an event where she was a speaker, she told the audience, I come from a place where opportunities are staring at you in the eye, but it's looking for the people who have the heart and courage to do it and do it right.

Looking at all that she has achieved in both her personal, marital and business life, she has taught me quite a lot.

She has inspired me to look for the gold in every dirt. That I shouldn't let fear creep in my way of taking good use of opportunities.

If you want to learn, you must humble yourself regardless of whom could be teaching you. You don't spite anyone on the way to the top because they could be the only things to help you stay there.

Above all, she has taught me to love God and trust in Him wholeheartedly, and take every decision that I make to Him, knowing that his thoughts are for good to help me become that which he expects.

CONCLUSION

There is so much you can learn from reading and listening to her talk. There are so many lessons to learn, knowledge to tap from and ideas to work on. Just Ibukun would say, every decision you make takes you a step further or backward. So ask yourself daily "Am I making the right decision today?