11 Quotes & Sayings By Emi Iyalla

Emi Iyalla is the author of the critically acclaimed novels "The Little Book of Gracie" and "The Little Book of Gracie and Me". She is also an inspirational speaker, blogger, and social media enthusiast. Emi's work has been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN Headline News, Good Morning America (GMA), Glamour Magazine, The Huffington Post, Essence Magazine, Essence.com , Style.com , BET.com , Soul Train Magazine , Today's African American Woman Magazine , Black Enterprise Magazine , The Root magazine , Fox5News.com , BET Radio  and several other local and national publications.

1
If careful attention is paid to the reality, we will see clearly, the real shortage is of the right skills, rather than of jobs. If the right skills are developed, the right start-ups and other enterprises will emerge and provide the jobs needed. It’s always the horse before the cart, not the other way round. At a personal level, it will require the realisation of the need for the acquisition of required skills, the discipline to pursue it and the commitment to push through. These will require a great deal of personal courage and effort. But then, the benefit will be immeasurable. Emi Iyalla
2
To succeed in this competition means finding yourself in a place where you call the shots and get the gains. This is not an easy feat, unless you are born into it. if you are not, you will need to out-smart your equals. You need to be more ambitious than they are. You need to work harder. You need to look better and smarter. You need to justify why it should be you and not them. It’s a competition. Emi Iyalla
3
If your current skill doesn’t pay your bills, perhaps you should re-tool - and fast at that. The pursuit of knowledge and the skills that come with it must be done strategically. We must put the society we live in into serious consideration before we embark on this journey otherwise make urgent adjustments if we have gone astray. We can’t isolate our skills from the need of the society we live in. Well, actually, we can, but to our peril. Emi Iyalla
4
Life is easy for some, hard for others. Some succeed with minimal effort, others have to put in a lot of efforts and some have it served in a dish. Whichever your case is, make the best of it. Enjoy the journey. You can't control the side of life you fall into but you can rise beyond any limitation it places on you. Those who have it easy are made of plastic, you are made of steel. Do what you must today. . Emi Iyalla
5
Whether you sweep the toilet of a school or you make cloths. Whether you take pictures of dancers or you are a full-time house wife. Whether you are a village jester or the president of a company, never trivialize what you do. Your work, no matter how small you think it is can make a difference in someone's life. It all begins with you. It's not what you do, it's how you do it. I have seen a traffic police bring minutes of joy and happiness to people's lives in a way that Presidents of nations cannot. Anytime you trivialize what gives you an income, you sell yourself cheap and lose your dignity. Do your work with all excitement, joy and positivity. Learn and grow from it. And if you haven't found a job to do, look for one with the same zeal as you would do the actual work. Good morning and may God bless our efforts. Emi Iyalla. Emi Iyalla
6
The pursuit of knowledge and the skills that come with it must be done strategically. We must put the society we live in into serious consideration before we embark on this journey. We can't isolate our skills from the need of the society we live in Emi Iyalla
7
In today's world, a strong pair of hands is no longer enough for men to succeed just as a beautiful face doesn't guarantee lasting love for women. Times have changed. People now look for values everywhere. From their government to their lovers. From their phones to even the websites they visit. The 21st century game is played around value. It is slightly shifting from the package-era of the 20th century. This is one of the reason for the huge instability that has affected the modern society. From instability in relationships to quick changes in government. Value, in today's world is the difference maker between the things that will stay and the ones that won't. . Emi Iyalla
8
None of this is to deny that the Niger Delta has made mistakes. It has, and a good number at that. But then, mistakes are made to make wiser and therefore help in better decision making. Emi Iyalla
9
To succeed in this competition means finding yourself in a place where you call the shots and gets the gain. This is not an easy feat, unless you are born into it. if you are not, you will need to out-smart your equals. You need to be more ambitious than they are. You need to work harder. You need to look better and smarter. You need to justify why it should be you and not them. It’s a competition. Emi Iyalla
10
Everybody looks at oil and almost entirely forget that the percentage of jobs the oil sector creates is relatively small compared to the population; the introduction of more sophisticated exploration methods makes it even worse. Oil companies now look for smarter, leaner and cheaper operations. Where will these leave the economy? Good disposable income to the government with no real value to the people of the Niger Delta. Emi Iyalla