In living a purpose driven life, it is important to know your identity – not what the world wants, but who you are – what God wants for you. I am God’s Child, Bright Light, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Entrepreneur, Rapper, Poet, Artist, Songwriter, Actor, Content Producer, Project Manager, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Economist, Writer, Brand Developer, Talent Manager, Teacher, Conduit, Philantropist – Adaora Mbelu (This Thing Called Purpose)
Popularly known as Adaora Lumina on Social Media, Adaora Mbelu is a Brand Developer at Trellis Group, a brand development and experiential marketing company. Prior to Trellis, she worked as Content Director on the United Nations World Tourism Organization Conference, Nigeria Centenary Awards, and International Conference On Peace & Security. She was also the Project Manager for Freemantle Licensed TV Shows, Nigerian Idol and Nigeria’s Got Talent. There, she managed the business, brand, and production of the shows. She has worked in the sports industry as Corporate Communications Manager for OSMI during the 2010 World Cup managing all communications on the broadcast rights for Nigeria.
Prior to moving to Nigeria, she was a Credit Analyst at Citigroup, where she received awards for organizational efficiency and team spirit. In 2017, she was mentioned in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “11 Africans that are changing the business landscape in Africa.” She was also Nominated in the “Entrepreneur Of The Year” and “Prize For Media Enterprise” Categories of the Future Awards Africa and has been listed as one of 100 Most Inspiring Women by Leading Ladies Aftica. She has been featured among Nigeria’s Under 40 CEO’s, and Top 30 Under 30, and most recently her Alumni university’s magazine “The Northern”.
Asides academic and professional accomplishments, she has a super-passion for community development. She is the co-founder of Socially Africa, a foundation that gives back to the community through several initiatives.
Adaora recently authored her first book: This Thing Called Purpose- a book that helps people understand the true essence of living with and through purpose. If you are very in tune with the ’gram/social media then you might have heard about TTCP. If you haven’t, you totally should plus here are three reasons why it should make it to your bucket list.
The Book Cover: If you are a Creative or someone who is great at paying attention to details, you would most likely find the book cover intriguing and unconventional. The word “purpose” is more inclined to circles that has to do with faith especially the Christian Faith. One would expect the book cover to reflect this in a literal way i.e wear a visual ‘conventional’ marker of faith. But then, to follow Adaora closely is to know that the expression of her faith and her intimacy with God is unique. The barcode design is refreshingly different, it piques your curiosity and arouses your thoughts too. One can almost immediately tell just by looking at the book cover that the content will be different in a way that pushes you out of your normal zone- it pushes you to think, learn, unlearn and relearn.
Everything I address in this book are things that I wish were addressed by the books I have read in my lifetime. Most books motivate you to fly and be successful, but they don’t tell you that in order to achieve all of that greatness, you have to first strip the layers you’re carrying. This book is designed to help you unlearn some of the things you have allowed into your heart and mind, strip yourself fully of the junk, and then move confidently in your purpose. I share more about this thing called purpose – what I know about it, how I have learned to trust it, and how it guides everything I do.
Style of writing: For a writing based on purpose, one would immediately expect an instructional material- content that revolves around ‘to-do’s’ and ‘how to’s’. With TTCP, you will unlearn assumptions about the ’how’s’ and ’why’s’ of a number of things including God. The style of writing aids this as Adaora engages you in embracing a new way of seeing and thinking about things. Her writing style is conversational and quite relatable. She also shares her personal experiences without elevating it as the only way to get predictable outcomes. Using every day illustrations, you are pushed to introspect and reach for answers. The language of writing is equally simple- the words are clear-cut; sentences/expressions, straight to the point. If you ever need to pause while reading the book it will most likely not be because you need to flip through your dictionary. 70% of the time, it will be to think and maybe drop an offering?
The Role of Faith: It is easy to tell that the author’s faith is central to her existence. The way she expresses her faith through this book will get you rethinking what divinity really is and have you question (in a healthy way) your relationship with God. After reading, you will have answers to questions like:
Is my current understanding of God, His ways and His acts taught to me or did I experience it for myself?
What exactly does it mean to have a relationship with God?
How can I cultivate a deeper level of intimacy with God?
What is the difference between being and doing and how can I strike a balance?
Can I fulfill purpose without having a relationship with God?
Is purpose one thing or several things?
Do I have to be a certain way to fulfill purpose?
What exactly is this thing called purpose?
This Thing Called Purpose is retailed at Roving Heights bookstore, can be ordered via Amazon and is available for purchase on Okadabook app and Bambooks.
Have you read the book? What do you think about it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
