AN IT manager and motivational coach has branched out into inspirational literature.

Ayo Jimmy, 42, an Army veteran and PhD student who lives in Parks, is the author of Inspiration And Wisdom and The Power Of Words.

Inspiration And Wisdom contains 300 of his short commentaries on how people can make the best of their lives.

They include: “Successful people invent their own rules by breaking the existing protocols and guidelines.”

The other book, The Power Of Words, has Ayo’s thoughts appear among those of people who have inspired him, ranging from 20th century US President Theodore Roosevelt to athlete Usain Bolt.

Ayo, who is married to Mide and is a father-of-two, works as a project manager in IT, construction and renewable energy.

“I was born in Lagos in Nigeria,” he said. “I’ve always had an ambition to inspire people and help to transform their lives.

“The journey of my life started when I came to England in 2005. I came because I wanted to improve myself and – apart from that – give back to the people.

“Before I left Nigeria I heard about the issue of the war that is going on. The Army was still in Iraq.”

Ayo came to England aiming to do a Master’s degree, but then applied to study health and social care. There came a point when his visa was about to expire, but he did not want to return to Nigeria without succeeding.

“Going back home as the only son, and who hasn’t achieved anything, is a failure, a shame to the dignity of the family,” he said.

“There is a philosophy to my tribe that if you don’t achieve above what your dad achieved you are a failure. So every generation tends to set the legacy.

“The next option for me was to say, like the philosophy says, ‘It’s not what society can do for you, it’s what you can do for society.’”

Ayo joined the Army – he was initially told he was too old at 30 but then the rules changed. Seven years of service in logistics saw him travel the world, including to Afghanistan, but his military career was cut short when he developed a condition which causes immense limb pain in low temperatures.

“One thing you get in the Army is discipline. That discipline has helped me to shape and model my life,” he said.

“Before I was medically discharged I began thinking, ‘My physical path is affected but my mental path is not'," he said.

“I am an action-taker.”

“The military instilled in me the confidence to keep challenging, myself. So I applied for my Master’s, which is what I came for in the first place.”

An MBA at Cardiff Metropolitan was followed by the beginning of a career as a project management consultant. Ayo has worked on government contracts and with NATO. He is also working on a doctorate in strategy and innovation management.

Becoming an author is a product of his life experiences.

“Every time I’ve been moving along the way, one thing has kept going along with me – the quotes of writers and other people which have helped me,” he said.

“I have dyslexia. I struggle at times to write, but each time I look at other people’s words they inspire and motivate me. That keeps me going. If everybody else is doing a hundred per cent, I believe I have to do 200.”

Both books can be found on Amazon by searching for Ayo’s name.

“I began to write when I started to do my doctorate. I wanted to put discipline into myself and I wanted to acquire more knowledge. There is a saying that if you start reading books about a particular field for a period of one or two years you become an expert in that area, and expertise started coming out of me," he said.

“When I sit down, the words come and I have to set them down. I don’t question my intuition, I just write what it tells me.”

His advice to others wishing to make the best of their potential?

“Be precise. We have everything coming at us from left, right and centre. But one thing I have in my mind is that if you don’t take a step you are more at risk than the person who takes a step," he said.

“My philosophy is that nothing is holding me back. I am the only one who can hold myself back. So every time I look at the mirror I say to myself, ‘Whatever it is going to cost me to bring out the best version of myself, I’m going to be ready to take the risk to have it.’

“Whatever the obstacle is, take it, be strong at it and fight to the end.”

Both books can be found on Amazon by searching for Ayo’s name.