I have been spending the past few days to reflect and review my activities of the past and the plans of the future. I can boldly say that the future looks more glorious than before. Will the road ahead be smooth? Will there be any adversity on the way? Yeah…but everything is there to prepare you for what lies ahead. The truth that you are still struggling to achieve that goal confirms that challenges are meant to come. The odd against you succeeding is on the increase daily. The difference between the successful person and the one stalked by failure is not the adversity – everybody has that. The difference is how we all respond to the challenges we meet on our way.

What then is the way out? Do we regroup and hit it hard again? Or we just lay it down and quit? Many times we have made a u-turn when our success is actually around the corner. Calvin Coolidge said,

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

An average successful person has witnessed failures at one stage of their lives. Just name anyone and seek to understand their past. You would be surprised at how much of failures the person had been able to deal with. Failure is never an end – not the final destination. What do you do when you are consistently met with setbacks? Do you give in and just quit? Or you try one more time? You can either see setbacks as the foundations upon which you build future success or the final excuse for failure. The decision is yours. You make the choice to follow through or to quit.

“The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice – their choice.” Eisenhower

What a powerful truth. You can, and do, write your own history. The history you will leave behind, the legacy that you will leave for your children, is the accumulation of the choices you have made all along the way. I have realized that in life the ball lies in your court. It is all about the choices you make on a daily basis. I believe that:

• Anyone can have as much money as they choose to.
• Anyone can have the level of peace that they choose to have.
• Anyone can do anything they choose to do.

Every successful person makes the choice to use their setbacks as springboard through which they launch out. They never allow discouragement to set in. They keep working on their ideas and goals. They are persistent. And the end result? Success that we all dream of. If you must achieve your goals, you need this virtue. The dictionary defines persistent as: to continue firmly or obstinately. Persistence is a state of mind. In the words of Thomas Edison,

“Just because something does not do what you planned it to do does not mean it is useless… Reverses should be an incentive to great accomplishment. Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is just one more step forward… There are no rules here; we are just trying to accomplish something.”

It is therefore normal for someone to have obstacles before success. Even the dictionary puts the word obstacle before success. Obstacles are there to strengthen us and offer progressive measurement of our growing strength. Discouragement sets in when we misunderstand the purpose of obstacles. Persistence is a conscious decision. So, let us train ourselves to be persistent persons.

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Technorati Tags: persistence, Education

Are you living your dream right now? Or you are waiting for the right time before you start living your dream? Millions each day have been taken over by the habit of procrastination. They find reasons daily to push forward what they would have done today. Yet, they profess to have a dream. Are you still part of this set of people? If you answer YES, then it is time for you to take charge of your destiny. Choose to live your dream from today.

Wait, how many times have you said, “Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow“? “I will do it when I have time?” Your motto may even be “I will do it as long as I can have someone to help out…” Procrastination will kill your dreams faster than you can even have them. When you procrastinate, you take no action and nothing is born. There is need for you to take action irrespective of what challenges you would have to face. It is your responsibility to ensure that you work towards living your dream.

What you call tomorrow or the future is actually TODAY. Tomorrow never comes. I believe it actually never exists. I used to get like a deer in headlights, frozen in my tracks, when it came to reaching for my dreams. The idea of going back to school seemed so daunting that I didn’t know where to start…! There was always something “more important” or “necessary” to do and my vision took a backseat… day after day after day.

I bet you know exactly what I’m talking about. You may even be experiencing the same at the moment. Make a commitment to pick up from where you last stopped and DO SOMETHING about it! What is is that you want to achieve? Go back to school? Start a business? Or even change your career? It doesn’t matter how poorly you think you would do. Just Do It.

Make a commitment to getting started today. This is YOUR year if you decide to go for what you want. Remember, excuses will take you no where. Take ACTION today.

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Time is running out. This is the plain truth. January is almost over and before you know what is happening, we would soon be in December. Have you just be living each day without carefully considering what you do with your time? Now is the right time for you to pause and reflect on the value of time and how important it is that you create priorities.

If you are yet to create plans of what you want to achieve this year, you may need to take out some hours to do this. It is never too late to put up one together. It is better to be late than to not to have one. One of the basic tenets of goal setting is that you choose, in advance, how you are going to allocate your time. This helps to ensure that you use it in the best way that will move you towards achieving your goals.

You may not have heard the phrase “the time value of money“. But I want you to consider this scenario carefully. A dollar in your hand today is worth more than a dollar in your hand a year from now. Why? The key difference is what you can do with that dollar next year. You can invest that dollar right now in any business or even in an interest – bearing project and have $1.05 at the end of the year. If you decide to take your money in a year, your opportunity cost (foregone investment) will be five cent. Not to mention what inflation will have done to your purchasing power within the time frame under consideration.

Now think about how many hours you are losing each time you engage in those irrelevant activities. Apply the same thought process to when you ARE actually working – maximizing your time. Decide what better use of your time IS every time. Having this at the back of your mind always will ensure that you always decide what the best use of your time will be. Time is money and money is time. So, choose today invest them wisely.

Meanwhile, let me leave you with this short movie.

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Technorati Tags: opportunity

Millions each day (if not more) are afflicted with and effected by the habit of procrastination. How many times have we all said, “Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow”? Procrastination kills dreams faster than you can even have them. When we procrastinate, we take no action and consequently – nothing is born. There is need for you to take action irrespective of what you want. No obstacle is big enough to stop you from living your dream. God has deposited in you everything you need. No matter how big your goal is or the challenge on the road, you can achieve it if only you will take the first step today.

SO, GET STARTED NOW…Guess what? Tomorrow never comes. Yeah, it never does. Tomorrow only appears in the mind. Have you ever considered the fact that the tomorrow you were talking about yesterday is the today you are in now. I used to get frozen in my tracks, when it comes to reaching for my dreams. The idea of starting and running a successful business seemed so daunting that I didn’t know where to start… There was always something “more important” or “necessary” to do and my vision took a backseat… day after day after day. But I took the bull by the horn. I moved towards my goal. I started a business part-time but I ensured that I keep moving towards my goal. The steps may be small but I am definitely not stagnant.

I bet you know what I’m talking about too. You too can make the decision today to move towards your dream. First, have a clear picture of what you actually want. Then, make a commitment to do something in line with your goal every day. Give it everything you have got and ensure that you DO SOMETHING about it! It doesn’t matter how poorly you do it. Like Nike suggests, “Just Do It“.

Will you still watch your dream pass you by? Make a commitment to getting started today. This is YOUR season if ONLY you will decide to face your challenge and go for your goal. Remember, excuses will take you no where. Take ACTION NOW.

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Technorati Tags: Start a business, goal, procrastination, dream, successful business, dream

1. Make the commitment to reach your goal: “One person with a commitment is worth a hundred who only have an interest.” Mary Crowley. Your goal is worth nothing without your commitment to follow through on it. Lack of commitment is one of the reasons why many people do not [achieve their goals. Many have great goals and even wonderful plans to achieve the goals. But without a personal commitment, nothing will be achieved. You need to constantly remind yourself that nobody can achieve your goal for you. Your employees or your boss is only working at achieving his goals. So, how committed are you to your goals?

2. Be accountable: Commit yourself to detailed accountability. Look for someone that you respect and share your goals with the person. If possible, get a mentor that you know would be interested in you. Remember that mentors are not there to help you achieve your goals. They are to ensure that you remain on the right track. But I bet you this is worth much more than you can quantify. Also, develop the habbit of recording your progress toward your goals every night, and list the six most important things you need to do the next day. This daily discipline is not only key to reaching your goals but also gives you motivation to keep going.

3. Build your life on a sold foundation of honesty: A life and / or business built on strong character, integrity, trust, love, and loyalty is definitely going to succeed. The progress may not be visible but it will pay off. This foundation will give you an honest shot at reaching any goal you have set properly.

4. Break your intermediate and long-range goals into small bits: Imagine that your goal is to have a certain amount of turnover in your business within the next one year. While this is may be a great goal, the implication is that you will have to wait till the end of the year before you know if you achieve your goal or not. But if you break it down into monthly turnover, this is easy to measure. Moreover, you will be able to know on time if you are close to your goal or not.

5. Be prepared for change: Something are definitely not within your control. The foreign exchange flunctuation, radical changes in oil prices, weather, inflation, interest rates, government policies etc. are things that you can not control.  So, you have to consider this when setting your goals. Stick with your decision to move toward a goal – but be willing to change your direction to get there as conditions and circumstances demand.

6. Share your “give-up” goals: I can not over-emphasise the importance of sharing your goals with people. While this will help you stay on your toes, it will also do you much good. Assume that your goal is to give up drinking, being rude, or even procrastinating, you will surely see people that will encourage you. They can even help you track your action towards achieving your goals. So, don’t keep your goals to yourself only. Share it and get the help that you need.

7. Become a team player: Nobody is created an island. If God could create Eve and bring her to Adam, then you definitely need people. I have not seen any person who became successful alone. Just take a look around you. The people they are working with may not be visible but I bet you there is little they can achieve without the support they get from their team. One thing you need to consider when in working in team is what you are going to add to others. Focus on how you can help others achieve their dreams. The people you may be working with may even be your employees. Just have it in mind that they have their goals that they are trying to achieve. And if they can’t get to achieve their personal goals working with you, they will leave you and you might have to start over again. Always remember: “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. Zig Ziglar”

8. See yourself reaching your goal: The main reason why you set your goals is because you want to achieve them. It is, therefore, important that believe in yourself. Constantly put the goal before you.  In your imagination, see yourself achieving whatsoever goal you have set for yourself. Can you see yourself receiving that diploma, getting that job or promotion, making that speech, moving into the home of your dreams, achieving that weight-loss goal, hitting that turnover target? This is necessary if you will achieve your goals.

9. Document your achievement: One reason why you have to do this is the effect it has on you. Every time that you reach a goal, your confidence will grow. See your achievement motivates you to work towards achieving bigger and better things. After accomplishing any goal, make it a habit of recording it in your Journal, Weekly Planner or Palm Pilot.

10. Give yourself no other option: Challenges will come on the way. They are there to refine you. But whether you will achieve your goals depends on how you respond to tough circumstances. Most people give up when all that they need is just to try one more time. They give up when they would have hit their target in the next attempt. Join the league of the few that succeed because they did not give in. Give yourself no other option.

Above all, remember, what you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you become by reaching your goals – what you will become is the winner you were born to be! The first step is to know where you are going. If you do not know where you are going, you will undoubtedly end up somewhere else. You can do better, you can achieve more, you can be the best God has created you to be. So, start now to make your dreams happen!

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Technorati Tags: goal, business, achieve your goal, accountability, mentor, team player, dreams

If your parents are like mine, you would agree that they always have their own plans. Parents seem to know what is best for their children. Why the child keeps dreaming and looking forward to pursuing his dream, the parents would normally be working out their agenda for the child. You will hear statement like, “I want you to be a doctor“. “That my friend that is a medical doctor is doing very well“. “You have to be an engineer“. I am sure you heard something like this if not exactly the same when you were growing up as a child. You may be fortunate to make your final decision as regards the course you would study in the university. But the story is definitely different for most people.

You may have studied a course chosen for you by someone else but the choice is yours to make the best use of what you have got. You need to revisit your childhood dream. Wait…what are those things that you were dreaming of when growing up as a child? I believe this is the time to do some soul-searching to find out what you would rather be doing at the moment. Imagine for a second that you are living your life and suddenly missed out on what you were supposed to be doing. The truth is that this is exactly what happened to many people. Instead of living their dream, they result to following the route of least resistance. Many give reasons why they should continue doing what they have been doing – living someone’s dream.

Just as many successful people have had to realise that their parents’ goals were not theirs, you too have to find what makes you tick. Every successful person has had to set his goals and pursue them. The question I want you to answer now is, “if you are not living your life, then whose is it?” If you are not going to think about your life, then who will? The past may be beyond you now, but you have the power to change the present. Choice is a freedom we can all exercise. We are all in charge of writing our own movie and that movie is our life.

Imagine that you are sitting in front of a computer now and you are typing a scene as it comes to mind. What kind would you want to have? Somehow, I have a feeling that most people would not choose their present situation. It would not only be boring to write, it would be no fun to watch. So, why are you living out a script that you would never write? Give yourself a little freedom now to develop into someone you would actually like to be. The only person that can and that will give you a chance is yourself. Nobody can do this for you.

Too many people want status quo to remain the same and that includes you. So, you have to do everything to separate yourself from this group of people. If it means going for another course in the university, it is worth it. You have the ability to change your present situation. You are already equipped with what you need to move beyond mediocrity or whatsoever that may be holding you back. Make up your mind today not to follow the easy route. If you would really live your dream,  you have to do what the successful people normally do. Move beyond the common.

I will leave you with what Donald Trump said. “Write your own script. Then produce it yourself and find yourself living the way you want to. That is freedom; that is power and that is winning“.

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Technorati Tags: ideas, plans, dream, successful people, Donald Trump

Red lights on our street are necessary for safety. So, whenever you feel the urge to stop, you need to ask yourself if you are stopping yourself from realistic reasons. Are you stopping because you sense you are moving towards danger or because you feel you may never achieve your goal? The truth is that if you feel you would not be able to achieve your goal, there is no point going ahead. People normally put themselves in this kind of situation when they focus too much on the failures of the past.

Failure is normal. Ask all successful persons and they will tell you that they had failed before but they did not allow the failure to keep them down. They chose to learn the lessons and try again. Stop wasting your fuel worrying about yesterday. The past is gone, the future may be unknown but the present is real. And so your opportunities are real. Wait…if your mind is buried in the past failures, if you keep reliving old mistakes, your opportunities can not be real to you.

Just as you would take good care of your car, take care of your emotional car and ensure that it moves you towards your objectives. Stop when the red light on your mental dashboard signals a necessary slowdown but change it to green as soon as you notice any feeling that wants to keep you from moving towards achieving your objectives. Nobody is going to do this for. You just have to give yourself no other option and you would be surprised at the kind of resuls you would get.

Stop now and start again. Engage this process always. This is definitely one way of moving towards your goals. As you formulate your goals and move towards then, always remember your past successes. See them in your mind as they were happening  now. Your success will not only live now but also give you enough motivation to face what lies ahead. Use your success of the past to launch yourself towards creating the success of today. Stop when the red light signals but start immediately the light changes to green. Keep an eye on the red light.

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Technorati Tags: opportunity, goal, successful persons

You are the opportunity and it is your responsibility to knock on the door to your destiny. You start by preparing yourself to recognise opportunity when you see one. Have an open mind in all situation. Then you will have to pursue and seize opportunity as you develop your strength. The one opportunity that is accessible to you NOW is being able to steer yourself to a productive goal through the growing awareness of “who you are”, “what you can be” and “how you can channel what you have got to turn your dreams into reality”. Nobody can do this for you. So, you owe yourself a lot by committing to this.

You have to create opportunity. This is your responsibility and don’t let anybody deceive you that they can do this for you. It is your call to develop the capacities you need to move towards opportunity. Your starting point will be to work on your thinking. What normally comes to mind when you are faced with challenges? Do you see adversity or opportunities? Your thinking has to align with your goals. Your thought must be able to direct your energy towards fulfilling your dreams / goals. This won’t come easy but you must fight for your right to fulfil the opportunity that God gave you to use your life well. You can do this in your mind when you support yourself.

You have to constantly focus on developing your creative and imaginative power instead of worrying. Don’t bother yourself with what other people think or say about you. Always remember that opinion doesn’t change potential. Moreover, you must stop complaining about your unfortunate past and open your eyes to the opportunities that exist for you. One thing that complaining or focusing on the past does is that it robs you of the future. While it is true that you may have limitations, you need to focus on the opportunities that abound. Search for your creative powers so that you can move towards your opportunites. Leave the camp of those whose major work is to criticize everything. The best they can do is to take you further away from recognising your opportunities.

Finally, know that our world is full of so many opportunities. There are countless number of businesses yet to be started, softwares yet to be written and even exams to be written. The frontiers are not all closed and the doors are not yet shut. Every new day creates a platform for us to move forward and create exciting new opportunities. The ball is in our court. Also, the amount of opportunities that we create is independent of what others can create. God has blessed us with everything we need. Will you waste God’s resources? Answer the question within yourself but make a commitment today to develop the strength you need to seize your opportunity…

Are you still Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly?

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Technorati Tags: opportunity, dreams

The businessman then asked, “what do you do with the rest of your time?” The fisherman said, “I play with my children, take siesta with my wife, and stroll into the village each evening where I play with my friends. I have a full and busy life”. The businessman smiled, “I have MBA – that is degree in business administration – and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats and eventually you would have a fleet. Then instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would, ofcourse, need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to city where you would run your entreprise. 

So, the fisherman now asked, “but how long will all this take?” The business replied, “fifteen to twenty years.” “But what then?” asked the fisherman.  The businessman laughed, “That is the best part. When the time is right you sell your stock to the public and you become very rich. You would make millions”. “Millions? But then what?” asked the fisherman. “Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your children, take siesta with your wife and stroll to the village in the evening where you could play with your friend.” With just the hint of a twinkle in his eye, the fisherman said, “why should I go through this process since I am already doing that right now?”.

This may sound like a fairy tale but I want you to read that story again and put yourself in place of the businessman. Too often those of us that are heavily involved in the business world are in danger of loosing out on our most important asset – family.  I once pointed out the importance of developing family relationship in one of my previous write-ups. I will like to point out one or two things again today. One thing we need to constantly remind ourselves is that when it comes to it, relationships are more important to us than anything else. When we are faced with challenges on the way, our family and friends are those that will be there to cheer us up.

No matter how successful you may be, if you loose your family on the way, you are not far from failure. This applies to you even if you are the most powerful man on earth as long as you do not have no time for your family or friends. Imagine yourself just coming from a business trip, you had just sealed that business deal, and you say to your son, “do you fancy going to the cinema this weekend?” and he replied, “do you mind if we don’t, Dad – I said I would go out with some friends”. How would you feel? Remember that you constantly tell yourself that you are doing everything for your family…But what is the use of being successful if you loose your family?

While work is very important, you would definitely crave for success in the area of relationships when you grow older. So, watch it. Don’t allow your family to leave before you realise it. Start today to strike a balance. While you focus on building your career or expanding that business, set time aside to build the relationships that are important to you. You can start by setting aside a day out of the week which you will invest into the relationships that matter to you. Start with your family and then extend it to your friends. See this as a business appointment. If possible, switch off your phone throughout the time you would be with your family. What are you waiting for? Take out your diary and fix the appointment now…

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Against all odds, they rise above the difficulties and land up scaling greater heights than before. They do not merely survive the adversity, they thrive. If you are really serious about living your dreams, you have to continually conquer adversity and, amidst the chaos, look out for new opportunities to undertake and excel in. Most people miss out on opportunities, thereby remaining POOR (Passing Out Opportunities Repeatedly), because they cave in at the sight of slight challenges. Many give up without even trying. Some even have enough reasons why they feel they could not overcome the challenges.

Are you giving up before trying? Or even tried and concluded that the obstacle is too high for you? You need to reconsider your position and you will be surprised at what you can achieve. Like the old mule in a fable that I read some years back, once we have set our minds to clear all the obstacles, we will succeed in any endeavor.

A farmer once owned an old mule. One day, the mule fell into the farmer’s well and brayed loudly so as to catch the farmer’s attention. The farmer, upon assessing the situation, ruled out any possibility of a rescue as it would simply be too much trouble for him to lift the mule out of the well. However, out of sympathy for the animal, he enlisted his neighbors’ help to haul dirt into the well to put the mule out of his misery.

The old mule was hysterical upon learning that his life would thus end. As the farmer and the neighbors shoveled the dirt into the well, a thought struck the old mule. He realized that if he could shake off every dirt that landed on his back, the dirt would hit the floor and he could step on the dirt. Shovel after shovel, he continued relentlessly to shake off the dirt and step on top of it. He fought the sense of panic and distress and just went on shaking off the dirt and climbing higher up the well.

With much determination and perseverance, the old mule eventually stepped out the well, battered and exhausted, but otherwise triumphant that he had survived the ordeal. Through the way he handled the situation of adversity, the act of burying him in fact saved his life. I am sure many of us have found ourselves in this kind of situation but decided not to do anything about it. The morale of this story is that there is always a solution to every problem if only we can think enough.

What is it that you are going through? What dream do you have that you have lost hope of achieving? Start a business? Get the job of your dream? Going for further studies? You may even be in debt right now… Whatsoever situation you may find yourself now, there is a way out but the ball lies in your court. You have to rise up to the challenge and give yourself no other alternative. One failure should not discourage you from trying again. It should be the catalyst that will spur you to more actions.

Walt Disney had a marvelous business idea and needed funds to start up his business. He approached the banks for a loan and every one turned him down. He did not give up and after several visits to hundreds of banks, he got the loan he wanted approved and brought the World of Disney characters into our lives. Sir Winston Churchill had speech impediment when young and took three years to get through eighth grade. He overcame all that to become the British prime minister and a recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953. These are just examples of people who have overcome obstacles to live their dreams. Look around you and you will see countless number of people who have gone through this phase before. Does anyone comes to mind? Why not share it and let’s all learn from the lives. Never give up and remember always that “Adversity creates Opportunity“.

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Technorati Tags: opportunities, succeed, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They all agreed that it was full. He then picked up a box of pebbles and added them to the jar shaking it lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open area between the rocks.  “Is the jar filled now?” The professor asked. “Yes”, the students said. But then he picked up a bag of sand and poured it into the bottle. The sand filled in everything else. Once more he asked if it was full and after some thinking they said that it was.

The professor then took two bottles of water from a bag at the side of the desk and opening them both, he poured their entire contents into the jar. The students roared at this demonstration. After the laughter subsided, the professor spoke: “I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things in your life – your family, your spouse, your children, your friends, your spouse etc. These are things that if everything else was lost and only them remained, your life would still be full.

So, how do you treat these set of people in your life? Do you neglect them and let your work get into spending quality time with them? The kind of your investment into these set of people will determine what you would be able to take out when you need them most. Your starting point will be to identify who this set of people are in your life and make a conscious effort to invest in them. If you are married and have children, your spouse and children automatically falls into this. Then, you can identify others and make a commitment to sow into their lives.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – your business, your job, your house, your car etc. The sand is everything else. The small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there will be no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Start to pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Cultivate the relationship with your spouse. Believe me, you will always find time to go to work, clean the house, rewire the lamp, fix the car. Focus on taking care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities right. The rest is just sand.

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Are you blaming others for what happens to you? Do you still live in the realm of pushing responsibility to others? Someone said that the difference between witchcraft and medicine is that when a man falls sick, witchcraft makes him ask, “who did this to me” while medicine makes him ask, “what did this to me“. This practice of blaming others account not only half of people’s failures  but also for failure to cash in on failures. When you keep blaming others for whatsoever happens to you, there is no way you can identify the cause of the failure and learn the lesson. As such, you would not be able to prevent the recurrence of this in your life. As long as you do not recognise failure fow what it is, you can not deal with it.

The second stumbling block is blaming oneself…Do you find yourself saying, “Why do I always say the wrong thing”, “Why is it that it is when it gets to my turn that something else happens”, etc. Then you ar guilty of this stumbling block. This is usually a quick and easy way to brush off a failure that probably runs much deeper and requires more consideration than people are willing to admit.  Instead of wrestling with the problem behind the failure and resolve it to prevent recurrence, many people blame themselves and let it go at that. This does more harm that good. It plants the deep feeling of inferiority and insecurity. Abraham Lincoln failed many times before he became the president but he was far from being a failure. Excessive self-blame opens the door to guilt feelings. You will keep finding fault in whatsoever you do when clearly the actual cause is being left unattended to.

The third stumbling block is having no goal: We all must know where we want to go if we are going to get anywhere. It is easy to drift along when you have no goal. Are you currently going through school as if you are doing your family a favour? Or you are only interested on your salary in your current job? These are signs that you don’t have a goal. You are definitely not aiming for anything. The people who go places and do things make the most of every situation. They are ready for the next thing that comes along on the road to their goal. They know what they want and are willing to go an extra mile. The question now is, “what is your goal?” What are you living for? Think about this and take action today.

Another stumbling block is taking short cut: An electric current will follow the line of least resistance but a bulb glows precisely because there is resistance. Many choose instinctively what seems to be the shortest, easiest, and quickest way to success only to discover that the success was illusory.  Too often, the shortcut is responsible for the choice of unsuitable goals which then lead to unsatisfactory success. Refusal to observe established rules of decency and honesty is definitely one major short cut that we all need to watch.

Do you find yourself being held by any of these stumbling blocks, decide to do something today. Take charge of your life and give yourself no other option. The ball is in your court. You will succeed.

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Technorati Tags: success, Abraham Lincoln

Whenever you think of doing something new or different and your first reaction is “I can’t”, you automatically block yourself from getting the ideas or the resources that you need to achieve your aim. You will start to think of all the reasons why such a thing is not possible for you. Everything around you will point towards failure rather than success. And before you know it, that is what you will get. This is what many people do.

Many want to improve their lives, increase their income and accomplish much more that they do today but they constantly respond with the words “I can’t” as soon as the new goal pops into their mind. Before they even try something new, they will talk themselves out it. They will then begin to think of reasons why it is impossible for them.

Are you giving up before you even try the first time? Have you been told many reasons why you can get what you want out of life? Do you believe that the successful are just a selected few? I used to think this way and I have to unlearn the words “I can’t” and delete it from my dictionary. The most important habit you can develop for great happiness and success is the habit of repeating to yourself and believing “I can do anything I put my mind to!”. The most important words you can repeat over and over to yourself are “I can do it!”.

When you set out to do something and doubt sets in, instead of giving up, repeat the word to yourself several times. This has worked for me and it still works. You can do anything you set your mind to. You are only limited by what your belief system. So, what is it that you want to do? Starting that new business? Getting that job? Or going for that course? Take the first step today…Move beyond your doubt. Believe that you can do it and then set out a plan of how you would achieve it. You would soon be doing things that you thought are impossible if only you will make up your mind not to give up now.

What are you waiting for? Make that commitment to give everything a try no matter what people tell you or you feel. Choose today to live your dream. Remember, whether you think you can or you can’t, either way you are right.

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Technorati Tags: business

Developing your mental muscles will give you the power to accomplish anything you want in life. This is not going to come easy. It surely demands some discipline on your part. Before you complain that you can not do this, take a look at the world’s greatest bodybuilders. They don’t show up at the gym every once in a while. They create a workout schedule which they follow religiously. They are at the gym every day no matter what happen.

The starting point is to hire yourself as your “mental manager“. Figure out how much you’re going to pay yourself and make up a job list. Here are six jobs you can assign to yourself to create a stronger mind.

1. Read Right
How much good news do you see in the newspapers? Editors usually say, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Read books – good books, books that motivate you and books that inspire you. Look up some of the great inspirational authors in your local bookstore. Read them every morning and/or every night, before you go to sleep. Someone has gone through the same challenge you are currently facing in your life or business and has put his experience in a book. Go find such book and learn from their experiences.

2. Share Your Mind
Find someone, or a group of people, who have the same desire to share positivity. This is called masterminding. Great successes are created when great minds come together and think about the same things. Right now, write down names of 3 people that you know can go with you on this journey and make a commitment to meet at least once a week to rub mind together.

3. Find A Mentor
I have mentor for every area of my life – career, spiritual, family etc. Who are the people you admire most, whether they know you or not? Figure out who you’d like to emulate and study them. If they offer seminars, attend them. If they’ve written books, read them.

4. Listen to Motivational/Inspirational CDs and Tapes
This is one of the most important habits you can create for yourself. Find inspirational audio messages and listen to them over and over. Earl Nightingale, one of the most brilliant thinkers of our time, had this to say on the subject: “Tape listening is the most important advance in technology since the invention of the printing press.” With audio tapes and CDs, speakers can reach 10 times as many people as the printed word ever could.

5. Sign Up and Attend Seminars
The motivational messages you hear at seminars, and the inspirational people you meet, reinforce your self-esteem and positive thinking. You can search out seminars via the internet, newspapers or local colleges and universities.

6. Turn Off the Television
On average, the television set in an average home is on over 5 hours a day. Just like any bad habit, it needs to be broken. I’m not saying that watching television is bad. I’m simply recommending that you cut back on your television viewing. Decide how long you’re going to watch television and then turn it off when you’re time is up. Try cutting back your television viewing one hour every day at first. You can use that time to read a book, listen to a motivational tape, walk your dog or spend time with your family.

So, I am asking you again, what are you doing with your mind? Let us learn from your experience.

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Technorati Tags: business goals, Earl Nightingale

If you don’t appreciate my seed, don’t envy my harvest

I was just driving out of the Church premises when a friend told me to look in a direction where I saw my pastor – one of my mentors – in a brand new Toyota Prado Jeep? My friend then told me that he wanted to be “proud” too. Hm… so many people feel the same way when they see people that they know live the kind of life they desire. I am sure you have felt this same way before and you wish you could just exchange position with that person. That is very easy. You only must be willing to put your seeds into the ground. You can create what you want.

You must have been told a lie that only selected few can succeed in life. Someone might have told you specifically that it will be hard for your business to succeed. Don’t believe that lie. As long as you have seeds, you can create your world. The most interesting thing is that God has given every one seeds to sow. God has based this world on the Law of Sowing and Reaping. If you want to reap yam tubers, the only way out is to plant yam seeds. You can not plant corn and expect to harvest cassava.

Words are seeds. Pay close attention to words coming out of your mouth every minute. If the first thing that comes out of your mouth each time your family members ask you for money is that you don’t have money, the truth is that you will definitely not have money. Rather than speak about your present situation, speak the future you desire into existence. Guard your speech. Never speak of yourself in a discouraged or discouraging way. Always speak in terms of advancement. Water the seed of the future you desire.

Thought are also seeds. What you allow to go through your mind consistently will ultimately rule your world. Control your thought and you would control your world. Everything around you can be turned to seeds. You might be working now and complain that you are being under-paid. Your complain from now till eternity will not change anything. The power to change your world lies with you. See your work place as a fertile ground that needs your seeds. If anything needs to be done in the office, be the first person to take up the responsibility.

Give your boss more USE VALUE that the CASH VALUE you collect from him. Turn everything you have to seeds.

Learn to recognise the seeds God has given and cultivate them. Once you cultivate your seed, the Law of Growth sets into place. Your wealth and dominion are tied to seeds. Value seeds! When you disrespect your seed, you will have to EAT from someone’s harvest and it will be at a cost.

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Technorati Tags: mentors, desire, seeds, Law of Sowing and Reaping, Law of Growth

I am, therefore, using this medium to dedicate this great honour to all of you. I mean YOU, my reader, who have ever come in contact with my write-up either through constantly visiting my blog or RSS readers.. You have given me reasons to keep working on myself to serve you more. 2007 is a great year for us. Let’s prepare to change level.

Year 2006 has been full of many adventures. Many great lessons have been learnt and I would be moving on to year 2007 with those lessons. I had a plan at the beginning of the year to be a blessing to thousands of people either through my write-ups online or personal contact. The task has not been an easy one but I am gradually getting there. This actually placed a demand on me to keep developing myself. At first, I thought I was going to go crazy because of the numerous projects I set out to achieve before the end of 2006.

Starting and finishing a project take a lot of courage especially when it comes to starting a new business. It places a lot of demands on your especially when you are involved in like 4 different projects at the same time. I have therefore learnt that the best way to start is to start. Moreover, I learn that you have to be a lunatic with a strong and long-term belief in your business vision. You must be crazy enough to try anything and everything. You must also be willing to ask anyone and everyone for help. You must be at ease even if no one agrees with your ideas. You must be crazy enough to withstand the extreme highs and lows of business.

My 3rd lesson of the year is on learning how to handle failure. In business, you will ultimately experience more failure than the latter. It is how you handle yourself during dark times that matter. You must not blame yourself or others when failure strikes. Learn what you can about the failure, wallow in it for a couple of weeks, and then move on. Failure is a great teacher. It will teach you humility – a skill that you must learn to become a successful entrepreneur. Humility allows you to appreciate your successes and accept your shortcomings. Humility also allows you to value the contribution of others around you. When you learn the lesson of humility, you have less to lose.

Finally, I learn the importance of building a relationship before you may need it. What you are doing is not as important as who you are working with. A business idea, on its own, is meaningless. You will be making one of the greatest mistakes of your life if you wait till you need to get something done before you reach out to people. Other people mean everything. Your circle or friends can either make you or mar you when you need them most.

Maintaining relationship with the right people can make you millions. Going into business with the wrong people can cost you everything. If you are not certain of the kind of business you want to pursue or what you actually want to do with your life, start by finding a group of people you respect and admire. Choose people you can learn from and work with them on whatever type of projects they are working on. You need a good team. It is hard to accomplish great things when you are all alone. You need team members who can share in your successes and failures.

This post is part of Ben Instigator Yoskovitz’s group writing project.

Download this free book – “Secrets of the science of getting rich!” It is my gift to you.

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Technorati Tags: Science to Getting Rich, year 2007, successful entrepreneur, business, science of getting rich

There is no challenge facing you today that is peculiar to you only. Our issues are HUMAN issues! Simple! And how old are  you? Fine, you are far behind where you are meant to be, but the good news is that you can still do better. And 2007 is a year to put yourself on the right track. The only way out is for you to surround yourself with high – thinking and well driven individuals during this service year. Do not waste your time with people who have nowhere to go.

Believe me, they are those who would know all the richest people in this world when they turn fifty, they have up-to-date information about the successful people in the world. They will have no personal result to show forth but many stories. They will be glad to associate with success but do not want to go through the process themselves. “That man called minister of finance was my mate in school“, most of them would say. They just believe nothing can work! Look, just excuse yourself from them, for they see only an ugly world, which is simply a mirror image of what they have and conceive inside.

The responsibility to choose your friends lies solely on you. Friendship is not by force, it is by choice. God has given everyone the power to choose who you associate with. You have the responsibility to choose your friends wisely. You do not need perfect people but you need people that want to grow like you, and that are teachable. Do these people give regard for life itself? And how do they see their parents, and the opposite sex?

Now, let’s balance up a little. That you should avoid negative people does not mean that you have to become paranoid. One strategy that is very good here is your ability to value people, and to recognize the right peg for a particular hole when you meet one. You have got to master the art of working with people. There is hardly anything you can do in this world without people. Some people will come into your life and you’ll rue the day you met them. Whereas, when you come across some other, you’d wish you had met them before because of the level of impact they have on you. Your responsibility is therefore to identify the right set of people and move with them.

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Technorati Tags: Nigeria

What is the first Step?

The first step is for you to separate yourself from the situation or challenges at hand. Focus on turning the situation around. Problems are created to be solved. And the more challenges you have, the more opportunities you have. Too often you focus on the challenges and fail to see that there are numerous opportunities right in front of you.

A friend once found himself in a situation where he was desperate to get a job. He had finished from the university 2 years earlier and still had not been able to get a job despite the fact that he graduated with Second Class upper division from one of the top federal universities. He, however, decided to try his hand on selling recharge card. Today, he is happy that he took that step. He works at his pace and still makes in a week what he may not be able to earn as one month salary.

When you focus on your problems, when all you think is only what is wrong in your life, you will only see problems and fail to see opportunities that abound. By only looking at what is wrong in your life you will only see what is wrong and you will not see the solution. Focus on turning things around.

How do you turn things around?

Focus on finding a solution. Think of what it is you really need to resolve and then think about how you can accomplish your goal. In 2003, I needed a reliable and affordable web hosting. All the ones I got were reliable but definitely not reliable. I, then, set out to bridge the gap. Hence, the creation of Nairahost. This does not mean that you would always come up with any answers at first. But as you make up your mind to find a solution, you will begin to experience a shift in your thinking. You will also experience a change in the way you feel.

If you are looking for job, you need to focus on getting that job. Change how you see your situation. Instead of seeing your present challenge, see the opportunities that it presents. A friend may make a suggestion, or you may just hear of something through an unexpected source and that would be it. This is exactly how to turn your circumstances into opportunities.

When you think of solutions, you’ll attract answers.

This will definitely not be an easy task in the beginning, but as you continue to work with this process you will begin to see real, lasting changes and you’ll find solutions. Start with a dramatic shift in how you see things. Focus on the solutions.

Written by Emmanuel Oluwatosin - Visit Website

Love to TRAVEL? Want MORE $$? Like to enjoy luxury vacations? Go to Holidays & Cash or Email pace[AT]eolutosin.com (replace [AT] with @) to learn more.

NB: Download this free book - "Secrets of the science of getting rich!" It is my gift to you.

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Technorati Tags: business venture, Focus, opportunities, web hosting

The simply truth is that some people know how to press the right buttons. They have mastered the art of getting whatsoever they want, how they want it, when they want it and in what quantity they want it. The funniest thing is that these same set of people live in our environment. We even meet with them at some of the major restaurants in town. But still, we have not asked ourselves the ultimate question – what is it that they are doing that is making them successful?

Because of this, you have not deemed it fit to study their lives so as to pattern your lifestyle after them. However, I would like you to consider briefly one habit that have differentiated the rich from the poor, the success from the failure and those who are affecting their generation from those who are not yet. These are habits because they need to become part of ones life for a successful life. A personal commitment to imbibe all these will surely lead to a lifestyle full of pleasures.

Dream – What is it that you want to do? Every major achievement in life starts with a dream. The whole world started with a dream by God. There is nothing in existence today that has not passed through the dream stage. Bill Clinton was asked what he would like to become when he was about age 3. His reply? Your guess is as correct as mine. He did not mince word in his response. He replied that he would like to become the president of United States of America. No wonder, he becomes one of the most celebrated presidents United States has ever produced.

I am sure someone will be saying that can only happen in America. What about the likes of our own Pat Utomi (Leap Frog Ventures, Lagos Business School and Bank PHP etc), Bishop Oyedepo (Living Faith Church), Bose Ayeni (Tantalisers), Bunmi Oni (Cadbury Nigeria), Sunny Ojeagbase (SuccessDigest), Ayo Arowolo (Moneywise), Larry Izamoje (Brila FM)? These are people who have achieved so much in their fields. Their dreams have come true. There is nothing you can achieve in life without starting with a dream.

DREAMS are the important foundation upon which all achievements are built. Through dreams, you determine indirectly what your future becomes. It is, therefore, time for you to Pick-Your-Future. So, what pictures are in your mind? Start today to determine the course of your life by dictating the pictures you allow to stay in your mind.

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Technorati Tags: habit, success, personal commitment, Dream, achievements, Pick-Your-Future