DARE TO DREAM

DARE TO DREAM

The definition of dreams according to the Long man dictionary of contemporary English that best describes what I am talking about is to think about what you would like to happen. This is to conceptualize and visualize something that is not in existence in the physical. It brings about glorious things and as such it can be hindered but as we go through this lesson, I intend to show you why we should go ahead and dream no matter the hindrances we encounter.

Show me a man who has achieved success in all his endeavours and I would show you a man who is among all things, a very serious dreamer. In whatever facet of life you consider, everything worthy of commendation started as a dream. Therefore, I urge you to become a disciple of Joseph the dreamer.

Remember a famous saying that the worst failure does not lie in not achieving your dreams but in having no dreams to achieve. To elucidate my point, I would state the role played by dreams in the achievement of the success using the lives of notable successes as case studies. These people dared to see beyond what is happening in their lives to what could be happening and we all know the rest of their story.

WHY DREAM

Some decades ago, a young man locked himself in his room for hours on end and his mother had to scream, “what have you been doing indoors since morning.” His mother was shocked when her son’s only reply was mom, am thinking about my dream. Before you conclude the young man was wasting his time, I am pleased to inform you that the person involved is BILL GATES. The result of his dream has made it possible to type this piece from the comfort of my house. At the end of this chapter, am sure you would start to dream of something great yourself and encourage everyone around you to follow suit.

If nothing persuades you to toe this line, consider the lives of people who like Bill engaged their minds in dreams that resulted in things that make living an ultimate pleasure for them and people around them. They include Rev. Martin Luther King, Dr. Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford etc. Back home, Nigeria is an independent country today thanks to the effective dreaming habits of our founding fathers. Infact, Nigeria was on of the first countries to gain independence solely because our leaders were among the first to dream of freedom and they worked hard to make it a reality. A dream therefore is something common to notable achievers. If you want to be in the number, dare to dream

Besides that, a dream is a proof that you are living a full life. People without dreams are often without direction as such they are often enlisted in the team of dreamers to make their dreams a reality. Having a dream also puts you in the league of successful people and gives you the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to your society, (the society needs people with strong and huge dreams).

WHAT DREAMING DOES

Communicating your dreams to people will portray you as nuts (I will discuss that later). However, to you, it is a proof of your creative abilities. This knowledge brings a about a satisfaction that produces the drive to do everything humanly possible to achieve that dream. This is necessary because you are bound to face challenges and despair at a point in pursuit of your dreams. This drive is what propels you beyond this point to that point where you actualize that thing that gives you joy and happiness.

Furthermore, having a dream puts your brain in strong working condition. Because it takes a lot of mental effort to put together what does exist physically in your mind. This task puts the mental faculty completely to test such that when it is completed; your brain would be ready to do all the thinking necessary to actualize your dreams.

In conclusion, you derive boundless energy form having and working towards a dream that would be beneficial to you and everyone around you. Therefore, do everything in your power to dream big and mighty dreams.

LIMITS TO THE D REAMING HABIT

Experience has shown that there is a limit to everything no matter how good it. Having a dream is therefore not an exception. However, the limiting boundaries of the dreaming habit are explained by the acronym S.M.A.R.T.

S stands for specific:

Your dream must be specific enough for you to be able to identify it when it is achieved. There is a great difference in saying ‘I want to go to Ibadan’ and saying ‘I want to go on a journey.’ In the former, there is a known course for achievement while the latter leaves you more confused.

M stands for measurable,

Measurement I necessary for you to determine the rate you are moving towards the actualization of your dream. This helps to determine whether you need to increase or lower your working speed. It also helps to determine how far you have gone and how far you still need to go. Without this, you would be like someone traveling a route he is not familiar with and he does not have a map with which he would get there. He would end up spending forty years on a journey that should not last more than forty days.

A stands for achievable,

In order to guide against the frustration that accompany failure to actualize your dreams, it is prudent to have dreams that would not have you literarily climb Mount Everest without the necessary assistance. Always make sure that the necessary ingredients for your dreams are available and with some effort, you can lay your hands on them. This reduces the number of unfinished products on your C.V and makes you seem like a miracle worker because everything you touch literarily turn to gold.

R stands for realizable,

Another word is realistic. Setting unrealistic dreams I wishful thinking and this does not do you any good (wishes have never been horses). It is the surest route that I know to failure ad am sure nobody reading this book wants to go there.

T stands for time bound,

Having a time bound dream increases your consciousness of the enormity of the job at hand. This increases the speed at which you move towards achieving your dreams and tells people you are serious. However, research has shown that dreams that are not time bound are rarely achieved.

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

A lot has been said about this wonderful road but not everybody has found important lessons about this road. To illustrate this road from where it starts to where it ends, I would use the following analogy. The road to success starts with dreams and ends with achievement but it has other bus stops one would have to come across. These bus stops can be represented with the acronym D.I.C.U.S.

Where D – Difficulty: This is the first bus stop and it is very close to the take off point (DREAM). It occurs as one makes a first attempt to achieve ones dreams. To move forward, one has to subdue the enemies available at this bus stop. This is possible by

i) Seeking divine assistance for courage and blessing

ii) Believe in your dreams

iii) Spend time thinking

iv) Work as hard as if your life depends on it.

v) Develop a flexible game plan.

I – Initial failure

At this point, you tend to give up on their dreams. This is because either they were not prepared for the possibility or they left some things out in the preparation of their game plan. Instead of giving up, faith in the dream developed at the first bus stop should be brought into play to help see you through.

C – Come back,

At this point, you are conferred with the honourable title of B.A. (Begin Again). He can start again with new vigour, knowledge, and vitality as such; he is newly empowered to carry on.

U – Until,

In achieving your dream, you may have to come back more than once. Put your mind on the joy of achievement other than your challenges and you would discover that the stress of the journey is greatly lessoned for you.

S – Success

This is the desired last bus stop. At this point, you have actualized your dream and in a twinkle of an eye, you are bound to dump all the challenges in the thrash can of your brain.

Having journeyed with me thorough this lesson, know you have been fired up to dream of something noble. I want to advice that you add to your newfound dream positive thinking

KEEP DREAMING

first chapter of my book 'learn to succeed'. what out

How To Command, Influence And Control People

The Styles and Methods of Power

Power is the ability to get things done--your way. Sometimes it's

a direct order that you give, sometimes a suggestion you make, or

a request or the asking of a favor; but the result (if you have

power) is always that the other person acts and you derive a benefit

from the other person's actions.

One can have power in many different ways. You have it over your

employees because you pay their salaries. If you are an expert in

a special field, it's because you know the best way to handle

matters. In a legal dispute, it's because you have the law on your

side. If you have credit cards, it can be part of your life style

to go into a store, hotel or restaurant, in any city, and order

whatever you wish. In politics, it's because folks will give you

their votes, hoping that you'll work and succeed in getting the

government to serve them in their area. And there's the power

that derives from being talented, charming and capable; of being

up-to-the-minute and knowledgeable, so people know if they let

you handle things for them or listen to your advice, they'll

come out ahead.

One more aspect of power. This concerns competition. If all

the world were fair and equal, one would have no need for the

upper hand, for the advantage, for power. But, of course, the

world isn't. Which often means that in a competitive situation

you cannot merely settle for an equal chance. You must keep

your eyes and ears, and indeed all your faculties, open for

any clue or other tips that will move the balance in your

favor. Whenever possible, make sure you get more than an

equal chance.

You have to look the part

People are impressed by how a man looks. They are often not aware

of exactly why they treat one man like a VIP and another gets the

bum's rush. Their reactions maybe subliminal, below their

conscious awareness. But take it from me, if you're well

dressed, neatly groomed, hair trimmed, etc., and are driving a

snazzy car, you'll be well received; while a guy who's wearing

sloppy clothes, unshaven and unclean, and who's driving an old

heap, will hardly get any attention at all. Look as good as you

can; and back it up in other ways.

Add the other elements of power image too. Clothing--it's worth

investing some money to be well dressed. Buy suits on time

payments if you can (a credit card is very useful for this).

That way the clothes are helping to get power, and therefore

money, for you while you are paying for them. Don't forget about

the car you drive around in; if the one you have is not impressive

then rent one that is. Rental cars don't cost that much and

driving a good one pays dividends in the power sphere. Try to

join clubs and organizations (business, social, political) that

have important and influential members. If at first you can't

become a member, then maneuver a member into taking you as his

guest.

Money and power beget money and power; the more they think you

have, the more you'll get.

We must repeat that, for most people, those who belong to the

power elite are those that appear to belong to it. Unless

recognized personally, a millionaire will be turned away from

a class restaurant if he's not well dressed.

You have to consciously act the part of one who is used to

being in command.

There's another extremely important factor in appearing to

already have money and power beyond what I mentioned above

and that is your own manner of doing things. You must move,

speak and act power. Have you ever met the grandson of a man

who amassed a fortune and wondered how a grandfather who did

so much could have a grandson who seems like such a weakling?

It's true; that grandson could never get rich on his own; if

he hadn't inherited his family's money, he'd be poor because

he's week and incompetent. And it shows. The men who, like

yourself, are capable of making money now, are men who can act

in a strong style that almost seems to draw money like a magnet.

Language, and the way you speak, can say as much as the ideas

in your words. Equally important, however, is your body

language, that is the way you stand, walk, move and sit and

the gestures you make.

Be the man who's in demand

Power isn't just you being able to call someone and tell him

what to do; it's also other men calling you and asking for your

business or wanting to associate with you. If you're a man who

seems to possess a wide knowledge of the world, an awareness of

trends, if you're the early-bird who catches sight of

opportunities first, if you're the man who's capable of

handling many different kinds of situations, then people will

seek you out. They'll invite you to vacation at their country

homes, to meet their influential associates, to join their social

clubs and their business syndicates. And when they do, all of

these will enhance your image of power, and widen your power base

so you can zoom ahead even more.

When the fight for power gets harder

Everything we've said so far will be useful in just about every

situation; but when the struggle for power gets more intense,

some other methods are needed. When the person(s) you're

talking to has been open-minded and your powers of persuasion

have been working from the moment you first stated talking, the

usual techniques can be used. But what if you're dealing with

someone whose mind is closed to your ideas and influence

from the start, or who feels he is in direct competition with

you? Then things must be handled somewhat differently.

Most important, be in control of the situation at all times.

If you feel your control is slipping, do something to regain

it. You could do something vividly dramatic and totally

bewildering to the other person, like suddenly shouting or

pounding on your desk. Or you could press a secret buzzer

to have someone rush in and interrupt when the other side is

coming on too strong.

Never ever get into a power struggle when you're at any kind

of a disadvantage; if you're tired or if the discussion turns

to a subject in which the other guy is an expert. Always

focus your own mental energy and project your thoughts into

his mind. Look him in the eyes, try to gain his confidence.

Always have a picture in your mind of a victory over this

person bigger than the victory you need to achieve your aims.

And whatever you do don't lose; that is, if you realize that

you can't beat him, then leave. It's better not to have a

victory than to have a defeat.

Say Whatever does the Trick

Making a lot of money is largely a process of convincing

people, of selling yourself, your service, your product. And

the trick is to tell them what they want to hear. The problem

is to find out what they want to hear. So you'll start out by

giving them basic information about what you're selling. You

then continue with your sales approach, always watching their

reactions carefully. When you see their eyes light up and they

then lean forward with interest, then continue on the topic that

aroused that interest, no matter how odd it may seem to you.

And do the opposite when you reach any of the usual parts of

your presentation, if the prospect shows less than the normal

amount of interest; that is, shorten that part and go on to

the next.

From start to finish

You start out by telling them what the product or service is or

does. The kinds of benefits people get from using it and some

examples of ways, both usual and unusual, that other folks have

used it. It often helps to mention that "Mr. Anderson, you know,

the big shot, just bought two of them for his own use," or that

"the XYZ Corporation recently bought seven of them for their

executives." Or if you're selling a more heavy duty item, that

"Smith's Construction Company has been using them for years."

If it's almost a custom made item tell them they're one of the

select few who will even get a chance to buy it. If you have an

opportunity to talk to his wife or a friend of his, plan along

with that other person and have them unknowingly hinting to the

customer that "it certainly sounds like a good deal." If his

kids are with him, get them to needle him into buying it. Use

any method that works.

Suppose the guy seems convinced buy he can't seem to make up his

mind to actually hand over the money or sign the contract to make

the purchase. Sometimes it helps to imply that he really can't

afford it. He might buy it just to show you he isn't poor or a

cheapskate. Another great strategy that sometimes works in

desperation to close a sale is to make him feel guilty if he

doesn't buy. Imply that he deliberately wasted your time and

energy, that he's rotten and thoughtless, that he just wanted to

make a phony impression on his wife or girl friend or anyone who

is there with him. You might want to say all this very loudly,

almost yelling, so that a crowd gathers and you shame him into

buying. Or you can try another method to clinch the sale, offer

him a "special bonus." Say you'll give him a longer time to pay,

or a contract for "free" servicing or that you'll add on a bonus

of another item "free". Actually he may have been entitled to

this "extra" all along, but if you haven't yet mentioned it, then

now's the time. Try to keep one or two things in reserve as your

last pieces of ammunition.

To sum it up

Prepare in advance so you know the other man's point of view; if

you're able to benefit him, he'll practically jump at the chance

to let you make money off him. Tell him what he wants to hear.

And above all, keep eyes and ears open for any information, clues

or tip-offs, favorable or unfavorable, that will give you the

power to persuade him.

In the power battle called life, victory will go to those who find

the right weapons and use them. So keep your weapons handy; get a

head start and don't lose it. Be alert for clues you can use to

your advantage. Present yourself with confidence; broadcast your

will power, speak and move with assurance, and, to make sure they

get the message, have the clothes car, office and the other outer

appearances of power and money. People tend to believe what they

see, and if you look like you've got it made, then you will have

it made.

culled

The Power Of One

Both the living and the dead jumped for joy when the results of the just concluded election in the United States Of America which Senator Barak Hussein Obama won by a convincing majority was announced. Notable among the dead celebrating at this moment is Rev. (Dr) Martin Luther King Jnr. This is because his dream has just happened in the real sense of the word. Before now, racial discrimination was abolished only in the physical sense and black people of America still had to battle the psychological aspect of the disease. As such, Sen. Obama automatically becomes the black man with the greatest achievement in the whole world (emancipation of the black man via his election as the first black man in Whitehouse). He has become a symbol of different things to different people among which are freedom, emancipation, change, dream, achievement to mention a few. For me, the life of this remarkable human being clearly shows the POWER OF ONE.

The number one is a highly powerful agent of change yet it is the most misunderstood of all numbers due to its seeming insignificance. This misunderstanding is solely responsible for majority of under achievements in the world today. At 99 degrees Celsius, water is hot but at 100 degrees, water boils. With boiling water comes steam that can be used to power engines, generate electricity, cook and other things useful to the life of civilization we live as humankind. ONE MAN brought salvation to the world, the light bulb came into existence through “ONE MAN” the computer became a household utility through “ONE MAN” and the list is endless. Most importantly, one man radically transformed the perception and quality of a whole continent. Am sure his political opponent did not hand over the key to “WHITE HOUSE” to him on a platter of gold considering the fact that he comes from an ethnicity who percentage in America is precisely 14%. He literarily went to hell and back to win this election. We are celebrating him today because he chose to wither the storm instead of backing out due to either anticipated problems or actual problems.

Back home I think we can learn a few things from the life and political career of this remarkable man. Rather than looking at the unpleasant condition of things and throwing in the towel, expecting a magic wand to reform things, he has shown us practically that it is better to stay in and fight. This is because if everybody expects a magic wand to change things, the status quo would remain no matter the amount of vision 2020 we sing. They say that once upon a time there was a job but somebody thought everybody would do it and everybody felt it was nobody’s responsibility and in the end, it was not done.

In every aspect of human endeavour, Nigeria requires selfless people like Sen. Obama who would be willing to put in what it takes to achieve success knowing that help would come only when we one makes positive impact. People who would keep pressing on even though it seems help is not forth coming. Mega achievers that would shun the back door and respect due process where it is beneficial to the growth and development of our dear fatherland. However, the road may be rough but this people are those who would not mind a few bruises as long as the long-term goal is achieved. Without them, numerous traveling and international relations strategies would be a waste of precious time and resources. In return, they would achieve fulfillment in every area and go on to leave lasting legacies for their families and fellow country. In conclusion, I want to state that every Nigerian is left with two choices; take the path leading to achievement and attain the level of success like Sen. Obama or stay in one position waiting for something to happen from the blues that would lead nowhere. You can change your world if only you would make it a personal challenge. HOWEVER, WILL YOU.

PERMITTED ABORTION 2

Last week I talked about how the devil can obtain our permission to abort our God given glorious destinies. I thought that was the end until the early hours of this morning when an equally shocking revelation began to dawn on me. Do you know that on our own we could be permitting the abortion of our destinies without the interference of the devil? This piece is to show you how this happens and how to avoid you being the sole cause of your own problems.

Achieving the glorious destinies assigned for us is a function of our taking some decisive steps and actions. Below is a list of some of the steps we need to take:

1) We must determine what we are destined to achieve on earth.

2) We must also determine of the requirements of achieving our glorious destiny.

3) Create a definite plan that would help you obtain the requirements and go on to achieve your glorious destiny.

4) Having done that much, we need to take the most important step of all, which is ACTION. This is what gives essence to whatever planning and strategizing you have been doing for ages. (The world applauds a well executed plan not a well thought out one). Failure to take the necessary steps would amount to permitting the abortion of our destinies (seeth thou a man diligent in his works, he shall sit before Kings and princes and not mere men). I pray that would not be our portion in Jesus name. Permitting abortion of destinies through this means is in stages. Some people take the first step and stop there. Others move a little up the ladder and stop there. This is a pity because in the school of life, fail in one is fail in all (he that endures until the end wears the crown). At what level of the success steps ladder are you on ‘sabbatical leave?’ You need to ‘resume’ your leave immediately to prevent the abortion of your glorious destiny. Go back to the drawing board to evaluate your present state and perfect the strategy that would move forward.

Another way we permit the abortion of our glorious destinies is a direct off shoot of the first way. Some people follow through all the steps stated above but fail to add MASTERY to that which they are destined to achieve. Mastery of the abilities needed to achieve your destiny is when you are among the top 4% in whatever you do. Some people get it wrong here when they concentrate more on other things apart from becoming masters at what they do. They pray, fast, wail, and cry to God without realizing that without being the best at what they do, all that effort would amount to a waste of time. Ask yourself, would I patronize the technician who destroyed the first gadget I gave to him for repairs even if he is a born again child of God? The answer for me is an emphatic NO because I seriously do not want to waste my money. To conclude this point, you would wait forever if you were waiting to suddenly become a master at whatever you do so get up and do something about your present status.

In conclusion, preventing all the things stated above is not possible with our human strength (by strength shall no man prevail). Therefore it is necessary for us turn to our source of inexhaustible strength which is Jesus (for he is the one who gives power to get wealth). Luckily, he is willing to give out this power in abundance. All it requires is for you to make him your friend, associate and senior partner. I am sure he would grant you the kind of divine speed that would frighten you. Until next time, I decree and declare you shall not permit anyone to abort your glorious destiny in Jesus name.

I AM A MAD PERSON

When I tell people I am a “MAD” person, they immediately begin to look for the nearest escape route. What they do not realize is that every good thing in life they have access to is because of my kind of “MADNESS.” Before you start reciting Quranic verses or pleading the blood of Jesus, take time to read further and see for yourself.

The Oxford dictionary describes a mad person as any of the following; insane, wildly foolish, frenzied to mention a few. In other words, a mad person is some who is not understood by the people around him. He is often ostracized, alienated, and sometimes lynched for daring to sprout the thoughts that occupy his mind. By now, am sure you are thinking, “This guy is surely insane.” Patiently follow me and am sure that by the end of this piece you would love to be as ‘MAD’ if not “MADDER” than me.

One interesting thing I have discovered is that this state of mind is often used to describe someone whose mind sees things that are not already in existence and as such deemed impossible. Not necessarily because the products of their minds are unachievable, but because the minds of their hearers are too shallow to conceive, comprehend and believe the possibility. For instance, imagine what the response of people in the 17^th century would be if they were told that just three centuries to come, it would be possible to access just any information needed through a device called the World Wide Web. Alternatively, imagine the reaction of people in the days of Galileo Galilee when he said the world was spherical and not flat (he was stoned to death). I am sure Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers and other numerous examples available were also termed “MAD” when they started working on the notable inventions that make them notable people today and their different madness has brought us better life today.

The interesting thing is that the people who labeled these innovative people “MAD” would turn round to applaud them when their dreams finally become reality. I then realized that everything useful to humanity today started out as “MAD” ideas some years back. This makes it highly unfortunate to abandon your ideas because somebody somewhere declared it impossible and called you “MAD” for conceiving them. Rather you should count it all joy for you are experiencing the thing that precedes the kind of worldwide recognition that great people achieve. This way you would be able to see yourself through the process of transforming your MADNESS to a highly celebrated achievement.

In conclusion, their kind of “MADNESS” is no doubt a pre requisite to outstanding success. Imagine the world without the kind of “MADNESS” that produced the computer, telephone, oil, electricity, the light bulb, the internet and other notable inventions. As for me, I would embrace their kind of “MADNESS” with open arms and you are welcome to join me if you are not too refined to be proud when you are called a “MAD” person. However, note that if your idea does not attract negative statements from people, they would hardly notice your achievements. Nigeria needs more “MAD” people who would question convention, broaden their horizons, read widest and never rest until they contribute positively to the development of their father land. “WOULD YOU BE ONE OF THEM”

Calming The Storm Of Discouragement

Have you ever known someone like this? "A person who knows how to start well, but finds it difficult to keep going"? A person whose successes are dependent on the quality of someone else's encouragement and motivation? Someone who consistently lets discouragement get the better of him? Ever found yourself like that? There's hope, read on.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Yeah right! How many times have you wished you could bit slap somebody for saying that at the moment you least needed it? I know I have a bunch. The problem is, most of the time you're in a moment of discouragement when that is said. So, those words come across as being insensitive and cold blooded.

Our first reaction is to lash out at the person who said it, to give them a piece of our mind. And, sometimes we even tell them to stay out of our life and mind their own business. Of course, we really don't mean it; we're just reacting to the discouragement that has pounced upon us.

But, have you ever considered this? The other person doesn't really feel your discouragement. Oh! Really, you say: Yeah, big revelation. Be nice to me now. Seriously, if they did, and especially if it was a loved one, they would never say words that would rattle your cage. But, the discouragement at hand makes us want to take out our saber and cut off their right ear.

Then what happens is, the other person, who at the moment was probably feeling pretty chipper and happy, suddenly feels the fury of your wrath so they take out their boxing gloves and then we got a full scale war on our hands. It all started because one person felt discouraged and now we got two people pi**ed off worse than a couple of fire breathing dragons.

Makes Your Hair Stand On End!

At a moment when you are really in your groove those words just roll off like water off a duck's back. But, discouragement can change the whole face of the situation. It can cause us to even sabotage our own best efforts. It can take the best laid plans of mice and men and turn them into mush.

Do not underestimate the potential effects of discouragement. It is like a virus; it spreads and can become so contagious that it acts like a permanent personality trait. Make no bones about it; it can make your dream not worth the powder to blow it up. When the roots get that deep, it takes military strength anecdotes to rid it.

A Thief In The Night!

Discouragement has probably caused as many business failures as lack of capital, because it is first to show up. The discouragement shows up long before the money runs out. Then the day by day emotional warfare begins and the potential to self-sabotage everything we are trying to accomplish. At that point; the money runs out!

At the end, we blame it on the lack of money, our spouse, our next door neighbor, our cat, or anything that makes us look not at fault and out of our control. After all, if we could have stopped it, we would have. But, what we really did was try to stop the effects of the failure before trying to stop the discouragement that was fueling it.

Consider this: take a forest fire out of control; it is much easier to cut off the fuel than to drown it. Just clear areas outside the fire and it'll burn itself out. If the fuel line to the engine is not cut off, then it's pretty safe to bet our efforts to stop the failure will not succeed. Succeeding at any task in life is hard enough without allowing discouragement to hamper our efforts. A mind filled with discouragement will never have the motivation to keep going.

A Force To Be Reckoned With!

It will cause the person affected by it to become jealous and resentful of others success. It can cause a woe-is-me attitude that will hang around like stink on a skunk. Discouragement will paralyze the strongest of dreams, which is the reason many people affected by it start well but can't keep going.

Many people try to cover it up. Some are able to do it pretty effectively. But, underneath there is an undeniable and unmistaken pain and hurt that saps the person's motivation and causes depression to set in many cases.

With such a wide spread problem is there anything that we can easily do to combat discouragement? Remember, discouragement needs fuel to spread and grow. The fuel is our thoughts but, just telling ourselves to, "don't worry, be happy," does no more good than it did when our friend said it to us.

Do This Bright And Early!

Just as soon as you tell yourself not to worry the pressure will become a storm. It's almost like waving a red flag in front of a bull. He is going charge it and discouragement is going pound your thoughts till you "forcibly" take action to run them out. Once discouragement has set in the situation calls for serious action. It's time to sit down with a good book.

At this point in time you need some help so don't try to be the honcho moncho and go it by yourself. You need for your eyes to feed on words that will help. I'm a firm believer in self-suggestion and auto-suggestion; these techniques have helped me immensely through the years. But discouragement is dangerous and you don't want to play footsy with it.

Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover!

Whatever book you read, do it quickly. I keep a handy Bible around me for moments like these. I get into the Psalms and Proverbs. My favorite is the ninety first Psalm. And, it is amazing how quickly discouragement takes a hike. I'm just as human as any one else and discouragement tests me like everyone. But, one thing I do is run for the Book when it comes. The Book anecdote never fails.

If you don't read the Bible then I would suggest you find some good motivational book to feed your eyes on. There are a lot of them. And, don't leave that book till you feel the pressure subsiding. It will, sometimes ten minutes, sometimes thirty minutes. But, that is a small price to pay for peace and calmness of mind.

This is the only method I have ever tried that works one hundred percent of the time combating discouragement. As many of you know I'm a big believer in, "you possess what you confess". The art of affirmation has brought me through in more cases than I can count. It's not "hocus pocus", it's not "blab it and grab it;" but it is a universal and spiritual truth that all can take advantage of and will greatly help anyone.

Don't Cut Off Your Nose To Spite Your Face!

So, don't try to re-invent the wheel and spend possibly years trying to discover some hot dog brand new strategy that no one has ever heard of and test it against your most dangerous enemy. Go to the Book, it'll never fail you.

ODE TO UNDERSTANDING

As I woke this morning, I felt a pop in my left ear. That is not an unusual feeling for me- I have had hearing problems since I was a kid. However, this time was different. My hearing became much poorer than it had ever been before. I realized immediately that it was hard to tell what was going on around me. Losing the ability to hear is frightening to anyone. But it is especially so to me as a musician, who spends a great deal of time playing the piano, singing and composing music.

But I am not going completely deaf, and this recent problem is likely temporary. What would a musician do if he lost all his hearing? How could someone practice an art form based on hearing without the ability to hear?

In other words, what did Ludwig Van Beethoven do? As he completed his second symphony, Beethoven - perhaps the most famous of all composers- began to loose his hearing. By the time he was 50, the master of symphony was completely deaf. Yet, he continued to compose, even though he could not hear his own compositions. One of his famous compositions ever was his ninth symphony (Ode to joy) and he never heard a note of it, along with hundreds of his other compositions deemed masterpieces today.

Life was not easy for Beethoven. Infact, he even considered taking his life, even going so far as to write a suicide note to his brothers.

No one would have blamed him for giving up on his music. On the surface, it might seem ridiculous for a deaf man to compose at all. He might very well have felt that way himself. Still being able to hear the music in his mind, he was able to compose many great works. Had he given up on his dreams, the shape of music history would never have been the same today.

History makes mention shining examples like Beethoven-painters who lost their eyesight, runners who lost their leg and many others. What would stop you from following through with your goals? What obstacles would cause you to say,” this is too hard” and abandon your ambitions. The things you must do in order to succeed in life are not always easy. They require perseverance. Sometimes, this means sticking with it through a difficult test, like Beethoven did. When things got tough, he plunged himself into his work.

You also face tests and trials- how do you react. Do you continue to pursue you goals, determined to achieve them no matter what opposes you? It is easy to give in to what seems like an insurmountable problem. It can be difficult to learn and develop the skills we need to develop in life. Yet, this is what each of us is called to do. Curiously, Beethoven’s life work is of little benefit to those like him, those who cannot hear. But the example he set is useful to anyone - whether deaf, blind, or unimpaired. What priceless lesson- a fantastic showing of drive, determination, perseverance, and highly developed skill. This man could hear nothing composed some of the most innovative, exciting music of his day- music that is still heard and performed everyday allover the earth.

So ask yourself: what can I accomplish

PERMITED ABORTION

Some days ago I was walking on the streets of my Alma Mata when I came across a poster bearing the title of this write up. I received a jolt in my spirit when I suddenly realized that majority of us are knowingly and unknowingly permitting abortion in many areas our lives. It is my prayer that at the end of the day God would reveal to us areas we have been permitting abortion in our lives and help us to say an emphatic NO to any further abortions in Jesus name. Oxford’s dictionary of contemporary English defines the word abortion as any of the following; an induced expulsion of a foetus from the womb before it is able to survive independently, a deformed or stunted creature or thing and lastly, a failed project or action. In the first and third definitions, abortion cannot take place without the permission of the person carrying the foetus.

The main aim of the devil according to the word of God is to steal, kill and destroy i.e. ABORT the beautiful destiny that God has designed for us. Be that as it may, he needs our permission to carry out his major objective, as such he goes about seeking the permission to abort our glorious destinies in such a way that we readily grant him the permission. This evil aim he achieves by making us as far away from our creator as possible. As unbelievers, he makes us see no reason to give our lives to Christ and continue in our sinful nature. As believers, he ensures we refrain from activities that would build a closer relationship with God like going to church regularly (Ex 20), meditating on the word regularly (Joshua 1:8), prayer (Rom 12:12, 1Cor 7:5), praising God at all times (Luke 2:20) etc. He also sees to it that we do not completely abandon our old, sinful nature. As a result, we are outside the protection of our maker and the devil can ABORT our glorious destinies as he wishes because God will not associate himself with anyone in the above state.

However our father in heaven loves us so much and he wants us to fufill our destinies. Therefore he has put in place help for us in the form of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8, 2:4). As unbelievers the Holy Spirit constantly sends preachers our way to spread the good news hoping we would yield our hearts one day. As believers, the Holy Spirit is always there to point to us the carefully hidden devices of the devil. He sounds us a note of warning when we begin to postpone prayers and quite time, when we start missing church programmes, stop studying and preaching the word as we used to etc. He also empowers us to turn anew leaf when we call on him. But we can weary the Holy Spirit with our refusal to turn a new leaf either as believers or as unbelievers. Then the devil will have a filled day practicing different DESTINY ABORTION techniques on our destinies.

In conclusion, there is hope if we find ourselves in the above conditions and we want to make a u turn. Firstly we should come to God to ask for the forgiveness for giving the devil access to our lives sins knowing he is faithful and just to forgive us. As unbelievers we should give our lives to Christ because we can not even identify our destinies outside him. Then we should purpose in our hearts (Dan 1) never to go back to those things that caused the problems in the first place. After which we should call on the Holy Spirit to give us the enablement to refuse the devil permission to abort out destinies. We should then conclude by asking my God of restoration to restore our destinies and now go on to fufill the plan of God for our lives. It is my prayer that the lord will enable us to continue in those things which secure our destinies and we will not fall victim of the hidden devices of the devil.

GOD BLESS US ALL

SUCCESS SECRETS

Lying in bed, I was asking myself, what are some of the secrets of success in life? I found the answers right there, in my very room। The fan said: be cool. The roof said: aim high. The window said: see the world. The clock said: every minute is precious. The mirror said: reflect before you act. The calendar said: be updated. The light said: shine as bright as you can. The wall said: stand firm. The door said: push hard for your goals, so always apply this techniques for a better life..

THE SOLUTON TO CORRUPTION

I always laugh when I read about the endless inquiries and punishment of corruption in Nigeria. This is because it reminds of one of the American movies I watched sometimes ago titled “the eleventh commandment”. According to that movie, that commandment is ‘thou shall not get caught’. It simply means that for as long as you can avoid being caught, you are free to go ahead with corruption. Although punishment is an important part of combating corruption, focusing on punishment alone only helps to create more intelligent and law evasive criminals. Be that as it may, corruption is a canker worm that has eaten into the fabric of our society and we must do everything within our power to combat it. WHAT THEN DO WE DO.?

Before proceeding on what to do, I want to consider one very important factor. Why are people corrupt? At what point did corruption become institutionalized in Nigeria? People revert to corruption the moment they are under the impression that integrity is no longer fashionable. How then do they form such impressions?. When it becomes almost impossible for people of integrity to live a decent life while people who are obviously living beyond their means take the front seat of recognition in the society. When people suffer great injustice due their low level of affluence and nothing is done to give them succor. When it requires a lot of money to do anything including serve your father land. Gradually, integrity takes a back seat in their hearts and everybody focuses on wealth no matter the source.

Having said that much, we cannot truly fight corruption until we begin to recreate the impression that it pays to be a man of integrity. To achieve this, the society has an enormous role to play. It should accord everyman his due respect as a human being not as either a rich or poor man. Our leaders should try as much as possible to create an environment that does not require so much money to live a peaceful life. I believe it is only then that we should heavy sanctions on offenders. The society should also go back to verifying the legitimacy of people’s wealth before according them so much respect and honour. To cap it all, the society should honour people who demonstrate high integrity in their lives.

In conclusion, I want to say that no matter what we say concerning corruption, the minds of people will only respond to actions that give the impression that you can be all you want to be without being a corrupt person.

LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

OLASODE OLADAPO. B.

life changing e-books available

E- Books packaged in accordance with various aspects of magnetizing success are now available on this blog for a token of # 500 per package. To get any of the packages, pay using the payment information on the site and mail your name, teller number and package paid for to the yahoo mail address on the blog.

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SUCCESS REGISTER

As a student of the secondary school, one thing that always had my attention is REGISTER. This was basically due to two things; firstly, my then English teacher gave us a lot of tests on English register and secondly, I am the type of person who always sought to know as much about other disciplines as possible. By the way register deals with the study of words and their meanings as used in a certain profession. This implies that there is a Legal register, Medical register to mention a few.

I found out later in life that there is a SUCCESS REGISTER. This means that certain words used by people who have either achieved success or are still in the process of achieving success. This lead to a careful examination of such people with a view to determine the words they use or do not use. This write up is with a view of sharing my findings with the hope that it would assist you on your journey towards success (if you are already on that journey). This part will discuss the words successful people don’t use and subsequent part will highlight the words they use.

Before going on to state those words, I want to say that they represent the presence of some thoughts and beliefs that reduce the speed at which most people move towards success. Worse still, most people are unaware of the havoc these words are doing to their success in life. This makes this piece highly expedient.

1) MISTAKE

This is a word that indicates the absence of some vital success qualities in your life. Mistakes come as a result of lack of adequate preparation, poor information, lack of concentration to mention a few. These traits are sure to hinder the rate at which you move towards success. In essence, these traits lead to failure. This means that what we normally call mistake is as a result of some form of lapse on our side even if we seem to have tried our best.

Knowing fully well that we are not perfect as human beings, what I am advocating is avoid the number of times you say ’I made a mistake’ by making sure you do everything possible to avoid mistakes and you would be on your way to success faster than you can imagine.

This does not mean you cannot still make mistakes after all these but I want you to know that each time you use the word mistake concerning yourself, you are slowing down the speed at which you move towards success.

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ALLOW THE LEAST NUMBER OF MISTAKES ON THEIR PART

2) IMPOSSIBLE

This is another equally dangerous word because it puts the brain in a position of rest and inactivity. Once you say something is ‘impossible’, it is finished for you as regards that thing because the word safely buries the ability to accomplish tasks inherent in you.

Why do people say impossible? According to best selling author Dr Robert Schuler, people use the word when they lack or believe they cannot get one or more of the things necessary to achieve their aims. Be it academic qualification, financial muscle etc. Whatever the case is, NEVER say impossible because you loose too many things at the same time. Will power, initiative, drive, focus etc.

Sometimes people do not even know why they use the word except that the assignment is enormous yet they go ahead to declare it IMPOSSIBLE. However, this word can be permitted if used with some thought provoking words acting as a prefix. Examples of those words include what, why, how to mention a few. The question “why is it impossible” helps to determine the things needed to reverse that impossibility and “how can it be possible” helps you fashion out ways of getting those things needed to achieve the aim.

In conclusion, the number of times you use the word impossible would determine the number of abandoned projects, failures and the ideas you refuse to pursue in life. Try to reduce the number and you would find you are moving faster on the road to success.

3) QUIT

This is another failure inducing word used by people who encountered a road block on their journey towards success. When this happens, they give in to fear, frustration and a host of other things and before long they begin to consider quitting. The disaster in the process I have just described is that they may be few inches from success before quitting. As such, the project is completed by someone who has not put in half as much effort as they. More disheartening is the waste of the most precious asset of people who use this word as it is only people who endure till the end that wears the crown of achievement.

In order not to use that word, I would suggest two extreme sides of a coin. The first side of the coin is focusing on the pleasures achieving the goal will give you that you will miss by quitting. The other side of the coin is to focus on what will become your lot if you quit at this moment. Using financial empowerment goals as an example, what you will miss is the much coveted financial independence. What you will have is your present existence, no time to stay with your family, worry related health problems etc. This should be enough to keep you from quitting.

4) AFRAID

This is one of the greatest failure inducing words in the English dictionary. It is the adjectival form of the word used when there is an unpleasant situation caused by nearness to danger or pain. The difference here is the danger is imagined and may never occur.

People say I am afraid due to so many things whether real or imagined but whatever it is, always remember that whatever you are afraid of is holding you captive and preventing your success. Your fear provides you with very plausible reasons you should hold on to it there by shutting the thought wheel of your brain. Sometimes, the use of that word prevents the wheel from starting in the first place.

FINAL EXERCISE

I want you to measure your speed towards success. Take a piece of paper that can easily be folded into your purse. Rule such that you can make marks against the dates. Note the number of times you use any of these words or related word. Begin to consciously reduce the number of times you use them and you would realize at the end that you have changed you thought process and are attracting success faster than before..

In conclusion, I wish you luck as you create a register that propels you towards success.

MASTER MIND PARTNERS CLUB

SUCCESS MAGNETS’ MASTER MIND PARTNER’S CLUB

A master mind is the product of the coming together of a group people with similar aspirations to jointly brainstorm on the problems facing each member of the group in pursuit of his/her aspiration. It was conceived based on agreement with the part of the bible which say that iron sharpeneth iron and has been the basis of the formation of most of the social clubs available in town today.

As time went by, it became nearly impossible to have master mind alliances remaining healthy for a long period of time there by resulting in the creation of the concept of the master mind partner. it is forming a master mind with one person whom you believe shares your desire for success and would be able to motivate you to achieve your own success. Other advantages include the possible formation of long term relationships in every area of life.

TO JOIN

Just reply this post with your name, phone number, e-mail address, instant messenger id and what you do. To get a partner go through the replies to this poet to find someone who fits the description of whom you are looking for.

CAUTION

Due to the level of criminal activity around, you are advised not to transact business with your partner until you have verified his/her trustworthiness with other means. Note that the author of this blog does not take responsibility for the verification. For further information, contact the blog author.

Your fellow success magnet,

OLASODE OLADAPO.B.

KNOWING YOUR DESTINITION

There is no better way to start than having a clear definition of our destination “SUCCESS’. This is because that understanding would help us to clearly define the steps that would lead us there and prevent us from embarking on fruitless journeys. In the context of the title of this blog ‘SUCCESS MAGNETS’ we need to understand what success is so as to know what we have to do to magnetize it.

I want to define success as the achievement of that one thing that gives achiever maximum joy, fulfillment and brings about promotion in every area of his/her life. From the student who wishes to pass his/her exams to the fresh graduate who is in search of a gainful employment and the person whose ultimate desire is to start his journey towards entrepreneurship. Having made this conclusion, how then do we magnetize success.(while thinking of a title for this blog, I was struck by some people’s seeming ability to attract success in whatever they do while others struggle to achieve their own success giving the same conditions).

The following are the tools we should put in place to MAGNETIZE our own success.

1) Clearly define what success means to you: this is a million dollar question most people have not been able to answer. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to achieve success until you know what it means to you. However, what you call your own success should be big and important enough for you to want to pay the price of achieving it. This way, you would not want to faint along the line way because there is something worth while for you to look forward to.

2) The next thing is to determine the requirements of achieving your own success. In doing this, you should consider the actions of people you know who have tried to achieve the same form of success in the past (you could schedule meetings with them where possible so as to avoid any form of speculations) with a view to avoiding the pit the fell into. What requirements can you copy from them and what can you add to or remove from their story to enable you achieve faster and better results than they did.

3) You now set out meeting those requirements one after the other. This is a very important aspect as you begin to take concrete steps towards the actualization of your dreams. As such, it is at this point that you start to face set backs and your mind needs to be prepared to withstand the problems lest you quit and become a cast away.

In conclusion, the above are the foundational requirements of magnetizing success. In subsequent blogs, we would be discussing other things needed to build on the things stated above but I would like to say here that you would need a lot of confidence in yourself and a trailer load of P M A (Positive mental attitude).

Your fellow success magnet,

OLASODE OLADAPO.B.