Mentor Matters

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. ­– Benjamin Franklin

 The first step for every aspect of human learning is imitation. A child imitates how her parents walk, talk, laugh, play, and even fight. If there are insults flying around at home you can be sure that the child will adopt them as fast as she can. If you want to make quick progress in any field, learn to imitate.

Now, many proclaim themselves leaders in various fields but have never been mentored by someone that has gone before them. The day Novak Djokovic lost his place as tennis world number one to Rafael Nadal, he gave Boris Becker, one-time youngest ever player to win the Wimbledon Open, a call to become his trainer. He did this because he knew that to regain his top rank in world tennis he needed someone who has been there and done that.

Mentorship is a pattern for would-be champions. A mentor should be someone who would not only show you the what but also the how to achieve what you desire to achieve. In effect, that means that he or she must be a person who has done what you are trying to do in detail. Age, gender, ethnicity, and the like, may not matter when choosing a mentor. What matters is whether or not the mentor knows his or her "onions" in that area.

In choosing a mentor, there are three things that should not be ignored. The first is prior record of the possible mentor. What has the person achieved in the field? How much learning has he in it? There are times when you learn from people that have failed in the area you want to succeed in but that does not amount to mentorship. For an effective mentor-protégé relationship, you need someone who has actually succeeded in it. At the least your mentor must be someone who may have failed in an aspect of the area but have overcome his failure enough to allow for proper mentorship.

I addition, you must understand and accept your would-be mentor’s value system. You must be bold to get answers to questions like; what does she believe? What makes him compromise? Does she understand the full purpose of why she is alive? This is important. A mentor-protégé relationship does not only transfer actions and principles but the very life of the mentor gets into the protégé.

Finally, your would-be mentor must be willing to teach. You cannot learn effectively from a secretive teacher. Your mentor must be willing to show you all that you need to learn for you to succeed.

The Mindset of a Great Leader

It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse. ­– Adlai E. Stevenson (Two-time US presidential aspirant)

Leadership does not begin with an office. It has been said a million times over that you can lead from the middle of the pack. Inclusively, even the pillars of leadership; vision, integrity, taking initiative, and the like, are not sufficient to put you on the right leadership pedestal. This is so because leadership also does not begin with a mechanical adherence to principles. I am certain that you have seen “leaders” that do all the right things but can at best be referred to as poor leaders. You see, he is not a leader that does not think he is a leader. So, in essence, leadership begins with an attitude of the mind.

To develop the mindset of leadership you must first have a healthy self-esteem. Your self-esteem is your estimation of yourself – the worth you place of yourself. In itself it remains in neutral but you make it positive or negative. A healthy self-esteem brings with it confidence in your ability, courage to face daunting situations, a listening ear to every person involved in the task and a proactive rather than reactive attitude toward criticisms. An unhealthy self-esteem shows itself in an attitude of despair, worry, fear, and the like. A leader with a healthy self-esteem will emanate all the positives, while the opposite will be the case for a leader with an unhealthy self-esteem.

In addition to the attitude tool-kit of a leader, there must be an openness and boldness to permit creativity and innovation in everyday activities. Many leaders cannot face change, especially when it is initiated by someone other than themselves. You must be able to entertain creative and innovative suggestions. This may mean that you admit your own suggestions are not as innovative as the new ones suggested.

Finally, a leader must have a mindset that understands that authority in itself is a burden. This means that you must first be able to submit to authority for you to understand how and why people should submit to your authority. If folks would submit to your authority you must have a mindset that tells you it isn’t an opportunity to exploit but a responsibility to serve because a great leader, at the end of the day, is simply a great servant.

And There was a Leader

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. ­– Warren Bennis

In every society the people seen as the source of “all” the problems are the leaders. Be it in Greece, Iran, Turkey, or Nigeria, the leaders are the ones to take the first blows of every economic downturn, political turmoil, insecurity, and sometimes even natural disasters. This is so not because the people rallying on the streets consider leaders as some super humans with a magic wand but because leaders are expected to be ahead of the people in every aspect of life. Indeed, nothing moves in a society without leaders.

Leadership begins with vision. A visionless leader will not lead his followers any better than a guy on an evening stroll with his dog. Vision is of utmost importance because people only go as far as their leadership can see. “For want of vision countries perish,” a proverb teaches. Every progressive society has leaders with progressive visions and every unprogressive one has the opposite. The rate of progress is always commensurate with the vision of leadership.

Interestingly, leaders are scarcely aliens to any society. The quality of leaders produced in any society reflects the quality of the people in the society because leaders are always a sample of the people. It was Mike Murdock that once said, “Every country deserves its leaders.” Since I come from a country that has suffered decades of tremendously poor leadership, I initially felt his statement was overtly without empathy for people like me. As I grew to understand that leadership is a nations mirror I thought otherwise.

        You can be a leader. It does not matter where you are or what you do. In fact, your level on the stairway of your company’s organogram is of little significance. All these do not matter because leadership has nothing to do with your portfolio. You don’t need an office to be a leader. If you build yourself on the five pillars of leadership; Vision, Positive Influence, Personal Growth, Taking Initiative, Learning to Follow, you can be sure that you are indeed a leader already. [For more on the pillars of leadership click here] 

The Karoshi Effect

By the seventh day God had finished his work and so he rested. ­– Genesis 2:2

The Japanese term, Karoshi, means, “Death by overwork.” It is used to press upon the mind the literal effect of overwork. The Japanese even made a computer game with the same theme in which the goal is to so overwork yourself in every level until it leads to your death. It is a suicide game but you only die by work overload.

When considering this rather bizarre gaming concept I cannot help but see how closely related it is to many lives in our societies. In a bid to work hard, or increase in productivity, folks literally work themselves to death. In an article I wrote on the work rat-race many-a-folk are in, I spoke of a cycle of death that they cannot get themselves out of. This is so because they want to satisfy the basest of human needs – survival. [To read more on this article, click here].

Work should give you more life and vigor and not kill you. Every work should have a beginning and an end. When you get to the end, rest! Overwork has numerous negatives, the most obvious and immediate being stress and burnout. Stress on its own is a normal reaction to any physical or psychological demand, but prolonged and repeated exposure to stress can lead to burn-out, which brings with it a myriad of diseases.

In addition, overwork disrupts normal body processes. For example, it is normal for any human body to produce insulin, which breaks sugar. Sleep deprivation from overwork disrupts the body’s natural ability to produce insulin, thereby leaving a possibility of Diabetes.

To control your work schedule and not overwork, you should work smarter. This means you focus on the work at hand and ensure that all distractions, like social phone calls and social media platforms, are off limits. This way you will do more in a shorter period and hence have time to rest. You should also take breaks intermittently rather than work on a stretch. You should get sufficient sleep every night. Do not underestimate the positive effect a good night rest can have to your success. Finally, set work boundaries and rest boundaries. This means that you place a limit as to what you do during your work period and also during your rest time.

When Dreams Turn to Nightmares

Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way. ­– The Psalmist

I had a dream some nights ago that began on a sweet plane. I enjoyed every twist and turn of that dream and did not want to wake up. I wanted to see the end of it. Suddenly – as it so often happens in dreams – my sweet dream turned to a nightmare. I found myself running helplessly from something that scared me so much. I immediately wanted a way out of this dream.

As it happened to my sweet dream, so it often happens to our visions and goals. Teenage Joseph dreamed of glory but found himself in a dry well abandoned for dead. Just when he thought he was to be saved from his ordeal he was sold into slavery and subsequently went into jail, all for crimes he did not commit. His dream turned into a nightmare so much so that he forgot the initial dream. Similarly young and vibrant Moses wanted to live his dream and took steps in line with it. He soon discovered that his dream would turn into a forty-year nightmare in the odd part of a desert.

When your dream turns to a nightmare you will be tempted again and again to abandon ship. It will occur to you that you do not need to carry out the work after all. The following may become friendly phrases to you: “I have done my best,” “There is no way out of this,” “Oh, God, Please send somebody else!” “O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me …”

        Now, let’s be frank, the world will not end if you give up. So to be honest giving up is an option – but not your only option. If you consider that your goals cannot be achieved only by your own abilities you will realize that all you may need to do is keep walking on. It does not matter how fast you are going at such times. What matters is that you stay true to the journey. Your success journey is a long journey and if you stick to it you will slowly but surely walk through the valley of the shadow of death and emerge victorious. 

Swimming on Land?

A ship is always safe at the shore – but that is not what it is built for ­– Albert Einstein

 I am well aware of the front crawl, the dog paddle, the butterfly stroke and the breaststroke. I also know about the treading water and the swimming kick. But I do not know how to swim. It is some irony to know about something and yet not know it. I watch the Olympic Games and marvel at the relative ease at which the athletes glide through water. At the back of my mind I know that if you drop me into any pool I can only travel in one direction – down – and even that unintentionally.

If I really wanted to swim I cannot remain on land or simply read about strokes on the internet. No level of information can actually teach me to swim if I do not get into the pool.

As it is with swimming so it is with every aspect of your success journey. If you would learn and succeed at anything you must take the leap of faith and dive into it. Experience comes only with practice. I often remind myself that writers write, singers sing, preachers preach. Of a truth, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit produced.

In line with this, two things stop folks from living their dreams. The first is the fear of the untested. We often allow the darkness of fear to envelop our hearts. If you are in such a situation I suggest you give room for the light of courage to bring a glorious illumination all around you.

The second is the gruesome voice of sameness that speaks through your mental airwaves telling you, “You are not ready,” and, “It isn’t time.” You must change the dial and listen rather to the sweet melodious rhythm which says, “Now is the right time for your salvation.” There will never be a perfect time to do what you intend to do. If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and you will never harvest anything.

God first!

In the beginning God … ­– Genesis

It is in our revised culture to celebrate the beginnings of things. A child is born and we celebrate the beginning of a life. Admission is gained into a high institution and we matriculate with as much pomp as we can afford. Your dream girl says yes and you empty your account to make the beginning of your lives together a memorable one. Every year a day comes where you mark a birthday and look earnestly with hope at the beginning of the rest of your life.

I love beginnings. I believe that it is important we that we give it them the best we can because after all they only come once in a lifetime. I will like, though, to bring to our attention the need to place God first in every beginning. I like God’s entrance into the Bible. It very simply says: “In the beginning God …”.  To be sincere I do not think that is too much of an introduction. It contains no explanation as to who he is and does not give room for prior knowledge. It assumes that you will accept every word written in the phrase.

From a symbolic point of view this is exactly the same way we should handle every beginning in our lives. We should be able to affirm:

In the beginning of my year God …

In the beginning of my marriage God …

In the beginning of my career God …

In the beginning of my business God …

In the beginning of my studies God …

In the beginning of each day God …

When we have this disposition we are aligned on a proper platform to succeed in every endeavor. We do not need to understand completely who he is. We do not need to be fixated on the eschatological knowledge of his being. All we need to do is acknowledge him first. I conclude with this piece of advice from the wisest man that ever lived:

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

Don’t try to figure out everthing on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume you know it all.

        Run to God!
                                                   {CLICK HERE to view more articles on God by the same author}

Intentional Education

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

I am a strong voice behind the need for necessary self-education. I believe that beyond what we learn in the schools system we must engage ourselves in developing our minds. This would require several hours and days of continual “boring” work. Self-education is the platform upon which you can determine your own progress.

Unfortunately, I have realized two pitfalls for self-education in our societies. The first is that many-a-folk don’t see the dire need for it. They probably wonder why they should endure all the stress. I met a man at the mechanic workshop some days ago. I was reading the Autobiography of Martin Luther King (Jnr) at the time. We got talking and he remarked that he no longer reads because reading has been left to the rich. This came as a big surprise to me as I have never thought of anything in that line. By this he meant that the poor were too preoccupied with poverty to read. I promptly, but kindly, told him that even if we were to take his assertion as true, then it is the poor that must be found with a book everywhere they went.

The second is the compulsion that those who actually read have to irrelevant information. I was for a long time trapped in this. My library was filled with motivational books of all kinds. To my frustration I felt these books did little more than arouse my emotions and leave me with dissatisfaction. It was not until I realized that I was carrying it out the wrong way. To educate and develop my mind I needed to read books related to the fields I wanted to be outstanding in then intermittently bring in a motivational literature. What I mean is if you want to be the best manufacturer of furniture in your city, your library should be filled with books on types of wood, wood finishing, business and factory ethics, etc., and not books on motivational public speaking.

        Educate yourself intentionally. The purpose for self-education should determine the process. Make sure your aim for self-education is clearly defined then get books and other sources of information which teach you exactly how to achieve your aim. Without this you would probably be stuck with some crazy novels whilst you think that you are educating yourself. 

Immobile Progress

“I am a slow walker but I never walk back.” – Abraham Lincoln (US President)

It is possible for me to sometimes get obsessed with making progress. It may come from a sincere desire to make life better for me and my family members or it may come from a competitive disposition when I compare myself with others. Irrespective of what motivates me, what I really want is to make progress.

Progress is sweet. It is good to see that the steps I am taking toward my goals are bringing fruits. Unfortunately there are times when it seems as if my progress has stopped. It suddenly seems that I have hit a brick wall in my success journey. It is true – but rather simplistic – for me to console myself with: “It is all part of the success journey,” until I realized a liberating concept that I am about to share with you.

I believe that the two most important parameters to anyone’s success is whether the person is on the right path and whether the person is taking the right steps at the right time. For as long as these two are satisfied, success is assured irrespective of mobility. By this I mean that the fact that you are not moving is not a prove that you are not making progress.

If, for example, you are in journey to a place and you are suddenly stalled to a spot for two hours by a traffic jam. You get annoyed and curse the cause of the impasse but you do not conclude that you have failed in your journey. You don’t do this because you know that you are on the right path and in a matter of time you will get to your destination. Also, you realize that every minute that passes by you edge closer to moving forward than you were a minute before. This means you have made progress (with respect to time) even though you have not left the spot.

This concept is the same with your success journey. You may find yourself deadlocked and immobile but for as long as you know you are on the right path, your success is simply a matter of time. Also, even though you may be in the same situation you were months earlier, you know that as long as time has passed you are not on the same spot.
                          {For Articles on Progress Click Here}

If you understand this you will cut yourself some slack because you are simply making immobile progress. 

Are You Making Progress in a Rat Race?

“You are the part of rat race because you are letting them treat you like a rat. This is the modern definition of a slave.” – Saurabh Sharma (Author)

Have you been in a situation where you get tired every other day and yet wonder if the energy you exert daily is worth the effort? Does it seem to you sometimes that you are taking two steps forward and three backward? Wake up! You may be in a rat race.

I remember once watching a film that had a scene in a science laboratory. It had in it a rat that continually ran earnestly in a spinning circle. It was obvious that the rat was exerting a lot of energy and was “thinking” that by running fast enough it was making progress in getting away from his captors. Little did it know that it was caught up in a vicious cycle.

Many of us are like that rat (no insult intended). We are caught up in a race and we have been exerting all our energies, creative abilities, finances, and intent in winning. Little do we know that the fact that we are running does not mean we are progressing.

A rat race is put upon us by a system. In this system things have a pattern in which they must operate. We are simply a part of this pattern and nothing more. We are expected to do the same things over and over until “expertise” is attained. At this point we are either promoted or paid higher for our “contributions”. Little do we know that the promotion or pay increase is not different from a bigger spinning circle given to a laboratory rat.

To make progress you must be on your own unique path. You must be pursuing a predetermined goal and taking premeditated actions toward it. Progress is intentional. It does not come on you but you work and walk toward it.

Rat races cut across education, occupation and career, religion, and relationships. I have been in them, in fact, I still know some that I am in at the moment. But I do not desire to remain in them. I often evaluate my actions and ask myself in every aspect of my life if I am caught up in a rat race. What I want to see is progress in every area – all cylinders firing.

I suggest you ask yourself if you are in a rat race or a progress race. 

Tend to Your Leak!

I wasted time, and now doth time waste me. ­– William Shakespeare

 Have you seen a leaking water tank? I recently bought a two-thousand-liter overhead tank and filled it with water I needed for a project. With this I was sure I would have little need for water for a long time. Unknown to me it had a small crack right beneath it and the water seeped out little by little. A few days before the project was to begin the tank was dry. Two thousand liters gone!

As the leakage was to my tank so is wastage to your success journey. Silently, gradually, little by little, your potential for success dries up. A period allowed to slip away may be time leaking out. You know what you need to do, you know why you should do it and you know how to do it but you still do not get to do it. You say to yourself: I will do it later. I am not up to it now.

Unplanned spending may be money leaking out. You have a project at hand but one night out and a couple extra sticks of Suya won’t kill the project – or so think. So the tiny amount of money leaks out and you are not closer to reaching the funds needed for your project.

Taking people for granted may be network leaking out. You meet someone for the first time but feel why bother I will meet him again, failing to consider that first impressions come once and that every meeting is an important opportunity to strengthen your people ties and enhance your networking.

In every area of your success journey leakages are possible. Smart achievers tend to these leakages and minimize them to the barest minimum. They ensure that their relationships don’t leak, their expenditure is within planned control, and, probably most important of all, their time isn’t wasted on frivolous things.

The Blind Man in Front

“One blind man cannot lead another; if he does both will fall into a ditch.” – Jesus (the Christ)

When you see a man with a stick and his hands placed on another person right in front of him you automatically assume he is blind. What never crosses your mind is that the blind person may be the folk in front or, more comically, both may be blind! You assume this because you know that to lead you need to see.

Unfortunately many leaders cannot see. To be a follower denotes there is a place you want to get to but you need someone else to facilitate your journey. It certainly is – at least physically – permissive for a follower to not see his way. To be a leader, on the other hand, you must see your way through.

Many folks take this for granted because they have misunderstood the basic concept of leadership. It is assumed that leadership is about staying in front or being on top. Both of these ideas are misguided because a shepherd boy, for example, leads from behind his flock. In effect he is more a guide who knows where he his flock needs to be and how to get them there. Without proper knowledge of where to lead people to you cannot guide.

Second, many leaders imagine themselves and their followers as a pyramid structure in which they are the peak while their followers carry them. This is another misconception because rather than a pyramid, the structure is turned upside down and the leader is at the bottom carrying the weight of the followers.

       With this modification in conceiving what leadership is, you would realize that you cannot lead without seeing where you are headed. The sight of the leader gives solace to the followers. It makes them confident to put the next foot forward, knowing that if their leader did not fall into a ditch they would not.  

It does not matter if it is a question of marriage, church, or football team. A leaders’ vision is paramount. The first question to ask any one person you intend to follow is, “what can you see?”

Choose Your Second Name Carefully

Neither this man (a man born blind) nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God may be revealed in him. ­– Jesus (speaking to his students).

It is easy for people to define you based on conditions you know nothing of. Situations beyond your control can leave a name that you detest attached to you for the rest of your life. Imbecile, Albino, Black, White, Third world, Poor, Short, Thin, and much more are used to place a definition on folks. Of a truth it is impossible to completely severe yourself from all of these – somehow one (or more) gets you.

This is so because we are all born with situations beyond our control. It was like the story of two famous twins in the Bible – Esua and Jacob. At their births, the first came out hairy and so he was named Esua (hairy). The second came out holding unto the heel of Esua and was named Jacob (usurper). These kids did not have a choice over what the world defined them with - they were born with it. They did not have a say as to what their name, and henceforth identities, would be. 

Later in their lives they both had the opportunity to be further defined based on their actions. Esua sold his first born rights to Jacob for a plate of red stew and based on this action was named “Red”. Jacob troubled an angel and fought for a blessing and based on this action was named “Israel”. This second set of names were binding and have lasted centuries beyond their lifetimes.

My point is, what we are born with is not as important as what we do with it. You may have been born into a family that defines poverty at a glance but you can leave a great inheritance and legacy for your children’s children. You may have been born out of wedlock but you can be the best parent, husband or wife that the world around you will ever see. Hold on to Jesus’ priceless words when he said of a man born with blindness: Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God may be revealed in him, and let the works of God be revealed in your life. 

How to Locate God's Provision for You...

So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it will be provided.

Provision is key to achieving your goals. If you are to achieve the things you dream to achieve you need to find provision of the resources required to do it. 

     In considering this thought line I recall my teenage year’s addiction to the computer game, Super Mario. Three things will ensure you succeed in taking Super Mario to the end of each stage; the amount of life he has left, his degree of invisibility, and the weapons he has at his disposal. Mario does not have these things all through his adventure and you will have to get to certain stages of each level to get the provision of more life, invisibility, or better weapons. Whenever you have the three combined you feel super indeed until the time it wears out.

     As it is with Super Mario so it is with your success journey. If you would receive God’s provision you must be at the right place. This is important. If Mario does not arrive at the stage in the game level where he can get more life or weapons, he will receive no provision, irrespective of how much dire need he is in.

     On God’s instruction, Abraham set out on a strange journey that would redefine his entire life and that of the nation that would come after him. He followed instructions to a specific mountain of which he was told to make a big sacrifice. At the very moment that he was to strike his son, he heard a call that showed him the real sacrifice. Don’t you wonder what would have happened if he had gone to the wrong mountain?

      A similar thing happened to Elijah. In the heat of a famine he received this instruction: “Get out of here fast. Head east and hide out at the Kerith Ravine on the other side of the Jordan River. You can drink fresh water from the brook; I’ve ordered the ravens to feed you there.” It was important he followed all these instructions on location because there and there alone is the provision. 
      If you would receive provision you must be at the right place. 

BIG Thieves Stoning small Thieves

All right, hurl the stones at her until she dies. But only he who never sinned may throw the first! – Jesus (the Christ)

Have you noticed that, more often than not, we have solutions to other people’s problems but are perplexed by the same problems in our own lives? Somehow it is easy for me to solve my problems than it is to solve mine.

Sequel to this when people do things they are plainly improper and wrong but when I do the same things I have a reason why it happened the way it did.

This happens because we all think logically towards other people but emotionally toward ourselves. When relating to folks we use our heads and when we are handling ourselves we use our hearts.

In truth – if we would make progress with ourselves and be of help to folks – we need to reverse the process. We are to handle folks with our hearts while we handle ourselves with our heads.

Develop the habit of cutting folks some slack. The same reason why you do improper things may just be theirs. Some time ago I broke a driving law because I was trying to get to my father in the hospital who needed my help. Whilst doing it I wondered what the other law-abiding folks were thinking. They probably were thinking the things I think of folks I see breaking the same law.

I in no way suggest that you break laws for just any reason but am saying that when we know the reasons people do some things we may have a paradigm shift. This means that we may see the same things differently because we are now looking from a different perspective.

I know that you sincerely want to help. You indeed can help folks to make progress in their success paths but I would encourage you to use these words as guideline:

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures,

Criticize their faults – unless, of course, 

You want the same treatment.

That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.

It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbors face

And be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.

Do you have the nerve to say,

“let me wash your face for you,”

When your own face is distorted by contempt?

… Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face,

       And you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. 

Winter of my Discontent

It’s not time for despair, but for repair. – Gary Montecalvo

 I am at that point where you look carefully at what you are doing and where you are headed and wonder whether you know, in heavens name, where your life is going. (It isn’t that I am experiencing this for the first time – just that every time feels new in its own right.) I had a long talk some hours ago with my better half (that’s an overused humble way of simply saying wife) and we questioned every way I feel can move me to the next level of goal achievement. Good part of being married is that you can no longer make solo decisions. At the end of our talk I cannot categorically say we made progress.

Deep within my heart lies a discontent – a feeling that there is much more to lay hands on, much more to do and experience. Logically, it would suffice to say, “Young man you have a long life to live so please be still,” but if you have been young you would attest to the feeling of desperation that frequently keeps it company.

While drifting along in thoughts my mind went to Adam with his wife, Eve, in the garden. No history books. No folk tales. No songs. Just the two of them and all of creation. How did they overcome their winters of discontent? What did they result to when it was looking obvious that their dreams (and the whole of mankind) would die with them? Did they despair? Did they fall into the gloomy pit of depression as many of us would?

Just the way I cannot answer my own questions, I also have no certain answers to these questions. Instead, I look to another man who was left all alone at his time of despair. At one time, David’s camp was raided and all the women, children, and their possessions were taken. His men were in despair and debated if the best action was to kill their leader and friend, David. David was found himself in a winter of discontent. He would have stayed confused and depressed but instead we read that, “David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord.” May that be where Adam received strength? Most probably.
                          [Also Read: Tired? Take a life leave]

At your times of trouble I implore you to look to the Lord. It is there that you receive encouragement that strengthens.

Dream-Maker

I just now remembered something – I’m sorry, I should have told you this long ago … there was a young Hebrew slave whom we told our dreams and he interpreted them for us. – Pharoah’s Cupbearer (speaking of Joseph)

 I am not one of those who believe in the “Self-made” man. I read gazillions of articles that use words like, “Self-made millionaire,” “Self-developed speaker,” and lots more but I don’t think that in practice there is anyone that can described as such.

That is simply because I don’t believe that the governor in a great governor is solely accountable for the greatness of the governor. I strongly believe that the friend, the foe, the neighbor, the stranger, the seller, the buyer, the speaker, the listener, the teacher, the learner, the receiver, the giver, the lover, the hater, the ex-lover, the marketer, the consumer, etc. in the governor, also play an imperative role.

All the people and factors that surround our lives collectively make us. They help you succeed in succeeding or succeed in failing. I believe that Moses wouldn’t be Moses without Pharoah and Jethro, David wouldn’t be David without Samuel and Saul, Jesus wouldn’t have been the same Jesus without Joseph and Mary.

You can be part of the another’s success story. I met a friend after a long time apart. I discovered that he was now a pilot. I was noticeably in awe of this. The closest I have come to a pilot was the public address they give before take-off and landing. So I dug deeper as to how he became one. He briefly narrated how his father called him up and asked if he still wanted to pursue his childhood dream of flying and offered to support him actualize it.

When folks tell you of their dreams and aspirations, search your heart to see how you can help them bring it to pass. No person grows appropriately as an island. We all need others to survive and to thrive. My success is tied to you and so is yours to me. There is a song that goes:

I need you

You need me

We’re all a part of God’s body

Stand with me

Agree with me

We’re all a part of God’s body

It is his will that every need be supplied

You are important to me

I need you to survive

I won’t harm you

With words from my mouth

I love you

I need you to survive…

…

Decide today that you will be a part of someone’s success story. You will be glad you did.

For other articles on Ambition, click here...

Attitude Revolution

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. – Winston Churchill

Our attitudes are important factors in determining how far we get along our success paths. Your attitude is the way you think and feel that affects your behavior. So in effect it is not merely what you think but the way you think.

King Solomon reckoned that, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” Mahatma Gandhi expounded on this by stating that, “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”

Ultimately, your thoughts do two things. First they show you who you really are. When in doubt as to who you are, do not go as far as asking for people’s opinion. Simply search through your thoughts. Second, your thoughts determine who you will become. Your thoughts are to your life what the steering wheel is to a car – it determines the direction.

To develop a great attitude, take careful note of your manners. Young folks think it is old school to say sorry when wrong, please when they need help, or thank you when they are helped. These simple manners affect our attitudes immensely. Also, you should identify people that have threaded the path you are on and follow. Mentors help us ensure we don’t make the behavioral mistakes they made. Finally, be present. Be there when you are needed. Do not miss out on opportunities to be a part of worthy ventures.

You can change everything by changing your attitude to a positive one. 

Spiritual Revolution

Believe me a man cannot even see the kingdom of God without being BORN AGAIN. – Jesus (the Christ)

We all have two pairs of eyes (that’s my way of expressing it) – the outer set of eyes that we can all see and an inner pair that we cannot see. With your outer set you have access to the physical environment. Your eyes feed you with up eighty percent of the information you have. Though very important, your outer eyes are very limited to the things that presently exist.

With your inner pair of eyes sight has no boundaries. You can see what no one else can. You have access to limitless information. It is with your inner eyes that you see the future. Joseph was seeing with his inner eyes when he declared to his family, “Look I have dreamed another dream … the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed to me,” when they were mere wandering shepherds. Martin Luther King (Jnr) saw with his inner eyes when he proclaimed, “I have a dream that one day my four little children will not be judged by the color of their skins but by the content of their character,” though what his outer eyes saw was racial prejudice and discrimination. With these men and many others that have experienced inner sight I can boldly say they had a glimpse into the Kingdom of God.

For your inner eyes to see a future yet covered, you need a spiritual revolution. You need a complete and dramatic change in your inner person – your spirit. In the words of a carpenter, Jesus (the Christ), you “cannot even see the Kingdom of God without being born again.” You must have a complete transformation, a change that is not short of existing for the first time all over again.

Being born again means the second you never existed prior to the revolution. Your prejudices and biases, your desires and inklings, your habits and comfort zones, all have never existed.

A spiritual revolution is, indeed, an awesome experience because it empowers you on your inside. You will suddenly be able to affirm that, “I can do ALL things through the anointing (empowerment inside you), which strengthens me.”

In addition, it sets up for an all-involving success. By this I mean the whole of you will be a part of your success story. You will identify and make consistent progress in your unique success path and you will experience what King Solomon meant when he said, “The [success] path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” 

Another Theory of Evolution

There is a queer feature in all of us that robs us of the best God has in store for our lives – our ability to adapt to unfavorable situations. On the one side our adaptive features help us to survive difficult times. The father of modern-day evolution, Charles Darwin stated that, “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” I agree with this statement. To survive you must learn to adapt, to acclimatize, to familiarize, to conform. You must learn to act like the Romans while in Rome.

Unfortunately survival is the best you will continually get out of an adaptive life. If you would live life to the fullest you must take a step further. You must learn to get ahead of mere conformity to creating the changes of the favorable situation you want to experience.

A full life is full with exciting experiences. It is motivated with visions, goals and a skillfully defined purpose. This is a far cry from what most of us experience. We are used to changes made – howbeit without empathy – by the government. We cry and shout, protest and accept a milder version of the same oppression. We are trained in schools to not be different. “Fit in!” we are commanded, “you are not the first and neither will you be the last.” Any wonder we are so hopelessly – and non-uniquely – the same? We are Zebras in a flock of Zebras.

                        [see also: Do You Want a Revolution?]

I conclude with this lovely poem by Mokokoma Mokhonoana culled from his book, The Confessions of a Misfit. It summarizes my thought line for this article.

Somebody is born.

Somebody goes to school.

Somebody learns to conform.

Somebody types a CV.

Somebody gets a job.

Somebody follows orders.

Somebody gets a golden watch.

And then, eventually,

Somebody dies.
       And, a nobody is buried...

…

…

Selah 

To read other articles on change click here.