insakanet

Motivational

  • You Have Something to Give

    “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice” ~ Indian Proverb.

    “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give” ~ Sir Winston Churchill.

    Each of us is uniquely created with a distinct design. We are all meant to thrive through interdependence.

    No one in this world can truly claim to be completely independent and not in need of others.

    I want to remind and encourage you of how important and relevant you are to humanity. I want you to realize that you have something to contribute to the well-being of the world.

    No matter what your situation or background is, you possess something that is uniquely yours.

    I am deeply concerned about some of the negative questions being raised on a prominent website.

    To make matters worse they are coming from kids as young as 15 years of age. Most of the questions are to do with giving up on life.

    Imagine a 15-year-old who feels overwhelmed by life, ready to give up before truly beginning to live. How sad indeed.

    I often ask myself this question: What if Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edison, and many other great inventors and discoverers had given up before making their breakthroughs? How different would the world be today?

    Your gifts and talents may not amount or match the great discoverers and inventors of the past, but it plays a very significant role in the advancement of humanity.

    You have a very significant and important role to play on earth. Myles Monroe says the richest place on earth is the graveyard.

    This is where you discover inventions that never came to be; dreams that were never fulfilled; songs that were never sung; buildings that were never constructed and many other things that the world has been deprived of.

    I pray and hope that you will not be a graveyard statistic but will leave a meaningful and positive legacy that endures.

    Ask not what the world will do for you but, what you will do for the world. Stop thinking from within the box and in fact, remove the box altogether.

    The human race is like a body. The body cannot function properly with a missing part, it may function but with a lot of difficulties.

    Do not be those missing parts. Do not rob the world of your talents and gifts. Do not deprive us of your contribution to humanity. We greatly need them. You are not living by accident or by chance but for a reason and for a greater purpose.

    If you are almost giving up on your life sit down and thank God that you are still alive. Many are struggling to hang on to life yet you have it for free. The fact that you are still alive means that you have something to give.

    There are so many things to thank your creator for and let alone obey his guiding words by dedicating your life to contributing to the wellbeing of humanity.

    No contribution is too small; everything adds up to make a difference. It’s high time you started using your mind constructively.

    You see everything is conceived in the mind. Our minds are the workshops for all that we see.

    Our minds are power engines of our lives. The real secret of power is the consciousness of power.

    The more conscious we become of our unity with this mind, the less conscious we shall become of conditions and limitations, and as we become emancipated or freed from conditions we come into a realization of the unconditional.

    We have become free! We have removed the box. We have evolved.

    The ability to eliminate imperfect conditions depends upon mental action, and mental action depends upon consciousness of power; therefore, the more conscious we become of our unity with the source of all power, the greater will be our power to control and master every condition.

    Conclusion

    Every human being including is as important as the next one and the one before. I want to encourage you not to look down upon yourself.

    You were created to contribute to humanity and your contribution is valuable.

    This all starts with you realizing and appreciating how important you are to the whole world. DO NOT rob us of your gifts and talents.

    Just like you have benefited from the inventors of computers we also want to benefit from you.

  • The Dawn of a Season

    “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending” ~ Carl Bard.

    Take heart and give way to the new season. This is my first article for this New Year since my website was hacked.

    Time flies and waits for no one. Whether you like it or not time will not wait for you.

    We have just been ushered into a new season and it is still the right time to start afresh or build up on the gains achieved from the past season. 

    If you are like me and like to set new goals please go ahead and set them. Set this season as the turning point that will see you grow your weakest areas of your life.

    In order to grow you must obtain what is necessary for your growth but, as you are at all time a complete thought entity, this completeness makes it possible for you to receive only as you give; growth is therefore conditioned on reciprocal action just the same as like attracts like.

    The challenge for you this year is to obtain what is necessary for your growth; to stop those detrimental habits; to build on your business skills; to improve on interpersonal relationships and to grow spiritually.

    The Challenge

    “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you will become after the game, whether you are a winner or loser” ~ Lou Holtz.

    Think for a moment, what you would be if you were not a husband or wife, father or mother, or brother or sister, if you were not interested in the social, economical, political or religious world.

    What then would you be? Think about what you were last year; how much you achieved; and how much more you did not achieve; do you want to stay in the same position or do you want to climb the ladder of self-improvement or would you rather take a few steps backwards?

    The challenge therefore, for is to find the right combination and balance of tools or rather characteristics for a more fulfilling personality.

    The target should be to find the right ingredient’s necessary for growth. In order to grow you must then, obtain what is essential for growth.

    Your growth then is dependent on what you take in. Remember first that all growth is from within and that you are the source of that growth. Note that you are also the source of your own growth. 

    To ensure that you reach the optimum growth levels for this year you must make sure that you develop the right mental attitude. This will mean a constant renewal of the mind. One must make a deliberate policy to buy and read self-improvement and development books. It also means that you need to focus more on the positive things in life.

    Manage Your Thoughts

    It is very amazing to know that all things in the world began as a thought. Even at creation I believe that, God must have first thought before speaking.

    The saying “as a man thinks so is he in is heart” holds water for me. You always produce what you think. Your outside world is a true reflection of your inside world.

    If you think cheap you come out cheap. If you set your mind on mediocrity you get exactly that and vice versa.

    I can challenge you that nothing in this world has ever been invented without first being conceived as a thought or an idea by someone.

    Noticed that the world has a way of giving us back what we predominantly harbour as thoughts.

    This then makes me realize that one of the most important tool we have as human beings is the mind which is the thinking organ.

    If you can master the thoughts you hold, believe me, you are destined for greatness. In this new season, challenge yourself to begin mastering and managing your mind.

    Be Proactive and not Reactive

    The human nature is that of being reactive. Meaning we always wait for the situation to happen and then react after wards.

    This means that most of the time we are firefighting. That is the difference between successful individuals and those of us that are struggling with life.

    If you want to be ahead you must be proactive and not reactive. I used to be like this and I can confess that this firefighting syndrome has not completely gone away.

    The best way to handle life is to be prepared for every eventuality. To be proactive is to take measures in advance for an event that will occur including the unexpected.

    Like I said this is a new season and with it comes a new tide of everything. The challenge this season is to build on the little gains achieved for being proactive and not reactive. Being reactive is a sign of laziness and no lazy person can be successful.

    Conclusion

    As per tradition for me every New Year is a new season and I always make resolutions and set goals for it.  This is one of the best tools I use to measure my progress towards reaching my personal development goals.

    I hope and trust that you have formulated one for yourself to keep you going.

  • Business Unusual

    “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand” ~ Vince Lombardi.

    I am sure that most of us have heard the saying “business as usual,” am also pretty sure that the heading to this article does not make much sense to some of you.

    Maybe you are thinking the title should have been “unusual business” or something related or maybe you think it is a mistake, NO!!!.

    The title is perfect and suits the article very well as you will see. The quote by Vince Lombardi basically sums up the activities of what, successful people do.

    On the contrary, though I would like to disagree with the phrase “business as usual” to me it simply means business without improvement.

    If you are in the habit of the business-as-usual syndrome, then chances are that you are stagnant and not improving in whatever you are doing. You need to change.

    Do Things Differently

    To succeed in life you need to do things differently and in a smart way. If you are in business making an improvement on a frequent basis is what will distinguish you from others.

    Especially if you are in the service industry improvement is very cardinal. Well, I have learnt that some things cannot be changed and thus are better left like that.

    But most of the things we do in life can be improved upon. Improving on the smallest of things in your life will result in a total change in your outlook.

    An improvement in your waking up could result in you having more time for other things; an improvement in your eating habits will result in a healthy life.

    These small changes when put together result in big changes. And this is what distinguishes success from failure.

    To do things in an unusual ways means to have a heart and love for what we are doing. If you have a love and passion for whatever business or work you are doing believe me you will always try to improve on it.

    I will give an example of the computer industry; see how computers have evolved from big mainframes to miniature computers with so much power and flexibility.

    This of course is as a result of the passion and dedication the men and women in this industry have put in. The notion that “business as usual” should not be the one for you if you want to be a success in life. Your business should not be as usual it should be different and smartly done.

    Learn the Tricks of the Trade

    “If money is your hope for independence, you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability” ~ Henry Ford.

    You cannot improve on anything without learning the ropes. By this I mean you cannot improve your business or your personal goes without learning and knowing how things are done.

    Learning is perhaps one quality that needs to be improved upon on a very regular basis. I learn a new thing on a daily basis. Never stop learning. The moment you stop learning you will have closed the door to growth.

    You need to have an open mind for learning new things and tricks of the trade. In every niche there are norms, “the dos and the don’ts” learn them and improve on them. This will be your guide to success.

    Even in your quest to succeed I believe that you have a written down life’s purpose, use it as your guide and keep improving on it. There is no limit in acquiring knowledge but, also know that it must be put to use. Knowledge without action is useless. Learning must be followed with action.

    There is no point in learning how say, foreclosure is done in real estate and not put it to practice. Imagine how much time would have been invested in the learning process just to be wasted without being put to use.

    If you have to learn ensure that you will put to use what you have learned. Napoleon Hill says “KNOWLEDGE will not attract money, unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical PLANS OF ACTION.” This is how important action is. Action is the most important of all success principles.

    Having a mentality and doing “business unusual” has many more positive credits than negatives. Just the fact that you are motivated to do something differently gives you an added advantage against your fellow employees if you are in employment.

    Your boss or supervisor will be very pleased with you when he sees the effort of improvement being exhibited. It also goes the same for people running their own businesses. The little efforts being applied will definitely be noticed and appreciated by both would-be customers and current ones.

    Conclusion

    “Business is a combination of war and sport” ~ Andrea Maurois. I would like to encourage you to have a mentality of doing things differently.

    It may be difficult at the beginning but remember that Rome was not built in one day. Start with the small little things that are easy to do and continue on that path for say 3 weeks and see if you will not make a difference.

  • It Pays to Start Small

    “Do not despise the days of your small beginnings” ~ the Bible. “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still” ~ Chinese proverb.

    Some translations of the Bible say “humble” beginnings. I am sure that we all want to succeed in all areas of our lives more especially in the financial area.

    It is only normal and nature permits it. I believe that all normal human beings have the desire to want to do something that will make them excel and succeed in all endevours’ of life.

    The biggest problem, however, lies in the desire to climb the tree starting from the very top. It is the wish to enjoy the fruit before even taking the necessary step of planting the tree.

    It is like wanting to eat dessert before having the main meal, rushing to experience the rewards without putting in the essential groundwork first.

    We always want to ignore the basics. Many of us do not want to build a solid foundation for our success, be it in business or personal development. We want the easy way out.

    We would rather start reaping from what we have not fully sowed. However, what we do not realise is that ignorance and avoidance of basics is one of the major contributors to our failures.

    Yes, you may experience temporal success but the end is very catastrophic. Cutting corners may just prolong your journey to success.

    Starting small gives you the opportunity to learn the trade. You grow slowly but steadily learning and avoiding big losses.

    This gives you motivation, as you are able to see the small achievements that you are scoring along the way and you keep building on them.

    The Building Blocks

    To succeed at anything you need to have the building blocks put together. In fact, you must first acquire the building materials and then put them together in the right order.

    Most of us have acquired the building blocks and I can assure you that a good number of us have better building materials than successful people.

    The major difference is that we want to jump the gun. We want to start building the house from the roof.

    Simply put we do not appreciate our small beginnings. I like this Chinese proverb that says “a journey of three thousand miles beginnings with one step.”

    For sure every step taken simply means that you have covered a distance. In this case, your building blocks are the steps you are taking.

    As an individual, I have learned to appreciate that for anything that I want to succeed at, the small efforts and inputs that I put in are greatly appreciated and treasured.

    For I know that it is these small little things that give birth to big things. Know that Rome was not built in one day.

    Remember if you are planning to start running your own business do not be discouraged at the amount of startup capital you have.

    Just start and grow with your business. The more you learn how to handle small amounts of money, the more you are training yourself to handle large amounts of money.

    They say “it is the cents that make the dollars.” Put the cents together and you have a dollar. The more cents you put together the more dollars you have. The more dollars you have the more money you accumulate.

    It’s just like the human body; it is made up of small cells. These small cells when put together make each and every tissue, organ, and finally, the whole body is complete.

    When you focus on the composition and makeup of the human body you will appreciate that all growth comes from within; you will appreciate that those small things when put together they add up to something big.

    Start Small

    I know we all want to start big and quickly move in the comfort zone.

    The reality is that even the biggest corporations of today started small.

    A lesson learned from starting small is that you grow with the business and develop a discipline for managing it.

    Nature is such that you will hold dear what you have worked for and have seen grow from scratch. You become emotionally attached to it.

    It is very different to be given a lot of money that you have never handled before in your life, the likely hood of mismanaging the funds is higher than when you have toiled and sweated for the same money.

    They say easy come easy go. Have you ever wondered that most of those who win the lottery quickly become bankrupt?

    Starting small and ensuring steady growth also gives you a sense of pride and satisfaction.

    I am not against anyone who starts big, experience has shown that those who grow their businesses from a small scale are more likely to succeed than those who start big.

    I feel more comfortable starting with something I can handle and improving on it as it grows. It is much easier to handle small things and learn from them.

    Even in the area of personal development, change will not come like manna from heaven. The change will come through the small everyday efforts that you put in.

    Conclusion

    In order to succeed, we must appreciate the days of our humble beginnings. We also appreciate that all forms of living things are made of small components and remember that it is the cents that make the dollars.

    Learn to cherish those days and thank your creator for them. The days of your small beginnings are your learning curve and building blocks for your success.

  • Is Knowledge Key to Success?

    “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” ~ The Bible. “If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest” ~ Benjamin Franklin.

    The fact is that knowledge is married to success and that there is no success without knowledge.

    I like to compare the co-relationship between knowledge and success with a mobile phone and a sim card they are inseparable.

    In my endeavour to achieve my life’s intended goals, I have discovered that I need to acquire knowledge to achieve them.

    I have also come to understand that knowledge is the key to success. Without knowledge chances of you achieving your intended life’s purpose(s) are very slim if not bleak.

    In this article, I outline why knowledge is key to achieving your success.

    What is Knowledge?

    “The result of man’s ability to think is knowledge” ~ the master key system.

    Put in another way “man’s ability to think is as a result of his awareness; know-how; understanding and intelligence.”

    The Oxford English dictionary defines knowledge as “the information and skills acquired through experience or education; the sum of what is known; awareness or familiarity gained by experience.”

    According to the definitions given above knowledge is gained through experience and education.

    By the way, education does not need to be formal you can be educated informally.

    I believe that not all successful people are “educated.” They have just acquired the right knowledge and experience needed to achieve their personal objectives.

    “There are no secrets to success it is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure” ~ Colin Powell.

    Using Knowledge as a Yardstick

    Knowledge helps us prepare ourselves for the oncoming obstacles as we move towards achieving our objectives.

    It is therefore imperative that you continuously acquire knowledge and improve on your skillset.

    As I have mentioned before in my previous articles that success is a journey and not a destination you will come across many obstacles on your journey.

    The difference between successful people and the rest is that they prevail over obstacles. They have developed the tenacity to overcome obstacles.

    They never give up even when they fail the first time around.

    I am pretty sure that the knowledge and experience gained when faced with different challenges comes in handy at some stage in life.

    I want to encourage you to acquire as much knowledge as you can as you go about working through to achieve your intended life’s purpose. You just never know when you will need to call upon it for help.

    Knowledge can then be best acquired through reading books and experience. These two are some of my best ways of acquiring knowledge.

    You could also attend seminars, listen to recorded messages, and many other ways that are available to you.

    When it comes to acquiring knowledge do not limit yourself. Remember that one of the very few possessions that can never be grabbed away from you even in your death is knowledge.

    I have never heard anything like they downloaded his knowledge to a storage media before he died, never before.

    How Does Knowledge Fit In?

    If knowledge is the awareness gained by experience, I would be right to say that success is achieved by experience and this takes time.

    Clearly, from the definitions of knowledge described above, I can safely say that without knowledge; experience; awareness, or education there is no success. Experience does not come overnight, it takes time to come.

    In my opinion, knowledge is the driving force to success without which it is very difficult to walk down the road of success.

    If you have to succeed in life you will need to spend good quality time acquiring knowledge and skills needed for your intended purpose.

    If it is the driving force, then you must therefore learn to put it to good use. Knowledge acquired without being used is a waste of time.

    Knowledge is acquired for a purpose and not just for the sake of it.

    Conclusion

    In whatever, endevours one may be engaged in, it is impossible to succeed without sufficient knowledge.

    It is therefore key that you strive to acquire the right knowledge for you to pursue your life’s intended purpose.

    Knowledge does not necessarily have to be acquired through established learning institutions such as schools.

    There are various ways and the main one being reading. I will end here and hope you have enjoyed the article.

  • 5 Qualities of Leaders and Motivators Part 2

    This is the final part of a two-part series. If you missed out on part 1 please click here before you continue. In part one I talked about the first two qualities and these are vision and courage.

    We learned that we are all born with these qualities and that the difference between leaders and followers is the expression of them to the world.

    I also talked about the importance of vision and courage in leadership. In this issue, I will write about integrity; realism, and responsibility as the other qualities of leaders and motivators.

    Integrity

    “In the arena of human life, the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action “~ Aristotle.

    Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

    I believe integrity underlines all other qualities. The measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life. How honest you handle other people’s finances for example?

    Can someone trust you with their valuable possessions? Can you be trusted with handling say public matters even when it means that you will lose popularity in the short term?

    Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.

    Integrity means that you tell the truth and that you live the truth in everything that you do and in all your relationships.

    Integrity means that your dealings with people are straightforward and that you do not compromise on what you believe to be true.

    “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” ~ Thomas Jefferson.

    Realism

    “True realism consists in revealing the surprising things which habit keeps covered and prevents us from seeing” ~ Jean Cocteau.

    The fourth quality of leadership is realism. Realism is a form of intellectual honesty.

    It is a way of seeing, accepting and dealing with situations as they really are without being influenced by your emotions or false hopes.

    The realist insists upon seeing the world as it really is, not as he wishes it were. This objectivity and refusal to engage in self-delusion is a mark of the true leader.

    A leader accepts situations as they are and transforms them to his advantage.

    Those who exhibit the quality of realism do not trust luck, hope for miracles, pray for exceptions to basic business principles, expect rewards without working or hope that problems will go away by themselves.

    These all are examples of self-delusion, of living in a fantasy land. Yes, I know that miracles do happen but not without you playing a part.

    The part you play and the amount of faith you have will definitely be a determining factor in the general out.

    A good leader insists on seeing things exactly as they are and encourages others to look at life the same way.

    As a leader, you get the facts, whatever they are. You deal with people honestly and tell them exactly what you perceive to be the truth.

    This doesn’t mean that you will always be right, but you will always be expressing the truth in the best way you know-how. Thereby excising your integrity in the process.

    Responsibility

    It is said by Brian Tracy that “the happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life.” This is the mark of a true leader.

    The fifth of leadership is responsibility. This is perhaps the hardest to develop.

    It is the duty of a good leader to take and accept responsibility no matter what the outcome is. In the same manner, as when the outcome is positive he takes all the parting on the back. He should take the brunt when things have failed.

    If instead of accepting responsibility when things go wrong, you make excuses, blame someone else and simultaneously become angry and resentful and blow up, this may cost you.

    Personal leadership and motivational leadership are very much the same. To lead others, you must first lead yourself. To be an example or a role model for others, you must first become an excellent person yourself.

    There is no dodging responsibility. Know also that you are responsible for your own life. Your very own life is in your hands.

    You are responsible for your actions. Wrong or right, good or bad they are your actions. If you want to become more, more of you is expected.

    “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” ~ Tony Robins

    Conclusion

    Finally, take action. You know that all mental preparation and character building is merely a prelude to action. You become a leader by motivating yourself.

    Motivate yourself by striving towards excellence, by committing yourself to become everything you are capable of becoming.

    You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others improve their lives and achieve their goals; you become a leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way.

    Remember that we all have the five qualities in us wake them up and see how far you can go.

  • 5 Qualities of Leaders and Motivators Part 1

    “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” – John Quincy Adams.

    This is a two-part series in which I am illustrating the 5 qualities of leadership and motivators.

    We are all born with leadership qualities regardless of our situation the difference is how much of it, we show the world. How much of it are we utilising?

    I thought to talk about these just so as to remind us about our leadership qualities. You may not be in a leadership position but you are the leader of yourself.

    If you are a parent like me then you are responsible for providing leadership to your family. Men and women are leaders and both possess diverse leadership qualities.

    This diversity of qualities between men and women complement each other. One cannot do entirely with the absence of the other.

    Find herewith, the five qualities of leaders and motivators.

    Vision

    The first quality is vision. All great leaders have a vision and they are persistently pursuing it. Whatever the vision maybe it becomes the driving force for success.

    Perhaps vision is the single most quality that, more than anything else, that separates great leaders from average leaders.

    The more clearer the vision you have the more likely you are to succeed.

    “All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” ~ Brian Tracy.

    A good leader does not get caught up in the day-to-day activities this is the work for his followers. The Bible says “where there is no vision the people perish” ~ Proverbs. A great nation can also be seen from the kind of leaders they have.

    But remember that we are all born with this quality called vision. If you focus on your area of interest it does not matter what area it is, you will be a great leader in that respect.

    “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements” ~ Napoleon Hill.

    The best way to motivate others is to firstly motivate yourself. I have attended some personal development workshops and the first thing that strikes me is the level of motivation by the speakers.

    Believe me, if you yourself are not motivated and are trying to motivate others it will show. For example, you cannot talk to people about how to make money when you do not have the money to show for it.

    You must at least show some potential for earning the money or demonstrate that you are actually earning the money. I sometimes come across adverts in the streets, about how someone will give you some lucky charms for getting rich when they themselves are living in poverty.

    One of the most powerful tools for all motivators is the commitment to excellence. The best motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to strive to be the best.

    Be it in business or in whatever area, you must strive to be the best. If you are not the best strive to be among the best at least standout.

    Courage

    “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” ~ The Bible.

    The second quality of a leader is courage and it is the distinguishing characteristic of a true leader. You can often see it in a leader’s words and actions.

    A true leader speaks with courage and boldness. It is always easy to set a vision and standards for yourself. But it takes a lot of courage and humility to abide by your aspirations.

    We all have what we want to be or rather archive in life. At least I have formulated my life’s purpose and am moving towards achieving it.

    The distinguishing factor is having the courage to make certain unpleasant decisions that will help us in the long run.

    When you set certain standards for yourself trust me temptations will come your way, so do not compromise with your standards. When you are tempted show your courage by resisting them.

    Remember when I said that we are all born with these qualities? It is the level of growth that differentiates leaders from followers.

    I believe that all growth comes from the inside. And that, what we are, is a result of what has developed from the inside. Or better still what we are is a reflection of what we harbour.

    The foundation of character is the combination of courage and integrity. The first form of courage is your ability to stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in, and to refuse to budge unless you feel right about the alternative.

    Courage is also the ability to step out in faith, to launch out into the unknown, and then to face the inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompanies every new venture.

    I give the example of Alexander the Great, the King of Macedonia. He became King at the age of 19 and managed to conquer great nations with mightier armies than he had at the time.

    Simply because he refused to remain at home when his soldiers went to battle instead he was the first one to charge at the war front. He leads by example by letting his men know that he believed in the outcome of every war or battle they fought and that motivated the soldiers to do even more.

    Conclusion

    For now, I end here. In the next series, I will mention the remaining three qualities of leaders and motivators that is integrity; realism, and responsibility.

    “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

  • 5 Ways to Improve Your Confidence

    This is one of my long articles. Feel free to bookmark it and come back later to finish reading it.

    Self-confidence is something that people find difficult to have. There are people who have low self-confidence and it influences the way they see themselves and their performance.

    Contrary to what most people think, self-confidence is not something that only the gifted and blessed could have it is available to all.

    With the help of personal mastery, individuals could now start building on their self-confidence.

    “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face” Eleanor Roosevelt.

    Self-confidence is a requisite to personal development. Having an improved self-confidence can really improve your general work output.

    Personal mastery is about self-development and self-improvement. It is about loving yourself and accepting yourself as you are.

    You need to acknowledge your weaknesses and at the same time strengthen them. To improve your self-confidence it is important to know and accept your weaknesses.

    I believe that identifying your weaknesses is the first step to personal improvement. Many of the time we like to ignore our weaknesses and concentrate mainly on perfecting our strengths.

    I have written down my weaknesses and strengths and keep reviewing them time and again. I have found this very helpful and would recommend it to anyone.

    To attain personal mastery and confidence, it is important to believe in yourself. It is also important to be content with yourself.

    Self-belief and contentment leads to building a solid self-confidence. It is very difficult to achieve personal development without being content with yourself.

    To develop self-confidence, self-acceptance should occur.  Self-acceptance is about accepting not only the good things in life but also the failures in life.

    Failure is only failure if accepted. You must always treat failure as a learning curve.

    When you fail the first time re-organise yourself, analyse your failure and move on. Do not stop at failure.

    And now the suggested five ways to help you improve your self-confidence

    Understand Your Thoughts and Emotions

    Many of us find it very difficult to understand our thoughts and emotions, yet understanding these can unlock huge potential for improving self-confidence.

    Forgetting about a bad habit or behaviour would make us more aware of our thoughts and emotions.

    By becoming aware of our emotions and behaviour, then we will be able to overcome and correct our behaviour.

    Behavioural control and correction are some of the key important elements to improving self-confidence.

    I have noticed that a lack of confidence is mainly our negative behaviour and most of the time we are very aware of it.

    It is very rare that if you put on your positive behaviour you will experience low self-confidence.

    Understanding your emotions is very critical. Your emotions will usually dictate your mood.

    It is therefore important that we always try to replace our negative emotions with good ones.

    A few practical ways to know your emotions is to observe and write down the feelings and emotions you experience; observe and or write down the preceding events and duration of your emotions.

    I have noticed that with time my emotions are largely affected by my thoughts. Hence I always try to keep my thoughts positive.

    By knowing the root cause for your emotions you can learn to take control of them.

    Flee from sorrowful emotions and make the decision to improve your mood. You deserve to be happy.

    Self-discipline

    Self-discipline is perhaps the number one factor for self-growth. Without discipline very little can be achieved in life.

    I have not come across a successful person who is indisciplined. When we set our goals on achieving our intended purposes in life, discipline and focus is what keeps us from swaying away from them.

    We graduate with flying colours from school because we are disciplined to study and work hard.

    Changing attitude and behaviour, or even perspective might take a while.

    Change does not happen overnight. You need to gather enough knowledge and start learning and practicing the skills that you would like to improve and develop.

    To do this you need to be disciplined. This is an essential ingredient that is found wanting in many of us.

    Discipline comes through self-control. This means that one must control negative qualities.

    Have a Clear Vision

    To be able to move forward with your life, it is important to have clarity. Have your life’s purpose written down.

    Seeing what you want to have in a clearer image would encourage you to work for it. That is why it is important that you write down your intended purpose in life and read it every day.

    I would encourage you to read it every night. I read almost mine every night before going to sleep.

    Having a defined purpose in life acts as a guide and motivation for living.

    I know that most of us live by the day. If you do not have a defined purpose and vision for yourself, I encourage you to think about formulating one immediately.

    At first, your vision might not be as clear as you might want it to be, but just start working on it.

    You will begin to see a clearer picture of your destination as you take action to achieve your destiny.

    You will be amazed at how much self-confidence you can have just by writing down your intended purpose in life.

    You Have a Choice

    You can choose what you want to experience. Doing something important for you and something you love, would give you enough confidence to continue with what you have started.

    The beauty of being human is that God gave us a choice. You have the will to choose whatever you want to be.

    You can choose to be confident or not. We are made up of the choices we make in life.

    If you take a look at yourself you will realize that you are where you are because of the choices you have previously made.

    It is therefore wise to make choices that are self-building. I know that some choices are difficult to make but, remember that, choices are there to be made and they have to be made.

    You have a choice and the choice is yours. Bear in mind that the choices we make today have a direct effect on our tomorrow.

    We are continuously shaping our future by the choices we are making today.

    Commitment and Trusting

    To be able to attain personal mastery for development and growth, you need to trust that you can undergo the process and commit yourself to the process.

    When developing self-confidence through personal mastery, we would have to develop some characteristics.

    We would develop self awareness, which is about our readiness to look at our past, accept it and the same goes for the present.

    Aside from this, we also develop self-knowledge which is about understanding our past and our attitude.

    Not only should we understand them but also be able to comprehend the basis for such attitude or experience.

    Last, we develop self-discipline.  Self-discipline is about how we make sure that our goals and vision are translated into action and are achieved.

    We need self-discipline to make sure that we do not back out just because of simple and little disappointments and setbacks.

    Conclusion

    Building self-confidence can’t be done on just a snap. Self-improvement is a never-ending process.

    Self-improvement is a lifelong commitment. Sometimes, we can only say that we are fully masterful of our life if we have reached our dreams and goals.

    Improving our confidence can help with growth and eventually with success. We just need to continue with our dreams and be patient.

     

  • Believe in Yourself

    Everyone has that earnest aspiration to succeed. One’s ability to establish and accomplish goals will mold one’s happiness and success over and above any skill, one can ever realize.

    You cannot hit the target when you cannot see it. In order to succeed, you must set yourself goals and targets to be achieved.

    It is very important to set out a vision and an intended purpose for your life. Success is not a destination but a journey.

    The foundation and point of origin of success is when you decide exactly what you really and truly want, in all aspects of your life.

    This is the starting point of your success journey. The journey to success is indeed a difficult and bumpy one.

    You will need to believe in yourself and continue to build on that belief.

    One of the pillars that make me continue with my journey to success is self-belief. I strongly believe in myself and what I do.

    Yes, there are times when I feel it’s not going right, but that’s what makes it even more interesting and challenging.

    If every individual has that yearning for winning which we all have, and if success is accessible to everybody which it is, why then, only a few succeed?

    I guess this is a million-dollar question. This is because only a few have believed in their potential, and most of all, only a few started by defining and acknowledging a goal, and truly believe in their spirit and minds that they can achieve that goal.

    Belief is perhaps a driving force to success. You cannot succeed without belief.

    Take a look at the Barack Obama’s of this world. Who would have thought that an African American would one day rule one of the most powerful nation of the world?

    When you listen to or read Obama’s speeches, it’s clear that he possesses a deep confidence in himself. Similarly, Henry Ford was another individual known for his strong self-belief, and countless others share this trait.

    Just wishing for something is so much different from being able and prepared to accept it.

    Nobody is ever truly prepared to accept or embrace anything until they genuinely believe deep down in their heart and mind that they have the ability to obtain it and make it a reality in their life.

    One way to believe that you can obtain something is to conceive it in your mind. See your success and live a successful life in your mind.

    The belief to succeed begins with the transmuting of your mind. “You are what you think of most of the times.”

    The mind must first be in a state of believing and not just hoping or wishing for something.

    An open mind is important in believing and a closed mind never inspires courage, faith, or the power to believe.

    Almost everyone has gone through difficult life encounters and experiences.

    These experiences and encounters usually define one’s existence, becoming important educators on life’s course.

    However, the enemy, which is that negative force within often would recognize these difficult experiences as symbols of thyself that one is not “good enough” in order to succeed. Simply put, this is fear from within.

    Fear, according to psychologists is normal and a natural line of attack focused on life’s adjustments and changes.

    Fear is what prevents one from doing “crazy or stupid things”; but it may be carried to a great extent.

    When a person fears nothing, they may be seen as “mad” or “foolish.” However, fearing almost everything, especially the fear of taking risks, can make one appear a plain coward.

    The enemy inside of you will tell you that your fear is reasonable when it is transitory.

    As the mind dictates your fear, it also dictates your thoughts and your actions.

    When you believe in your mind that relationships are complicated and demand so much effort, you will indeed attract those individuals who will cause difficulty in the relationship or demand a lot of effort from you.

    More significantly, when you worry regarding something that you essentially believe in negative outcomes, then so the results of your actions will be.

    Of course, it does not occur every time that you think and believe negatively, because although there is worry and apprehension inside you, there is still, in that little corner of your heart, of your mind, that you hope for a positive result.

    So then, that power prevents disaster from happening. Yet worrying through and through, without a small spark of hope, then beware, disaster is sure to come!

    However, there is so much more to faith and believing than simply creating beliefs.

    Possessing “positive beliefs” in the mind is the initial step towards making a positive outlook, resulting in a successful life.

    Believing, taking note is something entirely different. For instance, you have “positive beliefs” with regard to money; at the same time, you believe that many ways are offered in order to acquire money.

    Yet if for any reason, you do not believe you will be able to make money, then you will not make that amount of money that you want.

    Here are three things to help you get through fear and help develop your self-belief:

    • Your belief should be superior, exceeding fear. It will entail a lot of effort, but as much as you can, try to closely observe and listen to the inside of you.  Look around and see what is functioning well in your personal or business life and what is not. Small or great, profess your successes.
    • Believe that you can reach great things and as early as now, begin counting your blessings. Remember the bible says “do not despise the days of your humble beginnings.” Success does not come at once. You work through your success. God does not bless abundantly if you cannot even manage the small things that are in your possession right now. To work through your success you need to learn how to manage the current situation positively.
    • Only believe in you, in the things that you can do, and not in the circumstances. You have to believe in only yourself because there will be times when you will be tempted to put your belief into something else such as a job, a friend, or a particular opportunity. Although this could be nice, note that people and circumstances are changeable. Your success should be created by only you, and you alone can decide whether to change it or not.
    • Keep in mind that success will take some time and if ever you do fail, take it as an opportunity to learn and reassess your beliefs and your goals.

    Conclusion

    The power of believing is very strong and affect our decisions, feelings, and actions.

    And although you have been depending on a specific set of suppositions regarding your life for so many years, those particular beliefs can be adjusted or changed. Start changing them now and live to reap the rewards.

  • Explore the Power in You

    Everything in your life begins and ends with you. The choices you make directly shape the quality of the life you live.

    Whatever you choose to be is entirely up to you. If you want to make a difference in life “be the change you want to see in the world”.

    Our difficulties in are largely due to confused ideas and ignorance of our true interest. To avoid or navigate these difficulties you need to know that there is a world within us.

    A world of life and thought; of power and beauty although invisible its forces are mighty, and this world is under our control.

    This world am talking about is governed by the mind. The mind is the factory of all thought. Nothing exists on this earth without being imagined in someone’s mind. You are what you think.

    Whatever, success one wants to achieve starts with him taking the first step in the right direction. This step is thinking and doing the right things.

    You cannot achieve success if you believe you will fail. It is impossible to build riches when your thoughts are those of poverty.

    When you make the decision to become rich stand by your decision, see yourself and feel yourself being rich. Act rich even.

    Control What You Think

    The world we leave in is a direct reflection of what we think about most of the time. You are poor because poverty is predominant in your mind; you are rich or successful because that is what you think of most of the time.

    In order that we change our living environment we must change the way we think. Every thought is a cause and every condition an effect, for this reason it is very important that you control your thoughts so as to bring forward desirable conditions.

    To remove discord, we must remove the cause and this cause is found within us.

    Most of the things we think about are as a result of what we feed our minds on. The main source of which are; what we read, watch and our daily life experiences.

    If you feed your mind with negative things you obviously will think negatively and vice versa. However, you have the power to change and control what you think.

    The mind will obey what you want it to think. It is under your control. Remember that, what you think largely influences what you do in life.

    Since reading plays a greater part to our thinking, you must feed your mind with the right material. Always refuse to think negatively about your situation.

    In every difficult situation, there is always a silver lining. Focus on the positives and build on them.

    Improve Your Mind

    “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. – The Bible.

    In order to express life there must be mind; nothing can exist without mind.

    Nature compels us all to move through life. We could not remain stationary however much we wished.

    Every right-thinking person wants not merely to move through life like a gong, but to develop – to improve – and to continue the development mentally to the close of physical life.

    How can you improve your thoughts without improving your mind? How can you improve your physical life with improving your mind?

    Your thoughts are a direct result of what you feed your mind. Your outward results are also direct results of your thoughts.

    Nourish your mind with positive things and positive thoughts will manifest out of it.

    In order to achieve greater physical success you need greater mental success. You can achieve greater mental success by continuously improving your mind.

    Keep acquiring as much knowledge as you possibly can. If you are not in the habit of reading please develop one. At least 30 minutes a day of reading a good book will get you started.

    You Have the Power

    All growth comes from within. This is evident in all nature. Every plant, every animal, every human is a living testimony to this law, yet, we error by looking for power or strength from outside of us.

    We have the capacity to grow physically and mentally without outside interference. When we focus our energies and efforts on success we can surely achieve it.

    Thought is energy. Active thought is active energy; concentrated thought is a concentrated energy. Thought concentrated on a definite purpose becomes power.

    This is the power which is being used by those who do not believe in the virtue of poverty, or the beauty of self-denial.

    The failures of our lives are largely due to the fact that we cannot recognize and appreciate the power in us.

    We cannot express powers that we do not possess. The only way by which we may secure possession of power is to become conscious of power, and we can never become conscious of power until we learn that all power is from within.

    Conclusion

    The need for us to recognize the power built in our minds cannot over emphasized. Many people who have succeeded have realized and harnessed this power.

    You will not achieve your destiny until you fully understand and harmonize it within yourself. Remember, personal development and growth require effort and do not happen overnight. Stay persistent and patient for your progress to truly take shape.

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