insakanet

Self Growth

  • How Having More Knowledge is Key to Success

    “Success is about living the life of your dreams whatever that might mean for you. It’s about being perfectly content and honestly saying to yourself that you would change very little about your current existence.”

    I believe that the definition for “success” is as unique as an individual’s fingerprints. If you think that being successful is only about having a hefty bank balance then you are wrong.

    You could have a lot of money and still live a very miserable life. Take for example Mother Theresa of India, who knows how much money she had? 

    Yet she was admired and adored by presidents and kings around the world. Would you say she was not a success? Today her name still lives on long after she is dead.

    As a matter of fact, money should be used as a medium to help us continue with our purpose in life. They say money is good but the love for money is the root of all evil.

    Be careful what you want in life, is it to promote your God-given talents and gifts in order that you do not deprive the world of them, or is it riches you want to accumulate?

    I want to promote both my talents and acquire wealth. Let me mention here that I am not saying that you should stay poor no, nor am I stopping you from accumulating wealth no-no-no. 

    I am just emphasising the point that success does not necessarily mean having a hefty bank balance.

    I have read many books on success and have discovered that one of the most important ingredients to success is knowledge. 

    More Knowledge Means Improved Skills

    In order to have more, you must become more. “Your success is but a reflection of the value you bring to others and your value is a direct reflection of your skillset.”

    The more valuable your skillset, the better your chances for higher achievement. Every one of us wants more from life yet only a small percentage of us are willing to pay the actual price for it.

    If you are not willing to put in the effort required for success, then you do not deserve to be called successful and will remain exactly where you are.

    Success does not come easy. It is not a destination but a journey. If you want to make more, then you must start giving out more. The more you give the more you receive.

    The first part of the success formula is to make yourself more valuable by improving your knowledge and skills set. The world is willing to pay higher prices for better skills.

    How do you add value to your skillset, of course by acquiring more knowledge through obtaining an education. Now, education does not necessarily have to be formal. 

    If you want to succeed at whatever you want to do or are doing in life, you cannot escape the process of acquiring more knowledge, and one of the best ways of doing it is by reading relevant materials.

    Today, there is an abundance of reading materials available on nearly every topic imaginable. With easy access to books through various platforms, including the internet, there is no excuse for failure.

    Equally, important to the concept of improving your value is the avoidance of stagnation. Once you’ve taken the initiative to enhance your value then keep the fire burning by continuously working to improve yourself.

    There is always an opportunity to expand your knowledge. The more knowledge you acquire the more valuable you become and the better the service you provide.

    Remember that humanity is all about service regardless of what you are doing. I know for certain that there is more pleasure derived when you are of service. 

    Apply the Acquired Knowledge and Skills

    Acquiring knowledge is the first part of the success formula, applying that knowledge is the second and sometimes the most difficult part.

    Knowledge acquired and not put to practice or implemented is a waste of time and energy.

    Imagine, you decide to study brokerage as a part-time career. You attend seminars and read books about it. 

    Then after a while, your free time seems to have been overtaken by having to work late at your office so much that you cannot do anything after your work.

    In the end, your aspiration to become a broker has died and life has gotten in your way. Look at how much time and energy has been wasted.

    Am sure this story is familiar to many of us. The bare truth is that you wasted time in the first place and sadly the acquired knowledge will also go to waste as long as you do not make time to put it to use.

    Sometimes it could not be that life has gotten in your way but the fear of failure has crept in. Fear is also one of the most common detractors of success.

    Let me encourage you that whatever, obstacles you may encounter when implementing or putting your acquired knowledge to use, should be treated as a challenge.

    Life has so many challenges and it demands that you overcome them in order to succeed. Imagine a life without challenges, wouldn’t that be boring?

    When you triumph and succeed you will look back and say well I have come a long way.

    Remember that in order to have more you must become more. The more obstacles you overcome the more you become.

    Applying your acquired knowledge will propel you towards achieving greater heights of success be it in your career, business, or indeed your relationships.

    Conclusion

    There is no universal formula for success. This article serves as a guide based on what has worked for me, and I believe it can also support you on your own path to success.

    Personal development is not an easy task. It demands discipline, consistency and integrity in your life. You will always be compensated according to the value you are able to deliver to other people and nothing more.

    Every new level of income you wish to attain demands a new you. You alone hold the key to either thrive, survive or fail and you alone will determine the path to your own success based on how valuable a resource you are.

    I believe that life is about creating and value addition.

  • Get Fired Up

    “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled” – Plutarch.

    Do you know that you are the only one of your kind in this world? You are uniquely designed and wonderfully made.

    Your blueprint is truly one of a kind in this world and that if were to pass on, the world would lose a uniquely formed being with distinctive qualities and talents that will never be shared by anyone else.

    You have engraved in you, all the attributes to succeed in whatever you want to do. You were created to fulfil your life’s true purpose with success.

    You have the potential to succeed. Deep inside you lies the ability and potential to succeed and its all waiting to be explored. Quit giving excuses and start unleashing your potential.

    Knowing your potential is the key to achieving your intended goals in life.

    The word potential simply means “the ability to”. You have the ability to grow, succeed, and become anything you dedicate your mind and effort to.

    If you can think it then you can achieve or be it. You just have to be positive with anything you set out to do.

    Change Your Mind-Set

    Success starts with the right mindset. Those who succeed never give up. Consider an athlete: what is the first thing that comes to his mind when he is stepping into a sporting competition?

    He is determined to win, otherwise, he would not have entered into the sporting competition. It is this kind of mentality that you need to have in life.

    Just like in a sporting competition, achieving our intended purpose in life is always challenging.

    For you to achieve any meaningful and tangible results you will need a mind of a sportsman who is continuously keeping fit i.e. spending time training and improving on his strategies.

    In your case, you will need to acquire the things needed for you to reach your goals in life. You need to be persistent and diligent with what you are doing. There is no substitute for hard work.

    To transform a negative mindset, start by recognizing your negative attitudes, then consider practical ways to address and overcome them.

    After finding the solution to your negative attitudes practice the solutions for the next 21 days and see if nothing changes.

    You will notice negative attitudes gradually fade and are replaced by new, positive ones. Remember, as long as your mind is filled with negative thoughts, it will be difficult to embrace positivity.

    Remember to always encourage yourself even in bad times. “Success is not measured by what you have but by the many obstacles you have overcome.” A positive mindset is a great recipe for success.

    Be Patient

    “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it open” – Arnold Glasgow.

    If there is one thing I have learned in life more than anything else, it is patience. Yes, I know that sometimes it runs thin. For those of you who are married, am sure you can relate.

    I will give an example of education, we are never educated in a flash of time. In our education system, it takes us twelve years to complete primary and secondary or high school education.

    Say another minimum of two years for vocational education, added together this is a minimum of fourteen years.

    Fourteen year is not a short period of time by any means. Remember also that personal education does not end. They say patience is a virtue.

    Thomas Edison failed many times before finally discovering the light bulb. I believe that he was patient with himself and learned from his failures.

    Happiness Is A Decision

    Make a decision to be happy. Do you realize that happiness is a decision? We choose to be happy or not.

    Focus on the positive things and enjoy them while they last. Even in hard times, it is very possible to be happy.

    A happy mind is healthy for the well-being of an individual. Remember, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift that is why we call it “present.” After all, who doesn’t love receiving presents?

    “Cease to ask what the morrow will bring forth and set down and gain each that fortune grants” – Unknown.

    Finally

    A few tips to help you stay fired up.

    • Start the day with a prayer – always give thanks to your creator for where there is life there is hope no matter what.
    • Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are built to succeed.
    • If you are married tell your spouse how much they mean to you.
    • Tell yourself that today is a gift.
    • Face your challenges with a positive attitude.
    • Treat your day’s shortcomings as challenges.
    • Review your day before sleeping. Note what you did not achieve for that day let them be the starting point for tomorrow.
    • End your day with prayer

    There are many more tips that can be given but there is no prescription to success it is all in you and entirely up to you to unlock it.

  • Take Stock of Your Achievements

    The year is gradually slipping away. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on any achievements from the past months and assess our progress.

    I believe this is one of the most effective ways to make wise assessments of ourselves. What progress have you made so far toward your current period’s goals?

    Some time ago, I believed making resolutions was a complete waste of time. Believe me, I was absolutely wrong and now truly regret that mindset.

    Now for the past few years, I have made it a point to always make resolutions at the beginning of every year. This has become a cardinal part of my life.

    To achieve your intended purpose in life, you must train yourself accordingly. Resolutions are essentially intentions integrated into plans, and planning is a crucial element in fulfilling your life’s goals.

    I encourage you to make reasonable and attainable resolutions for yourself. Challenge yourself a bit but don’t make impossible goals.

    Make goals that are achievable and measurable. This will give control and help monitor your progress.

    Monitoring Your Progress

    First things first you will need to have a clearly defined and definite purpose for your life written down. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

    There is something truly powerful about putting our life’s purpose and goals into writing.

    The yardstick to achieving your desired purpose in life is to give yourself yearly targets (resolutions) broken down into quarterly, monthly, or and weekly targets.

    This will help you review them regularly. I believe that planning is essential to achieving your goals, and plans can be reviewed, adjusted, and refined as needed. Don’t hesitate to modify one or two of your benchmarks.

    Taking Stock

    That is exactly how we are. To evaluate your achievements, you need to set targets that are both attainable and measurable.

    Review your targets for specific details. For example, if your goal for the year was to read 36 books, have you reached this milestone? If not, how far are you from achieving it? What obstacles are preventing you from staying on track?

    Record your results by writing down your answers to each goal you set. Be honest with yourself and assign a score from 1 to 10, where 1 indicates poor performance and 10 represents excellent achievement.

    Evaluate your results honestly, providing constructive feedback on each answer. Be sure to highlight both strengths and areas for improvement. Remember, it’s important to acknowledge all your abilities, including those that may need further development.

    Make an analysis of your results especially how you can improve on the below-average scores. If need be, change your approach in the coming year or period.
    Remember to always write down what you intend to improve on.

    Give your previous year’s resolutions to someone who knows you better for an independent assessment. This must be someone you trust and know that they will be very honest and open with you.

    I strongly recommend approaching their opinion with caution. Ultimately, you are the best judge of yourself.

    Also, pay attention to the areas where you scored highly. I believe there is always room for growth. Use these strengths to build a solid foundation as you work toward fulfilling your true purpose in life.

    Give yourself a pat on the back for the achievements good or bad. At least you have started moving somewhere and please never give up.

    The start is always the biggest hurdle. Keep pushing yourself and the results will eventually come.

    Next Period’s Resolutions

    Why set resolutions for the upcoming period? For me, they serve as a guide to plan and take meaningful steps toward fulfilling my life’s defined purpose.

    The resolutions will act as a meter or gauge I can use towards the attainment of my life’s intended purpose. They act like directional compass for my life.

    After analysing and summing up last year’s achievements set out and plan for the year or the coming period. Write down specific targets with a specified time frame.

    Remember to incorporate last year’s failed targets into the current ones. This will help to make you work even harder as you will now be carrying a backlog.

    Assess your skills and challenge your strongest abilities even further to strengthen and build upon them. Don’t develop a comfortable mentality. Always look for ways to improve on them.

    Be very realistic to give yourself attainable targets as this will keep you confident and motivated every time you achieve them. Break down your yearly targets say to quarterly, monthly etc, and ensure that you set periodical reviews.

    If you feel you need to adjust please do not hesitate to do so keep in mind that you are not competing with anyone. You are only pushing yourself to achieve your intended defined purpose in life.

    After putting down your plans for the year, set out and commit them to God’s hands for direction. God will surely come through for you if you call on him. He is a faithful God.

    Conclusion

    In your endeavors of fulfilling your purpose always put your creator first, he has the blueprint of your existence.

    Persistence and patience must be your driving forces in achieving your life’s purpose. Most importantly, HAVE FAITH IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Good luck. Always remember to “stand out and be counted” in everything you do.

  • Do You Have What It Takes to Succeed in Life?

    Many people are poor because they have accepted poverty. They have failed because they have accepted failure and it is labelled all around them.

    Failure and poverty are a state of the mind. If I asked you whether you want to succeed or not most likely the answer would be yes yet, you are doing nothing to change your current situation.

    It is this kind of negative mentality that leaves most people stagnant and wallowing in poverty and failure.

    I like to define success not by the things or possessions you have but, by the many obstacles you have overcome.

    The more hurdles or obstacles you overcome the stronger and more successful you are.

    Most successful people possess greater strength than the average or below-average individuals. By strength, I mean not just physical power but, more importantly, mental resilience and fortitude.

    I have never encountered a successful person with a weak mental attitude.

    Most people engage in extensive reading and continually gather knowledge. They say knowledge is power—pursue it with determination.

    I have come to truly appreciate the knowledge and insight I gain through reading.

    I have gained awareness of many things and can now make wise judgments and better decisions.

    My goal this year is to read at least 24 books, averaging 2 books per month.

    This is in addition to my regular reading of business magazines, newsletters, and other materials that interest me.

    Drawing from my life experiences and insights gained from books by successful individuals, I have compiled a shortlist of key traits to help you evaluate whether you have what it takes to achieve success.

    Do You Love What You Do?

    This is arguably the most important factor of all. When you truly love and enjoy what you do, everything becomes much easier.

    Most of the time, I don’t perform at my best when something is forced upon me.

    If you are working and your primary objective is to just earn a salary, chances are that you do not enjoy your work and are just in it for the money.

    You are unhappy. I understand that we all need money to live, but it should never be the sole driving force behind our actions.

    Keep in mind that having a lot of money does not necessarily equate to true success.

    When you love what you do, you do it with passion. That passion shines through in the final result.

    Take for example two artists one paints just to earn a living and the other paints with passion.

    When the two painters’ works go on sale, the difference in quality will be strikingly clear.

    An artist who paints with passion is more likely to sell their work at a higher value than others. This is because they pay greater attention to detail and quality.

    Do You Believe In Your Self?

    This is a crucial element in self-motivation. How can you truly achieve success if you don’t believe in your own ability to succeed?

    I strongly encourage you to first meditate and condition your mind to believe that you can succeed at achieving your set goals.

    The more you believe in yourself the more self-confidence you develop, and the more confidence you have, the more positive results you get.

    When you have belief and confidence on your side, you can overcome any obstacle that comes your way.

    Remember, the journey to success is challenging and requires dedication. There are no shortcuts—everything begins with your mindset. Transform your thinking, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving success.

    Master Your plan

    What is your plan? You cannot succeed without a plan. This is cardinal. You must formulate a plan and a purpose to achieve it.

    You plan and life’s purpose must be written down. There is power in putting things down. Be the master of your plan.

    Seek divine guidance over your purpose and plan. This may require you to meditate and make adjustments as you go along, but ensure that your plan is at the back of your mind, always.

    Do Not Wait to Have a Clear Plan

    Start immediately you have a verge plan. Do not wait until you have a clear one.

    The more you walk and work through your plan the more clearer and visible the end product becomes.

    If you wait for a clear-cut plan you will probably wait forever. The plan will become even more visible and tangible as you remain focused.

    Along the way, you will have to make adjustments and amend the course of your plan.

    Do not make changes that completely alter your intended purpose unless you are sure of it.

    Your Mind is Your Limit

    What you think of is your limit to achieving your goals. Read my article on “The Power of Thought“ for more insight on what your thinking can do.

    Do not limit your mind but control what you think. Your mind is one of your greatest assets.

    If you do not like books or rather reading which is unlikely if you have come this far, then success will elude you.

    Start acquiring knowledge and understanding, read and read and read and read.

    Knowledge is one of the few assets no one can ever take away from you, not even in death. Acquire vital knowledge and understanding, they are keys to your success.

    Develop the Ability to Handle People

    If your intended goal includes handling other people, you must learn and develop the ability to handle them properly.

    Human beings can be very difficult to deal with. Master the art of dealing with people.

    Also bear in mind that you cannot impress everyone and not everyone will like what you are doing.

    Always ensure that you stay on the right side of the law by doing the right things.

    Act Successful

    Dorothea Brande says “Act as if it were impossible to fail” very true.

    Accepting failure is an act, and accepting success is also an act. Why not act successful, after all, it makes you feel good and look bright.

    I have said to myself that even when I fail at the first attempt I will act successfully.

    Like I always say, those who failed are those who have tried and those who have succeeded have failed before.

    The most difficult part in life is to get started. Once you get started, things start falling into place, doors begin to open.

    I will always try to succeed in whatever I am doing. It is better to die trying than die without trying.

    Conclusion

    This has been a long article I hope that you found it useful. You can bookmark it and come back or read it offline.

    You should always have a positive mind and attitude in your quest for personal success.

  • How To Start Living With Hope Every Day

    “He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” Have you ever felt that you are on the brink of success?

    That you can smell success in the air? That you can actually see success coming your way? That you can’t help but succeed in whatever you are doing?

    If you answered yes to any of these questions then you have hope. Keep the hope alive success is actually coming your way.

    We all hope for something. We go to school with the hope of having a better and brighter future.

    No one on this earth can say that they have never hoped for anything in their life.

    I believe that for as long as you have the breath of life there is hope for you regardless of your current situation.

    We live our lives hoping for good things to happen every day. When we sleep we hope to wake up the next day at least I do.

    We work with the hope of getting paid. It is hope that drives our lives.


    What is Hope?

    “Imagine every day to be the last of a life surrounded with hopes, cares, anger and fear. The hours that come unexpectedly will be much the more grateful” ~ Horace.

    Let’s start by defining what hope is, “a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.”

    Hope is perhaps the most important source of motivation. Hope is the principal emotion towards the future.

    Resilience is just but a benefit of hope. Hope is precise, the most central emotion related to the future.

    We must, therefore, strive to acquire and keep it alive, if we are to achieve our intended goals.

    With hope on your side, you can overcome mountains. You have come, this far in life because of the hope that is in you.

    You have succeeded because you have kept the spirit of hope alive. Never lose hope or you will die.

    It is hope that keeps me writing knowing that someone out there is being helped by my articles and I hope that am doing a good job.

    Enhance Hope

    Every one of us should know how to maintain and increase hope in ourselves.

    I have devised a shortlist of the activities that help me enhance hope in my life.

    If it works for me it could work for you, make the list a daily part of your habits. Remember that habits become character and character becomes your destiny.

    • Hopeful thinking – make efforts to see good and better results when thinking about the future. What you expect from the start determines the future outcome. Broaden your thoughts about the future. Your thoughts are closely linked with your hopes. Remember always that you attract what you think. If you have negative hopes you will definitely reap negative rewards.
    • Have positive thoughts – the more positive thoughts you harbour in your mind the more hope you generate. Look for specific and modifiable reasons to regain control over past failures and place hope in the future. Reject negative thoughts. Anxiety does not help, it takes away valuable energy from your batteries. Instead of being anxious send encouraging messages to yourself e.g. Henry you will definitely achieve your goals, this is just a temporary setback. Try again at the next available chance.
    • Reflect on the past with serenity – focus on the pleasant things and appreciate them with gratitude. Doing this makes you look at the future in a more positive way. It is therefore very important that you learn from your past failures. I know that we all have failed at some point in life and believe me you will encounter failure in the very near future. Reflect and learn from it.
    • In moments of despair break the cycle by – watching nature, entertaining yourself with something different, listen to music, talk to some old pals or just do anything that distracts you from your current thought patterns. We all go through challenges and it is just important that you clear your mind from them. gain composure and focus on resolving them positively.
    • Be optimistic – hope and optimism are closely related, they always have been. Always have two ways of interpreting the same fact. Everything has a positive and negative side. Examine both but enjoy the positive side of results. There are many encounters in life that can be life-changing both positively and negatively. What you choose or follow is what will determine and shape your future.
    • Reading and meditating on maxims of wisdom – is a proven method of elevating one’s motivation. Find peace and strength to nourish your hope. One very good book to read is the Holy Bible. You can never go wrong reading the bible. It is full of hope and helps to nourish your mind.
    • Find a good social circle – hope does not only increase through your own influence but also through other people’s influence. Look for people who enjoy hope and be friends with them. Offer your help and see how well you will be received and appreciated. This will make you gain a vision of hope. Vision is an important part of personal development. Without vision and knowledge, it is difficult to achieve personal development.
    • Encourage and give hope to others – personal growth also includes transmuting and approaching others with a positive influence. Speak hope to someone going through trials, encourage them, and make them believe that it is just a passing phase and that everything is going to be fine. I personally feel that it is our responsibility to offer hope and help to people who need it. In this vein, it is also very important that you ask for help when that time comes.
    • Care for your physical well-being – take good care of yourself so that your thinking habits maybe hopeful. A simple and varied diet, rest exercise, and activity, plenty of water, the absence of toxic substances, and trusting in God can be of great help to enhancing your hope. When you are in good health you will spend less time worrying and spend more time hoping for good things. Let me encourage you if you are experiencing bad health to focus on getting healed and one best way to do it is to hope for the best. Focus your mind on being healed and hope for the best results.

    Hope is a quality closely related to religious faith. Most of the religions are founded on hope or consider it as an important part of religion.

    Hope links past, present, and future. Hope offers an eventual and definite end.

    Keeping thoughts of courage, power, confidence, and hope all produce a positive state of mind. Hope;

    • offers salvation
    • is essential to survival
    • takes more than a human effort to attain it
    • brings about joy
    • focuses on a perfect and eternal reward.

    Conclusion

    Hope is a quality that should be nurtured and kept alive in our hearts. Without it we cannot achieve our goals and personal development is but a mere philosophy.

    Thoughts and hope are very closely linked and I encourage you to read my article “The power of thought” to help open up your mind.

     

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