insakanet

Self Improvement

  • 2 Reasons Why You Are Responsible For Your Life

    “I am the captain of my soul. I am the master of my fate” – William Henley. If you didn’t know, now you know that you are solely responsible for your life. The choices and decisions you make are your responsibility.

    Stop blaming other people for your under achievements and take responsibility to correct them. Humans have a tendency of playing the blame game. We want to have an excuse for our failures and inadequacies.

    Most of the time we want to find someone or something to blame when things are not going right.

    But do you realise that most of the time, if not all time we are responsible for the outcome of our decisions?

    If you make poor or bad choices do you expect to have good or better results? Why then do you want to blame other people for your choices?

    This lack of being in control of our lives has cost many of us opportunities for growth.

    Look if I had been in total control of my life from a young age I know for sure that I could have achieved many things. Am pretty sure you can relate to this as well.

    However, the fact that I have not progressed as desired does not preclude me from being accountable for my life. It is my responsibility to ensure that I achieve and attain my God given destiny.

    I know for sure that we all want to live a good and pleasant. But, every good thing comes with a price.

    For you to live a good life you must first take responsibility and be prepared to pay the price and usually it is a very high one.

    Sometimes the small things we do may seem to be insignificant. Well you are wrong, success is doing the small things that need to be done and when added up they become significant.

    Being responsible makes you feel at peace with yourself. As human beings we do not like being associated with negative results. But remember that it is the movement from negative to positive that determines the level of your success.

    Personal development and self-improvement starts from being responsible for your life. When you are in control of your life it is much easier to chart the course for your life.

    Yes, things will not always go accordingly, but you will learn to handle disappointments more maturely and improve on your weaknesses.

    The Need to Be Accountable

    “Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to; all they need is one reason why they can” – Willis Whitney.

    “A desire to be in charge of our own lives, and a need for control is born in each of  us. It is essential to our mental health, and our success, that we take control” – Robert F. Bennett.

    When I was growing up I had no sense of accountability. For me life was just about enjoying myself and nothing else. But slowly as I approached my teens and advanced in my education things started to change.

    The demand from my Dad to perform better and keep up with school work, made me realise that I needed to be accountable for my life. At least then, it was out of fear of being reprimanded by my Dad.

    I thank God and give a lot of credit to my late Dad for the role he played in making me realise that I needed to be accountable for my life not only to myself but to him as well. This was a game-changer for my life.

    Being able to be accountable made me realise that I also needed to be in charge of my life. Because you will not be able to give a positive account if you do not know what you are doing. I think being accountable makes you responsible.

    Fast forward, am no longer accountable to my Dad but I have a wife and children that look up to me. Apart from God and society at large these are the people that am directly accountable to.

    You see because I now have my own family and they depend on me, I have learned that my life is not just about me. It is also about them. I need to strike a balance between my needs and also meet their needs.

    So far they have been very supportive of my work and I really thank them. But I do not take it for granted.

    Being accountable to someone makes you grow as an individual. It also helps you measure the level of your growth. If you do not have someone you are answerable to, it takes a lot of discipline to stay focused.

    I encourage you to find someone you can be answerable to. I know that the temptation especially for us men to wanting freedom is greater, but if you want to have better control of your life you need to have someone who can help you be in check.

    One Day You Will Be Answerable

    “Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God” – Leo Buscaglia.

    I believe in God and the resurrection and that we were all created by him. I also believe that there is a heaven and hell somewhere.

    The one who gives us life on a daily basis will one day demand an explanation of how we lived our lives on earth.

    We will be answerable to him, that is why we must try as much as possible to live according to his word.

    I have developed a never give up mentality because for every day that I wake up, I believe that God still has use for me.

    Oh yes, I know that some things have eluded me, but I also believe that there are much better opportunities to come for me.

    Always look to the brighter side of life. Stop complaining about going through the darkest side of life. If not you, then who?

    Get on and do the right thing bearing in mind that one day you will be answerable to your creator.

    Conclusion

    Life is too short. Focus from this day forward on making a difference. It is your responsibility to ensure that you attain your God-given destiny.

    With each choice you make, you create your life. Choose wisely and above all be responsible for your life.

  • Celebrating Your Small Achievements Can Increase Productivity

    Everything starts small. Rome was not built in one day. You do not start climbing a tree from the top. A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. You cannot start running before you learn how to walk.

    The bible says do not despise the days of your humble beginnings. Instead of shunning them, learn to celebrate your small achievements. It is from the small achievements that personal development is achieved.

    If you want to achieve real growth you must start with the little that you possess. You should never cut corners on your quest for success. Life has a way of making you pay heavily for your misdeeds. It is much easier to measure growth when you start with little.

    Surely we all have something we can start with. At this age, we all possess something valuable that no one has. I know that most of the time we want to start from a comfortable point. But, if you are comfortable the chances to pursue personal development and self-improvement are very minimal.

    We are mostly driven by what we lack and not what we have. What you have achieved and accomplished should be a stepping stone for higher accomplishments.

    They say lack creates innovation. This is true because at the point when you are in a state of hardship you will come up with a solution.

    You are the Captain of Your Life

    How far you go in life is determined by how far you are willing to go. If you want to achieve greatness you can achieve it if you are willing to put in the effort and endurance.

    However, most of us do not realise that we have the ability to achieve many things and that all depends on how willing we are to push ourselves. Personal growth is not an easy task; it takes a lot of time and discipline to achieve and it is a lifelong journey.

    There will never be a time when you will say that now I have arrived. We are continually learning and growing as human beings.

    If you want to grow, be prepared to travel the narrow road. I call it narrow because you will need to sacrifice many pleasures and defer gratification. You may lose some relationships. But if that is necessary for you, well just do it anyway.

    At the end of the day, it is your life and you are responsible for it. No one should tell you what to do with it. Take one step at a time. Savour and enjoy every step and every moment. Even when things are not going your way, enjoy the moments. They come but once in a lifetime.

    Start Small and Grow

    Starting small is key. You start with what you have and where you are. Do not wait for conditions to be perfect, just start. There will never be a time when conditions are perfect. Now is the right time for you to start.

    Starting small gives you the opportunity to learn on the job and grow as an individual. Starting small prepares you for greater things to come. If you can succeed with small things then you are more likely to do better with even more.

    The Lord will bless you according to your capabilities and capacity. He is such a good father that he will never give you something that you cannot handle.

    As you start small and grow, you slowly begin to release your potential as you learn the ropes. This also allows you to not be overwhelmed with what you can handle effectively.

    If it’s a business you venture into, you will soon realise that the business will outgrow your individual capability and you will soon need more hands to help you.

    Life is like running a business. Dr. Myles Monroe said life is a business just like marriage is also a business.

    The small things you do every day add up to your greater achievements. You are a sum total of the small little things you do every day.

    Embrace Change

    Positive change is positive growth. Remember not all change is positive. When you decide to make the change, then you are on your way to growth. You begin to experience growth almost immediately.

    However, you will not achieve your full potential in an instant. It takes time to have meaningful and reasonable growth. They say all good things come with time. There is nothing worthwhile that comes without sweat. If it is good it is worth waiting for.

    If you want to achieve more with your life, learn to embrace positive change. Be the carrier of the change you want to be. Let’s be honest, if you really want to move forward with your life, you just need to change the way you live your life.

    You cannot expect different results by doing the same things. Sometimes all it takes is just a little effort to make the change that will have an everlasting impression on your life.

    Like I have said before, we live in an ever-changing world. If you do not change your ways, life will leave you behind. You will be extinct.

    Surely you do not want to be extinct while you are alive, do you? After all, we all want to be remembered fondly even in our death.

    But this can only be achieved if we make the decision to make positive change that will affect not only us but contribute to the world at large. I believe that we can all contribute positively in our own small way.

    Exercise Patience

    As you celebrate your small achievements you need to have a heart of patience. They say speed kills.

    Do not put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Yes, it is good to be focused but do not pressure yourself. You are not in a competition neither are you racing with anyone.

    Concentrate on living your life and not someone else’s life. Be in complete control of your life and you will be happy. Having control of your life is a great source of happiness.

    All good things come to those who wait patiently. Patience is a virtue. Do not cut corners so as to arrive quickly. You may end up crashing before your destination.

    I believe that being patient is not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of strength as being impatient can lead to wrong decisions.

    Conclusion

    Starting small is a sign of humbleness. If you read the history of successful people most of them started with nothing. They started with zero and went on to be very successful.

  • The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn

    “Believe in a hope that a new hope is dawning, believe that your dreams will come true, believe in the promise of brighter tomorrows, begin by believing in you.”

    The darkest hour is just before dawn. Have you ever noticed that when you are about to break through there is usually a dark period that you experience?

    Perhaps the roughest patch is actually just before you hit the gold; just before you break through. This is also the period at which many of us, give up.

    Before the light of dawn, darkness may linger. Though we may face challenges and sorrow during the night, remember that joy and new beginnings await us in the morning. Embrace hope and keep moving forward, for brighter days are just ahead.

    If you are going through a very difficult patch in your life this I believe is a sign that good things are yet to come. This though does not mean that you stop working hard but instead it is time for you to doubled your efforts.

    I have come to realise that every time I start working on a new project, there is a period when things seem not to be making sense or going my way.

    There is always a time when I feel that everything I try is not just working out. I feel a negative force pulling me the other way.

    When I started developing this website I gave up for some time because things seemed not to be working out for me.

    This is when I did not even know how to promote my blog site and was receiving very little to no traffic. Perhaps that was the darkest time for this site.

    When you are in your darkest period and continuously work hard and smart, the dawn will surely come.

    Do not give up in this period of darkness, it is when you should work even harder to learn from your mistakes and ensure that when it is dawn you can reap the rewards and continue to enjoy them for a long time.

    Every Good Thing is Worth the Effort

    Every good thing is worth your best effort and time investment. If you are to build something of value you will definitely have to invest a lot of your time and energy.

    I have set myself targets for this site and this is always on my mind to ensure that my readers get what I feel is the best of me. My aim for this site is to give out enough and well written articles.

    I am always looking to write content on a regular basis as this is the only way to add value to this site. Currently, there are close to a hundred articles all written by me and of fairly good value.

    I must say that the traffic is currently improving and will surely reach the intended targets within a short period of time.

    In a few month’s time this site will be of great value to my readers and contribute to personal development and self-growth topics.

    One of the targets I have set for the next 12 months is to read a minimum of 12 personal development and self-growth books, this is in addition to my regular reading. This translates to a minimum of 1 book per month. Surely this is achievable.

    The journey of success is not an easy one but is very enjoyable. I can say am still in the darkest of hours it is not yet dawn for me and my intended life’s purpose. The good thing is I have started off, am no longer in my comfort zone.

    Just Get Started and Stay on it

    If you have been thinking or have a written down life’s purpose just get started with it. Even if it is not yet very clear, just get started.

    Sometimes we over plan to the extent that our plans begin to scare us and eventually are overtaken by events and we end up not even getting started.

    There are some plans that I have shelved because they have been overtaken by events. Yes, it’s good to plan but please do not over plan.

    You may adjust your plans as you go along and have a much clearer picture of what you want to achieve. Yes, it is very important to have a plan but also remember that time waits for nobody.

    With time, patience, and perseverance you will accomplish all things. You should learn to strike a balance between your planning phase and your implementation process they are both important.

    “In the marathon of life, success calls for dedication to the goal, perseverance, compassion for my fellow man, and faith in God” – John A. Kelley.

    In the field of personal development and self-improvement, it is very important that you get started with your plans and adjust them as you go along.

    You will agree with me that the same, is equally true with business plans. Normally the reality tends to be very different from the plan.

    Only when you get started will you realise that some of the things you had planned for, might need to be adjusted to reality.

    I personally see nothing wrong with adjusting your plans to conform with what is obtaining on the ground. However, don’t change your final destination.

    We are mostly discouraged when our plans are not matching with reality. This is when you realise that you have reached the darkest of hours. At this point in your life, you need to steady your ship and weather the storm.

    At the end of the storm is calmness and it will surely be dawn. I Know that every project does go through storms and therefore, it is very important that you, the captain of the ship remain very focused to navigate through the storm.

    If you give up you might just be a few metres away from your breakthrough.

    Learn From Your Mistakes and Make Adjustments

    It is very important to learn from your mistakes and make the necessary adjustments,  in order for you to shorten your darkest hours.

    Most of the time your darkest hours are a result of your mistakes. Sometimes the dawn is delayed for reasons not known to us but, this should not make us despair for as long as we are sure that we are doing the right things.

    Mistakes will always be there and are made by everyone including the most disciplined and successful people.

    The difference, however, is how you recover from your mishaps. Always keep in mind that personal growth is not a competition neither is it a race with anyone. My personal development path is very different from yours.

    Life will always throw challenges at us and hence we are prone to make mistakes as we navigate through it. Learn to analyse your failures and refuse to accept them.

    Your mistakes are just one way of telling you to do things differently. With perseverance and persistence, your dawn will surely be upon you for a long time to come.

    So far my personal growth journey has been a fairly enjoyable one. I keep praying to God that he continues to guide me on this path I have set myself on.

    “Through perseverance, many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure” -Benjamin Disraeli

    Conclusion

    “I don’t think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature” – John D. Rockefeller.

    Remember that personal development is not a destination but a journey. The darkest hours of your journey are just before dawn.

    Never give up on your dream and keep on making adjustments until you succeed. Remember that every good thing is worth your time and effort.

  • Building Strong Relationships and the Importance of Reciprocity

    Reciprocity is the relation of mutual dependence or action or influence. Humans are well known for being social. Being in a relationship, be it intimate, social, or business requires the reciprocity of the people involved. All human beings excel in relationships where both parties have a balanced, give and take situation.

    Relationships, where reciprocity is not practised, are usually strained. They are one-sided and problematic. When there is no reciprocity the relationship is on the rocks.

    To create reciprocity in a relationship, both parties need to take responsibility for that creation. It must be done with a deliberate intent for the relationship to work.

    Good healthy relationships are those that which people have mutual respect for one another and every member, does not feel that they are putting in much more than the other. If you want to live a happy life, it is important to be in a healthy relationship where reciprocity is practised.

    Some relationships are not beneficial for your personal development. If you are in a relationship that makes you uncomfortable, leave. Make the decision and set yourself free. You must weigh what benefits you are getting from being in certain relationships.

    If you have to break them please go ahead. This year I have resolved to evaluate most of my relationships. I have also resolved to work on improving those that I feel need to be improved. Over the years I have slowly broken out of some unhealthy relationships.

    I have managed to stay away from them, especially those that were not adding any value to my personal improvement. I liken relationships to the game of chess. If you play chess with players who are less skilled than you are, you do not improve. You are merely improving them whilst you remain stagnated.

    Building and Understanding Reciprocity

    The principle of reciprocity is also key and crucial to success in all business relationships. The strongest and longest-lasting interpersonal relationships are based on the principle of reciprocity, and this extends far into the best relationships between buyers and sellers.

    Therefore, it is important that we take time to build and understand this principle. Good solid relationships take time to build. When building them we must understand that every relationship is unique.

    A good example of how to build reciprocity in a relationship is to apply the principle of “do unto others what you would want them do unto you.” Believe me, it is the best bet. If you expect people to treat you with respect you must be the first to respect them.

    The flip side though is to do good and not expect anything in return. When you are expectant most of the time you will be disappointed because you are not in control of other people’s actions. You can only control your actions.

    Here are a few ways that can help you build long-lasting relationships:-

    • Be the First to Give Something – Try and be the first to give something. The bible says “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” When you give don’t expect anything in return. Regard it as a gesture of good will. If you are in business offer an incentive when the sale is complete. Send gifts to your clients as a way of thanking them for supporting your business.
    • Keep the Relationship Going – Good relationships are not easy to come by. We all want to have them, so keep the relationship going. Find ways that will help you grow it. I have noticed that some of the best relationships I have were built during my high school and college days. Yes, along the way I have built new ones but am more comfortable with my old buddies.
    • Offer to Support – Support is a form of giving. People always appreciate being supported. Don’t we all? I believe in the saying that “you never know who is going to keep you tomorrow.” Giving support is also a sign of generosity. Be generous.

    You Need to Give and Take

    In every relationship that you build you need to have a give and take attitude. You lose some and you win some. Relationships must be based on mutual respect and understanding. Good solid relationships are built on trust.

    Remember that trust is earned. Once breached it takes time to repair. When you are trusted with responsibility at work, for example, ensure you deliver. If you cannot deliver ensure that you communicate. It is better to be honest, that way you earn trust.

    Conclusion

    “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship” – Buddha.

    To succeed we must build strong healthy and trustworthy, relationships with the people we come into contact with.

  • Taking the Giant Step of Growth

    “All growth is from within” ~ Master Key.

    “Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life” ~ Herbert Otto.

    I know and believe that every normal thinking person has a dream, at least I have one.

    We all want to believe deep down in our souls that we have a special gift, that we can make a difference, that we can touch others in a special way, and that we can help make society and the world at large a better place.

    The biggest challenge to this belief is ones-self. You are responsible for making it and living your dream life. No one but you alone, are the master of your destiny.

    Your thoughts and the actions you take come from within you and hence determine the course of your life’s direction.

    In this article, I try and help you take a leap of personal development by accepting that you play a major role in determining the course of your future.

    There are three decisions that you make every moment of your life that shape and control your destiny. These three decisions will control what you will notice, what you will feel, what you will do, and finally what you will contribute and who you will become.

    I believe that if you do not control these decisions it becomes very difficult to take the giant step of growth. It also means to me, that you are not in control of your life.

    Firstly you must understand that all growth comes from within; growth is embedded within the inside of you. Jesus gives us the example of the mastered seed in the bible.

    Out of a small seed grows a huge tree. Where does the tree come from? Of course, the external environment plays a part but it is hugely what is inside that determines the extent of growth.

    If you have very little faith in what you are doing then you might as well stop it and grow the faith before continuing. When you control these three decisions then you begin to shape your destiny.

    What Is Your Focus in Life?

    “Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives” ~Tony Robbins.

    The first step of growth for me to take is deciding on what to focus on. You see, it’s not what is happening to you right now or what happened to you in the past that determines who you want to become.

    But rather it’s your decision on what to focus on that will help determine your personal growth and self-development.

    Do you want to dwell on the negative past and want to focus on the negative results that you have archived?

    What you decide to focus on largely determines what results you will accomplish. Focus on negativity and believe me you will reap just that.

    It is very important that you learn to focus on the positive aspects of life even in trying movements.

    Here is a lesson I have learned in life it is much easier to walk out when things are not going on well. This I tell you is the easiest decision you can make in life and believe me it is not usually the best one available. Walking away is a sign of cowardice.

    Luckily we all have the ability to make decisions to focus; we all have the same power and consciousness to focus.

    When you focus this power through attention or concentration on any single purpose for a considerable length of time nothing becomes impossible.

    If you have ever looked through the viewfinder of a camera, you will find that when the object is not in focus, the impression was indistinct and possibly blurred, but when the proper focus is obtained the picture is clear and distinct.

    This illustrates the power of concentration. Unless you can focus and concentrate upon the object which you have in view, you will have but a hazy, indifferent, vague, indistinct, and blurred outline of your ideal and the results will be in accordance with your mental picture.

    We, therefore, have no excuse to fail to make better decisions when we concentrate our focus.

    By making the decision to focus on the right things in life we are taking a giant step of growth.

    Remember that growth will not come all at once or like manna from heaven. You need to make the right decisions and actions.

    I want to believe that if you have a written down life’s intended purpose then you have a plan to focus on.

    The first thing to do before you make the decision to focus is to have a written down life’s purpose as mentioned before.

    This will give you a better reason to focus and achieve your goals in a more organised and efficient manner.

    What Do Things Mean to You?

    “My definition of success is to live your life in a way that causes you to feel a ton of pleasure and very little pain – and because of your lifestyle, have the people around you feel a lot more pleasure than they do pain” ~ Tony Robbins.

    My second step of growth is the decision about what things mean to you?

    Well, you may want to ask yourself what does life means to you; why do you exist? These are just but some of the questions that you may have to know the answers to.

    The decision to know about what things mean to you is a huge one that you cannot afford not to make if you have to make the second giant step of growth.

    Remember you need to know what things mean to you in order to have greater control of your life.

    After you have made the decision to focus ask yourself what does the thing(s) you are focusing on mean to you; what is the value of it?

    If it can be quantified put a monetary value on it. They say your heart is where your money is. Where is your heart?

    In life, we come across so many things and most of them are actually useful for a short while and then become meaningless after some time.

    Therefore, it is very important that you know when something is of value and when to let go of it. Many of the time we keep holding on even to things that have no more value.

    We carry a lot of garbage along with us. Know that if you carry garbage it is of no value to you. This applies even to people that we come across.

    Some of them have no value per se in our lives. Yet we continuously spend more time with them. I am not saying you should create enemies but try to spend more time with the people that add value to your life If you have to grow.

    If you have to grow stop taking responsibility for people’s actions. Remember you are accountable for your own actions.

    I have seen people who want to take responsibility for someone’s actions in the name of pleasing them. This is very wrong, and please know that the best recipe for failure is to try to please everyone.

    You should attach value to Personal growth and development. To do this you first need to have spelled out your intended life’s purpose.

    Believe me, if you do not have a written down LIFE’S INTENDED PURPOSE, you are just chasing after the wind. You are flowing with the wind. You have no control of your life’s destiny.

    What Do You Want to Do?

    “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” —THOMAS EDISON.

    Lastly, the decision to know what you want to do to achieve your goal is very cardinal. This still brings me back to the idea of having a written down life’s intended purpose.

    Without which you cannot make the decision to know what to do to achieve it. If you went ahead and made the decision, it would be like getting in a car and driving off without a known destination.

    In other words, you would be driving aimlessly. In this case, you are living life aimlessly without a written down life’s intended purpose.

    Many of us are scared to make decisions of what we want to do or rather how we want to go about achieving our intended life’s purpose, for fear of making the wrong decisions.

    Believe me, we all have made wrong decisions in our lives and we are all going to make wrong ones in the future. The key is to be flexible enough to override our earlier decisions and replace them.

    We do not have to allow the past wrong decisions we made to control our future. Remember your future is affected by the decisions you make now.

    Always try your level best to think through and possibly delay your decisions so as to make better judgment of what you want to achieve.

    The best time to make some of these hard decisions is in the night when you are alone and reflecting on your day. I have made far much better decisions when not rushed.

    Remember, Success truly is the result of good judgment. Good judgment is the result of experience, and experience is often the result of your judgment!

    Conclusion

    Too many of us don’t make the majority of our decisions consciously, especially these three absolutely crucial ones; in so doing, we pay a major price.

    To avoid making wrong decisions’ we must commit to learning from the earlier mistakes. This is the only way we can improve on our decision-making process and start to make better judgments of what decisions are to be made in the future.

    Personal development is a continuous process and does not come without effort.

  • 3 Reasons Why You Cannot Succeed Without Failure

    It is not a secret that the greatest fear we have is failure. Perhaps it is one of the greatest fears that anyone has ever experienced. Unfortunately, you cannot detach failure from success.

    Ask even the most successful people if they have ever failed the answer will be a resounding yes. This just goes to show you how important it is to learn from failure.

    In my years of being a student of personal development and self-growth, the fear of failure has played a major part of my progress. Fear can also be a very big hindrance to one’s progress.

    The fear of failure to achieve my dreams; the fear of failure to succeed academically; the fear of failure to provide for my family; are some of the things that have motivated me to work even harder.

    Am sure that you can relate to the fear of failure with your own life. But, what if I told you that actually failure was a good thing? Albeit Einstein once said that “failure is success in progress.”

    Failure has a way of bringing out the best in you. Encountering failure is one of the best ways to help achieve your success. I have discovered that the more you fail the more prepared you are for success.

    Look, am not saying that you must be happy when you fail. But you must make sure that you learn from your failures to achieve your success. Take time to analyse what made you fail before moving forward.

    Here are a few things that failure can do to you to help you on your road to success.

    Failure Keeps You in Check

    There is a tendency to raise our egos when we are experiencing success. Often times we look down on people that we think are not achieving as much as we are.

    Well, guess what, failure brings you down to earth from cloud nine and makes you realise that you are not a super human. It helps you be in touch with reality. Failure makes you humble when you are in desperate need of humbleness.

    I have come to appreciate that being kept in check is very important as you are climbing the ladder of success. When you are experiencing constant success there is a tendency of being enslaved by success, before you know it you will be doing anything, even wrong things, to just make you stay at the top.

    But nature has a way of keeping us in check. When you experience failure you realise that life is about ups and downs and that success should not be taken for granted. Failure is a good teacher.

    Failure Creates Extraordinary Change

    Failure could be a catalyst for both positive or negative change. What grows out of the initial experience with failure is entirely up to what lessons were learned.

    In life, it is easy to become demotivated and downcast when we experience failure. Instead, we must learn to use failure as a springboard to propel and motivate us to succeed. Learn to reset your mind and create the much-needed mental change.

    Adversity can make even the most talented people refine the roadmap of their destiny, while other equally talented individuals could allow it to derail and kill their dreams.

    Most of us know the story of Steve Jobs, that he was fired by Apple in 1985 and many of us know that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Yet they were both able to bounce back and are considered legends.

    I would like to think that if both Steve and Michael had not failed at some point in their lives they would not have gone to achieve what they did. I am sure they learned a lot from their failures as they pursued their different careers. They did not give up.

    In other words, failure is necessary to shake things up in our lives. Without which we would be comfortable and not make the much-needed quantum leaps.

    When you want to make it life you must realise that you will always encounter adversity. The way you handle life’s challenges will determine your level of success.

    Failure Can be Informative

    One of the best sources of information in my life is in the failures that I have experienced. Look, the fact that you have encountered adversity does not necessarily mean you are a failure. Get up and continue on your journey of life.

    In life, you must take lessons from every result that does not go your way. Never throw in the towel when things are not going as expected. Instead, sit down and learn from them.

    Get as much information as you possibly can from your negative results. They are simply telling you, what should be avoided in the future. I normally take failure as a learning tool.

    If I fail to achieve a goal I list down what I think led to the failure and try as much as possible to work on correcting the mistake. In doing this I also discover new methods or processes that I had no idea existed. I end up enriching my skills.

    Yes, sometimes in the process of making corrections I fail even more. I know that this can be very demotivating and discouraging most of the time, but that’s what life is all about. If you have to be an achiever you need to have patience, persistence, and perseverance.

    The value of information and lessons learned from your failure is immeasurable.

    Conclusion

    I know that many of us do not want to be associated with failure. We only want to be associated with success. But I can guarantee you that success does not come without challenges. If you are looking to succeed be least assured that you will encounter failure. Failing is a way of preparing us for what lies ahead. Failure is the seed of growth and success.

  • The 5 Benefits of Doing Right that Everyone Should Know About

    Life demands that we grow, that we move from one point to another, and so on. In this vein, we are expected to carry on with life in a manner that is acceptable.

    “There is not less wit, not less invention, in applying rightly a thought one finds in a book, than in being the first author of that book.”  Pierre Boyle.

    In a manner that edifies the people that we come into contact with. As this ought to be the right thing to do.

    God expects each one of us to play our part in helping to make this world a better place than we found it. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to ensure that everything we do is done right and for the benefit of humankind.

    Doing right is not a sign of weakness, it is however a sign of maturity and responsibility. It’s only mature and responsible people that are always doing what is right.

    Doing the right things in every situation has many benefits. Here are the five benefits that are associated with doing things right.

    It Gives You Peace of Mind

    Doing the right thing gives you peace of mind. When you are on the right side of the law you are at peace with yourself.

    You go to sleep knowing that all is well with you. Knowing that you do not expect the unexpected.

    There is nothing more uncomfortable than going to bed with an unsettled mind. You see everything you do has a way of catching up with you.

    What goes around comes around. You cheat on your taxes and you end up paying more when caught.

    Those that acquire property dubiously are not free to enjoy their wealth. They are always expecting the law enforcement agencies to visit them.

    Wealth, that is acquired genuinely is better than that which is questionable. If you are a sane person who has a conscience, I am sure that when you are alone you acknowledge your wrongdoing.

    You are Trustworthy

    If you are in business you should understand better what being trustworthy is. You can easily lose business if you are not trusted. People want to deal with people they can trust.

    Developing trust takes time and is usually the difference between getting a new client and losing one, especially in this competitive world where maintaining clients is more important for repeat business.

    Being trustworthy can open up many other opportunities. If people can trust you to deliver a quality service they pass on words of recommendation to others. Of course, this entails more business for you.

    Look, you cannot deny the fact that you are more comfortable dealing with a person you know is trustworthy, especially with sensitive matters.

    Trust is also the basis for good personal relationships. The more trusted you are, the better your relationships with other people.

    The better relationships you have the more opportunities and recommendations you receive. Let’s be honest, we all want to be associated with trustworthy people.

    Trust is earned by your deeds and it takes time to build credibility. Try your level best to build a good reputation and endeavour to maintain it.

    You are Respected

    Doing the right things earns you respect. People will always respect a person who is morally upright. This is a person who is truthful and honest.

    If you cannot manage to help out it does not hurt, to be honest, and excuse yourself. Do not make commitments when you know you will be unavailable.

    You earn more respect for being honest than for wasting people’s time.

    To be respected you need to be of good character. Let your no be no and your yes be yes. If you promise that you will deliver at a particular time, ensure you keep the promise. If you cannot meet your target, communicate in good time.

    I know that sometimes, it does not look cool to do the right thing. People may perceive you to be old-fashioned and even call you names, but just do it anyway. Posterity will judge you.

    Know that whatever you do on earth echoes in eternity. Your life is a reflection of your beliefs. You will be remembered for what you did on earth when your curtain of life comes down.

    You Create an Opportunity for Others

    Being an upright person creates opportunities for other people. One of the reasons why we do not get opportunities is because the people who were there before did not do the right things.

    Equally, opportunities come because the people who were in front laid a good foundation for you and l. If you are given an opportunity to lay a foundation please ensure that you do a better job so the generations to come can benefit as well.

    Many of the time people do not think about the next generation and end up closing the door for everyone because of not doing the right things.

    I was working in an institution where we had many credit facilities with retail outlets. We could go and get stuff without paying immediately. This went on very well for some time.

    But then people began to abuse the facilities by not paying on time and some even skipped payments altogether. In the end, the facilities were cancelled because of the abuse of a few individuals.

    This meant that those who came after us could not enjoy the facilities only because a few people did not think about the future.

    There are many examples out there of situations where facilities are canceled because of abuse by a few individuals. Unfortunately, this is very common in many African countries.

    It Helps Improve Society

    Society benefits from one act of goodness. If we have to change the world we need to do more good things.

    Imagine what the world would be if we all committed to being of good character? We could end all these unnecessary fighting and petty squabbles.

    Conclusion

    We all have a part to play in this world. Our diversity as a human species is what makes us stronger. If we could all commit to being of good character the world would be a better place. Play your part and leave the rest to God.

  • The Value of Self-Discipline in Our Lives

    What is self-discipline? Self-discipline is “the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.”

    Behind every great achievement in anyone’s life lies self-discipline. We see this in every human endeavour. Be it in the field of sports, business, academics, and any other human venture.

    In the field of sports, for example, we see that many great sportsmen and women spend an awful lot of time practising.

    They adhere to strict programs that many ordinary people easily give up. They make a lot of sacrifices that many of us are not willing to make.

    These sportsmen and women are so disciplined that even when the body is not willing they go for practice anyway.

    This is also true for people in the business world and the music industry. We only see what they have achieved but when we go behind the scenes only then, do we get to appreciate how disciplined and the many sacrifices they have made to achieve their success.

    Whatever, your definition for success is, perhaps the single most important principle is self-discipline without which you cannot achieve your success.

    You can have all the best plans and might even be the most talented in your field of expertise, but without the discipline to do what you have to do when you have to do it, you will not be successful.

    The single most reason why we fail is a lack of self-discipline. If you look carefully at the periods of failure in your life, you will see that on almost every occasion when you failed it was due to a lack of self-discipline.

    Hence, both in the areas of success through self-discipline and the lack of success through lack of self-discipline.

    We lack the self-discipline to work up early in the morning to exercise or prepare ourselves for the day. Most of us want to do things when we feel like, and not when it has to be done.

    We fail because we postpone doing the things that have to be done now, to a later time. We want to do the easier things and not the difficult things that matter the most.

    It Brings Out the Best in You

    Self-discipline allows you to be the best version of yourself. It brings sanity into your life. You are more focused on achieving your goals.

    Self-discipline is like a muscle, the more you practice, the better and stronger you become. Lack of self-discipline can also cause low self-esteem.

    You will agree with me that those who, are considered more disciplined are better individuals than those who are not. They live a much more focused life than individuals who are not. In other words, they are go-getters.

    When you know what you want to do with your life, and are armed with self-discipline, nothing can stop you from achieving your goals, you will fly high like an eagle.

    You will be more focused on doing the right things that will give you long-lasting results. You will concentrate on getting things done correctly and not cutting corners because you know that lasting success cannot be achieved with shortcuts. Those who achieve success cutting corners enjoy short-lived success.

    Have you ever wondered why many people who win the lottery go broke after a few months or years? Winning a lottery is cutting corners to financial freedom.

    Most of the time they have no idea what to do with the winnings, hence they just spend it on lavish materials. Before they realise it the money is all gone and they are back to square one. As the saying goes easy comes easy goes.

    Self Discipline Helps Create Habits

    “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” – Frank Outlaw.

    “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then is not an act but a habit.” – ARISTOTLE.

    Your character is a summation of your habits. If you are of good character it simply means you have good habits, consequently, if your character is bad then you have bad habits.

    Our character is basically judged by the habits that we form. We must then be conscious of our thoughts and control our actions.

    Continuous practice or application of self-discipline helps to build habits that translate into character.

    Usually, those who are considered to be of good character are synonymous with self-discipline.

    Successful people are disciplined to work hard and stay consistent, and hard work becomes a habit that attracts success in their lives.

    It Boosts Your Self Esteem

    Success comes to those who believe in themselves. Those who are willing to pay the full price for success and it takes self-discipline to achieve.

    Self-discipline helps to boost your self-esteem and work habits.  When you feel good about yourself because you are achieving or meeting your goals your self-esteem goes up. The more you feel good about yourself the more productive you are.

    Through self-discipline, you nurture your path and navigate through life with much ease, and in this way, your self-esteem is increased.

    Having higher self-esteem can go a long way in helping to achieve your goals. I find it very important that I keep a higher self-esteem by celebrating the small goals I achieve on a daily basis. This motivates me to even work harder for greater accomplishments.

    Having positive self-esteem helps to get your priorities and needs in balance. It also just feels good to have positive self-esteem. It means you appreciate your being.

    If you feel that you have low self-esteem find ways of improving it.

    It Enhances Your Personality

    Self-discipline enhances your personality. When you are disciplined you do things in a systematic and orderly manner. You plan your tasks and align them with your overall objectives. This means that you will be more productive with your time and effectively achieve a lot.

    Conclusion

    The value of self-discipline cannot be over-emphasised. Discipline is the key to your success. Without discipline, it is very difficult to achieve your ultimate goals.

  • How to Face the Giants in Your Life and Remain Focused

    Life, as it is, presents us with many challenges. These are the giants that have to be overcome every day.

    From the time of your birth to the time of your death you are always overcoming challenges. You are continuously facing the giants of life.

    These giants come in many forms and at different stages of life. Some small and yet some present themselves as big ones.

    The ability to handle and overcome challenges is the difference between success and failure. It is what differentiates and transforms people’s lives.

    People who are more successful have learned how to face and overcome their giants more effectively than those who are less successful.

    You cannot achieve success without facing and overcoming the giants that lie ahead, that’s just the way life is.

    The road to success is not an easy one. It is full of challenges that need to be overcome. However, do not be afraid of challenges, they are the things that help bring out the best in you.

    Even when you are successful you will still be facing giants. You will still be required to overcome them. It does mean that those who are successful are excluded from facing their giants.

    Make no mistake thinking that when you are successful you will rest, no no. It’s actually even harder to stay successful. No one is excluded from being faced with challenges.

    Have the Courage to Do

    “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – the Bible.

    Challenges are there to be overcome. Having courage is not the absence of fear. Successful people are not cowards. They have developed the courage to face their giants head-on.

    Our paths are marred with a lot of thorny issues that are holding us back from our destinies.

    There is no easy way or path to accomplishing your destiny. If you want to achieve more you need a serious dose of courage.

    Hiding or postponing to face and confront a thorny issue only delays and prolongs the pain. It is better to gather the courage to face the issue head-on and move forward than to delay it.

    The more you delay the more pain you experience and the worse the situation becomes. The worse the situation the more difficult it becomes to resolve.

    Courage is what fuels and pushes you. It is what makes you take action. Without courage, there is very little or no action.

    Without action, there can never be any meaningful progress to be registered. Without action, you are stagnated. Life does not move without taking meaningful action.

    Develop the courage and willpower to take action on your plans. Remember the bible commands us to be strong and courageous.

    Be Open-Minded

    To navigate through life you need to have an open mind. An open mind allows you to look at challenges differently.

    It allows you to be critical and not just look at the current situation but also look at the future.

    An open mind allows you to look through the current challenge. Some people see opportunities in the challenges they face and some will dwell on the problem.

    The truth of the matter is that with every problem that comes there is an opportunity to be explored if not many.

    Some opportunities are disguised with challenges. The problem is that some of us are more focused on the problem at hand and don’t look beyond.

    If you take time to analyse and look beyond your current challenges you will clearly see the opportunities with it.

    Look currently, we are still faced with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is obviously a challenge to all but some people have seen an opportunity to make money.

    In the midst of losing people for various reasons, others are benefiting from the open opportunities being presented.

    Don’t take me wrong, just like everyone else, I am equally affected by the pandemic and I sympathise especially with those that have lost loved ones.

    But the truth of the matter is that the pandemic itself has brought or opened up opportunities that would not have been there before.

    Who would have thought that a face mask would be an essential commodity?

    Am very sure that the people who sell face masks have seen a sharp increase in revenues than say, people who sell lipsticks.

    I want to believe that the whole pharmaceutical industry has really seen an unprecedented increase in medical supplies than before.

    Improve Your Skills

    Having a good set of skills will definitely give you an added advantage to easily overcome the adversities that lie ahead.

    It is, therefore, important that one keeps improving their skills to meet the ever-changing environment.

    The world we live in today requires that we are constantly keeping up to date with what is going on. There is so much information that needs to be gathered and processed.

    If you do not take responsibility to improve yourself chances are that you will remain stagnant and you will find it difficult to face and navigate through life.

    Search yourself, and take stock of your skills. Where do you need to make improvements? What do you need to change?

    If you are in business you need to expand your knowledge and management skills to advance to the next level.

    The level of your skills could be the key to advancing you to the next level. Whatever area of your life that you think is lagging behind, makes room for improvement.

    Take action, don’t just live your life on autopilot. Always be in control of your life. If you are not in control of your life I can guarantee you that someone else is in control of it.

    Don’t allow people to be in charge of your life. What you want is to be the one driving your life. Be the one to drive and make decisions for yourself.

    Take control of the things that are within your grasp and leave the rest to God Almighty.

    Appreciate What You Have

    Being thankful is showing humility and it is what makes us human. Before you look elsewhere, look within yourself and appreciate what you have.

    If you want to know what you have, take a piece of paper and list them down. Include all the things you think are less important, you will be amazed.

    Most of the time we are quick to seek outside help without making an effort to search within. Appreciating what you have gives you a better understanding of what you need to improve on.

    Besides, it is always good practice to just appreciate what you can see and control before venturing out.

    Develop the habit of being appreciative. It will help motivate you to face your giants. Above all have faith in what you are doing.

    When all things have failed faith is what keeps you going. The level of faith you have will determine the level of your success.

    Conclusion

    Life will always present us with giants. How we navigate through these is what determines how successful we become.

    The more giants you overcome the more successful you are. Do not let other people’s opinions deter you from achieving your destiny.

  • 4 Reasons Why You Should Get Busy Living and not Busy Dying

    If you are not busy with your life, then you are not making progress. Those who are engaged in pursuing their dreams are always busy and focused.

    But also being busy does not necessarily mean you are being progressive. What you want in life is being busy for the right reasons and doing, the right things.

    Getting busy living means being focused on achieving your goals. Doing everything in your power to ensure that you achieve your life’s purpose.

    Taking action and putting things in place that will help you achieve your goals to the fullest is what it means to get busy living.

    Getting busy living is a personal decision. No one will make the decision for you. It is entirely up to you to make the choice either to get busy living or get busy dying.

    Why do I say get busy dying, well if you are not busy living then off course you are busy dying.

    Don’t dwell so much on the negatives, otherwise, you will be discouraged. Instead, concentrate on the positive things on matter how small they are, to help you stay focused and motivated.

    There are many things you do every day that are positive and worth dwelling on. If your current conditions do not allow you to express yourself create a more conducive environment for yourself, to thrive in and succeed. 

    Here are some reasons why getting busy living is preferable to getting busy dying.

    Life is too Short

    Time is a limited and scarce resource, and none of us knows how much we have. Getting busy living entails making the most of the time we have, pursuing our passions, and creating meaningful experiences.

    Remember life is all about experiences. The better the experiences the better the life we lead.

    The best we can do is to try and utilise and make good of the time we have on our hands. Life is too short, so savour every moment you have.

    Do the things that need to be done in the time that you have. Otherwise, you may live to regret not having done them. Make every effort and do not let chance pass you by.

    Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way to do the right thing—knowing that humanity is all about service.

    Always go the extra mile and not just what is required of you. Doing extra will also improve your reliability and in business increases your value.

    People always want to be associated with people who are reliable. They want to work with someone they can rely on. They want to be associated with some they can trust.

    Make the decision to live a happy life and remind yourself every day about it. This will help you stay focused on being happy.

    Yes, negative things will come your way, but your mind will be more focused on the positives. There is something about making decisions. It makes you feel responsible for the outcome.

    Personal Growth

    When we get busy living, we challenge ourselves to learn and grow. We push ourselves out of our comfort zones and develop new skills and habits, that lead to personal growth and self-improvement.

    The main benefit of pursuing your goals is personal growth. You will experience personal growth when you are focused on achieving your life’s purpose and not when you are busy dying.

    This personal growth can be incredibly rewarding. It opens up many facets of your life. Personal growth is what you as a human being should aim for. It should be your deliberate personal policy.

    However, personal development does not come easy. It needs your full attention and endurance for it to be achieved and even then it is a continuous process.

    There is never a stop to personal development and self-improvement. Every achievement propels you to pursue even more and greater goals. The more you achieve the more you want to achieve.

    Every attempt you make to pursue your goals is a contribution to your personal growth. Every achievement is a motivation for the next challenge.

    So it doesn’t matter if you fail on your first attempt. At least you will have learnt what not to do or what needs improvement.

    The thing is to never give up but to continue to rise and keep trying until you succeed. Remember there is no success without failure and it does not come on a silver platter.

    Connections or Relationships

    When we get busy living, we have more opportunities to connect with others who share our interests and passions. 

    Building meaningful relationships can bring joy, support, and fulfilment to your life. Relationships are key to the survival of humanity as a whole.

    We are a social species. Humanity thrives better on good relationships. The more meaningful connections you create the easier it becomes to pursue your dreams.

    You will realise that most of the things you do come down to enhancing or creating new connections. The more connections you have the better the chances of success.

    We thrive more especially when we have a good support system or network looking after our back. 

    If you have good strong relationships your mind is more at peace. A peaceful mind allows you to explore your talents to the max.

    It allows you to show the world what you are made of, more freely without holding back. Look, when you know that people have your best interests at heart, believe me, not even the sky is the limit. You will soar like an eagle.

    Fulfilment

    “The chief condition on which, life, health and vigor depend on, is action. It is by action that an organism develops its faculties, increases its energy, and attains the fulfilment of its destiny.” –  Colin Powell

    Pursuing your goals and passions can bring a sense of purpose and fulfilment to your life. When we are engaged in activities that we enjoy and are passionate about, we feel more alive and fulfilled.

    When we are fulfilled we contribute more to humankind. We become the solution to the world. The feeling of fulfilment cannot be replaced with anything. It is just on another level.

    Conclusion

    Overall, getting busy living means taking action and pursuing a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. It can help us make the most of our time, grow as individuals, connect with others, and find purpose and fulfilment in our lives.

    It’s a reminder to live our lives to the fullest and not let fear, regret, or complacency hold us back. 

Powered by CookieAdmin