Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu – Assessments

As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“The Power of Thought” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me were:
(i) Man’s Visions can become a Reality Simply through the Power of Thought: This was the first idea that struck me and I quickly noted it. Thus, I have experienced consciously or unconsciously during my University days, whereby simply thinking out positive ways to tackle difficult courses yielded positive results at the long run for me.

(ii) “Men Themselves are Makers of Themselves”: I believe this statement to be a true statement because most of the time what I continuously ponder upon and believe very strongly like starting a small computer business, though initially I didn’t have the financial capability and equipment to start but I just made up my mind to begin anyhow because “where there is a will, there is a way.” That I did immediately after my graduation from the University. Though, it was not easy at first, but I just started and grew from grass to grace until I was mobilized by my National Youth Service in my country.

(iii) Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are: This idea to me is as true as the sun rising from the East and setting at the west. This is evident in the kinds of friends I have today in that they share a lot in common with me. I did not stress up myself to make these friends because man must always attract to himself circumstances and people that are like himself whether consciously or unconsciously according to the universal of law of attraction.

(iv) Man is made or Unmade by Himself: This idea held me spellbound and immediately I started thinking aloud that blaming others for our failuremakes us failures ourselves. But, if we should learn to take responsibility for our actions and accept whatever comes to us as a result makes us a better person that knows that our perfect being is different from the imperfect results from the circumstances and situations around us. This is the more reason why anytime I fail a thing, I do not consider myself as a failure but I only failed to do it correctly and in most cases by the time I did it correctly, the desired results showed up like magic.

(v) Circumstances does not make the man; it reveals him to himself: This simply reminds me that no matter the difficult challenge I may be passing through right now to find my footing as a man is not an end in itself but a means to an end if and only if I realize that I have an unlimited power within me to outsmart any challenge before me in life. And of a truth, this is one of the best ideas I have ever known in life because I believe it and it works.

(vi) Man is the master of Thought, the Molder of character and the maker and sharper of condition, environment and destiny: This simply reminds me that “everyman is the architect of his own destiny”. How I think, what I think, how I behave, the condition and environment I am presently and my destiny finally is entirely my own business and not any other person’s business.

(vii) Men are Anxious to improve their Circumstances but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound: I have noticed in life that our achievements, failures and circumstances in life are direct results of who we are and what we are. If we can improve ourselves today we’ll get anything we want in life be it money, joy, happiness, comfort, just name it. An improved personality will attract positive circumstances because “like begets like.”

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The ideas or lessons learnt so far from the book “As A Man Thinketh” by James Allen has indeed imprinted lasting impression and really awaken the giant that lies within me that by simply keying into the power of thought I can turn my whole life around for the better since positive thoughts will attract to myself positive, happy people and pleasant circumstances, while negative thoughts will only attract to myself negative unhappy people and unpleasant circumstances. I have now realized convincingly that simply by the power of thought my visions and aspirations in life will become a reality. Furthermore, that I alone is the maker of myself; that is, I alone can carve out the future and life I desire for myself: that I alone can attract to myself the kind of people and circumstances I desire. That I am responsible for the successes and failures in my life and as such have resolved not to blame others for my failures in life, but to accept responsibility and the results of my action. To always seek ways to improve myself, my situations, the people around me and consequently the world around me for the better. I am now fully aware, that the circumstances around me only introduces me to myself in order for me to discover and explore the hidden power, potential, talent and ability that lies within me.
These ideas so learnt and carefully internalized will no doubt make me believe convincingly that all I need to become and to realize my aspirations and visions in life all lie within and around me simply because I have carefully sharpened my wit by being exposed to the unchanging universal truth contained in this book “As A Man Thinketh” by James Allen.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to the following:

(i) The weakest soul knowing its owning weakness and believing this truth – That strength can only be developed by effort and practice – will, thus believing, at once begin to exert itself. And, adding effort to effort, patience to patience and strength to strength, will never cease to develop and will at last grow divinely strong: Immediately I read this statement I said to myself anybody can become anything he/she strongly desires if and only if he/she has the will – power, necessary strength and patience needed in life. I immediately remembered several time that I have improved my performance in school by simply “taking the bull by the horns” and left no stone unturned in the process.

(ii) Achievement of any kind is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought. By the aid of self – control, resolution, purity, righteousness and well – directed thought a man ascends. By the aid of animality, indolence, impurity, corruption and confusion of thought a man descends: I realized instantly that any level of achievement I so desire in my life must necessarily start with my thought and by adopting these virtues; self – control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well – directed thought I can ascend to any level I desire in my life. I am so much interested in this because I really want to ascend the ladder of true success in life.

(iii) Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the law of his being. The sole and supreme use of suffering ceases for him who is pure: The nature of man does not embrace suffering likewise me Iwouldn’t want to suffer. Therefore, I am seriously clamoring to be in harmony with myself and with the law of my being and to be pure in thoughts and actions in order to be in harmony with the universe in order for me to tap into the abundance of the universe.

(iv) A man begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life. And he adapts his mind to that regulating factor, he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts; ceases to kick against circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a means of discovering the hidden powers and possibilities within himself: This statements of the author no doubt made me to understand and know that I and I alone is the driver of my own life and as such no one else should be blamed for whatsoever happens to me but myself.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time – tested and universal.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No exercise.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me everything I read I understood it and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

 

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

The main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book is “Success through determination against all odds by undermining every limitation of the mind expressed in thoughts.”

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
The seven ideas which were personally important to me were:

i. Learn nothing; and the next world is the same as this one, all the same limitations and lead weights to overcome: I have discovered that for me and anyone to change his/her situation in life one needs to continually learn new things because old ways of doing things keep producing the same result and a different way of doing things will definitely produce a different result. Personally to me as a computer operator then, I was limited to typing and printing in my business and as such when I have work that is limited to typing and printing alone I did them very well and earned income only from that direction. But, when I decided to learn new things like Corel Draw, Electronic spreadsheet and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), I was able to cover a lot more areas in my computer business and as a result made more customers and more financial returns at the end of the day. I now discovered that I would have continued to earn the same low level of income if I had continued doing the same old thing (i.e. typing and printing) but, as I decided to learn a new package and no longer did things the same old ways my income increased. No doubt if you decide to learn nothing, your world would always remain the same, with all the same limitation and lead weight to overcome. This is only made possible by learning new ways to overcome our daily limitations to life successes.

ii. Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are the reasons that a gull’s life is so short and with these gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed: Anger, boredom or fear are unhealthy elements that weakens the creative power of the mind by introducing what my father calls “chemical eraser” that delimits the creative process of the mind. And as such I have learnt that to succeed amidst these negative elements so mentioned above I should pep – talk myself to victory each time I see myself experiencing any of the unhealthy elements of anger, boredom or fear. This will no doubt put me in the right frame of mind in order to succeed any time I am to do anything in life.

iii. You didn’t need faith to fly, you needed to understand flying: An understanding of a thing is a door way to success rather than having the faith that it works alone. I personally believe that understanding rather than faith is the best way to unearth the mysteries of life.

iv. ‘To fly as fast as thought to anywhere, you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived’: Most time in life to truly succeed in life in anything you do, you must first of all see through your mind screen the glory of your success and that gives you the feeling, mindset and will that attracts success. This is true because all the time I cannot visualize the glory of the successful end of a project or a thing, I, within a short time abandoned them and in most cases never went back to such abandoned work.

v. The gull sees farthest who flies highest: This simply means how far or high one climbs the ladder of success is solely dependent on how far you can see. This is very true because you cannot consciously and painstakingly go to where you don’t know about and cannot visualize.

vi. A seagull is an unlimited idea of freedom, an image of the great gull and your own body, from wingtip is nothing more than your thought itself: We are either imprisoned or set free by the kinds of thoughts we allow to dominate our minds. That is why watching pornography is never encouraged by any right thinking person. Pure thoughts attract to us great people and great situations in life and we are set free by dominating our minds with positive thoughts and we are living in bondage and imprisoned in the mind if and only if our dominant thoughts are negative. This is the more reason why I like to dominate the pictures of my mind screen with the possibilities (positive imaginations of a glorious and a wonderful world or life) of this life and also continually seek ways to uplift and maintain a positive mental attitude thereby creating a sound mind of the unlimited creativity necessary or required for success through positive thinking. I am able to do this most of the time by listening to positive, sole – lifting, motivational and inspirational messages and sometimes I pep-talk myself up to positivity anytime I find myself thinking negatively.

vii. Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect: Perfection is the only thing according to Jonathan Seagull that gives you the joy and feeling of heaven. I am a classical pianist and as such I truly understand what it means to play a music piece to score as contained in the sheet music. This is only made possible principally by continuous and consistent rehearsals or practice as “practice makes perfect.” Perfection brings out our complete joy and our self – esteem is increased and our character strengthened. This is made possible if and only if we have fully resolved to do the right thing in order to achieve a particular result in the desired direction.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The ideas or lessons learnt so far from the book “Jonathan Seagull” by Richard Bach has indeed opened my eyes to the realization of the unlimited power of our thoughts. That by keying into the power of positive thoughts and by embracing determination amidst every limitation on our pathway to success, we must always realize our goals and achievements in life. I have now realized convincingly that simply by the power of thought my visions and aspirations in life will become a reality. Also, that success is sure to anyone that sees beyond the obstacles of this life and work creatively and always to attain success in life. And that life will and must always smile at me if and only if I will do away with negativities like fear, anger and laziness and embrace boldness and knowledge. That I will be free from the imprisonment of the mind if and only if I keep my thoughts pure and positive and the reverse is the case if I keep my thoughts negative.
These ideas so learnt and carefully internalized will no doubt make me believe convincingly that all I need to become and to realize my aspirations and visions in life all lie within and around me simply because I have carefully sharpened my wit by being exposed to the unchanging universal truth contained in this book “Jonathan Seagull” by Richard Bach.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
i. Yes, the author made some very sensitive statements that got my attention:
“Your whole body, from wingtip to wingtip is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you see. Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body too…”: I just discovered that what’s holding me back from pressing further in life towards my success is simply my thoughts and I have just resolved to remove every limitation in my thoughts and I am very sure as I write this now that I WILL SUCCEED IN LIFE.
i. “The only true law is that which leads to freedom,” Jonathan said. “There is no other.”: Everybody wants to be free in every sense of it, be it freedom to exercise your right in the society; to do anything you want and also freedom of the mind to think anything you want; to think out possibilities rather than limitations and to do that which pleases you as a result of your dominant thoughts. Jonathan Seagull is of the view that learning and knowledge acquisition in the right direction will definitely set you above the limitations (imprisonment of the mind) you might have placed on yourself due to fear as it patterns to the dominant believe and law of the flock (i.e. the Seagull) as contained in the book. I am now aware that the only true law that I should embrace and believe is that which leads to freedom of the mind.
ii. “How do you expect to fly as you fly?” Came another voice “You are special and gifted and divine above other birds.”: – Other Seagulls were amazed at Jonathan Seagull because of the level of success he attained as a result of his determination and inquisitive spirit to aspire to learn and to set himself free of the limitations of his mind. People will always regard you as super-ordinary when you succeed exceedingly well and may liken your success to a divine blessing or gift. That is how people see me at times as a person with special computational skills because of my understanding of the subject of Mathematics and physics that have to do with a great deal of computation/calculations.
My knowledge of computation/calculation has earned me and is still earning me both money and respect. I have being privileged to use this special ability and talent to teach many people the subjects; children, teenagers and even adults, sometimes adults old enough to be my parents. They accorded me as their teacher respect sometimes beyond my imaginations. I am very happy about this special ability because it makes me feel excited when I see myself contributing positively my knowledge about these subjects to people and making them both enlightened and happy. It makes me see myself as a contributor to life and not a spectator in the game of life because I belong to the people that make things happen rather than watch things happen.
Sometimes, because of the surprise of such level of knowledge some people imagined and ask me questions like “can I ever know mathematics like you?”
When I went through the book “Jonathan Seagull” by Richard Bach, the statements “How do you expect us to fly as you fly?” came another voice “you are special and gifted and divine above other birds” got my attention and I paused for a while to meditate on it because of my own personal experience as narrated above.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time – tested and universal.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No exercises.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me everything I read I understood it and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 6
B. How helpful were the contents? 7
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 6

 

 

Keys to Success
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“The 17 principles of Personal Achievement” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me were:

i. Develop Definiteness of Purpose

Definiteness of purpose to me means establishing a clear, unambiguous, unequivocal decision to achieve a certain specific worthwhile goal in life. This goal must have a roadmap for its accomplishment; I discovered that sometimes in my life why I don’t achieve my major definite objective or purpose in my plans (mostly my short-term plans) is because I pursue distractions rather than my major definite goal or purpose. This is exemplified in my life when I had a target in 2011 to play twenty four (24) classical musical compositions by G.F. Handel. I only succeeded in playing only one completely and continued playing other things that were not even part of the original plan such that when I went for my personal rehearsal, instead of concentrating on playing these classical pieces I went on playing other things that were unrelated to my target for the rehearsal with the hope that I’ll later get back to my main business of the day. Most times, I never went back to my major definite purpose for the rehearsal session that day due to exhaustion after been sapped of energy with those distractions. I now know that most time in life, like me, most people don’t truly know what they want. And sometimes, if they did, they lacked a realistically defined roadmap or plan as to the accomplishment of their major definite purpose which requires nothing other than great personal discipline, commitment and dedication towards its accomplishment.

I have personally figured out from this book that it is not enough to establish your major definite purpose and go and relax. One needs aside every other thing to put his/her thoughts to it always; making plans as to its accomplishment and taking pragmatic steps on a daily basis towards the attainment of his/her major definite worthwhile goal or purpose. Failure to observe the aforementioned, one is only a day dreamer.

ii. Establish a Mastermind Alliance

A mastermind alliance is every necessary towards the attainment of success at a faster rate. This is because solutions to challenges are easily proffered when two or more good heads sit to brainstorm over a challenge hence the saying that “two good heads are better than one” cannot be overemphasized in situations like this. The few times I have practiced mastermind alliance with knowledgeable friends and other people that know more than me in certain areas I faced challenges causing me sleepless night brought about incredible solutions. As the P.P.A leader during my service days in Rabah local government of Sokoto state, Nigeria in 2012, there came a time when I needed to handover to a new PPA Leader as my tenure was over. I had the power to either appoint or conduct a simple democratic election for a new P.P.A Leader. It became a serious challenge as the day for the selection of my successor drew closer because I was not very sure of the capabilities of the candidates I was personally considering. So, I decided to call selected people I felt had positive mental attitudes and who were leaders in their various religious organizations to brainstorm on the best way to go about the selection of my successor. That yielded result because at the end of the day a new P.P.A Leader was selected democratically as suggested and unanimously agreed by the team involved. Everybody was satisfied with the process and outcome. Mastermind alliance encourages teamwork with like minds and enables one to accomplish success easier and faster.

iii. Use Applied Faith

As defined in the book applied is belief in an objective or purpose backed by unqualified activity. This is a necessary ingredient in all successful and goal oriented person. As fear and doubt is faith in reverse gear. It is a well known maxim that faith without action is dead. This is to say that the expression of our beliefs if not backed up with an equivalent or even greater action is as meaningless as a girl using basket to fetch water from the stream. I have looked up to certain people as my mentors in life. All of them encouraged me one way or the other to always put my inner convictions and beliefs to action. That, it is by doing just this that I am guaranteed of a fulfilling life of results. I’ve used applied faith during my university days when it seems as if all hope was lost about my graduating with a second class honors degree (Upper Division) which made me to resolve to graduate with this class of degree. That made me to focus with undivided concentration and swung into action, putting all the resources that were necessary to achieving this single but worthwhile goal. I worked hard; always attending lectures and on time, did all my assignments, got myself psychologically prepared for the best result from any assessment I was given. Eventually, to God be the glory, I have my certificate today with me from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi from the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering with a second class honors (upper division) degree. This was just one of the many ways I’ve used applied faith in the past.

iv. Build a Positive Mental Attitude

Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) triggers our creative mind to swing into action any time we encounter challenges in life. Positive Mental Attitude gives one the mental power, feeling and confidence to do anything you make up your mind to do because it helps one to overcome the negative attitudes of despair and discouragement that inhibits progress and success in life because it beclouds our creative mind with fear and doubts. I have not achieved anything meaningful in my life before without a positive mental attitude. Over the years, I have carefully searched how to build my PMA by looking out for those things that motivate me into action anytime I encounter a challenge in life. I think one of the greatest motivators to our visions, dreams, goals or objective in life is to imagine and imprint the picture of the feeling of joy, self-worth, happiness and glory that is associated with being successful at your assignment in life. I try always to build my PMA daily by affirmation and picturing or imagination and monitor my daily, weekly or monthly plans to enjoy and celebrate my success at various stages in my life.

v. Assemble an Attractive Personality – with PMA

A person’s personality could be his greatest asset or greatest liability for it embraces everything that you control; mind, body and soul. This is because a person’s personality is the person.

I have always respected people who developed the habit of being sensitive to their own reactions to individuals, circumstances and events and to the reactions of individuals and groups to what they say, think, or do.

Though personally, I have tried to develop certain factors of a pleasing personality listed in the book like alertness, common courtesy, fund for people, flexibility, tactfulness, a pleasing tone of voice, control of facial expressions, sportsmanship, sincerity, a sense of humor, humility of the heart, smiling, enthusiasm, control of temper and emotions and proper dress. However, I still need to work on these areas; tolerance to people and patience with others. These are areas in my life still begging for attention and amendment. I do understand that it is only by assembling an attractive personality that one can go along with others with a sense of meaning to life.

vi. Think Accurately

It clearly states that no matter any method of thinking employed, whether inductive or deductive, one ought to learn to firstly separate facts from fiction or hearsay evidence and secondly separate facts into classes; important and important. I have meditated carefully on this idea “think accurately” so that I should be careful about others’ opinions because they could be dangerous and destructive. This is to avoid the danger that my opinions are not someone else’s prejudices. I perceive this idea as being a major component of my life already because of how I give my subjects the leverage to speak out their own idea about certain issues before I conclude based on sound judgment deduced from what they’ve said and the conviction I have about that thing because of my knowledge about it.

vii. Budget Your Time and Money

Both time and money are very major components of our lives. Our lives are a measure of time. One needs money for both survival and to pursue his vision in life. I just understood that ten (10) percent of all I earn is mine to keep and invest. And that in order not to find myself being involved in either wasting my time and money, I should rather engage in study, thinking and planning time. That our time should and must be used wisely if and only if we want to attain our objectives and as such a plan for the use of our income for expenses, savings and investments have to be drawn. And this is strictly personal. These among many other ideas kept me thinking on how to see its fruition in my life.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The ideas or lessons learnt so far from the book “Keys to Success” by Napolean Hill have indeed imprinted lasting impression and really awaken the giant that lies within me that by simply observing the 17 principles of success I can turn my whole life around for the better since these principles are time-tested and emphasizes definiteness of purpose as the starting point of all achievement, how to stay at this major definite purpose without derailing in order to achieve that desired success.

I have being able to learn and know that living this life without a major definite purpose makes us living corpses. That one should try in life to figure out the major definite purpose of his/her existence. However, if we’ve not gotten one, then our major definite purpose should be to find out our major definite purpose in life.

These ideas (the 17 principles of success starting from the major definite purpose) so learnt and carefully internalized will no doubt make me believe convincingly that all I need to become and to realize my aspirations and visions in life all lie within me; figuring out and developing my major definite purpose in life and carefully staying at these major purpose through the observance of the sixteen (16) other principles of success, which include: establish a mastermind alliance, assemble an attractive personality, use applied faith, go the extra mile, create personal initiative, build a positive mental attitude, control your enthusiasm, enforce self-discipline, think accurately, control your attention, inspire teamwork, learn from adversity and defeat, cultivate creative vision, maintain sound health, and budget your time and money.

A knowledge and a follow –through of my major definite purpose will put me on course to achieve my personal ambition of becoming a lecturer and accomplish my personal visions in life so that I will live an accomplished life and be better placed to contribute my own quota to the society and the world at large.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to the following:

“Drifting through life without aim or purpose is the first cause of failure.”

Actually, this statement is as true as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. A purposeless lifestyle could be described as living a life like a sheep without a shepherd – it can be attacked by wolves at anytime. It’s also said that “a man who does not know where he is going can be led by anybody to anywhere.” Living a life without purpose makes living boring and uninteresting because it is devoid of adventure for success. Such lifestyle is unfulfilling and leads to nothing other than failure because it contravenes the principles of success mentioned in this book.

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, your mind can achieve.”

What it therefore means is that the universe will always correspond to the nature of our thoughts. When we think, feel it and create a picture or pictures of the images we hold on our mind screen and believe without any aorta of doubt with the unavoidable presence of a positive mental attitude, then our mind can and will definitely achieve it. This is because to the universe, there is no word as “impossibility.” Everything is definitely possible if we can undoubtedly conceive and believe it.

“One single idea may have greater weight than the labor of all the men, animals and engines for century.”

There is a popular saying that “idea rules the world.” Leadership at any level in life requires the presence and use of information called “idea” rather than physical strength. This no doubt emphasizes education in whatever we do and a hunger for information or idea in whatever thing we do in this life as this has a far reaching effect at the long run. Idea has the capacity to catapult us to the peak of our profession. The presence of idea is a necessary ingredient for today’s leadership the world over. As such, in all we all we do and long for, it is of paramount importance that we go for idea in the form of knowledge or pieces of information as this will give us an edge over others that undermine the infinite power of idea.

“Our real wealth is the intangible power of thought.”

James Allen states in his Book “As a Man Thinketh” that “Achievement of any kind is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought. By the aid of self-control, resolution, purity, righteousness and well-directed thought a man ascends. By the aid of animality, indolence, impurity, corruption and confusion of thought a man descends.” It then dawned on me instantly that for my life to be fulfilling and successful, it must necessarily start with my thought and by adopting these virtues; self-control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought I can ascend to any level I desire in my life. It is because I want to ascend the ladder of true success that I showed particular interest to this idea.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No exercises.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me the whole thing I read I understood and it was very plain to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

 

 

The New Dynamics of Winning
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

To gain the mind-set of a champion for unlimited success in business and life is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me were:

i. Maximum success is built upon mini-goals

I was able to be fully convinced and shown the way that any goal can be achieved, but first it must be broken down into a series of sub-goals. It’s clearer to me now like never before that I ought to break down my major goal into mini-goals to make it clearer and easier to attain on the long run. Just like the Olympic champions, I have learnt to plan my major definite goal in life by defining my goals in writing clearly, outlining the goals for clarity within a specified time-frame and to see myself attaining those goals by faith.

ii. Champions don’t shrink from risk

Champions the world over know that the greatest risk is doing nothing and that real security is derived from constantly testing your potential. I have resolved not to be too careful as not to take risks in life. But, of a truth I only plan to take calculated risk as I journey towards the attainment of my life’s ambition. It’s now crystal clear to me that one cannot attain real success in any sphere of life if that person is not willing to take risks. So, just like those who have travelled this road of success before me I’ll never shy away from calculated risks in life again.

iii. This commitment to “Paying the Price” is the quality in the mind of a champion

One could even say that if success has entry fee, the cost is total commitment. Because of our human nature that prefers laziness and pleasure to hard work and many other vain things of this life, we are not always ready to pay the price for the things we claim we want out of life; for the success we plan to achieve. I come to understand clearly that so long as one journeys through this life he/she must pay the price for success if that person truly desires one at all. Paying the price for success entails great deal of sacrifice which includes time, money, sometimes relationship, food and even sleep. The list is endless. As a prospective champion in my chosen carrier I have resolved to pay the price necessary whatsoever to attain great education and become an exceptional person in my chosen carrier.

iv. View life as a continuous learning experience

Life is absolutely phenomenal and adventurous. One ought to continue to strive to learn new things on a daily basis so that life will make meaning to him/her. This is because by the time we stop learning we start rusting mentally. From my own experience, any time I discovered I have learnt a new thing I’m always happy that I’ve achieved something or rather added something new to my old ideas and that make me happy and want to live more to continue to learning more. I view life as continuous learning experience and that one really starts dying when he stops learning.

v. There are no mistakes or failures only lessons

It’s clear to me that growth is a proof of gaining knowledge of trial and error, and of courageous experimentation. The failed attempts can be as much a part of the success process as the attempt that finally succeeds. Many people today are not successful because they are afraid to make mistakes. Also viewed in another way, if one is too careful he/she may miss out in the success story of this life. If one could be fearless and view mistakes as lessons to learn from rather as a failure then the possibility of attaining success is very high.

vi. To succeed, you’ve got to develop the sense of basic self-worth that will overcome the inevitable mistakes and setbacks

Many people don’t really value themselves. They don’t really see themselves as very important in the creative process or activities of the universe and that explains why they underestimate their visions and aspirations towards any major definite purpose in life. They lack confidence in themselves and so don’t see themselves ever as a leader. They are not sure of themselves. When you associate your failures in life with yourself and as a result see yourself as failures, then you are dooming yourself not to be better than whom you are. Though, in reality when one fails, he doesn’t really feel good. But one is not even suppose to fail in the first place if that person is well-prepared to achieving what he wants to do. Well, if you see yourself as a failure or a success, then that’s what you are.
Life is to a large extent dependent on how we truly see ourselves rather than how we are perceived outside by different people around us. So, as I saw the statement about self-worth above, I instantly reassured myself of the way I value myself and my judgment which is very essential to overcoming the inevitable mistakes, temporary defeats and setbacks in my life. I was also reminded that everything that happens around me was attracted to me by the Universal law of attraction which continuously attract to oneself the dominant thoughts that exist in one’s mind about your circumstances and experiences.

vii. Set your own internal standards for success

Success has different meanings to different people and as such the clause “set your own internal standards for success.” Everyone including me should have a standard that he recognizes as his own success probably because of the environment he finds himself, his background and a host of other valuable reasons. This is basically dependent on what we perceive or set as our standards for success

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The ideas or lessons learnt so far from the book “The New Dynamics of Winning” by Dennis Waitley is highly psychological. Its lessons strengthen the mind to gain the mind-set of a champion for unlimited success in business and life by carefully suggesting, analyzing and conveying the message about the psychological state of mind of champions; stating clearly that becoming a champion starts within and not without. The author, Dennis Waitley clearly conveyed this message to me by emphasizing on these ideas among others; maximum success is built upon mini-goals, champions don’t shrink from risk, champions pay the price, view life as a continuous learning experience, there are no mistakes or failures only lessons, to succeed you’ve got to develop the sense of basic self-worth that overcome the inevitable mistakes and setbacks, set your own internal standards for success and so on. The ideas inspire me greatly each time I think about the genuineness of these ideas as illustrated in both the lives of others and myself. Anytime I meditate now and think about my future, I do that with a sense of self-worth because I now attach a sense of self-worth to my life necessary to overcome challenges in life. I’m also well aware now that no knowledge is enough because life is a continuous learning experience; the more you live, the more you learn. That everything we do and are today is a product of thoughts in our minds because thoughts become things – Mike Dooley Writer.

In fact, all the lessons I have learned so far is summarized in the statement that “One starts succeeding or failing from within and not without.”

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to the following:

“Focus on what you really want.”

I have discovered both from my own experience and the experiences of others that you get what you really focus your mind on. Many people resist a lot of things with passion thinking that by so doing the are driving those things away, but it’s not so because “what you resist persists;” Carl Jang (1875– 961). The best thing in life to do is to ignore what you don’t want and to continue to focus on what you want with a lot of passion because a lot of emotional power is released into the universe by every act of love or hatred shown to the things you want or hate respectively. So what one truly focuses on with a lot of passion will be attracted to him or her by the universal law of attraction. The universe will rearrange itself to attract the circumstances and people that are consistent with your dominant thoughts or with what you constantly hold in your imagination with a lot passion. So, I have learnt that I should ignore negatives circumstances and people and only focus on positive thoughts and positive statements and positive people that will help me reach/attain the success I desire.

“Leadership isn’t based on theory or techniques. It depends on your ability to subordinate your own ego for the good of the team.”

It requires more internal strength of “push and restrain” to be a leader than to be a follower. This is because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. For one to be a good leader he/she is expected to be in control of his/her emotions and to ensure that decisions are taken objectively and not subjectively at all times. True leadership is also the ability to swallow your own ego and respect the opinions and decisions of others also. An authentic leader listens and learns. True leaders the world over don’t push, manipulate, or control, there’s no resentment among the team members and offers little resistance. Things just seem to get accomplished without all the rushing and crushing of emotions. When a leader gives up trying to impress the group, he or she becomes very impressive. I learnt from this statement that to be in charge, you must first be in charge of your emotions. That is you must learn to bring your ego under control to completely humble yourself for effective and authentic leadership. I have already started thinking and applying this in my life.

“Be true to yourself.”

The worse thing someone can do to himself/herself is self-deceit. It is the most destructive habit to personal success in life. When one calls a spade a spade; addressing situations around his/her life the way they are, then one is sure to give/proffer the right solution(s) to that particular situation or circumstances around him/her. I believe that when one is true to himself, he ascends the ladder of success with speed than when it’s the other way around. I have decided to be true to myself so that I will enjoy the happiness and reach out for success in this life.

“Mind-set is what determines the ultimate performance of champion, not talent or ability.”

The universe is made up of energy. Everything in the universe is a product of the infinite energy that exists in it. Our minds have the requisite energy to make us succeed and automatically champions. We must first succeed within before we can see the manifestation outwardly. Therefore, the way we evaluate a situation, a challenge or circumstances before us goes a long way to determine whether we’ll ultimately succeed or fail outrightly. Hence, our success or failure in life is very much dependent on the mind-set we have about life. I cautioned myself from the moment I saw that statement, I decided that I’ll continue to have a positive mind-set about my life’s circumstances, situations and challenges.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time tested and pragmatic.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, it contains a 21 day program that showed me the mechanics and benefits of setting objectives or goals, monitoring my progress, and achieving my goals. Though, I encountered some challenges and personal set-backs, the exercise took me through a conscious goal-setting experience, its benefits as well as careful and steady monitoring of these goals to its completion. It was wonderful and now some of those principles unraveled in the exercise are now part of my goal-setting strategies. It taught me how to set and accomplish short-term goals or objectives amongst other things.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me the whole thing I read I understood and it was explicit enough.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

 

 

Psycho-Cybernetics
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Self-Image Discovery for Health and Success in Life through a Simple, Scientific and Revolutionary Program” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me were:

i. It Usually Requires a Minimum of About 21 Days to Effect Any Perceptible Change in a Mental Image

The number 21 has always being significant in the dictionary of psychology. Psychologists the world over have done a lot of research on the habits of man; that a man acquires a new habit after a minimum of 21 days. Maxwell Maltz said “Plastic surgery takes about 21 days for the average patient to get used to his new face.” It requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell. Ever since I was exposed to this truth and secret I said to myself that I will give myself to rehearsing the piano daily at a particular time and for a specific period of time so that it naturally becomes my habit. So that in situations of emergency where I may be away from my rehearsal venue, I will instinctively feel uncomfortable owing to the fact that I owe myself a commitment with my keyboard and at that particular time. I have made up my mind to really utilize the psychological mystery behind acquiring a new habit after a minimum of 21 days. This is because I really want to become a good concert pianist and as such I really want to view rehearsal time as happy time where my music knowledge will be refined, where creativity abounds and where I will always crave to be because of the inner joy that will be associated with doing what I enjoy doing.

ii. The Self Image; Your Key to a Better Life

Maxwell Maltz made it so clear that “the most important discovery of this century is the discovery of the self-image.” That, whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. This is because all our feelings, behaviors – even our abilities are always consistent with our self-image.

Our self-esteem which is a component of our self-image is dependent largely on our belief system. What you believe about yourself is what you are and what works for you.
All human problems stem from self-esteem. According to Brian Tracy “The more you genuinely like and respect yourself as a valuable and worthwhile person, the less you feel failure because you’ll always know that your failures are not you.”
Since what we do and everything about us – how we behave and what we can do are all wrapped up in our self-image then I said it’s very good and proper to hold a high self-image of myself always in the positive light so that life will be fulfilling.

iii. The Faculty of Imagination Is the Great Spring of Human Activity and the Principal Source of Human Improvement

The author has made it clear that we act or fail to act, not because of “will,” as is so commonly believed, but because of imagination. That as human beings we always act and feel and perform in accordance with what we imagine to be true about ourselves.
Creative imagination is only found in man and not with animals said Maxwell Maltz. A pastor once said if we lack imagination, we lack creativity for success. It is in the process of imagination that new ideas spring up in our minds that can be helpful to us. Little wonder Napolean Hill said “imagination rules the world.” These ideas gotten from our imagination when well applied to a challenge before us could go a long way to making us improve our situations.

One interesting thing with imagination most of the time is that it helps you to see the glorious end of whatsoever you’re expecting or what your vision is, in such a way that it is devoid of insurmountable obstacles. It presents possibility in every situation. No wonder Glenn Clark said that imagination of all man’s faculties is the most “God-like.” This is because the word “impossibility” does not exist in God’s dictionary.
After reading this book; Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, I concluded that I was going to find time alone for meditation. It strengthens the mind. The benefit I believe of finding quality time alone for creative thinking or creative imagination cannot be overemphasized.

iv. Mental Practice Helps to Make Perfect

As a pianist, I saw this particular idea as being directed to me. This is because consciously or unconsciously I saw myself rehearsing in my imagination without a real piano before me and it seems very real and sometimes I experience the same feelings associated with such accomplishment as if it were in real life. C.G. Kop, of Holland, a recognized authority on teaching piano, recommends that all pianists “practice in the heads.” A new composition he says should be first gone over in the mind. It should be memorized, and played in the mind, before ever touching fingers to the keyboard.
I now understood why the author said in this book; Psycho-Cybernetics, that “if we picture ourselves performing in a certain manner, it is nearly the same as the actual performance.” Mental practice improves performance as much as actually performing, this was experimentally determined in a controlled experiment by psychologist R.A. Vandell when he proved that mental practice in throwing darts at a target, where in the person sits for a period each day in front of the target, and imagines throwing darts at it, improves aim as much as actually throwing darts.

This points inspired me greatly when I came across it since this was what I have been doing unconsciously, not knowing that it’s a very healthy and creative mental practice.

v. Happiness Is a Mental Habit which Can Be Cultivated and Developed

“Happiness is purely internal,” says psychologist Dr. Matthew N. Chappell. “It is produced not by objects, but by ideas, thoughts and attitudes which can be developed and constructed by the individual’s own activities, irrespective of the environment.” Maxwell Maltz puts it clearly when he said that “Happiness is native to the human mind and its physical machine. We think better, perform better, feel better, and are healthier when we are happy. Even our physical sense organs work better.” And I agree to that. Little wonder that the author said that “Happiness is a mental habit, a mental attitude and if it is not learned and practiced in the present it is never experienced.” To all these statements, I personally have experienced great creativity and thought better when I was happy than when I was unhappy. In academics, I learned better when I was happy than when I was unhappy. In music, I do better and appeared more creative when I was happy than when I was unhappy. This is why sometimes when I am to engaged in academic activities or performed in a concert, I tried to empty my mind of any disturbances that will cause unhappiness so that I was more creative and ready to perform at my best. This made me to totally agree with the idea when I met it in the course of reading the book.

vi. People Who Say that Life is not Worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no Personal Goals which are Worthwhile

Life could be absolutely phenomenal if we have personal goals and dreams we wish to accomplish in the nearest future. I think most people that say that life is not worthwhile have not really developed nostalgia for the future. They don’t really have something at stake they wish to accomplish that will trigger them to really look forward to the breaking of another day, one day at a time to see to the realization of those personal goals.
A life with a future that is filled with personal goals (both major and mini-goals) and the required personal motivations and enthusiasm to achieving these goals could be so interesting and ultimately worthwhile. This is even seen when one is really expecting something big about what he/she has ever dreamt of getting or achieving and gradually he succeeds step-by-step to the realization of that dream. Life will continue to be fun and a great success journey for such a person and ultimately life will be absolutely worthwhile. Thus, personal goals in one’s life; having a reason to live makes life worthwhile than the reverse. What is driving and keeping me to continue to living my life to my fullest is because of the personal goals and great expectations I have about the realization of these personal goals (i.e. my mission and vision) and dreams.

vii. It is a Well-Known Psychological Fact that the Person who becomes offended the Easiest have the Lowest Self-Esteem

When I saw this statement, it caught my attention. This is because I have both experienced this in my life and in the life of some people around me. Some persons are threatened by the advancement and progress of others. This is an unhealthy behavior because I feel we do not truly know that we are distinct and unique and that the progress of others; the good fortunes of others do not stop our own blessings or progress in this life. Also, it is pertinent for us to realize that we are complete, perfect and whole and nothing that happens to others will stop the blessings of God on us when the time is due. Human beings are “hurt” by those things we conceive of as threats to our ego or self-esteem.

However, for us to correct this psychological deformation in our lives we should according to the author develop a more self-reliant attitude. Assume responsibility for your own life and emotional needs. Try giving affection, love, approval, acceptance, and understanding to other people, and you will find them coming back to you as a sort of reflex action.

I saw great wisdom in the idea above when I came across it.

3. How Will These Ideas or Lessons Help You in a Practical Way, Both in Your Daily Personal Life and in Helping You to Create a Better World? If so, how?

The ideas or lessons learnt so far from the book “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz is really educative as it defines ones existence in its entirety. It made me understand that whatever I am now or will be later is a product of the images I have in my mind about myself. All these ideas are enshrined in our self-image; the way we truly see ourselves. If I consider myself as a creature that is complete, perfect and whole, then that is what I am. But if I decide to see myself in the negative light, then that is what I am.

I have fully come to realize that my failures are not me. Also, that whatever and whoever I am right now was a product of my self-image before now. That my successes or failures are very much dependent on the self-image I have about myself.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to the following:

“Revengeful forgiveness is not therapeutic.”

I came to understand that therapeutic kind of forgiveness is that kind of forgiveness that cuts out, eradicates, cancels, and makes the wrong as if it had never been. Therapeutic forgiveness is like surgery. Therapeutic forgiveness is not the kind of forgiveness in order to serve as a mild revenge to others for the wrong they’ve done us (revengeful forgiveness).

I now know that the best form of forgiveness that will bring to us that inner joy and happiness we always long for is contained in therapeutic forgiveness. I have now decided to always grant people that offend me therapeutic forgiveness rather that revengeful forgiveness.

“It is Futile and Fatal to Condemn Ourselves for our mistakes.”

It is worthless and makes no sense to condemn ourselves for the mistakes we’ve done. I have come to realize that my mistakes are not me and as such, I shouldn’t condemn myself for whatever reason(s) for my mistakes.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time–tested and pragmatic.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, it contained some helpful meditative, imaginative and mind transforming exercises which I completed and felt great and better than I used to be. Recently, I even carry out some of those imaginations or meditations about my self-image in the positive light unconsciously. It’s being a nice experience because at the end of every positive meditation and imagination, I get encouraged, inspired and full of hope again to face the business of the day which will ultimately contribute to my success tomorrow.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me the whole thing I read I understood and it was explicit enough.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

 

 

Giant Steps

Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“To inspire one towards directing his/her energy to achieve measurable results by taking simple actions consistently” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me were:

i. It’s not what we do once in a while that counts, but our consistent actions:

This idea of consistency as emphasized in the statement above is a truth beyond reasonable doubts. Many achievers, the world over have proven that consistency pays. I have a friend called Andrew who demonstrated a great measure of consistency in following his personal timetable as it pertains to his academic work while he was an undergraduate student in Chemistry Department of Benue State University, Nigeria. Andrew developed a pattern for his studies whereby he made sure that he always studied all he was taught in school the night before going to bed. The next day he repeats the sequence but starting from the very beginning of his work as the preceding day. That was how it continued, each time starting from the very beginning to the end. As such, it seemed as if and he actually did revised his book in any course each time he read them making him so ready for any emergency or planned test(s) and examinations taken while he was in school. To cut a long story short, his consistency in maintaining a unique and consistent pattern of studies made him to graduate with a First Class Honors Degree. When he told me this I tried applying a similar thing in my studies too and it actually paid off when my grades actually improved in my 400 and 500 levels as an undergraduate student. I then learnt that consistency is more powerful than just few days of hard work. Consistency creates a habit whether good or bad depending on where one decides to apply it in his life. The author said it all when he said, “The mark of a true champion is consistency.”

ii. Although we cannot always control the events in our lives, we can always control our response to them and the actions we take as a result:

I have carefully observed and learnt over time that we cannot predict or always control what happens to us in life, but we can always control our response to them. And it is actually our response to the things that happen to us in life that determines to a large extent how we feel and the kinds of results we actually have. There are times I respond to most shocking events with calm. This is because my overreacting to the matter may not mean much and will not reverse the situation. So, rather than hurting myself the more, I prefer to see beyond the situation. The idea contained in that statement is a call to consciousness to me to always respond life’s shocks with calm.

iii. The only limit to what you can achieve is the extent of your ability to define with precision that which you desire.

This statement clearly points to the fact that how far we can go in life (the limit of our achievement) is dependent on how far our imaginations and belief on ourselves. It also points to the fact that how far we go is very much also a result of how efficacious, detailed and accurate our plans are as it pertains to what we want to achieve in life. Most of us fail because we consider it a hard work to actually draw out a detailed and carefully thought-out road map as to where we are going in life. In fact, it has been experimented that many a person doesn’t plan on paper. Instead, they claim they have their plans in their minds. Psychologists tell us that we should always make a detailed plan on paper. This gives us a sense of direction and imprints our goals even better on our minds screen. By so doing, it draws our goals closer to us and us towards it.

iv. The secret of unleashing your true power is setting goals that are exciting enough that they truly inspire your creativity and ignite your passion:

I learned from this statement that setting certain goals that doesn’t inspire one or make someone to deploy his/her mental power to think creatively is not a good goal. Anthony Robbins expressed his opinion clearly when he said, “Right now, consciously choose your goals. Brainstorm everything worth pursuing. Then pick a goal that excites you the most, something that will get you up early and keep you up late. Assign a deadline for achieving it, and write a paragraph describing why you absolutely must attain it by then. Is it grand enough to challenge you? To push you beyond your limits? To uncover your true potential?” I perfectly agreed with him on these statements because when all this is done, it makes one better.

v. Achievers usually see problems as transitory, while those who fail usually see even the smallest problems as everlasting.

Somebody described problem as a special gift that propels you to the attainment of your goal. Those that encounter and solve more problems in life achieve more and increase the abundance in their lives in all direction. So, one is advised to constantly see problems as a springboard to take one from where he is presently to the height he dreams and wishes to attain in life. Achievers are problem solvers rather than people that dread or even avoid problems. Funny enough, one interesting thing about any problem is that it’s transitory (it is terminal) and will not last forever. If we constantly find ways to solve the problems in our lives, we’ll ultimately become happy persons. Even the people around us too will be happy. This very statement spurred me to deep thoughts and meditation about the transitory nature of problems – pointing to the fact that when problems are faced head on, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

vi. Knowing what to do is not enough; you must do what you know.

This point got my attention because this has always being one of my major challenges as far as life is concerned. I know a whole lot to do that will help improve me in my different areas of interest in life, but sometimes I find myself not doing what I know. Immediately I saw this point I became aroused in the spirit to always no matter the stress it will take me do what I know I’m supposed to do. I believe if I condition my mindset to this pattern of life, the sky will be my limit.

vii. If you’re in a state of confidence and positive expectancy, the decisions you make will be quite different than if you’re feeling vulnerable and fearful.

Confidence is key to a fulfilling life. By simply being confident, it places you on the side of the angels. It gives one this inner power. It induces the potential creativity in one and makes one achieve better results even if he’s not too sure of what to expect because it opens one’s mind. So, by simply being confident and positively expecting the best will help you make decisions that are congruent with your inner state of positive expectancy for maximum or optimum results.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The ideas or lessons learned so far from the book “Giant Steps” by Anthony Robbins were really educative as it inspires one to act with positive expectation no matter the challenges or setbacks encountered until he/she succeeds through. It really triggered the sleeping giant in me by making me aware that without me adequately stretching out myself, I cannot really get the best out of myself. I now realize that if I genuinely want to expand my identity – and my life – then I ought to consciously decide who I want to be. So, I thought deeply and decided that I’ll start thinking; feeling and acting out as the kind of person I want to be. I now realized that I’ll ultimately become that person I picture in my imaginations very soon. As of now I’m at the verge of bagging a master’s degree in Agricultural and Bio-resources engineering which will ultimately make me attain the minimum qualification to lecture in the higher institution. This has being my ultimate dream so that I can contribute my own quota to knowledge and research for the benefit, promotion and sustenance of food security and other agro-allied products to the nation and the world at large.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to the following:

“More than anything else, I believe our decision – not the conditions of our lives determine our destiny.”

This statement is as true as the sun rising in the East and setting in the West. I am a witness to this truth. I so much believe that whatever is happening to me today and the conditions I’m experiencing presently is as a result of the decisions I’ve made in the past. This is indicative of the fact that for me to go past where I am presently to where I want to be in the nearest future is strictly dependent on the little decisions I’m taking now on a daily basis towards that which I dream of becoming. I have better confidence on the power of my decisions now than before and believe it’ll always take me to my desired destination at any point in my life.

“My philosophy is to kill the monster while it’s little.”

This statement is a call to action. To act on resolving a challenge while it is still little makes it easily controllable.­ It’s a reminder to me that it’s better to stop an impending challenge or danger while it’s just coming up rather than allowing the challenge to escalate in magnitude before taking the necessary action to curb its impending effect. By confronting a challenge quickly as it is noticed gives one the following advantages:

Reduced cost of solving the problems since it’s just in its infant stage; and

Encourages effective time management.

By killing the monster while it’s still little gives one a sense of control of his life and it is indicative of the fact that such a person will make a good leader and manager anytime, anywhere.

“Surmounting difficulty is the crucible that forms character.”

This statement is indicative of the fact that one’s strength of character is tested when he/she encounters difficulties and not when things are running smoothly for him/her. This statement has brought to my consciousness one of the criteria I should be looking out for when I want to select serious-minded, hardworking and success-minded people to work with when the need arises. This quote makes a lot of meaning to me as it’s an antidote to laziness.

“We must learn to love change, for it is the only thing that is certain.”

Actually, when something I know very well changes its pattern it usually sets me off balance. But, I decided to learn how to condition my mind to expecting the worst even though I’m preparing for the best. I believe this way; any disappointment that comes in the process may not surprise me because of my new mindset.

5. Is there anything in this book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time–tested and pragmatic.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, it contained some helpful meditative, imaginative and mind transforming exercises which I completed and felt great and better than I used to be. The mind transforming exercises allowed me to stretch my mind to a level, viewing life and challenges in a different perspective than I used to. It offered me the opportunity to contemplate the world of possibility. That with good decision making skills, courage, and consistency in achieving things gradually, great discipline and commitment one can actually attain the height he dreams of or envisions.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me the whole thing I read I understood and it was explicit enough.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1–10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

 

How to Win Friends and Influence People
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

The main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book is to “develop oneself to the best way of making and keeping friends as well as influencing and leading people by viewing the world from their own perspective.”

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me were:

i. Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him strive to justify himself.

This idea opened my eyes to the effect of criticizing people. I had known from time past that criticism indeed brings about resentment. Little wonder, the author clearly pointed out that: “the resentments that criticism engenders can demoralize employees, family members and friends, and still not correct the situation that has been condemned.” This is basically very true because humans are creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity rather than logic. Though, there’s always that tendency in us to always want to criticize, but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.

I used to have a very close friend named Samson. Each time we were together he argued on every issue raised. Issues related to sports, academics and even relationships. He argued and always wanted to win the argument by condemning my view point and wanting me to agree with his own. This usually made me had a kind of resentment towards him. It made me felt bad when I thought about the way he argued and condemned my personal views about certain issues as well as the way he criticized my opinions. I knew then that, most times he argued blindly without real facts. This had always made me to be on the defensive explaining and arguing out everything I know; real or imagined to proof to him that he was wrong. This eventually ended our closeness together as friends that always spent the evenings together. This is what criticism can cause and a host of others. That is why I agree with the idea that: criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him strive to justify himself.

ii. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

This point struck me and kept me pondering upon the importance of the greatest craving of the human race – the desire to be important or great. People invariably tend to like you if you make them feel important by respecting them and addressing them in a respectful way; creating a sense of importance. This is a sure way to make people feel free where you are with them. If one truly establishes that “freedom” around oneself, people will almost always want to associate with you and your profile of friends will increase and suggestions coming from you on the way to do certain things will not be easily turned down. This will definitely go a long way to influencing the people around you to your way of thinking by making them to subscribe to your own line of thought.

iii. Don’t be afraid of enemies who attack you. Be afraid of the friends who flatter you.

When people come out straight to tell you what you are and what they don’t like about you each time they notice it makes it easier for one to read through such people without much stress since they do not conceal their feelings – they express them outrightly. However, it is very deadly when your enemy pose to be a friend with evil intentions masqueraded in flattery and psycho-fancy. Such people can bring you down. They can also make sure you don’t achieve that which you aspire for because they’re your close associates – though they pose as friends, but do not have your interest at heart. This particular point remains a reminder to me that not everybody that come me especially when the going is good is a true friend.

iv. Give honest and sincere appreciation.

Everyone likes appreciation. In fact, as human beings because we are basically vain, we seek the appreciation of others. When people are appreciated sincerely for what they’ve done, they’ll want to do more. I love sincere or honest appreciation and I believe everybody does. I honestly believe even from time past that giving sincere appreciation to people especially when they’ve done their best in doing something good make them feel free with you and they’ll easily like you. Also, appreciation when done timely is more appreciated than delayed appreciation from experience since the event such persons were appreciated for is still fresh. I’ve being also reminded of the place of appreciation in making friends and/or making people like you.

v. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.

When you want to influence a person’s way of thinking to that of yours, it is best to talk in terms of the other person’s interest as he/she will see a million reasons to want to follow your line of thought. I have also learnt that, rather than talking and emphasizing about want I stand to gain at any given time, I should better talk and emphasize what the other person/persons stand to gain. This will no doubt influence their way of thinking to that of yours since they stand to benefit from what you’ve told them initially. I encouraged myself immediately I saw that idea not to be selfish in thoughts and speech towards others by talking in terms of what I want and stand to gain, but to always talk in terms of the other person’s interest too. That will go a long way to establishing true friendship and kindle their trust in you. When this is properly achieved, they can easily consider and buy your own idea as a better option amidst the many ideas around.

vi. Be a good listener; Encourage others to talk about themselves.

This idea interested me when I saw it because I have occupied leadership positions in a number of places in time past. I have also taught several persons in the school and church before now. I always felt happy and fulfilled when I saw my audience paying rapt attention to whatever I was telling them. It encourages one psychologically to even want to say/talk more because you’ll start seeing your audience as friends rather than just mere audience. This idea serves as reminder to me, in that, whenever I’m in a position to listen to people talk to me, paying rapt attention to what they have to say whether it interests me or not will always make them see me as friends rather than just a mere audience. There was a time a lady told me that one of the things she liked about me is that I listen to her when she talks to me. I was so surprised that she could notice such a minor detail as ‘attentive listening’ during a discussion. That even encouraged me the more to listen to people since I have found that they like it.

vii. Become genuinely interested in other people.

People tend to regard you as a friend when you show genuine interest in them and things that concerns them rather than being selfish in your disposition towards them and things that concern them. When you become genuinely interested in the things that bother others, they also become genuinely interested in the things that bother you. That is life. It’s all about “give and take.” This justifies the saying: “what goes around comes around.” When you become genuinely interested in other people, they tend to naturally become interested in you. From there a great relationship may spring up. Over time I’ve discovered that this is what really endears me whenever I go to any new environment. Somebody once said: “nobody cares to know how much you know until they know how much you care.” This clearly explains the fact that if one is not genuinely interested in others; they’ll not even care to even give your existence or presence a thought.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The ideas or lessons learnt so far from the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie were really educational and time-tested principles geared towards making me becoming a better friend and endearing to people, creating sense of empathy for my fellow man and becoming a leader; not only cultured or trained in art of leading people alright, but also influencing people’s decisions/opinions towards my own way of thinking in such a way that it will not only benefit them but benefit me as well since I’ve learnt how to appeal to people’s self interest rather than on my own selfish interest.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to the following:

“Action speaks louder than words, and a smile says, I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.”

I have learned over time that actions do speak louder than words. This is the more reason why one doesn’t need to say I like you or I’m happy to meet you when an honest smile can do that job. It takes lesser muscles to smile as compared to that required for frowning. I like smiling and many people over time have described me as a happy person that likes smiling especially when exchanging pleasantries. Another very good effect of smiling I have observed over time is that it softens the atmosphere for more healthy discussions aside being a healthy practice. It’s easier to win friends when you smile to people you meet for the first time from my own experience. If you ask me, I would rather say this world will be a better place if we oftentimes learn to take life easy and smile to someone.

“The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.’

Since the essence of arguing is to prove a point and counter those of your counterpart, it must leave a kind of resentment between the parties involved which may threaten the harmony the relationship or friendship has enjoyed before the argument. I guess this is the more reason why the author said, “The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.” This is a very important lesson learnt from this book. Ever since I saw this important point, I have continuously put it into practice and it’s really working.

“Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”

I perfectly agree with this point simply because it reduces resentment to a great level when you respect the opinions of the other person acknowledging his/her importance. It gives the person a sense of importance and the person will always like your company because he/she is comfortable and happy in your presence. Ever since I read this point I have being always conscious to put it to practice to better my interpersonal relationship and influence my friends as regards decision making.

“If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.”

I have being practicing admitting saying I’m wrong whenever I am. It really endears people to yourself and makes people comfortable staying with you or having you around them as a reliable friend. They even respect you more if you could be able to admit your faults whenever you’re wrong. This makes them want to listen to you and in the process you could be able to influence their decisions and influence a lot about them. It encourages good leadership and followership relationship.

“Get the other person saying yes, yes immediately.”

If someone asks me, I would rather describe this “yes, yes” response as a ‘wonder’. This, I discovered by studying the audience I’m talking to and telling him/her what he or she wants to hear by bringing proven truism, facts and universally accepted and proven laws for example the ‘universal law of gravitation’ that states that, “anything that goes up must come down.” A careful and thoughtful combination of the aforementioned in combination with a careful presentation of your suggested ideas to him/her will definitely lead to an agreement that will amaze you. Therefore you will be able to influence his/her decisions as a result, influencing them even without you knowing it. However, this will work better and faster if you always appeal to people’s self-interest rather than ones self-interest.

“Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.”

This is the best suggested way of making your audience to pay attention to you when you’re trying to correct them because you have succeeded in giving them the impression that you are not trying to compete with them or tell them that you are better than them. It works and I like and totally agree with this idea.

“Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.”

This is a method that works effectively at any level. A friend of mine employs this at his place of work to his friend and co-workers as well as his employees and the responses have always been impressive. This point or idea is a friendly way of giving commands or orders and it always does without igniting resentment.

“Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”

I so much love this point because it really endears people to you whenever somebody performs excellently and you take the bold step to appreciate or praise the person, you encourage the person and make the person to like you. By so doing, you win friends and make people comfortable and ever remain friendly with you.

5. Is there anything in this book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time – tested and pragmatic.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me, the whole thing I read I understood and it was explicit enough.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Real Magic
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Creating your own miracles in everyday life” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Enlightenment through purpose

In order to experience real magic, it is necessary to make a dramatic shift from enlightenment through suffering and outcome to enlightenment through purpose. Even though there are three stages in the journey to enlightenment: (1) Enlightenment through suffering, (2) enlightenment through outcome, and (3) enlightenment through purpose; the last one seems to be the highest level that makes life to have meaning and impactful. It is a state we all have experienced once in a while as we try to find meaning and happiness in life. If one truly goes into oneself, s/he experiences a greater level of transcended meanings to life. Hence, enlightenment through purpose is experiential and only by deep meditation as to the meaning of this higher level of human consciousness that one may really get the full meaning and true of joy of living. It is very clear to me now that living a life of purpose is the highest level of enlightenment; a place of meaning and true happiness. Since I was exposed to this three levels of enlightenment, it has been imprinted in my subconscious mind screen and has continued to remain a part of my higher self.

ii. There are no limits

This is a call to consciousness as the only limits that truly exist are the limits we place upon ourselves as a result of our thoughts and believes. Humans are called to embrace imaginations more than knowledge. According to Albert Einstein, ‘imagination is more important than knowledge’. The reason being that, knowledge is limited, while imagination is infinite; it encircles the world. It is a more divine way to think and that has influenced my world view about life generally.

iii. The Spiritual utilizes multi-dimensional thinking

The sort of thinking that goes beyond logic and transcends the five human senses is the kind of thinking that is done is the assumption of no obstacles; imagination that is devoid of limitations of all sorts. A spiritual person always believe that everything is possible because there is a universal believe that the obstacles we see in life are those we create ourselves in our minds. So, this kind of thinking is the one without human boundaries. And this is very encouraged. We sometimes unconsciously experience this kind of thinking when we become suddenly still and our minds wander into the ecstasy of the end results of our goals. Also, this can be done consciously too through deliberate meditation practice which is a very good spiritual exercise too. Since I read about this, I have instead tried to practice the conscious meditation practice so that I can think and analyze things or issues within what Wayne W. Dyer described as “circle of truth”. If we are mindful about meditations and our clearest thoughts, we receive answers to our daily life challenges as part of our daily experience of miracles.

iv. A Spiritual being practices meditation

Meditation is a good spiritual exercise that relaxes the whole physical body, mind and spirit. With good meditation, one becomes more organized and receptive to divine guidance in this chaotic world filled with problems everywhere, most of which results from us as humans because of things we either do or fail to do. Meditation also helps us to reach our goals faster, because a very good meditation exercise or session helps attract our desires to ourselves; organizes the universe, people, events and circumstances that will help us reach or attain or attract our desires to ourselves. The good thing about a good meditation is that, it can be practiced anywhere and at almost any time. It is simply the state of becoming aware of ourselves and going within consciously. It has a lot of advantages: it reduces stress by relaxing our bodies, mind and spirit; it takes us to higher consciousness or awareness and launches us into the realm of infinite intelligence where we can experience God at work; and to help us experience the universal law of attraction in our lives. When I started practicing meditation, I recorded tremendous level of organization of my daily activities and accomplished more in less time as compared to before.

v. A spiritual being believes in being able to manifest miracles

The belief alone that one can experience miracles in his daily life is all one needs to live a life of real magic and actively participate in the world of possibilities. It is indeed a spiritual exercise or practice to ‘believe’ that one can manifest miracles in his daily life. The non-spiritual being would not transcend the limitations of his mind. He judges the events and happenings around based on the limitations of his thoughts and his current challenges in life. Meanwhile, a spiritual being goes beyond that and launches him or herself in the world or realm of possibilities. This would, no doubt, encourage him to take actions based on his new awareness and assurance he has experienced in his mind and eventually those desires start showing up one by one. The book has helped me to be enlightened as to the real meaning of miracles and reinforced my consciousness as to the manifestation of miracles in my daily life.

vi. To practice a life without a focus on control

I believe that creativity comes from this kind of lifestyle. Where you don’t always seek to control the order which something or a task has to be done. When you’re always the one setting the rules, orders or procedures, it dampens the team spirit and weakens creativity. Also most conflicts arise from a need to control someone or to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong. Little wonder, the author said, ‘if you can give the need to control as well as the need to be right just once in your own private practice session, then you will be able to empower another person in a unique way. Giving up the need to dominate is at the core of being a spiritual person. Replace the search for external power with genuine authentic power, which is the ability to empower others to take control in their own lives.’ As a teacher, when I tried using this approach with some of my students, the outcome was awesome; I even learnt other and better ways to solve certain problems. Of particular mention, it was a Further Mathematics class on Binomial expansion; I tried guiding a student of mine to study and give me his interpretations about what the subject matter is all about, and after his studies, the feedback was mind blowing. I, the teacher, had to learn other better ways too, to explain the concepts to other learners with relative ease. This is the reason why I support creative lifestyle, where people are not always shown the rules or order to accomplish something that could be done in multiple ways, but to allow them also to exert their creativity by showing them the goals and giving them just clues and allowing them to try for themselves. This is a big lesson to me and “a plus” to me as a teacher and mentor to younger ones to believe in themselves.

vii. To rid yourself of a preoccupation with valueless things

A rethink of my attitude about my possessions; my attachments to material things began to dwindle progressively anytime I consciously thought that those material possessions count for nothing compared to the reason why I am here; my purpose on earth. Instead, I learnt to start concentrating on things of greater value to humanity; my values, my ideals, my loved ones and my thinking changed. I started prioritizing my priorities based on what I think and believe and not on what I own. I started detaching myself from those possessions, and try to get my life on purpose, by making the daily thoughts and actions of my life work towards that which matters to me in the truest sense because I am here for a reason and as such I am not to hoard a lot of physical stuff since I came here without any of it. The author then wrote these encouraging words, “stay on purpose and you will find yourself automatically shifting to a spiritual focus in your life.” When I read this, it really revolutionized my mind, and now I pay more attention in thoughts and actions to my purpose here on earth rather than attachment to material possessions.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The ideas or lessons learnt so far from the book “Real Magic” really revolutionized my life; in terms of my thoughts and actions; I seem to be more spiritual and purposeful than how it was before I read this book. I have a transcended view of every issue because I always look beyond how things are now, but focus on how things can be. Funny enough, this way of thinking and mindset eventually becomes my reality. Things thought otherwise to be impossible become very possible because of my belief in possibilities and meditation for solutions as a spiritual being. The lesson learned from this book have made me to pay less attention to worries, but instead focus on my purpose and give all my energy to it until someday, how somehow, and by some form of unseen forces see my goals and desires manifest magically in ways I can truly describe as real magic.
Little wonder, in the last quarter of 2019 when I checked my life, I saw a litany of unsolved problems or better still, challenges, I became worried. Then I picked up this wonderful book at that time, because I needed encouragement at that time. But after reading a few pages of this wonderful epic book, I started experiencing mind transformation. I then, wrote down all what I really wanted to accomplish before the year runs out. I started thinking deeply on how these goals can come through. But by believing and taking positive actions as a result of the lessons learnt and inspiration drawn from this book, I started seeing results little by little. As at the time of this report, I have accomplished over 70% of my goals for the year. And with this renewed zeal, I believe the percentage will increase tremendously before the end of the year.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

It is a Zen proverb which reveals that, when you are truly determined in your own mind to experience real magic and to live each day at purpose, you will be shown how to make it happen. The author went further to explain the meaning of the four components of this Zen proverb: student, ready, teacher and appear. To be a student is to stay open and willing to learn from everyone and anyone. Being a student means you have room for new input. When you are green you grow, when you are ripe you rot. By staying green you will avoid the curse of being an expert. This is to be aware in your heart that, every single person you encounter in your lifetime has something to teach you, you are able to utilize their offerings in a profound way. The ability to create real magic involves first of all being a student of life. To be ready, is to be a willing student. Your level of readiness to grow and become your own miracle worker is simply a state of mind. As a student, you know that everyone and everything is in some way your teacher. As a student, who is ready, you are eager for what it is that everyone and everything has to offer you. The teacher is everywhere. The assistance you need will be provided by the universe as soon as you convert your readiness to willingness. Once you are willing you will find teachers in every niche of your life. Finally, the appearance of the teacher is in everything and everyone you encounter; there are no accidents. The universe is on purpose. The teacher might be an experienced soul who is ready to assist and guide you to the miracles you seek. Teachers appear in various forms: your teacher might be a tape that someone “accidentally” play at just the right time; your teacher might be a book or an article that a friend recommends; it might as well be your unplanned attendance at a lecture or a church service to which someone gave you their ticket because he or she had to be out of town and the message of the speaker seems to be directed specifically at you; your teacher might be invisible and show up as a thought that comes over you in a quiet, contemplative moment and encourages you to go in a certain direction now. Therefore, the appearance of the teacher is everywhere, and without the teacher you will find yourself floundering. Once you genuinely feel yourself open enough to experience your own purpose for being here, and you have opened yourself up to receiving whatever divine assistance you may require by being a willing student, you will be ready to believe in your own capacity for becoming your very own miracle worker. These are the things I experience almost every time I decide upon myself to achieve certain goals within a specific time frame. I find people, thoughts, events and circumstances rearranging themselves in favor of my goals as if a divine assistance extending helps to me in various unplanned and unimaginable ways. The key thing here is willingness and deep meditation and conviction that your goals or purpose must be realized within a certain time limit. Once I focused my energy and dwell in the goals all the time, clues were always dropped as to how it can be achieved.

“You can Go Beyond Logic.”

Although you may not be completely comfortable relying on something other than logic and rational thinking, try to let in the idea that there is another dimension that is very much a part of you, which has nothing to do with logic or scientific validation you have never seen, touched, smelled or physically felt a thought or a dream or a feeling, yet you know they exist. There is no rational proof for the existence of intuition, yet you know that it exists within you. Until a few years ago there was no physical proof for the presence of microscopic life, yet it existed. And so it is with a portion of your humanity that I call your soul. While we haven’t come up with a “soulscope” to rationally prove its existence, we have, nevertheless, an inkling that such a dimension persists as part of our humanness. There are some who will never believe it unless they see it. Others will see it because they believe it. Beyond the physical part of ourselves, there is a spiritual part beyond the scope and boundaries of our physical universe. Miracles cannot be understood by the rational mind; they defy logic. Since, the spiritual being believes that there is the existence of soul as part of our humanity. The soul does not conform to any of the boundaries or laws that have been assigned to it. It is dimensionless, formless and invisible. Even writing about it is very difficult because sentences must come to an end, while the soul is endless. We all have the capacity to create miracles and live a life of real magic, by using your invisible self to influence your physical reality. Becoming a spiritual person involves being able to touch your invisible self and know that it Is the secret to your ultimate ability to become a miracle maker. The inner formless self is your imagination. Albert Einstein, who combined the qualities of both poet and scientist, summed it all up nicely: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” When you examine the lives of the most influential people ever among us, you discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first with their spiritual nature then with their physical selves. The author went further to say, rather than conducting your life according to someone else’s rules; try having an “ethics day” for yourself. Base all your behavior including your eating, dressing, working, home life, everything that you do on that day; on ethics rather than rules. Ask yourself what is the moral, purposeful, loving thing to do, not what the rules are. In this way you will shift your consciousness away from outcome and towards purpose. Keep in mind that some of the most despicable human behavior has been conducted in the name of “I’m only following the laws.” Get yourself away from the rules and live ethically, regardless of what the rules have to say.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time – tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No exercises.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me the whole thing I read I understood and it was very plain to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Success through a Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“How to motivate yourself and others towards achieving your goals with a positive mental attitude” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. You are what you think

There are certain mental cobwebs that clutter up the thinking of almost everyone, even the most brilliant minds. Negative feelings, emotions, passions, habits, beliefs, and prejudices. Our thoughts become entangled in these webs. Hence, how then do we attain success through accurate thinking? To think accurately therefore, one must use reason. The science of reasoning or accurate thinking is called logic. However, we don’t act from reason alone. And action based on common sense is the result of more than just reason. It depends upon habits of thought and action, intuitions, experiences, and other influences such as tendencies and environment. One of the cobwebs of our thinking is to assume that we act from reason alone when in reality every conscious act is the result of doing what we want to do. We make decisions. There is a tendency, when reasoning, to draw conclusions favorable to the strong inner urges of our subconscious mind. And this tendency exists in everyone. Therefore, emotion and reason should be in balance in everyone’s life. Neither should always hold the controlling hand. So, sometimes it is good to do what you want to do instead of what reason fears. One therefore has to think accurately by marrying logical reasoning with our non-logical emotions and intuitions. At times, when we know exactly what we what, we need to employ persuasion. The author wrote that “persuasive individuals seem to have the ability to get what they want” as Socrates employed persuasion as a tool to woo Xanthippe to marry him. Hence, accurate thinking is not supposed to be finite after attaining your set goal as negligence is a mental cobweb that can retrogress or even prevent one from attaining success. I have learnt not to be too fast in making hasty decisions concerning my choice of my life path as it concerns relationship, business, and so on. I tried to employ accurate thinking by using logic and intuition so that I wouldn’t regret my decision.

ii. Necessity is the mother of invention and the father of crime.

Necessity is the one word that, when used with PMA, motivates a person to honorable achievement. When used with NMA, it becomes the excuse for lies, deception, and fraud. Inviolable standards of integrity are fundamental to all worthwhile achievement and are an integral part of PMA. What is important is that necessity motivates a man with PMA to action without transgressing recognized inviolable standards. An honest man won’t deceive, cheat, or steal because of necessity. Honesty is inherent in PMA. When you think about it for a while, you will see that the strongest cobweb spun by NMA is the cobweb of inertia. Inertia causes you to do nothing; or, if you are moving in the wrong direction, keeps you from resisting or stopping. Ignorance is the result of inertia. That which seems logical to the person who is ignorant of the facts or know-how may be illogical to the man who does know. When you make decisions because you refuse to keep an open mind and learn the truth that is ignorance. And NMA keeps alive and grows fat on ignorance.

iii. A shortcut to riches: Think with PMA and Grow Rich!

For if one really thinks with PMA, one will automatically follow through with action, and then s/he will employ the PMA principles expressed in this book. These principles include: (i) A positive mental attitude, (ii) definiteness of purpose, (iii) going the extra mile, (iv) accurate thinking, (v) self-discipline, (vi) the master mind, (vii) applied faith, (viii) a pleasing personality, (ix) personal initiative, (x) enthusiasm, (xi) controlled attention, (xii) teamwork, (xiii) learning from defeat, (xiv) creative vision, (xv) budgeting time and money, (xvi) maintaining sound physical and mental health, and (xvii) using cosmic habit force. These principles will help one to achieve any goal that doesn’t violate the laws of God or the rights of our fellow men. Therefore, to take the most direct route, one must necessarily think with PMA and invariably, a positive mental attitude results from the application of these success principles. I have also reinforced my belief that, it is in quiet or silence that our best ideas occur to us. Don’t make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing around you are being your most effective and efficient self. As a guide, I have also learnt that, my thinking, study and planning sessions need not be too lengthy. If you invest only one percent of your time in a study, thinking, and planning session it will make an amazing difference in the speed with which you reach your goals. I have also learnt that, since a day has 1,440 minutes in it, investing one percent of that time in a study, thinking, and planning session will surprise me at what those fourteen minutes will do for me. By developing this habit, one will receive constructive ideas almost any time or anywhere one might be: while doing the dishes, or riding the bus, or while taking a bath. Thus penning down our goals has a miraculous advantage to our creativity and achieving the goals. It is a common knowledge that, the burden of learning is upon the person who wants to learn. If one wants to learn how s/he can achieve anything in life that doesn’t violate the laws of God or the rights of his fellow men, now is the time to begin to study and learn the concepts that can teach you how to achieve your goals. By studying and applying the principles contained in Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, one can achieve true success with a great sense of fulfillment.

iv. The secrets to getting things done is, “Do It Now!”

As long as one lives, when the suggestion, Do It Now!, flashes from your subconscious to your conscious mind to do that which you ought to do, immediately follow through with desirable action. It’s a habit that will make you an outstanding achiever. I would to say from experience that clarity has been the greatest motivator to the secrets to getting things done. One cannot start acting immediately if s/he is not clear on what s/he should act on. I have been in this place several time and the statement, DO IT NOW has once again come to consciousness as I read about it again.

v. That which you share with others will multiply and that which you withhold will diminish!

As one shares knowledge, ideas or even money and other values, the universe has a way of multiplying that which you give away for him or her. Hence, the saying, “to give is to live”. I love the statement, and again, it is a reminder of what I already know before.

vi. Anything in life worth having is worth working for.

This powerful statement made by Andrew Carnegie continued to strike my mind right from when I encountered it and has remained with me for continuous meditation and application to real world challenges. This is a serious call work. The statement emphasizes that there is dignity in labor. This intrinsic mindset is a prosperity mindset.

vii. To be energetic, act energetically!

This statement is psychological. Anything we do get better with use. No matter how weak one might seem, if we fake acting energetically, we will definitely be energetic. Hence, the saying, “fake it until you make it.” Sometimes, in life, we need to kick start or motivate ourselves to success on our own. The statement makes a lot of meaning to me.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

A thought of the positive mindset awakening alone I have been able to consciously acquire in my daily life is enough to reassure me that I am a success already. The book has been very helpful to me as I reflect on the principles contained in this book on how to achieve abundance in every facet of my life. It is a mind-blowing and reforming book that everyone that is conscious about success through a positive mental attitude should read. It builds the mind to accept divinity and to encourage creative work in the physical plane. I am indeed a new being by accessing the timeless knowledge and truths in this book.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Every day in every way, through the grace of God, I am getting better and better.”

I tried to personalize this statement for myself everyday upon awakening and again before going to bed. This is a way of putting PMA forces to work for me. I am using the force which attracts the better things of life. Good health, finance, happiness and all the good things of life can be attracted to us from this simple prayer and mind programming. So, it got my attention and it is now a part of my morning and night rituals before awakening and retiring to bed respectively. Happiness is a decision. One of the surest ways according to the author (and I agree) to find happiness for yourself is to devote your energies toward making someone else happy. Happiness is an elusive, transitory thing. And if you set out to search for it, you will find it evasive. But if you try to bring happiness to someone else, then it comes to you. Therefore, you are a happy person during a period when you predominantly experience that positive state of mind in which you are happy combined with that neutral state of mind in which you are not unhappy. Hence, since happiness is controllable, then it is a choice.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time–tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me as I reflect and complete them.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me the whole thing I read I understood and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

Goals
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“How to reach your goals faster” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. The greatest enemies of success and happiness are negative emotions, of all kinds: The author explains that, It is negative emotions that hold us down, tire us out and take away all our joy in life.

It is negative emotions, from the beginning of time, that have done more harm to individuals and societies than all the plagues of history. One of your most important goals, if you want to be truly happy and successful, is to free yourself from negative emotions, and fortunately, this can be done, if you learn how. The negative emotions of fear, self-pity, envy, jealousy, feelings of inferiority, and ultimately anger, are mostly caused by four factors: (i) Justification-justifying to yourself and others why you need to be angry or negative; (ii) Rationalization and making excuses when you rationalize, you attempt to give a “socially acceptable explanation for an otherwise socially unacceptable act.” (iii) To rise above the opinions of others – The third cause of negative emotions is an over concern or hypersensitivity to the way other people treat us; for some people, their entire self-image is determined by the way other people speak to them, talk to them or about them, or even look at them. (iv) No one else is responsible attitude. The fourth cause of negative emotions, and the worst of all, is blaming. Once you identify and remove these factors from your thinking, your negative emotions stop automatically. When your negative emotions stop, the positive emotions of love, peace, joy and enthusiasm flow in to replace them, and your whole life changes for the better, sometimes in a matter of minutes, or even seconds. When I read through these, I resolved not to make blame others and make excuses for my setbacks or ugly situations in life, but to accept full responsibilities for my life.

ii. The antidote for negative emotions of all kinds is for you to accept complete responsibility for your situation.

You cannot say the words, “I am responsible!” and still feel angry. The very act of accepting responsibility short-circuits and cancels out any negative emotions you may be experiencing. It is only when you free yourself from negative emotions, by taking complete responsibility that you can begin to set and achieve goals in every area of your life. It is only when you are free, mentally and emotionally, that you can begin to channel your energies and enthusiasms in a forward direction. This is why, without the acceptance of complete personal responsibility, no progress is possible. On the other hand, once you accept total responsibility for your life, there are no limits on what you can be, do and have. This idea caught my attention I really want to be happy and achieve my goals.

iii. Control your emotions.

To keep your mind positive, refuse to criticize, complain about or condemn other people for anything. Every time you criticize someone else, complain about something you don’t like, or condemn someone else for something that they have done or not done, you trigger feelings of negativity and anger within yourself. And you are the one who suffers. Your negativity doesn’t affect the other person at all. Being angry with someone is allowing him or her to control your emotions, and often the entire quality of your life, at long distance. This is just plain silly. As Gary Zukacs says in his book, Seat of the Soul, Positive emotions empower; negative emotions dis-empower. Positive emotions of happiness, excitement, love and enthusiasm make you feel more powerful and confident. Negative emotions of anger, hurt or blame weaken you and make you hostile, irritable and unpleasant to be around. Once you decide to accept complete responsibility for yourself, your situation, and for everything that happens to you, you can turn confidently toward your work and the affairs of your life. You become “the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.” I am still struggling to master my emotions and have total control over it, if possible. Since this is highly committed to goal achievement, I am left with no option other than to learn and perfect emotional control and succeed in life in every area.

iv. As within, so without

You can always tell how a person thinks, most of the time, by looking at the conditions of their outer lives. A positive, optimistic, goal and future oriented person on the inside will enjoy a happy, successful and prosperous life on the outside, most of the time. Aristotle said that, the ultimate aim or purpose of human life is to achieve your own happiness. You are the very happiest when what you are doing on the outside is congruent with your values on the inside. When you are living in complete alignment with what you consider to be good and right and true, you will automatically feel happy and positive about yourself and your world. Your goals must be congruent with your values, and your values must be congruent with your goals. This is why clarifying your values is often the starting point to high achievement and peak performance. Values clarification requires that you think through what is really important to you in life. You then organize your entire life around these values. Any attempt to live on the outside in a manner that contradicts the values you hold on the inside will cause you stress, negativity, unhappiness, pessimism and even anger and frustration. Your chief responsibility to yourself in the creation of a great life is therefore for you to develop absolute clarity about your values in everything you do. Complete happiness and success is my goal, so the idea makes a lot sense to me.

v. “Know what you really want.”

Stephen Covey once said, “Be sure that, as you scramble up the ladder of success, it is leaning against the right building.” Carly Simon once sang a famous line, “Is this all there is?” Many people work hard on the outside to achieve goals that they think they want, only to find, at the end of the day, that they get no joy or satisfaction from their accomplishments. This occurs when the outer accomplishment is not in harmony with your inner values. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

This applies to your values as much as to any other area of your life. Values clarification is something you do on a “go-forward” basis. Clarity makes our dreams become our realities. You continually stop the clock, like a time out in a football game, and ask, “What are my values in this area?”

In the Bible it says, “What does it benefit a man if he achieves the whole world but loses his own soul?”

The happiest people in the world today are those who are living in harmony with their innermost convictions and values. The unhappiest people are those who are attempting to live incongruent with what they truly value and believe. I used to be a victim of reaching my goals sometimes, but still feel unhappy. I am happy today I know why, and have resolved to harmonize my inner convictions and values with my goals I want to accomplish.

vi. Trust your intuition.

Self-trust is the foundation of greatness. Self-trust comes from listening to your intuition, to your “still, small voice” within. Men and women begin to become great when they begin to listen to their inner voices, and absolutely trust that they are being guided by a higher power, each step of the way. Living in alignment with your true values is the royal road to self-confidence, self-respect and personal pride. In fact, almost every human problem can be resolved by returning to values. Whenever you experience stress of any kind, look into yourself and ask, “In what way am I compromising my innermost values in this situation?” I have also resolved to make my intuition my best friend as I journey through life.

vii. “Your aim should be to deliberately and systematically create the circumstances that raise your self-esteem in everything you do.”

Your level of self-esteem, in psychology, determines your level of happiness. The author defines Self-esteem as: “How much you like yourself.” Your self-esteem, in turn, is determined by your self-image and your self-image is shaped by your self-ideal. Your self-ideal is made up of the virtues, values, goals, hopes, dreams and aspirations that you have for yourself sometime in the future. For example, in the school where I teach, when I was complimented by my principal for composing the school anthem in a meeting of the members of staff and students, my self-esteem went up dramatically. I felt really happy about myself. I felt that my whole life is in harmony and that I am living in congruence with the highest ideals I have for the school. I felt successful and really valuable. Hence, it is a reminder and encouragement for me to live my life as if I were already the outstanding person I intend to be sometime in the future.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I am so fascinated with the concept of goals and goal setting, that I can’t wait but to read all the books in my level two studies. This topic of “goals” has been so dear to me over the years and Brian Tracy is one of my mentors. In realizing that, I am what I think about most of the time, I became more conscious on thinking about my values such as integrity, hard work, creativity, cooperation, initiative, ambition and good human relations, and how I can live and practice those values in every part of my life, every single day as I journey towards my goals. I have realized over time from personal reflection that, the big payoff is that, the more I live my life consistent with my values, the happier, healthier, more positive and energetic I am. Thus, this is a wake-up call to consciously harmonize my most thoughts to my values and what I believe, as all successful people do. The a portion of the book, “Identify Your Special Talents” caught my attention so greatly because when I was growing up I was faced with the crisis of accurately identifying where I should focus my youthful energy to, and when I ask many people same question, I got many ambiguous answers. I then knew that, I wasn’t the only one that was unclear about my vision at first. This book has clearly given me answers to the many questions bothering the younger generation today, “identifying their special talents and vision in life.” Indeed, this book is an answer to some the questions troubling the younger generations. This knowledge kept me thinking that, when I eventually get married and start raising children, I would not be fair to them if I don’t register them in this leadership school (IIGL) or at least avail them the opportunity to read this book.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Write down your goals, make plans to achieve them, and work on your plans every single day.”

In one of the author’s statements, sales trainer Tom Hopkins says, “Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.” Writing down your goals suggests purposefulness, definiteness, commitment and clarity. Clarity is one the favorite words, I learnt a long time from the author, Brian Tracy, many years ago because I have always been his student. There is a direct relationship between the level of clarity about who you are and what you want, and virtually everything you accomplish in life. This is how important clarity about your goals and the plans to achieve them every single day is. Every time you complete a task of any kind, your brain releases a small quantity of endorphins. This natural morphine gives one a sense of well-being and elation. It makes one feel happy and peaceful. It stimulates one’s creativity and improves his/her personality. It is nature’s “wonder drug.” Over time, one can develop a positive addiction to the feelings of well being that you receive from this “endorphin rush.” I have always practiced writing down my goals and making plans to achieve them, but my greatest challenge has been to follow through every single day. So to me, it is a wakeup call to rise up and follow through my plans on a daily basis since I am interested in success.

“Success is goals, and all else is commentary.”

The author tried to validate this statement in his introductory speech, “In my talks, seminars and consulting, I have worked with more than two million people all around the world. I have found, over and over, that an average person with clear goals will run circles around a genius who is not sure what he or she really wants.” He presents a simple definition of success based on his many years of experience as a success oriented person and mentor. He pointed out that, all successful people are intensely goal oriented. They know what they want and they are focused single mindedly on achieving it, every single day. Your ability to set goals is the master skill of success. Goals unlock your positive mind and release ideas and energy for goal attainment. Without goals, you simply drift and flow on the currents of life. With goals, you fly like an arrow, straight and true to your target. One of the easy, yet powerful concepts I grabbed is that, success is goals. I have also learned that, there are no limits to what I can accomplish except for the limits I place on your own imagination. And since there are no limits to what I can imagine, there are no limits to what I can achieve. These words are more real in my experience and consciousness today than it is many years ago.

“Happiness requires goals.”

“Happiness is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal or goal.”

You only feel truly happy when you are making progress, step-by-step, toward something that is important to you. Victor Frankl, the founder of Logotherapy, wrote that the greatest need of the human being is for a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Goals give you a sense of meaning and purpose. Goals give you a sense of direction. Goals enable you to instill meaning and purpose into everything you do. One of the most important teachings of Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, was that man is a teleological organism. The word “teleos” in Greek means goals. What Aristotle concluded was that all human action is purposeful in some way. You are only happy when you are doing something that is moving you toward something that you want. For me, since living a happy life is as important as living a fulfilled life itself, it is very clear that happiness requires goals. Another important observation from Aristotle was his conclusion that the ultimate purpose of all human action is the achievement of personal happiness. Whatever you do, he said, is aimed at increasing your happiness in some way. You may or may not be successful in achieving happiness, but your happiness is always your ultimate aim.

“Everything in life and business is relationships.”

Everything you accomplish or fail to accomplish will be bound up with other people in some way. Our ability to form the right relationships, with the right people, at every stage of our lives and career, is the critical determinant of our success and achievement and will have an inordinate impact on how quickly we achieve our goals. I have realized this earlier in my life’s journey and I have experienced and benefitted a lot from positive healthy relationships with other people. The more people you know, and who know you in a positive way, the more successful you will be at anything you attempt. One person, at the right time, in the right place, can open a door for you that can change your life and save you years of hard work.

“Whatever is impressed, is expressed.”

The author stated that this is one of the important mental laws ever. Whatever you impress deeply into your subconscious mind will eventually be expressed in your external world. My aim in mental programming is to impress my goals deeply into my subconscious mind so that they “lock in” and take on a power of their own. The amazing thing is that, according to the author, the law of super conscious activity takes over the goal.

This, according to the author, is one of the most important mental laws ever discovered and it states: “Any thought, plan, goal or idea held continuously in the conscious mind must inevitably be brought into reality by the super conscious mind.” And this super conscious mind is our intuition and such was what the Greek scientist, Archimedes, assessed when he had a super conscious flash of inspiration about the displacement of objects while sitting in his bath and shouted “Eureka!” (“I have found it!”).

If everything that I do to program my subconscious mind with unshakeable conviction of success will help me achieve my goals faster, then this is the single most important motivation I need right now. Funny enough, for someone that is hungry to achieve his goals, the method for mental programming is simple and the summary is: take a sheet of paper, write and rewrite your goals first thing in the morning, before you start off; and last thing in the evening, before you go to bed; on a daily basis using affirmative statements in the present tense with specific deadlines. Then you activate your subconscious mind to work 24 hours on the goals, and ideas, circumstances, events and people will show up to help you activate and accomplish your goals. Finally, what I learnt about the super conscious mind and how to activate it are: First, single minded concentration on my goal on daily basis by thinking about, talking about, writing, rewriting and reviewing my goal every single day; and second, to relax completely and getting the mind busy elsewhere; were mind-blowing. The whole knowledge about using the super conscious mind effectively is centered on “zero based thinking” on every aspect of our life goals. When I got this timeless principle, I became ever grateful to IIGL for availing me the opportunity to assess this great idea about the concept of the super conscious mind from this book and this book will forever remain a reference book for me.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book, “Goals” by Brian Tracy, are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time-tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me as I reflected on, and completed them thoroughly.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

Goal Setting 101
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“The fundamentals of setting and achieving a goal” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Study the anatomy of a goal
The author explains that, three collaborators are involved with every goal: the what, the why, and the how. The “what” is the goal, which provides direction; the “why” is the set of personal benefits, which provides fuel to reach the goal; and the “how” is the map that provides the mile markers for achievement. It is quite awakening knowing these three anatomies of a goal. There has always been confusion about these three to me in the past, but not anymore, as they are supposed to be part of my conscious considerations when drafting out my goals.
ii. Accept Your Power of Choice
The power of choice is our birthright. Every moment offers one a choice and every choice counts. There are no insignificant choices, no neutral actions. Even the smallest gesture has a consequence of leading someone toward or away from his/her goals. Since success is the intentional, pre-meditated use of choice and decision, unless one chooses, with certainty, what it is s/he wants, one will just accept table scraps by default! We are born with great capabilities, but we will not achieve our potential until we call upon ourselves to fulfill it. We may rise to the occasion when it presents itself, but to assure self-fulfillment, we must provide occasions to rise to. Clearly defined goals allow us to travel toward another horizon that represents the end of one experience and the transition to a new and better existence. Our objective is to choose the right goals, and then to create the necessary causes – the effects will follow. The difference between what one person and another achieves depends more on goal choices than on abilities. The profound differences between successful people and others are the goals they choose to pursue. Individuals with similar talents, intelligence, and abilities will achieve different results because they select and pursue different goals. This is a call to carefulness about the choices I make. As my choices can make or mar my life’s vision reasonably. However, the author emphasized that one should not be too careful not to make a choice at all and encouraged me to go ahead and make my choice by stating that, “No decision is difficult to make… if you get all the facts!”
iii. Respect Reality-Face the Facts!
Reality is the way things actually are. It is essential to understand that reality isn’t necessarily going to be the way you wish things to be or the way they seem. Whether or not you think that information is irrelevant, the quality and integrity of information is what counts. True and accurate information is essential to one’s success. During my reflection on this subject matter, it dawned on me that, it is only by accurate thinking that is based on logic alone, that one can discern reality. And facing reality is a key part of my journey to success. The truth will prevail, one way or another and usually sooner rather than later, therefore is better to face facts at the planning phase, and to convince others to do the same. This is not for the sake of building character or maintaining mortality as the author rightly pointed out, but it is a matter of survival. Thus, it is important to face the reality of our daily lives because whether or not we face it, truth will always create consequences.
iv. Be Authentic
You must be able to identify success or you won’t have any way of monitoring your progress or knowing if you have achieved your goals. A deep reflection on this statement struck a chord with me; a realization that we are unique and our goals are supposed to be personal and should not bother on competition with that of others is what one should constantly remind oneself about in order to enjoy the success journey to our visions in life. It’s all about ownership and authenticity. If a goal is truly my own, I will take pride in it. If it is a watered-down, hand-me-down from someone else’s vision, I will forever experience a value conflict.
v. Never stop planning
The author awakens me to how often I must plan. He stated that, planning must be done, analyzed, re-planned, and done again. Most people plan on an annual basis, but there is nothing sacred about this time. He went ahead to state the things that trigger immediate review and possible re-planning as: (i) an action by a competitor, (ii) a major change in the marketplace, (iii) loss of any type, (iv) a new and unexpected threat from the economy, (v) financial struggles, (vi) current strategies that aren’t working, (vii) a change in personal needs, and (viii) maturity-seeing things from a different point of view. Hence, because of these numerous obvious reasons, I must be ever ready to review my plans and if possible re-plan to enable me accomplish my goals despite the ever changing uncertainties I encounter on my journey to a successful goal attainment.
vi. Write down your goals
We increase the probability of achieving a goal when it is written down. Writing something down is the first step toward achieving it. There’s something about putting something down on paper that forces one to get down to specifics. It’s harder to deceive yourself or anyone else when your idea is exposed on paper. The author has admonished me, the reader, that I shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking I can keep my goals in my head. For goal setting to have any value, goals must be written down. Only by writing each step can I see where I am going. Similarly, writing down my goals also enables me to look back to determine if I have done what I planned to do or not. Meaning it helps me to monitor my progress on my journey to goal attainment.
vii. Execute your way to success
For me, at this time, when I have already spent three years in my Ph.D program, but with nothing much to show for these years, this statement seems to be the best thing I have read and reflected about from this book. Though, the delay is due to financial struggles that consume most of my time and so leaving me with less time for a thorough Ph.D research. As the author pointed out, action is the conduit through which advancement flows and the 12 keys were mentioned to help one implement his/her plans: (i) act like a leader; (ii) practice speed, simplicity, and boldness; (iii) only results matter; (iv) go the extra mile; (v) always set a deadline; (vi) implement now-perfect later; (vii) Focus! Focus! Focus!; (viii) accent execution-go forward; (ix) keep moving; (x) remain flexible; (xi) be unreasonable; and (xii) watch your language. The reflection of the explanations of these points from the book has rekindled my resolve to face the greatest challenge in my life to struggle through financial challenge and finish my Ph.D program. This book is timely as this is what I need at this point to encourage or motivate me towards my goal attainment. This book serves as an answered prayer to the motivation I need to continue with my program. It simply reminds me of a statement made by Wayne W. Dyer in his book, “Real magic”, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The ideas are already helping me to gain motivation to continue, and the reassurance that, I can still pursue my academic goals as I struggle to succeed financially also. With this, I have already started doing a very deep reflection on the way forward to attaining my goals. For me, the drive has been rekindled, through the careful and logical presentation of the ideas in this small but great book. I am now fully aware of the fundamentals of goal setting and accomplishment.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Make Everything Count.”
From experience, my self-knowledge grows as I subject my life to examination. Listening to my own speech, reflecting on my own thoughts, looking at my own actions – these are the processes by which I master myself. We shape our philosophies and ourselves by observing and striving to understand the events of each moment. A focus on virtues to attain and vices to forego is crucial. The pursuit of goals is compelling and each step offers an opportunity for growth, learning, and self-improvement. “Everything Counts!” is a philosophy for living. Its meaning is simple, yet powerful: Every thought, decision, and action moves you closer to or further from your goals. Just as chess has its rules, so does the game of life. And while knowing a game’s rules does not guarantee that you’ll win every match, disregarding the rules makes playing the game difficult and winning impossible. The examined life is the one worth living. Thus, I have resolved to the best of my ability to make everything count!

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

None.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me as I reflected on and completed them.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because to me the whole thing I read I understood and it was very clear to me.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Leadership for Dummies
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“How to develop key successful leadership skills in order to achieve a goal” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Building your leadership muscles

I sometimes wonder why some persons seem to become leaders naturally and effortlessly, whereas others don’t. In chapters 1 and 2 of the book, leadership is situational, not hereditary. I am glad the author has cleared the air for me in this matter that, people who work diligently to develop an ability (leadership) often end up better than those who just “get by” on their natural abilities. To me, building your leadership muscles requires that one consciously develop the ten leadership traits in his or her everyday life. These traits include: (i) putting your brain to work by: using what you have, responding to situations flexibly, taking advantage of fortuitous circumstances, making sense of ambiguous or contradictory messages, ranking the importance of different elements, finding similarities in apparently different situations, drawing distinctions between seemingly similar situations, putting concepts together in new ways, and coming up with novel ideas; (ii) Communicating effectively by obeying the following building blocks which include: speaking begins with listening, and eliciting the cooperation of others; (iii) Driving yourself; (iv) Developing a sense of urgency; (v) Being honest and searching for the truth; (vi) Displaying good judgment; (vii) Being dependable and consistent; (viii) Creating an atmosphere of trust; (ix) Encouraging a learning environment; and (x) Looking for common ground. A deep reflection on these ten leadership traits in everyday life puts me in a position of continuous self examination of my actions and inactions as well as those of other leaders around me as I become conscious of these traits.

ii. The Responsibilities of a leader.

The author wrote and I agree that, the central responsibility of a leader is to provide the climate necessary for creating growth and success. You can do many things as a leader, but ultimately, if your group’s mission isn’t successful and you don’t manage to grow something – whether it’s the skill and knowledge in a group of kids you’re mentoring or the profits of a major enterprise – then you have failed in your most basic responsibilities as a leader. Defining the central responsibility of leader is simple. But for your group to be success and to accomplish growth of some sort, you’ll have to do a lot of other things along the way. Things like: developing a vision, coming up with a plan, working toward goals, building a strong team, figuring out what your team needs – and giving it to them, as well as getting people to follow through with their responsibilities.

iii. The axioms of leadership

This section centers on: (i) what leaders do and how they do it. What leaders do could be summarized with the following points: leaders provide a check and balance on managers; they use common sense; they hang their goals on the wall; they make a contract with their team; they keep the task simple and obvious; leaders focus on people, not on systems; they take the long view; they break goals down to a manageable size; leaders never miss an opportunity to rethink; leaders ensure enterprise stands on its own; they renovate before they innovate; they ensure that continuous improvement isn’t just for products. Finally, (ii) how leaders do what they do is based on the following points: timing is everything, and leaders focus on vision and goals. However, what caught me was the difference between leadership and management as these concepts was so a confusion to me. I have learnt that, leadership sets the style and tone for achieving a vision and motivates people to sacrifice for the attainment of the vision. While management is the tactical process of executing and achieving the mission; management’s concerns lie with the details and the day-to-day grind without which a vision can’t become a reality. Also, leadership is about vision, and management is about execution.

iv. Everyday leadership

Training for real life. It is worth knowing that, everyone has the potential to be a leader, and leadership is common in everyday life, even if you don’t always recognize it. As Gaius Sallustius Crispus wrote, experience has shown that every man is the architect of his own fortune. As experienced leaders can tell you, leading others begins with taking a personal inventory of your own strengths and weaknesses and then assessing the opportunities and threats that are likely to present themselves as you lead. Everyday leadership requires three things: (i) figure out how to ask for and listen to explanations; (ii) purge the word tomorrow from your vocabulary as anything to put next to the word do; (iii) never say “I can’t.” Say “I’ll keep trying and see what I learn.” Above all, I have learnt from the section of every day leadership that, we should be prepared to err, err and err again, but less and less and less as put by the Danish mathematician Piet Hein. If we practice these leadership traits enough and make these practices into habits we can become the kind of strong, determined character who makes good leader at any age.

v. Developing a vision

This section resonates with me also because I know that vision cannot be separated from leadership since vision remains the cornerstone of leadership. But the transformation of a vision into reality can often be a complex process. Many visions, though doable in theory, require tremendous technological or social changes in order to become reality. Developing a vision requires the following: (i) Building your vision on a doable dream by understanding what is doable, and keeping the vision simple; (ii) Basing your vision on reality and not just an idea by basing your vision on these two components: a vision depends on your ability to create a team, a vision depends on the ability to create a plan, thinking beyond available resources, and responding to diminishing resources; (iii) Harnessing potential opportunities with a vision by spotting an opportunity, searching out an opportunity, creating an atmosphere in which ideas flourish, moving from an idea to a plan; and (iv) Keeping your vision dynamic. I learned that, one of the jobs of a good leader is to spread a sense of vision throughout the organization and that, because visions change, you should review the driving forces of your group on a regular basis.

vi. Team building

Building good teams requires a lot of insight into human nature and the ability to carefully align skills and personalities. A leader’s success depends on an ability to get the maximum amount of effort out of the team in reaching a goal. Therefore, to create a winning team, do the following: (i) select your team carefully by making your team diverse, and limiting team size; (ii) making time for your teams; (iii) setting an agenda by reviewing your agenda, reviewing your goals and mission, and reviewing your vision; (iv) capturing team learning by keeping a diary, getting your team to share ideas, and embedding your best practices; (v) Fixing the problem, not the blame; (vi) allow your team to find its own path; and (vii) working with other teams. A reflection on these attributes is awakening and beneficial when internalized.

vii. Ten mistakes that every leader makes.

There’s no such person as a perfect or ideal leader. If there were, situational leaders would remain leaders for life. Every leader makes mistakes; the challenge is to know what the most common ones are, so you can be alert to them and try to avoid them before they do you in. There’s no worse failing in a leader than refusing to acknowledge mistakes. To these end, here are the ten mistakes that every leader makes: (i) Repeating the same mistakes; (ii) being inflexible; (iii) trying to be what you’re not; (iv) being a commander rather than a leader; (v) failing to listen; (vi) getting caught up in your own glory; (vii) expecting it to last forever; (viii) hoarding skills or information; (ix) taking yourself too seriously; and (x) missing the gray areas. I was very happy to see this section “Ten mistakes that every leader makes”. I then said to myself that, this book will be a reference material for me when I see myself making leadership mistakes at any level.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The book focuses on how to develop three key leadership skills that successful leadership requires. These include: (i) elicit the cooperation of others, (ii) listen, and (iii) put others before yourself, in order to achieve a goal. It explains how to add leadership skills to your arsenal of personal traits and explains how doing so helps you to achieve more happiness and contentment in all areas of your life. All these skills can combine to help one get more out of life right away by helping you gain: (a) greater respect, (b) greater success, (c) greater recognition for the job you do, (d) greater cooperation from your friends and family, (e) greater and more effective direction in your life and the ability to make a greater contribution to the world around you! All these gains are my deepest yearning now as I strive to take up my life vision at various leadership levels. Another very important area that mean a lot to me is the ten characteristics of a true leader and makes it a useful and helpful attribute to fall back to when needed include: (i) Leaders are eager; (ii) leaders are cheerful; (iii) leaders are honest; (iv) leaders are resourceful; (v) leaders are persuasive; (vi) leaders are cooperative; (vii) leaders are altruistic; (viii) leaders are courageous; (ix) leaders are supportive and (x) leaders are assertive. Yet another very important key idea that is very beneficial to me is the ten ways to master leadership skills. These include: (i) Work on your preparation; (ii) choose a cause and make it your own; (iii) keep an open mind; (iv) rehearse your speeches; (v) be disciplined; (vi) master deadlines; (vii) maintain contact with your group; (viii) remember to listen; (ix) cooperate with the world around you; (x) always put others before yourself. Having such ideas condensed into ten nuggets makes it easy to remember and practice. The key word here is practice, practice, practice. Finally, the book remains a reference material to me when confronted with different situations with leadership in everyday life.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to this one:

“Leadership should be a positive force, and true leaders the kind we look up to, admire, and wish we could emulate all demonstrate the ability to put the needs of the group far above their own needs.”

If a group is looking to you for leadership, it means the group can’t reach their goal without someone you taking them there, and if you can’t or won’t do that you can’t lead.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book, Leadership for Dummies by Marshall Loeb and Stephen Kindel, are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are classic, time–tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

There are no exercises for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in Marshall Loeb and Stephen Kindel’s book, Leadership for Dummies that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1–10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

Nonviolent Communication
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“A process and language of non-judgmental communication focused on establishing relationships based on honesty and empathy that will eventually fulfill everyone’s needs” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Observing without evaluating is the highest form of human intelligence.

The author explained how difficult it is most times to make observations that are free of judgment, criticism, or other forms of analysis and I agree. He cited the example between the elementary school teachers and their principal. I was just caught with that illustration because I am a teacher. To be politely assertive is better than nonverbal condemnation. Nonverbal condemnation during communication includes behaviors like yawning pointedly, rolling of the eyes, intermittent staring of the wrist watch and a host of others. During communication, thinking based on “who deserves what” blocks compassionate communication. I am very grateful for the consciousness and awareness of this idea. The book has really created the awareness in me that I don’t need to be subjective with peoples’ behavior and actions all the time if I really want to live peacefully, gain the trust and make personal progress in life because it will provide me the time and mental space to be more focused on my personal goals. I have tried to practice it, sometimes I succeed at it and other times I goof, but in any case I tried to succeed all the time because of the awareness I have gained from studying this book.

ii. Requests are received as demands when listeners believe that they will be blamed or punished if they do not comply.

We can help others trust that we are requesting, not demanding, by indicating our desire for them to comply only if they can do so willingly. The objective of NVC is not to change people and their behavior in order to get our way; it is to establish relationships based on honesty and empathy that will eventually fulfill everyone’s needs. To me, the more assertive; clear and definite or specific we are in our requests, the easier it will be for us to get our requests granted. I have experienced this played out in my life in different areas of my life; family life – as in the way I make my requests to my mummy and working life – the way and manner I make requests about certain favors from my principal and how nearly 100% of them were granted.

iii. Use positive language when making requests

When we make requests, our choice of words should be positive. Words are the building blocks of our thoughts that form the vibrations we send out to the world. Therefore, if we make requests with positive language that have a lot of positive variations and energy, it will go a long way to helping us make requests that are likely to be granted. This is one of the key ideas I appreciate because I have actually experienced this played out many times in my interpersonal and even corporate relationships with people.

iv. Hearing a negative message: Four options

The third component of non violent communication (NVC) entails the acknowledgment of the root of our feelings. NVC heightens our awareness that what others say and do may be the stimulus, but never the cause of our feelings. Therefore, there are four options for receiving negative messages: (i) blaming ourselves; (ii) blaming others; (iii) sensing our own feelings and needs; and (iv) sensing others’ feelings and needs. When we resist the tendency and desire to blame ourselves and others, but consider our feelings and needs with ourselves and others, we will tend to resist the deposit of negative messages in our consciousness or minds which will trigger negative feelings.

v. Judgments of others are alienated expressions of our own unmet needs.

If someone says, “You never understand me,” they are really telling us that their need to be understood is not being fulfilled. If a wife says, “You’ve been working late every night this week; you love your work more than you love me,” she is saying that her need for intimacy is not being met. And the list goes on and on. Hence, this idea is trying to explain that, each time we judge others, it is actually an outburst of some of our unmet needs, weaknesses or challenges. This knowledge can help us filter through the minds of people as they talk to us; if we are attentive or sensitive enough, we should be able to know the minds of people towards different issues of life. Therefore, this awareness is informative.

vi. From emotional slavery to emotional liberation

In the course of developing emotional responsibility, most of us experience three stages: (i) “emotional slavery” believing ourselves responsible for the feelings of others, (ii) “the obnoxious stage” in which we refuse to admit to caring what anyone else feels or needs, and (iii) “emotional liberation” in which we accept full responsibility for our own feelings but not the feelings of others, while being aware that we can never meet our own needs at the expense of others. These are transcended stages we all through when caught in an emotional web. It is so because emotion, they say, is stronger than knowledge. As such, as time goes on, we start adjusting ourselves towards attaining emotional liberation by seeking balance. To me, this awareness will help me pass through these stages quickly and better, without much challenge as I journey towards emotional liberation in any of my interpersonal relationships.

vii. The costs of punishment

When we submit to doing something solely for the purpose of avoiding punishment, our attention is distracted from the value of the action itself. Instead, we are focusing upon the consequences of what might happen if we fail to take that action. If a worker’s performance is prompted by fear of punishment, the job gets done, but morale suffers; sooner or later, productivity will decrease. Self-esteem is also diminished when punitive force is used. If children brush their teeth because they fear shame and ridicule, their oral health may improve but their self-respect will develop cavities. Furthermore, as we all know, punishment is costly in terms of goodwill. The more we are seen as agents of punishment, the harder it is for others to respond compassionately to our needs. I believe that, it is better we do what we do because we love it than because of the fear of punishment. By loving what we do, we value our actions and raise our self-esteem and feel better about ourselves.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

With the awareness gained from studying non violent communications, I have become conscious about my communication skills and attention given to how best to communicate honestly and non-judgmentally with others. I have also learnt some of the applications of the science of neuro-linguistic programming, NLP, and how it applies to communication in general; whether in the personal or corporate world. Therefore, to gain the trust and confidence of others as we tend to guide or lead others at various levels, we must develop and devote time and attention to listen to them non-judgmentally and empathically if we must make any impact with our advice or suggestions or guidance to them. This book has really opened my eyes to the counseling skills, which we all do everyday – sometimes wrongly and at other times, very well. The whole lesson I gained from this book is summarized how to apply these ideas to communicate with and counsel others rightly as the journey through life’s challenges.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the author made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to this one:

“Caring for our inner environment.”

When we are entangled in critical, blaming, or angry thoughts, it is difficult to establish a healthy internal environment for ourselves. NVC helps us create a more peaceful state of mind by encouraging us to focus on what we are truly wanting rather than on what is wrong with others or ourselves. Focus on what you want to do rather than what went wrong. Defuse stress by hearing your own feelings and needs. Defuse stress by empathizing with others. The consciousness of our inner environment, for me, is the ultimate end of human divine direction. If we can be still and indulge in meditation practice daily, we would be caring for our inner environment and take charge of it, I believe. To me, this is a great point because I am a student of mind power.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book, “Non Violent Communication: A language of Life” by Marshall B. Rosenberg, are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time – tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me as I did, reflected on, and completed them thoroughly.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1–10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

 

The Law of Attraction
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Creating your ideal life by understanding the science and applying the principles of the law of attraction deliberately” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. The 3 – Step Formula for Deliberate Attraction

This formula is compartmentalized as: (a.) identify your desire; (b.) give your desire attention; (c.) allow it. The knowledge alone that, there is a deliberate attraction formula inspires joy within me because it seems to me that the science of the popular law of attraction has been demystified. The first step in making the law of attraction work for anyone is to be clear about what s/he wants. The challenge, however, is that most people are not good at knowing what they do want but they are good at identifying what they don’t want. Knowing what you don’t want is actually good news because that could make you know what you do want by contrast. Next, the law of attraction will give you more of what you give your attention, energy and focus to. This is usually done by choosing your words. Finally, the speed at which your desires come to you depends on how much you’re allowing. And this seems to be the most important step. I was schooled once more about these three step process to deliberately attract what I want in my life.

ii. Positive and negative vibrations

The word vibration is a longer form of the word vibe. The word vibe is often used to describe a mood or a feeling that you pick up from someone or something. In the ‘vibrational’ world, there are only two kinds of vibrations, positive and negative. Every mood or feeling causes you to emit, send-out or offer a vibration, whether positive or negative. Each one of us sends out either a positive or negative vibration. Thus, it is very clear that we do not attract what we want, but what we vibrate. Thus, our duty here is to select positive affirmative words that make us feel good about ourselves from the inside. For example, if I say to myself; “I am a graduate of IIGL,” there is a part of me that will be reminding me silently that, it’s a lie (negative vibration). But, on the other hand, if I say, “I am so happy and grateful that, I am in the process of becoming a graduate of IIGL”; this makes more sense to me and inspires positive vibrations because it leaves me with no doubt(s) as to whether my affirmation is true or not. Through this book, I have learnt how to inspire positive vibes that will quicken the allowing process of deliberate vibration.

iii. Vibrational bubble

Noting that, the law of attraction brings to us more of whatever we give our attention, energy and focus to, is very awakening. This concept can only be properly understood by understanding the concept of “vibrational bubble.” This explains that, around us, we have a field of vibrational bubble where all of our current vibration is stored. This must necessarily include our desires if we want faster manifestation. Next we must understand how to use words to give attention, energy and focus to our new desires by creating a desire statement. I have learnt that actions that can include our desires to our vibrational bubbles include: When I’m talking about what I desire; when I’m noticing something I like; when I’m daydreaming about my desire; when I visualize my desire; when I’m pretending I already have my desire; When I say yes to something; when I say no to something; when I worry about something; when I complain about something; when I remember something positive; when I remember something negative; when I’m observing something positive; when I’m observing something negative; when I’m playing with the idea of having my desire; when I’m making a collage about my desire; when I’m praying about my desire; and when I’m celebrating something I like. Any of these actions responds to and matches that vibration that will trigger manifestation of the law of attraction. Therefore, based on what I really desire, I have learnt how to direct my desires to match the kind of vibration (usually positive) I want by the law of attraction.

iv. Rewording your affirmations to make them feel better

The author has suggested that, instead of our affirmations to be in the current tense, it should rather be in the continuous tense form, as in: “in the process of .” The process of manifestation actually starts when you think about your desire, talk about it, write about it, or when you give it any kind of attention, energy and focus. So, the truth is you are in the process. When I say, “I’m in the process of,” that sentence becomes true and if it’s true for me, it feels good, which is a positive vibration. Examples of such statements are: I’m in the process of creating ideal family relationships; I’m in the process of enjoying my body more and more; I’m in the process of becoming more abundant; I’m in the process of growing my business; I’m in the process of having ideal health; I’m in the process of attracting an ideal mate; and so on. Now, each statement is true for me! When a statement is true for me, it feels good. When it feels good, I’m sending a positive vibration which the law of attraction responds to by bringing me more of the same.

v. The power of allowing

Allowing is the absence of negative emotions. You know you are allowing something when you hear yourself saying statements such as: (a.) “Ah, what a relief!” (b.) “You know, maybe I can have this”; and (c.) “Now this feels possible.” In all three of these expressions, what you are actually describing is the feeling of the negative vibration being removed. Allowing seems to be the most difficult step in the law of attraction formula, but the author said it isn’t, if one understands it. The power of allowing can be identified and made possible in any of these ways: (a.) Having a strong desire with strong doubt means your desire will not be manifested; (b.) Having a strong desire with just a little bit of doubt means your desire will come, though slowly; and (c.) Having a strong desire with no doubt means your desire will be manifested quickly. When I understood these, I became happy and discussed it with and even taught it to my friends, what I have learned.
vi. Appreciation and gratitude

Appreciation and gratitude help you send out strong positive vibrations. When you’re appreciating something, you’re offering a feeling and vibration of pure joy. Think of a time when you expressed thanks for someone in your life. The feelings you experienced were positive. Keeping an appreciation and gratitude journal is an effective daily tool for maintaining a positive vibration. When you purposely take time to appreciate every day you are intentionally offering strong, positive vibrations, and including those vibrations in your vibrational bubble. When you take time to appreciate anything, it’s the feeling that’s attached to your appreciation that is important. Appreciation and gratitude help anyone, including myself, offer strong, positive vibrations.

vii. Attracting your ideal relationship

Most people, while in the process of attracting their ideal relationship will often spend time noticing that they have not been attracting exactly what they want. That noticing is causing them to send out the vibration of lack (a negative vibration). Stop observing what you are not attracting and you’ll stop giving it your attention, energy and focus. Our job is to look for the parts of a relationship or the characteristics of a date that are matching our desire list and give those our attention. When that is done, our vibration will change and the law of attraction will bring us more of the same. When I X-rayed my personal life, I learnt from the book that even if I am not comfortable about certain aspects of a person’s character, I should focus my energy and attention on the contrast, and when I do correctly, I am guaranteed of my ideal relationship. A reflection on this is really enlightening and awakening.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The book is a summarized, but clear presentation of the processes involved in deliberate attraction. The idea of deliberate attraction is very important because it has opened me up to a whole new reality and the science of attracting what I truly desire or vibrate; whether positive or negative. I have started applying it already in attracting my goals on a daily basis to myself. Since it is deliberate, I prefer to use it for positive vibrations and reset my vibrations immediately I consciously discover that it is negative. This idea is already helping me as I have started practicing it already and it will continue to help me attract to myself and my business what I really desire, both as an individual and as a leader in any group I find myself in life.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Deliberate attraction.”

This is a whole new concept that fascinates me and gives me joy when I come to understand that I can practice and use it in my daily life by following the three step process illustrated by the author.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book, Law of Attraction by Michael J. Losier, are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time – tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were a few exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“A new level of thinking characterized by a principle-centered, character-based, and inside-out approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Only basic goodness gives life to technique

If we try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what we want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like us and each other while our character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity and insincerity then, in the long run, we cannot be successful. Our duplicity will breed distrust and everything we do – even using so-called good human relations techniques will be perceived as manipulative. It simply makes no difference how good the rhetoric is or even how good the intentions are; if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for permanent success. Therefore, to focus on technique is like cramming your way through school. You sometimes get by, perhaps even get good grades, but if you don’t pay the price day in and day out, you never achieve true mastery of the subjects you study or develop an educated mind. This truth awakened and reinforced my earlier belief that, “action speaks louder than words.” People tend to judge us by what we do consistently rather than by what we say. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut. This principle is also true, ultimately, in human behavior and human relationships. Eventually, if there isn’t deep integrity and fundamental character strength, the challenges of life will cause true motives to surface and human relationship failure will replace short-term success. Hence, to gain the trust of people and to eventually succeed, we ought to make goodness a habit.

ii. All things are created twice

There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things. “Begin with the End in Mind” is based on the principle that all things are created twice. Take the construction of a home, for example. You create it in every detail before you ever hammer the first nail into place. You try to get a very clear sense of what kind of house you want. If you want a family-centered home, you plan a family room where it would be a natural gathering place. You plan sliding doors and a patio for children to play outside. You work with ideas. You work with your mind until you get a clear image of what you want to build. Then you reduce it to blueprint and develop construction plans. All of this is done before the earth is touched. If not, then in the second creation, the physical creation, you will have to make expensive changes that may double the cost of your home. The carpenter’s rule is “measure twice, cut once.” You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first creation, is really what you want, that you’ve thought everything through. Then you put it into bricks and mortar. Each day you go to the construction shed and pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the day, you begin with the End in Mind and hence you are creating twice. This wisdom is awakening to me and has been registered already that before setting out to face the realities of my life, they must be created in my mind and I must necessarily create a blue print, which might be referred to my goals and my action plans.

iii. Keeping Commitments

Keeping a commitment or a promise is a major deposit; breaking one is a major withdrawal. In fact, there’s probably not a more massive withdrawal than to make a promise that’s important to someone and then not to come through. The next time a promise is made, they won’t believe it. People tend to build their hopes around promises, particularly promises about their basic livelihood. I believe that if you cultivate the habit of always keeping the promises you make, you build bridges of trust that span the gaps of understanding between you and others. This wisdom caught me because it is what I have tried to practice for years. It is reinforcing to find it again in the pages of this great book.

iv. Showing personal integrity

Personal integrity generates trust and is the basis of many different kinds of deposits. Lack of integrity can undermine almost any other effort to create high trust accounts. Integrity includes but goes beyond honesty. Honesty is telling the truth – in other words, conforming our words to reality. One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present. When you defend those who are absent, you retain the trust of those present. When we communicate with the intention not to deceive, we have integrity. This wisdom was exhaustively explained by the author and I enjoyed and learnt something novel from studying the idea of showing personal integrity.

v. Empathic Listening

“Seek first to understand” involves a very deep shift in paradigm. Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. They’re either speaking or preparing to speak. They’re filtering everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiography into other people’s lives. Empathic (from empathy) listening gets inside another person’s frame of reference. You look out through it, you see the world the way they see the world, you understand their paradigm, and you understand how they feel. Empathy is not sympathy. Sympathy is a form of agreement, a form of judgment. And it is sometimes the more appropriate emotion and response. But people often feed on sympathy. It makes them dependent. The essence of empathic listening is not that you agree with someone; it’s that you fully and deeply understand that person, emotionally as well as intellectually. Empathic listening is, in and of itself, a tremendous deposit in the Emotional Bank Account. It’s deeply therapeutic and healing because it gives a person “psychological air.” This need for psychological air impacts communication in every area of life. Empathic listening is also risky. It takes a great deal of security to go into a deep listening experience because you open yourself up to be influenced. You become vulnerable. It’s a paradox, in a sense, because in order to have influence, you have to be influenced. That means you have to really understand. That’s why Habits 1, 2, and 3 are so foundational. They give us the changeless inner core, the principle center, from which you can handle the more outward vulnerability with peace and strength. This concept has been challenging as well as ambiguous to me, but with deep study, it is clearer and makes more sense now.

vi. Think Win-win

Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying. With a win-win solution, all parties feel good about the decision and feel committed to the action plan. Win-win sees life as a cooperative, not a competitive arena. Most people tend to think in terms of dichotomies: strong or weak, hardball or softball, win or lose. Win-win is based on the paradigm that there is plenty for everybody, that one person’s success is not achieved at the expense or exclusion of the success of others. Win-win is a belief in the Third Alternative; it’s not your way or my way; it’s a better way, a higher way. Whether you are the president of a company or the janitor, the moment you step from independence into interdependence in any capacity, you step into a leadership role. You are in a position of influencing other people. And the habit of effective interpersonal leadership is Think Win-Win. This concept is one of my best ever in life. I love it and I have been using it to sustain myself financially by forming a cooperative that equally assist her members financially at different times.

vii. Becoming a Transition Person

When I came across this concept, I immediate began to imaging that a tendency that’s run through my family for generations can stop with me. I’m a transition person; a link between the past and the future, and my own change can affect many, many lives downstream. My contemplation of life and human nature upon reflecting on this idea has taught me that he who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress. Change, real change, comes from the inside-out. It doesn’t come from hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior with quick-fix personality ethic techniques. It comes from striking at the root; the fabric of our thought, the fundamental, essential paradigms, which give definition to our character and create the lens through which we see the world. I personally believe and agree that, achieving unity – oneness; with ourselves, with our loved ones, with our friends and working associates, is the highest and best and most delicious fruit of the Seven Habits. In the words of Emerson: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased.” I believe that I am a transition person.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

Wow! The book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, is an embodiment of knowledge and wisdom of the ages. The carefully explained seven habits of highly effective people, which include: (i) Be proactive; (ii) begin with the end in mind; (iii) put first thing first; (iv) think win-win (v) seek first to understand, then to be understood; (vi) synergize; and (vii) sharpen the saw; are carefully, thoughtfully and exhaustively presented to pierce the fabrics of human existence that cut across all essential areas of our lives – from personal to interpersonal relationships and activities. The knowledge and wisdom of this great book has really changed my paradigm of consciousness of empathy towards other people as exhaustively dealt with in habit number 5; seek first to understand, then to be understood; and for me, it will ever remain a reference material for different life’s situations. I strongly recommend this book to all who are passionate about learning and developing the habits of great minds by embracing a new level of thinking characterized by a principle-centered, character-based, and “inside-out” approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Inside-Out is a process – a continuing process of renewal based on the natural laws that govern human growth and progress.”

This is an upward spiral of growth that leads to progressively higher forms of responsible independence and effective interdependence. The ‘inside-out approach’ says that private victories precede public victories, that making and keeping promises to ourselves precedes making and keeping promises to others. It says it is futile to put personality ahead of character, to try to improve relationships with others before improving ourselves. These statements blew my mind and redirected my consciousness to fact that, to achieve lasting success, I have to direct my energy “inside-out.” Only then will I have the satisfaction and fulfillment that I have really attained lasting success based on principles.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

This powerful quote by Aristotle used by the author in this book is not only awakening but mind-blowing. Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes. Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness. Habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment. Hence, if I want an excellent life, then it beacons on me to form a new positive goal oriented and success-driven habits.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey, are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time – tested and practicable and revolutionary.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me as I reflected on them thoroughly.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

Unlimited Power
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“How to model and duplicate excellence in every area of your life using neuro-linguistic programming” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Neuro-linguistics programming

Success is not an accident. This is the study of how people communicate to themselves. It outlines how language both verbal and non-verbal affects our nervous system and everything we do. By practicing NLT, you discover how to direct your own state of mind so that you can produce the results you desire. You will learn a way to persuade and motivate others with amazing precision. You will develop the technique to gaining instant rapport with anyone you meet. This is the cutting edge of human psychology. This is a way of connecting with people at the highest level by undivided concentration, observing and literally mimicking their posture, gesture, choice of words and style of talking. This will eventually lead one to gain the attention of the other person. This is positive programming and reprogramming of our minds and body to achieve success with people relationship and eventually personal success and excellence.

ii. Strategy

We must develop our own strategy and be ready to adjust them as things change. Thus when we employ autosuggestions, passions and constantly change our strategies in the course of our journey towards attaining our goals, we succeed. Personally, I believe that strategies are not permanent or static. Therefore, to make any meaningful impact in our journey to success and excellence in life, we must constantly be ready to adjust our strategies to attaining our goals if those strategies, due to circumstances are proofing to be prospectively unproductive. I practice this unconsciously because I am immensely goal-oriented, but it makes more sense now that I have been reminded that it is a winner’s strategy.

iii. Personal power

Personal power means the ability to act; the ability to take action. This is what separate human beings. That’s what makes winners and losers. It is the man or the woman who can get himself/herself to consistently do whatever it takes to succeed, to consistently take action, that is the man or woman who lives the life of personal excellence. Consistent action in the direction of our goal will eventually lead to personal success. For me, this is a wake-up call to take action; massive action, that will eventually enable us to succeed at achieving our visions or goals in life.

iv. The primary component of power in our society today is something called communication

Today, we are in the information age. Those who can master communication – both the communication they have with themselves and the communication they have with others are today in a true position of power. The author pointed out clearly that, the quality of our lives is dependent on the quality of our communication. I have experienced that communication to ourselves helps us to put things aright in our lives and gives our life a sense of direction as we strive towards attaining our life’s goals. Also communication with others to a great extent determines how easy or difficult we get along with people and develop great interpersonal relationship with them. Hence, the quality of our lives is the quality of our communication. In communicating with others, you need to learn how to duplicate the person’s physiology – model their physiology and if you do it exactly, you’ll start firing up the same message in your brain as it is in theirs. This will, undoubtedly, incredibly enhance your communication with them and ultimately pass your message across as in a negotiation session. We need to learn how to communicate to ourselves to take action, rather than been immobilized. We also should learn how to communicate with others in order that we may bond, develop rapport and eventually define a pathway for our success journey.

v. There is no greatness without a passion to be great

Passion is necessary for greatness. Something will grab you; something will magnify your desire. Passion is the fuel that drives us towards our goals. When we have enough reasons why we want something done, we develop the inner drive called passion that will eventually make us achieve outstanding results in our lives and eventually make us great. Eventually, I agree with the statement that, “there is no greatness without a passion to be great.”

vi. Our beliefs about what we are and what we can be precisely determine what we will be.

What we believe to be true, what we believe to be possible becomes what’s true, becomes what’s possible in our lives and our reality. People who succeed on a major scale do so greatly on their belief than those people who fail. If we believe in magic, we live a magical life. Every religion talks about faith and belief. The more we believe we can accomplish something, the more we invest in achieving them. When we resolve our internal conflicts and belief in time-tested principles and strategy, we will definitely succeed in life.

vii. Energy

Energy is the fuel that drives our success train. Physical energy is very important to success. In the bible, it says, the spirit is willing but the body is weak. If our physical body is weak, we cannot perform at our best if we fail to optimize our physical energy. When everything is set aright, physical energy is very important as to achieving success on any scale. Energy is closely associated with our health and our state of our minds.
Bonding power: If we master our communication skills with both ourselves and others, we can bond easily and make the ground soft for team spirit, cooperation and eventually goals attainment and success.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

Our minds are a factory of possibilities; it can generate enough power; be it positive or negative. Unlimited power is a possibility with everyone who cares to tap into the flow of life force; our minds. The author has exposed one of the cutting edge breakthroughs in psychology called neuro-linguistics programming will is a concept that can be achieved through modeling as we aspire and drive for success. It is quite awakening and it is now a conscious part of me. I will invest in the practice of using it and teaching it to my students so that they can use it to achieve personal success in their daily lives and create a better world around themselves.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Success leaves clues.”

People who succeed do certain things over and over again. Therefore, all forms of success have a common pattern. If you take the same action over and over again, you’ll definitely achieve the same results. This is called modeling. When you do what successful people do over and over again, you’ll soon achieve the same result. Little wonder, the author said, success leaves clues. This is playback of what I have seen happened with some great musicians around me and even in my personal life. When I practiced like my mentor – the length of time, with the same rehearsal conditions, and study the materials they studied, I became better at my craft. In the process, I duplicate my mentor’s mental syntax and physiology and eventually succeed.

“There is no such thing as failure, as each step you take offers you an opportunity to learn and grow.”

Something I like to say all the time is that you either win or you learn. This is an empowering belief. Hence, if we use a word like failure to describe ourselves or to describe an event, it is a very disempowering belief because it destroys our self-image which will eventually affect us negatively on our journey to success. Hence, I have learnt the win or learn (instead of failure) mindset. Mistakes and failures are temporary setbacks we must encounter on our journey to success if we want to ever make if far in life, therefore a positive mindset is success key.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are both time- tested and practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were a few exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me as I reflected on, and completed them thoroughly.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

Creating your Path through Leadership
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the authors are trying to convey in the book?

“The autobiography of the success and inspiring stories of key players with IIGL” is the main idea that the authors are trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. In every seeming adversity there is the seed of an equal or greater benefit.

The author, Michael Lightweaver (USA/NC), Founder of International Institute for Global Leadership (IIGL), clearly explained his search for meaning in life through his challenging experience to the point when he could cause a planetary mind shift towards life and peace consciousness for the world through his programs for raising global leaders in what is today “The International Institute For Global Leadership.” He was so positive about life that he could recognize the ‘seed’ in his adversity in life and turned it into a gift to humanity that I could also benefit from. He continued his narrative by saying that, he doesn’t care how bad the situation of life may be, if you will look close enough, you will find the seed of “an equal or greater benefit” in the situation. Because it is a seed, it may take time to manifest, but it is there. Simply put: “Every challenge carries a gift.” The story resonates with any deep thinker that is interested in discovering his path in life. It is quite instructive and esoteric in a way. I love the experience because at the end of the day he was able to discover a gift to the world from which I am now using to trace my path and find meaning in life and to shape the world around me.

ii. The future vision for IIGL is to have more student/graduate projects in the local communities especially in Africa.

This idea of IIGL mentioned by another great mind, a human resource developer (as a mentor) and at present, the IIGL director, Deborah Rosen, resonates with all members of the IIGL community including me. As part of the vision of IIGL to positively affect Africa through her student/graduate projects in the local communities is something I would and have even identified with, because I think in my opinion we need it more if we must lead ourselves and others effectively to the right path and will be beneficial for all. The vision of IIGL which includes the organic continuation of IIGL in regards to sharing and utilizing the leadership skills obtained in the program resonates with me at a high frequency because it is in line with my goal of emancipating me as well as those around me from mental slavery and to guide us all alright through personal leadership. By so doing, we as Africans can think more of our contributions to the world rather than always thinking of what the world has to contribute to us. The irony here is that, the more you give to the world, the more the world will give back to you in return. This is in line with what Zig Ziglar said; you will get whatever you want in life if you could help enough other people get what they want. The change of mind set we need must begin with us as we put into practice the great ideas we are brewing from our studies in IIGL.

iii. One book can change a mind; one mind can change the world.

This philosophy of IIGL makes a lot of difference and meaning to me because I know that everything starts from inside out. IIGL program across the seven levels were carefully crafted to nurture and groom the students through a life transforming process that affect the being of the student at the deepest level. By so doing, when you develop an inner resolve and become transformed towards taking responsibilities for personal leadership and recreating yourself, everything around you changes for good. For me this great philosophy of IIGL is working because of the mind transformation I now experience in my personal life and I can authoritatively attest that, it is as true as the sun rising from the east and setting in the west.

iv. Embrace your uniqueness.

The author here, Noeline Kirabo, wrote about embracing your uniqueness as a person and leader rather than becoming a photocopy. She continued by saying, she thought if she could speak like them, walk like them, then possibly she could have the same influence they did. But she later discovered that, that was the wrong approach to discovering her own unique leadership potentials. Thank God to IIGL, she claimed that she was reminded by Michael Lightweaver, founder of IIGL, that the greatest leader she could ever be was the best version of herself. I love this concept, although this is not my first time of coming across this statement, but the meaning of this statement became even clearer to me when I did the exercises and assignment of going within the core of my being in Level Three program of IIGL. It became even clearer to me that, my uniqueness has to do with my going within in order to set goals and see them come true upon acquiring self-knowledge. In the end, nothing is static or permanent, as one journeys and experiences transformation through life, s/he adjusts and becomes better and excited as s/he learns more about himself or herself through the process or journey. The idea is unique and revolutionary and it resonates strongly with me.

v. To Dream the “Impossible” Dream

In line with Kathleen Oweegon (USA/NM), Founder of Bridges of Peace, her contributions in Chapter Twenty Three of this book about African’s power of vision backed up with action to succeed at all cost in spite of the challenging situation of dire poverty, epileptic power supply and a host of other challenges as the things confronting an average African was indeed inspiring. Yet, despite all these negativities or challenges, many well inspired ones like those of the IIGL students still find a way to navigate through these challenges and emerge victorious in their vision and to help others enjoy a better livelihood by assisting them directly or teaching them how to fish so that they could empower their mind and believe in themselves more, to the extent that they could take positive actions in spite of the unimaginable challenges and what seemingly looks like impossible, in order to create a niche for themselves in life and for the society around them. I am truly impressed by the truths contained in chapter twenty three of this book because I am an African and could confirm what was presented as the gospel truth we must all know to appreciate the efforts of all the students in IIGL from Africa who have taken it upon themselves to create for themselves meaning in life and for those around them.

vi. Conscious Decision Making: A key to Success.

Osayi Ujunwa Lynda, urges readers to make conscious decisions daily and intentionally so that we could activate our subconscious mind to help us attain the success we desire unconsciously. She emphasized that; decision making should be personal and conscious in order to make decisions that put you at ease. Decisions made out of anxiety/fear are usually never good. Make decisions with your heart and mind; determine what matters to you. As she continued, leaders who make great impacts in the world, build the leading businesses, and enjoy deeply fulfilling and successful lives all take responsibility for achieving their dreams. They share a common understanding that the only way to control their destinies is to assume responsibility for conscious decisions. If you want to take charge of your future, consciously decide what you want and take consciously focused decisions to achieve it! I like this idea because it is very true for me even from my personal experience with goal setting and attainment in life. And I agree with her completely.

vii. Volunteering: A key to Leadership.

The contribution by Ayoade Anthony, IIGL graduate and board member was inspiring on volunteering as a key to leadership. This kind of leadership where you are first prepared to serve the people before considering the blessings or glory associated with your service is somewhat divine and needed in our world today especially in the African society. Volunteering is a way of giving back to the society while developing leadership skills and gaining valuable work experience, all at the same time. Volunteering is usually unpaid work, enabling experience and references for future paid employment. One is bound to get more out of it than what is put in because in the end “what goes around comes around”. As quoted by the author, statistics show that 94% of people hired after a volunteer experience say that such an experience aided them in getting their first job, or benefited them in other ways, such as quicker promotion, salary increases, or obtaining new skills (World Volunteer Web). Volunteering is not only effective, but it’s a good way to meet people, learn, and hasten self-development. The more service we provide, the more developed our inner self. He concluded that his volunteering experience gave him unimaginable satisfaction that money alone cannot give. The unexpected recognition and rewards as well as the satisfaction he was looking for in work he got all of those from his volunteering services. Personally, I believe that volunteering is a better way to prepare yourself better and to test your love for what you do before you eventually take it on a more permanent basis.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I have learned a lot from the experiences of the book chapters contributions by selected members of the IIGL community. Of particular mention is how motivated many were that they had to start up a community development project. It kept me thinking deeply that aside the plans I have already about affecting my world positively, there could be better and improved ways to go about it. This thought is backed up with the saying that, the largest room in the world is the room for improvement. I am optimistic that someday, if I continue to think through and work my plans, my goals will eventually materialize and I would then proudly share my story for others to get really inspired towards attaining their personal goals in life.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Never Allow Schooling to Interfere with Education.”

In trying to drive home his point, Lawrence Afere, IIGL graduate and Board member, encouraged readers to embrace personal development, aside the formal education they have acquired, learning new and better habits and patterns, relearning for improvement on already known ideas or knowledge and unlearning obsolete ideas or knowledge that are no longer applicable in today’s world by reading good personal development and self help books across various different aspects of life patterning to history, motivation, inspiration, leadership and literature. Personal development helps a man to go the extra mile, transform his community, become daring, be focused, exhibit enormous faith, live with courage, lead a life of persistence, courage, faith, wisdom, vision, integrity, value, sincerity, and determination. By growing the mind positively, we will contribute immensely to serving our society better.

“The Journey of a Lifepreneur – Moving from Ordinary to Extraordinary.”

Bikundo Onyari, an IIGL graduate, described “Lifepreneurship” as a concept that is concerned about developing authentic, personal vision for life and then going for it. It’s about awakening to the opportunities around us and setting audacious goals. It’s about taking action and making a difference. It’s about taking time out for reflection so we can renew ourselves for the road ahead. It’s not just living life, but leading life. “Lifepreneurs” act as an inspiring rallying cry for people who are seeking a better path, but it also offers a provocative portrayal of the impact this entrepreneurial mindset is having upon our workplaces, learning institutions, communities and families. For me, I understand this concept of the journey of a “Lifepreneur,” as going beyond focusing our business on profit alone for ourselves, but we must inculcate the 3 Ps; people, planet and profit. By focusing on giving back to the society and making the world around our community or society a better place while we still make some forms of profit summarizes the journey of a “Lifepreneur.” The attendant benefits could be unimaginable and if well practiced is one of the attributes of personal leadership and leadership development in general.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book, “Creating your Path Through Leadership” by selected key players in the IIGL Community, were explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas have been tested in their personal lives towards attaining remarkable success.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there were no exercises for the readers.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

 

Maximum Achievement
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

Understanding the psychology of achievement to improve productivity, performance and output” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. The Seven ingredients of success:

The author, Brian Tracy, presented the seven ingredients of success, which include: (i) peace of mind; (ii) health and energy; (iii) loving relationships; (iv) financial freedom; (v) worthy goals and ideals; (vi) self-knowledge and self-awareness; and (vii) personal fulfillment. Our ideal life is a blending of these seven ingredients in exactly the combination that makes you the happiest at any particular moment. By defining your success and happiness in terms of one or more of these seven ingredients, create a clear target to achieve it. You can then measure how well you’re doing. You can identify the areas where you need to make changes if you want your life to improve. If having peace of mind is our normal and natural mental state, then health and energy is our normal and natural physical state. Our bodies have bias toward health. It produces energy easily and in abundance in the absence of mental or physical interference, and radiant health exists in the absence of any pain, illness or disease. A key quality of the fully functioning person is that he or she has the ability to enter into and maintain long-term friendships and intimate relationships with other people. The very essence of your personality is demonstrated in the way you get along with others, and the way they get along with you. People problems do more to disrupt your peace of mind and undermine your health than perhaps any other factor. To be financially free means that you have enough money so that you don’t worry about it continually, as most people do. It is not money that lies at the root of all evil; it is lack of money. Achieving your own financial freedom is one of the most important goals and responsibilities of your life. It is far too important to be left to chance. A worthy goals and ideals is another ingredient of success. To be truly happy, you need a clear sense of direction. You need a commitment to something bigger and more important than yourself. You need to feel that your life stands for something, that you are somehow making a valuable contribution to your world. Happiness has been defined as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” You can only be happy when you are working step by step toward something that is really important to you. The sixth ingredient of success is self-knowledge and self-awareness. Throughout all of history, self-knowledge has gone hand in hand with inner happiness and outer achievement. Hence, the phrase “Man, know thyself” goes all the way back to ancient Greece. To perform at your best, you need to know who you are and why you think and feel the way you do. You need to understand the forces and influences that have shaped your character from earliest childhood. You need to know why you react and respond the way you do to the people and situations around you. It is only when you under- stand and accept yourself that you can begin moving forward in the other areas of your life. The seventh ingredient of success is a sense of personal fulfillment. This is a feeling that you are becoming everything that you are capable of becoming. It is the sure knowledge that you are moving toward the realization of your full potential as a human being. Psychologist Abraham Maslow called this “self-actualization.” He said it was the primary characteristic of the healthiest, happiest and most successful men and women in our society.

ii. The Seven laws of mental mastery

The author presented the seven laws of mental mastery as: (i) The law of control; (ii) the law of cause and effect; (iii) the law of belief; (iv) the law of expectation; (v) the law of attraction; (vi) the law of correspondence; and (vii) the law of mental equivalency. A deep reflection on these laws as I read through them re-awakened my consciousness towards my purpose and my short and long term goals in life. It became clearer to me that, if I can have a good balance of these seven laws of mental mastery, I would be heaving a fulfilled, happy and prosperous life because I would have had the assurance that I can be, do and have whatever good I truly desire in life. When you have clearly defined goals and detailed plans, backed up by a positive mental attitude and a calm, confident expectation of success, you activate your super conscious mind into bringing you virtually anything you could ever want in life. When you affirm positively, visualize clearly and believe absolutely, you will be led irresistibly to do and say the right thing at the right time in every situation. You unlock your full potential for health, happiness and prosperity. You bring yourself into complete alignment with the greatest power of the universe.

iii. Programming your mind for success

Because of your self-concept, you become what you think about most of the time. Your dominant thoughts and aspirations become your reality. The things you think about, and the way you think about them, determine your levels of health, wealth and happiness in every area of your life. You can tell how much you really want anything by how willing you are to discipline your thinking in such a way that you keep your mind on only the things you want, and off the things you do not want. Yes, I agree that this can only be done by increasing the consciousness about ourselves as we think through the vision, goals and successes we want to achieve.

iv. The law of super conscious activity

The author described it as the most important law in the book. It is the summary law that binds them all other laws together. The law of the super conscious activity states, “Any thought, plan, goal or idea held continuously in your conscious mind must be brought into reality by your super conscious mind, whether positive or negative.” This law explains how you create your world by the thoughts that you allow to dominate your thinking. If you keep your mind on the things that you want, and keep them off the things that you fear, your goals, whatever they are, will eventually materialize and become your realities. Like all laws, this law is neutral. It is no respecter of persons. It is the highest manifestation of the principle of cause and effect. If you use this power for good, then only good will come into your life. If you use this power negatively, it will bring you illness, unhappiness and financial frustration. The choice is always yours. You are always free to choose the kind of world that you wish to live in. And you choose it every day by the thoughts you think. A successful life is merely a series of successful days, hours and minutes during which you think about your goals and your desires, about health and happiness and prosperity, and refuse to dwell on anything that you do not want to see manifested around you. If the super conscious activity is stimulated through thinking, solitude and visualization, it will in turn stir up super conscious solutions through intuition or what the author described as “gut feelings” and other sources as well. Successful, happy people make a habit of looking into even the most difficult situation for something positive, something they can learn or some way they can benefit. And this very attitude often triggers a super conscious insight or solution to their problem. When you have clearly defined goals and detailed plans, backed by a positive mental attitude and a calm, confident expectation of success, you activate your super conscious mind into bringing you virtually anything you could ever want in life. When you affirm positively, visualize clearly and believe absolutely, you will be led irresistibly to do and say the right thing at the right time in every situation. You unlock your full potential for health, happiness and prosperity. You bring yourself into complete alignment with the greatest power of the universe.

v. Use it or lose it

This is one of the fascinating ideas that struck my mind in the book. Our super conscious mind grows in capability as you use it and trust it. Men and women begin to achieve great things only when they begin trusting completely in this mysterious or esoteric super power or force surrounding them. The “Law of Use” states, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” It also states that whatever mental or physical capabilities you do use become stronger and more responsive to your demands. When you develop the habit of continually turning to your super conscious mind to guide and direct you, to inspire and illuminate you and to solve every problem on your path, it will work faster and more efficiently every day to your greatest advantage.

vi. Mastering your personal relationship

One of the characteristics of the fully mature, self-actualizing person is that he or she has the ability to enter into long-term relationships and maintain those relationships for long periods of time. Men and women with the healthiest personalities, those who are the most together as human beings, are those who seem to have the greatest capacity for these loving relationships. The choice of a mate, and the quality of your home and family life, determines your success as a human being as much as or more than any other factor. Your relationships are a direct expression of the person you really are. The Law of Correspondence states that your outer world of relationships will corresponds exactly to your inner world of thought and feeling. If your inner world is positive and loving, your outer world of relationships will be happy and satisfying. Benjamin Disraeli, prime minister of England in the nineteenth century, once said, “No success in public life can compensate for failure in the home.” Your personal relationships should take precedence over everything else. As you grow and become a better person, your relationships should grow and improve as well, and in the same proportion. By the law of attraction, you will attract into your life the kind of people who are very much the way you are, the kind of people whose ways of thinking and behaving correspond to your dominant thoughts and feelings. As you become more positive, optimistic and loving, you will naturally attract into your life more positive, optimistic and loving people. By the Law of sowing and reaping you will reap exactly what you sow, and there is no area in which this is truer than in your relationships. You see it all around you, in all your interactions with others. Men and women are born incomplete, and need each other to become whole. They are born with complementary qualities and characteristics. Each one needs the other to fulfill his or her human destiny. Happy relationships go hand in hand with peace of mind, long life, health, happiness and abundance. Men and women with poor relationships, or no relationships at all, have more ill health and die younger than men and women who live happily together. In fact, according to Ronald Adler and Neil Towne in their book Looking out, looking in, socially isolated people are two to three times as likely to die prematurely as those with strong social ties. Divorced men die from heart disease, cancer and strokes at double the rate of married men. The rate of all types of cancer is as much as five times higher for divorced men and women, compared to their single counterparts. If for no other reason than your desire to live a long and happy life, you should be very serious about building and maintaining excellent relationships with the most important people in your life. This whole idea of mastering your personal relationship begins with your self-esteem, how much you like and respect yourself, determines your personality and your level of happiness. High self-esteem leads to high performance and success in every area of life, while low self-esteem precedes and accompanies most failure and frustration. The others are self-acceptance and self awareness, self-discipline, and self-disclosure. Also, going through the six rules for successful relationships was awakening and self-tutoring. Finally, to personally validate whether you are in a right relationship, we must engage in the best friend test. This is an excellent way to tell if you are in the right relationship. It is simply to feel that your spouse or mate is your best friend and that you would rather be with him or her than anyone else. If for any reason you feel otherwise, it is an indication that something is wrong in the relationship. When two people are ideally suited, they laugh a lot together. It is also most important that you be conversationally compatible with your mate or your spouse if you want to be happy in your relationship. The third rule for successful relationship is total commitment and a host of others. These first three seriously appeal to me as it is what I have confirmed in my personal relationships.

vii. The law of concentration

The law of concentration states that whatever you dwell upon, grows. The more you think about something, the more it becomes part of your reality. This law explains much of success and most of failure. It is a paraphrase of the Law of cause and effect, or sowing and reaping. It says that you cannot think one thought and get a different result. You cannot plant oats and get barley. Successful, happy people are those who have developed the ability to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing, and to stay with it until it’s complete. They discipline themselves to think and talk only about what they want, and to keep their minds off what they don’t want. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “A man becomes what he thinks about most of the time.” Effective people guard the doorways of their minds diligently. They remain focused on what’s really important to them. They dwell on their desires for the future and refuse to entertain their fears and doubts. As a result, they seem to accomplish extraordinary things in the same amount of time that the average person spends just living from day to day. The author wrote that, he eventually learnt that, “more is less.” From my personal experience, I have discovered that concentrating on one single task all day long until it is finished has helped me accomplished excellent results over time than when I concentrated on many tasks at the same time and did all. The result usually is ineffective outcome. The law of concentration resonates with me at a very deep level as I have had very serious personal experience with its applications over time.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

This book will forever remain a reference book. It is one of the classics I have read in recent times and I wish to have a print copy of this book in my shelf anytime, any day. The seven (7) ingredients of success, the seven (7) laws of mental mastery and many other laws contained in the book really inspired and awakened my mind at a very high frequency. The aspect that dealt with mastery was mind blowing and of very key interests to me is the aspect that deals with the super conscious mind. The explanation of the super conscious mind, called infinite intelligence or the God-mind and a host of other names by different authors was of paramount importance to me and will forever remain a wonder to me. This is particularly important to me because it is like an answer to my desire to write a book that explores the power of the mind beginning from the conscious to the subconscious and finally to the super conscious mind. This book will form a very good reference material to my proposed book when it is eventually out. The book is very helpful and I would recommend every hungry goal-oriented person to study, teach and make reference to this book when faced with practical challenges in different aspects of life.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“The law of habit.”

Virtually everything you do is the result of habit. The way you talk, the way you work, drive, think, interact with others, spend money and deal with the important people in your life are all largely habitual. Your behavior in every area of life is based on the accumulation of all your experiences, starting in infancy. Probably 95 percent of your actions and reactions are automatic, unconscious responses to your physical and human environment. The Law of Habit is a vitally important mental law. It explains the success and failure in life than any other single principle. It has its counterpart in physics in Newton’s first law of motion, which states that a body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends to remain in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force. Your thinking and behavior are subject to the same principle. In the absence of an outside force, or a definite decision on your part to do something different, you’ll keep on doing very much the same thing indefinitely. Habits are only good as long as they serve you, as long as their effect is to continually enrich and improve your life. It is when your habits become the major obstacles to your happiness that you have to modify them or change them completely. It is popularly said that, good habits are hard to start but easy to live with; while bad habits are easy to start but hard to live with. The emphasis therefore, is that, if I cultivate good habit patterns through practice, persistence and consistency, then I will enjoy its fruit, which is, of course, success and fulfillment in life.

“The law of practice.”

The good news is that habits are learned, and they can therefore be unlearned. You are today, in every respect, the result of your conditioning, almost like a laboratory animal. You have been trained, or have trained yourself, to be the person you are, and to get the results in life that you’re getting. Your training began before you were old enough to know what was going on, and you are today the result of the training you have engaged in over the years. You can change if you want to. The Law of Practice states that, whatever thought or action you repeat often enough becomes a new habit. You can develop any habit you consider desirable or necessary. You can become the kind of person you want to be if you can discipline yourself to think and act in a way that is consistent with your new, higher ideals long enough for them to become new habits. This is how you become a new and better person. Because your outer world corresponds to your inner world, as you begin to develop more constructive ways of thinking and behaving, people and situations around you will begin to change, sometimes in the most remarkable and unexpected ways.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of the book are explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas are time–tested, proven and practicable over the ages by millions of people around the world.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were a few exercises for the reader. I completed all of them and they were very helpful to me especially the one that concerns meditation as an expression of the power of the super conscious mind.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

How Successful People Think
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Ingredients involved in or skills and applications of the thought patterns of successful people” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Why you should change your thinking

It’s hard to overemphasize the value of changing one’s thinking. Good thinking can do many things for someone: generate revenue, solve problems, and create opportunities. It can take one to a whole new level – personally and professionally. It really can change someone’s life. Personally, from my experience in goal-setting and achievement so far, I have come to discover that when I know my “why” for achieving anything and it is strong enough, then I can employ all the necessary resources in terms of man-hour, mental energy, time and money to it. That is why to begin with, I really want to know in clear terms the why I should change my thinking in order to become successful like other successful people I know. From my Level Three studies in IIGL, it was clear that I really believed that I can be successful that was why I invested great mental energy, time and effort to goal setting. Also, from those assignments and exercises, I was able to creatively acknowledge my “whys” for setting goals, and so my desire and stamina to achieve goals will rarely run down completely. From my studies and reflections, I appreciate it that: changed thinking is not automatic; it requires some efforts to search for it; changed thinking is difficult; and changed thinking is worth the investment.

ii. How to Become a Better Thinker

To master the process of good thinking, one needs to engage in an ongoing process that improves thinking. The author recommends the following: (a) Expose yourself to good input; good thinkers always prime the pump of ideas by reading books, reviewing trade magazines, listening to tapes, and spending time with good thinkers; (b) expose yourself to good thinkers; (c) choose to think good thoughts; (d) act on your good thoughts; (e) allow your emotions to create another good thoughts; and (f) repeat the process. On reflecting on how to become a better thinker, since I believe that the largest room in the world is the room for improvement, I went back in retrospect on how as a boy growing up, I used to collect and read many good books like “The Holy Christian Bible”, “See You at the Top” by Zig Ziglar, “Why Ask Why?” by John L. Mason, “An Enemy Called Average” by John L. Mason, “Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy, and a host of others in order to sharpen my mind and become a better thinker. One of the great lessons I learned as a growing child and I have observed it played out in my personal life from the writer of Proverbs in The Holy Bible is, sharp people sharpen one another, just as iron sharpens iron. I then concluded since then that, if I desire to be a sharp thinker, I should always make effort to be around sharp people. Funny enough, I kept the reading culture as one of my good habits. I am obsessed with knowledge and as such I wish to know everything good to boost my thinking like the great and successful people in the society. Same energy and quest prompted me to delve into IIGL program so that, someday, I can join the world’s greatest and celebrated leaders who have affected their generation positively both by their lifestyle and leadership style. The quest is still ongoing and I am very happy for the new and better ways of becoming successful in life as time goes on. The idea on “How to become a better thinker” resonates with me and I am committed to finding better and better ways to becoming a better thinker for a powerful self-development and my leadership-development. One thing, I have always admired and I learnt from my Dad, which I later developed better by reading good books authored by great authors like Brian Tracy is “thinking on paper.” As a growing child, I saw my Dad always thinking on paper and creating sketches of his plans to build his house in our village. He did it severally and always spoke about it to us almost every day. He eventually built it, but couldn’t complete it because in 2005, his work with the state government was terminated. The bottom line is, he was able to execute his plans on ground and took it to a reasonable level with just a few things left to completely tidy up his building project. Thus, from my studies here in this book, I have added a new knowledge to mine – that is, to be intentional about my thinking process, and to create out a personal time schedule to think called “thinking schedule.” I then decided immediately, that for me, my intentional thinking schedule should immediately follow my meditation session. The author pointed out clearly that, to become successful, one needs to keep repeating the process of good thinking, and I agree. No doubt, by doing this, one will be able to fight the hectic pace of life that discourages intentional thinking. I know that when I take my time to learn how to change my thinking and become a better thinker, I am investing in myself. Gold mines tap out, stock markets crash, real estate investments can go sour, but a human mind with the ability to think well is like diamond that never runs out. It’s priceless.

iii. Big-Picture Thinking Helps You to Chart Uncharted Territory

If you have ever heard the expression, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”, then you are sure that you have heard a phrase that was undoubtedly coined by someone who had trouble seeing the big-picture. The world was built by people who “crossed bridges” in their minds long before anyone else did. The only way to break new grounds or move into uncharted territory is to look beyond the immediate and see the big-picture. Personally, I am a believer in big-picture thinking and that belief was reinforced when I, during my master’s degree program, encountered a very impossible situation with my first proposed project; a project work which lacked guidelines and direction even from my project supervisor who claimed it was novel at that time. It made me to spend a lot of time and financial resources trying to see the big-picture of the entire project. Questions raised couldn’t be answered, and there was practically no direction whatsoever, even from my project supervisor himself. Another lecturer who saw me and knew the challenges I had with my first proposed project work called me to his office and started advising and encouraging me saying; that before I accept to embark on a project work, I should first research and be sure that I could see the end from the beginning in my mind and somehow on paper; stressing that, that’s how he does any project at all, whether academic or not. I then grasped that important idea and reinforced my knowledge about “big-picture thinking.” I then realized till date that, the only way to break new ground or move into uncharted territory is to look beyond the immediate and see the big-picture. The twist however is, one may be confused about how to acquire the wisdom of big-picture thinking. The truth here is that, you must not be 100% certain about every detail concerning the end result, but you must get used to embracing and dealing with complex and diverse ideas and learn from every experience – both positive and negative to help you see the big-picture. However, these experiences must not always be personal; you must gain insights from a variety of people, too. To adequately do this, you must break loose from the norms and expectations of the society to mentally marry the status quo; instead give yourself permission to expand your world.

iv. Focused Thinking Will Take You to the Next Level

This idea struck me hard. The reason is simple; Focused thinking is one of my greatest strengths, while multi-tasking that I earlier considered one of my weaknesses has not been encouraged by many great achievers who want to carve a niche for themselves. Indeed, personally, many of the successes I have achieved in academics and music were as a result of focused thinking, what Brian Tracy described as “single-handling.” Indeed, this idea resonates with me and I am glad to be reminded that focused thinking can take me to my next level. Truly, no one achieves greatness by becoming a generalist. You don’t hone a skill by diluting your attention to its development. The only way to get to the next level is to focus. Focused thinking should be selective, not exhaustive. For me, that means dedicating in-depth thinking time to four areas: leadership, creativity, communication, and intentional networking. No matter whether your goal is to increase your level of play, sharpen your business plan, improve your bottom line, develop your subordinates, or solve personal problems, you need to focus. Author Harry A. Overstreet puts it this way, “The immature mind hops from one thing to another; the mature mind seeks to follow through.” And I agree.

v. What are You Giving Up to Go Up

No one can go to the highest level and remain a generalist. From my experience, I have found that, to do well at a few things, had to give up many things. This remains true for me and many others. I could remember, when growing up as a student in my high school days, I had to give up a lot of friends and socializing, sometimes unending playing of games like football as a kid in order to make good grades. I still see it in almost every activity of my daily life till date. To do my masters degree, I had to give up the need to start up a small scale business in computer operations. The list is endless. Some of the things I gave up for the past successes I had achieved were encoded in the following points: (a) I can’t know everyone. I love people, and I’m outgoing also. Put me into a room full of people, I feel energized; (b) I can’t do everything. There are a few exceptional opportunities in any person’s lifetime, I have to be selective; (c) I can’t go everywhere. Sometime to achieve reasonably in one particular thing or area of my life, I had to cancel other meetings; I practiced a lot of this during my studies as a student during my graduate studies in graduate school; (d) I can’t be well-rounded; I can’t spend time trying to achieve success in one thing, and be well rounded in every other thing happening at the same time; so I am very selective and prioritize my attention.

vi. Why You Should Recognize the Importance of Realistic Thinking

The importance of realistic thinking to me cannot be overemphasized. I have tried to observe in the past how naturally optimistic persons, as I am, may not possess great desire to become a more realistic thinker. But overtime, from personal experience with my personal achievements in life, I have come to realize that cultivating the ability to be realistic in my thinking will not undermine my faith in people, nor will it lessen my ability to see and seize opportunities. Instead, it will add value to me in the following ways: (a) it minimizes downside risk by planning for the worst-case scenario, you can minimize the downside risk; (b) it gives you a target and game plan; realistic thinking leads to excellence in leadership and management because it requires people to hit it and connect to their purpose; (c) it is a catalyst for change; (d) realistic thinking provides security – disappointment is the difference between expectations and reality while realistic thinking minimizes the difference between the two; (e) realistic thinking gives you credibility – realistic thinking helps people to buy in to the leader and his or her vision and the best leaders ask realistic questions before casting vision; (f) realistic thinking provides a foundation to build on. Thomas Edison observed, “The value of a good idea is in using it.” Ideas and plans are the same, they need something concrete on which to build and realistic thinking provides that solid foundation. (g) Realistic thinking is a friend to those in trouble. If creativity is what you would do if you were unafraid of the possibility of failure, then reality is dealing with failure if it does happen; (h) Realistic thinking brings the dream to fruition. If you don’t take a realistic look at your dream and what it will take to accomplish it, you will never achieve it.

vii. Picture the Worst-Case Scenario

The essence of realistic thinking is discovering, picturing, and examining the worst-case scenario. The “What if?” question is one of the best ways to check for worst-case possibilities in any situation that anyone finds himself. When I sometimes employed this kind of thinking among my friends in a brain-storming session, some of them thought I was being negative, and immediately I tend to correct them, stressing that, I was only being realistic yet optimistic. You see, sometimes people tend to lose grasp of reality, and they go ahead executing an idea they have, even though it isn’t well thought out. A well thought out idea should eventually develop into a plan and in my opinion; such plans should include the worst-case scenario also. I agree with Robert Greene, the author of 48 laws of power and Mastery, when he wrote that, rather than going about rejoicing over your perceived victory, you should instead always be alert and consider every possible pitfalls and permutations on your way to your ultimate success. Therefore, the five ways to recognize the importance of realistic thinking (in no particular order) are: (a) develop an appreciation for truth, (b) do your homework, (c) think through the pros and cons, (d) align your thinking with your resources, and (e) picture the worst-case scenario. The author uses these as his guidepost. The last point has been troubling my mind. It has not been clear enough to me whether I have been doing the right thing or not as a realistic thinker but today, I am indeed grateful that the author has helped me clear up the web of confusion in my mind about optimistic and realistic thinking. I am doubly sure now that from my study of this book, if I picture the worst-case scenario and examine it honestly, then I really have experienced a reality check and I’m ready for anything.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

From my studies it is very obvious and reassuring that, to engage in thinking like successful people, I have to redefine success to embrace the willingness to be creative enough to be able to: (a) add value to everything; (c) draw people to me and my ideas; (d) learn more; (e) challenge the status quo. For the first item on the list, I am doing well, but for the remaining three others, I need to seriously work on myself and become better if I want to be successful and think like the successful people. Since thinking like successful people is one my greatest concerns, I am a student to it and would practically do everything to make sure the ideas listed above, especially the last three as earlier pointed out is given serious attention whenever I find myself contending with any idea in any area of my life. To do this successfully, I must have to employ or apply bottom line thinking a focused thinking style geared towards my main goal in every area of interest in my life.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Learning to Write is Learning to Think. Professor, college president, and U.S. senator S. I. Hayakawa wrote, Learning to write is learning to think. You don’t know anything clearly unless you can state it in writing.”

I so much agree with this statement because it resonates strongly with me. Just as I was discussing with a colleague the other day, any time I have ideas troubling my mind and I become unsettled and troubled about what to do, I just take a plane sheet of paper and develop the ideas into a plan. Once I could do this successfully, the trouble disappears and calm is restored immediately. It all started because I always like writing as a growing child, to the extent that I take along with me sheet of paper and a pen kept safe in my trousers pocket until I needed to write down an idea that struck me or something of importance to me and which I didn’t want to forget. Writing eventually became a part of me and I eventually started thinking on paper too.

“Practice Unselfish Thinking: This is another level and kind of thinking that is capable of changing one’s life in another way. The benefits of unselfish thinking are as follows, it: (a) brings personal fulfillment; (b) adds value to others; (c) encourages others virtues; (d) increases quality of life; (e) makes you part of something greater than yourself; (f) creates a legacy.”

As a growing child, immediately after my high school education, I started asking myself very tough questions and those questions were related to adding value to the world and finding fulfillment in life. I identified a few areas; joining the choir and becoming a church pianist because I loved it and was encouraged by one of my mentors to go ahead with the idea and he introduced and taught me how to playing church music on the piano. Today, I find fulfillment as a church pianist and have taught several persons my craft. The links I had and many other open doors I had in the past including where I am working at present were somehow related to my services in playing the piano for the church as part of services to God and humanity. Ordinarily, one would have taught, as an engineering student, what is my business with church music? But I believe we humans are all different and I know by searching deeply into our soul, we know what gives us fulfillment. I continued in that music path, and the principal where I now work placed me on scholarship to go for a diploma program in music, which I did for two years on weekend basis as I work for the school. On my completion of the program, I composed the school anthem and taught the students and I was made the Liturgical music director of the school till date. Because of my contributions to the school, I was given permission to attend to my Ph.D program under certain terms and conditions anyway, a rare opportunity I wouldn’t have gotten if I didn’t practice unselfish thinking demonstrated in my services to the church in playing the piano and now the school where I work at present. Few things in life bring greater personal rewards than helping others.
Charles H. Burr believed, “Getters generally don’t get happiness; givers get it.” Helping people brings great satisfaction. When I spent my day unselfishly serving others, at night I can lay down my head with no regrets and sleep soundly. In Bringing Out the Best in People, Alan Loy McGinnis remarked, “There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being to help someone succeed.”

Therefore, from my experience, I have discovered that, when you get outside of yourself and make a contribution to others, you really begin to live.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of this book, were explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas were well researched upon and are practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were a few exercises in form self-check questions to examine the applications of the ideas in the readers’ lives. I did all of them and they were indeed helpful as I used them to examine my life about and around the ideas I have studied.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1–10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

Law of Success
Assessments by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“To enable one find out how s/he may become more capable in one’s chosen field of work” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. The Power of Imagination

Imagination is the workshop of the human mind, wherein old ideas and established facts may be reassembled into new combinations and put to new uses. Imagination is also called the creative power of the soul. Imagination is both interpretative and creative in nature. It can examine facts, concepts, and ideas, and it can create new combinations and plans out of these. In the words of Albert Einstein, “imagination is more important than knowledge.” Also Anatole France wrote, “to know is nothing at all; to imagine is everything.” As a growing child, I used my imagination a lot to act and do many things I did; some of which turned out successful, while others weren’t. Today, I have a better grasp of how to induce the power of imagination through mind programming using the application of the “Tesla code” and organizing my thoughts to achieve my definite chief aim which may be long term or short term. My entire Level Three studies in IIGL creatively taught me how to use the power of imagination in an organized way from the conception of my being here on earth through goal setting, back-from-the-future mental experience, gratitude as regards my envisaged blissful life experience, my vision, the lives I want to impart and impact, and eventually the legacy I want to leave behind. The entire process of my studies has creatively thought me how to use the power of imagination to achieve success. It is barely few weeks after my Level Three studies and I have started recording wonderful success results already as regards the picture I created in my imagination during my studies in goal setting.

ii. The Habit of Doing More than Paid for

Whenever the element of love enters into any task you perform, the quality of your work becomes immediately improved and the quantity increased, without a corresponding increase in the fatigue caused by that work. I have, in my life experience at different points, tried to do more than I was paid for. There was a period at my place of work that I could help enough other staff members that needed my assistance in various aspects of their jobs including ICT related jobs to get by; I organized extra-mural classes to teach extra periods to some willing students who were preparing for external exams; I also taught the highest number of contact periods and did my work diligently to the admiration of the both the students and the school management. After doing this for some time, I decided to request for a salary raise and when it got the school management, it didn’t take time before the granted my request, which was not a common practice from the management. I was promoted with a raise in salary. This was a demonstration of and reward for doing more than I am paid for. Another interesting aspect of the idea is, even if one isn’t noticed and promoted in his work place, the purpose of forming the habit of doing more than paid for, is to show one how to harness this law of nature – that struggle and resistance develop strength which can be used to aid one in his struggle for success. By forming this habit, one will eventually develop sufficient strength to enable him remove oneself from any undesirable station in life, and no one can or will desire to stop him. If your employer should be as unfortunate as to try to pay you less than you are worth, that won’t last long; other employers will discover your unusual quality and offer you employment with probably better welfare package. The very fact that most people are rendering as little service as they can possibly get by will serve as an advantage to those who are rendering more services. You can “get by” if you render as little service as possible, but that is all you will get; and when work is slack and retrenchment sets in, you will be one of the first to be dismissed. According to Kahlil Gibran, work is love made visible. The most successful people have a passion for what they do, which is what motivates them to put greater effort and time into whatever it is that they want to achieve. According to Winston Churchill, we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Personally, I never received a promotion in my life that I could not trace directly to recognition that I had gained rendering more service and better service than that for which I was paid. I agree with Dolores E. McGuire, when he said that, self-sacrifice is never entirely unselfish, for the giver never fails to receive. I personally believe that, by forming the habit of doing more than paid for, we create for ourselves an identify of excellence; and if we are known as a thorough person by many, it is sure an open door for better success opportunities for us tomorrow.

iii. A Pleasing Personality

It is personality that attracts or repels success from us. Your personality is the sum total of your own characteristics and appearances that distinguish you from all others. The clothes you wear, the lines in your face, the tone of your voice, the thoughts you think, the character you have developed by those thoughts – all constitute parts of your personality. Whether your personality is attractive or not is another matter. By far, the most important part of your personality is that which is represented by your character. Therefore, it is also the part that is not visible. The best way to develop a pleasing personality is to be genuinely interested in other people. Little wonder, it is often said, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. According to Theodore Roosevelt, the most important single ingredient in the formula of success is, knowing how to get along with people. I have personally made a lot of mistakes in trying to get along with other people in the past; what I assume or presume they would like may not exactly be what they may eventually like and my behavior or activity(ies) around them at that time may be irritating or repugnant to them. But as I grow up and become mature, I began to learn from experience, how to understood to an extent, the moods of people at given times. My wit in this area became sharper as I studied How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, also the applications of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) from my IIGL studies. By being empathic enough when dealing with people at work or in everyday communications or conversations, is one of the surest secrets of getting along with people. In the process, I try my best to be flexible enough to adjust to all the good qualities there are to remain positive at different times even when they are not really convenient for me, to see that I easily get along with other people, especially the difficult ones, and eventually achieve our goal as a team or my personal goal as a person. During my master’s degree program, I learnt from my room-mate, Dr Anthony Ajah, how to communicate and interact in a very pleasing way with people so that they will have the assurance that they are respected enough. I observed him interact with other colleagues who come to him for mentorship on how to go about their academic project work, and the way he interacted with them even though he was their mentor at that time threw me aback. When I asked him, why he was interacting with them the way he did, he said, when talking to people and you make your voice soft, even in the midst of heated arguments about any subject matter, they tend to feel respected and so you remain endearing to them even after your meeting with them and they will come again and again next time. I learned that, in addition with my studies in IIGL, I now exudes a pleasing personality to a great extent and will keep working at it to get it to the desired level I want.

iv. Concentration

Great men and women the world over know that concentration or focus as it were, is one of the priceless gifts of success. This idea struck a chord with me. Among my greatest strengths in the journey of success is concentration or focus. Like I always tell people, personally, many of the successes I have achieved in academics and music as well as life in general, were as a result of focused thinking. Brian Tracy described it as “single-handling”. Indeed, this idea resonates with me and I am glad to be reminded that single minded concentration in any area of my life would eventually lead to my breakthrough in that area. Truly, no one achieves greatness by becoming a generalist. You don’t hone a skill by diluting your attention to its development. The only way to get to the next level is through focused attention on your definite chief aim in life or your life purpose or vision. Concentration should be selective, not exhaustive. For me, that means dedicating your undivided attention a task at hand per time so that you would avoid any or all distractions that could minimize or reduce your chances of achieving your definite chief aim in life. Personally, as far as my studies with IIGL is concerned, I decided to set at least three hours daily to concentrate on my studies and I try to live up to that expectation and target I set for myself. This drive is born out of the fact that, if I could practice concentration now very well as a person to become the best version of myself so that I could mentor others in the same way to success, then it is assumed that I am learning or rather putting into practice all the lessons of great achievers and successful persons whose biography and autography I read and study in the course of my studies. Therefore, I stick to my goal to study hard as a student of IIGL with undivided attention for at least three hours daily to become successful.

v. Cooperation

Cooperation is the beginning of all organized effort. The author discussed cooperation in two ways: (a) The first form is the cooperation between people who group themselves together or form alliances for the purpose of attaining a given end, under the principles described as the law of Master Mind; and (b) the second is the cooperation between the conscious and the subconscious minds, which is the basis upon which the ability to contact, communicate with, and draw upon infinite intelligence is based. Personally, whether we are talking about the first form or the second form of cooperation, it is pertinent to know that inter-dependence is of a higher value than independence as written by Steven Covey in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and I agree totally with him. Organizations, institutions, as well as the society thrive better on the spirit of cooperation. Another interesting aspect of this subject matter is the second form of cooperation described here in this book, the cooperation between the conscious and the subconscious minds. The subconscious mind thrives based on the principle of autosuggestion to develop accurate thinking that connects to the universal mind, super-conscious mind or the infinite intelligence. As a student of mind power, I have been practicing conscious mind programming through repeated exposure to the idea of object of focus so that is becomes automatically registered in the subconscious minds and when the subconscious mind goes to work on the ideas, it connects to the super conscious minds or the universal mind or infinite intelligence which would deliver to me miraculous, uncommon and original ideas or hunches or clues to the success I deserve. I used this principle of trusting and engaging the cooperation of my conscious, subconscious and the infinite intelligence to compose the school anthem where I work. It was during a quiet meditative session that the tune I eventually used popped up and immediately I decided to hum it out and got it recorded with my android phone and then eventually developed it into the complete school anthem. It works and I trust this kind of cooperation that eventually leads to success.

vi. Profiting by Failure

Neither temporary defeat nor adversity amounts to failure in the mind of the person who looks upon it as a teacher of some needed lesson. There is a great and lasting lesson in every reversal and in every defeat, and usually it is a lesson that could be learned in no other way. Defeat often talks to us in a language that we do not understand. If this were not true, we would not make the same mistakes over and over again without profiting by the lessons that they might teach us. If it were not true, we would observe more closely the mistakes that other people make and we would profit by them also. Only recently, I decided to ask my team leaders in the Multi-level marketing business I do about their greatest mistakes they had made in the past and which they would advise me not to make. Their responses to this question were shocking and revealing. Do you know that some of the mistakes they mentioned or pointed out and their regrets, I had started making some of them already and was about to make more. But throughout that night I was angrily joyous that I could ask and get more insights into the business I so much admire. The revelations were shocking; I learnt how to avoid possible mistakes that they have done from about three of my mentors and they even went ahead to advise me how to get the best out of my investment in the business. I was terribly happy and resolved to always ask the magic question, “what was your greatest mistake you’ve made in this field, that you would advise no one to make in order to be successful?” to anyone ahead of me and could mentor me on the right path to go in any given field I find myself. The interesting part of this story is that, when these mentors I contacted eventually realized their mistakes, they didn’t give up at that point. They, instead, rose up from their temporary setback or failure as it were and subsequently taught others like me, how to avoid similar mistakes. Today, they have achieved enviable ranks in the business and made huge profits. Hence, one can profit by failure, in what is supposedly described as setback or temporary defeat by the mind of the person who looks upon it as a teacher of some needed lessons on his journey to success. Failure, or better still, setback or temporary defeat, could be instructive if we take time and analyze what leads to it and ways to avoid them so that we could achieve our desired success on time.

vii. The Golden Rule

According to the author, for more than twenty-five years I have been observing the manner in which people with power behave, and I have come to the conclusion that the person who attains it in any way other than by the slow, step-by-step process is constantly in danger of destroying themselves and all whom they influence. The applications of the golden rule is evident in the teachings and philosophies of Christ, Plato, Socrates, Epictetus, Confucius, Emerson, and two more modern philosophers, James and M nsterberg, Napolean Hill, as well as in our daily personal experiences in life. The Golden Rule essentially means to do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you if your positions were reversed. Horace Mann wrote, “It is well to think well; it is divine to act well”. It is your privilege to deal unjustly with others, but if you understand this law, you must know that your unjust dealings will come home to roost. The law does not stop by merely flinging back upon you your acts of injustice and unkindness toward others; it goes further than this-much further-and returns to you the results of every thought that you release. Therefore, it is not enough to “do unto others as you wish them to do unto you;’ but you must also “think of others as you wish them to think of you.’ A passive attitude toward the Golden Rule will bring no results. It is not enough merely to believe in the philosophy while at the same time failing to apply it in your relationships with others. If you want results you must actively apply the Golden Rule. It will not avail you anything to proclaim to the world your belief in the Golden Rule while your actions are not in harmony with your proclamation and you use it to cover a greedy or selfish nature. Even the most ignorant person will see you for what you are. My reflection on this idea of the Golden Rule kept me thinking on what I could do for my dear IIGL community for helping me find meaning and a sense of direction in life through my studies. A lot came to mind, but I believe someday, I would contribute immensely to the sustenance of this noble institute as a way of supporting the noble vision and mission of IIGL. I personally believe that there can never be success without happiness, and no one can be happy without bringing happiness to others. Moreover, it must be with one another.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

From my studies it is very obvious and reassuring that, to be successful in my field of interest in life and to engage in thinking like successful people, I have to redefine success to embrace the willingness to be creative enough to be able to: (a) add value to everything; (c) draw people to me and my ideas; (d) learn more; (e) challenge the status quo. For the first item on the list, I am doing well, but for the remaining three others, I need to seriously work on myself and become better if I want to be successful and think like successful people. Since thinking like successful people is one my greatest concerns, I am a student to it and would practically do everything to make sure the ideas listed above, especially the last three as earlier pointed out are given serious attention whenever I find myself contending with any idea in any area of my life. To do this successfully, I must have to employ or apply bottom line thinking; a focused thinking style geared towards my main goal in every area of interest in my life. For me, the Laws of Success book is an embodiment of success principles and their applications towards becoming successful. I would personally describe it as reawakening and a good source of inspiration and direction when faced with the challenge of decision making in a crisis situation.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“All you are or ever shall become is the result of the use to which you put your mind.”

Our minds are the factory of ideas which shape our lives. Little wonder, there is a line in the Holy Christian Bible, guard your heart jealously, for out of it comes the issues of life. The outward expression of what we do is as a result of our inner most thoughts from our minds. That is the reason why since I became aware of the power of the mind, I try to engage in deliberate meditation and visualization process. Positive affirmation of my mission statement as well as my long term vision is a daily ritual for me. This idea resonates with me and reminds me of the wonders of the mind; the seat of failure or greatness. I personally believe that, by continually studying the life patterns of great and successful people in history and modeling our lives after theirs is a sure way to educate ourselves by feeding our minds with the positive stuff that we need to succeed in our ever changing world. One of the greatest advantages of reading good books is to feed our minds with positivity that will enable us develop a positive mental attitude towards all we do in life.

“Success in life is largely predicated upon who we know!”

Life has continually taught us lessons that people make people successful. For this to happen, it largely depends on who one knows. If we are known by people that are highly placed in the society, our chances of succeeding by recommendation become more, than if we are not. Where I work today, was dependent on my knowledge of someone that has examined, judged and concluded on my personality as a pleasing and hardworking person. This knowledge alone made it obvious for me to be recommended to work in the institution he heads. It is obvious that it was because of my knowing the head of the institution that made it easier for me to be recommended to work with him and for him. I so much agree with the quote that success in life is largely predicated upon who we know.

“Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

That quote or statement was written by Harvey Mackay. When I was growing up, I have always heard of the saying, follow your bliss; do what you love – that way you will be fulfilled in life. If we do what made our hearts to tick while we grow up, especially between the ages of seven and below, we would be doing what we love to do and probably, we would be so good at it and eventually become very successful at it if we develop it well enough. Robert Greene calls it “primer inclination”. While I was growing up, I loved building things, creative works and I could easily learn technical things and skills easily. I surprised both myself and everyone around with my crafts and I was also good at the science related and calculations inclined subjects like Mathematics, Physics and the likes. A combination of my technical knowledge and my love for the sciences made me know that I would be good at engineering as a course of study at the University. Even when my parents wanted me to go for Medicine and Surgery as a course, I was not happy because I knew that I didn’t like anything that has to do with the hospital. I had phobia for blood and wounds and had never thought and seen myself in my imagination becoming a doctor before. Anytime I imagined that someday I would become a medical doctor, I did not do that with joy and the happiness that accompanies a dream come true. I later came to realize that, one of the reasons why we should follow our bliss and do what we love is that, when we eventually meet difficulties or challenges, and trust me, sure they will come, the resilience to face it and push forward will be there, rather than blaming someone for the situation or difficulties we might be facing. Eventually, when I start doing my work as an Engineer or something in line with what I had always loved as a child or as a growing child, I would be happy doing it and wouldn’t consider it as work or work stress. It would just be fun, that way, I would never work a day in my life, because I would be doing what I love and enjoy doing.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of this book were explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas were well researched upon and are practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there were no exercises.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

 

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Assessments by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“The one thing you need to know about leadership is that there is more than one thing you need to know about leadership. The 21 revised and updated irrefutable laws of leadership that bring about influence!” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. None of us is as smart as all of us

Despite the fact that we must do 21 things well to be excellent leaders, it is a reality that none of us does all of them well. Therefore, the best approach is to develop a leadership team. This team is to complement for those laws we are average or below. Look for team members whose skills are strong where yours are weak. They will complement you and vice versa. And the whole team will benefit. That will make it possible for you to develop an all-star leadership team. The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be. Personal and organizational effectiveness is proportionate to the strength of leadership. I have personally experienced the failure or flaws of leaders where I work, when trying to carry out a function alone or with a few persons, usually unskilled, in a certain area of task because probably they don’t want others to benefit from that task or activity or for whatever reason I wouldn’t know. The few times ideas were brought to the team of staff members to deliberate upon for us to chart a way forward, usually most of the time, everything went on very well with the cooperation of all towards a definite end and eventually things were done more effectively and efficiently and the management appreciated the team’s efforts at the end of the day. This is something we experience everyday; no idea or input is a waste when carefully considered. I then realized that no one is better than the combined brains of reasonable people or many people working together to achieve a definite chief aim or goal. Thus, for me, the idea of “none of us is as smart as all of us” is reawakening.

ii. Leaders are Readers

Leaders are readers of situation, trends, people, and themselves. In every sphere of life and endeavour of man, leaders are like eagle with great vision. They move ahead of their followers in imagination and practical actions to ensure that they continue to stay in place or make progress. They read situations. In all kinds of circumstances, leaders pick up on details that might elude others. They “tune in” to leadership dynamics. Many leaders describe this as an ability to “smell” things in their organization. They can sense people’s attitudes. They are able to detect the chemistry of a team. They also read trends. Whereas, most followers focus on their current work. They think in terms of tasks at hand, projects, or specific goals. Most managers are concerned with efficiency and effectiveness. They often possess a broader view than employees, thinking in terms of weeks, months, or even years. Leaders, on the other hand, take an even broader view. They look years, even decades ahead. Leaders read people. Reading people is perhaps the most important intuitive skill leaders can possess. After all, if what you are doing doesn’t involve people, it’s not Leadership. And if you aren’t persuading people to follow, you aren’t really leading. Leaders also read themselves. When leaders become self-centered, pessimistic, or rigid in their thinking, they often hurt their organizations because they are likely to fall into the trap of thinking they cannot or should not change. And once that happens, the organization has a hard time becoming better. Its decline is inevitable. I personally think that people are readers of situations, trends, people and themselves. How? I participate in the criticisms and analyses with other people concerning the decisions of leaders in my country concerning various activities and decisions they have made, the prospects therein, the challenges they pose or the dark side of their decisions. This is what happens with almost everyone everywhere and everyday; both followers and leaders alike. But the question here remains, “Are we really doing it from the perspective of leadership positions?” This is where I think leadership mindset and consciousness come into play. Like the eagle with vision, I want to become better and more conscious about reading situations, trends, people and myself because I have been doing it so that someday I will become perfect or gain mastery about it and use it to better my life and my followers as a good and dependable leader.

iii. Followers are always Watching What you Do

Just as children watch their parents and emulate their behavior, so do employees watch their bosses. If the bosses come in late, then employees feel that they can, too. If the bosses cut corners, employees cut corners. People do what people see. Followers may doubt what their leaders say, but they usually believe what they do. And they imitate it. Whitley David asserted, “A good supervisor is a catalyst, not a drill sergeant. He creates an atmosphere where intelligent people are willing to follow him. He doesn’t command; he convinces.” Nothing is more convincing than living out what you say you believe. Personally, my belief about and the pattern of leadership I practice wherever I am is leadership by example. It is a kind of leadership where I demonstrate and participate in the process practically and technically, and not some sort of do what I command, but don’t do what I do. For me it seems like oppression and a show of lack of leadership skills. I could recall a time when I was given the task of venue arrangement for an end of the year party in the school where I work and I had to use the students to assist me in carrying out this assignment a day before the occasion. I then thought to myself, how are my going to achieve this without hurting the feelings of the students and the cooperation of all the students so that it would be fast enough and still have enough time to attend to other pressing issues concerning the forthcoming occasion. Among other strategies I employed, I decided to start up the task with them, and assigned leaders at the collection point and at the venue to oversee the process. The result was outstanding, we completed the venue arrangement in good time and everyone was happy because they didn’t feel overworked. I believe in leadership by example and this idea resonates strongly with me. It’s easier to teach what’s right than to do what’s right. We should work on changing ourselves before trying to improve others. The most valuable gift a leader can give is being a good example.

iv. The Law of Buy-In

People buy into the leader, then the vision. Personally, my idea about leadership is in line with part of the philosophy of IIGL; developing personal leadership. I believe that if I strive to develop myself into becoming a leader and I demonstrate a high level of personal leadership with my life, then I should be able to lead a group of people into accomplishing our vision as a people. The leader finds the dream and then the people. The people find the leader and then the dream. Every message that people receive is filtered through the messenger who delivers it. People want to go along with people they get along with. As a leader, your success is measured by your ability to actually take the people where they need to go. But you can do that only if the people first buy into you. Think about ways you can earn credibility with individuals. There are many ways you can do that: (a) by developing a good relationship with them; (b) by being honest and authentic and developing trust, (c) by holding yourself to high standards and setting a good example, (d) by giving them the tools to do their job better (e) by helping them to achieve their personal goals, (f) by developing them as leaders. Develop a strategy with each person. If you make it your primary goal to add value to all of them, your credibility factor will rise rapidly. What I do any time before engaging people in any task towards accomplishing any goal is, to first of all, draw out or develop a plan of action and then educate the people about the goals and how we all would benefit if we accomplish these goals. Because probably I have records of credibility, they easily follow and together we get the job done. Personally, I believe that we should strive and develop a positive personality and strong personal leadership. The payoff is often great because people are watching and judging our actions all the time.

v. The Law of Sacrifice

A leader must give up something to go up. Why does an individual step forward to lead other people? For every person the answer is different. A few do it to survive. Some do it to make money. Many desire to build a business or organization. Others do it because they want to change the world; that was the reason for Martin Luther King Jr. As the first born child of my family, I am naturally a leader in my family especially among my siblings. For me, I want to always coordinate my family to live harmoniously and happily and to lead my family out of poverty in any way I could when the opportunity arises. To do this, I have sacrificed a lot in the past for my siblings in teaching them and sacrificing for them to achieve their goals academically. I am still sacrificing and intend to sacrifice more and continuously. The heart of good leadership is sacrifice. There is no success without sacrifice. Sacrifice is an ongoing process, not a one-time payment. The higher the level of leadership, the greater the sacrifice. In order to make such sacrificial trades, an individual must have something of value to trade. What do you have to offer? And what are you currently willing to trade your time, energy, and resources for that may give you greater personal worth? One of the most harmful mind-sets of leaders is what I call destination disease — the idea that they can sacrifice for a season and then “arrive.” Leaders who think this way stop sacrificing and stop gaining higher ground in leadership. It is my resolve to remain a leader of influence and continue to gain higher grounds by my willingness to keep sacrificing for the common good of the people around me and the society at large.

vi. The Law of Explosive Growth

To add growth, lead followers; To multiply, lead leaders. Leaders are naturally impatient. From my experience, at least, almost all the great leaders I know are. Leaders want to move fast. They want to see the vision fulfilled. They delight in progress. Good leaders quickly assess where an organization is, project where it needs to go, and have strong ideas about how to get it there. The problem is that, most of the time, the people and the organization lag behind the leader. For that reason, leaders always feel a tension between where they and their people are and where they ought to be. Becoming a leader who develops leaders requires an entirely different focus and attitude from simply attracting and leading followers. It takes a different mind-set. How then does one relieve that tension between where the organization is and where one wants it to be? The answer can be found in the Law of Explosive Growth: (a) If you develop yourself, you can experience personal success; (b) if you develop a team, your organization can experience growth; and (c) if you develop leaders, your organization can achieve explosive growth. The challenges of leading leaders are: (a) Leaders are hard to find; (b) leaders are hard to gather; and (c) leaders are hard to keep. I see and experience the advantages of explosive growth with most organizations, institutes and societies from time immemorial. Today, the “connected economy,” I mean the multi-level marketing world makes use of this leadership style to distribute their products and expand their markets and recognition the world over. Even the one I partner with, Longrich Bioscience International is not an exception to the law of explosive growth which results from a leader developing leaders. That’s what the multi-level marketing platform thrives on.

vii. The Law of Legacy

A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession. Eleanor Roosevelt commented, “Life is like a parachute jump; you’ve got to get it right the first time.” I’ve always been conscious of the fact that our time here on earth is limited and we need to make the most of it. Life is not a dress rehearsal. We must work and be intentional to leave the legacy we want by: (a) Knowing the legacy you want to leave; (b) living the legacy you want to leave; (c) choosing who will carry on your legacy; and (d) making sure you pass the baton. When I wanted to change location in the course of my education from where I used to live and worship, I decided to teach someone how to play the piano for our church choir; I had to train a successor to replace me when I eventually leave. At the end I painstakingly groomed someone to replace me. I did it then for two reasons: first, so that the church worship can go on smoothly without my presence; hence replicating myself in my successor; second, because I was told by the choir leaders to groom another church pianist. I have always believed that success without a successor is not a true success because success leaves footprints in the sands of time.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The ideas I have gathered from this book are timeless guidepost in developing an exceptional leadership style in me. This leadership style forces someone to first of all embrace the development of personal leadership before thinking of corporate positional or political kind of leadership. For me, this is the kind of leadership that makes the world have a sense of meaning for many especially in our African society where leadership is still a far cry from what it is supposed to be – the kind obtainable in most of the western worlds today. By studying and internalizing, as well as revising the laws in this book from time to time especially when faced with a crisis situation as regards decision making, it will, no doubt, direct me aright towards my desire of creating a positive change in terms of positively influencing the harmony and financial status and fortune of my family. By developing personal leadership, I will start attracting who I have become and what I do or practice as described by the law of magnetism.

The main difference between leadership and management is that leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes. The best way to test whether a person can lead rather than just manage is to ask him to create positive change. Managers can maintain direction, but often they can’t change it. Systems and processes can do only so much. To move people in a new direction, you need influence. I desire above all things to learn and have the foresight and insight of a visionary leader; to be wise enough to pick good men to do what I want done, and to develop the self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. All these were the lessons I learned from my study of this great book that I am sure will help me in a way practical way to better my life and the world around me.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Taking People to the Top is What Good Leaders Do.”

No leaders are successful without a few people helping them. Sadly, as soon as some leaders arrive at the top, they spend their time trying to push others off the top. They play king of the hill because of their insecurity or competitiveness. That may work for a time, but it usually won’t last long. When your goal is to knock others down, you spend too much of your time and energy watching out for people who would do the same to you. Instead, why not give others a hand up and ask them to join you? A leader’s credibility begins with personal success. It ends with helping others achieve personal success. To gain credibility, you must consistently demonstrate three things: (a) Initiative: You have to get up to go up; (b) Sacrifice – You have to give up to go up; (c) Maturity: You have to grow up to go up. If you show the way, people will want to follow you. The higher you go, the greater the number of people who will be willing to travel with you. A leader’s credibility begins with personal success. It ends with helping others achieve personal success. This is eventually what I desire and what I have demonstrated in some leadership positions, notable among them is the leadership I demonstrated as my Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) Leader during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) days. I tried to do projects that will benefit the vast majority and not only a few of the corps members. By so doing, I gave most of my leisure time, planning how to meet with the school management where we did our primary assignments as corps members to provide the necessary welfare packages for the corps members. We eventually achieved our goals and everyone was happy.

“Avoid Positional Thinking.”

Leadership is relational as much as it is positional. An individual who takes a relational approach to leadership will never be lonely. The time spent in building relationships creates friendships with others. Positional leaders, on the other hand, are often lonely. Every time they use their title and position to “persuade” their people to do something, they create distance between themselves and others. They are essentially saying, “I’m up here; you’re down there. So do what I say.” That makes people feel small, alienates them, and drives a wedge between them and the leader. Good leaders don’t belittle people; they enlarge them. Positional leadership is a way of life in many developing countries, of which my country is not an exception. Here, our leaders gather and protect power. They alone are allowed to be on top and everyone else is expected to follow. Sadly, this practice keeps potential leaders from developing and creates loneliness for the one who leads. If you are in a leadership position, do not rely on your title to convince people to follow you. Build relationships. Win people over. Do that and you will never be lonely at the top. I know of a man in my country, placed in an exalted political position. While he was there, he and his children treated people they knew before he was appointed to that exalted political position with disdain. The children party with false friends who were only interested in squandering the ill-gotten wealth their father had made away with using his political power and position. His children slept in the hotel most of the times during his tenure in office. When his tenure in office was over, he then returned to his abode; he had not saved anything, he squandered all his money living large and he was very full of himself. All his so-called friends deserted him at that point, because they were only interested in helping him squander his ill-gotten wealth. He lived a miserable life afterwards and the children lacked a sense of direction and he eventually died a poor man and was buried like a church rat. This is one of the effects of positional leadership practiced in most developing nations like mine. Life eventually becomes lonely for such leaders after sometime because they lack values and hardly make good friends with good morals and etiquette. This is a wakeup call to me to avoid anything concerning positional thinking as far as leadership is concerned.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of this book were explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas were well researched upon and are practicable.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were a few exercises in form of self-check questions to examine the applications of the ideas in the readers’ lives. I did all of them and they were indeed helpful as I used them to examine my life about and around the ideas I have studied.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

The Rules of Work
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

It’s a guide for the individual manager and indeed an eye-opener for all those who would like to rise to the top but don’t seem to be able to find the map by marrying efficiency and effectiveness at work by becoming a rules player” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Carve Out a Niche for Yourself

Carving out a niche means spotting a useful area that no one else has spotted. It might be as simple as being great at spreadsheets or report writing. It might be, like Mike in the book, knowing something no one else does. It might be being brilliant with company software or budgets or understanding the system. Carving out a niche for yourself often takes you out of the normal range of office activities. You get to move around more, be out of the office more often without having to explain to anyone where you are or what you are doing. This makes you stand out from the herd and gives you independence and a superior quality. Carving out a niche for yourself frequently means you get noticed by people other than your boss; other people’s bosses. These bosses get together and they talk. If they bring your name up, it will be in a good way like this; “I see Rich has been busy doing some really original market analysis.” This makes it difficult for your boss not to promote you if she wants to win her peer group approval. If the other bosses think you are a good idea, then your boss really has to go along with it. The other side of this rule is, make sure you don’t make yourself indispensable, or this rule backfires. In part this means looking after your physical energy. Make sure you stay fit and healthy, and don’t wear yourself out when you have work the next day. Just as we make the kids go to bed on time when its school tomorrow, so you should make sure you don’t stay up late, overeat, get drunk, wear yourself out, skip breakfast, or otherwise reduce your potential at work. And don’t forget your mental energy. What time of day do you work best? On a full stomach or just a comfortable one with no hunger pains? What environment makes you most effective at work—quiet, busy, pressured, noisy, companionable? We’re all different, and you may not have total control over your working day, but you can make sure those tasks that need concentration get allocated to times when you’re best able to concentrate and so on. And there’s emotional energy too. If things are going badly in your home life, you need to find ways to bolster your emotional mood before you get to work in the morning so your job isn’t affected; keep Your Home Life at Home. If you’re under emotional pressure at work, again, you’ll need to come up with constructive ways to keep your energy levels up; go for a run at lunchtime, tackle the person who’s bugging you, talk to your boss about your worries. Finally, your spiritual side needs room to stretch to feel energized. For some people this can happen outside work, while others need to be doing a job that gives them a strong sense of moral worth. Only you know where you stand on this, but make sure that your job isn’t cramping your spiritual energy, or in the end both you and the job will suffer. I personally learnt something very useful; to manage my energy, be it physical, mental, emotional and spiritual in order me to continue to performing at best in my work. The overall aim of carving a niche for oneself is to gain time to do other things other than routine task and to gain experience and promotion by doing your work in an efficient and effective way. Therefore, if you develop a novel idea say, came up with a software to solve a problem, it is important that you teach others also how to use it all the time so that you don’t remain indispensable all the time. By so doing, when you are away attending to other higher issues of the company that can earn you an executive position, you will not be drawn back intermittently to that same old job (position) for which you want to leave for a higher one.

ii. Have a Plan

Rules Players remain flexible and convert their plan according to circumstances; they’re not rigid thinkers but smart and very fluid. They have a plan; long term and short term. All plans, whether short-term or long-term, should include practical steps to put into action and make them happen. Obviously, you could decide to be ruthless, unpleasant, cruel, vindictive, but we assume you won’t; a Rules Player is never any of these. Your game plan should include your qualities as well as what sort of game you want to plan; “I will be successful and still be a thoroughly nice person.” Not many people choose consciously to be a loser, but that’s where they end up. It is important to set objectives. An objective is a simple one-sentence mission statement that you can use to get you through your day. It is almost impossible to be successful or to get promoted if you don’t set objectives. Know your role. Know yourself; strengths and weakness. If you are going to be a Rules player, you have to be incredibly objective about yourself. A lot of people can’t do this; they can’t turn the spotlight on themselves objectively enough or brightly enough to see themselves as others see them. You have to know your role before you can make subjective judgments about strengths and weaknesses. There is no point using all your energy and power when it is not necessary. Anticipate threats. Threats come at us from every quarter, every day redundancy, downsizing, takeovers, vindictive colleagues, irascible bosses, new technology, new systems and new procedures. Each threat that becomes a reality is an opportunity to grow and change. This is a reminder to me that, at work it is pertinent for anyone to have a personal plan and set objectives on how to achieve them and ascend the corporate ladder; however we still need to be very flexible about it because every day has its own evil. Eventualities may arise that may require that lead to change of plan. If we have that mindset already, we will not be threatened by change of any kind, especially negative change.

iii. Look for Opportunities

Learn to see opportunities as balls; if they get thrown your way, you have but a split second to catch them. There is no time for asking questions, looking over your shoulder, weighing the pros and cons, or dancing the foxtrot. You either catch the ball or you don’t. Make learning a lifelong mission. Well, you and I still have the same brain we had when we were kids. OK, we may have lost a few little grey cells, but we can still enjoy learning. And if we don’t keep learning, we stagnate and become boring old stick-in-the mud. If you don’t learn, you can’t change, and if you aren’t changing, what’s the point of being here? Gossiping is the occupation of idle minds; those who haven’t got enough work to do. It is also the domain of workers who have mindless jobs to do; they can do without thinking and thus have to occupy themselves with inane chatter, rumors, lies, and malicious stories. Trouble is that if you don’t join in, you can be seen as severe or stuck-up. You have to look as if you gossip without ever doing it. Don’t go getting all self-righteous and telling everyone how silly they are doing it. With most things, discretion is the key word. Don’t be seen disapproving; just don’t do it, and keep that to yourself. Moaning is a time-wasting device invented by sad people who haven’t enough work to do. And they’re usually the ones standing next to the ones gossiping. They may even be the same ones; chances are they are. And when they’ve finished having a good moan, they’ll have a good gossip. Moaning is pointless. It is unproductive and achieves nothing. All it does is: identifies you as idle, petty, and trivial; encourages you to turn the corners of your mouth down; not attractive; wastes time; makes you a magnet for other moaners; gets you a reputation as someone who doesn’t allocate anything productive or helpful; de-motivates you and sets up a vicious circle. So, what are you going to do if you are a habitual moaner? Easy, make sure that whenever you do moan you make yourself offer a solution to whatever it is you are moaning about. If you can’t see a solution, you aren’t allowed to moan. Try that for a few weeks, and you’ll stop moaning quite naturally. You can say what you want when you get home, or in the car on your own, but at work you don’t swear. Good listening is a skill, a special talent, which you will have to practice and learn. In the end, I have personally learnt that I need to be focused on seeing opportunities in every situation and always be thoughtful about new opportunities to add value to the organization where I work and if I do that well enough, that could earn me my promotion.

iv. Set Personal Standards

We must endeavor to be the very, very best we can at all times. The author gave his personal standards and considerations as follows: (a) I will not knowingly hurt or hinder another human being in the pursuit of my career; (b) I will not knowingly break any laws in the furtherance of my career; (c) I will have a moral code that I will follow no matter what; (d) I will endeavor to provide a positive contribution to society by what I do for a living; (e) I will not do anything that I will be ashamed to talk to my children about; (f) I will put my family first at all times; (g) I will not work evenings or weekends unless it is an emergency and I have discussed it with my partner; (h) I will not unfairly harm anyone in my pursuit of new work. (i) I will always endeavor to put something back (j) I will pass on freely and openly any skills, knowledge, or experience to anyone who could use them to benefit themselves within the same industry. I won’t hog information for the sake of it. (k) I will not be jealous of anyone else’s success in the same industry; (l) I will question the long-term ramifications of what I do constantly; (m) I will play by the rules at all times. I have come to learn that if we set personal standards for ourselves based on our peculiar situation, we will avoid future avoidable troubles or problems for ourselves.
v. Keep Records

This technique isn’t to cover your back because you are up to no good. Instead it clarifies all issues. If it’s in writing, it makes your job so much simpler, so much easier. Who can argue with a written memo? In fact, such things could be forged, written afterwards, changed, amended, and/or rewritten, but we all assume they aren’t, that they are tamper proof. It is amazing how often the tiniest detail will cause a major upset unless you got it in writing in the first place. Keeping records isn’t a stupid thing to do, but a sensible precaution. None of us has perfect memory. We all forget things: dates, times, details. Once we have made a note of whatever it is, we can refer to it later. And often surprise ourselves with how badly we have remembered something. You will often read in management books the advice to throw away all memo or emails or faxes over a certain age; if you haven’t looked at it in six months then you don’t need it. Rubbish. You hang on to everything. Make more filing space rather than throw anything away, unless and until you are 100 percent certain it is not needed. If it’s in writing, it makes your job so much simpler, so much easier. Indeed, this is awakening.

vi. Understand Other’s Motives

A rules player is supposed to be honest, diligent, hardworking, keen, successful and self-motivated. He gets off on doing a job fabulously well, impressing his bosses, earning the respect of his colleagues and the admiration and loyalty of his juniors. He goes home at night, knowing he has done a good day’s work and that he’s been pleasant to everyone and is a thoroughly nice person. Understanding other’s motives means you have to enter the dark and nebulous world of psychology. What gets others off can be very diverse: power, money, prestige, revenge, a need to hurt, and a need to be loved. Amidst all these display, a rules player must learn how to stand out a mile – aloof, calm, in control, dignified, and sophisticated. Anybody whose motives are need and fear and greed should be treated carefully. You will have to make sure you stay on the right side of them without fawning, that you outmaneuver them without sinking to their level and without being paranoid. As a rules player, it is important for you to learn to look around your office and identify what makes each of your colleagues tick and do the same for your boss and their bosses. Learn to identify their motives and you will be able to handle them easily. Knowledge is power.

vii. Put Things in Perspective

When all is said and done, it is only a job. It isn’t your health, your love life, your family, your children, your life, or your soul. If, by the way, it is any of these things, then you really have gone badly wrong along the way. Therefore, having a bad day at work shouldn’t cause you to: lose sleep, go hungry, lose your sex drive, smoke more, drink more, take drugs, be more irritable, get depressed, get stressed. But surprisingly, often these things are done by people because they have had a bad day. Yes, they may have had a whole series of bad days. But taken one by one, it is just a bad day. You have to learn to switch off, relax, not take it so seriously, enjoy it more, and put things into perspective. Get a hobby, get a life. You must work to live, not live to work. Don’t take stuff home with you; learn to be assertive and say no. For me, this is very instructive.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

This book is pertinent to know that, these rules are not for the unserious or the posers. They are for the really industrious, the talented, the hard working, the naturally gifted; those who are prepared to put in some effort and burn some oil to make their world a better place and I see myself as one of such. To paraphrase the author, it is recommended that, to start off your journey as a good rules player, it is important to commit to excellence by starting out following every rule within and with your organization and taking the rules seriously. You need to be clear and objective about it and master it, but when your instincts genuinely tell you to break a rule then go for it because according to the author, there is rarely a need to break a rule. Rules are broken occasionally because in the end, it’s about gut feeling. Follow the rules until they’re so ingrained that they become instinct, and then trust your instincts. If you refer back to the rules, from time to time, and you work on the one you find tricky, you can be confident that in time your instincts will serve you better than any book. Hence, having read, internalized and ready to practice the lessons learnt from this great mind stunning book, it would be helpful to me in becoming a better rules player at work and to help me to think and act like a boss in order that I ascend the corporate ladder of leadership at my work place. By so doing, I would be privileged to make my innovative decisions and reasonable inputs to the organization where I work that would take the organization to the next level.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Never Disapprove of Others.”

At work, as a way of blending in, it is important to never disapprove of others; don’t disapprove of the way they spend their lunch break this will make them think of you as an outsider. Don’t disapprove of anything they do in group as a way of regular break time routine or personal way of life during work; blend in and you won’t show that you disapprove of your colleagues as a smart move. How others spend their leisure time, their money, or their lives is no concern of yours. Smart movers concentrate on their own path and ignore the route others choose to take. Keep focused on where you are going, and ignore anything others are up to. By ignoring, it is easier to stop making judgments. If you make judgments, you categorize yourself and thus make it much more difficult to be flexible and to move easily from situation to situation. By judging others, you, in turn, get pigeon-holed yourself not a good place to be. This I believe will help you attain your objective as a good rules player in your work place.

“Act One Step Ahead.”

If you are going to move on up, you had better start practicing now. These Rules teach you how to adopt the mannerisms, attitudes, and managerial traits of the position above the one you currently hold. If you already look as if you’ve been promoted, chances are you will be. You can achieve this by doing the following steps: (a) Dress one step ahead – you may choose the job you want and choose to dress like that job, then you will get that job; (b) talk one step ahead – if you are going to talk one step up, you need to be more thoughtful, talk about issues that are relevant, talk in terms of “we” rather than “I,” be focused and dynamic, and keep personal details to yourself; losses don’t chatter or gossip about their social lives. (c) Think one step ahead. This entails thinking expediently; no time wasting thinking about personal issues more than that of the organization at work. Think more like a boss and less like a worker. (d) Address corporate issues and problems. This can best be explained like this, if the company you work suggests a new procedure, immediately think how it affects your customers and not you. (e) Make your company better for having you there; One of the most satisfying ways to make your name in an organization is to propose a change that will benefit everyone, not just your own job or even your department. Therefore, if you look for ways to create assets for everyone to share, the credit will rub off on you every time they’re used. And that’s what it’s all about. Genuinely helping everyone, and yourself most of all. (f) Talk of “We” rather than “I.” If you go to meetings, it is so much more grown up (and cool) to talk of “we” instead of “I.” (g) Walk the Walk. If you are going to walk your walk, you have to have the right mannerisms, the right dress code, the right way of speaking, the right way of acting, the right responses, and the right attitude. You only get these if you are prepared to put in some time carrying out a four-point plan: watching, learning, practicing, and incorporating. If you are prepared to do these four things, you will fly. Of course, you also have to do these without anyone knowing what you are doing as well as doing your normal everyday job. Tough order? Of course. Who said it was going to be easy? (h) Spend more time with senior staff – No matter what level you are in the company, you can spend time with senior members of staff and they won’t even realize it if you handle it right. Draw attention to yourself, and you will be spotted as an interloper, a spy, an intruder, a gatecrasher. Remember, as a small child, you could attend grown-up parties if you stayed quiet. They forgot you were there. Once spotted, you got carried off to bed—where you belonged. It’s the same as a junior. You can hang around and learn, but don’t blow it or you’ll be sent back to bed metaphorically. Sometimes, you will notice a boss sitting on his own at a lunch or social occasion. Most “workers” are too nervous to go up to bosses and chat or so entrenched in their social class thing that they can’t talk to them. Forget that. Go up and make a small talk. You’ll be amazed how often bosses are grateful for a “worker” talking to them because they too are human and feel isolated, lonely, ignored or forgotten. They are glad for a chat, just so long as you don’t take advantage and ask about a pay raise or time off or your vacation. You may well find you pick up useful hints and tips from that session. (i) Get people to assume you have already made the step. Be serious, mature, grown-up, and adult. (j) Prepare for the step after next. As a serious minded rules player now, and must stick with it; no days off, no rests, no breaks, no putting your feet up drinking coffee and staring into space. Back to the grindstone. So, you’ve got your eye on the next step, the next job. Fine, good. But what about after that? What’s your next step? What’s your next target? Once people get in the habit of assuming you are a high flier, you become one. In conclusion, carrying out the rules requires strength of character, will power, determination, honesty, courage, experience, great talent, dedication, drive, nerve, and charisma.

“Cultivate Diplomacy.”

Smooth Rules Players move rapidly up the corporate ladder because they are diplomats. They don’t start fights; they stop them. They don’t sit on fences; they mend them. They spread calm around them, and others turn to them for advice and inspiration. You too will be a diplomat. You will be known for your objective appraisal of any situation, your impartial attitude, and your even-handed dealings. To adequately and successfully cultivate diplomacy as a rules player, you must do the following: Ask questions in times of conflict asking questions usually gets people to switch their attention from the main argument to a detail; don’t take sides. Whatever the case up for discussion you need to take a long-term view, see it from the company’s point of view, remain impartial, remain calm, be the diplomat, not take sides and stay independent; Know when to keep your opinions to yourself. The real reason for expressing an opinion is because you have been asked to. If you are asked, then say what you think. If you aren’t been asked, then shut up. Therefore, to this well, do the following: (a) make your opinion ready for when you are asked; (b) learn to express that opinion clearly and precisely and accurately; and (c) always make it sound as if your opinion isn’t just an opinion but the actual solution that will be implemented. The way to make your opinion seem less like an opinion and more like an accepted fact and then express it as a fact. Don’t say, “I think we should,” instead say, “We should.” Don’t say, “In my opinion the ZX300 is a good machine.” Instead say, “The ZX300 is a good machine.” Therefore, avoid using words like: “I think,” ”I feel” and “In my opinion.” Be Conciliatory; Don’t, whatever you do, actually criticize the way the boss handled things. Never lose your temper. Say when you feel aggrieved, immediately, so that you diffuse the situation at once. Never get personal. Getting personal will get you sacked at worst and lose you respect and friends at best. Know how to handle other people’s anger. Tactical anger is used to make you do things you don’t want to. People lose their temper to intimidate you. The worst thing you can do is let them get away with it. If you do, they’ll keep doing it, to you and to others. You must stop them at once. The way to do this is simply to say, “I don’t like being shouted at/threatened/intimidated/bullied/whatever, and I shall leave if you don’t stop/calm down/put your fists down/let go of my throat,” whatever. If they continue, then just leave. That’s it. Say nothing; just walk out of the room. Do this often enough and they will get the message. Stand your ground; Standing your ground is about being assertive. Be Objective about the situation. If you are feeling abused and tormented at work, you have various choices: walk, report it, flair up and be angry, say nothing, or handle it assertively. As a word of caution, in any case, before you react, think of the long-term plan. For me, these guidelines are enlightening.

“Know the System and Milk it.”

If you are going to move on up, you had better know the ropes. These Rules teach you how to understand the system and how to milk it for all you’re worth. They will have you out-managing the management because you’ll know the system better than they do. To really do this, you must: (a) know all the unspoken or unwritten rules of office life; (b) know what to call everyone; (c) know when to stay late and when to go early; (d) know the theft or perks rule; (e) identify the people who count; (f) be on the right side of the people who count (g) be well up on new management techniques; try not to sound out of date when you talk of management techniques; (h) know the undercurrents and hidden agenda; (i) know the favorites and cultivate them. To get to be a favorite has to depend on skill, presence, charisma, talent, expertise, experience, likeability, charm, personal affability. It must never depend on brownnosing, fawning, obsequiousness, or flattery. You have to earn being a favorite, not worm your way in. If you do, you will be hated by your colleagues. If you genuinely deserve it because you are dependable or reliable or efficient or honest, then your colleagues will just about put up with it. (j) Know the mission statement and understand it. For me, I have come to see that self-discipline as well as flexibility is a big part of achieving all these. This consciousness and deliberateness in practicing these rules and learning these good qualities will eventually make one a good rules player.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The contents of this book were explicit and I understood everything I read and I totally agree with the ideas it contains as these ideas were well researched upon and are evidence-based in many peoples’ work lives.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there were no exercises for the readers.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Critical Thinking
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“The development, promise, pitfalls and application of critical thinking skills to everyday life” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Cooperative Critical Thinking

The author described creative critical thinking as one of the best ways of thinking because it encourages win/win. Cooperative critical thinking is also valuable, and in some contexts is much more useful. Obviously, not all problems yield such neat cooperative solutions; but by focusing on finding common grounds and shared interests, it is often possible to reach a conclusion in which no one loses, and everyone goes away satisfied. Notice that the solutions gained through cooperative critical thinking are not always compromises. In the example cited by the author, Carrie and her brother might have reached a compromise by splitting the piece of chocolate cake in half, leaving neither very satisfied; by considering carefully what each really desired, and how those desires could best be met, they found a solution that met the goals of both. Carrie wanted frosting, and her brother wanted cake. By considering the problem cooperatively, they found a solution that worked for both of them. That brings out the crucial first step in effective cooperative critical thinking: getting clear on exactly what goals are in play. Adversarial and cooperative critical thinking are quite different methods of thinking critically; but to practice either method effectively, two things are essential. First, whether the process is adversarial or cooperative, the most important step is being clear and precise on exactly what the issue or question is. If you are evaluating an argument, you cannot begin to determine whether that argument is good or bad until you know what the argument is supposed to be proving. An argument that establishes that coal is a plentiful and cheap source of energy will be useless if the real issue is whether burning coal increases the danger of global warming. Critical thinking is also valuable in determining exactly what the problems are, exploring the various possibilities for resolving them, examining the effects of the alternatives, and arriving at the best solution for all concerned. Whether truth is sought by combat or cooperation, critical thinking plays a vital role. Thus, I have come to understand critical thinking, whether adversarial or cooperative as the ability to focus on fair hearing from both parties dragging for their particular interests, healthy respect for each other, and discerning the root cause of the argument. Another better approach to critical thinking is to nib the problem in the bud. To tackle injustice in the society, our approach should be to focus on the deeper source by getting to the root of the issue and this will consequently eliminate or reduce the problem to the barest minimum. Therefore, quick-fix approach to arguments or the differences that exist by both or all the parties involved are not always the right approach to finding lasting solution to issues or conflicts. My observations of disciplinary actions carried out by most educational institutions in Nigeria, is the quick-fix approach; where students are either suspended from school activities or face outright expulsion maybe for theft case. The irony of this may be that, when the students go out into the larger society outside the confines and watch of the teachers and school administration or management, he might become an armed robber constituting nuisance in the society. Therefore, personally, I believe that, serious critical thinking around issues like this among cooperate and institutional bodies would proffer corrective and palliative measures to certain societal ills among staff members within the organization rather than issuing them sack letters at the slightest mistake.

ii. When analyzing an argument, start with the conclusion

If you are trying to construct a compelling argument, first decide exactly what conclusions you want to establish. If you are evaluating someone else’s argument, first determine exactly what the argument is supposed to prove. When you have picked out the conclusion, you can examine the structure of the argument in support of that conclusion. Therein a lot of things would then be revealed to the person with the critical mind. From my knowledge and experience in writing, writing an article for publication or writing a project or dissertation or thesis report are all forms of presenting an argument. In all, whether presenting your arguments in a linked arguments style or convergent style (starting with the conclusion in mind) is a good start. In linked arguments, the reasons given depend on one another for their strength. Separately, each premise offers little or no support for the conclusion; together they may form a powerful argument. While convergent arguments offer independent, free standing reasons for the conclusion. For me, my style is to create a mental picture of a block diagram of how my arguments – the premise and the conclusions are linked. In my writing, these mental pictures are then presented clearly on paper using block diagrams. This way, I am able to clearly see and visualize the links among each component in the argument I want to present in writing from the premise to the conclusion. Hence, this method allows one to visually see the end from the beginning and helps one establish logical links among the premises or sub-arguments.

iii. The Burden of Proof

The first step in critically analyzing an argument is determining the conclusion. The second step is determining who bears the burden of proof. The “preliminary” question of who bears the burden of proof often has great influence on which side prevails in an argument. It is a topic for debate and could be very tricky in a discourse. However, the ability to critically analyze the underlying factors responsible for the cause of things is somewhat burdensome. This knowledge is critical when trying to raise issues or proceeding with rule breaking within an organization, while being mindful of the attendant penalties. When one could properly determine the burden of proof, he or she becomes better placed to make sound judgment and a follow-up decision as regards what to do.

iv. Language and Pitfalls

Words shape the way we reason, perceive, and remember. Therefore, careful use of language is an important tool in seeking the exact truth and the justified conclusion. When we use language correctly within the context of our discussion about any issues of life, we need to be critical and careful as well. The right use of language can free someone or an organization or even a nation from impending dangers or havocs and can also wreck havoc, endanger and even destroy them. Therefore, the use of words or language within a given context should be thoroughly scrutinized and critically looked into in order to avoid shaping our mindsets the wrong way that create unnecessary problems or issues for ourselves and the society we live in. Many of the challenges and court cases we have today all over the world and especially in Africa (especially among the illiterate youths) to be specific are tied to misunderstanding or misinterpretation due to language and the fall out could communal disputes and crisis and all manner of societal ills as its offspring. As a critical thinker, one shouldn’t just react to critical societal issues with impulse as this has the tendency to result to untold cases of societal ills and crises resulting from such pitfalls of language.

v. Symbolic Sentential Logic

I am a teacher of Logical reasoning within a subject I teach in school and that was part of the reasons why I was probably drawn to this book. There can be no critical thinking without logic. The way and manner the symbolic sentential logic was analyzed in this book has given me a broader view and understanding about the nature of logical statements. Of particular interests to me were the many examples and exercises given to broaden the understanding of the reader in various forms of symbolic sentential logic among aspects like disjunction, conjunction and bi-conditional statements with an analysis of the nature of the arguments whether valid or invalid, sound or unsound, strong or weak, cogent or not cogent in a deductive or inductive argument form. This way, I now have an improved and better grasp about the application of symbolic sentential logic in everyday life.

vi. Impartial Critical Thinking

The point here is that in your deliberations you must try to approach issues with an open mind, free of bias and favoritism. There will be those who wish to exploit your fears and prejudices and preconceptions. They may be unscrupulous advertisers, politicians or lawyers who hope that prejudices will substitute for arguments. For me, I see impartial critical thinking as the best way to think especially in trying to raise young and vibrant youths as leaders of tomorrow. For us in the formative business as teachers that build people, we must try as much as possible to apply impartial judgment to disputes between two or more parties when brought to our table. Both or all parties must be given a right to fair hearing and sanctions melted out accordingly. I try to practice this principle each time a case between two people; especially among students come to my table. This is to prevent anyone from feeling cheated at the end. This idea resonates strongly with my heart and it reinforces my resolve, belief and tradition as regards striking out the idea of favoritism and to approach disputes among my students impartially even when it is pretty difficult to be fair.

vii. The Fallacy of Affirming the Consequent

There is another fallacious argument that sounds and looks a lot like a valid argument form but it’s invalid. This is simply a call to critically examine whatever issues are presented to us and to make efforts for further inquiries on all premises presented to us before really affirming the consequent so that we may not do so in error. This is an avoidable mistake but I believe that the problem with us most times is the quick-fix approach to issues of life. We want every issue dismissed fast without careful analysis of the underlying causes of the problem or dispute so that we can easily tackle the problem from the root. For me this idea is a call to be careful with making conclusions. As a matter of fact and for the need of fair hearing and fair judgment, conclusions on issues must be based on serious scrutiny of the antecedents to allow for a sound or cogent argument which will consequently lead to the avoidance of the fallacy of affirming the consequent.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

From my studies of this book, I would say, it is more on the academic side, though with uniquely deep practical applications when thoroughly understood and reflected upon. Indeed, the book is “critical” in its approach as the name implies, “Critical Thinking.” Personally, after an intense study of the book and the various exercises done for readers concerning whether one understands the knowledge and concept or not, my mind became further opened to the nature of arguments and argumentative or debatable statements. From my experience with interactions with people, I know that, if we are good at communications and logical thinking by making logical statements, we could free ourselves from or risk exposing ourselves to impending dangers. This could be done by engaging in critical thinking in everyday life, understanding the nature of statements and arguments; the concept of premises and conclusions, deductive and inductive arguments, as well as the validity, soundness, strength or weakness, and the whether an argument is cogent or not, all play an important role in sentential logical communications and arguments in everyday life. Arguments simply mean making statements with facts with a view to arriving at logical conclusion and with the aim of proving something. This is what we all do in everyday life whether consciously or unconsciously. Whether you are a leader or not, you are supposed to know how to make logical statements that connect, otherwise one may take you for a “psychiatric patient” with some forms of disorder. Personally, I came to fully understand the concept of arguments during my master’s degree study days, when I asked my roommate about becoming an expert in writing because he is a good writer and editor. His response was startling when he said; writing is all about making your arguments. He further explained that, in the course of writing, your premises or antecedents must be clearly stated, highly connected with a logical flow and finally well concluded. He continued, “if you could observe these simple rules, then you’re a good writer. It is that easy, he said. Since then, anything that has to do with understanding arguments and logical presentations strike a chord with me.”

Furthermore, I also teach Symbolic Logic where I work, the topics on arguments as well as symbolic sentential logic caught my attention a great deal because it avails me the opportunity to further study and reflect on the different examples and applications of logical reasoning in everyday life with lots of brain tasking exercises to test the readers’ level of understanding of the concepts. For me, that makes a lot of sense because I now have an improved and a better grasp of the concept of logical reasoning and how to better impart same knowledge to my students subsequently. Therefore, for me, it is like attending a workshop or a seminar or training session on better ways to sharpen my knowledge on what I have been doing.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Limits on Critical Thinking.”

Critical thinking is very useful, in both adversarial and cooperative settings. But if you are dealing with someone who purposefully misrepresents your views and arguments, and has no interest in genuinely discussing the issues, then critical thinking runs into a brick walk. No matter how polished your critical thinking skills are, you will not persuade a tornado to be less destructive; and if you encounter someone who refuses to reason and who grossly distorts opposing views, then critical thinking cannot gain much traction. Critical discussion thrives with like minds. Due to the uncertainties of life, we may fall within teams that do not think alike. This will greatly limit the efforts one puts on critical thinking. Where I work, one of my bosses (my immediate boss) has a myopic view of issues of life and she is so negative and abhors possibilities if only the price is seemingly too big to pay. As an engineering student in graduate school, I was asked to introduce technical drawing to the school (high school) where I teach. My overall boss called me and sought my consent to help in that regards, I accepted. He then instructed me to see my immediate boss. That was where my nightmare started because she is so negative in her orientation. She discouraged me as much as possible presenting all sort of reasons why it will be very difficult and wouldn’t work. My encounter with her became tougher and tougher. Since I wanted it to work, I went back to our overall boss and begged him to give me the go-ahead to make it happen my way. He later reluctantly did. I went for a short training on how best to teach the subject, got the relevant materials and textbooks and we started the subject somehow and eventually it was finally incorporated fully into the school timetable. The hard times I had when I wanted to introduce technical drawing as a subject in the school was because of the limitations due to someone that is shallow in thinking deeply about the consequences of certain decisions on people simply because she doesn’t want to strain herself. It was indeed a serious limitation. However, if one adjusts his or her mindset that, one could meet people that can limit critical thinking, then at that point, we can be relaxed and look for alternatives that would help like the story I narrated earlier.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, there were lots of exercises in every chapter that the reader has to do to self-check whether he/she understood the concepts presented in that chapter. I did most of them and they were very helpful in enhancing my understanding and appreciation of the overall contents of the book.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

Failing Forward
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Turning mistakes into stepping stones for success” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Seven abilities needed to fail forward

The author presented seven abilities of achievers that enable them to fail, not take it personally, and keep moving forward. They are: (a) Achievers reject rejection; (b) achievers see failure as temporary; (c) achievers see failures as isolated incidents; (d) achievers keep expectations realistic; (e) achievers focus on strengths; (f) achievers vary approaches to achievement; and (g) Achievers bounce back. These seven abilities are based on mindset; what we have been made to believe about failing. Personally, I have got to know from an early stage in my life that, this life is difficult. Nothing worthwhile is ever earned on a platter of gold. I was taught about this at an early stage in life by my parents and also from personal experiences as I grow up. These seven habits are attributes that could be likened to my personality type; a person that doesn’t believe in stagnation. Somehow, one must keep moving. When I did a SWOT analysis of myself, I discovered that I am an optimistic person. What kept me going is the realization that if I focus and continue to develop my strength and pay less attention to or stop worrying about my weakness, I would attain the height of success I dream about. This has kept me going over the years up to this present moment. All that I have ever succeeded in doing was dependent on focusing on my strength with optimism. That doesn’t mean I don’t fail sometimes or encounter setbacks, but I bounce back each time and kept my head positive and focused on my goals. This mindset has kept me through my struggles as a college and graduate student and I am still exercising that positive, success-oriented and God-given mindset today to pursue the career goals and the financial freedom I dream for myself.

ii. Even the best get stuck sometimes

Many unsuccessful people get stuck in the fear cycle. But the same thing happens to high achievers. For example, when you look at the life of George Frederick Handel as described by the author, you see a successful person who found himself in a rut that he needed desperately to break out of. Handel was a musical prodigy. Though his father wanted him to study law, he gravitated to music at an early age. By age seventeen, he held the post of church organist at the cathedral in Halle, his hometown. A year later, he became a violinist and harpsichordist at the Kaiser’s opera house in Hamburg. By age twenty-one, he was a keyboard virtuoso. When he turned to composing, he gained immediate fame and soon was appointed Kapellmeister conductor to the elector of Hanover (later King George I of England). When he moved to England, his renown grew. By the time he was forty, he was world famous. Despite Handel’s talent and fame, he faced considerable adversity. Competition with rival English composers was fierce. Audiences were fickle and sometimes didn’t turn out for his performances. And he was frequently the victim of the changing political winds of the times. Several times he found himself penniless and on the verge of bankruptcy. The pain of rejection and failure was difficult to bear, especially following his previous success. Then his problems were compounded by failing health. He suffered a seizure or stroke, which left his right arm limp and caused him to lose the use of four fingers on his right hand. Although he recovered, he remained despondent. In 1741, Handel decided that it was time to retire, even though he was only fifty-six. He was discouraged, miserable, and consumed with debt. He felt certain he would land in debtors’ prison. On April 8, he gave what he considered his farewell concert. Disappointed and filled with self-pity, he gave up. On one faithful day, August of that year, something incredible happened. A wealthy friend named Charles Jennings visited Handel and gave him a libretto based on the life of Christ. The work intrigued Handel—enough to stir him to action. He began writing. And immediately the floodgates of inspiration opened in him. His cycle of inactivity was broken. For twenty-one days, he wrote almost nonstop. Then he spent another two days creating the orchestrations. In twenty-four days, he had completed the 260-page manuscript. He called the piece Messiah. Today, Handel’s Messiah is considered a masterpiece and the culmination of the composer’s work.

Handel’s story resonates with me in some ways especially during my master’s degree days in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state. There was a point I had a hard time with my research work, my supervisor wasn’t paying attention to my work due to an encounter we had, I wanted to just round off my work and leave the thoughts of school and schooling for a while because of the financial challenge I was passing through then. I was in a dilemma at almost every point; I was always thinking of whether to quit the graduate program or not. I couldn’t easily get financial support from my parents because they weren’t working with the government any longer. To cut a long story short, at the point I contemplated quitting the program, I was encouraged by another lecturer not to, but to continue pushing. After sometime, by remaining persistent amid these challenges, I managed to get my dissertation completed and was ready for the defense of my master’s degree at my final seminar presentation. When at last I did, one of the professors present said, I did very well and that my work was rich and looks more like a PhD work and I was indeed extremely happy. I nearly forgot all the pains I went through from the day I started the project research work up to that faithful day. Immediately after that presentation, my supervisor and I became good friends. He hadn’t time to really guide me through my work because of his personal life challenge that he allowed to eat him up to the point of almost neglecting his primary assignment as my supervisor. Conclusively, like Handel, that considering the immensity of the work, and the short time involved, Sir Newman Flower, one of Handel’s biographers, said of the writing of Messiah that it will remain, perhaps forever, the greatest feat in the whole history of music composition, my final encounter and experience with my supervisor birthed the easy onward step to procuring a PhD form and starting another program with him again as my supervisor, but this time around I would describe him as the most encouraging and wonderful supervisor I have ever met in the history of my academic career. Therefore, I believe that, the only thing that matters is that you face your fear and get moving. When we do that, we give ourselves the opportunity to learn how to fail forward.

iii. Positive Attitude: The first key to what happens in you.

The University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Martin Seligman, who has studied employees in thirty different industries, observes, “The people who bounce back are optimists. The truth is that, not everyone is naturally optimistic. One of the ways I personally fire myself up to remaining positive by remaining optimistic by asking myself when in any situation especially a bad one, “what is the good therein in this situation?” “What is the good lesson that this challenge is trying to teach me?” I try to see the good and lessons in all situations for instance, anything that annoys me is teaching me patience and calmness, anyone that abandons me is teaching me how to stand up on my feet, anything that offends me is teaching me forgiveness and compassion, anything that has power over me is teaching me to get greater power, anything that I hate is teaching me unconditional love, anything that I fear is teaching me courage to overcome my fears, anything I can’t control is teaching me to let go, any “NO” I get from anyone is teaching me to be independent, any problem I have is teaching me how to get solution to problems, any attack I get is teaching me the best form of defense, anyone who looks down on me is teaching me to look up to God. The list is just endless. Once I do that and could find that positive thing or lesson I am supposed to learn, I become optimistic and positive again to see the good that life has to offer. Some people are born seeing the glass half empty rather than half full. But no matter what your natural bent is, you can become a more optimistic person by learning the secret of contentment. Contentment is not a popular concept these days. One reason is that our culture actually discourages the idea of contentment. People are continually bombarded with the message, “What you have isn’t enough. You need more; a bigger house, a better car, a larger salary, whiter teeth, sweeter breath, nicer clothes. “The list is endless. But the truth is that possessing healthy contentment is essential to being able to withstand failure. In the end, a positive outlook towards life is the best gift anyone can give himself on the road to success.”

iv. Even the best stumble

This is a concept that resonates with every great person, but might be somewhat misunderstood by many striving or still struggling to be great. They sometimes, easily think that the best cannot stumble. They get surprised at how events sometimes overpower the powerful and the best that they look up to as their leaders. To such persons, it might be a huge surprise. I could say this now because I used to think like that in the past, not until I see for myself how leaders in societies, organizations and institutions stumble sometimes. My experience with a Lebanese company I worked with a long time ago on a weekend basis taught me that the best sometimes stumble. These set of people, at that time were the best in their business compared to the companies owned by Nigerians. They continued making profits all the time until the business expanded beyond just the manual industrial approach. The business later became a digital business and spread everywhere and was present in almost every street. They lost patronage from the customers because the competition became high. These Lebanese later closed down their offices and left for their country because they were no more making the profits they used to make when the business has not gone digital. I became so surprised at such an event (which affected me because I was earning stipends at the weekends) and wondered that, even the best could stumble. But the hope that the author presents in failing forward is that even if the best could stumble, they are not tied down by their setback, they’ll surely get back again maybe by adjusting or using another path to achieve the same goal or vision, which for the Lebanese in the story earlier would be to have financial security or attain financial freedom.

v. Breakthrough: The Alternative to breakdown

Every major difficulty you face in life is a fork in the road. You choose which track you will head down, toward breakdown or breakthrough. Dick Biggs, a consultant who helps Fortune 500 companies improves profits and increase productivity, writes that all of us have unfair experiences; as a result, some people merely exist and adopt a “cease and desist” mentality. He continues, every major difficulty you face in life is a fork in the road. You choose which track you will head down, toward breakdown or breakthrough. One of the best teachers of persistence is your life’s critical turning points. Expect to experience 3 – 9 turning points or “significant changes” in your life.

Personally, due to the global lockdown due to corona virus pandemic, I have not been paid for almost three months now where I work and there seems to be no hope even after the lockdown because it is a private firm. Due to the quest for survival and the need not to be stagnated as a result of hardship even due to financial difficulties, I had put in and will continue to put great effort to my goals in life to the extent that any positive and optimistic mind can stretch. I study more, I try to concentrate more, I learn new things on a daily basis on ICT, I have even discovered a better road map and more opportunities to achieving my life goals in my business and career, and like in the laws of attraction, I see people, events and situations presenting themselves sometimes though enveloped in “rag clothes” that serves as helpers and springboard to gravitate me towards my goal. With my preparation during this global pandemic, I have been signed up for a business deal by a childhood friend who took charge of every financial cost, I was also called for an interview (which I couldn’t attend due to the lockdown) and I am sure I will be called up for more job interviews by many organizations, because this is the first time I have ever taken out a good time to search for better job offers with better pay and welfare packages. The good news is that I have strong recommendations and they jobs are all related to my field, therefore I have no doubt in my mind that I have taken and I am still taking the alternative path to breakthrough instead of a breakdown even during this seemingly hard time of global lockdown. Generally speaking, our situations in life that will eventually lead to transitions can be happy experiences or unhappy times such as job losses divorce, financial setbacks, health problems and the death of loved ones. Turning points can provide perspective, which is the ability to view major changes within the larger framework of our lifetime and let the healing power of time prevail. By learning from our turning points, we can grow at a deeper level within our career and life. Also, efforts should be made not to allow anything from our personal history to keep holding us hostage.

vi. Stop Focusing on yourself

First, you need to think about others rather than yourself. A major cause of negative thinking and poor mental health is self-absorption. Selfishness ultimately hurts not only the people around a self-focused person, but also the selfish person himself. It inclines the person towards failure because it keeps him in a negative mental rut. That is the reason that Dr. Karl Menninger responded the way he did when someone asked, “What would you advise a person to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?” Most people expected him to reply, “Consult a psychiatrist,” since that was his profession. To their astonishment, Menninger replied, “Lock up your house, go across the railway tracks, find someone in need, and do something to help that person. Developing a giving spirit, as Menninger implied, helps a person to overcome some feelings of deficiency in a positive and healthy way.” That’s why Menninger believed that “generous people are rarely mentally ill people.” A person is less likely to focus on himself if he is trying to help someone else. Personally, when I started focusing on helping my family succeed because I have many siblings that my success in life would definitely support, my goals and vision grew bigger and bigger and my leadership ability became strengthened. I have come to discover that our goals and visions most times in life depend on our ability to positively affect the lives of our loved ones especially and by extension the people around us. This explains why people keep striving to succeed at all cost most times when they are faced with serious challenges trying to make it in life.

vii. Start putting the team first

Many team players possess a “me-first mentality.” This is an erroneous way to succeed genuinely in my opinion. The basis of multi-level marketing business like the one I do is to put your teammates or team members first and you’ll attain the height of success. As a team leader, I have already mapped out a plan of assisting all my down liners to ascend the ranks faster in the business. The good news is that as a team leader, as I do that I ascend higher ranks in the business as well and become even more successful in terms of attaining financial freedom. On the other hand, if I had decided not to put my team players or teammates first, I would be indirectly tolling the path of failure. Worst still, if I decide to continue with a me-first mentality upon even upon realizing the impending danger it poses, it would be described as a case of failing backward or outright failure instead of failing forward. Therefore, it is now clear to me that, if I want to win and overcome failure, I’ve got to get over myself.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

From my studies of this, I have been awakened to the reality of turning my mistakes into stepping stones for success. During my studies and reflections on the contents of the book, I became even reassured that all the mistakes I had made in the past would eventually be turned into a stepping stone for success for me by my conscious cooperation and willingness to take a bold step forward in a better, wiser and smarter way. Immediately, I took out a sheet of paper and outlined all the financial mistakes I had made in the past which included my rejection of some job offers with better remuneration because I became very comfortable with little and remained in my comfort zone for this long. When I reflected even deeper and discovered that time is far spent and that I have not achieved my relationship goal of getting married, neither have I achieved financial freedom with my relatively meager salary and all the responsibilities tied to attaining financial freedom, I became even angry in the spirit and decided that I would resign and go get another job. Just in the middle of this deep reflection and action steps taken already to search for a better job with a better welfare package, a former colleague who is now working with the political class of the Federal government of Nigeria but was once a worker where I am currently working, breezed by to greet and we started discussing and in our conversation, he mentioned that, I am better than where I am presently and that I should not get too comfortable remaining there. I was provoked in the spirit because that was exactly what I was reflecting upon since I started reading this book. Although, while the discussion was in progress, I still maintained a cheerful face, with keen attention I continued listening to him until he eventually mentioned that he could recommend me for a higher job with better accommodation and welfare package. He immediately put a call across and I was asked to send my Curriculum Vitae (CV) which I did without delay and I have been assured of my acceptance into the institution to resume work immediately after the global lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Before now, I hadn’t the courage to take the bold step to resign from the job but due to the deep reflection I did while reading this book, I could now courageously take any bold step to fail forward rather than being stagnated in a place because of fear.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“If the possibility of failure were erased, what would you attempt to achieve?”

There is no real achievement without failure or setback. I believe that no matter how difficult my problems are, the key to overcoming them doesn’t lie in changing my circumstances. It’s in changing me. That in itself is a process, and it begins with a desire to be teachable. If you’re willing to do that, then you’ll be able to handle failure. When I realized that this life is full of difficulties, I then knew that people who succeed here are those that have a different mindset about how they treat their challenges – it’s a mind game. The idea contained in the question above is somewhat interesting because it enables one to go down into his or interest, likes or inclinations described by Robert Greene as “primer inclination.” That is, to be naturally inclined to do things that interest you such that you would do it whether you were being paid for it or not. It is somewhat like a magic wand in terms of making your request or placing your order to the universe. For me, if the possibility of failure were erased, I would like to achieve my goals and visions I had imagined without putting into cognizance the limitations therein because those visions and life goals which were conceived by my wild imagination and visualization were carefully and creatively drafted down on paper the right way through the help of great mentors and mentorship guides. One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. Instead, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind. Failure is subjective; your perception of and response to your mistakes determine whether your actions are failures. For me such are the ways to set my life in motion towards fulfilling purpose.

“Work on the weakness that weakens you.”

Everybody has weakness(es). When I once reviewed the reasons I failed at some points in my life, I then discovered that they were mostly attributed to one or two weaknesses and of particular mention for me is the idea of multi-tasking. I had always wanted to do many things almost at the same time and erroneously without considering the time to rest and re-energize for the next task – I develop personal timetables (the wrong way because I know how now) that do not give room enough for rest and refreshing myself. When I start doing the activities contained in my personal timetable, after sometime, I got extremely exhausted and wouldn’t be able to continue and in the process, got sick and tired of the whole idea of pursuing goals the organized way. I may achieve something worthwhile in one area but many other vital areas (sometimes areas of higher priorities) will suffer and that would always lead me to frustration. When I eventually realized that my major failures were due to improper goal setting and majorly multi-tasking and overworking myself, I had to adjust and I also sought the advice and assistance of a trusted friend. I asked him to honestly help me evaluate myself in my area of weakness. I had to then put myself on a growth plan to turn that weakness into strength. The plan included reading books, attending classes or seminars, and finding a mentor. I stuck with the plan and always asked him to evaluate my progress. I kept on keeping on like that until eventually I could easily focus or concentrate on a task at a time and achieve measureable results. If I must do more than one serious mental activities a day, I would rather do task switching with enough time interval to rest and refresh my mind before then switching onto the next challenging brain task rather than multi-tasking and wanting to get everything done immediately and almost at the same time. Therefore, by working on that particular weakness that weakens me and got me frustrated, worried and almost depressed in the past, I now do my work with better results more efficiently and with more effectiveness and enthusiasm.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous
questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

Full Steam Ahead
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“To unleash the power of vision in your work and your life” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Picture of the Future

A clear vision has to be about going somewhere. A picture of the future (end result) shows where you’re going. The power of a picture works when you focus on the end results, not the process to achieve it. In a more specific term, the picture of the future should have the following elements: (a) A picture of the end result, something you can actually see, not vague. (b) Focus on what you want to create, not what you want to get rid of. (c) Focus on the result, not the process for getting there. I believe in the power of picture of the future. I have experienced a lot of things happened in my life that resulted from visualization of the big picture of the end results in clear terms. A notable one was my emergence as the best athletes among members of staff at my place of work who participated in the athletic competition. I knew I would eventually emerge the best because I had already seen the picture of the future about the athletic events through visualization. Even though I knew that I exercise a lot and loves running, I had already seen it before the events that such would eventually happen and through mental rehearsals, I saw myself mentally getting ahead of everyone else. The practice of visualizing the picture of the future (end results) is an effective way to get anyone motivated, energized and prepared for achievement in the various aspects of our vision in life.

ii. Clear Values

The author pointed out that purpose tells why, picture of the future tells where, and values tell how. Thus, the relationships between values and vision are presented as follows: (a) Values provide broad guidelines on how you should proceed as you pursue your purpose and picture of the future; (b) They answer the questions “What do I want to live by?” and “How?” (c) They need to be few in number and rank ordered in importance; (d) They need to be clearly described so you know exactly the behaviors that demonstrate that the value is being lived; (e) The need to be consistently acted on, or they are only ‘good intentions.’ (f) People’s personal values need to be in line with the values of the organization. The author’s conversation with Jim revealed the key elements of a compelling vision: Significant purpose, a picture of the future and clear values. Hence, a well defined vision is knowing where you are, where you are going, and what will guide your journey. It gives meaning to our lives and provides direction. It helps us get focused, get energized, and get great results. That is why we need to always work on our value system because it plays an important role in bringing our big picture to reality. I have always believed that, if I want something to change, I had better work on my value system or principles about certain things in my life. This point strongly resonates with me and it is a sure bet to achieving personal success faster.

iii. Positive Attitude: The first key to what happens in you.

University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Martin Seligman, who has studied employees in thirty different industries, observes, “The people who bounce back are optimists. The truth is that, not everyone is naturally optimistic. Some people are born seeing the glass half empty rather than half full. But no matter what your natural bent is, you can become a more optimistic person. How do you cultivate optimism? By learning the secret of contentment. If you can learn that, then no matter what happens to you, you can weather the storm and build on the good you find in any situation. Personally, I believe that the need to see the better part in all situations gives me a clearer grasp, energy and passion to drive towards the finished mark with happiness and fulfillment. If this is true for all as it is true for me, then maintaining a positive attitude in all situations like I’ve always struggled to practice, is one of the surest antidote for driving full steam ahead towards personal achievement in life.

iv. From Vision to Reality: The Three Hows.

Vision is a lot more than putting a plaque on the wall. A real vision is lived, not framed. The Three Hows for making your vision a reality are: (a) How it’s created; (b) How it’s communicated; (c) How it’s lived. In a bid to making your vision a reality, the following steps must be considered: (a) Create a vision that illuminates purpose, a picture of the future, and values; (b) Honestly assess your current situation, and be willing to live with the creative tension; (c) Create supporting structures that are aligned with the vision; and (d) set goals and action plans.

On how the vision is created, the process of creating the vision is as important as what the vision says. The vision has to involve collaborative efforts of team members. On how it’s communicated, vision is an ongoing process; you need to keep talking about it. For me, everything counts. I don’t rush out when engaging in trying to draft out a road map to my vision on paper; every activity counts, both personal and collective as a team come to play. So it takes serious mental effort and time, even at that it is still subject to constant review to update obsolete ideas and replace irrelevant ideas with better ones. This is what I do all the time almost on a daily basis. The good news is that, it works well for me. I so plan my activities around my vision and then strain myself to think about the connections among the various activities along the value chain of my ultimate goal. What I experience surprises me; I see my vision turn into reality on almost a daily basis.

v. From Success to Significance

The author asserted that, we are all part of one community; we all need to assume responsibility for creating a shared vision. If your vision is only about yourself and getting what you want, you are too narrowly focused. Ultimately, you may be successful in achieving your goals, but true satisfaction comes from having a significant impact and making a contribution. In moving from success to significance, the author discovered another underlying principle of vision: The vision must benefit everyone it touches. At the very least, acting on your vision must not cause harm to anyone. A vision for a company that benefits customers and not employees is useless. For me, when I saw the caption “From success to significance”, I was taken aback, and said I would learn and practice the principles behind the message. Recently, I started engaging in serious thoughts about how what I do now benefits not only me, but everyone around me and most people that know me? A deeper reflection of this line of thoughts has revealed a lot of things about my way of viewing success. I discovered that, for my success to be significant, it should have an all encompassing positive impact on the lives of people, not only on me. This way, I have gained and I am still gaining the trust and support of many towards my goals that have now become like a shared vision. This way of thinking about success is indeed revolutionary to me.

vi. Be prepared to reset goals if you find out that you are off course

In the past, I used to think that once a goal is set, then the only thing left is to make sure those goals are achieved at all cost. Because of that way of thinking, even though I worked very hard to achieve some of my goals, I still considered myself a failure when at the end of the deadline for some of the those goals I set for myself, I couldn’t achieve them. With continuous studies as time went by, I started learning that goals could change depending on a lot of factors; events in our lives and around us. My knowledge about goals and goal setting became solid when I underwent a personal goal setting program and mentorship in my level three studies with IIGL. Today, I now know a lot about goal setting and most importantly that goals could be reset or adjusted once I discover that I am off course because learning never ends and new things or events happen every day. In as much as some may take this as an excuse not to keep up with the discipline required for reaching their goals, the idea here is, that goals could be reset once you discover that those goals do not meet up with your highest ideal and are considered off course.

vii. Take action

Once you have identified your vision, it is important to act consistently with it. It might be necessary to make small steps as you put plans and structures in place, but it’s not possible to have it all planned out before you begin. One of my greatest weaknesses that I have turned into strength is impatience. I am almost always impatient with situations. I just want to get started with the tasks at hand. However, I still struggle to control it before it gets out of hand. So, for me, when I have finished thinking on paper, I come out with a step-by-step action plan to getting the task done. What I do is to take action on those steps one after the other and get it done. The big picture becomes clearer as I complete the small steps one after the other and I become more creative as I move closer to the my goals or vision.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

From my studies of the book, “Full Steam Ahead,” I have been reminded about the power of clear vision and to take the necessary action steps to reach for my goals. For me, the ideas are not novel because I have read and practically taken action steps towards this direction in the past. However, the book is re-awakening and reminds me of my need to take decisive and intentional actions towards my clear visions in life. Moreso, the book will remain a reference material for unleashing the power of vision and to take decisive action full steam towards its accomplishment. I have also been reminded from my studies that if I could go full steam with my action plans as regards my vision, I would creatively make exploits with my work and reach for my vision in life successfully.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Creative Tension.”

My life has been filled with a lot of challenging times and situations. However, somehow with some sought of belief and living one day at a time, things sometimes suddenly turn around for good by some twist of fate. Experience has taught me to keep focusing on my vision and, at the same time, being honest about the present. Just like the author replied Jim in the book, I’m learning to be like the smart fish – to swim toward the hook instead of away from it. Whenever I resist my current reality, I pull against the tension, which wears me out and prevents me from creating my desired future. By being honest about my present, that is, accepting the tension and uncomfortable feelings, I can focus on my vision and discover new options. Therefore, it is so clear to me now that, to turn out my adversity into creative tension, I must feel the tension and stay open to possibilities like the proverbial smart fish in the book.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was none.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

Good Leaders Ask Great Questions
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Your foundation for successful leadership” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. If you want answers, you must ask questions

Richard Thalheimer, the founder of the Sharper Image, once asserted, “It is better to look uninformed than to be uninformed.” For that reason we need to curb our egos and ask questions, even at the risk of looking foolish. Asking the right question to the right person at the right time is a powerful combination because the answers you receive set you up for success. IBM founder Thomas J. Watson said, “The ability to ask the right question is more than half the battle of finding the answer.” But that’s true only if you are willing to ask the question. I learn everyday by asking the right questions. This is how, you see, even before I started this assessment, I thought on paper. I always think on paper. During my thinking session on a daily basis, streams of thoughts flow through my mind and because I don’t want to lose the secrets or revelations within those powerful thoughts, I always pen most of them down and before I round off the session, I always write down questions I am supposed to research on by asking people and even browsing the internet to look for answers. This singular exercise has made me wiser, posed as solution bank to many different problems people face and has made me navigate through difficult times successfully. I don’t stop asking questions at the slightest confusion I face. From personal experience, in addition to the benefits I mentioned earlier about asking questions, asking questions has the following benefits as well: (a) questions are the most effective means of connecting with people; (b) questions cultivate humility; (c) questions help to engage others in conversation; (d) questions allow us to build better ideas; (e) questions give us a different perspective; (f) questions challenge mind-sets and get you out of ruts. All through my life, I ask myself critical questions about where I am now and where I am going in life. My studies in Level Three with IIGL made me to go even deeper in reflection, and the questions I ask myself these days are highly directed towards my goal in the overall sense of it based on my personal evaluation. I have a journal of questions I ask myself on a daily basis. They are so documented so that I can work on them and review them from time to time until I find the answers I want from every question. That’s how I grow. Therefore, it so evident in my personal life and I believe everyone who has practiced this method of asking questions when they seem to be lost that, if you want answers, you must ask questions.

ii. What questions do I ask myself as leader

While personal maturity may mean being able to see beyond yourself, leadership maturity means considering others before yourself. I recognized that I could no longer be a Lone Ranger, doing my own thing and asking others to do my bidding. I needed to think ahead and consider others. In recent times, my financial fortune is turning around. For me, this is basically because I think of how to help my family; my aged parents and siblings. This has kept me awakened to the reality that I have to think creatively and task my mind by asking myself critical questions that could propel me faster to my success so that I could teach my family members and others how to build wealth. Maybe I wouldn’t be ready to stretch myself to think creatively and ask myself insightful questions as a leader if I wasn’t thinking of others; to support the people I know to live a better life and a secure for themselves promising future. Also, it is pertinent to know that questions are basis for learning. As a leader, I can allow others to ask me the hard and important questions or I can take responsibility, be proactive, and ask those questions to myself. I have come to the realization that by asking myself tough questions, I can maintain my integrity, increase my energy level, and improve my leadership capacity significantly. Good questions that center around the following: (a) Am I investing in myself? A question of personal growth; (b) Am I genuinely interested in others? A question of motivation; (c) Am I grounded as a leader? A question of stability; (d) Am I adding value to my team? A question of teamwork (e) Am I staying in my strength zone? A question of effectiveness (f) Am I taking care of today? A question of success; (g) Am I investing my time with the right people? A question of return on investment, ROI. The most important investment you and I will ever make is in ourselves. That investment will determine the return that we get out of life. Jim Rohn’s mentor John Earl Shoaff said to him, “Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson well: learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” Jim did learn that lesson well. As he once pointed out, “The book you don’t read can’t help you; the seminar you won’t attend can’t change your life. The business gets better when you get better. Never wish it were easier, wish you were better.” People with low self-images do not make great investments in themselves. It’s not what you are that keeps you from investing in yourself; it’s what you think you are or are not. You will never be able to bet on yourself unless you believe in yourself. Ever since, I read and even listened to the teachings of Jim Rhon, I started taking personal development programs very seriously than I used to. My discovery ever then was that, possibilities, abundance as well as success in life starts opening up to me in many varied ways as I take the issues of personal development very seriously. I so opened my mind to possibilities that I started seeing myself leading people aright towards their chief definite aim in life. All these wouldn’t have been achieved without asking myself the very possible critical questions as a leader.

iii. The most important quality of a well-grounded person is humility.

What is humility? Rick Warren says, “Humility is not denying your strengths. Humility is being honest about your weakness. All of us are a bundle of both strengths and weaknesses and humility is being able to be honest about both.” John C. Maxwell says, “My believe is that humility is a choice every day to give credit to God for our blessings and to other people for our successes.” Humble leaders are comfortable with who they are and feel no need to draw attention to themselves. They revel in the accomplishments of others, empower others to excel, and allow others to shine. That doesn’t mean that a leader needs to blend into the woodwork. It just means having the right perspective. Leadership author Patrick Lencioni says that “good leaders can motivate others and be humble at the same time” and I agree with him on that statement. He writes, “I have defined humility as the realization that a leader is inherently no better than the people he or she leads, and charisma as the realization that the leader’s actions are more important than those of the people he or she leads. As leaders, we must strive to embrace humility and charisma.” Personally, I want to be a good leader and humble at the same time. Someone once said, humility of a man is tested when you give him power and/or money. I want to personally grow and develop myself to be a good leader that can motivate and influence others, yet humble. This idea resonates strongly with me and I want to live it at the highest level of leadership.

iv. Experience isn’t the best teacher evaluated experience is.

The question “What did you learn?” is not just for parents with impressionable children. It’s equally valuable in a work setting. I ask it all the time because it keeps my students sharp and growing. It prompts people to evaluate their experience and make an assessment. So, this statement caught my attention in a unique way as I reflected on the philosophy behind the statement. Anytime you ask an open-ended question like this one, you don’t know what you will hear. The people who aren’t inclined to learn and grow may not have much to say, but the sharp people shine and they teach you something. My desire in life generally and particularly in business is to add value to leaders who multiply value to others. That’s why I ask this question. Therefore, by asking how we can maximize our experiences, we make the most of them.

v. What must I do to lead myself successfully?

I think many people understand intuitively that if you can’t lead yourself effectively, everything else in your life will be a struggle. Self-leadership comes first. It makes every other kind of leadership possible. To lead yourself successfully, you must identify your blind spots and deal with them effectively. There are four most common and destructive blind spots among leaders: (a) A singular perspective – As Larry Stephens says, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” (b) Insecurity – Insecure leaders continually think of themselves first; Insecure leaders also limit their best people. They have a difficult time seeing others rise because it threatens them. And they cannot genuinely celebrate the victories won by others because they are often jealous. Giving others their due makes them feel like less. (c) An out-of control ego; English artist and critic John Ruskin said, “Pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.” I don’t know about all, but it sure creates many problems. Egotistical leaders believe they know it all. They believe others are inferior to them. And they often think the rules don’t apply to them. Egotistical leaders are usually rigid and closed-minded. (d) Weak character – Character is the sum total of all our everyday choices. If your answers to these questions are yes, then you have character weaknesses: (a) Do you often miss deadlines? (b) Do you make vows, resolutions, or decisions to change and then go back to your old behavior? (c) Do you place more importance on pleasing others than you do on maintaining the values you espouse? (d) Are you willing to shave or shade the truth in order to get out of a tough spot? (e) Do you do what’s easiest, even when you know it’s not what’s best? (f) Do others show reluctance to trust you? The author gave beneficial steps to help someone overcome his/her blind spots as follows: (a) Assume that you have blind spots; (b) Ask those who know you best to identify your spots; (c) Assume your spots cannot be removed by you alone; (d) Openly discuss your blind spots with your inner circle; and (e) Develop and empower a team to cover your blind spots. The fact is that every leader faces challenging and discouraging moments. To this end, therefore, everyday, leaders must wake up and lead themselves before they lead anyone else. Because other people are depending on them, they must keep the fire burning within themselves. They must know where they’re going, know why they’re going, and help others get there. To stay energized and on course, leaders can sustain themselves by tapping into four areas: (a) Passion, (b) principles (c) practices, and (d) people. Hence, I now have a better perspective that a good leader has to show great discipline in personal leadership to really be a good, strong and intelligent leader by observing the points outlined earlier.

vi. How do you motivate an unmotivated person?

The author said, “When I started out in leadership, I thought I could change people. Now I realize I can’t. People must change themselves.” The Law of Magnetism in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership states, “Who you are is who you attract.” If you want people on your team to be motivated, you must be motivated yourself. People do what people see. I have to live it before I expect it from anyone else. Motivated people have several of the following traits: (a) They exhibit a positive attitude; (b) they can articulate specific goals for their life; (c) they are initiators; and (d) they have a proven track record of success. People often go farther than they think they can go when someone else thinks they can. One way to show people that you believe in them and in the possibility of success for their future is to give them a reputation to uphold. Ask yourself what’s special, unique, and wonderful about each person on your team. All people have talents, skills, and positive traits that make them valuable to the team. Figure out what they are and then share them with others. The more you validate people for the good things they do or could do the more they want to do them. Not only does this motivate them to perform in their strength, it also encourages an environment where people say positive things about one another. Success has two important stages; starting and finishing. Some people never start. If people don’t have the discipline to do what they must when they need to do it, they have no shot at success. Good things in life don’t float to you. As a leader you can help people to finish better by helping them understand what happens when they don’t follow through and finish something: (a) They lose the reward of finishing; (b) They lower their self-esteem; (c) They sabotage their own success; (d) They lose the trust and respect of others. To help people learn to finish what they start, do the following: (a) Show them the big picture; (b) Give them accountability; (c) Help them schedule their time; (d) Provide a work partner; (e) Reward only finished work. The ability to deal with difficulties, mistakes, failure, and loss is crucial to people’s success. My desire to help people with this has been so strong that first, it has become a necessity for me to get to the finishing point of anything I good and worthwhile that I have started no matter the challenges I may face on my path. I see myself as a leader and as such I must lead by example. Many people get emotionally stuck when they make a mistake or suffer a loss. They often become overwhelmed by regret. That’s a problem because, as writer Katherine Mansfield observed, “Regret is an appalling waste of energy. You can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.” If the regret takes hold for too long, it can turn into guilt, resentment, and self-pity. When we experience losses, we need to learn from them and let them go. If we focus on the loss instead, it can bring us down. Some losses require time because they cut deeply. We need to grieve. We need time to heal. But many small losses and problems don’t warrant much energy. Most of the time we need to learn the lesson from the loss, and then move on. So, I thank God in recent times instead of living a life of self-pity and regrets over past failures to make sound decisions in certain direction, I do take the bull by the horn and go head-on for what I want with renewed energy and the believe that there must always be a way out. And I’m not expecting that way-out to be easy but I now have a renewed awareness to always belief in positivity and possibilities.

vii. How can I successfully navigate leadership transitions?

Everything in life is fast changing. Life means transition. Most people intuitively understand that the world is moving fast, yet they still have a difficult time with it. Brian Tracy was right when he said, “In a time of rapid change, standing still is the most dangerous course of action.” If you don’t learn how to make good transitions, you either get run over or get left behind. One of the characteristics of good leaders is their ability to navigate transitions. That has always been true. They are able to make smooth transitions themselves. My reflections on the events of times and the changes thereof make me to contemplate seriously on this leadership transition phases that I have experienced in my life time. It occurs very fast. Every transition in life is a trade-off. It has come to my understanding that during my leadership transition, I must be guided by these bits of wisdom: (a) Weigh the risks and rewards; (b) Receive affirmation from my inner circle. The most important person you need affirmation from when making a transition decision is yourself; (c) Take action and move forward . In the end, if you believe the decision to transition is right and you know where you desire to go, you need to take action; (d) All change does not represent progress, but without change there can be no progress.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I am so glad I have thoroughly reflected about the contents on how important questions are to good leaders. The author made it clear that he is yet to meet a great leader who didn’t ask insightful and probing questions. The best leaders know that questions open doors for good leadership, promote great collaboration, and bring about solid teamwork. Remember, you get answers only to questions you ask. As I learn more about leadership and develop as a leader, I will probably find that the questions never end. Good questions about leadership guide your leadership and help you to be accountable for the gifts and advantages you have been given. As I move forward, I will always remember that good leaders ask great questions. The answers must not always be readily available to me when and how I want it, but sure I will be better of simply by asking them.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“No job has a future. Only people have a future.”

If people see the work they’re currently doing as nothing more than a job for a paycheck, they will become frustrated over time. Almost equally frustrating is targeting a particular position or title and then thinking you’ve arrived once you receive it. If people keep growing, learning, and expanding their potential, their future is bright. If not, it’s uncertain at best. That’s why I always remind people that the greatest threat to tomorrow’s success is today’s success. To be successful, keep reinventing yourself. When we see a growth opportunity to become something more than we currently are, we should seize it and pay the price for the next stage of the journey. That’s what all of us need to do.

Nelson Jackson H. said, “I do not believe you can do today’s job with yesterday’s methods and be in business tomorrow.”

That’s why we need to help people see the value of growing. It is essential not only for the organization’s viability, but also for the individual’s future. People who make growth their goal instead of a title, position, salary, or other external target—always have a future. Please, personalize. I have to admit, I am an impatient person. And I usually have unrealistic expectations about how long something will take. How do I fight against this weakness? I develop systems to help me, and I rely on daily disciplines. By focusing on what I know I should do today, I am able to keep plugging away and continue growing.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was nothing.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there were no exercises for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

 

The 5 Second Rule
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Transform your life, work, and confidence with everyday courage using the 5 second rule” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. You are one decision away from a completely different life.

As I looked back on my life and reflected on some of the most important moments, it’s obvious to me that I have made some life-changing decisions purely on instinct. In five seconds flat, you can make, what I call, a “heart-first decision.” Here, you ignore your fears and let your courage and confidence speaks for you. Five seconds of courage makes all the difference. At a point in my education as a graduate student doing my master’s degree program, I had always contemplated quitting my program because of lack of financial resources and frustration from my project supervisor then. My world turned apart and I was left between the devil and the deep blue sea. All of a sudden, one night, I woke up at about 1:00 a.m. and I couldn’t go back to sleep, I started reflecting on my why for embarking on the program and the initial sacrifices I had made to start the program, I then stood from my bed and started pacing around the room and re-affirming to myself that I would see the end of this program. I then started making positive declarations that suddenly turned into prayer that I can and would finish what I have started. That five seconds decision, that one decision, completely changed the course and redirected my focus forever as far the program was concerned.

ii. Everyday Courage

Rosa Parks said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” Everyday life is full of moments that are scary, uncertain and difficult. Facing these moments and unlocking the opportunity, magic, and joy in your life requires tremendous courage. Courage is precisely what the 5 Second Rule gives you. In one of the places I once worked, I did my best to work extremely hard and even did extra job descriptions outside my job jurisdiction in order to help the system to function properly because the organization was understaffed with the required qualified staff members. Even though, I had just newly joined the organization at that time, I decided to write for a pay raise. I did, explaining my position and contribution to the organization. This is what was not easily obtainable for someone that was barely six months in the organization let alone one year, which is the required duration before requesting for a pay raise. I did and eventually my request was granted. That singular act left everyone in the organization surprised; they were all saying to me that this had not happened once in the history of the organization before. They all told me that I was courageous and that reinforced my resolve to remain courageous every day. From that day onward, I developed a tremendous daily courage as I go out to face life’s challenges.

iii. You validate your ideas by pursuing them

The world rewards those who are courageous enough to stop waiting and start living. On reflecting about my life; where I am supposed to be and where I am now, I always have a belief that someone somewhere is looking for someone like me with the kind of my personality, skill set, drive to occupy a certain leadership position in order to change things for good for a good reward, but the problem is always how to locate that person and place. All the answers might not be revealed to us, but one thing is sure about bridging the gap between where I could be and where I am at the moment, and that thing is taking action and pursuing my ideas or goals. You push yourself to get out of your comfort zone and you begin. There is no other way. You stop waiting for “the right time” and you start. That’s how award-winning Broad City landed its hit show on Comedy Central. They acted with courage and started filming 3-minute clips on an I-Phone and posting them on YouTube. Waiting, thinking, and “almost doing it” don’t count. As Kyra explains, to change anything, you actually have to do it. The difference between people who make their dreams come true and those who don’t is just one thing: the courage to start and the discipline to keep going. The treasure in your life is buried within you. It’s not inside of someone else. You unlock that power when you listen to your instincts and 5-4-3-2-1 push yourself to honor them. When you discover your “inner true self” it will be the “most important gift of all.” Life is not a one-and-done sort of deal. You’ve got to work for what you want. When you 5-4-3-2-1 push yourself forward, you’ll discover the magic in your life and you open yourself up to the world, to opportunity, and to possibility.

iv. You make your decisions based on how you feel

We like to think that we use logic or consider our goals when we make decisions but that’s not the case. According to neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, it’s our feelings that decide for us 95% of the time. You feel before you think. You feel before you act. As Damasio puts it, human beings are “feeling machines that think” not “thinking machines that feel.” And that’s how you ultimately make decisions based on how you feel. Wow! This is so shocking to me. I had never thought about it this way before, but when I thought about the decisions I have made on series of events in my life, I discovered that they were primarily based on feelings, and then logic, but not the other way round. For example, when you ask yourself the question, “What doI want to eat?” you are actually asking yourself, “What do I feel like eating?” and so on and so forth. The list is endless and that explains why change is hard. No doubt, logically, we know what we should do, but our feelings about doing it make our decision for us. Therefore, the idea of accurate thinking, which is a very important concept in decision making, is centered on the ability to marry feelings and logic together in a decision making process.

v. How to start using the rule

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, either way you’re right”. The author outlined a few steps one can use to change for the better or start applying the 5 second rule. She emphasized among other things that, if you can change your morning routine, you can change anything. Change requires you to act deliberately, despite how you feel. If you can master that in one area of your life, you can do it in any area that you are trying to improve. Such change requires activation energy. After digesting the concept of the 5 seconds rule as applied to morning routines, I became awakened to the realization on how it accounts for 80% of my result for the day according to the Pareto principle. I immediately had to adjust sleeping and rising time to about 5:00 am in the morning. This has helped me observe my devotion session and meditation session among other routines that would help me adequately plan for the best results of the day. I had to start by using my alarm clock set 30 minutes before my waking time as described in the book, and eventually applied the 5 seconds rules and it worked like magic. Initially it was challenging, no doubt, but it became easier with time.

vi. How to become the most productive person you know

The author wrote that, the 5 second rule is “change agnostic.” It will work with any kind of behavior change that you are trying to make happen. It is clear that the applications of the 5 Seconds Rule are only limited by your imagination. If you want to adopt a positive new habit, just use the Rule to 5-4-3-2-1 and push yourself to do it. Personally, I have come to understand that in applying this wonder rule, one has to learn to take action immediately. No delay, no second guessing; just act. It is very clear to me that with this rule handy and with the a little of will power, one can learn any kind of behavior pattern or habits that guarantees success. Since, I have tested its efficacy in rising early and doing my morning routines effectively, I have no doubt that when I start applying it deliberately to the other areas of my life that I want to experience change, it will definitely work wonders as well.

vii. Increase Productivity

Like Maya Angelou wrote, “Nothing will work unless you do.” Productivity can be boiled down to one word: Focus. There are two types of focus you need to master for productivity: First, the ability to manage distractions so that you can focus your time and energy moment-to-moment on the task at hand, and second, the skill of focusing on what’s truly important to you in the big picture, so that you don’t waste your day on stupid stuff. Do this by doing these two things: (a) Own your mornings; (b) plan and work your daily routines. Taking control of your mornings is a game changer for productivity. The way I did it was to create a morning routine. According to a Duke University professor Dan Ariely, the first two to three hours of the day are the best for your brain once you fully wake up. So, if for instance, you pop out of bed at 6 a.m., your peak thinking and productivity window is 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. For me, by applying this rule, I have been able to rise by 5 a.m. for a start. Although my target remains to rise by 4:00 a.m., for now 5:00 a.m. is a good start, of which I believe by stretching myself a little further, I will hit my target of 4:00 a.m. rising time. Remember, interruption or distraction is the kiss of death to productivity. There’s a principle called Parkinson’s Law work expands to whatever time you assign to it. So give your workday a deadline. A deadline is important for stamina and mental health. It forces you to focus and be serious about taking the break from work. It’s in break time that we all need to be present with our families and give our brains the time to rest, recharge, and reset that they require. I do always set daily goals in form of To-do list and of course I do set deadlines as well. With the application of the 5-4-3-2-1 rule, I have learnt when to force myself to begin or end a task so that it doesn’t always encroach into another task. I have learned to customize the rule and it is working for me. When you do the work to be the boss of your day, as Christie says, it’s a “real game changer.”

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

When I got a hold of this wonderful book and I started reading it, I got inspired and immediately I worked on changing my rising time in the mornings and adjusted my money routines immediately to enhance my productivity for the rest of the day in accordance with the Pareto principle. The 5 second rule is indeed a powerful meta-cognition technique that has already started changing and would continue to change everything about my life, work and sense of self to guarantee my productivity, efficiency and effectiveness in attaining my daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and life goals. Also, from my personal experience in life, I’ve come to realize that every single day, we face moments that are difficult, uncertain, and scary and as such, my life requires courage and that is exactly what the rule has helped me discover, the courage to become my greatest self. Therefore, I have to use it to honor my instinct. The Rule is a simple, research-backed meta-cognition tool that creates immediate and lasting behavior change. As Marlowe puts it, “it’s absolutely incredible and awe-inspiring how easy things become once you wrap your head around your own ability to Push yourself.” There’s an important concept in psychology put forth by Julian Rotter in 1954. It’s called “locus of control.” The more that you believe that you are in control of your life, your actions and your future, the happier and more successful you’ll be. I have come to realize and agree that there’s one thing that is guaranteed to increase your feelings of control over your life; a bias toward action.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the authors made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to this one:

“Courage is found in unlikely places: End procrastination.”

According to William Wordsworth, “To begin, begin.” I was a kind of surprised to learn there are two kinds of procrastination: first, destructive procrastination, which is when you avoid tasks you need to complete; and second, productive procrastination, which is an important part of any creative process. In productive procrastination, if you are working on a creative project or an innovative idea, research shows that procrastination is not only good, but it is also important. The creative process takes time, so when you set a project aside for a few days or weeks, your mind can wander. That extra time spent mental-wandering gives you the ability to come up with more creative, “divergent” ideas that enhance your project. Productive procrastination was a hugely liberating concept for me to learn, especially while struggling to succeed in pursuit of my academic goals particularly when writing my master’s degree project report. Before I learned about productive procrastination, I beat myself up constantly because I kept feeling burnt out, I had writer’s block, and I thought it meant I was not good enough in writing. In truth, a creative process of such magnitude takes time. My mind needed breaks and time to wander. When I completed the work, it was superb; time well invested. So, if you are working on a creative project, and you don’t have a fixed deadline, it’s not procrastination if you let your work sit for a few weeks so you can let you mind wander. It’s the creative process. Those fresh new ideas you have as you procrastinate productively will make your work even smarter. However, what we all must end is destructive procrastination. It’s when we avoid the work we need to get done and know there will be negative consequences. This habit really comes back to bite us in the end. Every one of us has a pile of stuff we can’t seem to get to: updating photo albums, analyzing a spreadsheet, finishing a proposal, cleaning out Dad’s house, or plowing through a to-do list that would grow your business. It’s anything that we find ourselves deliberately avoiding that really needs to get done. Therefore, my resolve is to always apply the 5 second rule to every area of my life where destructive procrastination is taking a toll on me.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

None.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there wasn’t any.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

No, there wasn’t.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

The Leader Who Had No Title
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“A modern fable on real success in Business and in life” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Sometimes we need to get off track before we can develop the clarity to be on track

Sometimes, getting lost along your path is a part of finding the path you’re meant to be on. Sometimes, life’s had to break you down so you could be rebuilt better. For me, that’s so true because there are countless number of times I had set goals and wished they were completed at certain target dates in future, but as if nature was very cruel to me, immediately such goals were set, that was when you see all manner of emergencies and unforeseen events coming up to distract me and even took me far away from such plans, sometimes for some days, weeks, months and even years. Such was what happened to me when I started learning my piano course in January 2005. I learnt it to reasonable extent before I gained admission into the University 7 months after and so I had to discontinue with the classes. I could play the piano relatively fairly well that people admired and envied me when performing on the piano, but I was not completely fulfilled inside of me and I knew it because that was not the level I envisioned myself to reach as at that time when my piano tutorial session was cut short because of my University admission. You see, for many years I suffered this emptiness within as regards piano performance because I never eventually had time to really go back and complete my piano classes due to my schooling program. To cut a long story short, it took me another 12 years more for me to have the opportunity to attend a standard piano training session again to learn and make myself fulfilled performing on the piano as I envisioned. In 2017, I got a scholarship to do a two year diploma in music by my church where I worship and now my music performance with the piano has improved tremendously and I could play those things that I really envisioned about piano performance in 2005 and I’m more fulfilled now. Now, you could see that, from my earlier narrative you would notice that I was lost at some point on my path to a fulfilling piano music performance for about 12 long years for my university education which was a necessity and very important to me. The good news is that I could return back to my path and continued from where I stopped until I got what I want and eventually I am better off and fulfilled now than ever before as regards my music life generally, but specifically with respect to piano performance.

ii. We all need to start demonstrating leadership, regardless of our titles.

It’s no longer an excuse to say you don’t have a high rank so you don’t need to take ownership for the results of the organization. To succeed, everyone must see themselves as part of the leadership team. You just don’t need formal authority to lead anymore only a desire to be involved and the commitment to making a positive difference. Mother Teresa said it so well: “If everyone would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world will be clean.” Therefore, for each of us to show leadership, we need to start by being truly excellent in our current role. This idea is awakening to me and I agree completely with this truth. For me, demonstrating leadership without first waiting to be crowned with title is the apex of demonstrating self discipline and personal or self-leadership.

iii. The only way any organization and any human being, for that matter will win in these times of revolutionary change will be to start operating a revolutionary new model.

This model is all about creating an environment and culture where everyone needs to show leadership. Everyone needs to embrace change. Everyone needs to take responsibility for results. Everyone needs to be positive. Everyone needs to become devoted to expressing their absolute best. And once they do, the organization not only will adapt beautifully to the changing conditions, it will actually lead within its field. No doubt, titles and structures maintain order and keep everything running smoothly. But for any organization to thrive amid all the turbulence in the business world today, each one of us needs to assume personal responsibility by becoming the CEO of our own roles and leaders within our current positions. We all need to lead where we are planted and shine where we find ourselves. Every job is an important job. And the awesome result of revealing leadership within the area of influence you’re now in is that the more you do it, the more your area of influence will expand. That’s a big idea right there. And regardless of whether you have a formal title or not, you have total control of how you show up in your current role. The highest of all human abilities is the ability that if each one of us chooses peak performance and personal leadership, of course, the organization itself gets to world class speedily. We all have an ‘inner leader’ inside of us, longing to break free. We all have a natural power to lead that has nothing to do with a big title, or how old we are, or where we live. I believe that in the world of business today, this type of leadership is becoming increasingly easy to attain or achieve because, for instance, in network marketing, everyone is expected to become a CEO of his/her team once he joins any network marketing platform with any company. I will say that, truly this idea is revolutionary because there are lesser bureaucratic bottlenecks about attaining leadership even by dubious means. The new economy with network marketing platforms has reduced that to the barest minimum. People now easily become better leaders by self-improvement and one is easily adjudged a good leader based on his performance within his team but not necessarily based on titles.

iv. The less you cared about receiving the stuff most of us care about at work, the more you received it.

“The more I let go of needing all the things most people worry so much about and focused on doing brilliant work and reflecting on some real leadership in my behavior, the more all those things just seemed to appear in my life almost like accident. It’s really incredible how true that is, now that I consider it all,” Tommy noted, now scratching his chin, deep in thought. So many people go to work with the mind-set that when they get a bigger title and when they are granted more responsibilities, then they will perform at mastery and go the extra mile in everything they do. In work and in life in general you need to pay the price of success before you get all the rewards due to you. And by the way, just because you haven’t yet received the benefits of positive deeds you may have done, that doesn’t mean they’re not coming. You’ll always reap what you sow. The chickens will always come home to roost. You’ll always get what you deserve. Even the smallest good act sets in motion a good consequence. I have learned something related to this earlier from my multi-level marketing business even before I read this book that if I want to achieve great success, I should divorce the results and marry the activities and success would come running after me. Therefore, I agree with this idea totally and I want to assert here that this idea is really awakening.

v. The best way to help poor people is to make sure you don’t become one of them.

Money’s important to living your best life. It brings freedom. It decreases stress. It allows you to take nice care of those you love.” But money is really only the by-product of standing for the finest within you and doing some seriously exceptional work. Nothing is wrong with being a little eccentric. Too many people cutting from the same cloth just isn’t an inspiring thing. You can’t be creative and innovative in all those juicy stuffs if you’re too scared to think, feel, and be different. Be an original. There’s only one ‘you’ in the whole world now and forever more. And no one else can ever be as good as ‘you’ as you. This idea is awakening and very true. For me, I think everyone should put in the energy to think, feel and be different by reaching into one’s inner being and carefully living out his/her full potential and eventually succeed in all forms and many good things including money will come after him/her and he/she could then use those things to better the lives of those around his/her world.

vi. The sad costs of mediocrity and the spectacular rewards of leadership mastery.

Leadership isn’t just for CEOs, military generals, and people who govern nations. Leadership is for everyone. And in this period of dazzling change in business and society, it really is the single most important discipline required to win.” Leadership is not some complex art reserved for the chosen few with Harvard degrees and impeccable social backgrounds. Each of us, by the very fact of our shared humanity, can show leadership. And with all the cataclysmic change in our society right now, leadership has become the single most important master skill for success in business. And for the mention, leadership isn’t only something to do at work. We need to practice leadership within every arena we play. For me, this idea is awakening me to the fact that leadership mastery is for everyone and not for a selected few in the society and it has its spectacular rewards. Therefore, to go beyond the sad cost of mediocrity, everyone has to embrace personal leadership.

vii. If you can’t lead yourself, you’ll never be able to lead anyone around you.

To arrive at our greatest lives, it’s ever so important to model leadership in our health, demonstrate leadership with our loved ones, reflect leadership around our finances, and live leadership within our communities. And most essentially, the foundation of it all is self-leadership. ‘Finding the center of strength within ourselves is in the long run the best contribution we can make to our fellow men,’ said the psychologist Rollo May. I agree completely with this statement because I have come to understand that leadership is about influence. It therefore means that, if you have a good and positive influence by disciplining yourself along the path of personal leadership, then it will be much easier for you to lead those around you effortlessly. I have experienced same in my personal life and those around me countless number of times. The most recent is consistency discipline I saw with one of my mentors in business. He keeps to his time and activities and he is making crazy fame and wealth from his business. I then said to myself, that this young man is living out a very important success habit, “the discipline of consistency” and he is succeeding, then I must do same to expect the same results.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

For me, leadership without a title is revolutionary and it is important for everyone especially for Africans. Africans believe so much in title rather than the actual leadership performance. Therefore, I see it as a paradigm shift in mind-set for me to uphold and duplicate it among other potential leaders around so that they would duplicate same to those around them until every African especially the younger generation change their concept about leadership. This way, I believe it will create a better world.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the authors made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to this one:

“To be a great leader, first become a great person: Greatness on the outside begins within,” Jet added. You can’t unleash peak performance at work until you feel like performing at your peak. You can’t show world-class toughness against competition if you don’t have mental toughness within yourself. And it’s just not possible to unlock the best in your teammates without first being connected with the best in you. This final lesson is all about personal leadership. Lead yourself first. Only then will you get to a place as a person where you can lead other people. Devote yourself to becoming so incredibly strong on the inside that you appear to be failure-proof from the outside. Work really hard on yourself so that all the buried treasure slumbering deep within you begins to reveal itself to every element of the world around you. Start to clean up your negative beliefs and your false assumptions about the kind of leader you can become as well as about the profound achievements you can create. Develop the self-awareness to arrive at a deep relationship with your once dormant potential, your largest ambitions, and your highest aims. Do the inner work required to make your character richer, your intentions purer, and your acts bigger. Train hard to get your health into high gear so that each day you are full of energy and radiant in vitality. Success belongs to the energetic, you know.”

Overtime in life, I have come to realize that my thinking creates my reality and that I’m bound to get more of what I focus on, and my thoughts drive my actions. What holds me back in leadership and in life are not the external realities but my internal patterns of thought and the way I then behave in the face of those conditions. I need to shed off my failure programs because I have come to the realization that, real leadership involves breaking through the limits of one’s mind so that someone can step into the highest strengths of his or her spirit.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was nothing.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

None.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There is nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“A fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make.

This will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you. It is only when you have mastered the art of loving yourself that you can truly love others. I believe this statement to be true because everything starts from inside out as far as life is concerned. It’s only when you have opened your own heart that you can touch the hearts of others. When you feel centered and alive, you are in a much better position to be a better person. Yes, investing in one’s self simply means self development. I strongly believe that if I invest in myself, I will attain the success in every area of my life that I seek. O yes, I believe that investment in self (in form of self-development) is the biggest good that I will ever do to and for myself.

ii. Your “I can” is more important than your “I.Q”

In the book, this is the motto of a school teacher named Malika Chand and I agree with the statement. From experience, I have seen people all around me and I have also heard stories of people in the world that succeeded not because they were very intelligent or smart but because they believe they can. That believe made them persistent and consistent and eventually they pulled through life successfully. My life experience in many technical activities has also validated my conviction that I can. I am so much engrossed with that believe and optimism that I can achieve anything and everything I set my heart to. It has been working for me. I have come to discover that my ‘I can is more important than my I..Q. even in a very difficult situation.

iii. There are no mistakes in life, only lessons.

Yogi Raman said this statement in the book. There is no such thing as a negative experience, only opportunities to grow, learn and advance along the road of self-mastery. From struggle comes strength. Even pain can be a wonderful teacher. To transcend pain, you must first experience it. Put in another way, to savor the good one must know the bad. From my life experiences here on earth and my reflection on this idea, I became encouraged to adjust the programs that I have set that will not lead me to my desired goals and it will be a continuous process for me. This statement is also a validation that goals are adjustable for the better when situation permits, but the rule of thumb will always be; reset goals to reflect higher or better achievement instead of a retrogressive one.

iv. The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.

If someone has become a negative thinker, this is because you have not cared for your mind and taken the time to train it to focus on the good. Winston Churchill said that ‘the price of greatness is, responsibility over each of your thoughts.’ Then you will install the vibrant mindset you are looking for. Remember, the mind truly is like any other muscle in your body. Use it or lose it. It is either you control your mind or it controls you. I believe that, it is clear that everything we do starts from within, our mind. Now the big question is, “How then, do we program our minds to be a wonderful servant?” The answer is not far-fetched. What I do is to repeat a set of beliefs in forms of affirmation daily; mornings, afternoons and evenings consistently. It has worked for me several times in the past and it is still working for me now based on the cosmic law of the universe; the law of attraction. When you do this, your mind opens up to intuitive possibilities and solutions through imagination and visualization. When action is put to work on these intuitive solutions, you experience amazing results. That way you will be able to trick the mind to be your wonderful servant instead of a terrible master.

v. When you consistently direct your mind to live in the present you will always have boundless energy, no matter what time the clock reflects.

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Those who are truly enlightened know what they want out of life, emotionally, materially, physically and spiritually. Anyone can revolutionize their lives once they revolutionize the direction in which they are moving. For instance, spending one hour a day tending to yourself will surely give you dramatic results in thirty days – provided you do the right things. It takes about one month to fully install a new habit. From the book, I have deduced that to live in the present and have boundless energy, one has to observe the following: (a) Eat more of fresh vegetables, fruits and grains the Yogist calls it live food; (b) read good books for enlightenment; (c) Don’t over sleep; an average person can get by on six hours and remain perfectly healthy. (d) A yogist would never eat after 8:00 p.m. They believe that the digestive activity it induced would reduce the quality of their sleep. (e) Mind programming: Before you go to sleep, don’t watch the news or argue with anyone or even go over the day’s events in your mind’s eye. Relax. Drink a cup of herbal tea, if you like. Listen to some soft classical music and prepare yourself to drift off into a rich, renewing slumber. (f) The ancient rule of 21: if you do anything for twenty-one days in a row, it will be installed as a habit. (g) The ritual of physicality is based on the principle that says as you care for the body so you care for the mind. As you prepare your body, so you prepare your mind. As you train your body, so you train your mind.

vi. Your most precious commodity

This precious commodity is time. Little wonder Sir Isaac Pitman said, “Well arranged time is the surest mark of a well arranged mind.” Julian, the fable teller said, positive thinking and goal-getting and self-mastery all mean nothing without time. And I agree. Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return, hence the need for ‘time consciousness.’ Therefore, time mastery is life mastery. Time is the great leveler. Being an excellent time manager doesn’t mean that you must become a workaholic. On the contrary, time mastery allows you more time to do the things you love to do, the things that are truly meaningful to you. Time mastery leads to life mastery. Guard time well. It’s a non-renewable resource. Enlightened people are priority driven. This is the secret of time mastery. “Killing time” is an apt metaphor. True, it is human nature to do things that feel good and avoid the things that feel bad. But as I said earlier, the most productive people in this world have cultivated the habit of doing the things that less productive people don’t like doing, even though they too must not like doing them. There is an ancient saying in India: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Hence, I so strongly believe that the world is in me.

vii. The ultimate purpose of life

The quality of your life will come down to the quality of your contribution. When you work to improve the lives of others, you indirectly elevates your own life in the process. When you take care to practice random acts of kindness daily, your own life becomes far richer and more meaningful. To cultivate the sacredness and sanctity of each day serve others in some way. The noblest thing you can do is to give to others. The sages of the East call it the process of ‘shedding the shackles of self.’ It is all about losing your self-consciousness and starting to focus on a higher purpose. This might be in the form of giving more to those around you, whether this means your time or your energy: these truly are your two most valuable resources. Therefore, to cultivate the sacredness of each day, live to give. By elevating the lives of others, your life reaches its highest dimensions. This idea or statement is reawakening to me and reminds me of my life purpose; that I am living not only for myself, but for others.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The words that Julian repeats every morning before his meditation session showed to John, sourced from the great Indian philosopher Patanjali were:
“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts breaks their bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”
These words serve as a daily reminder of all that we are all we can be. The starting point to an overall magnificent transformation is mental fitness. Success on the outside indeed begins with success on the inside, and by changing your thoughts. For me, it is reawakening me to the reality of my mind power, my inner strength. I have known from experience that, those who study others are wise but those who study themselves are enlightened. Thus, I have also learned that to really find true joy and happiness, I am supposed to serve others selflessly. Also, I was reminded from this study that, goal-setting is the starting point of true success. While mapping out my objectives and goals releases the creative juices which get me on the path of my purpose. One of the best ways to setting and accomplishing my goals is by using public pledge. For instance, tell everyone you know that you will lose the excess weight or write that novel or whatever your goal might be. Once you make your goal known to the world, there will instantly be pressure on you to work towards its fulfillment since no one likes to look like a failure. This method has motivated me before to reach for my goals even when I didn’t feel like it. Therefore, seeing it in the book was a wonderful reminder. Finally, I came to understand the science behind our thoughts as contained in the following words: We each think about 60,000 thoughts on an average day. By writing out your desires and goals on a piece of paper, you send a red flag to your subconscious mind that these thoughts are far more important than the remaining 59,999 other ones. Your mind will then start to seek out all opportunities to realize your destiny like a guided missile. It is really a very scientific process. Most of us are simply not aware of this. For me, these explanations make a lot of sense to me and made me to understand, even better, on a scientific level, how the mind works on our thoughts. For me these mental re-awakening from this book means a lot to me as a student of mind power. Through this wonderful book, I now have a better understanding of the workings of our mind and the applications of the mind to producing the success or attaining the achievement we desire with fulfillment.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Being engaged in a pursuit that truly challenges you is the surest route to personal satisfaction. But the real key to remember is that happiness is a journey, not a destination. Live for today – there will never be another one quite like it.”

This statement kept me reflecting deeply on the real meaning of happiness and all that counts in this life. I came to the realization that, I have to dream big though, but to take life one day at a time – to enjoy the ride as I go. It dawned on me that sometimes I have to slow things down in order to enjoy the beauty and sacredness of all that is around me – I really owe this to myself. I came to understand that, I should never put off the things that are important for my well-being and satisfaction to a later time. Today is the day to live fully, not when I win the lottery or when I retire; Never should I put off living!

“The Timeless Secret of Lifelong Happiness.”

The most important moment is now. Learn to live in it and savor it fully. “Being engaged in a pursuit that truly challenges you is the surest route to personal satisfaction. But the real key to remember is that happiness is a journey, not a destination. Live for today; there will never be another one quite like it, “stated Julian, the lawyer turned monk in his fable. The message is simple: never put off happiness for the sake of achievement. Never put off the things that are important for your well-being and satisfaction to a later time. Today is the day to live fully, not when you win the lottery or when you retire. Never put off living. Never ever forget the gift of family. Life doesn’t always give you what you ask for, but it always gives you what you need. By practicing gratitude on a daily basis I would have developed the habit of living in the moment. When you savor the “now,” you kindle the fire of life that allows you to grow your destiny. We are all here for some special reason; meditate on what our true calling is, and how we can give ourselves to others. Stop being a prisoner of gravity. Begin to live each day as if it was your last. Starting today, learn more, laugh more and do what you truly love to do. Do not be denied your destiny. For what lies behind you and what lies in front of you matters little when compared to what lies within you. For me these lines are highly inspirational and awakening. My personal experience with this idea is that sometimes, in the past, anytime I see myself just worrying about my future achievement, I just wasted valuable time worrying, but immediately I adjusted my mindset to be grateful and live for today while keeping my goals in perspective, I became happy again. The beauty of this is that life starts having meaning again.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

This Child Will Be Great
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Account of a remarkable life by Africa’s first woman president” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. So often it is the small decisions in life that end up shaping our future the most.

The author’s story was very touching and encouraging as she struggled through school and later became married and was mothering her four children and working a series of low-paying, dead end jobs that were taking her nowhere fast. The reality of her life made her to just work and keep the family running. Although, it was mandatory to cater for her family, she could have as well abandoned the children as some irresponsible mothers do. She instead took the path of responsibility for her children almost alone with the share nonchalant attitude of her husband. Her courage and determination was next to none for a struggling African mother who eventually climbed up the political ladder and became the first Africa’s woman president in Liberia. For me, her story was a touching one filled with self-determination and courage, and it validates that taking the small steps and making or following the small decisions in our lives will shape our future and definitely lead us gradually to our destination in life successfully if and only if we remain positive, focused and committed about it. Therefore, her story filled with challenges of an African mother will always remain an inspiration to me.

ii. The truth is that if you want to lead and be hailed, you must also be prepared to be ostracized, because surely it will happen at some point in your career.”

“I’ve gone through too many periods of ostracism to keep track of them all”, the author said. The author continued, “whenever I got into trouble with one government or another, I knew that many people in my life, even some friends, would abandon me. They were afraid; afraid to be associated with me, afraid they would get into trouble themselves. This is the way of the world, of human nature, and if you want to lead, you have to accept that there will be conscious attempts to push you into oblivion.” You have to be prepared to be very lonely sometimes. O yes, personally, I believe that’s the truth about leadership of any sort. One must have to ostracize him or herself sometimes to review and project with clarity the political space where he or she must continue to lead.” This idea is reawakening and a necessity for all leaders like me for reflection on clearer vision for the future in our chosen field of interest.

iii. Why are some countries able, despite their very real and serious problems, to press ahead along the road to reconciliation, recovery, and redevelopment while others cannot?

This is a critical question for Africa, and the answers are complex and not always clear. Leadership is crucial, of course. Kagame was a strong leader; decisive, focused, disciplined, and honest and he remains so today. I believe that sometimes people’s characters are molded by their environment and every great leader also has to be intentional about their style of leadership as well.

iv. When one allows a cleavage to go for so long without addressing it forcefully and frontally, one sets the stage for disaster.

The African leadership system, in my opinion, is not very futuristic in reality, but it seems to be, on paper or by lip service, due to many reasons amongst which are corruption and greed. There are many distractions to Africa’s political leadership style that have to be addressed. For example their plans are not always sustainable. For me, I feel that for us to experience the progress we want as Africans we must have to wake up to face the reality of our existence as a people and without greed and corruption, use the wealth of the nation to perform the task for which leaders were placed in political positions, for the betterment of the masses and not for inordinate self-accumulation of the wealth of the people through massive and gross embezzlement of public funds. It will just set the stage for disaster. That was the practice with the Librarian political system before her emergence as the president of Liberia from the story in the book. This book is a reminder to all Africans that if we must develop politically, build a strong economy and protect the future of our countries and continent, then we must go back to the drawing board and ensure transparency and adherence to rule of law in our political systems and ensure same is sustainable because of the future of the African child. This book is a wake-up call to all Africans especially the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow.

v. One thing I have always been is a tireless campaigner.

The author loves it, getting out talking with people, moving among them, and listening to their thoughts and needs. For me, I feel that aside her innate desire to ensure a better life for the majority of the Liberian citizens, she is a life-long learner. That explains the reason she kept campaigning tirelessly; meeting people and discussing with them to know their thoughts about the state of things with them and how they probably perceive and picture a better Liberia. Her doggedness in remaining a tireless campaigner also explains that her belief that as long as life tarries, she would one day become great. It is a show of belief in purpose through display of persistence and consistency. I admire her courage to face the odds in the then polluted political system in her country before 2005 when she eventually emerged as the Africa’s first woman president of her country, Liberia.

vi. The root cause of conflict is not simply poverty but poverty brought on by exclusion.

Exclusion in its broadest context: exclusion from resources, from power, from education and information, from the opportunity to better one’s life. All of these exclusions contribute to poverty. This was a great setback on all Liberians and especially the unsuspecting masses and unless programs that address this ugly situation were put in place quickly, whatever euphoria and raised expectations that come from a good election can all too quickly dissipate. Such exclusions were the bane of the common masses in Liberia at that time. Somehow something inside of the child female president kept telling her that someday a leader would emerge that would change the face of Liberia and that leader could be her. When eventually she climbed the corporate ladder of leadership politically, she did not disappoint. She had to address issues one after the other to ensure that the common masses have a reason to live again in Liberia. She faced opposition, but eventually the hope of the common Liberian was restored. When people start enjoying the dividends of good governance, conflict reduce to the barest minimum. I must admire her path to the peak of her leadership ambition in her country and for using the power to give meaning to many, especially the poor masses. For me, I would describe her as a child of destiny that has not only fulfilled her political ambition on earth but has put smiles and given hope to the seemingly hopeless in the society and made the world around her a better place to live in. I admire her guts. What she did is very instructive and inspiring to me.

vii. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

At the time of her writing this book, “This Child Will Be Great,” the international community, led by the United Nations was spending heavily in millions of dollars a day for peace-keeping operations in Liberia. Just think, if that money were put into development, how far it would have gone. You see, every problem has a solution and an expiry date. So, rather than backing out and enduring the hardship caused by corrupt leadership, she rather thought that, something positive could be done to resolve the problem, I believe. She knew that it wasn’t going to be easy, but she was convinced within herself that it could be done. The mind is a very strong component of our human make-up and when stretched reasonably, it sees possibilities to achieve anything it is focused to achieve. I believe that, when there is problem, somehow we must have to find a way around it by facing it head-on. However, we could always avert or prevent the bad events from occurring rather than wasting time, efforts and resources to start fixing things when the damage has been done already.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

From my studies of this book, I have learned how hard work, honesty and humility that was instilled in the life of the Africa’s first ever woman president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, rose to the highest position of honor in the history of Liberia and Africa at large. Her early childhood training and her doggedness to be great took her very far in her professional career in life. This is a big lesson to all Africans and most especially women that they can effect a positive change in their career as well as in the political playground in Africa where we live. This book is highly instructive and has taught me to encourage and strengthen the female folk to pursue their career in life with a very strong emphasis that their roles in the society do not only end as a housewife but go beyond that to even the political space in the country and the world at large. Indeed, her life history as the Africa’s first woman president is remarkable.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“To be a great leader means to get to a place where personal considerations and needs become secondary to the achievement of your goal: That is the greatest sacrifice you can make, but that is precisely what leadership demands. The greatest sacrifice of all is putting everything important; the challenges, the needs, your own ideals and sense of responsibility ahead of yourself. In effect, to be a great leader is to sacrifice oneself, because if you don’t ever stop to think about your own preservation, your own safety, and your own survival, you will immediately become constrained. You will cease to act, or to act in the best interests of those you are leading. It seems reasonable to think that certain people are born with these qualities of leadership but that their experiences as they go through their life’s journey serve greatly to add to and strengthen them.”

Just like in every aspect of the author’s life, every event, every challenge, every threat helped to mold her into the person she is today. Her strong and faithful mother, her charming and ambitious father crippled in the prime of his life, marriage, her motherhood, her education and professional experiences – all these people and experiences molded her character in some way, shape, or form. Even going to prison was, I believe, a great lesson in leadership for her. Going to prison in Liberia did not make her angry or bitter; it made her incredibly remorseful and sad, so she said. This demonstrates that she has a purpose she could die for. I suppose when we live a life without purpose, we live our lives anyhow and without direction or focus or even energy like a ship without a rudder directionless. I strongly agree with her doggedness, just like someone said, if you don’t have a purpose to die for, then you aren’t fit to live.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

Go Pro
Assessments by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“7 steps to becoming a network marketing professional” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Network marketing isn’t perfect, it’s just better.

According to the author, all “jobs” that he know of fall into one of five categories: (a) Blue-collar: This is a worker who performs manual labor; that is, someone who labors to fix something, make something, clean something, build something or service something (or someone); (b) white-collar: Here the worker performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labour – this is usually performed in an office or cubicle; (c) Sales: They are those involved in direct sales and are paid on their production instead of by the hour; (d) Traditional business ownership: They own their own businesses usually a small business and they are the boss and they call the shots; and (e) Investing: The investors are those that send their money to work for them in order to get returns on their investment depending on their the amount invested. All these businesses are good but they have their terrible shortfalls. When the misfortune associated with the business comes, when the company changes the compensation plan, when their territory is reduced, when the competitor shows up, when they lose their best customer(s), when the economy goes into recession, when the technology makes them less valuable, or government regulations change their industry, and a host of other mishaps, these category of jobs and investments could (and probably will) get more complicated. Hence, to a great extent, the way out is the new economy – network marketing. Network working thrives on team building and leverage and hence a good application of the right leadership skill-sets is inevitable here. Job security is gone; a thing of the past, therefore the new economy is network marketing. I am a student of and partner with a product based company that is into network marketing with the goal of becoming a true network marketing professional. Truly, I agree with the author on the assertion about network marketing, “Network marketing isn’t perfect, it’s just better.” Network marketing when well studied and understood, it is a sure way to building a lasting passive income and to promote trans-generational wealth that guarantees a better life and a wealthy future.

ii. If you’re going to be involved in Network Marketing, Decide to be a Professional. Decide to Go Pro.

The author Eric Worre said, “There are three categories of people in network marketing. I’ve seen all of them and I’ve been all of them. They are the Posers, the Amateurs, and the Professionals”. Posers treat the network marketing profession as a lottery ticket. They’re hoping to hit it big with as little effort as possible. Amateurs focus on different things – first of which is luck; luck of hoping to sign up that one monster distributor who will make him/her rich; the second focus of an amateur is timing; and the third thing the amateur focuses on is positioning – are my in the right organization? Did other people have a better position than me? Maybe I didn’t have the right upline. Would I do better somewhere else?; The fourth thing the amateur focuses on is shortcuts mentality. Finally, the professional – the author’s definition of a network marketing professional is, “A person who is an expert at the skills required to build a large and successful Network Marketing Organization.” Yes, this profession needs passion and skills. The good thing about network marketing is that, it is a profession that is very forgiving; you can learn it while doing it. Hence, I am committed from my studies here that I would decide to Go Pro – How? I would stop focusing on luck, timing, positioning, and shortcuts as well as stop focusing on the money, but marry the activities and the wealth will follow. Hence, I will commit to focusing on the skills and make the commitment to practice, practice, practice, until I master them. Another great thing about my decision to Go Pro is that, all of a sudden your group or team will catch the inspiration or fire and start growing as well – energy and results move to the point of focus. Finally, like the author has rightly pointed out, “If you’re going to be involved in this great profession, decide to do it right and treat it like a profession. If you Go Pro, this business is great. If you stay a Poser or an Amateur, you’re going to be miserable.” This point is so instructive and inspiring to me because Network Marketing is not for a category of people; it is for all that is open to a better way of life no matter your profession, so that, someday I could proudly introduce myself as, “I’m an Engineer, but I’m also a Network Marketing Professional.”

iii. Like any profession, you’ll need to learn some skills.

There are three primary elements to your Network Marketing business: First, you have the company’s products; second, you have the company’s compensation plan; third, is You. That means right here and right now; you need to take full responsibility of your Network Marketing business. Decide today never to blame anyone (especially your upline) or anything else for your lack of results. O yes, building a network marketing business begins and ends with You; we must take full responsibility of our business if we must Go Pro. Network marketing is one of the easiest classes to take – It’s not rocket science. There are only seven fundamental skills necessary to build a huge business in Network Marketing: (a) Skill #1: Find prospects: To do this, follow these four simple steps: (i) Make your list as comprehensive as possible; (ii) It depends on the concept that we’re all six contacts away from any person in the world; (iii) Constantly expand your list – the professionals call this an “Active Candidate List;” (iv) Network on purpose. (b) Skill #2: Inviting prospects to understand your product or opportunity. There is something called the emotions of inviting. There are four basis rules to this: (i) You must emotionally detach yourself from the outcome; (ii) Be yourself; (iii) Bring some passion. Enthusiasm is contagious. It’s okay to get a little bit fired up. Get focused. Listen to some music that inspires you. Smile when you’re on the phone. I assured you, your positive emotion will translate into better results; (iv) Have a strong posture; (c) Skill #3: Presenting your product or opportunity to your prospects. In trying to do this, one could start off with just giving a short and effective personal testimonial. No matter what your background is, you can craft a compelling personal story. Every good story has four elements: (i) Your background; (ii) the things you didn’t like about your background; (iii) how network marketing or your company came to the rescue; and (iv) your results, or how you feel about your future. Hence, to Go Pro, take some time to create your story and start telling it every chance you get. To summarize this skill set, it is important to note these salient points: First, when you are prospecting, you are the messenger – not the message. Get yourself out of the way and use a third-party tool. Second, learn to tell your story in a way that will make your prospects curious to hear more. Third, when it comes to presenting in front of a group of people, preparation is key; when you’re prepared, it’s fun. (d) Skill #4: Following up with your prospects. In MLM, they say the fortune is in the follow-up. To master this skill, you need to master these concepts: Concept #1–Follow-up is doing what you said you would do. Concept #2–The only reason to have an exposure is to set up the next exposure. Concept #3–It takes an average of four to six exposures for the average person to join. Concept #4–Condense the exposures for better results. (e) Skill #5: Helping your prospects become customers or distributors. (f) Skill #6: Helping your new distributor get started right. (g) Skill #7: Promoting events. These are the basic skills distributors (network marketers) with the mindset of going professional need to develop. For me, I have resolved to consider each of these skill-sets with the consciousness of developing every one of them even as I aspire to “Go Pro” in the connected economy.

iv. Promoting events

In network marketing, meetings make money. It’s just that simple. Yes, technology can help us connect with people in ways that are becoming more and more efficient, but nothing replaces face-to-face interaction. Yes, meeting people one on one, in small groups, or at local or bigger events, will have a huge impact on the long-term success of any Network Marketing organization. But one particular type of event is the most powerful, and that is the “destination” event. It might be a company-sponsored event or one put on by your upline leadership, but a “destination” event is one where most of the attendees travel to a different city, stay at a hotel, and participate in a conference or convention. Some try to argue that the destination event is dead in the new technology world and people won’t travel for these things anymore. The author concludes by answering that, those people aren’t top earners in the Network Marketing profession. I agree with the author on this. When I took a close look and studied the top earners in the Network Marketing Profession, I noticed that every one of them uses destination events as a cornerstone for building their business. They kept promoting events both online and offline and from many seminars, zoom meetings, workshops and webinars I have attended, I discovered that destination event played a major role in driving them to the top of their profession within their organization as network marketing professionals.
In addition to gaining strength from the presenters, you also receive incredible validation of your decision to be involved. It’s a concept called “social proof,” and it’s very important. As human beings, we’re wired to seek proof from sources outside of our own thoughts and experiences. At a destination event, you see lots of other people who’ve made the same decision you have, and that feels good. Also, you see how some of them have overcome their fears and gone to the highest levels in their company. You start to think, “If they can do it, maybe I can do it too.” Professionals in the Network Marketing Profession understand that, there is a big difference between being an “announcer” and being a “promoter.” Promoters make the event a priority in their group. They are relentless with their message. They tell stories that inspire people to action. They take nothing for granted and don’t rests until people have registered. They paint a picture in people’s minds about how great the event will be and the benefits of attending. One thing I learned long ago was to never buy someone’s excuse, at least at the beginning. I can’t tell you how many people started off by telling me the reasons they couldn’t attend the next destination event, only to find out their reason was just an excuse, and wasn’t really true. From the inspiration gathered from this book and by this idea, I have resolved to always attend all important destination events within my MLM company so that I could encourage other partners and downlines in the company to do same – I must sure lead by example and to encourage others make the same decision as well.

v. The problem with amateurs is they buy that first story and that’s the end of it.

Now, as a follow up to promoting events, if a person says, “I can’t get off work,” or, “I can’t afford it,” or, “I can’t arrange childcare,” or, “Who’s going to watch my dog?” or, “There’s a birthday party that weekend.” And the amateur says, “Oh well, it is what it is. I hope you can make it next one.” Meanwhile, the professional has completely different mindset. When they hear an objection, they don’t buy that story because they know it’s probably not real—or at least not real enough. Instead they work with that person to help them understand the meaning and importance of attending the event. Then they brainstorm with them to figure out a way to overcome their initial problem. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to who had already decided they weren’t going to attend the next event, and within five minutes, they’d changed their mind and registered. The lesson here is to tell your story. Don’t buy theirs. Instead, think of this skill as if you are a publicly traded company and your stock value is tied directly to how many people you have at each destination event. If that were the case, I’m sure you’d make it a priority to always have a bigger number at the next event. You might start with just you at the first event, but then the goal needs to be to bring some people with you to the next one, and to grow that number at the next and the next and the next. There’s no such thing as a silver bullet in Network Marketing, but this skill is as close as it gets.

vi. The 1/3/5/7 Formula.

There’s a formula the author has seen work in the Network Marketing Profession. He calls it the 1/3/5/7 Formula. As a general rule, it will take you about one year to become competent and profitable in Network Marketing. You’ll know the basics, you’ll cover expenses, and you’ll be learning. It will take about three years of consistent part-time effort in order to go full-time. It will take about five years of consistent effort to become a six-figure earner or above. And it will take about seven years of consistent effort to become an expert. That doesn’t mean you can’t make more than that in the short-term. Many people do. It just means if you want to Keep making that kind of money, you need to eventually become an expert. When you think about it, seven years isn’t so bad, especially when a good portion of it is part-time. You’re going to be seven years older anyway. You might as well become an expert over that period of time instead of just going through the motions. This point caught my attention seriously because as at the time of this report, I was nearly one year old in the network marketing profession. For me, it is inspiring and revolutionary to know that becoming an expert such that I can earn at least in six-figures and maintain a steady income stream within a space of between five and seven years considering my financial background is a worthwhile investment of time and effort.

vii. In our electronics-focused, attention deficit society, fewer people seem to read books. That’s not true for leaders.

If you sample the top-earning distributors if they are readers, but more importantly, ask them what they are reading. You will be shocked at what books and print materials they read daily. There is a saying, readers are leaders. No matter what you’re trying to learn, there is someone who has devoted their entire life to the subject and is offering it to you for pennies. Take them up on that offer and build yourself. For me, the vast majority of my world view about any field in particular and life in general was developed from reading. I cannot stop reading because we are in the digital age, instead I have used, I’m still using and I will continue to use the advantages brought about by digitalization to enhance my reading culture and to remain a perpetual learning machine for my good and the good of the society in general when applied in a specific way in my daily life.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

Well, in a practical way, this book is timely and has exposed me to the tenets and ways of becoming a network marketing professional in the connected economy, the network marketing world. It has exposed me to the reality of the new normal – the connected revolution, which we all must embrace if we are interested in creating a better life and a wealthy future for ourselves and our children. It has changed my world view about business and financial security even in times like this where most of us have been wired to believe in the industrial economy which is obviously going into extinction as a means of creating real financial freedom in form of trans-generational wealth. In summary, every top-earner in network marketing has one thing in common; they work hard. Hence, network marketing isn’t about luck, timing, positioning, or signing that magic person who will make you rich. Freedom is possible, but it isn’t free. It will take hard work to stay consistent when the world tries to distract you. It will take hard work to learn the skills required for long-term success. It will take hard work to become the leader you were meant to be. Therefore, I have learned among other things, that I must be hardworking in building my team of distributors or partners and on leveraging on other people’s knowledge and effort in a connected positive relational fashion to become a true leader as a network marketing professional for the purpose of attaining financial freedom because, in agreement with the author, the network marketing profession is not perfect, but is a better way.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“You can tell the size of the man by the size of the problem that gets him down.”

The author inspired me with this statement as he expressed his thoughts when confronted with challenges or problems that seem to make him sad or depressed in these words, “Is this the size of Eric? I answer, ‘No’.” At this instance, he picks himself up and get moving again. Life is full of challenges and uncertainties. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose; sometimes we are happy, at some other times we are sad. I have been inspired by this statement and I’m willing never to remain sad or depressed for too long on events of life that tend to pull me down, make me sad and/or depressed even as I journey towards achieving my vision in life.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

 

The Business of the 21st Century
Assessments by Okorie,Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Insights needed to create and sustain wealth for years to come by learning the truth of how money works and the business opportunities available to you in the 21st century” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Take responsibility for your finances or get used to taking orders for the rest of your life. You’re either a master of money or a slave to it. Your choice.

This idea caught me thinking and introspecting about my years in the industrial economy as a blue collar and a white collar job worker. For me, as at the time of this report, there isn’t any indication of an intending job security in its real sense, let alone financial freedom. Job security is gone, a thing of the past. Learning the skills needed to become an entrepreneur and an investor is the heart cry of everyone with the business of the 21st century mindset. I have, from experience, discovered that the price of not building your own business is very high and it is a mindset thing. For me, I desire to be a master of money as presented by the author rather than being a slave to it. Hence, this idea is reawakening.

ii. The rules have changed.

The rampant decline in gainful employment is a ravaging epidemic to which few are immune. From executives and middle managers to administration employees and blue-collar workers, from bankers to retail clerks, all are at risk. Even the healthcare industry, until recently considered a job-safe zone, is trimming away significant chunks of its workforce. The author said, “When I was a kid, my parents taught me the same formula for success that you probably learned: Go to school, study hard, and get good grades so you can get a secure, high-paying job with benefits and your job will care for you.” But that’s Industrial-Age thinking, and we’re not in the Industrial Age anymore. Your job is not going to take care of you. The government will not take care of you. Nobody’s going to take care of you. It’s a new century, and the rules have changed. Our parents believed in job security, company pensions, Social Security, and Medicare. These are all worn-out, obsolete ideas left over from an age gone by. Today job security is a joke, and the very idea of lifetime employment with a single company an ideal so proudly championed by IBM in its heyday is as anachronistic as a manual typewriter. On July 13, 2009, TIME magazine ran a piece on page 2 they called “10 Questions for Robert Kiyosaki.” One of the questions they asked the author was this: “Are there opportunities to create new companies in this turbulent economy?” This was how he responded or answered:
This is the best time. When times are bad is when the real entrepreneurs emerge. Entrepreneurs don’t really care if the market’s up or down. They’re creating better products and better processes. So when somebody says, “Oh, there’s less opportunity now,” it’s because they’re losers.

The author believed that, a recession is the best time to start your own business. When the economy slows down, entrepreneurialism heats up like a stoked-up wood stove on a cold winter night. Besides the fact that the Microsoft and Disney empires are both hugely successful billion-dollar business that have become household names, they have something in common – They were launched during a recession. In times of economic uncertainty, people get creative. They break out of their comfort zones and take initiative to help make ends meet. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. People today are hungrier than ever to earn extra money, and because of that, they are more receptive and more inclined to open their minds to new avenues. For me, I agree with the author on that concept or idea, there is a new normal today besides the industrial-age thinking or mentality or mindset which must be changed in order to guarantee financial freedom because job security is fast going into extinction. The new normal could be found in building a network. The power is not in the product; the power is in the network. If you want to become rich, the best strategy is to find a way to build a strong, viable, growing network. Like the story the author narrated about Thomas Edison, Edison is famous for tinkering with the light bulb and perfecting the filament that made the bulb practical, Edison’s true stroke of genius was to create a company that strung the electric lines that allowed the light bulb to penetrate society. The company Edison founded would make him a multimillionaire. It was called General Electric. What made Edison’s business so revolutionary was not the light bulb itself, but the system of electrical lines and relay stations that powered the light bulb. It was the network. The richest people in the world build networks, while everyone else looks for work. From the shipping magnates and railroad barons to Sam Walton, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos, the great fortunes of the world have been made by those who figured out how to build networks. Sam Walton didn’t manufacture goods for people; he built the distribution network that delivers the goods. Bill Gates didn’t build computers; he built the operating system that ran on those computers. Jeff Bezos didn’t go into publishing books; he created the online network Amazon that delivers those books. The power is not in the product; the power is in the network. If you want to become rich, the best strategy is to find a way to build a strong, viable growing network. According to Metcalfe’s law, in simpler terms a network’s economic value equals the number of the network’s users squared. In other words, the economic value of a network goes up exponentially, not numerically. Network marketing is one of the fastest-growing business models in the world today, yet most people still cannot see it. Why not? People might see the product the home-care or wellness products, or the telecom, financial, or legal services but they don’t realize that, that isn’t really the business. The real business is not the product, but the networks through which the product travels not Edison’s light bulb, but his electric grid. People still don’t grasp the value of network marketing because it is invisible: It is virtual, not material. You cannot see it with your eyes because there is very little to see. It is a genuine Information-Age business model: To grasp its value, it’s not enough to open your eyes; you need to open your mind. As a network marketer, you might think your job is to demonstrate and sell a product. It’s not. Your job is to communicate information, to tell a great story and build a network. I do really believe and agree with the author that the rules have changed – from the industrial age thinking to the information age thinking centered on a network as one of the surest paths to financial freedom.

iii. The number of people living officially below the poverty line is rising rapidly. The number of people who are working beyond the age of 65 is increasing.

The number of people who are working beyond the age of 65 is increasing. The number of new bankruptcies is going through the roof. In his analogy, the author used America as his case study. The reason these once-sacred cows no longer give any milk is that they are all obsolete: pensions, job security, retirement security it’s all Industrial-Age thinking. We’re in the Information Age now, and we need to use Information-Age thinking. Fortunately, people are starting to listen and learn. It’s a shame that it takes suffering and hardship to bring the lesson home, but at least the lessons are hitting home. Every time we experience a major crisis the dot-com bust, the economic aftermath of 9/11, the financial panic of ’08, and recession of ’09 more people realize that the old safety nets just won’t hold up anymore. The corporate myth is over. If you’ve spent years climbing the corporate ladder, have you ever stopped to notice the view? What view, you ask? The rear end of the person in front of you. That’s what you get to look forward to. Life is tough. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Moaning and groaning won’t secure your future. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And if that’s true – which it is – then that leaves us with just two questions. First: Are you willing to be tough? And if your answer is “yes,” then question no. 2 is, Get going doing what? O yes, for the author and I, answering this questions personally is what this book is all about. If you want a solid future, you need to create it. You can take charge of your future only when you take control of your income source. You need your own business.

iv. If you want to get rich, you’re going to have to move. You don’t need a new job; you need a new address:

If you want control over your life and destiny, if you want real freedom; the freedom to call your shots, set your schedule, spend time with your family and with yourself, doing the things you love to do if you want to live the life you were designed to live; no holds barred, a life of passion and excitement and fulfillment; in short, if you want to be rich and live rich, then it’s time to pack up your stuff and move. It’s time to leave the left side of the chart and move over to the B and I quadrants. Mindset plays a great role in re-directing you towards a path to wealth creation that guarantees financial freedom. Money alone does not make you rich. These people may add numbers to their checking accounts, but the mere numbers do not make them rich, because they do not change how they think. Your mind is infinite. It’s your doubts that are limiting. Ayn Rand, the author of Atlas Shrugged, said, “Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think.” So, if you are ready to change your life, then embracing the right side of the cash-flow quadrant with an open mind will allow your brain to think and you to grow richer. The author said, one reason you want to create your own business is to get your dignity back. Don’t underestimate the importance of this reason. The world is full of bullies and small-minded people, and whether they are your boss, your manager, your neighbor, or even your friend, you don’t want them pushing you around anymore. You want to take control of your life. You want to have the courage not to care when other people bully you around; you want to have the freedom to think and act for yourself. Therefore, as I have said earlier, it is a mindset thing; most times, if we want to get rich, we ought to move to a new address first mentally and second in our experience in the real world.

v. It takes courage to discover, develop and donate your genius to the world.

Today, there are millions of people who dream of quitting their jobs and becoming entrepreneurs, running their own businesses. The problem is, for most people, their dream is just a dream. So the question is, why do so many fail to go for their dream of becoming an entrepreneur? Oh yes, the challenges of contributing your ingenuity to the world is enormous and most often, it is not a smooth one. Therefore, if one is not mentally prepared to face the unimagined in realistic terms, he/she might contribute only but a little or nothing to the world. First, one has to have the right mindset – filled with courage to really face the uncertainties on his or her path to contributing meaningfully to the world. In other words, we ought to develop mental toughness even as we remain focused to contribute positively to the world. I agree completely with the idea the author has presented. For me, the idea is a big reminder to me that, tough times never lasts, but tough people do.

vi. The Power of passive income.

Passive income is also known as residual income: income that continues coming in, over and over, long after you finished expending the effort and capital it took to create the source of the income. Wealth is not a zero-sum game: it’s not like if you become rich, then you’re taking it away from me or anyone else. This is an astonishing and abundant world we live in and there is way more than enough energy, material, ingenuity, creativity and ambition to allow every human being on the planet to be wealthy. This new business model is called the network marketing business model. The author, Robert T. Kiyosaki said, “All the same, if I had to do it all over again today and start from scratch, rather than building an old-style business, I would start out by building a network marketing business.” Network Marketing is not about selling products or earning income! In network marketing, the whole point is not to sell a product but to build a network, an army of people who are all representing that same product or service to share with others. The goal is not for you or any other individual to sell a lot of product; it’s for a lot of people to be their own best customer, sell and service a reasonable number of customers, and recruit and show a lot of other people how to do the same thing. And here’s the reason you want to build that army of independent representatives: Once you do, you know what you’ll have? An asset that generates income for you—passive income. Network marketing is not about earning more income; it’s about building an asset. Actually, networking marketing is about building eight assets, all at the same time: (a) Asset # 1: A real-world business education; (b) Asset # 2: A profitable path of personal development; (c) Asset #3: A circle of friends who share your dreams and values; (d) Asset #4: The power of your own network; (e) Asset #5: A duplicable, fully scalable business; (f) Asset #6: Incomparable leadership skills; (g) Asset #7: A mechanism for genuine wealth creation ; (h) Asset #8: Big dreams and the capacity to live them. For me, the advantages, therefore, of developing a passive stream of income through network marketing is massive and should be embraced by all who truly desires to powerfully develop a passive stream of income.

vii. Three kinds of education

If you want to be financially successful, there are three different types of education you require: scholastic, professional, and financial education. Scholastic education teaches you how to read, write, and do math. It is a very important education, especially in today’s world. Professional education teaches how to work for money. In other words, it prepares you for life in the ‘E’ and ‘S’ quadrants. These are the doctors, lawyers, and accountants etc. Financial education is where you learn to have money work for you rather than to have you work for money. Some important skills that have to come with financial education especially building the ‘B’ and ‘I’ quadrant businesses are: proficiency in setting goals, organizing a plan of action, setting your agenda, managing your time, and executing a clear sequence of productive actions. These are basic skills any entrepreneur(s) especially in the big business builders/owners and big investors of the right side of the cash flow quadrant have as a prerequisite to succeed. They are in every bit as important as skills like knowing how to balance a checkbook, write a financial plan, and read an annual report. These three kinds of education are important, but financial education is not usually taught in our conventional schools and as such leave many people with no knowledge of a good financial education that would help them to excel in the real world of form where this precious knowledge is needed for all business transactions and financial freedom; which at the end could guarantee us a blissful life of our dream. Therefore, I’m convinced both from personal experience and the teachings of Robert Kiyosaki, the author, that the importance of this invaluable but usually neglected kind of education; financial education, is a must have and people should be exposed to it at an early age in life so that they would be equipped with the right skill-sets necessary to attain financial freedom and live the life of their dream. I believe that, if you have control over your income, you have control over your life to a very great extent.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The author has again exposed me to the beauty of belonging to the right side of the cash flow quadrant. The left side of the cash flow quadrant contains the Employee (E) and the Self employed (S) kinds of people. But the right side contains the big Business owners (B) and the Investors (I). His teachings so far about entrepreneurship and wealth creation or financial freedom has inspired me to have the mindset of the right side of the cash flow quadrant – the wealth builders and the big investors. His explanations on the skill-sets to develop, the leadership qualities to acquire, and the mindset to build on your path to financial freedom was highly insightful and resourceful. It has boosted my courage to work out and live out my financial dreams through a system or network centered on robust leadership strength to drive the wheel of my life to financial freedom. This book will forever remain a reference material to me as I build my business and teach other people to do the same.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Leadership is the force that makes it all come together. Leadership is what builds great businesses.”

All the other business skills are important ingredients. Leadership is the force that makes it all come together. Leadership is what builds great businesses. All great leaders have been master storytellers who were able to communicate the vision in such a vivid way that others saw it, too. Look at Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Muhammad. They were all great leaders, which mean they were great storytellers. When I find a business that is struggling financially, the author asserted, it is often because the leader of that business cannot communicate the company’s vision—he or she cannot tell the story. They may be smart, but they are poor communicators. Communication affects every aspect of life—and this is the No. 1 skill that network marketing teaches. Network marketing leaders sometimes describe themselves as “highly paid storytellers.” In fact, they are among the most highly paid storytellers, and there’s a very simple reason for this: They are among the best storytellers. The military develops a type of leader who inspires men and women to defend their country. The world of business develops a type of leader who builds teams to beat the competition. Network marketing tends to develop the type of leader who influences others by being a great teacher, teaching others to fulfill their life’s dreams by teaching others to go for their dreams. Instead of beating the enemy or beating the competition, most network marketing leaders simply inspire and teach others to find the financial bounty this world offers without harm to others. The four elements of leadership required to be successful in business are: Mind, spirit, body, and emotions. If you cannot control these four aspects of yourself, then you will fail. And if you are not able to help develop these four elements in your employees, and in so doing help them to become effective leaders, then you will fail. It’s as simple as that. This is one of the shocking and interesting ideas I came across when reading and digesting the contents of this great masterpiece of a book. I totally agree with the teachings of the author which are all real world experience from great leaders in different fields of life.

“Wealth is not the same thing as money. Wealth is not measured by the size of income. Wealth is measured in time.”

Wealth is not the same thing as money. Wealth is not measured by the size of income. Wealth is measured in time. If all I have to my name is $1,000 in savings and checking combined, and my living expenses are $100 a day, then my wealth equals ten days. Wealth is the ability to survive so many number of days forward. Ask yourself, “If I stop working today, how long could I survive financially?” Your answer is equal to your wealth at this moment. Actually, let’s deepen that definition. Wealth is measured by the richness of your life experience today plus the number of days into the future that you have the capacity to continue living at that level of experience. One reason the rich get richer is that, the rich work for a different kind of money. They don’t work to generate income; they work to build wealth. There is a vast difference between the two. One of the most profound values of a network marketing business and it is one that the great majority of people who look at this business do not quite grasp is that it is an engine of personal wealth creation. The author, Robert T. Kiyosaki’s simple four-step paths to financial freedom are: (a) build a business; (b) reinvest in your business; (c) invest in real estate; and (d) let your assets buy luxuries. For him and for many, this has been and it is still a sure way to building financial freedom the ability to have a grasp of the difference between wealth and money as explained by the author has begun a new path to a paradigm shift of my mindset towards wealth creation and eventually financial freedom. It is a rich idea that is totally reawakening and insightful.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

The 45 Second Presentation That Will Change Your Life
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“How a person can own his/her life by building a home-based (Multi-Level Marketing, MLM) business” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was imprtant to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. You have nothing until you are three deep and only then are you duplicated.

The big question is, how do you earn in MLM? You earn in MLM by teaching people how to do the activities that is making you earn; by duplicating yourself. Different companies have their various compensation plans; therefore, your duty as a partner or promoter with such companies is to learn about how the company works as regards how partners or promoters get rewarded. Once that is done, the duty rests on you to teach those you sponsor into the business about all you know so that they will in turn teach their own sponsors the same thing and it goes on and on. In leadership, this is called duplication. If this process or activities happens up to about at least three levels or generations deep, then you can beat your chest that you have duplicated your leadership skills to your downlines. This has taught me a serious lesson that, as a leader in a team of distributors of a brand of any company in MLM, leadership seminar should continue until one is fully convinced that he/she has taught their sponsors or downlines deep down to at least three levels deep (the third generation) to become leaders themselves, such that they can carry on with the business by educating or teaching others below them the leadership skills they know so as to become leaders themselves and as such all the team members would eventually tap into the vision to drive home the value of the services and products to as many people as possible. I have also learned henceforth that it is pertinent to note that, after I have sponsored someone, it’s more important for me to go with them and help them sponsor someone else, than it is for me to go out and sponsor another person for myself. This point cannot be overemphasized if you want to go professional with network marketing business and enjoy all the benefits thereof.

ii. Four things you have to do to be successful in MLM program.

The four things are an absolute must! They are: (a) First, get in and get started; (b) second, you must use the products of the company you represent, yourself; (c) third, get into high gear; (d) fourth, digging down to bedrock. For you to really attain the success you desire here you should try to be a gold ship or serious person. This is how to identify a gold ship or serious person: (a) They are eager to learn. They call you all the time with many questions they want answered. (b) They ask for help. They have someone they want you to see with them to sponsor or train. (c) They are excited about the business. They understand enough about the program to know it will work, and it excites them! (d) They are making a commitment. They are buying and using the products and they are spending their spare time learning all they can about the products and the business opportunity. (e) They have goals. Goals help to drive a person to get what they really want. It’s not absolutely necessary to have them written down, (but it doesn’t hurt and for me it has more advantages when written down), just so long as you have some definite things in mind that are a burning desire for you to achieve. (f) They have a list of names. That list should be written down. The reason for having it written down is simple: you can add to it at any time and you won’t forget the name later. You may be driving in an area that you haven’t been in for a while. Just being there will usually jog your memory of someone who lives or used to live in that neighborhood. Since you always have your list of names with you, you can immediately add their names to your list. A few days later when you are thinking about calling someone, you can scan down your list, and low and behold, there is that name! If you hadn’t written it down when you thought of it, you may have never thought of them again. (g) They are fun to be with. They look forward to your coming for a visit, business or pleasure. (h) They are positive. We all like to be around positive thinking people-it’s contagious! The list could go on and on about the identification of a-gold ship.”

iii. The three important words that make all MLM programs work are: expose, involve and upgrade.

The money will come automatically if you seek first to help your people to succeed. Zig Ziglar puts it this way, “You can have anything in the world that you want, simply by helping enough other people to get what they want.” The whole thing about this idea to me is, it good for a serious minded network marketer or promoter of a brand.

iv. Display to your people that when you call, you are calling to help them, not to “check-up” on them.

“Checking-up” on people is the Direct Sales company’s Sales Manager’s job, not yours. Here, the emphasis is not in Direct Sales, but in Multi-Level Marketing. The whole aim is to become the proverbial gold ship in Multi-Level Marketing. The most important words in MLM are sponsor and teach. The next three words of importance in MLM are expose, involve and upgrade: First, you expose a person to your person. Then you get them involved for five to ten hours per week over the next six months. Their knowledge and motivation as to where they want to go in the business will upgrade as they go along. The purpose of the weekly training session is to teach your distributors how to sit down with a friend over a cup of coffee and give a twenty-minute presentation about your company, products and marketing plan. The entire training session should not last more than one hour. What I have learned here is that, in trying to prospect and build a network of leaders within your MLM business, display to people deliberately that you are calling and working hard to help them; people tend to join your program for them when they know they have something to gain.

v. Business Training sessions Vs. Weekly opportunity meetings

Most people in MLM get their start by attending a weekly opportunity meeting. Since this is how they came into business they think that weekly opportunity meetings and getting people to them is what the business is all about. How do you disabuse prospects’ mindset about these two concepts earlier mentioned? It is okay to invite your guest to your training meeting even if they have not yet seen your twenty-minute presentation. They will see it as the instructor is teaching the distributors how to present it. When making your invitations, emphasize that they are coming to a training session and not to an opportunity meeting. They will see the opportunity during the training.

vi. Important phrases and handling objections: Multi-Level Marketing is not about selling, it is about building a network of distributors.

That is the first thing every MLM leader should educate his/ her partners in the team. Network marketing or Multi-Level Marketing is simply based on building a network of distributors of a brand. In building this network, you will be recommended according to the compensation plan of the company you are partnering with. The beauty is that this requires developing various skill sets. Selling a brand or anything at all in life is one of the most important skill sets there is in the world and we must be conversant with it if we are interested in success and living out the life of our dreams in general. Other important secrets about network marketing are: you should be handling products people need and want. Finally, MLM is not a pyramid scheme. The major difference between MLM and pyramids is that pyramids are illegal. MLM has been around for over thirty years and if MLM were illegal, it would have been shut down long ago. When you get this objection, in most cases, I believe it is due to a fear of failure. The person you are dealing with is afraid to try your program and by asking if it is a pyramid, he thinks he will get you off his back because most distributors don’t know how to respond to reactions or questions as such.

vii. “My wife/husband won’t be interested.” Don’t let that hold you back.

In most cases it is only one partner that initially gets a business started. Once it becomes successful, the other spouse will come on board. When this happens, your business can really take off. In MLM when a couple builds their business together it’s not , . You get a synergistic effect that is really powerful. The wealth of knowledge contained in this idea has kept me reflecting about how to strategize to build my team or network of distributors by prospecting and recruiting couples even if it is just one of the partners because of the mathematical equation that states that in network marketing: . I mean for me this makes a whole lot of sense.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

For me the whole book has taught me a lot about the Multi-Level Marketing business world. It has empowered me with the nitty-gritty of building a strong and big business network through acquiring the skill-sets necessary for prospecting, sponsoring and recruiting partners or a team of distributors with the right mindset required to build their own business well enough that can guarantee them financial freedom and living the life of their dream. There are many benefits to building a network of leaders, distributors, partners or brand ambassadors of a product. Aside attaining financial freedom through a robust network of partners, you might also find true friends among your business partners that you can share and enjoy quality time together with, help each other out in turbulent life challenging situations and in the overall encourage each other to live out their dream life. For me, I am ready to learn all it takes to becoming a professional network marketer because the benefits are incomparable to the efforts and time invested. The beauty of network marketing is that you can do it both as a full time or a part time business – it is flexible and depends on the person concerned. Therefore, this book will continue to remain a reference material as far attaining success with the Multi-Level Marketing industry in concerned.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“There are four elements to recruiting: (1) contacts, (2) time, (3) energy, and (4) knowledge. The author puts it wisely when he is dealing with a very busy person he simply say, I’m not asking for your time, just your contacts. Bring up the idea of MLM to your friends and have them contact me. In other words, we will use your contacts, my time, my energy, and my knowledge. You might spend two minutes but I’ll spend two hours. Now from the aforementioned, it is clear that people tend to very busy and wouldn’t want to embrace a business that would eat into their acclaimed busy schedule. So, building a system that would accommodate for such shortfalls especially for busy people and knowing how to present it to your prospects will go a long way to helping you recruit as many prospects as possible and build a team that can do more than three, four or even five generations deep in not too long a time frame when you are consistent and persistent with carrying out the necessary activities with your business daily.”

For me, this point is worth reflecting because it reflects reality that we experience daily. When one masters these four elements, he/she is likely to do well in team building as far as multi-level marketing is concerned.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

The Power of Intention
Assessment by Okorie Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Learning to co-create your world your way” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. Four steps to intention.

The author outlined four steps to activating your power of intention as: (a) Discipline; (b) wisdom; (c) love; and (d) surrender. Your mind and your thoughts are also thoughts of the divine mind. Universal Spirit is in your thoughts and in your free will. When you shift your thoughts from Spirit to ego, you seem to lose contact with the power of intention. Your free will can either move with Universal Spirit and its unfolding or away from it toward ego dominance. As it moves away from Spirit, life appears to be a struggle. Slower energies flow through you, and you may feel hopeless, helpless, and lost. Everyone can use the free will to rejoin to the universal Spirit. The truth is that we do not create anything alone; we are all creatures with God. Our free will combines and redistributes what’s already created. You choose! Free will means that you have the choice to connect to Spirit or not! In simpler words, “All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall receive them.” In this scriptural quotation, you are told to believe that your desire has already been fulfilled, and then it will be accomplished. Know that your thought or prayer is already here. Remove all doubt so that you create a harmonious thought with universal mind or intention. When you know this beyond doubt, it will be realized in the future. This is the power of intention at work. Therefore, surrender to the universal mind – the spirit, is as important as living a fulfilled life with a sense of purpose.
ii. Meditate on appreciation.
Cherish the energy that you share with all living beings now and in the future, and even those that have lived before you. Feel the surge of that life force that allows you to think, sleep, move about, digest, and even meditate. The power of intention responds to your appreciation. The life force that’s in our body is key to what we desire. As we appreciate our life force as representative of the power of intention, a wave of determination and knowing surges through us. The wisdom of our soul as it responds to our meditation on appreciation assumes command and knows every step that must be taken. From my little experience and the teachings of great teachers, meditation is the key to increase. It allows us to connect perfectly to the universal mind of abundance and also present us as deserving of those things we are thankful about, most of which will eventually manifest in our physical experience.

iii. Banish doubt.
When doubt is banished, abundance flourishes and anything is possible. We all tend to use our thoughts to create the world we choose. When I doubt my ability to create the life I intend, then I’m refusing the power of intention. When nothing seems to indicate that I’m accomplishing what I desire in my life, I refuse to entertain doubt. Both little and great things are the offshoots of banishing doubts in the everyday situations in our life. Banishing doubt is expressed when we act with courage and expectations in the face of the challenging situations of life because of the glory we have already seen in our minds. If we refuse to doubt the field of energy that’s always available to us, then we are sure going to experience the events in life that is consistent with our dominant thoughts. This idea, for me, is a reminder about the abundance of the universe which we are all qualified for and share in the banquet if only we believe.

iv. Be creative

Being creative means trusting your own purpose and having an attitude of unbending intent in your daily thoughts and activities. Staying creative means giving form to your personal intentions. A way to start giving them form is to literally put them in writing. For instance, these were some of the author’s intention that stared at him each day: (a) My intention is for all of my activities to be directed by Spirit; (b) My intention is to love and radiate my love to my writing and any who might read these words; (c) My intention is to trust in what comes through me and to be a vehicle of Spirit, judging none of it; (d) My intention is to recognize the Spirit as my Source and to detach from my ego; (e) My intention is to do all that I can to evaluate the collective consciousness to be more closely in rapport with the Spirit of the originating supreme power of intention. For me, these intentions herein display total surrender to the Spirit; the universal mind. When this happens and you trust the Spirit as the source of all creative inspirations, then you can be creative.

v. Be Kind.
A fundamental attribute of the supreme originating power is kindness. I have resolved again to double my efforts to live in cheerful kindness. For it’s through giving that we receive; it’s actually through acts of kindness directed toward others that our immune systems are strengthened and even our serotonin levels increased. When you think, feel, and act kindly, you give yourself the opportunity to be like the power of intention.
vi. Be love.
The author described love in the following ways: (a) Love is cooperation rather than competition; (b) Love is the force behind the will of God. Finally, the author recommends that we pour our love into our immediate environment and hold to this practice on an hourly basis if possible. Remove all unloving thoughts from our mind, and practice kindness in all of our thoughts, words, and actions. Cultivate this love in your immediate circle of acquaintances and family and ultimately it will expand to your community and globally as well. This love should also be deliberately shown to those that we feel have harmed us in any way or caused us to experience suffering. The more you can extend this love, the closer you come to being love, and it’s in this experiential state of love that intention is reached and manifestations flourish. Hence, this idea is a reminder to me that I should strive to be love personified.
vi. Let go of your need to win.
Ego loves to divide us up into winners and losers. The pursuit of winning is a surefire means to avoid conscious contact with intention. Why? Because ultimately, winning is impossible all of the time. Someone out there will be faster, luckier, younger, and smarter and back you’ll go to feeling worthless and insignificant. Let go of needing to win by not agreeing that the opposite of winning is losing. That’s ego’s fear. If your body isn’t performing in a winning fashion on this day, it simply doesn’t matter when you aren’t identifying exclusively with your ego. Be the observer, noticing and enjoying it all without needing to win a trophy. Be at peace, and match up with the energy of intention. And ironically, although you’ll hardly notice it, more of those victories will show up in your life as you pursue them less. One of my mentors always say in trying to succeed, marry the activities and forget about the result and eventually the results will show up if and only if you marry the activities well enough and I agree with him totally.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I have been reminded about some of the Spiritual benefits of being in harmony with the universal mind; the Spirit. Among the things I have grasped from the author’s writings are: First, the highly realized people think from the end, experiencing what they wish to intend before it shows up in material form. They use their feelings as a gauge to determine if they’re synchronized with the power of intention. If they feel good, they know that they’re in vibrational harmony with source. If they feel bad, they use this indicator to adjust to higher energy levels. And finally, they act on these thoughts of intention and good feelings as if all that they desired were already true. Second, the moment one definitely commits oneself then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. Unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. This is in consonance with my personal experience. It thus serves as a booster to me and a reminder that I should commit and focus to my goals and assistance will show up from every source possible once I remain receptive. Third, a universal characteristic of genius is humility. The genius has always attributed his insights to some higher influence. Genius is a characteristic of the creative force (the first of the seven faces of intention) that allows all of material creation to come into form. It is an expression of the divine. These three aspects are in harmony with my ideals and would continue to encourage me to trust in the power of divine unseen forces; the universal mind (God) even as I focus on living a life of purpose.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Stop being offended.”

The behavior of others isn’t a reason to be immobilized. That which offends you only weakens you. If you’re looking for occasions to be offended, you’ll find them at every turn. This is your ego at work convincing you that the world shouldn’t be the way it is. By all means, act to eradicate the horrors of the world, which emanate from massive ego identification, but stay in peace. Peace is of God, you who are part of God are not at home except in his peace. Being offended creates the same destructive energy that offended you in the first place and leads to attack, counterattack, and war. This is a call to expel all forms of negative energy from situations, events and people around us. This is for me reawakening, consoling and assuring. This is indeed a sure path I need to follow daily in my life.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there were no exercises for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Conversations with God, Book One – An Uncommon Dialogue
Assessment by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
“A guide to seeking the truth about the nature of God and direction about a general overview of man’s activities in life” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. You cannot know God until you’ve stopped telling yourself that you already know God. You cannot hear God until you stop thinking that you’ve already heard God. I cannot tell you my truth until you stop telling yours.

For me, I see this as a call for wisdom, understanding and discernment. For us to learn and grow in knowledge and wisdom, we must have to first of all, empty ourselves so that we can be refilled. Anything of this is fallacious as far as knowledge is concerned. God expresses himself to us through thoughts and feelings, not necessarily in words. We must therefore, learn to listen and be open in order to grasp the teachings and directions of the truth about God and where and how we can apply that in our personal lives. Over the years, openness and emptiness of the mind to new learnings have always helped me to unearth deep secrets and truth about different subject matter which has granted me wisdom to live my life in a more fulfilling way. I then thought to myself when reflecting on this idea, that if I do the same about the knowing the nature of God, I will live even a more improved life. That is exactly what I have resolved to consistently do upon my reflection of this wonderful idea.

ii. The correct prayer is therefore never a prayer of supplication, but a prayer of gratitude.

When you thank God in advance for that which you choose to experience in your reality, you, in effect, acknowledge that it is there in effect. Thankfulness is thus the most powerful statement to God; an affirmation that even before you ask, I have answered. Therefore never supplicate. Appreciate. Gratitude cannot be used as a tool with which to manipulate God; a device with which to fool the universe. You cannot lie to yourself. Your mind knows the truth of your thoughts. If you are saying “Thank you, God, for such and such,” all the while being very clear that it isn’t there in your present reality, you can’t expect God to be less clear than you, and so produce it for you. God knows what you know, and what you know is what appears as your reality. Yet what you must know and here is the secret is that always it is the thought behind the thought what might be called the Sponsoring Thought—that is the controlling thought. If, therefore, you beg and supplicate, there seems a much smaller chance that you will experience what you think you are choosing, because the Sponsoring Thought behind every supplication is that you do not have now what you wish. That Sponsoring Thought becomes your reality. This idea got me and kept me reflecting over and over again. I began to understand why some prayers are not seemingly answered or manifested when we pray. For me this idea is strongly re-awakening.

iii. The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.

You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want to Be. For me, this is call to accepting responsibility as well as looking at myself as a co-creator. School is a place you go if there is something you do not know that you want to know. It is not a place you go if you already know a thing and simply want to experience your knowingness. Life (as you call it) is an opportunity for you to know experientially what you already know conceptually. You need learn nothing to do this. You need merely remember what you already know, and act on it. The lines of thoughts here are very thought-provoking and deeply reasonable. With this understanding, every serious-minded person can now start seeing him/herself as a success already waiting to be experienced by applying some efforts in thinking and acting to bring it to fruition in reality. This, for me, is very powerful.

iv. Taken to ultimate logic, you cannot experience yourself as what you are until you’ve encountered what you are not.

This gives a perfect explanation of the theory of relativity, and all physical life. It is by that which you are not that you yourself are defined. Therefore, awareness of who we are not is very important in order to clearly and critically define who we are. I totally agree with this idea and that is the best way of defining ourselves sometimes. From my experience in life, this moment of self-awareness comes more often when we encounter challenges in life. Without challenges, we might not be willing to engage ourselves mentally to really get inside of ourselves to understand who we are not so that we can correctly define who we are. On the other hand, in the case of the ultimate knowing in the case of knowing yourself as the Creator you cannot experience your Self as creator unless and until you create. And you cannot create yourself until you un-create yourself. In a sense, you have to first “not be” in order to be. This re-enforces my belief that, we are all co-creators in the unfinished work of creation.

v. It is much easier to change what you are doing than to change what another is doing.

To recognize your creative power, you must learn not to dis-empower yourself. You dis-empower yourself by saying that someone or something is the cause of why you cannot become a creator. Thus, the first step in changing anything is to know and accept that you have chosen it to be what it is. If you can’t accept this on a personal level, agree to it through your understanding that, we are all one. We are all encouraged to seek, then to create change not because of a thing is wrong, but because it no longer makes an accurate statement of whom we are. There is also only one reason to undo anything: because it is no longer a statement of whom you want to be. It does not reflect you. It does not represent you. Therefore, I am reminded that, I must work to change anything in my life which does not fit into the picture of myself that I wish to project into eternity. In the largest sense, all the “bad” things that happen are of my choosing. The mistake is not in choosing them, but in calling them bad. For in calling them bad, you call yourself bad, since you created them. So, I have reinforced my believe that to project myself into the blissful experience I grave for, I should rather look at all of life events through a positive lens so that by being always positive and optimistic, I will recreate the results of my ‘not-so-good’ experiences in life.

vi. And remember you this: that which you condemn will condemn you, and that which you judge, you will one day become.

A reflection on this idea has brought me to the deepest part of my imaginations. The idea here is to seek to change those things or support others who are changing those things which no longer reflect your highest sense of who you are. I am hereby encouraged to bless all – for all is the creation of God, through life living, and that is the highest creation.

vii. If you do not go within, you go without.

On realizing that there is nothing I cannot be, do or have, I am forced to keep reflecting about how I encountered different challenges that I did not know how to go about it initially, but finally succeeded by going within instead of without. There are many things to be grateful about in my life; the recognition of the creative God-factor within me makes me feel always as a winner, a success and a conqueror. Hence, it has become even truer to me that, if I do not go within, I go without. But the creative life force starts from within, like the proverbial egg and chick illustration; if an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends, but if broken by an inner force, life begins. Indeed, this point is a strong reminder to me that I have to respect my instincts and to keep my thoughts or intentions pure in order to experience the creative life force that the God within has to offer me to creatively experience the world of my dream. For believe in God produces belief in God’s greatest gift – unconditional love, and God’s greatest promise – unlimited potential.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I have come to realize that God is the energy I call imagination. God is creation. God is first thought, and God is last experience. God is everything in between. From my studies so far, I have learned the ways God speaks to us: (a) through the truth of our souls, the feelings of our heart, and in the quiet of our minds; (ii) through the unanswered questions of our hearts with the mindset that God has answered them already. His response could be in an article already published, in the sermon already written and about to be delivered, in the movie now being made, in the song just yesterday composed, in the words about to be said by a loved one, and in the heart of a new friend about to be made. (iii) God’s Truth is in the whisper of the wind, the babble of the brook, the crack of the thunder, the tap of the rain. Amongst many things, I have learned to see God in everything, with the realization that I am a co-creator in the unfinished work of creation – what I need is to cooperate with Him by hearing from Him, taking directions and instructions from Him and I will live to enjoy the abundance of his mercy, grace and support in my life with a good sense of fulfillment. Upon this realization, I am now convinced that by carefully listening to hear from God in all I do, I would enjoy eternal fulfillment in this life as I carry out my daily activities. My interests in the ideas of this book has propelled me to find the book two of three of this book series for my personal consumption. This book will forever remain a reference material for me any day, any time because of the richness of the Truths contained in it.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Not to decide is to decide.”

The world is in the condition it is in because of us, and the choices we have made or failed to make. God will not do for man, what man can do for himself. Thus, I am beginning to think responsibly that, my life is the way it is because of me, and the choices I have made or failed to make. Like James Allen firmly believed, I am responsible for my own fate. Hence, there is no coincidence, and nothing happens by accident. Each event and adventure is called to yourself by yourself in order that you might create and experience who you really are. Understanding one’s purpose here brings one to self-realization through belief in himself and believe in God. You think your reality into being. This is the first step in creation. God the Father is thought. Your thought is in the parent which gives birth to all things.

“Life is a creation, not a discovery.”

We are here to create for ourselves the experiences we want – that is my new belief as well. However, we often times leave the affairs and events of our lives to chance or someone else. This is somewhat detrimental to enjoying the kind of lifestyle we desire. For me, this book is re-awakening; it is a booster to my earlier conviction that I can be, do and have anything I truly desire. This is done by accepting the idea that life is creation and not leaving things to chance so that what finally comes up may be our discovery. It is noteworthy that, we make real that to which we pay attention. Just like the master, I am determined to make real by choice all I want manifested in my life by paying attention to my goals without distraction whether I feel like it or not. I have seen friends that disciplined themselves on a daily basis to be consistent with achieving their goals finally achieved those goals. This is not about a story I read, it is a physical reality I have organically experienced the transformation of persistence and consistency. When I saw this manifest, I said to myself, then all my positive smart goals must have to come to pass if and only if I continue to hold firm, the consciousness of what I want and continuously take daily consistent actions towards achieving them. Hence, I am convinced now that life is a creation and not a discovery.

“A true leader is not the one with the most followers, but one who creates the most leaders.”
This idea got me inspired again even after knowing this from one of my leadership mentors, John Maxwell. This is simply the truth. This also applies to almost all aspects of our lives. For instance: A true Master is not the one with the most students, but one who creates the most Masters; A true king is not the one with the most subjects, but one who leads the most to royalty; A true teacher is not the one with the most knowledge, but one who causes the most others to have knowledge; And a true God is not One with the most servants, but One who serves the most, thereby making Gods of all others; For this is both the goal and the glory of God: that His subjects shall be no more, and that all shall know God not as the unattainable, but as the unavoidable. This idea is truly inspiring to me and ever since I read it as a student of leadership, it has been part of reflections on a daily basis whenever the thoughts of leadership comes to mind.

“You only are what you are relative to another thing that is not.”

It is only through your relationship with other people, places, and events that you can even exist (as a knowable quantity, as an identifiable something) in the universe. Remember, absent everything else, you are not. Once you clearly understand this, once you deeply grasp it, then you intuitively bless each and every experience, all human encounter, and especially personal human relationships, for you see them as constructive, in the highest sense. You see that they can be used, must be used, are being used (whether you want them to be or not) to construct Who You Really Are. Bless, therefore, every relationship, and hold each as special and formative of Who You Are and now choose to be. The most loving person is the person who is Self-centered; This is a radical teaching. Not if you look at it carefully. If you cannot love your Self, you cannot love another. Your first relationship, therefore, must be with your Self. You must first learn to honor and cherish and love your Self and then by extension to others you cannot give what do not have.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 – 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

Crucial Conversations
Assessments by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

 

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“Tools for talking when stakes are high” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me were:

i. Remember, to know and not to do is really not to know.

Overtime, I have come to discover that true knowing comes from experience by doing – this for me could be through mental rehearsal or experience or imaginations or by doing in physical reality. It is only then that one could really say that he knows. Mere recitation of ideas or regurgitation of words about a subject matter doesn’t make you to know. Knowing thus comes by experiential activities (or by doing). Hence, for one to really become a master or an expert at crucial conversations, he or she must as a matter of fact practice crucial conversations by learning and actually engaging (doing) and course-correct as improvements come along.

ii. Mastering crucial conversations.

My studies have brought me to a better understanding that there is power in dialogue. Crucial conversation is a daily requirement in our lives as we discuss with people about almost every subject in life. As such, crucial conversations can be easily noticed when there is a discussion between two or more people where: (a) stakes are high; (b) opinions vary; and (c) emotions run strong. I tend to agree with C. Northcote Parkinson when he said, “The void created by the failure to communicate is soon filled with poison, drivel and misrepresentation.” When we are faced with crucial conversations, we do one of these three things: avoid them, face them and handle them poorly, or face them and handle them. For greater results, therefore, with mastering crucial conversations, we are obliged to face crucial conversations and handle them properly deliberately and consciously. This way improvements and mastery is sure along the process as time goes on.

iii. The best at dialogue do something completely different.

They aren’t held hostage by their emotions, nor do they try to hide or suppress them. Instead, they act on their emotions. That is, when they have strong feelings, they influence (and often change) their emotions by thinking them out. As a result, they choose their emotions, and by so doing, make it possible to choose behaviors that create better results. The author provided a valid direction to help out as a point of leverage or control. This is it, if we can find a way to control the stories we tell, by rethinking or retelling them, we can master our emotions and, therefore, master our crucial conversations. Stories expound what’s going on. Our stories are supposed to be interpretations of the facts. They help explain what we see and hear. They’re theories we use to explain why, how; how am I supposed to judge all of this and what. I would agree with William Shakespeare here, “Nothing in this world is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” I have learned here that, patiently rethinking or retelling our stories while keeping our goals in focus could actually have a face-lift on how we present our dialogue during crucial conversations and the likelihood of benefiting immensely from the outcome of such conversations.

iv. Encourage others to retrace their path.

Crucial conversations can be equally mysterious and frustrating. Once we notice a conversation taking an emotionally dangerous tone, to resolve the tension and bring the conversation to normal, we must break the cycle. It is not very easy as written here because when we’re on the receiving end of someone’s retributions, accusations, and cheap shots, rarely do we think: “My, what an interesting story he or she must have told.” Instead, the most possible reaction might be to match this unhealthy behavior. Our defense mechanisms kick in, and we create our own hasty and ugly Path to Action. Thus, a good mastery or understanding of crucial conversations can help one to cut this dangerous cycle by stepping out of the interaction and making it safe for the other person to talk about his or her Path to action. They perform this feat by encouraging him or her to move away from harsh feelings and knee-jerk reactions and toward the root cause. In essence, they retrace the other person’s path to action together. At their encouragement, therefore, the other person moves from his or her emotions, to what he or she concluded, to what he or she observed. I believe therefore, that, when we help others retrace their path to its origins, not only do we help curb our reaction, but we also return to the place where the feelings can be resolved – at the source, or the facts and the story behind the emotions.

v. Remember your ABC’s.

In clear terms, when having a conversation or discussing, the ABCs are Agree, Build, and Compare. When engaging in dialogue in a skillful way with people, always first look out for points of agreement. As a result, you may start with the words “I agree.” Then you may talk about the part you agree with. At least, that’s where you should start as a skilled person in dialogue. Now, when the other person has merely left out an element of the argument, skilled people will agree and then build. Rather than saying: “Wrong. You forgot to mention,” you should rather say: “Absolutely. In addition, I noticed that.” If you agree with what has been said but the information is incomplete, build. Point out areas of agreement and then add elements that were left out of the discussion. Finally, if you do disagree, compare your path with the other person’s. That is, rather than suggesting that he or she is wrong, suggest that you differ. He or she may, in fact, be wrong, but you don’t know for sure until you hear both sides of the story. For now, you just know that the two of you differ. So instead of pronouncing “Wrong!” start with a tentative but candid opening such as “I think I see things differently. Let me describe how.”
Conclusively, to help remember these skills so that we would eventually dialogue skillfully without raising unnecessary tensions, hatred and bitterness, think of ABCs. Agree when you agree. Build when others leave out key pieces. Compare when you differ. Don’t turn differences into debates that lead to unhealthy relationships and bad results. This is for me is a great awakening piece of information.

vi. Move to action.

This is all about how to turn crucial conversations into action and results through deliberate decisiveness. To effectively put decisions to actions, first, the following four elements must be considered: (a) Who? (b) Does what? (c) By when? (d) How will you follow up? Second, document your work. For me, to correctly apply these four elements, first, we need to delegate responsibilities. As an English proverb, “Everybody’s business is nobody’s business.” Second, we need to document the process. There is a proverb that, “One dull pencil is worth six sharp minds.” Therefore, don’t leave your hard work to memory; make effort to complete the crucial conversation by documenting it. In conclusion, determine who does what by when. Make the deliverables crystal clear. Set a follow-up time. Record the commitments and then follow up. Finally, hold people accountable to their promises. This is a sure way to move to action on attaining results with crucial conversations.

vii. If you really want to master a concept, teach it to someone else.

In crucial conversations especially from scripted materials, it is better to discuss the concept after developing and studying the concept with a friend or a loved one. From personal experience as a teacher, I have come to know that for one to really master a concept he/she has to teach it to someone else. Furthermore, it allows you to break those concepts well enough so that it becomes very clear even to a six year old. Once that is done, conversations within certain contexts become almost natural because they are now part and parcel of your make up; you have mastered it. Therefore, the importance of continuous learning as far as crucial conversation is concerned cannot be overemphasized as it is a must if and only if we want to become skillful in the art of crucial conversations.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

My take on becoming adept at and what I have learned so far about crucial conversations include mental rehearsal, practice doing, and research on every subject matter, as well as discussions or teaching the concepts to someone. Remember to develop the requisite skill sets that you lack as far as crucial conversations are concerned among which might include listening skills and understanding the principles of effective communications. Above all, I have learned to develop the crucial conversation consciousness mindset and with this, I know for sure that I would definitely excel even when the stakes are high.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the authors made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to these ones:

“Perfect practice makes perfect.”

This clearly suggests that when the foundations for crucial conversation are properly laid, it would be very easy for someone that wants to apply the tools for crucial conversations to do so and even achieve a perfect result. Therefore, perfect practice of becoming a master at crucial conversations would eventually yield perfect results in the craft or art.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

 

 

 

The Most Important Person on Earth
Assessments by Okorie, Eusebius Tobechukwu (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

“The Holy Spirit; governor of the kingdom” is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. The Success of your life depends upon how well you live out the kingdom life.

It is the manufacturer who: (a) has the original blueprints; (b) knows how to repair what is broken inside us; (c) can provide the replacement piece for what is missing in our lives. When we rediscover the Manufacturer’s original intent, we come to understand our purpose, our potential, and the significance of our role in this world. The kingdom life is a perfect description of our lives here on earth; how we all can live a purpose-driven and fulfilled lives. For us to accomplish these, I have come to realize that we must definitely align ourselves with the kingdom life through the knowledge of the most important person on earth – the Holy Spirit. He is our guide and higher expression of the ideals of our personal lives that can serve both humanity and divinity in a way that will ultimately lead to our success and fulfillment. Hence, an understanding of the person of the Holy Spirit is very important. For me, this reminds us that our success in life depends on our alignment to our Manufacturer’s original intent through the powerful guidance of the Holy Spirit.

ii. The Holy Spirit is humanity’s bridge to the home kingdom.

It was the presence of the Holy Spirit within human beings that gave them the authority and ability to have dominion over their environment. One of the psalmists wrote, “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to man.” O yes, the Holy Spirit teaches and guides us to the home kingdom lifestyle in our personal lives, if and only if we pay maximum attentions to His divine guidance. For me, this is a powerful reminder.

iii. Humanity’s independence from the kingdom was the worst thing that ever happened to them.

Although human beings were designed to live from the inside out, this situation was now reversed. Since they had lost the Holy Spirit, which was their connection with their Father, they now had to live from the outside in. They became totally dependent on their five physical senses. A perspective based only on the senses inevitably leads to confusion. The governor is the key to our being fully human. We can’t express the King’s nature unless we are in relationship with him, and the Governor provided that relationship. Only the Governor knows the mind of the King. We can’t really be what we were born to be as human beings unless we have a vital connection to His original intent. The Governor is our reference to ourselves; he is the key to our self-understanding. To be true and complete human beings, we must somehow become reconnected to and re-indwelled by the Holy Spirit. To paraphrase the wise King Solomon, “Some paths in life seem right, but they lead to death.” There is a line in the Christian Bible that says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV). When we excuse ourselves from the teachings and guidance of the Holy Spirit, it deters us from living a fulfilled life here on earth. We, therefore, need to connect to the Holy Spirit for divine guidance and to always reconnect to the King (God) anytime we derail.

iv. Seeking the Governor

I believe that the bottom line in every person’s search for power and meaning in life is this: they are actually seeking the return of the Governor, though they may not realize it. Many people feel they are missing something in their lives, yet aren’t sure what it is. They try to fill the emptiness with a variety of things: money, relationships, parties, drugs, sex, alcohol, work, sports, or vacations; a case of misplaced priorities. In fact, I believe that every person, whether he or she is Christian, atheist, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Shintoist, Scientologist, animist, or even Satanist ultimately desires the same thing. He or she wants to fill what is missing in his life, and only the presence of the Governor in his life can accomplish this. A human being without the Governor is dysfunctional because he’s never complete; his very purpose requires the presence of the Holy Spirit.

v. When the end becomes the means, and the minor becomes the major, then injustice is inevitable.

The principal purpose of the redemptive program of the Creator-King, in his dealings with humanity throughout human history, was the restoration of the Governor to the colony of earth. Having personal holiness therefore means “to be one with yourself.” When Jesus of Nazareth told his disciples, “Be perfect [holy], just as your [King-Father] is perfect,” he was saying, “Be one with yourself, as your King Father is one with himself.” Here is the practical application: if you say that you will do something, you do it. If you promise something, you fulfill it. If you are truly holy, you can never say something and then do something contrary to it. Your public behavior is the same as your private behavior. Nothing the King does is ever in conflict with his nature so that he has to hide it. You don’t have to hide anything unless you are saying or doing something that is contrary to what you say you are. Adam and Eve had been totally integrated before they disobeyed the King and then lied about it, destroying the trust he had placed in them. The Governor is a pure Spirit and cannot live in intimate relationship with humanity in an impure environment. This is indeed personally re-awakening.

vi. Holiness is associated with integrity. It means “to be one with yourself.”

Oh yes, I like this idea. Integrity cannot be separated from holiness. When you are honest or reliable such that your words and actions march each other, then you’re holy. Thus, holiness which we all strive for so as to be connected to the King must be sought after in both words and actions, and with the whole of our soul or being. This can endear us to the King and the kingdom life that is associated with success and fulfillment.

vii. Greater works on earth.

John recorded this statement by Jesus, which he made shortly before his death and resurrection: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” How could we do greater works than Jesus did on earth? The word greater here has to do with magnitude, not quality. We could never improve on the quality of the works of Jesus. The power of the Governor is that he makes the reality of heaven on earth possible. This is why everybody needs the Holy Spirit. He is the only one who can connect us to the King and, through us, dispel the kingdom of darkness with his kingdom of light. He is the most important person on earth. We can bring the kingdom of heaven to earth only if we are able to receive clear instructions from the King. As a Christian that believes in the Holy Spirit, I believe in the powerful instructive power of the Holy Spirit towards doing greater works here on earth.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

The lessons contained herein cannot be fully expressed in this summary. However, I would like to state categorically that the Governor (the Holy Spirit) is a mysterious being. Although he is the most important person on earth, he is also the most misunderstood and ignored. Personally, for the many times I had attempted listening to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit in my life, I experienced supernatural breakthrough, content, and fulfillment. Therefore, I have learned to listen to the voice of the Governor in my inner being even more often because it has led to fulfillment in my life many times and in many different ways. Another important thing I have also learned is gaining better knowledge of the mysterious triune God by the analogy of water as described by the author in the book. Water, in its liquid state, is like God the Father; it is the natural source. If you were to take some water and freeze it, it would become solid ice. Ice is like Jesus, the Word who became flesh; he was tangible, someone who could be seen, heard, and touched. If you were to take the same ice, put it in a pot, and heat it to boiling, it would become steam. Steam is like the Holy Spirit, the invisible influence that generates power. Ice and steam can return to their original liquid state. All three are in essence water, although in different forms. Finally, personally, I have gained better understanding of the Governor (the Holy Spirit) by understanding the qualities of the Holy Spirit which include: love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Any true manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth will have these characteristics. Paul referred to these qualities as “the fruit of the Spirit.” He was saying that, wherever the Governor was, these qualities should be evident, indicating that the culture of the King was present. The Holy Spirit is the key to the world; he is indeed the most important person on earth.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

Yes, the authors made certain statements that got my attention, with particular attention to these ones:

“The kingdom of heaven is infinitely higher than any earthly government, yet it is immediately relevant to our world.”

With the advent of global terrorism; economic uncertainty and insecurity; escalating oil prices and fuel costs; the reemerging threat of nuclear weapons; ethnic, cultural, religious, and racial conflicts; political and diplomatic compromise; moral and social disintegration; and a global upsurge in human fear, the spirit of despair among earth’s planet dwellers is becoming a norm. If one is to be honest, perhaps it may be realistic to conclude that any effective and appropriate help for our world and its plight cannot come from the world itself. Nations are only as good as their communities, and communities are only as good as the families that comprise them. Families are only as good as the individuals of which they consist. Therefore, the quality of a nation is determined by the quality of its people. This is especially true and critical in regard to the leadership of a nation. Often, as the leaders go, so goes the nation. The values, standards, and moral consciences of our leaders frequently determine the decisions and laws of our nations, and they influence the lifestyles and cultures of the people. Hence, in agreement with the author, it is my conviction that, this kingdom is infinitely higher and more powerful than any government on earth, and yet it is immediately relevant to the world we live in.

“You have to learn to fellowship with and listen to the Holy Spirit.”

We literally have to learn to fellowship with and listen to the Holy Spirit. He speaks to us through the Scriptures, through our thoughts, and through promptings and impressions. We need to practice hearing his voice and not ignore him, but acknowledge him as a person who is intimately interested in who we are, what we do, and how we fulfill our role in the kingdom. The prophet Isaiah said of Jesus, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him; the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding.” We, too, have this Spirit of wisdom and understanding living within us. Knowledge is information, and wisdom is how to apply it. In other words, wisdom is the proper use of knowledge. The Governor shows us how to take our knowledge and apply it to our lives. He is the one who makes us practical people in the world. No one’s intellect alone can discern or understand the gifts that the King has placed within him for the purposes of the kingdom. This is why, if you want to know what the Spirit of God really created inside you, you have to connect to the Governor. Paul likewise wrote, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Without the Governor, we can never recognize what has been placed deep within us. We cannot know who we are without the Spirit of God. This is why many of us are living far below our potential. The Holy Spirit shows us how to use the gifts he has given us for the kingdom of God rather than for selfish purposes because the gifts our God gives us are always given to benefit other people. It is very clear from the foregoing explanations that we live not only for ourselves but also for others, and that is where we can find purpose and fulfillment. This is one of the mysteries of creation and until we all understand this fact, we may be perpetually dwelling and drowning in the ocean of ignorance, frustrations, lack of sense of purpose and emptiness. Therefore, for me, every wise person should strive to understand the governor and how he operates, as well as his intent for him or her.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

No, there was none.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there was no exercise for the reader to complete.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

There was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was covered in the previous questions because, for me, everything I read, I understood, and it was very clear to me.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10