As A Man Thinketh
Assessment By Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author in this book was bringing to the consciousness of both men and women that they themselves are the maker of themselves by virtue of the thought which they choose and indulge into, and that the mind is master weaver; creating the habits of men and yielding the corresponding circumstances.
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. “Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are”:
This I feel is most true because over the years since 2005, since I started drawing closer to positive mind article, once in a while and most often I stumble upon article and write ups and circumstances that could bring my mind to positivity, I have got friend, who are positive, met avenue that provide me positivity write ups to read and mostly subscribe to for daily articles; opportunity like creatingpower.com, God’sdialyword.com and asamanthinketh.net. I believe that most of these opportunity and friends that I met believing in positive mindedness are as a result of my drawing nearer to Positivity.com. Even This issue of IIGL is part of the attraction matter.
ii. “Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction”:
I know that every occurrence in the life of a man has an origin, and as the effect of an action to a man depends on his reaction, which is pumped out from the content of his heart, there by bringing a corresponding consequences to his reaction. When I was in Secondary School, I took ‘Girls’ as having a different meaning than what they are just are and having such an ugly effect on someone than suppose, this made me keep away from them, trying most often to avoid them, but I feel hurt more than better. This I believe is as a result of the conception I have about them, which might not be really true.
iii. “A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile and commence to search for the hidden justice which regulate his life.”:
This is to say that someone can truly overcome the challenges of life when he concentrate his attention less ‘how and why it happened’, and pays more attention to ‘what can I do now within this circumstances’. Like when in my studies it was so difficult to continue (that was in 2008) but by the grace of God, I see myself thinking more of how I can scale through than how I should quit; and now, it’s almost over.
iv. “There is no physician like cheerful thought for dispersing the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the sadness of grief and sorrow”.:
The book of Proverb said that a cheerful heart is a healing to the body but a broken spirit weighs the body down. This is true because sad spirit weighs someone down more than illness and even illness most of the times is caused by sad spirit. Whenever I made it smiling for most of the moments of a day, I see to that I look very agile and smart doing my duties with most enthusiasm. But when I feel bad for any reason while on duty, I commit a lot of mistake and blunder.
v. “As a man thinketh, so he is; as he continues to think so he remains”:.
Someone can decide to remain where he is and how he is by just keeping doing what has been doing over the years just the same way he has been doing it. But still can wake up one day and decide that he is going change his situation, by deciding, it’s obvious that something has happened inside of him, his thought has changed and if he continues to work on that change, he will end up changing his who he is and where he is. But for me, sometimes, some thoughts though seeming negative might also seem to be reality of the moment situation.
vi. “Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment”:
I like this idea. There has to be a reason why someone is alive, a central reason why we run, walk and craw being to reach a predefined destination. This destination has be earlier known and recorded into the subconsciousness of the individual such that any path followed that which may not lead this destination looks and sounds odd to the mind of the person. Heaven is my ultimate goal, and affecting life here on earth is a priority and in this, for this, with this, I wake up each day, praying God’s help for accomplishment, each time I help someone achieve a goal, It gives me Real Joy and Happiness, knowing that in that practice or act, the route is still maintained.
vii. “He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart will one day realize it”:
This is an idea I like so much, because in this idea my mind is brought to believe that ONE DAY I will live my dream house. This house plan has been in my head an on a draft paper for about 5 years now, each time I speak of a home of my own, I picture a particular house in my mind. I have a goal, a life time goal and because it has always been a clear picture in my mind; wake me up any time and I will tell you what it is in clear terms. I believe that ONE day I will achieve my goal.
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?
These ideas have strengthened my trust in myself, building a strong confidence in me that One day, I will be the kind of person that I want to be.
It is more clearer now how my thinking should be on the purpose for which I live, maintaining the tracks that leads to it, taking away bugs and viruses that are dangerous to life’s achievement like Fear, doubt, unbelief and so on.
I now see that IF I can change my thinking and its pattern, then I can change my life. If I have healthy thoughts in my mind, then health in my body is guaranteed and as I cease from worry to face the fact that if event occurs, it is something that caused it, but what the occurrence will cause is more important in my life. That is to say, I can now watch carefully what will be my Reaction to the Action that comes to 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.
i. “Man is made or unmade by himself”:
It is just pointing out to me that I make myself happy or sad, well or sick, succeed or fail, all by my thought. And if so, I want to make myself Happy, Well, Succeed. I know if I choose noble, righteous thoughts, I can alter circumstances around me now and make a better world around me for me and others.
ii. “Every man is where he is by the law of his being”:
This is to say if I
change who I am now, definitely, I will be where I want to be in life. I thank God for such laws as this.
iii. “The soul attracts that which it secretly habours, that which it loves, and also that which it fears”: This quote is important to me as it reveals to me that if I continue habour fear, doubt, failure and impossibilities in my mind, that is just what come my way but if I should meditate in the perfect law of liberty, nurturing right ideas, good motives, positivity and confidence, It will attract to me the Corresponding good fortunes of life.
iv. “Circumstances does not make a man, it only reveals him to himself”: I have always loved this quote. It’s placed right in the walls of my shop. It is as true as saying when you pour water on a Stone, the water just drains away without penetrating showing us and telling the stone how hard it is; but if you power water on Bread it penetrate right within, softening it this us how soft nature it is. The water is constant but being as a hard as stone or as soft as bread is revealed by the water being poured.
v. “Indigence and indulgence are the two extremes of wretchedness”: The perspectives to which a man sees himself and his condition, determines how he feels in it.
vi. “The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do”: This is true because when someone is not sure that he can do a thing, he hardly develop the desire to do that thing. The knowledge that I CAN, that it is possible, that It might take time but will definitely come to pass, generate in me the will to register, subscribe and apply for any event at all.
vii. “Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophesy of what you shall at last unveil”: And am sure that ONE DAY it will come to pass those Nobel thought and belief I have had and am having about myself. If nature favours the righteous, By God’s grace, when I might have gained my perfection, I will be allotted the lots of the righteous. All I need do is to have a noble thought, a good vision, quality dreams, ideal of greatness and ONE DAY it will come true.
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?
I wasn’t actually looking for idea or fact to disagree with, about being unclear with an idea; I consulted my Encanter Dictionary for meaning of words that seem confusing, thereby creating more clarity.
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 is no exercise contained.
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.
Yes Story the Youth hard pressed by poverty and labor. Confined long hours in an unhealthy workshop; unschooled and lacking all the arts of refinement. But he dreams of better things. He thinks of intelligence, or refinement, of grace and beauty. He conceives of, mentally builds up, an ideal condition of life. The wider liberty and a larger scope take possession of him; unrest urges him to action and he uses ALL his spare times and means to the development of his latent powers and resources. Irrespective of how humble and crude his background is, He treasure greatness in his within and has respect for it greatness; urges for it and was making ready a good ground for any good seed of opportunity that could spring forth.
The end of the story had it that years later we see this youth as a grown man. We find him a master of certain forces of the mind that he wields with worldwide influence and almost unequaled power; he speaks and lives are changed, men and women hang upon his words and remold their characters. Sun-like, he becomes the fixed and luminous center around which innumerable destinies revolve. He has realized the vision of youth. He has become one with his ideal. Like this Youth, I have a dream of being useful to my Generation, and those unborn, I believe that in any little way or manner burden can be eased, truth can be revealed, light can be shone, the right way can be shown, and life can be lived. I know that ONE DAY it will come true.
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? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment By Paul Young
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
I see the author pointing out to the power in Personal Determination for success. He reveals al the Challenges that are encountered in the road to Real Success; He unveils the pains of failure, but most importantly, He brings out the Perfect attainment of any determined individual that seeks to discover something new in himself and what he is really made up of.
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 fact that Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time but that Heaven is Being Perfect” tells me that all the time that I have wished that I come from a certain place better than where I was born, or when I have the believes that ‘if only I was there then when the economy was better’ I really only need to discover that I was already in heaven if I can only see what I need do to my life.
ii. “But far away, alone Jonathan PRACTICED”: This ideas brings to my consciousness that when I am in the mist of crowd, I easily pay attention to other than to himself, but when alone, the only person I have is myself; to Praise, blame, look into, criticize and correct. And that helps me be the real person I want to be.
iii. “The Pain of failure: When Jonathan encountered failure, he felt like the Criticism of his parent were right, this made him vow to become a normal gull. Sometimes, I feel disappointed in a fact that only I seemed to believe among my equals or mate, and I begin to feel like joining them to be just street boys than claiming to be different.
iv “How much there is to living”: Jonathan discovered a Reason to live, a thing to be delightful about, a future to hope for, this kept him focused in practicing – I have always searched for a Reason why am “Here” not just going to bed and waking p the next day.
v. “Jonathan Practice Style”: Flight is all he most desired, he give his best time to practice how to fly; he like all about flying; anyone who flies becomes his friend just that he might learn. This has not been so easy for me, consistent practice in has been to me a great challenge.
vi.“When Jonathan Reached his ‘Heaven’, He expected to see a crowd of gulls, but he saw but a few, then he ask: ‘Why aren’t there more of us here’?: Sometimes I just wished everyone around me should have the same view of greatness that I have or see things the same way that I do but actually there are only but a few that that makes me ask; ‘why aren’t we much that see the truth as I do?’.
vii. “The only true law is that which leads to freedom”: This idea is as important to me as it puts it right to me the view and understanding to which my people approach events and thereby enslave their minds just in keeping their law. I have always being doing things the way I see it as best – my conscience being free from guilt. I go after noble fact as far as it pleases God.
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?
These ideas has helped me discover that if I can only make up my mind on any matter, being determined to make any achievement, and being sure that as sure as the sun rise in the morning and sets in the evening, so it is sure that I will succeed.
The ideas revealed in this book made me discover that as much as I do not stop learning and practicing, and striving to understand more of the perfect invisible principle of life, success is sure. And by building myself, I can be at peace with myself first, then others; loving myself and then others and by developing myself, the world around me is made a better place.
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. “We choose our next world through what we learn in this one”: This means to me that my future life and the expectation of my life depend on how well I make use of the experiences that I encounter now. It makes me pay attention to the positive sides in the circumstances that I find myself.
ii. “To fly as fast as thought, you should know that you have already arrived”: This means to me same thing as ‘whatever or whoever I want to be’ – like wanting to be rich, I should behave like am rich already, and in wishing to be a happy person, I should make up my mind that I already am.
iii. “The Only true law is that which leads to freedom, there is no other”: This reveals to me an issue of Obedience to man or God. Peter and John asked the elders, ‘you men answer, which one should we do, Obey God or man?’
Though there are many laws that is, but one must look deep into the perfect law of liberty and make his conscience clear in his behavior, pursue that which gives you real Joy and satisfaction.
iv. “The Gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere, slowly; – those who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go everywhere, instantly”: I love this quote.
Know that perfection has not limit, unlike time and space, when I build my mind to the best possible perfection, I will have seen things from a more perfect point of view.
v. “Your whole body, from wing tip to wing tip is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form that you can see; break the chains of your thoughts and you break the chains of your body too”: This tells me that how I look outside is more of a factor from my inside being. If I can think right concerning myself, my environment, and others things around me, life in general tends to fall into better perspective towards me.
vi. “Heaven is not a place, and is not a time, heaven is being perfect”: This bring to me to the true meaning of Happiness, Richness, wealth and success; not being in the abundance but in the contentment and acceptance that one has.
vii. “Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you will see the way to fly”: Jonathan told Fletcher to look inward, concentrate in himself and he will see the way to fly, this shows me that it is more of me, in becoming who I really want to be.
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?
There is really no idea that I disagree with, because all the ideas I read about are having personal impact in my personal life.
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 is not exercise contained.
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.
Elder Chiang Last Advice to the young Gulls – “Till you can fly the past and the future, and then you will be ready to begin the most difficult, the most powerful, the most fun of all. You will be ready to begin to fly up and know the meaning of kindness and of love”. This keeps the young Jonathan Gull in mind that there is still a lot to learn and attain, in other to become perfect. With the readiness of Jonathan to Learn, it was so easy for Elder Chiang to impart himself into young Jon.
Just before his departure, he was exhorting them never to stop their learning and their practicing and their striving to understand more of the perfect invisible principle of life”. And his last word to Jonathan, “Keep working on love”.- these admonishing made meaning to my life, having gone that far, leaving all this years behind them, it is of a great importance that they work best to attain the peak there is.
Jonathan was expelled, or exiled, by his people, now he sees more than they do and have known more than they know. But in this state of perfection, he is advised to “keep working on love”. That is to say with he might have reached the level of loving his enemies, praying for them that hurt him, his perfection might have been reached.
And this he latter reached with time when had compassion for the many young Gulls that are at home where he was exiled, then willing to go back home, even when it seem against the law of the gull family.
The greatest gift we can give to someone is to put ourselves into others and make them become the best of themselves. This is what Elder Chiang did to Jonathan; Jonathan did it to Fletcher and Fletcher said “I want to go back to the Flock, of course. I’ve barely begun with the new group”. At this point Jonathan Said his last – “Very well, Fletcher, Remember what we were saying about one’s body being nothing more than thought itself…?”.
They all do their best. Jonathan was told by his parents that he is bone and feather. But right within him, he didn’t mind being bone and feather, but wanting to learn what he can do in the air and what he can cant. With practice and quest for learning, he discovered that he was not just bone and feather but a Perfect idea of freedom and flight, limited by nothing at all.
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? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you wouldgive it? 10
Keys To Success
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
While I read this book, I saw the author bringing out Principles, a must do for everyone who wishes to be successful. In Key to Success there are laid down principles to follow, an instruction to follow, from working with one’s self, working together with the environment, and with higher power in the Heavens. From Definiteness of purpose to the use of Cosmic Cyber Force, it was a “do and succeed” principle for all.
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.
Of the truth, there are numerous point in this book I seek that there become part of my everyday life style. These principles are so touch and their effect on every life that applies them would be a life changing and world influencing type.
Some of these points include:
a. The major causes of personal failure
Having gone through this causes of personal failure it seem that almost all of them are present in my life. No wonder my life is the way it is now. I see that I have caused my life to be at the stage and state it is. The law of attraction states that LIKE ATTRACTs LIKE, and if my life being filled with such negativity, then how I not be fail. But I am determined to make a great deal of replacement, replacing all of this listed and found in my life with a positive mental attitude capable to move my life forward.
b. The benefit of defeat
If not that Defeat on its own has some Benefits, my life would have been doomed. But with the certainty that Defeat reveals and breaks bad habits, releasing your energies for a fresh start with better habits. Defeat being able to cause you to take inventory of your assets and liabilities, both physical and spiritual. More of these benefits gave me hope and made me go back again to myself, taking inventory of where I am now and making plans not to do things just the way I have being doing, for that will bring the same results to me again.
c. There is never just one chance, never just one tide that leads to a fortune
Of the truth, I see that through our life time, everything is a process to a destination. And just as the saying goes “when one door closes, another one is opened”. This point so affected my view of the present predicament am facing, because I know as a student that graduating with a good grade is one among route to a promising destiny. But with this point made clear in my head, I see to it that I still have numerous routes that lead to destiny. Having made clear my major definite purpose, I see numerous possibilities for achieving my goals; it’s about putting my eyes on the goal.
d. You must learn to work with natural forces, not fight them
Natural forces like sunlight, temperature, and other natural factors could work for humans; the Scripture says in Romans 8:28 “ALL THINGS worketh out for good to those that love God and are called for his purpose”. Learning to work with these natural forces helps a man reduce his personal problem, because he understand that he cannot fight them but when he learns to cooperate with forces like Rain, Sunshine, Climate or whether condition, things on their own work out for the our Good.
Like stated in the book that affected my life (The Science of Getting Rich); “there is abundance of opportunity for the person who will go with the Tide, instead of trying to swim against it”.
e. Managing your time – like managing your life requires knowing what you want to use it for.
This brings me closer again to what Success Through Positive Mental Attitude said about Knowing what you really want, and by knowing what one want, one is apt to recognize it when he sees it. When one doesn’t know what to live for, he is not worth living, so time and life is properly put to use, when it is used for a worthy task or lived for a worthwhile Goal.
f. Habit become a part of your nature by repetition
I love this point, by repetition, keeping doing one thing over and over, it becomes part of me and that I can do very well.
g. Separate facts from opinion, fictions unapproved hypothesis and hearsay, Separate facts into two categories (Important and un-important)
Just as it is put in Psycocybernetics about Facts and Opinion, attention given other peoples view say concerning any given point brings us a things of worry about or a believe about others. Most times, I have decided not pay attention to say “they said” because there are never absolute truth about those point.
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?
If only I can be good, I know my world will be good. I am working on myself how from day to day, making these various principles part of my life. I have printed out some of points like “I Can Achieve anything and everything I set my mind and hand to do”, “Whatever my mind can conceive and Believe, it can achieve, with PMA”, “Day by day, in every way, by God’s Grace, I am getting better and better”, and have pasted them in the wall of my room. Every day I see it and it keeping getting imprinted in my subconscious mind.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
a “Render more and better service than you are paid for, sooner or later you will receive compound interest from your investment”
I see this as an instruction that holds hope for the future, by doing my best to make another person feel satisfied in the Job or services I render to them, I could feel more fulfilled when finally my reward come.
b. “Seize every moment of time as if it were the only one you were sure of having”
Taking every moment as if it were only one I could be sure of having; using every opportunity as if it was my last; Living in each day as though it was my last; doing every work as though it was my only duty; seeing each and every person as the only person close to me; I try to find Joy, happiness and comfort in them all. By this principle, each day, each moment is made best for me.
c. “Self-discipline calls for balancing your emotions with your reasoning”
The balancing of emotion with reason tends to the use of the Heart and the Head to Guiding my footstep; there are sometimes that the Heart feels like embarking on a Journey that could be risky but the Head sees no reason for embarking on this Journey. The Journey could be the type that has not returning and balancing the Feeling with reasons helps in determining every action I take.
d. “There is a seed of equivalent benefit in every defeat you experience”
Just like noted in Success through Positive Mental Attitude, defeat can be an opportunity for a fresh start, now in a better way. Defeat is not an end on its own, life goes on after that, but only those who are able to understand the seed of equivalent benefit from defeat could discover a way forward. So from all failure I tend to seek all the successes that could be, because what made me fail could also make me to succeed, if only I can look from the other side.
e. “‘At sunrise everyone is born again’ that rebirth is the opportunity to put defeat behind you”
Just as the Bible said, they will be Joy in the Morning, this joy should be able to keep one’s mind off failure of the Yesterdays, and Put his mind in the present fresh start, hoping for better days. This opportunity that comes with the breaking of the dawn, makes the Singer to sing “Every time I see the breaking of the day, I say thank You Lord”. All we need to do most and all of the morning is to beg God for a revelation of a new opportunity.
f. “It makes little difference where you begin, the important thing to ask; where you are going”.
Having a goal set before you keeps one going and until he reaches that goal, he still have the strength to go in as much as he is still having his eyes set on the goal. Where one is going has to be his destiny and like my case, having come from a very rural background, being the first person in my vicinity to reach the University Education, there are many challenges to overcome.
Just like Nathaniel ask about Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”, so some times I see myself as not being able to make, with the kind of goal set before me now, (Raising PDN foundation) I know that as Philip answered Nathaniel, “Just come and see”; so will every that Hears about me and my foundation will and knowing where I come from as well as how I began, Will Having nothing to say, than, “God is Great”.
Psyco-cybernetics clearly states it (There is no merit in blaming yourself. The past explains how you got here. But where you go from here is your responsibility).
g. “The conscious mind acts as a lens concentrating the image of your desires and bringing them to a point on the film of the subconscious”.
For this I have decided to put all my eggs in one basket and devote all my attention to taking care of it. If like a lens, I concentrate all attention to studying how to be useful to my generation, to my people, to my God and to myself, I know I will discover it and will be really useful. This has been my prayer all day, “God help me to be useful to my people”. All of things both of life and Godliness, has been made available, so says the Bible. It just left for me to discover these things and use them to fulfill my destiny.
The Science of Getting Rich states “there is one Original Formless Stuff or Substance from which all things are made”. Now if can focus my lens to this Original Formless Stuff, definitely I will come to get exactly what I want. It is also stated in this book (The science of getting rich) that “the creative power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention.
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?
By God’s special I grace, was able to comprehend the ideas and points delivered in the book. The principle are life affecting and I struggle each day to apply these principles to my day to day activity.
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?
Not really, any way the only exercise I can see is a commitment that I made about using these principles in my life.
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 were numerous points and ideas that were interesting to me. Paying attention, to them, I discover that I can achieve everything I set mind to achieve if only I can put into action all that I have come to known; all that I have read in books.
The seventeen principles of success can never be exhausted if I start to explain all the much they mean to my life. There are some I know I am good at already, but some like Creative Vision, Assemble an Attractive Personality, Create Personal Initiative, Cultivating Creative Vision, Budget your time and money; and Enforce Self-Discipline. But all of this principles really work together to bring a man, bring me to a platform of success.
Some other points that affected my life include:
The extra mile formula: this formula States Q1 + Q2 +MA = C. and tells me how much time I have to spend on my job and how well I need to do everything I have to do. The Mental Attitude (negative or positive) with which I do things determine my Compensation and I hope this compensation comes from the Original Substance (according to the Science of Getting Rich). The numerous benefit of Doing more than you are paid for actually trilled me and applying this formula helped me to put into
The law of compensation: Knowing that everything you do will bring you some sort of result of the same kind.
Finally Just as Brain Tracy will always tell me in his tape: Sow an Act, and You Reap a Habit, Sow a Habit, and You Reap a Character; Sow a Character, and Your Reap a Destiny. I now start with Act of Reading.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
Comments
Key to success is of great importance to humanity any man who has a chance to read this book and fails to have not only let himself down but also the world around him and his generation as a whole. All the principles stated in this book has great and tremendous benefit, some immediate, some for later days, but all for the betterment of the human race. This principles studied well and applied, brings about a world with purpose, a world with full hope and faith in its Creator. I wish that more people read and apply this principles in everything in everyday life.
PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea that I see the author delivering in this book is a discovery of True Self Image of whom God has actually created us as. We are already what we are and what we can be, but the problem is that we have limited knowledge about who we are. Our self image is our real personality and that is what we are really are, but when we see this self image to be poor or weak, there is no worthwhile achievement that can ever come out of such an individual, because grape can never bear pear.
I see the author saying to me, “Self-image is the key to human personality and human behavior. Change the self-image and you change the personality and the behavior. The self image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment. It defines what you can and cannot do. With the expansion of the self image, areas of possibility are expanded.
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.
Listed below are some ideas that personally affected my life:
a. Stop measuring yourself against “their” standards.
While with my mates when I was in school, I used to see some of them that seem to come from a noble background to be more superior to than I am. My caretaker used to tell me to always remember where I come from (a humble back ground, not disgrace myself and the family), this has made me pitch my tent with people of my class and I tried to avoid associating myself with them, just to be sure that I avoid humiliation which may not actually have come. By measuring myself to their standard, I have suffered some major setbacks in life and my career but now, I am awake. I know that I am not “them” and can never measure up. Neither can “they” measure up to mine—nor should they.
By my realization of the fact that each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. The man who conceives himself to be a “failure- type person” will find some way to fail, in spite of all his good intentions, or his will power, even if opportunity is literally dumped in his lap. The person who conceives himself to be a victim of injustice, one “who was meant to suffer,” will invariably find circumstances to verify his opinions. I come to know it’s all as a result of what I do from the belief I have, that I am who am who I am.
The truth about you is this:
You are not “inferior.”
You are not “superior.”
You are simply “You.”
“You” as a personality are not in competition with any other personality simply because there is not another person on the face of the earth like you, or in your particular class. You are an individual. You are unique. You are not “like” any other person and can never become “like” any other person. You are not “supposed” to be like any other person and no other person is “supposed” to be like you.
Examine and Re-evaluate Your Beliefs
Trace down the belief about yourself, or the belief about the world, or other people, which is behind your negative behavior. Does “something always happen” to cause you to miss out just when success seems within your grasp? Perhaps you secretly feel “unworthy” of success or that you do not deserve it. Are you ill at ease around other people? Perhaps you believe you are inferior to them, or that other people per se are hostile and unfriendly. Do you become anxious and fearful for no good reason in a situation that is relatively safe? Perhaps you believe that the world you live in is a hostile, unfriendly, dangerous place, or that you “deserve punishment.”
After that I went through the above I beheld how much a mistake I have made about people about myself. But thank God, I am not my mistakes.
b. “You” Are Not Your Mistakes
This book has made to realize that where come from was a divine design by the creator, it was not by my effort nor by myself will that I am an offspring of my parents, and His design was a perfect plan and to his Glory. None of it was or is a mistake. Now along the line, I was meant to understand some false statements as truth, on which I built my belief and failed in most endeavors of my life.
But now I know and have come to accept myself just the way I am knowing that self-acceptance means accepting and coming to terms with ourselves now, just as we are, with all our faults, weaknesses, shortcomings, errors, as well as our assets and strengths. Things are actually better now, I see that I can make it if I want to. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, or of temporary failures. All servo-mechanisms achieve a goal by negative feedback, or by going forward, making mistakes, and immediately correcting course.
c. What is Success?
Before now, I see success in terms of just materials acquisition and then count myself less fortunate or a failure when I am not in that class. Here is a new discovery about success I have got (Trying to be “a success” in terms of acquiring prestige symbols and wearing certain badges leads to neuroticism, and frustration and unhappiness. Striving to be “successful” brings not only material success, but satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness.
With a right knowledge about what Success is and who is successful, I know what to do and what not to do in my striving to be “successful”. In accordance to Noah Webster who defined “success” as the satisfactory accomplishment of a goal sought for” I now set my worthwhile goal, having a purpose to live and a reason to wake up, each day of my life.
d. Only “Little Men” Are “Never Wrong”
There was this time that I see people who fail in any course of life as inferior people, and paying special respect to some to me are successful (per say). I valued utmost perfection that I hardly venture into any area that I am not sure of success or victory. But revelation came through this book, showing me all that I have loosed by not having to fail at least once, or in one area of my life. Like Sir Humphry Dave, I come to recognize that a lot is learnt more from mistakes than from my successes. “We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success; we often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake, never made a discovery.” This takes me to the idea of “not being so careful” with myself.
Our errors, mistakes, failures, and sometimes even our humiliations, were necessary steps in the learning process. However, they were meant to be means to an end—and not an end in themselves. When they have served their purpose, they should be forgotten. If we consciously dwell upon the error, or consciously feel guilty about the error, and keep berating ourselves because of it, then—unwittingly— the error or failure itself becomes the “goal” which is consciously held in imagination and memory.
e. Fact vs. Opinion
“Facts and opinion”, this point seems to be the most touching to my life. There are many personal I have had with myself, just because I misunderstand the fact about others and by adding my opinion to it. I see from this point that I am my problem all this while, instead of me to take people as they are and just hear what they say, I often read ‘why they would say so’ to the speech of people, thereby creating unnecessary enmity with people which would on a normal day be my friends.
f. Life Becomes Worthwhile When You Have Worthwhile Goals
Like the saying goes, he has nothing to live for is not worth living. Not until I made my goals clear to my subconscious mind and begin to see it every day come nearer to me, I didn’t find joy in my waking up every morning. When one has a worthwhile goal to pursue, he Keeps his Eye on the Ball. There is focus of attention, concentration of ideas, development of self discipline in order not do deviate from the route that leads to the achievement of such a goal.
Don’t Lash Out Blindly—Concentrate Your Fire; with a worthwhile goal in view, this is made possible.
g. Try to do only one thing at a time.
One thing at a time was difficult for me to implement, I work in a place where it is necessary that one processes more than one data at a time. Trying to finish one task before venturing into another makes my job slow, but I know all the benefit that is associated with this point.
I am still learning this principle not just in my place of work but in my life as a whole.
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?
By discovering who I am, I know that I can do all things, that already I am a winner, even right from conception. My evaluation about myself and about my environment, neighbor, natural forces around me changed with the new believe I have now. Daily I see God’s provision to make me perfect, Like the Bible said, “it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of the Lord that Showeth Mercy. If am at peace with myself, then I can be at peace with others. By the time that I have loved myself, I will be able to love others; and what a wonderful world we will have. I set my goal, and picture to myself what I would like to be and have, and assume for the moment that such things might be possible, each time I do this am happy, and I feels a sense of fulfillment. For sure, I am happy today just because I want to be.
I try not to attach my happiness to anything event that happens within the day. This makes me happy and cheerful when I am supposed and that should be always.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
The quotes in this book are numerous and so great to my life. Listed below are some;
i. “If you can remember, worry, or tie your shoe, you can succeed”.
This tells me that everybody, even me can succeed, seeing that success in an instinct
ii. “Doing Nothing” Is the Proper Response to an Unreal Problem
Most often we respond to False Evidence that Appear Real (FEAR), we call meaning to worry that are not real, by this quote I now address unreal problem as how they are really.
iii. “What Is the Worst That Can Possibly Happen?”
This question has saved me a lot of worry most the times. By the time I evaluate the worst that can possibly happen, I even discover that worst is not even too bad, mostly the worst in life is death, but even death is the beginning of a new life eternity.
iv. Your Nervous System Can’t Tell “Real Failure” from Imagined Failure
Like the Secret (Law of Attraction) admonishes me every day, to make all my thinking and speeches positive because the Subconscious mind cannot distinguish the different between Real fact and imagined. If I imagine great ideas always, set high goals and imagine myself getting there, the subconscious mine works to make sure that I get there.
v. Medical Science, Faith, Life, All Come from the Same Source
There was this time I used to take medicine to belong to those men of little faith, not know that they come from one source. The creator has made all things for his pleasure and all things are made from Him.
vi. Ignore Past Failures and Forge Ahead
Dwelling in the past is dangerous in that it hold one there, the ability to forge to the future is lost and one is tied down to a life of regret or complain, but we can let the past go with its failures and concentrate on the future with a hope that things might turn out for our favour, our life becomes more interesting, especially when we have a goal set in front of us to achieve.
vii. You must “let it” work, rather than “make it” work.
This calls for my trust in God and in his power to save and deliver. He knows ‘HOW’ to make to make it work, ‘HOW’ my life runs, ‘HOW’ I sleep and wake every day, so I just to Let HIM take the wheal. Like the instruction goes; (You must learn to trust your creative mechanism to do its work and not “jam it” by becoming too concerned or too anxious as to whether it will work or not, or by attempting to force it by too much conscious effort), this is my next objective.
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 habit of relaxation; the theater of the mind; do it yourself tranquilizer, and all the process of getting connected to the imagination world actually gave me stress understanding how to carry on the exercises. The practice of keeping the mind in a quite mode was actually not easy one for me.
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?
The nature of exercise contained in this book is not the type that is carried out in a hurry, it requires time (some a period of 21 days) before result is expected. And this was so for each chapter. So it was not possible for me to carry out the exercise before writing the assessment since I have only about 90 days read and submit my assessment for which I faulted (I plead for mercy and understanding).
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.
It is just that there are still more point that touched me personally. I tried to incorporate it in the seven listed above but it couldn’t enter as such. So these points are listed below:
Know the Truth About Who I am
The aim of self-image psychology is not to create a fictitious self which is all-powerful, arrogant, egoistic, all important. Such an image is as inappropriate and unrealistic as the inferior image of self. Our aim is to find the “real self,” and to bring our mental images of ourselves more in line with “the objects they represent.” However, it is common knowledge among psychologists that most of us under-rate ourselves; short change ourselves, and sell ourselves short.
Finding Your Best Self
This same creative mechanism within you can help you achieve your best possible “self” if you will form a picture in your imagination of the self you wanted to be and “see yourself” in the new role. You act, and feel, not according to what things are really like, but according to the image your mind holds of what they are like. You have certain mental images of yourself, your world, and the people around you, and you behave as though these images were the truth, the reality, rather than the things they represent.
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? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
Comments:
Feel free to share any additional comments about the book or about the ratings:
Psychocybernetics is full of ideas, points and life principles that awaked my view to who I am in the really sense of it. I cannot really list out all of these points in this assessment. The book changed my life for better, starting from the fact before now, I had a very low self image. I have always seen myself having a great number of limitations on so many areas of my life. Some of the these limitations include; Not being Good with girls; I am an average kind of person; I cannot just make it in an excellent way; – now I have discovered from Creation, I am a perfect being.
Success Through Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The authors seems to be setting a pathway; a clear instruction to success. He proof that success can come even from failure; when one focuses his ability toward his area of strength, he become more powerful in that area and will definitely succeed.
He brought to light people who have succeeded even at odd times, showing that at all times, one can still succeed if only he believes he can. He also pointed out ugly circumstances from which some people have succeeded, meaning that no situation is totally BAD, even if the worst happens, the NEXT Step could be the BEST, leading to success beyond failure.
The author simply said to me “You can succeed in anything you set your mind to achieve, just believe and move ahead with PMA”.
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 following are some points that affected my life during the course of my reading this book
i. You can change your world by using the 17 Principles to success.
By the application of some of the 17 principles to success to my life, principles like; Going the Extra mile, Self-discipline, Creative vision, budgeting time and money and the use of Cosmic habit force, to which I was not actually good in the practice of them, I come to discover that things are actually easier than it seems most of the times. I can make things easier for myself and for others, life tends to became more interesting, with my Going extra mile, my work became more fruitful, I can render better services with my development of a pleasing personality.
ii. Learning to separate ‘fact from fiction’ and the difference between ‘important facts and unimportant facts’.
Like I learn from Psychocybernetics; not adding opinion to fact, this idea has actually saved me from a lot of trouble and many unnecessary heart aches. I take things just as they are said, separate the important ones that concern me and discard the ones that I feel that they will not make a meaning to my life and my career. I know that there is no absolute truth on what I hear from person and I also know that nothing I heard is absolute lies. I seek the truth and from all I hear, I pick the truth and discard the lies.
iii. Necessity Plus PMA can motivate you to succeed
This point has actually motivated me to do some things just because there are the right things for me do. The necessities of doing these things helped me to keep going, even when there seems to be clearly adventurous, PMA have helped me overcome some obstacles and use them as stepping stones towards higher ground.
iv. When you receive a flash of inspiration, write it down, this may be the something more that you are looking for.
Inspiration has most of the times come to me, just like a flash and also go as they come, and this has actually made me loss some important ideas that would have yielded a lot of success. I am into music and most often new songs come into me like a flash, though sometimes I sing those songs, but after that time, it seems to go away. When next I seek to remember that song, it will not be there again, then I remember that if only I had written that song down, it would have been easier to remember and worked on.
v. The Secrete of getting things done ‘Do it now’
This is actually a secret and a fundamental motivator of getting anything done; just do it now because now has always seems to be the best time to get anything done. This idea has made me work well with the flashes of inspirations that I receive from the Infinite Intelligence, implementing these streams of idea now, gives my Goal a successful result.
vi. You’ve got a problem? That is good
So you’ve got a problem? That’s good! This is important to me because over some period times, things have not been going on so well as it supposed, but that I have come to know that it’s not really an end in its self. Just as stated in the book “repeated victories over your problems are the rungs on your ladder of success, with each victory, I grow in wisdom, stature, and experience. I have become a better and bigger, more successful person, each time I meet a problem and am able to tackle and conquer it. I am happy with the realization that I’ve come to gain from this book, at least now I am fully aware that there is never a single route a destination, I look at a situation from another side of view.
vii. There is always a cure – find it.
This point correspond to my initial believe and favorite quote that says “there is always way out”. The fact that there is always a way out speaks to me to be calm in any situation I found myself and to wait for a way to be made and it has always has been like that. I feel a hope even when I don’t see one. I know it’s going be over even if it takes long.
The bible confirms this point from the mouth of Prophet Habakkuk Chapter 3:17 that even though the fig trees have not blossoms, and there are not grapes on the vines, even though the olive crops fails, and field lie empty, yet I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
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?
These ideas has helped me in being who am meant to be, seeing things on different side of life and in becoming a better person, the world around me can be better than I met it. I feel better staying with my friends, and that makes them feel better staying with me.
Seeing the other side of life, makes me hope for the better things that are and the more am composed, I could do my work better and the better influence that has on my environment.
Going extra mile has helped me make more money in my work place and is gradually make my personality pleasant to people.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
There are numerous quotes in this book that attracted my attention, of which I so wished they become part my every day speech, some of which are:
i. “Keep your mind on the things you want and off the things you don’t want”.
Like I learnt from The Secrete, (Power of Attraction) that likes attack like, Bob Proctor would say that u attract what you pay attention to. So I come to realize that if pay my attention to those area that I want things positive in my life. I learnt that it’s better that I thank God for the blessing that I already have than complaining about those blessing that I don’t have yet.
ii. “If you know what you want, you are more apt to recognize it when you see it”.
Tony Robinson says “tell what you want and I will tell how to get it”. Knowing exactly what you want is the first step to getting what you want. Just as Brain Tracy will ask “What do you really want?”
iii. “Every adversity has the seed of equivalent or greater benefit”.
This means to me that there are two sides of every coin “failure or success”. Failure can make someone to discover his reason of failing and push towards achieving his goals in life.
Failure has made me appreciate success and to bear with every one knowing that sometimes, “I might just be on the bridge when the lightning stroke”.
iv. “It often takes only one idea, followed by action, to turn failure into success”.
Only one idea to Change a man and his world, now the action that followed must one that is needed to bring the idea into reality. If an idea comes into a heart of man like a flash of inspiration, he is supposed to follow it up with action and the action must be done NOW.
v. “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the man can achieve with PMA.”
This quote makes me see myself as being able to achieve anything I want to achieve. I typed this quote, printed it out and paste in the wall of my room to remind me every day that I can achieve anything and everything I set my mind to achieve.
vi. “See another person’s abilities, capacities, and view point; you may be overlooking a genius”.
Nobody is an Ireland, we all depend on each other to survive, the strong and learned all need the help of the common man to survive well. And most often we look down on other just because we seem to above them, but in the actual sense, we all are down. I took quote and considering it critically, I saw a lot of things I could grab from my friend “Emmanuel Enenche” who sometimes, behave like he is not serious about anything. When I went closer to him, I saw how good he is Human relation, his ability to stay well with everyone marveled me and I saw a real genius that I have been looking down upon all this while.
vii. “To be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic”.
Actually we become who really want to be by acting the path. Brain Tracy told me to “Fake it till I make it” and this has helped me to be really what I want to be most times I don’t even know how I become, but I just get to know that am there already. Acting like “I am” to “be” is a strong tool that helps us become whoever we want to be.
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?
I did not find any statement or idea that I will say I didn’t understand. Most ideas were plain and expressly straight for me to grab. I am happy for the Understanding God gave me through the session I was reading this book.
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. The Success Quotient Analysis (SQA) was an exercise that helped me access myself to know exactly how well I have been using the Principles of Success to achieve success.
After the analysis, I scored 224 out of 300 which according to the rating, is just Good. I actually hope that upgrade some areas of my life that scored zero (0) during the Analysis period; Principles like the “Masterminding”, “Budgeting time and money”, “Creative Vision”, has a been suffering deficiency in my life. I hope the next time I will RUN this analysis, I will be able to score at least 280 out of 300. So help me OH GOD.
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 are numerous point that moved my life to having a rethink and a change of mind and view. There also many quotes that helped me of which I am struggling each day to make them part of my everyday language. Some of these points are listed below:
i. There is nothing as hard as evaluating one’s self\
ii. To learn, one must pay a price
iii. The burden of learning is to person who want to learn
iv. Using the step-stone theory
v. Read everything you can find about those who had successful careers in your own field to determine what principle you can use to succeed.
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? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
Comments:
Feel free to share any additional comments about the book or about the ratings:
SUCCESS THROUGH A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE is 2nd Best book I have read in my life time, the first being “TOUGH TIME NEVER LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO”. The book was and is full of lesson, principle, guideline and instructions for people who wish to be achieve in any field of life what so ever. I can never explain exactly how happy I was when I lay my hand on those books (Psychocybernetics, The Key to Success and Success through PMA). I Thank God for having time to read through the book, though it was not easy making out the needed time because of nature of my job but I know that God who Saw me through and who in wish that I Prosper and Be in Good health (3 Jn. :2) brought this book my way will see me through the Programme.
Real Magic
Assessment by Paul Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author to me was revealing hidden secret from the land of the Spirit World. God is Spirit and has made man in his own image; given him his Spirit to enable man to understand the things of that are spiritual.
Not everybody knows this; that he has power within him; higher powers that cannot be seen but is there and with which he is able to create his world as he pleases. Some people that are seen in this realm of great performance seem to be given special names but in the real sense, the author reveals that we all ought to be operating from this particular realm (as spiritual beings).
The author was showing me why Jesus Christ; who knew and operated at this realm was able to do so in this world without any limitation. He (Jesus) created his miracles everyday knowing that to them that believe, all things are possible. While He walked on water, he showed Peter that even him (Peter) if he desire, can also walk on water, this he (Peter) did until doubt sets in and he sinks.
There are two important words which the author used (KNOWING and BELIEVING) which to me is the key to all performance; all accomplishment; all achievements. The author’s main idea was built on KNOWING the Real truth about how God created us, how we are complete and without any limitations. With BELIEVING, we come to bring into existence those things that are not there. It is with Believing that we really come to see.
This is to me the entire author Said in this book “Just know that you are complete right from creation and all of those things which we don’t seem to see can come to be when we believe.
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. “When the Student is Ready, the Teacher will Appear”: The is really true, most especially of me, because right from the time that I was in Secondary School, I have been having in mind the idea of how to get motivational materials, even when I entered The University, I still could go on line to search for materials on Time management, goal setting, and so on but I didn’t get it all. Even in my level three, When Ahua Gura Bem, a fellow student of IIGL, tried introducing me to IIGL course, it was not working out, but Not until I was truly ready, the Teacher, appeared that I needed came to effortlessly, I Got motivational tapes and audio books from a friend which helped my life. These are the things that I wanted but not ready for them until when I ready for them. Thanks to my Teacher, (IIGL), it’s God that brought you my way.
ii. “Believing Real Magic and Miracles”: Though I don’t see it all now, I belief what is written; though I still see, feel, and perceive not so pleasantly, but deep in me, I still belief that I am more than being a limited being. That is why I keep reading, studying to discover “what is that is not seen in me”. I belief that one day I shall be conformed to the Image of God’s Only Son, Jesus Christ. I see that there is no harm in believing; at least I believe in a thing, to live and die for, if I lose, after here can tell better. This believe has helped my creating a miracle mind set, I try to practice what I read, though not perfectly for now but I know that at least I am on the process of creating my own perfect world, a world where I see all things in perfect form in me and around me.
iii. “Ask Nothing of Any One and Practice Unconditional Acceptance”: This point has really helped me reduce my trouble level to a very minimal level in my relationships. With my friends, I really have believed that they owe me nothing; rather, it is me that owe them Love; the Gift of myself in service to them. I tolerate to a great extent, knowing that it is not a duty of any one to serve me, but it is my duty to serve. It with this point that I fully realize what Jesus Meant when say “I do not come to be served but to serve”. This has helped me relinquish my need to be right. I really don’t prove myself right and another wrong, because if they are wrong, or right, it really doesn’t make a better or worst person. I am who I am even if they are not there.
iv. “Know that You Don’t Have to Understand”: After thinking and considering this point, I really come to understand that it is true. I don’t have to understand, because sometimes they don’t understand me but I Know that what I am saying or doing is true. This is a great way of staying in a loving relationship; I come to understand well, why many things have been going wrong and tough some times in my relationship with others. Just because I don’t understand a thing, I come to condemn it or the person that believes in that. But this not right, at least this point have helped me consider the views and ideas of other people and tried to see things from their view, putting myself in their shoes, less condemnation, more appreciation, and better and loving togetherness.
v. “The Big Lie”: This is a point that moved me so much, there are some things that I don’t even try to change in my life before, because I believed that they cannot be changed, based on Heredity and Genes. I actually believed in those limitation like I am not good with girls, and with idea, I have grown up not having a female friend, but Now I know better that there are all BIG LIES. I see many people around me that are actually living under this big lie, I come to show them they can actually live a life that is far this cocoon that they have stayed for all this while.
vi. “Love the Central”: The Scripture, and all other respected books have revealed the utmost important of these four latter word “LOVE”, the Scripture said, “The Greatest is Love, God is Love”, but this is one major thing I am still learning to do as I ought to: “Loving without asking anything in return”. This is just the love that is needed of us all, and sometimes I love, expecting that the “at least …”, but more light have been thrown in this area of my life.
vii. “Stop Structuring your life upon the need to be better than someone else”: this brings to my mind the ideas conveyed in the Book that changed my life “The Science of Getting Rich” about Competition and Creation. Competitors live their whole trying to push someone down in other that they might climb up; creators carry others up and in doing this they see themselves up. I have given up competing, building my success upon the failure of others, basing my joy in the sadness of others. This makes my life better and helps me stay on purpose. I actually want to live out my dreams, the dreams of being a solution to people problems and an answer to people’s questions.
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 see these points as being able to influence my life to becoming a better person, the science of getting rich told me that “the very best thing I can do for myself, is to make the best of myself”. These points make me aware of what I have to be and do and how to do them, in other to become who I really have to be. I know that if I can become a better person, a spiritual person manifesting in the physical, then I will be able to get what I want in such a way that when I get them, every other person around me will have more than they have now.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the age, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
This is to ought to be a goal to which when I have achieved, I might have fulfilled a life a purpose in life. By the time I might have done all these I know everyone in my life might have felt my impact in life.
All human miseries derive from not being able to the quietly in a room alone.
Mediation has been my problem; I hardly find time to be quite on regular basis. I really need help in this area of personal daily meditation.
When someone respond to hate with hate, or anger to anger, it is not because of what was directed your way, it is because that’s what’s inside him.
This quote reminds me of what St. Paul said that we should “Put to death” then, all the earthly desires at work in you. This was his advice to the people of Colossians, he told them to put to death, not to hide or cover within them, I realize with the above quote that it is because we still have hate within us, that we can love enough. I pray for Grace to crucify with Christ all that is earthly within me and then, be filled with His GIFT, the Holy Spirit. This quote explains why “As A Man Thinketh” said Circumstances does not make a man, they only reveal him. That is to say, when circumstances come to a man, only what is within is what shows out.
The great tragedy is not death, but what dies within you when you are alive.
It is rightly said that the fear of death is more painful that death itself. How I wish that this quote will come to a full knowledge of everyone who is still attached to things around. I actually seek a consciousness that I am a conscious mind dwelling within a body; develop an attitude of loving concern for my body but a detached sense of identification.
“Now I Know better”
St. Paul said, when I was a Child, I think like a child, but Now, I am matured, all childish thinking has disappeared. Now I know better, is a statement of the overcomers, people who by God’s grace have come to realize the truth behind the BIG LIFE. The big lies was there, but “Now I know better”. This quote reminds me of so many things different from my life now and before. Before, I lived in darkness, now I live in live in Christ’s light; before, I go without purpose, but now…; before, I lived under limitations, but now I am freed by knowledge. Thank God for NOW.
“Result are not what motivate me”
The idea of not being motivated by result tell it all true that when wealth is the reason for my activities, and the quality of my life is based on what I have accumulated compared with others, then prosperity is impossible for me. I lived like this for long, and I have to realize that it is true. When on purpose, doing what I know I am here for, and forgetting about what will come into my life in the way of money and wealth, then money and wealth arrived in my life in amount sufficient to provide me with a life of prosperity. I Pray God to keep my on purpose, I ask for the grace to think purposively all the time.
“Nothing is more powerful than an idea
which time has reached”
Idea, I have come to understand its importance over the period of times I have been reading books. I actually value ideas as a gift from God, on the development of the world which he has created. He has perfected all things, and made man. We are to bring all these to be by the way of ideas put into work. Everything that is, is as a result of idea, from someone; I pray that God make my ideas a reality one day.
4. 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?
By the Grace of God, the content of Real Magic happens to fall in line with my searches at the moment I relieved this it. Understanding was not really difficult. I believed the contents, and I know a miracle has started happening in my life already. A realization of who I am and what I am made up of is truly a miracle to my life.
5. 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 was not exercise to complete.
6. 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.
HOW CHILDREN FAIL: This point really grabbed my attention, with this point I come to understand that the BIG LIE to which we truly believed in most of the times, is inculcated in us from childhood. It the real purpose of life and the truth that no one is actually superior to another can be inculcated in our life from childhood, the Problem of superiority and inferiority complex can be actually taken care of, children can actually grow to appreciate themselves and others, walk and work to reach their full potential, knowing that we already have all this is needed to attain the best that we are created to be.
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 New Dynamics of Winning
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author was conveying the idea that we are all born winners; we are born with the potentials and gifts we need for survival. I come to understand that from the being of our existence, are all are winners, not in our winning others who lose but in just being winners. For we to have being the one that fertilize the egg that formed the zygote that formed the baby which is us, we actually was meant to be a winners.
The author took his time to reveal the steps for the development of skills and the practical mental skills to achieving peak performance in area of our life. Just like he said, we are all what we choose to be and by paying the prices for gold, we have gold.
He revealed that being a champion begins from thinking like a champion; and the book was aimed at teaching how to think like a champion. We are all champion, by choosing to show it; live like one; we change our orientation, imaginations and mentality and have the mind set of champions. And what a wonder the world will see in us.
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 three basic rules of Lou Holtz: Do what is right; do your best; treat others as you want to be treated.”
I like this rule just and will like to obey it just the way I obey Golden rule. I see the golden rule incorporated in it. I see that when I might have obeyed this rule, even the blind the will the good that I have turned into. I pray God help me to do just this.
ii. Getting to the “Zone.”
The Zone as it is explained to be “that special place that only winners inhabit – where there is no past and no future, only the exhilaration of the moment, of going all out.” Trying to get this state has for sometimes now been a struggle for me. I know it ought not be a struggle but with practice I hope to get to state where I can absolutely be present at the present, soul, mind and body doing one things, not caring about the past nor the future. This was a technique I saw a coach teach his gymnastic students in a movie I watch (peaceful warrior), not to care much about the result nor the outcome but to pay attention to the present, here and now. I see that this has a lot of result to give as explained in Real Magic as meditation.
iii. Paying the price
Paying the price actually challenged my life, because I know for anything worthwhile to come be, a price has to be paid, Jesus paid the price for our salvation, which of course, we couldn’t pay and now we are saved, Thank God for that.
Now I come to consider what I actually need in life, and looking at what price I am paying or I have paid so far, I discover that am far from the target, if I must get what I paid for.
iv. Setting internal standards for success
As it follows (Don’t compare yourself to others. Competition should be viewed as a way to maintain excellence, to keep yourself performing up to your own potential). Trying to be the best person I can be has become my goal after reading Psychocybernetics, and I have been trying improve on this since then. Though I am tempted some times to compare myself with others, the book said, the happier person in life know that they don’t really have to compete with others. That success comes from doing their best.
v. Propelled by desire vs. compared by fear
I actually want to live my life above fear of failure. This idea showed me people who have made it in spite of many odds, not that the road was smooth, not that they have all it takes to get to where they want to go, but just that they are engulfed with the joy that will come when they have achieved their goals. These people have a desire for success that is far more than the fear of failure and it makes them take all risks.
And finally they discover the highest risk is in not doing anything. As I was considering this point it becomes clear that the statement Brain Tracy was true when he said, it is not what we do that mare us but what we fail to do.
vi. Fundamentals of self esteem
Psychocybernetics as taught raised my idea about my self esteem and with that knowledge I have been working on how to be best kind of person. I actually started loving myself and that has helped me to love others around me. I went through the Fundamentals of self esteem as listed in the book and am trying to build for myself a strong and magnificent self esteem knowing that, in that I make more of myself and be more of myself most especially.
All those self-destructive beliefs were somehow seen in my characters also but I will dig them all out and be the best person I can be.
vii. Perfectionism and protectionism
On this point, I come to reflect what is actually needed of me. The process is most often important than the destination. I want to be my best; I am motivated by a desire for success; I am enjoying the process of success.
I have decided that no matter what happens in my life I Will Be Happy.
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?
“Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better”.
This is because of the principles and techniques I learnt from these books. By the special grace I continue to acquire this knowledge, I will be able to be the blessing that I am meant to be to my generation.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
The following are quotes that affected my life during the course of reading this book.
“An idea whose time has come, nothing could stop it from being turned into reality.”
I love this quote and it makes me say, “When my time comes to be shown to the world, nothing can stop me” and I seriously believe, that now is my time, now is the day when I come to be my best, and nothing can stop me. Though I might see it all now but I know, that my joining league of great minds in IIGL, some different is happening in my life.
“Today is your day. Choose how you will spend it and do the same with every other day of the rest of your life.”
How wonderful, that it is in my hand to choose how I spend my day. I wish I can achieve all the things I wish I can accomplish about a day. Some I go to work and it seems like I lose control of every events that happens, no more time to read any book, pay attention to friends or even have break time for myself. I love the job but it seems to demand more of my attention that I hardly have time for others things.
Please I need help about this.
“Mistakes are painful when they happen … but years later a collection of mistakes is called experience.”
This is true, I have made some mistakes in the past and now it helps me talk to my younger ones and even my friends, I mean speaking from experiences. I may make mistakes now but based on the fact that I know so well that mistake is not failure, I get up and forge ahead.
“It’s never too late to get in the game.”
What a fact, that is why even at the Cross; there was still a chance for the Thieves to gain eternal life; one made to paradise, the other didn’t. I see this with general life. Whenever one is ready is for change, it can still be made. But this does not mean that we should waste our time and procrastinate. It is very dangerous to waste time, now is the day of when you make up your mind to be your best.
“There are no rewards in anything unless you try.”
Just give it a try, no harm in trying. That is how is life is made, we learn by feedback mechanism and if we live our life in fear of failure, we most often and always lose the reward of achievement, because if we don’t try, no one will know if we would have succeed or failed.
“Performance is only a reflection of internal worth, not the measure of it.”
This quote teaches me to enjoy the process of successful journey in which I am in. Even as look forward to graduating as an IIGL student, the graduating is no longer what matters to me now, but all the knowledge I gain on a day to day basis. As I told some of ministry colleagues when we were preparing for a singing competition, to enjoy themselves during the period of rehearsals and to forget the idea of the competition first, they did not understand this point I was making, I don’t blame them for it, but I wished they did. The competition came and passed and some did not even understand how it passed.
“Whenever a society gets to the top of in the league, it forgot to keep doing what it did to get on top in the first place, and down it came to take its place in the minor leagues.”
These are the people who thinks that destination is what matters, and when the reach, they relax, and at this time, the reality unfold.
“Many of the greatest accomplishments of a true leader go largely unrecognized.”
I think I believe this is true. Because all the leaders I see that work sincerely, most often, their work is done at a time when no one is there to praise them, to recognize their effort and even to understand. Most good leaders spend quite times, plan secretly, and go the extra miles, even give up their right and in think these mostly go unnoticed. But leaders still go ahead to do more, know that for this are there here.
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?
It is not that I just accept anything as they come, but these books are books I need at this moment of my lives. In essence, there I was able to understand the point in the book.
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 was a twenty one day plan exercise. The aim of the exercise was to teach me how to set a goal and achieve that goal.
I carried out this exercise for the period of twenty days, though the goal was not achieved, but I was pleased I did try to achieve that goal. I hope to carry out the exercise again, this time I’ll make sure I achieve my goal.
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 no how I can say with the word of mouth all the lessons that I learned from this book, it is actually a follow up of the lessons I have been acquiring from the other books. These points are worth of including as some of the lesson I learn from this book. “Like it or not, you are going to have some good days and some bad days. The ability to make the most of the good days is a fundamental quality of mental toughness.
The Contingency planning: Expecting the Best, Planning for the worst; and being prepared for a surprise. (I explained the principle for a friend and he was so surprised where I got such an idea from).
The Mental-Toughness Checklist is actually worth taking note of. It helped me and can help anyone who is ready to for the journey of champions.
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? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author through this book brought out techniques and principles for interpersonal relationship, based on the fact that if one must make a remarkable impact to/in our society, we have to work so effectively and efficiently with other people living around us. We work with, walk with, play with and pray with people all around us on every day basis.
There is always a pattern and way of interacting with people, both those in a lower or higher carder than we are, that will bring out their self worth and increase their respect for us and even increase productivity.
A leader needs the cooperation of his followers to make a good leadership, and even the followers need the cooperation of their leaders to move forward in life; and if these have to be achieved, a good understanding of how to interact with others is highly needed.
Having read this book, so many facts come up, so open to me that I know if only I have been using these principles before now, I would have made more friends and meet more important people.
2. What are 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 following are the Ideas that affected and attracted my attention during the course of reading this book:
a. If you want to gather Honey, Don’t Kick over the Beehive.
This point seems like proverb that is dug out with a critical caution. It reveals to me the importance that need to be paid to higher authorities, leaders, and people that have excelled already; if at all we will like to reach the height which they are. It tells me that the respect and sincerity with which I follow my leaders, determines the extent I can go as a leader.
From this point, I also learn that if I want the best in life, I should not take for granted the substances from which the best are made from. “Time” is a major raw material in the production of life and one cannot afford to “waste time” if he needs the best of anything.
b. Happiness doesn’t depend on outward conditions.
It isn’t what you have or who you are on where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about. This is true; happiness is a matter of mind, just as Psychocybernetics tells me “if you want happiness, just be happy, that’s all”. This point reminds me that my happiness should not be based on any variable (which is liable to change with time, season, location or age) but if at all I want to base my happiness on anything, It should be on that which has not iota of change; (and that is GOD, the ever the same ONE). With this, happiness is as certain and long life is sure.
c. You can’t win an argument (The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
The main reason why people argue has been to show that they are better than; but I come to realize that this is not necessary. Being better than is not meant to be shown, just like Lord Chesterfield said to his son; (Be wiser than other people if you can; but do not tell them so). I have come to say no to argument, because as it is rightly stated in the book, “If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a victory sometimes; but it will be an empty victory because you will never get your opponent’s good will”.
And I agree that it will be better to have the people’s good will than to have an academic, theatrical victory. One will always know that he is right or wrong in his own view but when shown things from other point of view, he can change is opinion, (which is not a must for us any way).
I come to conclude this point by saying that it is better to give way to a dog than be bitten by him in contesting for the right. Even killing the dog would not cure the bite. I actually try to put into practice the suggestion given under this point (how to keep a disagreement form becoming an argument) and it is actually helpful.
d. The power of a smile
Smiling has been a charm to which I easily fall prey to most of the times. I know how power smile can pull what effect it can create and has been creating in my life all this while.
I decided to use the smiling techniques I learnt from some of the books I read currently. I just stand in the front of my mirror sometimes naked and smile to myself, just to make sure that I can easily do that. More than once I have met some upset persons and smiled to them, just to put into practice the smiling technique thing and to my surprise it works.
Smile, according to article in the book,
It cost nothing, but creates much;
It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give;
It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever;
None are so rich they can get along without it, and none is so poor but are rich for its benefits;
It creates happiness in the home; fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign in friends;
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away;
And if in the last-minute rush of Christmas buying some of our salespeople should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours.
For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!
Smile has made buy some articles, more the price, but I liked the way the seller smiled at me and nowadays I pay keen attention to my smiling attitude and I respond to those who smiles at me.
e. If you are wrong, admit it.
(If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically), this is how it is stated in the book. Admitting one’s fault is a great sign of humility and goes a long way to restoring peace amongst us. Having in mind that “by fighting you will never get enough but by yielding you get more than you expected”.
Accepting my fault has ended argument and has wined me many favors even when am wrong but when I come to accept my fault it seem to show that I am sincere and ready to make amend. More than once have I gotten second chance to do the same thing again for which I would not have gotten if I had claimed right.
f. Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say “You are wrong”
This is the point that has helped me gain much respect among my friends, more often we come to agree on some certain point with no one feeling inferior or superior, just because I decided to put myself in their shoes and see things from their point of view. Though sometimes ideas are changed but with no hurt of feelings and ego.
I have been learning to how to avoid some terms like, (It’s a lie; You are a liar; it’s your fault) and actually having learnt the positive way of presenting this terms makes my speeches more accepted and respected among my equal. Now I will never say “You are wrong.”
g. Ask question instead of giving direct orders
This point has worked for me, helping to communicate what I want done and having it done without any one feeling hurt. There was a day I come to our shop where I seem to in charge and just outside the building was so littered with dirt. And after reading this point the previous night, I said, ‘Ya, I will put this point into practice now’, I went out, picked the broom and after sweeping I ask the sell boys, I don’t if we can have this dirt burned in the evening and he smiled and responded Ya. In evening without reminding him, he had the area cleaned and burned.
I was happy I had my message passed without force or orders. This point also made me know that we all have certain amount of self worth which deserve to be respected, no matter who we are or any position we occupy, and instead of me claiming boss, I should know that we are all important and actually this works like miracle in achieving any goal at all.
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 point I learn in these books are actually transforming my life and making a better person. I can see it in my every day interaction with people. There are times when I seem down and so low that I feel that I can not affect any life around me, but even at that point and time, some people still show me that I am their encouragement.
There was a time that I become so bored with my business, which was not moving as supposed, I couldn’t raise the money I needed to settle my day to day challenges, even the Upcoming conference in Lagos Nigeria, I needed money to get registered, but nothing was coming up and at this time, I feel like quitting the business and going to stay with my elder brother, but a friend come to me and told me what I mean to him and how much the existence of the business is still giving him encouragement.
He then volunteered that we work together and see what will come out of the business. We worked for a period of one month (from 22nd November, – 22nd December, 2012) and come up with a good amount of money that was able to get me started again. I was able to register for the conference, I get myself a second hand laptop worth Fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00), I paid off some depth worth Thirteen thousand naira and do some other major expenses.
What I am trying to say is that some people have believed in me and my ability to doing great things and I believe as time goes on, I will develop all the abilities needed to change my world for the better.
4. 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.
“Don’t criticize them; they are just what we would be under similar circumstances.”
This quote took be back to seeing things through another person’s point of view. Criticism, I don’t think is the best way of passing messages across to other people nor is a good way of analyzing other people action. But I think we can pray for change in the life of people who are feel are in the wrong side of life. Understanding that we are liable to temptation should remind us that we should not laugh at those who have fallen because we might be the one to fall tomorrow.
“Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof, when your own doorstep in unclean.”
This is an old quote, just like Jesus puts it, “Try and remove the log that is your own eye, before you can see clearly to remove the spark from the brother’s eye”. When we take our time correct ourselves first before correcting others, it makes things easier for us and for others, it passes message easier because this days, people read character faster than words. And when people see truth in us, they will hardly tell us lies.
“When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.”
And with knowledge of this we come understand how really we ought to relate with people around us. There are pride, ego and self esteem that seek protection in all of our lives, and the better we get this fact straight, the more peaceful our society becomes, and the better progress we will make. People emotion is important to them, even mine is very important to me and I won’t play with it, so I try not hurt other people’s emotion, I learn to respect whatever it is that other have value for, because that might be so important for them.
Don’t be afraid of Enemies that fight you but, be afraid of the friends who flatter you.”
Enemies are there to fight us and make us stronger, but friends are cheer us up and build us up, but when friends begins to flatter, they become more dangerous than enemies because already they know all our week points. I am actually on a watch out for one of my friends now whose life is beginning to contradict mine. Friends are the best in life if they happen to be good friends. I need friends and am trying to make myself friendly so as to be a friend of me first and then others.
“I shall pass this way but once, any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
This is true of everyone here, we are all sojourner in this earth, there was a time when we break out of eternity are born in the flesh form, we will stay here for a while and after sometimes, we will all go back to eternity, but while we are here, there are lives to be touched, hope to be raised, help to be rendered and so on. I wish God help me do all of this before I go back to eternity.
“It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring.”
I beg for deliverance from this kind of life style, and this spring in me a hunger to tell others about IIGL that the world (youths) might be filled with the knowledge of what ought to be just as water covers the sea.
“I don’t blame you one iota for feeling as you do. If I were you I would undoubtedly feel just as you do.
We all have certain percent of deficiency however it comes, but I know we are not perfect yet. And if we understand this, we can only feel sorry about people’s fault and know that when we were at their state or stage, we might just have to be doing exactly as they are doing. That we are saved today is by grace and not by effort, so St. Paul tells us, and we all have to be grateful that were are. But not to condemn those who are yet to, but the same grace is still at work and for them also.
I believe if we work this understanding and use the Quote in talking to any one he will listen to us more and make a positive change certainly.
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 lessons were found in our everyday lives and activities, as in our day to day, we live our lives in service to others either to help them earn a living or earn a living through them. And all of this involves interaction which has deserves courtesy and respect in all level.
So with the fact that the book is more of practical theory, each point was easy to understand, there is no disagreement really between me and the author.
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 useful?
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?
I am so happy that this books are coming to me at this time of my life, I seriously believe that my moment of truth is here, a time never will I forget. All that I seek and desire to achieve my goal and fulfill my destiny keeps coming to me, Just as Real says, “when the Student is ready, the Teacher will appear”. So has it happened to me, I know that gradually I keep gathering this information and knowledge, ability to apply and field of exercise will come my way. And sooner than I expect, I would have built my “PDN Foundation” especially as God is interested in its actualization. Thanks to Dale Carnegie for bringing this interpersonal relation manual. Thanks to IIGL for accepting to help me grow.
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? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Giant Steps
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Anthony Robbins in the book (Giant Steps) pointed the need for human development; man as an ever growing being needs tips on how to grow, however little it is but should be consistent. He simplified the ambiguity of knowledge by creating daily step by step growth pattern for every sincere person who desire growth.
Mr. Robbins pointed out the key factor to the development of human nature (a belief that you can/can’t) from which pops the energy to perform. Since no one can ever achieve anything to which he believes he cannot. He reveals factors that leads to believing and even stronger belief (conviction) “References or Experiences” and the perception of humans to and from what happens to them on daily basis. Every day in our lives we are faced with different events, some as we plan, some not, but Robbins pointed out that how these events affects us depends on what meaning we attach to them.
The world is to us how we see it and what metaphor we use to describe the world show how we relate to people and all that is around us.
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 following are the main ideas that got my attention during the course of reading this book.
i. “Success and failure are usually not the result of a single event.”
This idea makes me believe that failure doesn’t just happen, and the fact that I fail once doesn’t make me a failure. It gives me the nerves, the power to use another chance, this time more carefully. It lets me pay attention to all the “little little” events that happens in my life, knowing that even the smallest occurrence in my life counts a lot to the success and failure recorded in my life. Though little, but it could also lead to failure or success at the long run.
ii. “The ultimate success formula.”
For success to be accomplished in life, I see this formula to be a must followed formula, even those who have succeeded in one way or the other of their life have made use of this formula (deciding exactly what it is you want; taking action; noticing what is working and what is not; becoming flexible with the process). Of course I know what I want, and for that course am I alive, I will continue to walk towards reaching that end value.
iii. The difference between achieving to be happy and happy achieving.
This is the point which really sets me in a good mood. I am happily achieving my goals, “I am not setting a goal to be happy, I am happy” and this happiness gives all the energy I need to move forward. I am currently finding it difficult with graduating from the University and this is actually painting me like a failure in my house and with my friends. It’s actually making people around me unhappy and for sometimes now I have waiting to graduate so that I can be happy but it’s not coming forth, so what will do, go around unhappy? For how long? What if I couldn’t graduate then I go on all life as an unhappy person? I have decided to happy, not because something happens or as a result of an event but because I want to be happy.
iv. “Having a point, a direction you are headed.”
This idea is the first in the formula for success. I have also realize that when one has a point, a direction he is headed, it makes things easy in life, not being so worried about many events that happens along the way of life. Life is so complex and without having definition of points that one needs, he might go all along chasing the wind.
v. “Whatever we focus on determines how we feel.”
“Feeling” according to (the Secret) can either be bad or good, and how we feel, from this idea, comes from how we focus on the events of our lives. Things may happen but feelings that come from them are mostly from the point of view we have.
For example, when one have a hope of eternity, he sees death as a transition to another realm, with this focus, he believes that one day there will be a get together again that will last forever. And the feeling will not be to kill oneself like the unbelievers do.
vi. The belief of a problem being personal
The idea that problem are personal makes one assume things that are never real, and handle situations negatively. The scripture says no challenge that comes to any man is Unique, we are all faced with challenges, and when we realize this fact, we gain the strength to handle situations that arises with positivity of mind.
vii. Addressing problems at their cause instead of their effects.
The idea of addressing problem at their cause (from the root) helps deal with life challenges perfectly and helps invest our energies resourcefully, than always at the defending point. Detect the monster while its little and deal with then, better prevention than correction.
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?
Day by day, I keep seeing the world from a better point of view, I focus more on the things that bring me more fun and by being happy I interact with people around me in more happy way, all thanks to God.
I have believed that life has its season and though I am presently at my hard times now, I know that better times are ahead and I wait for my morning to come, for there will be joy in the morning. My vocabulary has changed and my development into positivity keeps me strong all day long. No matter what happens, I know that even this will pass, but life goes on.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
During the course of reading this book, I so much wish that these quotes will be part of my everyday language and even my life style.
“Who you become as a person is the ultimate reward.”
Not everybody sees this point, I mean I don’t often see it either, but under critical examination, I come to see that it’s true. I have spent 6 years in the University for a course that am suppose to spend 4 years and its seeming now that I might not even graduating with certificate (this is a big challenge for me), but at least I have become different person from who I was the last 6 years. I still love myself even though without certificate, and I see to it that I will still fulfill my destiny.
“What really shapes our lives is the meaning we attach to events.”
Yes, the meaning I put to events in my life now is actually turning my life around, helping to take things easy, I actually believe that everything that happens to me now is meant to teach me a lesson and to take my life to a greater height. Though some are painful and seems disgracing but I know God is able to make all things beautiful in His own time. Of course I know that nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning we give it.
“This too shall pass.”
This quote keeps my tension down even when it’s all hot around me. Even now I know that my current state of challenge will pass, it’s not going to last forever, in the morning, there will be Joy again.
“Life has its seasons, and I’m just in winter right now.” Am happy for all things that has happened to me so far in this life, the good, the bad, the pleasant, the unpleasant and in them all I have come to discover more of the love of God.
“Just because you don’t see immediate results, it doesn’t mean you are not making progress.”
So we will just have to thank God and wait for him to make all things perfect. Holding on happily on the course for which we all believe is worthy going through. This quote helps me understand the point that said, “though, we are not where we want to be yet, but at least we are not where we use to be.”
“Kill the monster while its little.”
Treat the cause of the cancer, (quit smoking); try and care of the malaria epidemic in the community, (keeping proper sanitation); and so on, I think this is what this quote is portraying. This is easy to do and yields more results than cures.
“Knowing what to do is not enough, you must do what you know.”
There was a movie I watched, “Peaceful warrior” and it pointed the difference between knowledge and wisdom, knowledge he said that it is knowing what to do and wisdom as doing it. Almost everybody knows what to do or what needs to be done but the challenges is the wisdom aspect of it, doing it. I have praying for the grace to put all I have read into practice in the development of both myself and the people around me, after reading the nine books from IIGL, I have known enough to save a life, but I wish I can put all of them into practice.
“A powerful agent is the right word.”
Knowing the right words to say at anytime, in any circumstances, guarantees winning to who so ever is involved. This because it seems that all human beings reacts to the tune of voice that speaks to them and responds to the words they hear. Saying the right words to a friend who hurts can make you the best person ever and when words are wrongly used, there is bound to be a disagreement.
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?
Action signals: I did not fully grasp the message that was conveyed in section of the book.
Warning signals: I don’t know what these signals are in a relationship.
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 several exercises in the book but not be taken at an instant. Most of them are to take several days and during the course of reading this book I couldn’t cope perfectly with the exercises. The book is actually to be an exercise that is meant to take a whole of course of one years, but I read it through to get the points that I needed for overcoming daily challenges for the submission of the assessment.
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 were major points that are in line with the demand of my life at this time, especially with the current challenges that I am facing in my life right now.
The state I am now in life journey seems to be the most challenging ever since birth. And seriously I needed some genuine words that could me going. Everything seem to be falling apart, though with the lesson from the book, I got to know that Life is like a season, I am just in one season right one. After the darkness, the dawn will definitely come.
The book have also made me understand that the end value can be reached through numerous means and even as it turns out to be that most of means value has failed but I still believe that I reach the destination, for the power working in me is definitely beyond limit of a means.
The Giant step is a book meant to make a giant by step by step approach over a period time, applying the lessons found there in. The reading of this book was somehow tough for me. I got entangled with some activities that did not allow me pay full attention to the book.
The activities made me read and reread this book so many times, but later on I discovered that wasn’t a waste of time. The knowledge stocked more and more and I was so conversant with the lessons contained in the book.
This is the last book for my level studies. I look forward to receiving my level two books.
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? 5
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Unlimited Power
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main the idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Revelation of points, rules and techniques that could set one in perfect control of his life; that will help one to know who he is and also master his mind and body; this were the ideas that I see the Author revealing in this book. The book covers an entirety of one’s life; from Emotion to Reason, then to Physiology, covering the Past, Present and Future of “my life.”
My Robbins revealed a power that God has put in man from creation, which is unlimited, able to help man in achieving his every goal in life. The book seemed to be like other books I have read about positive thinking, but as I went further into the study and exploration of this great life manual, I discovered that it was a SUM total of all others because it covers “all” areas of human existence from Belief to Knowledge, to Action with corresponding results that could follow every action.
The most important fact that Mr. Robbins revealed to me in this book is “why I behave the way I behave; what governs my actions; how I have been acting upon most basic values and being guided by them though most of the times unconsciously.”
The author also touched my view about the world in general and of the people all around me. There are facts about the past he revealed to me through the book. He then brought me to the present moment; what about the past affects the present and in what dimension, he linked the past perfectly to the present and showed me why I believed in things that I believed in and why the way I do; that my relationship with people had been governed by past experiences, both ‘success’ and ‘failures’, even though he told me that success is not a state but a process and even failures are real only when they are accepted and made real by an individual.
Mr. Robbins revealed how the present can be put to use as to leading to a perfect future, though the past might have been ugly but it can be repainted and the feeling/effect on the present changed for better (by reframing). New belief can be formed that will empower one for the future (by meta-programming).
With an understanding of my most basic values, I presently know how to invest my most valuable resources (time and effort) in the area that will congruently gear me to success.
Finally Mr. Robbins also worked on the future by providing a Joyful Syntax and modalities for goal setting and achievement of such goals. He said, “Judge yourself by the goal you set for yourself and this is all about success and accomplishment.”
Mr. Robbins has just designed a program (life manual) that when installed in human bio-computer (the brain) and if run perfectly, will provides the best that life can offer, a good life to enjoy, a destiny fulfilled for one and for all mankind.
Thanks to Mr. Robbins.
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 following are the ideas that affected my life during and after the course of reading this book.
i. The commodities of the kings (what make the difference between success and failures).
From the book, I got more light on the word ‘power’ being the ability to take action. Most of the times I had let some ideas die within me, though there are perfect ideas that if put to use might change my generation, but procrastination kills such ideas, putting them off for the tomorrow and when tomorrow reaches, the zeal to act, sometimes are gone. Mr. Robbins said in his book, The Giant Steps that the Secret of getting things done is doing it now, that is, taking immediate action. The idea of having the ability to take action now is most important for me to imbibe into my everyday life.
During the course of reading this book, there were several exercises that was prescribed and recommended that they be carried out at the moment. To some that I was able to carry out, I received immediate reward and was happy I did, but there was some I pushed out for further time, and I tell you I latter didn’t carry that out. I know if I should put to work all that I have learnt so far, it’s enough to carry me through life.
ii. The seven lies of success
The seven lies of success are really not lies for me; I see enough fundamental truth in each of the lies. Going through each of the lies from the first to the seventh, I see most of them as affecting my present situation.
This phase of my life seems to be the most interesting one so far. I commented about my present challenge in my last assessment, concerning my school and my graduation, which as of then I was not certain of what was about happening but now it’s all over. School over, no degree certificate, and reading the first lie, it said, everything happens for a reason and a purpose and it serves us. From this lie, I refocus my attention to trying to find reason and purpose for which it will serve me.
Lie # 2 said there is no such a thing as a failure. This point helped see the other side of the situation with a more positive perspective. Reading through Abraham Lincoln story, I know that if I can start again, maybe this time I might make it.
Lie # 3 said, whatever happens, take responsibility. You know, I somehow was thinking of external factors as being responsible for what happened to me, but after considering the third lies, I see that winners take responsibility of happenings in their life. And considering the fact that I want to be a winner, or already a winner, I take full responsibility of what happened. And after that I really gained courage to face my challenge, though not so pleasant but I know God will see me through; as I put my all in Him.
Lie # 4 told me it’s not necessary to understand everything to be able to use everything. Actually I didn’t seem to understand many things about those happenings and even now I still don’t understand some but I just have to keep going. May when I get to top of the hill, I will see how low it is under my foot.
iii. The syntax of success
This implies the way we order our actions to achieve a desired result. The syntax of success reminds me of the book I read “the science of getting rich” which stated that everybody has the potential of becoming rich if only he can do certain things in a certain way. The idea Robbins refers to as Running the brain in a specified manner. This idea helped me to enhance my internal representation of external happenings; the way to rephrase event to empower me to success not to limitation or failure.
iv. The physiology of success (act as if principle; being by doing; fake it until you make it).
Here come the idea that get me back my health and happiness instantly as well used. Acting as if, to me I understood as faith in action, and according to Brian Tracy, who said, “act like what you want to be.” I was sick this certain day and really felt like lying down and having self pity on myself, but it was just a day after finishing this topic, then I decided to act if I was ok. I got up and moved around, answering a very healthy ‘am very ok’ when asked; how you are feeling? To my great surprise I didn’t even know when my body came back to normal.
Robert Kiyosaki said about his Rich Dad, who normally says, I am rich and rich people do things this. Even when he is broke, he encourage himself by behaving like the rich people, knowing that being broke is temporal but poverty is eternal. So now I have to live the life that I want to be like, even though for now, it might not be as I wish that it should be, but I will keep faking it until I make it.
v. Meta-programming
The idea of meta-programs really helped me to discover why I do the things I do, the way I do them; the reason behind every of my action. Once I was bent on finding out who I am and what I am made up of, it was easy to study others and asked them many questions that led me to discover what governed people’s life. This really enhanced and guide my communication and relationship with the people around me; knowing why they do the things they do, helped me to move about with them knowing that if I be in the same state, I will do exactly the same thing. Meta-programs helped me to discover that everyone is right in his idea of event, depending from where he is looking from.
When I was trying to discover the program that runs in me that brings the results of the my actions, I discovered that I moved toward, internally framed, sorting by others, I am also a matcher, it really doesn’t take me many attempt for me to believe, I easily believe people. I know that not all of these will give me the desired results all the time in all cases, and I also know that flexibility is the key because extremes are dangerous, there are cases I needed to move away from, to respect others with opposite view of point.
vi. Handling resistances and solving problems.
This idea tells me to build from agreement, not from conflict; learn to align and lead rather than to try and overcome resistance. Most of the things I learnt here was how to communicate with people and gain their point of view. Before now, I used be bent on winning any conversation “on proving my point,” but Robbins simply said, arguments like this can be the most destructive thing in a relationship. I started learning to use the three phrases stated in the book, “I appreciate and.” “I respect and.” “I agree and.”
When I appreciate, respect and agree with others, it makes me feel that them too might be right in their view of the situation, so first I have to agree with them and respect their view, then I can now show or say what I feel about the situation.
Fortunately I was reading this topic; my elder brother needed to send a text message and cancel an appointment with a prayer colleague but didn’t know how to compose the text message so as not to provoke the man to anger. He gave me the task, and after doing the job, he told me; ‘perfect, send it’. I was happy I learnt the context and that I was able to use it when it was needed. Day by day, I am getting better and better by God’s grace.
vii. Reframing: the power of perspective One of the keys to success is finding the most useful frame for any experience so you can turn it into something that works for you rather than against you. The truth is that things happened to me and will continue happen. The idea of reframing laid a helping hand to handling any of happenings whenever there happens. Like Robbins puts it, “there are multiple meanings to any experience.”
Most especially the state I am now, not knowing which way to follow to achieve my life goal, but I will say with faith, “even if I have to stay here longer, I will, but while I am here, it is to do the best I can with the most of what I have, life does not end here”. I know there are two side of every story and I am patiently waiting for the other phase of this situation to unfold, of course with time it will.
vii. Value hierarchies
What my most basic value has been and is still is; is to please God. This reason has always made me have a mixed feelings when I pursue a thing and after getting it, discover that in one way or the other, I have wronged God.
Presently I am into a relationship and sometimes with I am with my girl friend, there is this lustful play that we had, after then, my temperature rose, my heart beat increased rapidly and most of the times I feel terrible afterwards, though I didn’t know why that happened, but after reading this chapter I come to discover that it is because of what is at the top of my value hierarchy which I have violated.
I began to watch people and to study what usually formed their serious speeches, one will tell me, “I don’t like someone ridding of over my right.” I went on to watch his language style and see much authoritative commands in them. Though at this time I was consciously dealing with him to discover why he behaves the way he does. My feeling about his behavior changed when I now know that its because of what is at the top of his value hierarchy that motivate his behaviors.
I now take people for who they are; knowing that if I am who they are, I will do exactly what they are doing, but still I evaluate the origin of their actions and knowing what the consequences of such actions, I tend to proffer a shift of ground for better living and understanding of themselves.
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?
There is great joy in knowing that day by day there is growth in my life. I am glad that my dreams will come true one day, because for now I am so sure of what I want, why I want the things that I want, I have also come to the knowledge of the price I needed to pay to get what I want. The belief that all things are possible has saved me a great deal of trouble and stress in my day to day life.
My relationship with has been greatly improved as I see myself as master of my situation and my life. I have responsibility (response ability) to all that come my way. I know that people like being respected and feeling like masters, though most are not, even then you don’t have to deflect their ego, I follow people now with a master mind, (of my own) though I am not right all the time, but at least I am the master of my fate.
Growth is essential for accomplishment of goals, and from this book, I have grown more in conscious knowledge of why I do the things I do, my basic values, and also how to work in congruity along the way to my destiny, till I see my Lord face to face.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
The following quotes got my attention and so far, I have been trying to keep them in mind on a daily basis for to make my life better.
“How you feel is not the result of what is happening in your life, it is your interpretation of what is happening.”
This is close to saying that, “Nothing has meaning except the meaning we give it.” Also, it is not what happens to us that separate failures from success, it is how we perceive it and what we do with what happens that makes the difference. Actually I have read this quote from many of my level one books, but when I saw it here, it was like the first time am seeing it, even the meaning it gave me, was very obvious based on my current challenge. I have chosen to see my present situation as a training moment for a greater future, knowing that failure is an opportunity to start over, this time in a better way.
“For every disciplined effort, there is a multiple reward.”
The bible said whatever your hand findeth to do, do it with all your heart. Taking appropriate action concerning anything, I noticed pays a lot of benefit. A scholar said, its not the things do that weighs us down but the things we fail to do. Disciplined effort I believe is doing the right thing at the right time. And this though hard to carry out but whenever I accomplished disciplined effort, I feel great.
“Building from success of others is one of the fundamental aspects of learning.”
This is really true. Brian Tracy said life is too short for one to start afresh and develop his own principle when he can learn from the principle laid down by others. The events recorded in the Holy book (the Bible) are for us to learn from, and what will it really pay if we should go on rebel against God, and feel his wrath. If I can read, I can discover the principles that I have to obey for me to gain life (even eternal), then all I should do is to use what I have discovered, for that is why it is meant to be there.
“I can produce the same results if I’m willing pay the price of time and effort.”
There are great achievements that have been made by people, for which I wish I make mine but there is a price to be paid. When I was going through the names of people that have graduated from IIGL, I wish I am one of them but the price of time and effort I have not paid. I just have to be dedicated to my goal and also be patient with myself and with God who said, “at the appointed time, I will make all things beautiful.”
“What a person believes, what he thinks is possible or impossible; to a great extent determines what he can or cannot do.”
To some extent, I have read much about believe and day by day, my belief about God and myself grows stronger. I believe that God loves me and that with time, if I do not give up, I will certainly win a crown that last forever.
“Good timbers does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.”
This is really an encouraging truth for me. It tells me all that is happening to me now are actually meant to build me stronger. I have to come to learn the lessons of my life during this period more than all I have learnt in my entire life. Real life lesson, about how to be patient, humble, trust others, trust in myself, and much more. I know if I overcome this time, I will make an impact in my generation.
“The road to success is always under construction.”
This is to say that for now, no one can say that he is successful until he has gone to the great beyond, then it can be certify that he was successful depending on how and what he left behind. Some people go and leave things, others go and leave behind histories and stories, while still others go and leave behind lives touch and changed; these are the successful people I can boast of. I know that any road under construction is never smooth, and so with how rough my days are now I am confident that He that holds my life is able to keep it safe until the day of His return, when all works will be rewarded, and to give a crown of life to them that overcome.
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?
Yes, there were two topics that really gave me tough time putting them into practice; Mastering Your Mind; How to Run Your Brain and How to Elicit Someone’s Strategy.
Going back to yesterday and changing the colors of events, altering the tonality of the sounds, the intensity and all that, so that its effect on us today can be made better; the process was really stressful for, course I didn’t know if I was doing it right.
Even anchoring my way to success was somehow hard to put to work, especially trying to anchor someone else. I still need help in these areas.
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?
The nature of the exercises in the book is this kind of ‘Close your eyes now and go back to yesterday and try to change the effect of the events there in your life today’. I tried to do some but that challenging. Other exercises are found in the value hierarchies, where I needed to discover and outline my most basic values and put them in top hierarchies to see which one is on top, I did this. And also on Limitation Disengage (knowing what you want), it is like goal setting, where I was asked to make a list of what I want in life and making plans on how to get them. Though before now I already had a written down goals for which I work and walk toward daily by God’s grace.
7. Was there anything in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
Yes, on Energy; the Fuel of the Excellence. I tried to work the food combination for effective and proper digestion chart, and some were not flowing smoothing with me. Like this part of the country where I live, (Benue state, Nigeria) common breakfast is usually ‘Rice and beans’ combined, Akamu (pap) and beans; and all these are carbohydrate and protein. Actually I like doing just as recommended by my Mentor (Tony) but this was off course. Well, I will keep trying. Also trying to get mentors, I was searching for people to model and I discover that if I can live like the following people: Jesus Christ: (The bible said, I need to conformed to the image of God’s dear son to be able to see God. Anthony Robbins: (My mentor); Bob Proctor: (I got to know about him from the Secret) Nelson Mandela: (My favorite African Leader) Bill Clinton Am still studying to know more about these people, with time I hope I will get all that I need about how they handled their challenges.
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? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Unlimited Power
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main the idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Revelation of points, rules and techniques that could set one in perfect control of his life; that will help one to know who he is and also master his mind and body; this were the ideas that I see the Author revealing in this book. The book covers an entirety of one’s life; from Emotion to Reason, then to Physiology, covering the Past, Present and Future of “my life.”
My Robbins revealed a power that God has put in man from creation, which is unlimited, able to help man in achieving his every goal in life. The book seemed to be like other books I have read about positive thinking, but as I went further into the study and exploration of this great life manual, I discovered that it was a SUM total of all others because it covers “all” areas of human existence from Belief to Knowledge, to Action with corresponding results that could follow every action.
The most important fact that Mr. Robbins revealed to me in this book is “why I behave the way I behave; what governs my actions; how I have been acting upon most basic values and being guided by them though most of the times unconsciously.”
The author also touched my view about the world in general and of the people all around me. There are facts about the past he revealed to me through the book. He then brought me to the present moment; what about the past affects the present and in what dimension, he linked the past perfectly to the present and showed me why I believed in things that I believed in and why the way I do; that my relationship with people had been governed by past experiences, both ‘success’ and ‘failures’, even though he told me that success is not a state but a process and even failures are real only when they are accepted and made real by an individual.
Mr. Robbins revealed how the present can be put to use as to leading to a perfect future, though the past might have been ugly but it can be repainted and the feeling/effect on the present changed for better (by reframing). New belief can be formed that will empower one for the future (by meta-programming).
With an understanding of my most basic values, I presently know how to invest my most valuable resources (time and effort) in the area that will congruently gear me to success.
Finally Mr. Robbins also worked on the future by providing a Joyful Syntax and modalities for goal setting and achievement of such goals. He said, “Judge yourself by the goal you set for yourself and this is all about success and accomplishment.”
Mr. Robbins has just designed a program (life manual) that when installed in human bio-computer (the brain) and if run perfectly, will provides the best that life can offer, a good life to enjoy, a destiny fulfilled for one and for all mankind.
Thanks to Mr. Robbins.
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 following are the ideas that affected my life during and after the course of reading this book.
i. The commodities of the kings (what make the difference between success and failures).
From the book, I got more light on the word ‘power’ being the ability to take action. Most of the times I had let some ideas die within me, though there are perfect ideas that if put to use might change my generation, but procrastination kills such ideas, putting them off for the tomorrow and when tomorrow reaches, the zeal to act, sometimes are gone. Mr. Robbins said in his book, The Giant Steps that the Secret of getting things done is doing it now, that is, taking immediate action. The idea of having the ability to take action now is most important for me to imbibe into my everyday life.
During the course of reading this book, there were several exercises that was prescribed and recommended that they be carried out at the moment. To some that I was able to carry out, I received immediate reward and was happy I did, but there was some I pushed out for further time, and I tell you I latter didn’t carry that out. I know if I should put to work all that I have learnt so far, it’s enough to carry me through life.
ii. The seven lies of success
The seven lies of success are really not lies for me; I see enough fundamental truth in each of the lies. Going through each of the lies from the first to the seventh, I see most of them as affecting my present situation.
This phase of my life seems to be the most interesting one so far. I commented about my present challenge in my last assessment, concerning my school and my graduation, which as of then I was not certain of what was about happening but now it’s all over. School over, no degree certificate, and reading the first lie, it said, everything happens for a reason and a purpose and it serves us. From this lie, I refocus my attention to trying to find reason and purpose for which it will serve me.
Lie # 2 said there is no such a thing as a failure. This point helped see the other side of the situation with a more positive perspective. Reading through Abraham Lincoln story, I know that if I can start again, maybe this time I might make it.
Lie # 3 said, whatever happens, take responsibility. You know, I somehow was thinking of external factors as being responsible for what happened to me, but after considering the third lies, I see that winners take responsibility of happenings in their life. And considering the fact that I want to be a winner, or already a winner, I take full responsibility of what happened. And after that I really gained courage to face my challenge, though not so pleasant but I know God will see me through; as I put my all in Him.
Lie # 4 told me it’s not necessary to understand everything to be able to use everything. Actually I didn’t seem to understand many things about those happenings and even now I still don’t understand some but I just have to keep going. May when I get to top of the hill, I will see how low it is under my foot.
iii. The syntax of success
This implies the way we order our actions to achieve a desired result. The syntax of success reminds me of the book I read “the science of getting rich” which stated that everybody has the potential of becoming rich if only he can do certain things in a certain way. The idea Robbins refers to as Running the brain in a specified manner. This idea helped me to enhance my internal representation of external happenings; the way to rephrase event to empower me to success not to limitation or failure.
iv. The physiology of success (act as if principle; being by doing; fake it until you make it).
Here come the idea that get me back my health and happiness instantly as well used. Acting as if, to me I understood as faith in action, and according to Brian Tracy, who said, “act like what you want to be.” I was sick this certain day and really felt like lying down and having self pity on myself, but it was just a day after finishing this topic, then I decided to act if I was ok. I got up and moved around, answering a very healthy ‘am very ok’ when asked; how you are feeling? To my great surprise I didn’t even know when my body came back to normal.
Robert Kiyosaki said about his Rich Dad, who normally says, I am rich and rich people do things this. Even when he is broke, he encourage himself by behaving like the rich people, knowing that being broke is temporal but poverty is eternal. So now I have to live the life that I want to be like, even though for now, it might not be as I wish that it should be, but I will keep faking it until I make it.
v. Meta-programming
The idea of meta-programs really helped me to discover why I do the things I do, the way I do them; the reason behind every of my action. Once I was bent on finding out who I am and what I am made up of, it was easy to study others and asked them many questions that led me to discover what governed people’s life. This really enhanced and guide my communication and relationship with the people around me; knowing why they do the things they do, helped me to move about with them knowing that if I be in the same state, I will do exactly the same thing. Meta-programs helped me to discover that everyone is right in his idea of event, depending from where he is looking from.
When I was trying to discover the program that runs in me that brings the results of the my actions, I discovered that I moved toward, internally framed, sorting by others, I am also a matcher, it really doesn’t take me many attempt for me to believe, I easily believe people. I know that not all of these will give me the desired results all the time in all cases, and I also know that flexibility is the key because extremes are dangerous, there are cases I needed to move away from, to respect others with opposite view of point.
vi. Handling resistances and solving problems.
This idea tells me to build from agreement, not from conflict; learn to align and lead rather than to try and overcome resistance. Most of the things I learnt here was how to communicate with people and gain their point of view. Before now, I used be bent on winning any conversation “on proving my point,” but Robbins simply said, arguments like this can be the most destructive thing in a relationship. I started learning to use the three phrases stated in the book, “I appreciate and.” “I respect and.” “I agree and.”
When I appreciate, respect and agree with others, it makes me feel that them too might be right in their view of the situation, so first I have to agree with them and respect their view, then I can now show or say what I feel about the situation.
Fortunately I was reading this topic; my elder brother needed to send a text message and cancel an appointment with a prayer colleague but didn’t know how to compose the text message so as not to provoke the man to anger. He gave me the task, and after doing the job, he told me; ‘perfect, send it’. I was happy I learnt the context and that I was able to use it when it was needed. Day by day, I am getting better and better by God’s grace.
vii. Reframing: the power of perspective One of the keys to success is finding the most useful frame for any experience so you can turn it into something that works for you rather than against you. The truth is that things happened to me and will continue happen. The idea of reframing laid a helping hand to handling any of happenings whenever there happens. Like Robbins puts it, “there are multiple meanings to any experience.”
Most especially the state I am now, not knowing which way to follow to achieve my life goal, but I will say with faith, “even if I have to stay here longer, I will, but while I am here, it is to do the best I can with the most of what I have, life does not end here”. I know there are two side of every story and I am patiently waiting for the other phase of this situation to unfold, of course with time it will.
vii. Value hierarchies
What my most basic value has been and is still is; is to please God. This reason has always made me have a mixed feelings when I pursue a thing and after getting it, discover that in one way or the other, I have wronged God.
Presently I am into a relationship and sometimes with I am with my girl friend, there is this lustful play that we had, after then, my temperature rose, my heart beat increased rapidly and most of the times I feel terrible afterwards, though I didn’t know why that happened, but after reading this chapter I come to discover that it is because of what is at the top of my value hierarchy which I have violated.
I began to watch people and to study what usually formed their serious speeches, one will tell me, “I don’t like someone ridding of over my right.” I went on to watch his language style and see much authoritative commands in them. Though at this time I was consciously dealing with him to discover why he behaves the way he does. My feeling about his behavior changed when I now know that its because of what is at the top of his value hierarchy that motivate his behaviors.
I now take people for who they are; knowing that if I am who they are, I will do exactly what they are doing, but still I evaluate the origin of their actions and knowing what the consequences of such actions, I tend to proffer a shift of ground for better living and understanding of themselves.
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?
There is great joy in knowing that day by day there is growth in my life. I am glad that my dreams will come true one day, because for now I am so sure of what I want, why I want the things that I want, I have also come to the knowledge of the price I needed to pay to get what I want. The belief that all things are possible has saved me a great deal of trouble and stress in my day to day life.
My relationship with has been greatly improved as I see myself as master of my situation and my life. I have responsibility (response ability) to all that come my way. I know that people like being respected and feeling like masters, though most are not, even then you don’t have to deflect their ego, I follow people now with a master mind, (of my own) though I am not right all the time, but at least I am the master of my fate.
Growth is essential for accomplishment of goals, and from this book, I have grown more in conscious knowledge of why I do the things I do, my basic values, and also how to work in congruity along the way to my destiny, till I see my Lord face to face.
4. Quotes: Are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please list and comment on them.
The following quotes got my attention and so far, I have been trying to keep them in mind on a daily basis for to make my life better.
“How you feel is not the result of what is happening in your life, it is your interpretation of what is happening.”
This is close to saying that, “Nothing has meaning except the meaning we give it.” Also, it is not what happens to us that separate failures from success, it is how we perceive it and what we do with what happens that makes the difference. Actually I have read this quote from many of my level one books, but when I saw it here, it was like the first time am seeing it, even the meaning it gave me, was very obvious based on my current challenge. I have chosen to see my present situation as a training moment for a greater future, knowing that failure is an opportunity to start over, this time in a better way.
“For every disciplined effort, there is a multiple reward.”
The bible said whatever your hand findeth to do, do it with all your heart. Taking appropriate action concerning anything, I noticed pays a lot of benefit. A scholar said, its not the things do that weighs us down but the things we fail to do. Disciplined effort I believe is doing the right thing at the right time. And this though hard to carry out but whenever I accomplished disciplined effort, I feel great.
“Building from success of others is one of the fundamental aspects of learning.”
This is really true. Brian Tracy said life is too short for one to start afresh and develop his own principle when he can learn from the principle laid down by others. The events recorded in the Holy book (the Bible) are for us to learn from, and what will it really pay if we should go on rebel against God, and feel his wrath. If I can read, I can discover the principles that I have to obey for me to gain life (even eternal), then all I should do is to use what I have discovered, for that is why it is meant to be there.
“I can produce the same results if I’m willing pay the price of time and effort.”
There are great achievements that have been made by people, for which I wish I make mine but there is a price to be paid. When I was going through the names of people that have graduated from IIGL, I wish I am one of them but the price of time and effort I have not paid. I just have to be dedicated to my goal and also be patient with myself and with God who said, “at the appointed time, I will make all things beautiful.”
“What a person believes, what he thinks is possible or impossible; to a great extent determines what he can or cannot do.”
To some extent, I have read much about believe and day by day, my belief about God and myself grows stronger. I believe that God loves me and that with time, if I do not give up, I will certainly win a crown that last forever.
“Good timbers does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.”
This is really an encouraging truth for me. It tells me all that is happening to me now are actually meant to build me stronger. I have to come to learn the lessons of my life during this period more than all I have learnt in my entire life. Real life lesson, about how to be patient, humble, trust others, trust in myself, and much more. I know if I overcome this time, I will make an impact in my generation.
“The road to success is always under construction.”
This is to say that for now, no one can say that he is successful until he has gone to the great beyond, then it can be certify that he was successful depending on how and what he left behind. Some people go and leave things, others go and leave behind histories and stories, while still others go and leave behind lives touch and changed; these are the successful people I can boast of. I know that any road under construction is never smooth, and so with how rough my days are now I am confident that He that holds my life is able to keep it safe until the day of His return, when all works will be rewarded, and to give a crown of life to them that overcome.
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?
Yes, there were two topics that really gave me tough time putting them into practice; Mastering Your Mind; How to Run Your Brain and How to Elicit Someone’s Strategy.
Going back to yesterday and changing the colors of events, altering the tonality of the sounds, the intensity and all that, so that its effect on us today can be made better; the process was really stressful for, course I didn’t know if I was doing it right.
Even anchoring my way to success was somehow hard to put to work, especially trying to anchor someone else. I still need help in these areas.
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?
The nature of the exercises in the book is this kind of ‘Close your eyes now and go back to yesterday and try to change the effect of the events there in your life today’. I tried to do some but that challenging. Other exercises are found in the value hierarchies, where I needed to discover and outline my most basic values and put them in top hierarchies to see which one is on top, I did this. And also on Limitation Disengage (knowing what you want), it is like goal setting, where I was asked to make a list of what I want in life and making plans on how to get them. Though before now I already had a written down goals for which I work and walk toward daily by God’s grace.
7. Was there anything in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
Yes, on Energy; the Fuel of the Excellence. I tried to work the food combination for effective and proper digestion chart, and some were not flowing smoothing with me. Like this part of the country where I live, (Benue state, Nigeria) common breakfast is usually ‘Rice and beans’ combined, Akamu (pap) and beans; and all these are carbohydrate and protein. Actually I like doing just as recommended by my Mentor (Tony) but this was off course. Well, I will keep trying. Also trying to get mentors, I was searching for people to model and I discover that if I can live like the following people: Jesus Christ: (The bible said, I need to conformed to the image of God’s dear son to be able to see God. Anthony Robbins: (My mentor); Bob Proctor: (I got to know about him from the Secret) Nelson Mandela: (My favorite African Leader) Bill Clinton Am still studying to know more about these people, with time I hope I will get all that I need about how they handled their challenges.
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? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Goal Setting 101
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
The life of a man is full of stages of growth and the growth from one stage to another is full of accomplishment of all sort; these accomplishments cannot come real without first having a choice made, decisions made and steps taken toward the goal of accomplishing such achievement. The author’s main idea was just a laid down guidelines in accordance with correct principles life.
The author said his goal is to help me achieve mine. This he tried his best doing, just that I wonder how he will know when he reaches that goal except by “faith;” by knowing that the book would fall into right hand of people who would use the content to make meaning out of life.
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. Respect Reality; Face the Facts
This idea of having respect for reality really helped me out especially as it met me as am facing another phase of my life experience (the death of my Mum). The reality there is that she is gone and won’t come back again. No matter what I do, I have to face the fact that she is gone. I now have to do my things like I would if she never has been there.
I was so lucky to go through a book I download online (the natural law) and it was confirmation to this point. It state that the Natural law implies that everything has an overall Rational purpose within the Universe and the recognition of that purpose is a basis of moral action. To do what is right is to align oneself with the fundamental reason that guide the whole Universe, excluding any thought of personal gains, or the prompting of emotions.
I come to understand that the aim of life is fulfill your essence and to do this means just understanding what I am and knowing what my life is for thereby relating to the rest of the world pattern just as it is, instead of trying to change things.
There are more realities which I have to accept in good fate and face the facts in them, instead of trying to change the realities about what has happened. This takes me to next idea.
Fit plans to circumstances.
With the respect I ought to have for reality, I can now consider circumstances as they are and try making my plans align to the course of nature. Working more on this idea, I browsed out the 7 Natural Law of the Universe, actually it was interesting reading through it and if only I could on a day to day basis; live by these laws, make my plans with them in mind, I know that my life would certainly be better off.
ake everything count
This idea draws me to proper cautiousness about my every action, knowing that every one of them has the potential of drawing me closer or further away from my goal. This is to say that in the journey of life, every step is as important as the whole; and nothing should be taking for granted. I learnt to put myself to check in other to read my daily actions and interactions, knowing which one is taking me closer and which one further away from my goal. By God’s special grace I know that if things continue how it’s going now, some day, soon, I will get to “there.”
iv. Creation of a Mission Statement
The 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey talked about Creating Mission Statement, knowing what really I am here for and for what purpose am I living. I took out my time to write my mission statement and have it in my mobile phone, so I could easily have access to it whenever I need to read it. Let me just share it with you (My mission is to live with integrity and to make a difference in the life of other people). If am able to live this out, I know and am sure I will see God’s face.
Contingency plans
Making contingency plans is a very good precautionary measure against heart ache and disappointment. In case things don’t work out as planned, life goes on with contingency plans. It took me back to one of my favorite quotes, (always Plan for the Best, Prepare for the Worst and always be Ready for Surprises).
vi. Murphy’s law
Sometimes and far more often than any of us wish things will go wrong! This is a strong law and seems true especially in this my environment, but an understanding of this law could necessitate contingency plans and will save a whole lot of heart ache too. This understanding will also help me to plan well, invest more of my time in planning to avoid many failures on the execution plane, and even when I encountered failure, I will have an understanding that sometimes things would go wrong, so have energy to carry on.
vii. Work economically
This is another important idea I wished I would have learnt earlier on when I was in school. By then I worked so hard but not economically, I worked almost 18 hours a day but nothing much really came out of it. Then I was introduced to working smarter instead of working harder, I didn’t actually understand it then, but now I know if given another chance, I will make things right. I know when to rest; so I can move on another to accomplishment more result. I also talked to my girl friend about this idea and just to share with you, to I told asked her what she was doing, she told me she was resting (am working economically as you told 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?
These ideas made me sat down in quest for self checking and a knowledge of who I am. The SWOT Analysis helped me to discover the area where I am Strong, Weak, what Opportunity do I have and what is it that threatens my success. I met a friend (Awashima) and she told me it’s somehow hard but it can still be done if I want to know all about myself, as in using those SWOT pattern.
The ideas also made me know the difference between goals and wishes. I come to understand that most of the things I have been having as goals are mere wishes and a little wonder why I have not seen any of them come true.
“The person who cannot face a fear will always be running from it. Better to run toward a goal that away from a fear.”
The joy of winning is always better than the fear of losing. This quote brings to mind again the lesson I learnt from Anthony Robbins’ book (unlimited power) about moving toward and moving away from events, which is a trait of human beings. Some of us moves toward goals, some move away from the consequences of ignoring such task, but all of us still do the same thing, just that it’s with a different motivation. And the first do their work with joy while others do same work with fear and absolute carefulness. This fear makes our days look scary instead of enjoyable.
“Every choice counts. There is no insignificant choices, no neutral action; even the smallest gesture has consequences, leading you toward or away from your goals.”
After reading and memorizing this quote, I had mixed feelings. I was scared of the accumulative consequences of all my actions so far, and was also joyful seeing, though small, the activities in my life recently, in times to come either move me toward or away from my goal. I also began to take caution concerning my activities, discussion and also my thoughts, knowing that every choice counts.
“It is essential to understand that reality isn’t necessarily going to be the way you wish things to be or the way they seems to be; reality is the way things actually are.”
Knowing that reality is just how things actually are, saved me some stressful moment and heart ache. Just like the idea from Murphy’s Law, the understanding that Nature has a Law upon which it operates and carries out its function and applying ours to that law, like building upon the foundation which nature has laid, saves a man from unnecessary failure and heart ache.
“Temporary discomfort is better than temporary relief – if it averts permanent catastrophe.”
The idea of delayed gratification, working today for tomorrow benefit is an idea reserved for the wise. There are situations where a little lie seems to save issues than telling truth. And most of the times I have preferred temporary relief to temporary discomfort, not being aware of the fact that this temporary relief mostly (and always) leads to more and more catastrophic situations than what am actually dodging.
“Opportunities are easily lost while waiting for perfect conditions.”
The Bible said in the book of Ecclesiastics, of One waiting for perfect condition as he will never sow anything. Everything at every time can never be perfect. And that is why sometimes you have to play with the cards you have. Just try something, conditions doesn’t have to be perfect. This is a strengthening quote to me. I have started preparing for the establishment of my ICT Centre; I just bought a Laptop from a friend and am also reserving other equipments I have already for this purpose. I seriously believe that things will work out soon, though if I want to consider how things are now, there might be some cause to worry but I also know when the time comes, God will make all things Beautiful.
“When you have gone just as far as you can, still go a little bit further.”
This is what makes difference in the life of people, ordinary people would plan and work just with what they have, but we are suppose to know that there are More than what we see from here. The Bible said that we live not by sight but by faith. And faith always operates from an unseen situation. The real joy and success of life comes after doing a little bit than what we think we can do. I sometimes have reaped the success and felt the joy of this principle.
“The road to success is often bumpy and constantly under construction, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride.”
This quote reminds me of a reason to be happy, working and walking toward my goal. Things might be rough just as it is now, but I still have to keep learning how to be patient and persistent until things unfolds, but it’s really not funny, because having patient is always not in a very pleasant situation, but the joy of the journey keeps me going to the destination.
Waiting to reach the destination before I can have fun will warrant me being sad for at 97% of my life on earth, because life is actually a process and not a destination, unless when one dies. Determination to succeed in life keeps us going and help us to overcome all the huddles we face no matter how much there may be, this brings us Joy and cheerfulness until we realize what we really need to achieve.
The book was actually small in content and so explicit that by God’s grace I was able to grab what it meaning it contains.
Yes, the book contained 4 exercises and I attempted doing them. The first 3 was easy to carry out, but the last give me a bit of tough time.
The 1st exercise helped me know the difference between wishes and goals. I discovered that most of the things I was thinking of are wishes and no wonder I have not seen them come true. I also learnt how I can make those wishes goals and thereby achieve them.
The 2nd and 3rd exercise helped me discover more who I am and what (inbuilt abilities) I have to work with in other to achieve my goals. It gave me time to think and discover my strengths, in other to build on them; my weakness and be aware of them; the opportunities and the threat surrounding me. I know now that I have to put all things together to work for my good not against me.
The 4th and last is on setting the goals. He said to set 10 goals, and based on what I see goals to be, I only succeeded to find out 7 goals for which I can pursue and achieve, within a given period of time.
I have always wished that I can put into practice All that I have been reading from this books. There are actually great books and as always am happy to God for making me a student of IIGL.
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? 9.5
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main the idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
I see the author bringing us back to the origin; to the base from which we draw out abilities to live the life we are created to live. Man is created to live not to survive. And many of us struggle in life surviving and mostly not fulfilling their ultimate assignment.
The author pointed to a centre of everything, to the base and source from which all things came. In the words of the authors he wrote: “As I conclude this book, I would like to share my own personal conviction concerning what I believe to be the source of correct principles. I believe that correct principles are natural laws, and that God, the Creator and Father of us all, is the source of them, and also the source of our conscience. I believe that to the degree people live by this inspired conscience, they will grow to fulfill their natures; to the degree that they do not, they will not rise above the animal plane. I believe that there are parts to human nature that cannot be reached by either legislation or education, but require the power of God to deal with. I believe that as human beings, we cannot perfect ourselves. To the degree to which we align ourselves with correct principles, divine endowments will be released within our nature in enabling us to fulfill the measure of our creation.”
The author dealt with my heart; pointed out to me who ought to be in charge; who should be the master and Lord; from where all strength flows out to do all things. It was actually a hard pill to swallow especially as some aspect of my life was not principle based.
But I thank God the father of us all, who out of love brought me the book and revealed to me that private victory comes first; starting with myself first by being (having a change of character), then to doing (the contributions I have to do to the world). He made me understand that when you start doing first, before being, most of what is done are unrewarded, because it’s mostly like “struggling for mat, when you don’t have a space to put it”; (our native proverb).
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.
As usual there are normally more than just seven points that dealt with me during the course of reading the book. But let me just point out some here.
i. The principles of balancing the need to meet today’s demands with the need to invest in the capabilities that will produce tomorrow’s success.
Every day we are faced with the challenge to choose between eating all our fruit today to get satisfied and planting it so it can become a tree from which we can obtain more fruits tomorrow. I came to realize from deep thought that real preparation for tomorrow journey come from a heart that is disciplined and which is ready to pay the price of enduring today’s pain just to be free tomorrow.
From this point, I learnt that if one must make heaven, he has to learn from the principle of balancing the need to meet today’s demands with the need to invest in the capabilities that will produce tomorrow’s success. This involves sacrifices, not really as in giving away things but delaying gratification. I hereby come to understand that the best investment I can ever make is to invest in myself, anything that can make me a better person definitely will pay more in the long run than all I eat today.
ii. Principle based life/paradigm
The paradigm of a man determines how well he will be able to handle events that happen in his life. And it’s very important that in life, we make effort to base our paradigm on the correct principles since the way we see things mostly determines the way we are affected by them. A paradigm based on wrong assumptions of life; selfish interest and competitive life style will ultimately pay wrongly in life and keep a man in continual struggle with one’s self, making him live life without happiness and joy.
Even with much achievements, a life based on wrong principles brings much trouble, because there will never be satisfaction to a man whose paradigm is set on competitive living.
It also works same in Principle based mission statements. Just like having a paradigm based on correct principle, when someone writes his mission statement; things that he wants to be and do in this world, he will be happy being and doing this, if it is based on correct principle. From this point, after going through the executive mission statement I found in it TRUE and as a principle that could last over time. I decided to make mine in the same vein.
iii. Quick fixed solution
I like the idea of taking time to find the cause of a problem and deal with it right from the root than treating the symptoms and leaving the real cause to lie where it is. It most of the times difficult to trace a problem down to the root than to just find a way out on the top; Most of us take short cut in life and even here in my area, it’s becoming normal for young boys to avoid the pain of reading to know than just pay malpractice fees in order to pass exams. But I see that it does not solve any of life’s problem rather, it compounds it and when it boost out this time, it mostly incurable.
My elder brother who is a soldier has decided to use drunkenness and drugs as a means of solving the clashes he is having with his wife at home. Sometimes he feels inferior and on trying to feel good he smokes and drinks and this has repeated for long. Obviously I am aware of how he feels afterward. I could remember when I tried using this quick fixed solution to relief a stress one day when I felt terrible about my life and it only made me sleep well for about 4 hours, but when I woke up the stress has increased in a double dose. It was terrible with me until I found my focus back to God. According to the author, I discovered that long term approach of solving problem is based on principles while quick fixed solution approach is based on practices.
iv. Principles of growth and change
This idea is so important to my life as it guided my growth pattern and the way I see things in life. There were some stages in my life I wanted to jump, some instances I dodged and later on in life I come to meet a situation I needed to apply the experience I should have gained. Though sometimes It’s hard not to get impatient; It takes character to be procreative, to focus on your circle of influence, to nurture growing things and not to pull up the flowers to see how the roots are coming.
v. Driven by values not by feeling.
When someone is driven by values in life, the way he does things is purely different from the way things are done when action is based on feelings. Sometimes we feel bad and if our actions are based on feeling, certainly we will behave in a way that is terrible. But when we have defined our values in life, we can come to terms with the fact that all situations in life has double faces, so we can try to discover the opposite good side if confronted with a bad situation.
Value driven life trivial in all situations, I have tried to live by my values and have come to note a strong driven force with which I overcome some basic obstacles that I encountered. It wasn’t like I changed anything but I was still strong even after the occurrences was over.
vi. Beginning with the end in mind.
This is the most important idea that affected my life and life style during the course of reading this book. The idea of knowing exactly where you are going and what is it you want before trying to know the way to get there or how to get it, is of utmost important. When I know what I want, it becomes easier to know how to manage the obstacles and challenges I will meet on the way. When one know the end, even the universe works to help him achieve such goal.
I took some surveys to know what some people have as their end, and their current daily practices to moving toward such end. I come to realize that some people did not even know what they wanted and I wonder how they will ever reach such end which they do not know. This idea took me to Management and leadership paradigm which told me to make sure that first, be on the right Jungle instead of making significant success on the wrong field.
vii. What it takes to say no.
Sometimes it is very necessary that we develop the courage to say no to some persons and to some things in life. It called to mind some great pains I have endured just because I could not say no some persons that I felt they needed my help. I was thinking that I was their last hope but I come to realize that I wasn’t and never will be; But I could not say no to their request, so I have to endure the pain of trying to meet up with their demand on me. This was purely suffering as a result of my lose/win approach to things in life. Sometimes I prefer to give my bed to friends while in school and sleep on the flour feeling that I was playing good boy, but when I come to realize that the friends were just friends because they can benefit from me, I felt bad, but still yet I will do it again. Now I know that there are more options than I know, at least I can work with a win/win or mostly win/win or no deal options.
If only I can say to some things and to some people in my life, I could have avoided some disappointment and pain that popped later when I could not perfect meet up. In life, just as the author said, a balance between courage and conscience is necessary. I come to realize that I must not meet up to everyone’s demand but with my conscience, I could know if my refusal is based on correct principle or not.
The issue of balancing our life brings me to “Sharpen the saw; principles of balanced self-renewal.” I actually put my life into check and notice the performance I had in each quarter in percentage. The physical was taking 15%; the social/emotional had 25%, the spiritual had 20% with the mental aspect taking 40%. It gave me a great course for concern especially the spiritual, because in the quarter was found my relationship with my maker and being that poor was not funny at all. I hope to upgrade my stand in all these areas and to keep the balance in them all.
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?
These ideas; first has made me run a check in my personal life, to really see where I am standing and the paradigm from which I was carrying out my daily life activities. It made me to check if I was making significant success in the wrong jungle, if my ladder is leaning in the right wall or not.
Secondly it made helped to check the balance in my life, all the four areas of my life, to which did I give much attention and how it was affecting other areas. It also guided my patience with myself and with others, knowing that we are all growing and have the possibility to change, in everyday of our lives, so when I see someone doing a thing, I can caution myself first before blaming other people about their actions.
Lastly, it helped me not to just accept or reject people or their ideas, but to consider from which paradigm are they coming from; to which end are they going. Some people have the right motive about life, but are just using the wrong practices, it becomes easier to help such people, but some are have ugly motive and when you see how positive they are and the success they are making, you tend to give them kudos, not knowing that the foundation is fake.
I can now use the carpenter rule “measure twice and cut once.”
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 following quotes are truth to my belief.
“Blaming everyone and everything else for problems and challenges may be the norm and may provide temporary relief from the pain, but it also chains us to these very problems.”
Actually it’s usually very easy to push responsibilities other people and stay off the blame, but just as the quote says, I have come to realize that until we take the responsibilities, the situation can never be changed. Now I have to say “I am the master of my fate and I am responsible for my decisions.”
“There is no real excellence in this entire world which can be separated from Right Living.”
I have seen people struggle till death, having what should make them happy but eventually they die unhappy, why? I feel it’s because their success was separated from right living. There was no satisfaction and just like St. Paul would say, “For all things and in all situations, I have learnt the secrete of living plenty and in lack.”. But a person with the wrong motive for living cannot say this. It makes me take caution about my motive first before acquiring success upon it. Just like another quote said, “It is most important to do the right thing than doing things right.”
“We see the world not as it is but as we are or as we are conditioned to see it.”
The way we see the problem, according to the author, is most of the times the problem. And around me I have notice within this time people who have not really encountered some events but already have conclusions about them. Then I asked myself, where did that conclusion come from, sometimes, the brother would tell me, “it just what I belief about it.” There is this pap kind of food I use to eat as breakfast at work place and my co-worker hated the food until the day he tested it, then it become his best breakfast meal. This makes me come to believe this quote the more.
“Whatever is at the centre of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom, and power.”
This is so true. This quote and the topic which it fall under made me check my life over and over again to see if really it was Christ that was ruling. We just need to put Christ at the centre. Because just as the author said, God is the source of all the principle that has been written about, and how wonderful it would be if He is the controlling force of my/our lives.
“He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail.”
I have to come to love this quote since before now. At times when I am sick, I go tell my elder brother, whose usual response is “Have prayed about it?” It was later that I come to discover what he is good at. He loves prayer and praying for people. But when I was in school, I had this boil at my buttocks. When I showed it to a friend, he told me to go for a surgery. I laughed and remembered by brother usual answer. I then told my friend that I needed to pray not surgery and actually that night, the boil boost and that was all.
People say things like; “Money answereth all things,” “prayer is the answer,” “he who have friends have everything” and so on. I now see that those are just what they have and are used to.
“You can’t talk your way out of problems you behaved yourself into.”
I love this quote, it’s easy to cram and memorize. And the lesson also is high. Sometimes I make and break a promise and then tries to buy it off with gift. I throw away a friends confidence and find a cheap and easy way to win him back without caring about the hurts I have created already. Even when I try, it didn’t just work out.
Just like another quote puts it, instead of getting the foot off the brake, most people give more gas. But it will really pay if we will try and do the right things, than trying always to do things right. Some I fail to realize the one thing that matters just like Jesus told Matter when she was full of activities trying to please the master but then Mary was doing the right thing, sitting at the foot of the master. I have now learned that when I hurt a friend, I don’t just show that I am sorry, I should find means to heal the hurt and all other things will become genuine to the friend and even to me.
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”
Yes, this is true. Most times out of ignorance, people make terrible mistakes in life and when facing the consequences or the result we still will not try to find out the truth that we really need to know. It’s just like trying to use a fetish means to deliver a demon possessed person, which will never work. So I have come to know the necessity of growth, moving from one level of intellect to another realm of experience.
When I had a very low self image, I was scared of everything, even of myself and I know how much problem it created for me to solve; now I am planning to go back to school and obtain my degree certificate; I definitely have to changed my self image or say upgraded my self image, to be able to face the challenges that will come and overcome them.
I definitely know now that some of the stumbling blocks I saw before were climbing tools not just obstacles. Being more positive minded now I can achieve my dream, so far as there is still time, of course I hope God will see me through.
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 principles in the book were so explicit, by God’s grace I was able to comprehend the content to the best that I can. Though issues on synergy deserves my revisit or an external explanation so I could fully synergize my energy and become who I am meant to be.
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?
The book contained several exercises that were to be put to practice during the reading, I tried applying them and there were really helpful. When I was on habit 5 (seek to understand and then to be understood), there was a friend which we have been having some confusion over an issue, it concerns God and our service to him. Sometimes feels I am not serious with God and try to make see how far he feels I am from God. And for me mostly I feel that he is over zealous, actually he is not balanced in life (about 80% spiritual and the 20% sheared between the other three areas; its just my feeling anyway).
So as I was on this topic, I met him one evening and told him; “bro, I really want to understand what you have been trying to let me understand all this while, can you make it more clear for me?” Though before then I have understand how he feel and why he feels so, from my knowledge of unlimited power, he speaks to me from his paradigm of life and even as I tried to make him see mine, he seems immovable. I told that I will allow him to may be figure things out with time. I know the law of natural growth will reveal things to him with time, especially even to me.
The current exercise I am on now is making my mission statement comprehensively concise as possible; so I can understand it and live by it, then making my weekly plan effective there being an efficient human being.
7. Was there anything in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
Just as always, I am most grateful to God for who He is to me, the scripture told me that God has provided all things, both for life and for godliness. Now I see how true that statement is, from IIGL curriculum, my ability for actualization of my goal is becoming more certain day after day.
My view of this book is that it is a foundation upon which all efforts from the other books are to be built. The entire Positive Mental Attitude and the self images I should have are actually to be built upon the book. The previous books I have read looks like working out for me public victories, but the real joy come from the private victory I ought first have each day of my life.
My most joy came increased when I discovered that the writer was writing from a motive whose origin is God; the ideal principle of life, the father and creator of us all. It helped me pay closer attention and eased my belief in the contents.
To Covey, I say thank you.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9.8
Goals
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
I saw the author made his point clear in a single sentence “write down your goals, make plans to achieve them and work on your plans every single day.”
All the other points and ideas in the book were trying to bring more light into this idea. He by the numerous ideas that followed this, made it more serious about goals, plans and works on the plans to achieve the goals. First his idea revealed the importance of knowing what the goal actually is; what the target is that we are aiming at; the expected destination. Then he points out what plan one has to make in other to move from where he is to where he wants to be; what price is needed to be paid for the journey. Finally he brought the actions steps. The self discipline needed for the journey, working on the plans so as to get to the expected end. This was the main idea that I see the author bring out.
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.
This point brought my heart to thinking about what I am and have now that could contribute to the achievement my purpose in life. It made begin to check the potentials I have, the skills I have acquired and how close I am to what I am pursuing in life; though this idea was somehow a challenging point for me, because it nearly made me gave up some of my dreams. Also checking my mental ability and the idea that I am now a student of IIGL, I know that future holds good. My mind is positive about what I want and where I want to be, and with this mentality I can now aim for the Sun, at least I will get a star in reward.
The idea led me to the second point;
There were some of my goals that under strict examination and close look on where I am at the moment, I was a kind of discouraged in the pursuit of my goal. Possibilities and realities are meant to be put under consideration when planning. It is based on this consideration that one can truly know if he can get there from here.
C. Your major definite purpose
Ever I discovered what I am meant to do here on earth, my life had changed and my zeal strengthened for actualizations. I noticed that just mere knowledge of this major definite purpose changed many concepts in me. My values and belief had aligned toward this, my goals had turned to be geared towards this. But sometimes it seems too far from here and what I am now, though according Jonathan Seagull, to attain a perfect speed, you just have to know you are there already.
D. Be wiling to pay the price of success
Being will to pay the price is the plat form of all actualizations. The realm of success is the point where some one is ready to pay the price. Knowledge without application is as dead as wishing to have without the self-discipline to pay the price and do what is required for the achievement of such dream. I know so well some of the goals I set before, but was not able to pay the price for its success. I know that even the goals I have set in the ten goal exercises here, has price to be paid; the action steps to be taken for the success to come true, else it will go like before.
When I considering this point, I make a list of what I want to achieve and have within a given time. Going through it, I notice that some were wishes, i.e. no deadline, and some were not too specific. But there were things that when I get them, affect my emotion feeling positively. Some of the goals in the list have been achieved already, and the idea of writing these goals down makes me now take them more seriously, and gives me joy knowing that I have a reason to wake up in the morning.
I also discovered that the idea of having a goal makes live worth living and makes one looks responsible too.
F. Circumstances are continually changing
The fact that circumstances are constantly changing is true and brings the idea that no condition is permanent to clear light. With the consciousness that things might change tomorrow, one would endure the present situation hoping for a change, which will definitely occur.
G. What is holding you back?
When I come at peace with my self, I put to check this idea of what I still have to be or do in other to get to where I want to be. I have to come to discover that in life, everything is revolving around the law of opportunity, cause and effect, and something has to be done for something else to exist. After the time God created all things out of nothing, we have to do something for something else to come to be. And it seems true that all we are not today is as a result of what we have not done. So I tried to see for myself what is holding me back, I come to realize that it insufficient knowledge in my field, I wanted to Know (SPSS) very well to help me work at my optimum.
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?
These ideas have helped me to set and achieve some goals already. Little by little am coming to know myself more and more, my ability, my current status, what is holding me back from my goals, and how important it is that I pay the price, it I don’t want it all to end up in wishful thinking. I have set different goals already some for this year and some for next year. It has reduced my wastages both of time and resources, and given me a directed life. Thanks to Brian Tracy.
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 achieve something you have never achieved before, you will have to do something you have never done before.”
This is where one overcomes what it is that might be holding him back. To solve a problem or overcome a challenge, there have to be a paradigm shift different from that in which it was created. That is to say that there is a constant need for upgrade, in the all the four area ones existence in this world.
“The first quality of self-actualizing person was the ability to be completely honest and objective with himself or herself.”
I know the areas which I had not been truthful to myself before I could handle the situations I was into. There was this relationship I was into, though it seems that I was gaining at the moment, but until I was honest with myself and discover both the immediate consequences and the damage that lies ahead, I was could not have peace.
“He who have a why to live can bear almost any how.”
The bible said of Jesus that because of the Joy that lies ahead, endure the shame and suffered death, even death on the cross. He had a strong why and even when he seemed forsaken by the father, he still endured the pains.
Any day that I was able to look into my goal sheet and see the joy that might come if at all I achieve all my goals, I tend to smile al through. My “Whys” has carried me through some unpleasant “Hows” and am hoping that somehow God will show me mercy.
“Always be willing to consider the possibility that you could be wrong.”
This is one of the quality of true winners, the ability to know that no one is an Iceland, no one knows everything about everything. So being willing to accept the fact that you could be wrong means that you are open to new ideas and even the universes is willing help this kind of people.
“It doesn’t matter where you are coming from; all that really matters is where you are going.”
This quote gives me hope that and a courage to continue the race. I took my time to read the biography of my mentors, (Nelson Mandella, Brian Tracy, Bob Proctor, and even Jesus of Nazareth). Their beginning and background were not funny to talk about, but knowing where they are going, they pushed ahead and today we pray using their name, wish to be like them.
I know that I will get there one day if only I persist.
“Between you and anything you want to accomplish you will always find problems or obstacles of some kind.”
This is the quote I used for to advise my elder brother during his tough time recently. He is actually in fix, our mother’s funeral preparation, business challenges and his building project back at home. But in the middle of this, our eldest brother was posing some threats and forming a stumbling block. I just texted my brother using this quote and encouraging him to keep on. It was surprising to me to see him use the same quote in advising someone else after some days. I was happy with myself because I know that text message helped him.
“It is always easier to get into something than it is to get out of it.”
This is very true, because how I got the relationship I mentioned above was not even clear to me, but when I wanted to quit, it took me grace and a section of prayer to the higher powers to come to my aid. Most habits are so easy to form, but when it comes to breaking them, one passes through various stresses. It calls for carefulness in what ever we doing, because some of our action even before we realize their various implications, it has gone deep into us. So we have to know that what ever you dwell upon grows, so we have to be careful.
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?
According to Napoleon Hill, (Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” But on the point made here “Determine your starting point seems to put a limitation on the words of Napoleon. Except as I believe its saying we have to know where are first and check if its possible to get there from here. But even in this the super-conscious has no limitation to what it can do, so far as it is clear to the mind. So from this I feel the most important thing here is knowing what it is we want and developing great desire for it, that we can do anything, pay any price in other to have it, irrespective of where you are at the moment.
Okay, check this out; for me right now, all I have is just me, my goals, and beliefs. I don’t have a concrete plan as in what I am going to do achieve my goals, but my heart tells me that everything is possible to him that believes.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete of the exercises and did you them helpful?
Most of the exercises contained in the book are ‘do it now’ exercises and there were numerous of them. There are all on goal setting in all the various areas of one’s life, from financial to physical to emotional then to social aspect of our life. I tried and tried at first to do the exercises, but later decided to wait till I have finished reading the book, then I could use all the techniques taught the way I ought to. Some of the goals I set, I have achieved, some actually I don’t know to how to go about it, but am just wait for the deadline to reach, because some of the factors that affect the goal is out of my control.
7. Was there anything you read in the book you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous question? If so, please comment.
Over the time I have read some books on self realization and personal development. But there is this quality I have been trying to apply into all area of my life but have been so difficult to build in. Its self-discipline, the will power to do what I have to do, when I have to it, whether I feel like it or not. This self-discipline has affected so many areas of my life like: My physical exercises, my prayer life and the control of my urges for the opposite sex. I have been praying for grace to be able to handle things in these areas of my life.
Finally composing this assessment gives me a great deal of Joy, because I have never encountered such challenges as I did in this. The first one I composed was taken with my system by Gun men who attacked us some few days ago. I have to take courage from the story of a man I read about in the book, who after one year of writing a book, lost his manuscript to fire disaster, but gained strength from his within and took another whole year to write the book over. Thank God for his grace.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10, ten is good one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the content? 9
C. How easy was is to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Maximum Achievement
Assessment by Nwakuma Paul Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The book was a sampling of ideas and principles which have been used by men of great mind of all times and can be attested to as a proven system for personal development and achievement. According to the author, most of the principles contained in the book have been applied to his own personal life after been studied for years, and there are inline with those great principles which when followed or applied, yields same result as in the time past.
I see the book mostly as a list of fundamental laws which when applied in every situation, consciously or unconsciously, yields a corresponding results, no matter who, where and when it’s been applied. Almost all that is stated in this great book are aimed at making a man aware what it is he wants; making a decision to get it, making necessary plans on how to achieve it, and being happy for life until such goals are accomplished.
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 example from your own life.
The following are the ideas that were helpful to me.
i. Looking upon temporary defeat as a signpost that says stop.
For sometimes now I have seen myself in various situations which I describe as “a close to dawn moment;” these has been periods when I have to make use of the lessons I have learnt in life to keep my spirit calm in the midst of all that was happening or better put, in all that is happening. I said ‘that is happening, because recently its not still clear to me what the next turn will be, but I belief all things workout for good to those who love God.
I failed out of school after spending 6 years in the University just for a common admission of a course, and my HOD told me if I so need the certificate, I will have to start all over again; and now, I have chosen to be an “inverse paranoid,” using the word of the author. I have told myself that everything that is happening to me now is moving me toward the achievement of my goals, of course I know my goals in life; and I have come to realize from the admonishment of my mentors and from their life stories, that great successes are almost proceeded by many failures.
I have just written another entrance examination into the University as my HOD said, trusting in God for success this time, and I know that He will help me out. Of course I have learned that all that have happened in my life had to happen for me to be who I am today, and they have made me more stronger and refined.
ii. Definition of Character
The ability to carry through on a resolution, after the mood in which the resolution was made is past. There have been many occasions when I showed a sense of no character; based on this definition. There were times when I got impulses to do a thing, or perform certain action; may be after a powerful sermon in the church, I will make a resolution to change a particular habit, but afterward when the mood dies, may as I go home, I will com to feel so reluctant about the resolution and most of the times, no action was carried out.
Am now learning how to develop my character and pull myself out of my comfort zone, constantly reminding myself that I have to go on, keep going on, even when I do not feel like. This is self-discipline as defined by the author, in his audio book, psychology of achievement.
iii. The anonymous poem, “don’t quit.”
I have read this poem from many books and each time I come across it any where, it tends to remind me, that the Universe is governed by the same principle, everywhere, through all generation. I have seen people get tried, under various kind of trials and test, some gave up, others continue to try, even after multiple failures, until success unfold, then we come to read their stories and call them great. All the great men I have read about and some that I have seen with my eyes; from Jesus Christ the Son of God to all other men all around; they all faced various trials and failures at different stages of life, but the one common thing I see that determine their victory was not quitting, they tried again, and again, and again, and finally were successful.
iv. The seven ingredients of success
Success is comprised of many ingredients, (7) according to the author. But upon check, I see that most people sell out some of the ingredients in search of others. Many of us have sacrificed our peace of mind in the quest for financial freedom, upon getting the money, they still find themselves unhappy and unfulfilled, and they wonder what next to seek.
Some of these ingredients are more visible, like Health and energy and financial freedom, while some like peace of mind, worthy goals and ideals, personal fulfillment, self-awareness and self-knowledge, and loving relationship, all seems to be things of the mind; these are the most significant part of a successful life, but mostly neglected by most people, because majority of us want what we can see.
Some of these ingredients are part of others as explained by the authors, but some cannot just be put off, no matter what happened; they need to be carried along in the search for others. So it’s like there has to be a priority issue here; which do we pursue first?
v. The different mental laws
These mental laws have been of interest to me, ever since I first listen to the psychology of achievement, in quest for these laws, I went online to search and I got 7 Universal Laws of which explained to me why things happen the way they do, and the knowledge and proper ordering of our life and deeds in accordance with these laws, makes life more easy and fruitful.
The most important of these laws to me was the law of belief; whatever you believe with feeling, becomes your reality. And this is true about our life’s realities. I have watched my people here and the things that happen in their life, even in mine, and upon evaluating our belief system, what happens to us seems to be corresponding to our beliefs. I have chosen to be positive about life, choosing the best part of it; since according to the author, there are two ways of looking at the world, I have chosen the Benevolent World View, and it has helped me a lot, turned a lot of things to my favor.
Over the period of 3 months that I was preparing for my exams, I kept my IIGL books aside and faced academic books. But what was happening was interesting; more than 5 times on different occasions I heard my intuition tell me “You Can Do It,” and upon action steps on that voice, I have repaired some of our electrical appliances at home and have also done some things I didn’t know I can do before, I was so happy afterward.
vi. The law of emotion
I actually put to check the two emotions that control my actions and come to discover that most of my actions are determined by fear, mostly fear of rejection, and it seems to me that not just me that is faced with the challenge. Before writing the exam that was supposed to take me back to the university, I was scared that I might not make the cut off score, so I was reading hard not to fail, but as times goes on the emotion seemed to change to the joy of going back school. There were number of persons that were waiting for me to get back to school and I was then scared again; what if I fail, but yet, the Joy of telling my story again was pushing me to move on. It was series of mixed feelings all through. And am still learning how to control my emotions and make desire my predominant emotional drive.
vii. The requirement for success
The requirement for success is a most pay every person that desires success in any area of his/her life. When I reached this point in the course of reading this book, I had a little wonder why I did not get some of the successes I desired earlier in life, and it dawned on me that every success in life have a price, and must be paid, there by obeying the law of cause and effect, also a man reaps what he sows according to the scripture.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These points and ideas made me more conscious of all my various actions and it actually changed my view and approach to the events in my life. Most of the hope I have today and the goals am moving towards to, are all becoming stronger for that I know that may be this time, I will achieve success, even though I failed before, I have come to believe that failure it’s never the end, and all that has happened, needed to happen for me to be where and what I am today.
I believe that when God said that his works are beautiful after creation, even up till now, the world is still a beautiful world full of abundance, all I have to do is open my hands and accept the good fruits of the land, though hidden in sand, when purified might glitter like gold.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so please list and comment on them.
I love the following quotes:
“Have the honesty to accept that the kindest thing that you can do for someone else is to achieve your own happiness.”
Recalling the lessons I learned from Stephen Covey about playing a “win/win” game, a situation where all that is involved wins, I also remember all the times when out of the wish to be the good person, I got my self hurt, just to discover at the end that all I did was not even considered. All the times I tried to impress people, I have come to notice that they were not actually impressed after all. Now am trying to learn the habit of just expressing my self, instead of trying to impress people. I want to be real to my self, and the little I’ve tried on this, have shown me that being ‘me’ is the best person that I can be, and even the best for others.
“You can’t hit the target you can’t see.”
I spoke to some of my friends after reading this chapter to know if its true that people don’t have a target they want to hit, and surprisingly, almost all the people I asked do not have any goal, they just wake up, work as the day goes by and sleeps at night to wake up next day.
I saw the benefit of having a goal at hand the day my boss got a million naira opportunity and he told me he is confused about what to use the money for. I just wished I could lay my hands on such cash, because for now what to use such money for has been on ground since January 1, 2014. So I believe you can’t hit a target that you did not see.
“Do what you can with what you have, right where you are.”
This reminds me that we don’t have to keep waiting for perfect conditions before we take action on anything we need to do; may be there might never be a perfect condition anyway. After taking my exam, I returned to my IIGL studies, and upon wanting to type my assessment, I needed a laptop system, which I had none at the moment, but I have a phone which could type word document; so I have to apply this quote, and it came out successful. It only took little additional stress, but if I had waited for system, maybe, I might not have been able to submit this assessment by now.
“To achieve different results, you must become a different person.”
I was analyzing steps to success on my own, and I got to discover that a man has to first Be, then he can Do, then he can Have. So it start from becoming a different person first, then you can do things differently, to have different result. Even the journey to heaven starts from Being born again, then we love God, (doing), then we can Have all that God promise His people.
“Every day in every way, I am getting better and better.”
When I saw this quote, I claimed it, and reclaimed it for days. Then I met a friend of mine who was on hospital bed, while we were discussing, I showed him the qoute, and asked him claim it, he did and repeated it over times. As I went home, I reminded him of it and started to read it for him, as in; I will say everyday in everyway, then he responds, “I am getting better and better.” I saw the power of positive confession at work, as after some days he got well. I’ve used this quote on myself and have taught it to people; I love that I did, because it shifts the person’s mind from self pity to a state of being in control.
“In spite of anything you do, life never goes on the same for very long. It’s always changing in one direction or another. Things are either getting better for you or getting worse, but they never stay the same.”
This is very true. At least I’ve seen it all around me here, series of changes everyday, changes of plan, location, situations and so on, no one can really tell how things will turn next or what lot will fall upon him, but as time goes, men go along with it; some happy, some sad, but we must keep going. Only those who have determined within them, what it is that makes them happy, it seems to be continually happy, even with the everyday turn of things.
“Everything worthwhile takes time.”
I so much love this quote, it corresponds to the law of gestation, which state that everything takes time to manifest; all things have a beginning and grows into form as more energy is added to it… So with this idea I know I need patience to be able to achieve my worthwhile goal in life. And that as I wait for things to come into form, I should continually add energy to it, and thoughts are energy; constantly thinking about what I want instead of what I don’t want.
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?
There are some of the laws which i could really understand all there is to them, but I had to just believe them first and hope that things unveils themselves as time goes on. Like the law of believe, the law of attraction and the law of mental equivalency, i could not fully comprehend it all.
Anyway, believing gives me a positive mind state to receiving the benefit meant for those who believe, and there by not having to regret or blame others when an unexpected events happens, believing that I am responsible for all that I am; at least for how I feel about things around me.
The law of cause and effect states that there is a specific cause for every effect, and followed by the law of attraction which stated that I attract to myself, all that is happening to me. But sometimes I wonder when some things happens that I know so well that I am not the cause of it. Instance; I took time to prepare for an exam, prayed God for help and wrote the exam without any form of malpractice, trusting God for success, then the result comes out and mine is ceased. How do I define this?
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?
Coming after each chapter is an action exercise which gives chance for an application of all that has just been read. During the application of some ideas, I gained a new view point of some things that have happened to me, and today, even though things happen everyday, the meaning of the events seems different now from what they use to be.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous question? If so, please comment.
One among the things i so much appreciate God for all these period I have been in this study is the gift of self awareness and consciousness. I could really ask my self questions about some important things in my life and find answers to them. Use the law of substitution, I can regulate my thinking and my mood sometimes.
Sometimes, most of the times, my eyes goals off my goal and I pay much attention to the situations around me. As I give much thought to things around, my feeling changes, my reactions people also changes, then I will come to senses and begin eliminating the fear and anger that are built up already, as I consider all that is happening as tools making me stronger for who I have to become.
Of course everyday, in everyway, I am getting better and better. Thanks to God for IIGL, even if I have not gained anything so far, at least now I try to find positive meaning in things that happens to me. The new view point I have about the world has brought me much good than I expected. I know that everyday in everyway, am getting better and better.
Please rate the following questions on the 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
Nonviolent Communication
Assessment by Nwakuma Paul Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author’s main idea is based on Empathy; a respectful understanding of what is going on in other people (and in ourselves). When we are able to empathize, then we can truly communicate with others in the right spirit; either in offering of advice, sympathy, or in just making people know that they their view is considered.
With empathy we try to find out the feelings and needs behind the actions of people we encounter daily. When we get this, we can all see them as human and at this moment we can communicate with them with more compassion and work to the meeting of their needs.
From this approach of communication, I recalled the scriptural lesson in (James 1:19); be Slow to Speak; Quick to Listen and Slow to get Angry. When someone follows this kind of life style; then he could understand what really is going on in the other people – by asking the question; how is he really feeling and what does he need, anger subsides and the urge to help and fill the need then arises. “Empathy” can also help one deal with the quick conclusion that we usually make about others and ourselves.
The next fact I saw from the author’s ideas is the separation of Observation from Evaluation. Things happens and will continue to happen, but generality in conclusions that we make about things and about people is the most important thing about our life and our actions towards other people. I hear people say about others, “this man is a very wicked man,” “this government is so corrupt,” and most of things like that, but under proper check, it could just be a judgment based on a single event that took place sometimes ago, there by warranting a generalization of character, and concluding, “he is a bad person.”
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 example from your own life.
i. Moralistic judgments.
I just come to discover that most conclusion that we make about people’s moral; like he is a good, bad, nice, compassionate, wicked, generous person, does not really reveal who or what a person is, but mostly we speak based on the person’s match or mismatch of the person’s behavior to our own values.
I have seen someone who I took to be so generous, based on the fact that she gives to me whenever ask; being spoken of by another person as a very stingy woman. I wanted to oppose this fellow, but I remember that we may have gotten different encounters about her.
So I just learnt from this moralistic judgment that making general conclusion about a person or about certain situation or a government as being (corrupt, dangerous and all the rest), makes us behave as so towards them and most times its our predictions about them that is reflected back to us. But if we can just describe the situation or the event done by a person and reflect it to how it made us feel, then we might have shown a great deal of maturity, and also avoid some ambiguity.
ii. Denial of responsibility
I have studied my community and examined even my own life and it seems to me that almost all of us are living our lives out of the emotion of fear; fear of the things we don’t want makes us do certain things. You see someone being dedicated to church for the fear of hell; rather than the joy of heaven.
It was upon checking this point (denial of responsibility) and doing the exercise on it, that I now discovered that even the work I am into now, is not a must for me, and even who am staying with is also not a must, but that am just here because I choose to be, in other that I might raise the capital I need for starting up of my business, even though am not happy with here most of the times.
Until this is clear to me, I have always been sad at work and praying for a day when I will be free. But now I know that I am free and have been free ever since, to choose what I will do based on what it is that is motivating me; like now, my motivation for being here is money.
iii. Observing without Evaluating.
Having learned my communication pattern from parent, who to them it is a common thing to criticize, instruct and blame, it seemed so normal to just say about someone who have hurt us; ‘you are very wicked’, but normally, their hurting us might not mean wickedness.
I had made this generalization about my elder brother whom I live with as being inconsiderate; because sometimes I think as an elder brother, he is suppose to attain to my needs, and upon telling him what my worries are, he just stood up and leaves without uttering a word, I was hurt and called him inconsiderate person.
I have tried to observe without evaluating; to get clear understanding of the action being carried out and to know my feeling towards it; and I discovered that this exercise heals from the deep pains we have when we generalize situation, and call people names, even ourselves, sometimes when we fail on a particular area of life, and we just generalize and say things like ‘am a failure’.
iv. Request vs. Demand
Looking at how we seek to get something from others or get things done by others, I see most of the approaches as demands, not requesting, because when there is compliance, then we generalize and call them Good/generous people; but when there’s not, we call them bad/stingy people.
Recently, I sheared my plan on an issue with my girl friend and she was not too pleased with it and wanted me to change my stand. When I seemed not to agree with her, she asked me, ‘do you love me? …’, it was to me like my agreement to her views was to her a proof of my love for her. Here I sensed she was just demanding me to buy her idea.
I also noticed how much I have been demanding, instead of making a request of people, no wonder I used to have ill feelings when I can get my way through. Sometimes when I sense a demand on someone’s plea, and to which if I cannot meet up to; for me to cover up this ill feeling, the next thing is to form a defensive wall around myself, or finding a way to put blame back to the person, as in to the reason why thing didn’t work out- totally against the process of NVC.
v. Receiving empathically
Trying to receive empathically has been one of my biggest challenge ever since I started personal development program. I had always wished I could offer solutions to any one who needs it around me.
So in my quest to get the right word to say, and possibly from my own experience, I loss touch with what the person is saying and mostly I just say things out of my own feelings, but I still see the person not seeming to have had their needs met.
I know that finally either advice, consolation, sympathy or any of its kind could needed, but to listen first and get the feeling and need of the speaker had always been my challenge.
Being present; body, soul and spirit at a time is a thing that I really need couching on, if I could get any guide on how I can enhance my composure and meditation, it will do me a great deal of good.
vi. The question that reveals the limitation of punishment I have seem children learning to do good, trying their best to live a pretty good life, but it seems to only when they are with their parents.
One of my friends told me that she can’t wear trouser at home, that her father forbids it, but in school, where the father is not seeing her, she is free to wear anything.
I have heard this saying from kids at my neighborhood, in fact when I remember saying it too; ‘let Dad get you first’. The room could so untidy, but as far as Dad is not at around, it is allowed. Immediately we heard our Dad coming home, all rush will be to keep things right and tidy.
Now I know the source of that action; our parents have made themselves the reason why we have to do good, or even keep the house neat, not for that neatness is good for healthy living. In our house now, we can eat good food as much Daddy is around, but while he is a away, even junks is allowed. The kids are all getting use to it and I hope it will be corrected in them, else the girls can grow and take the idea to their various homes.
There is quite a lot of things done in my house today, and the only reason being, “Daddy is around.” I wish I can let them know what I know, but its always like writing in them a new functional program or introducing a new philosophy. I just discovered how many laws I have been obedient to over the years, for just one reason; “the government said so,” but I think it will be better for me, if I know how much it could enrich my life.
vii. The intention behind appreciations
The intention behind what we do mostly stand more importantly than what we did. It is a popular adage that ‘when we praise him who does, he will do more’. If our intention to praise is to make the other person do more; not for gratitude sake, then we can tell how we feel afterward.
I have seen the influencing power of appreciation the day I composed a thank you note to one of my friend, and just a minute after delivery he called and gave me a gift of ten thousand naira. But some times this influencing power is being used for manipulation, and this is what the author told me to be in check for.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you create a better world? If so, how?
In applying the ideas I learnt from this book, I have notice a change in my communication pattern, it gives me time to check my agreeement level to whatever I hear before I can choose to respond or not.
I tried using NVC to discuss with a friend who was feeling bad, he ask a girl out and the girl let him down. He told me he can’t even tell what it is he was feeling but definitely he know he was not feeling good. I continue to paraphrase his words back to him and until we get what seems to be his feeling and what his needs are. I didn’t know I was getting into him, until he called me “Paul, Thank You,” then I know I have made an impact in him.
Some words are gradually fading from my communication, and when used, its with caution; word like ‘but’. I properly check to see how I make use of this word if have to use it at all, since I noticed it normally cancel preceding words. Also the author amonished; never begin a sentence with “but.”
The most important thing I have learnt over this period is the fact that my feeling is controlled by an internal factor. So when am sad, I ought to concentrate inward for an answer. And this insight has help me pay more attention to the person I am, than assigning blame to external factors things happens to me. And I think this the period I need this awareness most.
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.
“Lets shine the light of consciousness on places where we can hope to find what we are seaking.”
This has to do with the matter of how much we dwell in our comfort zone. Hoping to get what we need in there but not willing to go into the heat of the sun. Even in ministry work, there are topics which are mostly and always very easy and enjoyably preached, and we settle there; even when we know that, that kind of massage is not affecting souls as desired, but we rather remain there than treat the real issue of our life. There is need to face the truth, face our fears; even though they are fearful at times, still there are more chances of success than when we abide in the our comfort zones and refuse to accept changes.
“Don’t just do something, Stand there.”
This is contrary to the popular saying – “don’t just stand there, do something.”
It seems to be another level of understanding of the events of life. Most times, we think that we must have to do something or at least say something concerning everything we are been told. Now I remember the day I was with one of my friends whose mother died, when the Mum was being laid to rest, there was much weeping and I didn’t actually know what right word to console my friend with, I just had my hand crossed round his neck and stood beside him. He cried and stopped all by himself, then I said to him, ‘are you ok now? He said “yes are you sure?” I repeated, he said yes. I saw a great relief in him and me too, because I didn’t actually know how to calm him down. But I got to discover that this style worked better than framing words to console him.
“Believing we have to fix situations and make others feel better prevents us from being present.”
This is to be used when some body comes to me and shears his/her life with me, while he is still speaking, I will be busy comparing what he is saying with my life and what I would do in such situation, and I will be thinking that I must have to do, or say something.
But upon getting this point, I discover that what happened to me might not be what is happening to this person. Sometimes if I have a challenge that I wish to share with a friend; as am speaking, if there are many interruption, I will hardly get answer to work with, but if am lucky to get someone who could listen to me, at the end of my speech, I would have gotten the answer I need.
Sometimes out of the feeling that I have to do something, I have promise to do things which was too much, and fulfilling such promise actually made me pass through some pains I didn’t have to go through.
iv. “The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what’s happening outside.”
I agree with this quote, because sometimes when am overwhelmed with the tensions of all that going on around me, I feel too hurt and tensed, but after a while, a hear a voice that says to me, “all great men trend this road, may be you’ll be great one day,” and this voice changes my perception and how I see what is going, believing that All is working out for my good.
I just keep disciplining my self to be able to attention to this voice, recently I heard it say to me “don’t rush out in a hurry,” and it change my track, and made me more patient to see the beauty in my ashes. This is more of a personal challenge am having, I just hope you understand what I mean.
“I could see, just as you’d said, how people who seem like monsters are simply human beings whose language and behavior sometimes keep us from seeing their humanness.”
This seems funny but I see its truthfulness from how I do behave when am hurt, now any one looking at me in such mood could hardly know am human, but it’s actually from how I feel and what am needing that such looks is displayed. If we can put ourselves in other people’s shoe; try to imagine what might be causing such harshness, then we can be able to bear with their limitations and thereby attend to their needs, then we see their humanness in them comes out. I am trying to discover why my boss behaves the way he is doing recently, and ever since this approach came into me, my hurtful feeling about him calm down, I was planning to pack out from his house and go hustle on my own, but I just got to know now that he might just be having an unmet need, which when met, could change his attitude.
“Empathizing with someone’s No protects us from taking it personally.”
I have learned that people must not always say Yes to our needs, also that a No does not always mean a refusal or denial. It might be an inability to meet such need; and a respectful understanding of this could save you from “he hates me” attitude. When we take things personal, we feel the impact more; be it positive or negative, mostly, people write good deeds on ‘water’- soon it fades away, and write bad ones on ‘rock’- keeping it in mind forever, feeling hurt. If I can understand that my friend’s No might not really mean that he hates me, my attitude toward him can make him say yes if he has the ability to do so.
“When we are internally violent toward ourselves, it is difficult to be genuinely compassionate toward others.”
This happened to me the day a friend meet me and was telling me the challenge he was having with his boss and I was having similar challenge. I was struggling to deal with my challenge and as I was trying to figure a way out, he came to me seeking for what to do. Sincerely I didn’t have anything to offer, even as he believe that I could help, but I know within myself, I had nothing to offer. Even when I tried to help, it was my own plan that I shared with him, and I hardly believe it suited his situation. Though he took it, only me know what was going on inside of me.
“It is not the behavior of the other person but our own need that causes our feeling.”
This seems to correspond to a quote in As a Man Thinketh, “circumstance does not make a man, but only reveals him to himself.” Our need at a particular time makes us feel happy when met and unhappy when its not getting the desired.
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?
By God’s grace, there was no confusion.
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 various exercises at some stages in the book, to verify if I was in tune with the lessons of the book. I tried to answer the questions, some I got, some I couldn’t think same with the author. Completing the exercises gave me more insight about the chapter I just finished reading, while I was doing one of the assignment given, I got a significant insight as to why I do some of the things I do and how it is not a must for me to do them. I also discover that am responsible for all am doing now, no matter what is the reason for doing it, all the same, it’s still me that choose to do it.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous question? If so please comment.
Life is all about communication; how we communicate with ourself and others is the key to the communal relationship and remedy for the various violence in the world today.
It seems its always easy to be involved in comdemning, judging, analyzing, blaming or praising, but I have come to discover that if we can empathize, if we can try at least to respectfully understand what is going on inside of others, definitely there will be a great deal of reduction in the various conflict all around the world.
If we can understand how much of impact our words make on others and even on ourselves, we can think before we speak and try to attend to the feelings and needs of other people. I wish parents could use NVC to communicate to their kids who learns from them how to communicate.
The only thing I see as a serious challenge is that the idea that Nonviolent Communication appears to be strange in this part of the world where people are totally comfortable to the manipulative life style. Though Nonviolent Communication when learned and applied liberate one into a world of compassion, but learning this process, especially when one is a bit grown, is simply dragging one out of his comfort zone and reprogramming him. And I can see that it will really take time and patience for full actualization.
Please rate the following questions on the 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
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author’s main idea is based on building a leadership system, starting from the personal point of view; that one could be able to lead himself to greatness, overcoming the challenges and huddles that comes to us every day, so then could be able to lead others to same greatness.
The author’s main idea was summed up in three main qualities needed for leaders to be functional for human achievement: the ability to listen, putting other people first before yourself and eliciting cooperation from others. These three main qualities when well incorporated, can pull all things into perfect harmony and flow. Leadership starts from a personal conception; when one has been able to lead himself into greatness, having gained the ability to listen to the voices that pops up from our within and give it the proper interpretation, then pulling the necessary cooperation needed for the working together of things around us, then we can move forward to leading others into greatness.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. What it takes to be a leader: the ability to listen, (self-awareness, and self-regulation).
For me, I feel that the most important quality of a good leader is the ability to listen; listening to the voice speaking within and without of our inner mind. Sometimes there are opportunities carrying out for discovering, but hiding in an unfamiliar situation that appear like trouble or misfortune, but if one is able to listen and hear those calls for discoveries, then out of the mud can come the most precious element (gold).
Sometimes, when confronted with failure, people become upset and conclude that there are failures, but right inside of them are voices crying out saying; “I am great potential from God,” but we when we cannot listen properly that becomes the end of venturing into new stuffs.
When we listen well, we could be guided into self-awareness and self-regulation which is the most important quality for personal actualization. So learning how to listen is important, both on how to listen to yourself, to other people and to situation out there.
ii. The difference between leadership and management.
When first I had not read the 7 habits highly effective people, i use to think that leadership and management are the same things, but after then, I got the clear difference between the two. Here too, it made so clear what leaders and how leaders do their things. It reminds of the idea of doing things and doing the right thing. And evidently I agree to the idea of being a leader, not a manager, at least the ability to lead myself first.
iii. Leadership IQ test
This idea really gets me to check properly what I can do; to what extent do I have the quality needed to lead one’s self and the possibility of leading someone else. Though in many areas, I still see myself lagging behind, but at least now I know the areas I have to make effort to upgrade my leadership IQ.
iv. Speaking begins with listening
Actually I come to discover that it is true; the idea that speaking begins with listening, though most of the times, I have jumped into trying to help a pal, without actually knowing what it is the help that he really needs from me. Sometimes when someone speaks to me, he might be coming from a different direction all together, but without proper listening to him, the true solution which I intend to offer might not be the real need of the hour. So I have to learn to listen first, trying to understand what it is that he is saying and needing (a lesson from the Non-violent communication), then you can say words, if needed.
v. Great (modest) expectation
Having great but modest expectation is an idea that really got my attention. It’s like being an optimistic realist. Making your plans big enough to be able to wake you up early enough and keep you late in the night, but then, still putting into consideration the idea that there are things like uncertainties.
When expectation are made great but modest, there is usually no feeling of disappointment if at last the goal is not hit, but then if the goal is actualized, then it’s really worth the adventure.
vi. Staying ahead of the game
The idea here was about looking unto the future, even when while doing our today’s work the best that we can. There is need to keep looking toward the horizon, hoping for the best while staying in the plan.“The righteous shall live by faith,”so says the scripture; having confidence that all is going to work out as we carry on our day to day activities, but with the vision that there is green light at the end of the tunnel.
vii. Never promise what you can’t deliver
Infidelity causes more harm to someone’s reputation than most of other activities that I have come across in this life. When I make promise and fail, it not only makes me feel sad about the people I have failed, but also brings me the feeling of untrustworthiness. Before now I have been working on how I can meet up with my promises, and I have come to notice that I takes a great deal of self-discipline to do what I have said I will do; to myself and to others too. Most leaders try to impress, drawing attention at the initial stage, raising people’s hope, just to get such hopes crashed when expected to be fulfilled. And even today, in our societies, people don’t takes such promises serious again, since they know that it can still be broken just as before. Someone (us) has to remedy this notion and make people know that the word ‘trust’ still exists.
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?
First of all I know that being a student of IIGL, I am a leader; at least of myself, over the period of time past now, I have felt that people are looking up to me for one thing or the other. I have seen people come to me for advice before, to know what I could do, if I am in their situation, their trust that my judgment is right.
Now considering the qualities needed for good leadership, I discover that there is more to leadership that what I have known before. Putting to practice the three qualities, things will definitely get much better in the field leading to greatness.
After conducting my leadership IQ test, I discovered some of the areas that I am trying and all the areas that I have put in more effort to develop the muscle in the achievement of my personal goals.
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.
“Right place, Right time.”
The Bible said in Ecclesiastics 9: 11 “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Other version of the scripture said, it’s by being in the right place at the right time.
This statement reminds me that all we can do is to sow the seed, but the power for germinate, grow and bear fruit belongs to a Higher Power far beyond our control. And until we fully understand the stand of God in our life, we might run, fight, hustle and make all the effort we can, all to no success. Success belongs to God. So it necessary that we understand that there is God; higher, above all to whom all our plans and effort should be anchored.
“You’ve to get to have enough confidence in yourself that you’re not worried about being fired for saying or doing the wrong thing. You cannot let anything scare you. If you really have confidence that you can always get another job, then you will do the right thing.”
Anthony Robbins told me that 90% of my greatest asset is standing on my shoe right now. So if devote much time and effort to building this particular unique asset, it could grow to the extent where it could have gained the courage to withstand any challenge that comes and still stand strong.
There are a lot of qualities that makes a man so much self-confident; ‘knowing that it’s no longer I that live but Christ lives in me; knowing that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; knowing that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world; much of these knowledge; and also knowing we are victorious in Christ, towards any situation… then we can full face all that confront us, then we can always be self-confident in all we do; knowing even when we get fired from a job, all things work out for good for them that Love God and are called to his purpose.
“I found that great things in this world are not so much where we stand, as in what direction we were moving.”
Yaaa, this makes sense to me a great deal and it has kept me focus till now. Knowing that there is a future and a hope in Christ, and with all the goals I have ahead of me, I know that one day; and even as days goes by, I feel things getting better. Not giving up about tomorrow; (based on the situation I found myself today) is a great idea that I encourage everyone to imbibe in their personal and daily life. I have come to discover that each and every day of our life is distinctly different from the rest of all other days and has its possibilities and opportunities.
So building the future feeling on the sight we have today is an awkward idea to follow for a man who wants to be happy for a life time. Things changes overtime; either for better for worst and most changes is based on the mentality of the holder. I hope this why the Bible said, “the righteous live by faith.”
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I live through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” You must do the thing you cannot do.”
I have to understand mindset makes people gold or chaff, depending on which one people have. People whose mindset have made them gold, come out of an ugly situations more refined than he got into the situation; while someone might get crushed by the situation which refined another person, to these group of people, their mindset have made them chaff.
“Situation does not make a man, it only reveals him to himself,” so says James Allen.
Looking at a situation with a positive mindset makes most horrible situation become a lesson ground rather than a terrifying state that it become for people who have negative mindset.
When some have a positive mindset in life, he can understand that “Failure can be a stepping stone to success at a later time – if you handle the failure well and learn from your mistakes.”
“The process of becoming well takes time. Things take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and even the most charismatic leader can’t improve a bad situation overnight.”
I love this quote. “Wound takes time to heal; things take time to get better, and an understanding of this gives a great peace of mind. One could have patience with himself and with situations around which he expect to change, and with this patience things definitely get changed for better. And doing a time steadily overtime expected improvement comes this other quote which I love also; “Anything you can do, you can do better.”
“Sometimes the process of doing overtakes the outcome.”
I have heard this from somewhere else that there is actually real fun in the journey process than in the destination. Experience has also shown me so. Even in schools, the experiences we gain during the little time we spent there normally supersede the certificate that is being awarded at the end of time. So from this idea, I learnt that if there is time to catch fun, its now, waiting for the end to come for one to be happy, makes the whole process so boring and mostly the expected end is often not achieved with a boring process.
“If you keep an appropriate emotional distance from the outset, no one gets hurt.”
I understand this as making it right from the beginning, clarifying issues from the onset. And when this happens, a lot of complications are avoided that would have risen in the future. In relationships, people set boundaries about their emotions and when intimacy is avoided from the onset keeping the relationship on the level of ‘just a friend’, a lot of emotional hurt is avoided, but when a lot of emotional attachment is involved, there is a great chance of being hurt if any form of disappointment occurs in the future.
“The future is now.”
Someone told me that the most important moment in our life is now. Which means that now determine many things in our life, how we feel now; how we think now and how we plan now. Most people throw away the joy of the moment, hoping for the future which never comes. Now wonder we are advice to live one day at time.
“Remember that today’s opponent may become tomorrow’s ally, and that you operate in a fluid, ever-changing world.”
Nothing remains the same; everything changes overtime, even people changes too as situations changes. So knowing that people could change overtime can really make people forget about the situations of the past and make use of opportunities of the future and let go of the misunderstanding of the past.
There is this law in politics that said, “No permanent enemy and no permanent friend.”
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?
Actually it wasn’t like I didn’t understand the content of the book, but some of concept and ideology used in the book are not easily obtainable in my environment. Like some of the couching examples used in the book only reminds of the American authors who I have read their books. But the terms of the book were expressly simple to simple, that’s for me anyway.
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?
The major exercises contained in the book was the leadership IQ test and the SWOT table, and there were a kind of personal assessment plan to make me realize how close I might be in leading myself to the greatness destined and possibly how well I can lead others too. I took out time to see what my leadership and based on the test, I feel that putting more effort into it, I can be able to lead one day (say a group of other people to achieve their goals).
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.
Actually, for the all the leadership position I have occupied from my secondary days, I was appointed to be the leader, or say delegated. The first contest I made to lead as a class representative, I failed; that was in my JSS 1. But when I got to JSS 2, I was appointed to be the same class representative. And from then on, I have lead in more than 6 leadership positions all by appointment.
So I coming to believe real leadership role is really by appointment, not by campaigning for it and contesting, a lot of things goes on during this period of campaign and contest, promises which will not be fulfilled are made, lives trampled on, and rights neglected, just to be a leader.
I sometimes misunderstand the real concept of leadership, if leaders are meant to be servants, then why do people struggle for it up to level of harming others? If people really understand what quality is needed to be a leader, then I don’t think it has to grab by struggle, when one has these quality, people naturally follow.
No book has ever take much of my effort reading as this book did, but I was so glad that I did read it from the beginning to the end. It was somehow easy to understand, and actually I learnt a lot of new words and phrases from the book. New ideas too, came with the book. I promise myself that I was going to drink a bottle of malt to cool myself down after the work of reading through the book; I did when I finish reading it. So happy moving to the next level.
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? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Raising Children Compassionately
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Dr. Rosenberg in this book was offering a unique style of human relationship that ought to exist between parents and their given blessings (Children). The Bible said, “children are gift from God.”
Most often, parents consider it that the children must take from their values and walk in the ways which only them consider right in themselves. But seldom do they pay attention to what need the child is having at that time, that they can make effort to meeting them.
He made it clear that most parents only feel that Punishment and reward are the only sure way of having a child do what they feel he is suppose to do, but with morals based on motivations (positive and negative – that is reward and punishment) the child grow with an inbuilt fear instead of respect for what really is. Children ought to learn from what their parents do and be obedient to their instructions, but it ought not to be with the fear of punishment or with anticipation of reward, because when it’s the latter, definitely when there is none, the child is left with no choice than to be who there really are.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The limitation of coercion and punishment
In as much as we feel most often that punishment (be it corporal or denial of certain rights) can make the child do what we want them to do, but I have come to discover that there are limitations in the achievement of such aims that parent desire in their child with the use of punishment. The children live in fear of what they are suppose to love and any time they have the opportunity to be themselves, they reveal terrible trait hidden for a long time.
ii. The limitation of reward
Just the way punishment is not the perfect style of raising a child, so is rewarding system limited in the achievement of what trait we need in the child; the children acts always with expectation of what will be given them if they do the right thing and when there is no reward for any action, they don’t do it. When reward system is used to raise a child, he grows knowing that for every action of his, he ought gain something in return; not living rightfully for right living sake.
iii. Unconditional love
Why do we love? This question got thinking a lot of things about my relationship with my loved ones and checking the way I look at them at times. Some I have discovered that it was their good character that made me love them and definitely if character should turn bad, my love for them possibly could turn to something else. Then I tried to stop judging or trying to change people, and to started taking them for who they are while I pay attention to who I am. I discover that when I love people without attachments, am freer with them and with myself, and the less disappointment I feel with their action, because I now have less expectation from people.
iv. The idea of being permissive
I have seen some parents who have adopted the approach of being permissive with their kids, just allowing them to do whatever pleases them, either because they are tired of trying to correct a kid for a particular action, or that they feel they so much love their kids that they don’t want to bore the child with too much corrective measure. This kind of parent seems not to understand that child rearing is one of the found fundamental role of a parent. I rather not choose this approach of child rearing.
v. Preparing the child
It is of optimum importance that parents start acculturating into their children the basic value they ought to grow up with right from home and beginning from their very tender age. But it becomes risky when parents leave the work of value inculcating to nannies and kindergarten teachers, this method often ends up building in children values that might endanger their livelihood. For parents to be able to build up solid value into their kids, they themselves ought to have had great values to transfer into their kids with much ease and just living their lives while the kids copy, most times by default.
vi. The use of force (in protection)
Most times when it becomes so necessary for parents to use a kind of force to correct or guide their kids, the intension of such force measure is what makes things different, it should be for the best interest of the child in question, not to humiliate or inflict pain but at least, he should accept the punishment and know that it’s out of love that he is being disciplined.
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?
Knowing that ‘reward’ and ‘punishment’ all have limitations in the approach of raising our children, and even in our relationship with people around us, I learn better ways of dealing with people and letting them know my personal values by living by them, somehow people will come to know that “this is who I am.” Actually I come to understand that a man who have not understood the idea of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) it will be so hard for him to pass it on to those under him. So I really need to put into mind the idea that I have left the realm of the ordinary man, based on the principles I have come to believe now and the new road I am trading and daily, try as much as I can to put into action those principles I am learning daily.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please and comment on them?
“Would you like to talk about it.”
This is a very polite way of approaching some who is hurt or feeling hurt. This is a way of offering a helping hand but not in a compelling way (demanding), respecting their will and privacy, and making them willing to trust and pour out their hurts.
“How easily we dehumanize others because they are children.”
Everyone deserve their human rights and ought to have a certain level of respect, but I have seen parents who just neglect the usefulness of the ideas of their children because to them children have no right to bring up ideas by the way, there are mere children.
“What do we want to be the children’s reason for acting in a way we want them to?”
This might not only be referred mainly to children under me alone, but to friends as well; there are sometimes which we make people to do things for us, or even for themselves under manipulation from us. Even in the church sometimes, some pastors makes worshipers pay tithes and donations for the fear of certain harm that may befall them if they fail to pay their tithes or donate to the building of a church program. But God loves a cheerful giver. It will be nice that we first learn the true value of our action and learn how to teach people to live out their true values for ‘right’ sake, not by putting fear into them to make them do what we want from them.
“Unconditional love requires that no matter how people behave, they trust that they will receive a certain quality of understanding from us.”
I wish that I can be loved unconditionally, such that when I have any form of disagreement with someone, the disagreement will not be the regulator of our relationship, but people can trust me not to term people based on events that took place. This idea is of great value to me, giving me insight to how I ought to have treated people around me.
“Children should do (right) things because they choose to do it, not because they have been force to do them.”
Forcing someone to do things either by punishment or by manipulative reward, removes the joy that was to be found in such actions. Children ought to be taught how to do what is right, such that willingly they can build up good morals right from home and show to the outside world the value of good home training.
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 book is concise enough for proper understanding, especially based on my knowledge of Nonviolent Communication techniques.
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 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.
I would have loved it so much if at the moment I have my own kids to apply the lessons I have learnt from this book, but all the same, I still have close once, Nephews and Nieces who I can communicate with nonviolently, and with them I imagine how it could be with my own kids. If parents could first have the idea of Nonviolent Communication, then it can be so easy for them to learn the idea of training their kids without the aid of manipulative rewards and destructive application of force (punishment); knowing that children have their needs and if met, can turn their rebellion to obedience.
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. 7
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? 8
Conflict Resolution
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Based on the different and complex diversities in human existence, there is bound to be several perceptions and different understanding of points and ideas in life, and with each person being right in his/her own view, there is bound to be conflicting ideas, reasons and perceptions. Dr Dudley was trying to point out to the fact that these conflicts are mostly not evil in itself that should be dreaded or avoided but are natural part of life’s relationship and when confronted and addressed properly, can lead to a new greater level of harmonious relationship.
He pointed out that conflict will definitely arise in any given relationship; be it at home, work place or in the community at large, but when everyone involved in the conflict see themselves as partners that need to work together in the resolution of the conflict, there is an understanding of individual perception, and an understanding of this perceptions by the other partner; which are mostly good intended can be the building block for a more enjoyable long lasting relationship. Several steps are stated that can be followed toward achieving the resolution of a conflict and building better understanding among partners and having the needs of everyone involved in a conflict meet.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Clarification of Perceptions
Clarifying and understanding of perceptions; both of self and of the other party is what I see as the key step in the resolution of conflicts in a relationship. When I tried clarifying what my perceptions are in a conflict and tried to understand the view of my partner, it marveled me how many issues that was automatically resolved without stress. Most intensions for several actions are well intended, but most times misunderstood by other people.
ii. Internal conflicts
Trying to check the roots of the conflict I have had with some people in the past, I come to discover that most of it was rooted from within me, not from an external offence. And I discovered also that internal conflict can hardly be resolved from without, unless one looks deep within and tries healing from there. Internal conflict is what normally leads to Ghost conflicts.
iii. Dealing with Ghost conflicts
I see that it is very essential that attentions be paid to the forms that conflicts take in the relationship so it can be addressed appropriately. Like when small issues begins to raise more dust than suppose, it’s wise to understand that there might be an issue somewhere that needs to be addressed, so wisdom can then be applied. I have experienced it before but did know the how to explain what was going on, I wondered if it’s just what I have done that is leading to all these quarrel or is there something else, now I understand what was going on.
iv. Relationship’s needs
Some of the conflicts I have had in my relationships often pop up when I place my personal needs above the needs of the relationship or when I ignore the facts that the relationship has a need to be protected. Now I begin to notice those occasions, in which I would have tolerated some issues, but I rather claimed my right and sought for the fulfillment of my personal ego, and you know, conflict was the results.
v. Specific Openings in a Conflict Resolutions
How do I start? What do I say first? These were the areas that bothered me as I started reading this book and as I was considering how to restore the normalcy in my relationship. And I see these opening statements as the platform upon which the resolution process would flow; when the process is not opened well, the whole process can appear to be a battle with winners trying to emerge. I have got some quotes on this idea that greatly caught my heart.
vi. Avoiding Stereotyping
I have not had the idea of stereotyping before, and the description here actually got me scared about how much havoc I might have caused to the lives of people that I have labeled before. I imagined how people could be looking at me if am the one that is stereotyped.
vii. Personal preparation for conflict resolutions process
Personal preparation is of optimum importance before commencing a conflict resolution process; trying to identify self perceptions and of the conflict; trying to understanding the needs that seeks satisfaction, and clearing the negative view about conflict and getting ready to use the conflict as a navigation to moving the relationship to a greater level when finally all conflicts are resolved. One really ought to prepare well, being ready to tolerate, the harsh answers that might come, and being so calm to respond rather reacting.
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 these points, I took time to consider and check through the conflicts in my relationships and to figure out the roots from which they spring out; what need seeks fulfillment, to some I have discovered is an internal conflict within me that escalated outside, some was a placement of my personal needs over the need of the relationship and some was a misunderstanding of the perception of my partner.
I have also seen how dangerous it can be to stereotype a person, and how odd it is too. I know that no one is totally bad all of the times and no one is equally totally good all of the times, we all have our weaknesses and limitation and letting one mistake define a person or a relationship can be so awkward.
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 just want you to know that I am not looking at this as some sort of fight to determine a winner; I believe we are in this together and we need each other to work it out.”
I just like the politeness of this statement, even if am as furious as hell and this kind of addressed to me, to me all conflict is resolved, it just remaining for the needs of the relationship to be figure out and meet. But that opening statement, if used on me, can actually sweep up my feet. I used it, trying to get the attention of one of my friends, and it surprised me how the arguments died and discussion continued on very low key.
“Let me tell you what I heard you say and see if I understand what you mean.”
This is another polite way of trying to make the other party clarify what is in their mind. Rather assuming what we think is being said, we can find a way of aligning in the same perspective with the other party and letting them know that we really mean to understand what it is he/she just said, or what they mean by such statement.
“We have had a pretty good relationship for a lot of years.”
Trying to bring to mind the fact that over the years things have been so well; remembering those moments when we were happy can help settle the quarrel of today. I just love the idea of remembering those nice moments again and knowing that if we had it then, we can still have it today. Reminding my partner of this idea, like these two couple below can be very helpful in the heat of a conflict.
“Maybe we can use this disagreement to make our relationship better. I can learn from you and you can learn from me. Just because we disagree on this problem doesn’t mean we have to let it make us forget the other things we share in our relationship.”
“I am sorry, Ron. I didn’t mean to start arguing about this issue again. We might not be able to resolve this issue between two of us. I want to keep our relationship strong even though we disagree on some things. I love you, Ron, and I think if we focus on what we can do to make our relationship even more meaningful, we will be able to deal with our differences even on this issue.”
“Do not let a single issue define an entire relationship.”
This statement comes with so much wisdom. So many instances, I have fallen into the temptation of allowing a single issue define a person, I even name them by that single event and throw away the possibility that they could even change in the future. This was so much wrong of me, sometimes I even do this to myself; defining my life by one event that happen in my life, like when I failed in a venture and seeing myself as a failure.
“Life is too short to stay in a relationship that continually damage one or both parties.”
This was a painful statement to me, but somehow a last word for new start, when the heat in the relationship has become unbearable, at least when all have been said and done, one should realize that just like we choose to enter into a relationship to make life beautiful and pleasant, there is no need remaining in relationship when what was aimed for at first before entering into relationship, is no more there. But I also hope this is not the case when one has entered into marriage, I think in the case of marriage, the relationship is for a life time, everything possible has to be done to return to the initial romantic feelings, but even if it did not get back there, then idea of endurance ought to come in. In think that is why someone has be perfectly sure of what marriage is all about before venturing into husband and wife relationship; courtship ought to have revealed all that should be in marriage.
“Relationships of worth are precious opportunities and should not be dismissed prematurely.”
Yes, I total agree with this idea, I believe that, that bond that bind us at first can still keep us going, so when we discover the genuine love that exist in a relationship, faults can be overlooked, forgiveness can be sincere and life will be more meaningful. So I have decided to hang on until the last options have been used; until I see that nothing again is left undone, only then will I make the move of getting into a new relationship.
Sorry Ma, am being somehow personal, referring to my relationship with the girl I wish to marry; things seem not be going like I desire, but am checking out first to see if it is my internal conflict, or if am not misunderstanding her perspectives or am I just putting my personal above the needs of the relationship. I really need not to rush any form of blame or any decision that I might regret later on. I actually love her and am at peace each time I am with her, so I have to give fate a chance here to help me out, while I apply all the process I have learned from this book to gain my love back.
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 idea of Stereotyping gave me pretty hard time in understanding but I managed to cope.
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 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.
None.
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? 10
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? 9
The Power of Failure
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The book seems to be an irony, the author tried to reveal the beauty in ashes, the greatness in small things, the opportunities in challenges, and the success in failure. His ideas were based on persistence and determination in a clear goal even when we encounter setbacks or when the road is not as smooth as anticipated. A change of perspective and the meaning we give to events that occurs in our life determines how we hang on when the road becomes rough. Like Robert Schuler said, “tough time never last but tough people do.” The tough people here are those that understand that things could still turn out differently somehow, even in hard moments, and when eventually it does, they come out more refined than their former state in life.
I see the author just recommending a positive view to events in life, and to what naturally have been considered as failure. We need to come to the knowledge that for gold to be at its best, the refining process is basically needed and all of the times, this is not a pleasant moment for the gold at all. I see the author pointing out to the fact that life’s curve is not straight but an increasingly wave-like pattern, with its peaks and depths; one falls and rises in the race, but from each fall, pick up something and rise up stronger.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Learning from failure
I see that this point entails considering failure not as tragedy but as instructional tool for changing route or pattern toward the achievement of greater success. Just as it is stated in the book, that “once you embrace unpleasant news not as negative but as evidence of a need for a change, you aren’t defeated by it.” So I need to know most valuable lessons in life are been learnt from experience, and experience comes from trying things, and many of which we are not so sure of what the outcome will be, given the many factors that can influence such trails.
I Am open to learning every day, ready to try again or change route, all from the results I see, pleasant or not, but having the most valuable message for me.
ii. In the face of failure, search for opportunities not obstacles
Being positive minded is the key here. Knowing that all things happens to serve us, to help us accomplish our purpose here on earth depending on how open we are to the truth that all things works together for good to them that love God.
iii. To be a real success, you must fail
This idea removes the fear of failure from me and keeps my eyes in the success involved in every failing. Just like a baby learning how to walk, its already known that such baby must fall so often with the legs gaining strength as the days goes by.
iv. Some times when you lose, you win
I see this at work when we have to give up our right for others to have their way. Knowing that after all, we don’t have a anything to lose; with them having their way, the relationship is mostly maintained and peace reigns as well. Somehow along the way, they come to realize what gesture was done to them at first, and then everyone wins. This reminds me of when I played Ludo game with one of friends and each time I win him thrice in a row, he feels so sad and stops playing and normally I will have to let him win so he can be happy while we continue the game.
v. Help others win, even at your own expense, to help yourself
This seems like the idea in point 4 above, but here some work need to be done in helping others have their way and in building up their strengths, even when its seems to be at our own inconveniency. Like building some talents into someone, teaching someone some special skills especially when we will not benefit directly from such actions. But nature always has a way of turning things around and such efforts never go unrewarded.
vi. Lose a disagreement to win a relationship
It’s really wiser to allow your opponent feel he/she has won, while creating an enabling atmosphere for mutual relationship. Some people have not grown to the stage of bearing the shocks of loosing, even in an argument, and for us who are undergoing mind development, we ought to know that we are of higher species now and it’s like being patient with a child development process while helping him grow. This also goes with the idea of choosing to be happy instead of choosing to be right. Many people have dies in their ‘right’, for which they should have wisely chosen to let go some issues and be alive. Wisdom is actually needed here.
vii. Discover success at the point of maximum pessimism
I noticed the power of this idea when I was at the stage I can describe as zero level in life. There was a time when I lost all I held dear, all I looked up to, the only choice I had was to start afresh. Suddenly I choose to look at that moment as an opportunity to start afresh on a new venture, and it was a great moment, pulses of ideas flowed into, for I was surprise. I then believe that when one falls, he should just look around and pick something valuable, with which he can build upon to greater heights. I learnt most values during those moments I was down than all the other moment I felt like things were going on normal. It has the same meaning as seeing the magnificent in the minimal.
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?
These ideas have helped me endured, persevered, and felt so calm in the moment of hopelessness. I have known that life have different phases, and the universe is governed by seasons; we have day and night, each followed the other, and the passing from night, makes the day so pleasant. Without failure, it is usually hard to find the real value and the joy of success, I am a life witness to this fact; details in my comments below.
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.
“Changing our perspective is often the key to finding success in seeming failure.”
This is really the key, because when one is still negatively minded and seeing failure as end to life. He can hardly look around for new opportunities or even hope for a turn of things what in hard moment. A man who is positively minded, he can easily endure the night with hope for the dawn of a new day.
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one”
This is the fear of failing, and this has stopped a lot of people from even trying some things. The force of initial involves risk taking and anyone who is so afraid of taking risk can hardly have an adventure and imagine how dull his life can be.
The apparent premise was that a person who had failed and then got up again was stronger than one who had never experienced failure.
Refinement is the true test of real gold; examination is the test of student’s comprehension of a particular subject. It is said that the true test of a man is not in never falling, but in how well he rise after falling. It is true, because after each failure, there is usually a great deal of experience that can be applied to other areas of life. The bible said that God is not unjust that he should allow us to be tempted beyond our strength, but has always made a way of escape. Doubling our failure rate is necessary, because for that to happen many ventures would have been tried and at least 1 success in every 99 trial.
“By wrestling with failure we grow strong wings for soaring to success.”
This is I know is true because over the period I struggled with my temporary setback, I have come to gain certain level of confidence in myself and in my ability to face bigger situations ahead and still win. I have learnt how to be patient and how to endure, and mostly especially, I have also learnt the difference between the being patient and enduring.
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part; just the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
I am just in love with these lines. From the lessons I learned from The Science of Getting Rich, that competition is not really necessary, because we live in a world of infinite abundance and only the souls suffering from limitation mentality are the once that are normally involves in competition. Competition needs to put someone down to be up, saddens someone to be happy, but in the field of mutual relationship, everyone wins and every gets enough. Even the looser rejoices in the success of the winner.
“To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand. And eternity in an hour.”
This is the kind of simplicity that I desire; the ability to pay attention to the little things that takes place in my life every day. I have discovered that from the time that God decide to become Man, it became obvious that he has put in man, all that man need to become whoever he wants to be. Most of the times we look far off, searching for things that are within our closet, but if I can see the world in a grain of sand, I can find the real joy I need to be happy, right within of me.
“Failure is a natural part of everyday life. Failure, at its best, is a stepping stone to success, A challenge in progress, and the life blood of a successful life. Failure offers us the gifts of learning.”
The means to become stronger and grow as persons, The possibility for change and innovation, And the chance to see whole new opportunities, Failure can provide us with the foundation for long-term success. If we learn to redefine it, to use it to win through losing,
“And to cope and collaborate with it. Ultimately, both failure and success are in the eyes of the beholder. We can live successfully by looking beyond ourselves and seeing. All the opportunities that the world has to offer those who have the courage to take on new worthwhile challenges and steadily fail toward success. We can truly live successful lives when we dare to harness the power of success.”
I will need to print out this Motto and paste in my room, it will keep me focus on my goals, even when setbacks occurs.
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 book was clear enough,
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 was not exercise in 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.
None.
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
God at the Speed of Light
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author (T. Lee Baumann) tried as well as he can to explain the scientific view of God and the Spiritual understanding of the Higher Power (God). Somehow he tried to show all the evidences that scientist have posted over the ages and how it appears to them that somehow the world appeared from some Big Bang and how it came from nothing, but finally it all was pointing to the fact that there exist a higher power outside nature which might have caused all that is, to appear.
He pointed that humankind have 5 senses through which it observes and feels all that goes on around us, but evidence has also shown that these five senses are not enough to reveal to us all that exist in our universe. He did reveal the limitation of both Science and Religion in the revelation of the existence of God as the creator of all that is; but pointed out how knowledge is dynamic, and as days goes by we will definitely be becoming more aware of our great universe and of God as the ultimate creator of all that is.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The Near Death Experience (NDE)
The issue Near Death Experience was thoroughly expanded by the author to a great depth and it agree to examples given, much so as it has happened to me in some measure: After the death of my father, I saw him once in my dream and he told me not worry that everything is going to be fine, furthermore, years later, my Mum died and few nights later, I saw her telling me that She is going to my meet Daddy and I told her I cannot follow her now, to which she said, “Oh, you can come later.”
During the life days of my mother, there was things she said she would like to happen before she die and also said the way she would like to die, and just a day before she died, she took her time to make all those things happen; she called all her sons and daughter and spoke to them all.
ii. Understanding the Bible
In as much as Scientist were trying to explain the records of the Bible as symbolic facts, in the long run, there are always a certain level of agreement or a stage to which they will have no choice to agree to that which is contained in the Bible. Just like the author right said, one has to be open minded about the further revealing facts that will pop up as time goes on and knowledge grows. But all things points to God and his almighty nature, but Science and the Bible are leading to God and his works, though in parallel manner as the author puts it.
iii. The Grand Design
This is another intriguing fact about the Universe which we live in. Everything has been ordered perfectly by a perfect creator; day follows the night, seasons repeats, so on; laws exists and everything both great and small have their life to live. These must have come from somewhere, from someone. All the forces of nature we have are all grandly designed and kept constant by a Super Force to which we believe is God. I like the revealed facts that the author made on this point and how science have tried to find the sources of events, all leading to higher force, or power or energy to whatever they may call it, I call Him God.
iv. Free Will vs Perfect Determinism
Actually I believe that predetermination is not really for us to bear mind to, I personally have believe about God that he knows the end from the beginning; but for us, our future can only be suggested to be the result of our the road we choose to trend upon, which in most cases is not even the case. I believe that God is omniscience and we (man) are confined to the present. “the secrete things belongs to God, that which is revealed belongs to the children of men.”
v. Similarities of Light to God
The most important thing that interested me in this point was the various different comparisons from different sources. There were books I never heard of like BhagavadGita, Moroni, Kabbalah, Enoch. God is Light and those who follow him will never walk in darkness.
vi. Collective Unconscious
I also paid attention to the idea of the higher knowledge we posses outside ourselves. I noticed this when i could just guase of something very important and coming to comfirm it, it was just exactly as i guased it. Many times have it repeated and reading about it here, that we are just discovering everyday what it is we really already know.
vii. Seeing to Believe
Though we have been taught to believe what we see, but over the years as we grow discoveries keep revealing that the most important component of our existence are not visible. We breathe in air but they are not seen, only felt. But just like the author said, our senses appear less than adequate to reveal the true reality that surrounds us. So we need to believe even though we dis not see; Jesus said such people are blessed.
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 understanding of the fact that there are more to life that what we merely see gives me a hope of greater things up ahead, knowing that God is mightier than all and his ways are beyond human comprehension. Also knowing that Science and Religion are two parallel path all leading to God makes me open minded to the dynamic nature of knowledge and ready to accept any new discoveries that might pop up even in the future.
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.
“Knowledge is ever dynamic: We have always known in part and we continue to know as time passes. I have discovered that the morewe know, the more know that we don’t know, that’s why we need to keep learning as long as we are alive. It is said that when a man stops learning, he start dying.”
“Life is indeed strange and unexplainable.”
I agree to this fact, because there are a lot of things on life that we can fully understand or explain. Though science have tried to find out how things happen but in that, they are still confused as to why it happens. In all of this i just feel we just learn how to change things we can and accept the ones we can’t.
“Humankind will never understand -nor be bring to- God’s ultimate plan. As such our role is to accept as best as we can – what ever fate befalls us.”
The Bible recorded that God’s ways is neither our ways, nor his thoughts ours, but there is a gap as wide as heaven is from the earth. Still calls for us to log in to the greatness of a great God and in Him, find ourselves in its true meaning.
“Miracles are not restricted to the past. They occur about us all the time. We have only to recognize them for what they are.”
Scientific experiments would always like to show a cause for every effect, but yet it still stands in awe of occurrences. I have had a miracle happen in my life before and I still see it happen around me. I believe in it.
“Suffering is not necessarily the product of sin.”
This is another quote that got my attention. I think in the days of suffering, the days when things seems not to be going like we want it, it might hurt more tracing the cause, than relying on a higher power for guidance and intervention.
“Our senses appear less than adequate to reveal the true reality that surrounds us.”
Trying to know everything and believing only those things we know could be disastrous to ones existence here and even here after. There is a place for faith, hope and trust in our being and there is place for proof; all working together to give us what we need as human.
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?
Actually some of those formulas were strange to me, I did not pay much attention to how they were obtained but I just know they are genuine. The double split experiments and the sort; though they remind of the school days.
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 was no exercises in 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.
The concept of Big Bang theory and the relativity theory actually gave me extra work. I needed to download an encyclopedia on the topics to fully understand what there were saying. I had watched the Big Bang Theory (America Comedy series) and only had a little idea about the said, but how the world is said to have come the Big Bang was a kind of fresh pill.
The book was actually interesting and understanding was aided from my little knowledge of physics. I also enjoyed the deep citations that the author shared. The knowledge gained in this book was actually intriguing.
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? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 7.5
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author was trying to bring to light the life of a man whom I consider a true leader. Martin Luther King Jr. as I see in this book was a man who if I can posses a few of his spirit, I will be to a great extend satisfy. I saw in him the two qualities that Jesus spoke about in his words “be as wise as serpent and as gentle as a dove.” His use of non-violence in approaching life issues as made known to me in this book is what I cannot over emphasize. He was cool but not foolish, he was calm but not silent, he was a warrior but not dangerous.
I see in him the contrast of whom I am and the picture of who I want to be; in his speech, so much full of wisdom and convincing words that even an enemy could not disputes its truthfulness. MLK Jr. knew he was not perfect but had the desire to be; he felt the pains of others, but did not stop with the feelings; he took steps to ease the pains. Though he was born with a sound mind, but like Jesus, he still learnt obedience through suffering. Clayborne Carson brought it all to light and made it known to me that lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. He made it known to me also that there comes a time when time itself is ready for changes, and that freedom is never ‘given’ voluntary, it is ‘taken’ by those who is need of it.
At first I was scared of the volume of the book but when I begin to journey through the life of a man who choose to take the part of Jesus, in the like manner of Mahatma Gandhi, I was consumed in the manner which a man can really give his life for the sake of many and show the practical application of love. The Bible said of Jesus that he was bruised and like a lamb led to the slaughter, he was led away, but he never fought back, neither did he return any abuse, Mahatma Gandhi led same life, and that is what I saw in MLK Jr. When I read his obituary, I was caught up in the thinking, what will men really remember me for? MLK Jr. stated what he wants to be remembered for, “That I Tried.”. “I did like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life for serving others.”
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. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
The idea that freedom is not willingly given but always demanded for by those that needs it, made a great sense to me. I have seen several situation when men just wait for the best to come to them, but I noticed that most of the times, the best never come to the one that just wait; hustlers make things come to them. Man must dare the circumstances of the time and dig for gold, and upon such daring, chains are broken, potentials are discovered, the Bible stated it clearly that “Since the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God suffereth violence and only the violent takes it by force.” Whatever this means, I feel it is referring to those people who move out and get what they want.
ii. You must have to speak up.
I have seen this idea manifesting among my people. Sometimes, just because we don’t want the trouble of facing the some truths, and what could be the subsequent consequences, we just choose to let the sleeping dog lie. This is mostly dangerous at the end, as the escalation of the silenced situation normally stinks and worries even though that thinks they are unaffected. I really need to begin to practice total rejection of evil in all of its form than just be lukewarm about it. We have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. There is an existential moment in your life when you must decide to speak for yourself; nobody else can speak for you.
iii. You do not win by gaining subjects.
I was thinking that if we have to be free from slavery, we have to make ourselves masters over our master, but MLK has properly changed my view here, he made me truly understand that it was not that he hated the white brothers, but he loved the blacks, he was not trying to bring the white down, but he was trying to raise the blacks all to level where all men can have a feeling that they are human. I know better now that it is not by putting others under me that I got to be on top. Black power assumed that Negros would be slaves unless there was a new power to counter the force of the men who are still determined to be masters rather than brothers.
iv. You must encounter genuine criticism from the people you seek to save.
This is one point I evaluated thoroughly and come to know that most men who embarked the soul liberation movements have always been attacked one time or another by the same people whom they are struggling to save. Jesus of Nazareth was killed by the world he came to save, I noticed that somehow, we mistake the intention of such great leaders and think they should have followed our views of life’s approach. This tells me that for the fact we are trying to do good to people, doesn’t mean they will not oppose us.
We ought to follow Mother Theresa quote “any way.”
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered, forgive them anyway;
If you are kind, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives, be kind anyway;
If you are successful, you will win false friends and some true enemies, succeed any way;
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you, be honest and frank anyway;
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight, build anyway;
If you find serenity and happiness, hey may be jealous, be happy anyway;
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway;
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough, Give the world the best you have anyway;
You see in the final analysis, it is between you and your God,
It was never between you and them anyway.
v. You must not always see the result of your fight (the seed need to die for the tree to shoot out.
I think this one idea that was well crystallized in the mind of MLK Jr. when he was saying what he wished to be remembered of, he knew he might not be in the scene when his dreams will come true, he might have gone, but he was so sure that his works will always be remembered. He fought the fight, like the great minds of the past; Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and even Jesus Christ, all died before their shoots was seen rising, in the manner that was never imagined before.
We just have to do the best we can, be the best we can be, while we are here, the result might come years after we have left, but no good seed ever gets wasted in the ground. I have also properly observed that most valuable fruit trees that has values, the planter of such seed, be it project, ventures, or even tree plant, they rarely stay alive to eat the fruit of such acts.My father made some plantation of valuable trees, now he is gone, and those fruits, is now ours to enjoy, someone has to pay the price for the freedom of others, I hope I will be able to pay a price for the freedom of my people who are suffering today of illiteracy.
vi. There are always men behind the scene (the ground crew).
There are normally those people, who are not seen in the fight, but they are the most valuable personality for the battle; they are the roots that hold the tree, the foundation that holds the building. The beauty of these kind of people are rarely seen, their effort mostly go unrecognized, and unrewarded, are there are few people who willingly accept to belong to this group in our days. But without them, tell me what becomes of the tree without a root in the sand; what happens to the mansion without a foundation in the sand. People only see the flowers, fruits, leaves, roofs and admire it, and everybody wants to be celebrated, but what about those Nonprofit bodies; the Volunteers who gave it all for the good of others, we only know how important they are when they are gone, that when they are celebrated, their use comes out fully for all to see.
vii. You always need someone to trust and who will trust you.
It makes a great sense to have the affection of those you love, those support of those who understands you, I envy the relationship between MLK and his wife, his parents and his kids, even though he was not always there, but his wife filled his kids with his presence and let them know that their father is always with them, only he had to help others out there who needs help. His father was there for him too, and I am proud of his friend and associate. There will come a time when one really need a voice to say, “bro, we are with you,” it can make a great difference, and can be so disappointing when someone needs our encouragement, and looks round for it, but gets none. I have learned that a single complement, a common encouragement can carry someone on in the race when he the days seems dark and gloomy.
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 actually inspired me to take some actions toward my personal freedom. I had stayed with my elder brother for a period of 21 years and for those periods, I wasn’t sure if I existed in his plans, all I could recall was his plans; his ideas; his goals. I did expect him to be so concerned about who I will become, but along the journey of this book, I got it clearly that “if its ought to be, it’s up to me”. I decided to take responsibility of my actions, I moved out of my comfort zone to face my world and be myself. Though he objected my movement but my mind was made up. With nothing but my dreams, I went out on August 29, 2015.
I now stay with a friend, I just got a job am doing, even though the wage is little but I know it’s a start and am happy and ready to take the consequences of my actions. I know I can easily make my plans here based on what I have and what I can do. Before I left home, I know it was time to leave, everything around me was singing; “leave, leave,” I was not comfortable with everything around. Leaving was not so sweet, though hard at first, but I was not expecting it to be easy.
I also learned the need for a good foundation right from on set. The parents of MLK Jr. were very useful to who he was and who he becomes in his life. His father had inculcated into him, the right spirit from childhood and has been helping him make the right decision. I am not trying to assign blame or credit, but I am very certain that if I had known what I now know earlier enough, I would not have been in this level. Some of us were shown the way, while some of us discovered the way, through the experience. I am resolute that my children will not suffer the discovery stage like I did, because I will show them the way I have found from their early stage. Finally I will like to comment on the wife he married, the need of a good companion, this idea pricked my mind in this stage as I pray for a life partner, I know that I can either be made or marred by my wife. I hope for a wife who can stand by me and walk with me even when we might have full understanding of what is happening.
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 important to you.
“Constructive ends can never give absolute moral justification to destructive means, because in the final analysis, the end is preexistent in the means.”
I have heard people say, “the end justifies the means”, and most often I discover that their means is always do or die affairs, mostly there are violation of human integrity. I have seen students who carry out all sort of examination malpractice to just earn good grades, most times they are applauded by people, they are even given gifts, but what they think is the end (the result with good grades), is actually a means to another stage in life, and based on the fact that their means is always crooked, the cannot but continue to cheat and maneuver in life, to the detriment of their contribution to life. This also has to do with doing the right deeds for the wrong reason, sometimes people have odd intentions and try to use a good means to reach their evil, this tells of those the Bible call “wolves in sheep clothing.” We need to be careful of these people and their means and speak up as fast as we can.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
If we can really understand that this quote holds true irrespective of where we are, we can really know that what affect one, affects all. Though we try to exclude our self from the reality in other people’s life, but I have really come to know that we are all connected, we have same source. We really need to deal and eliminate evil any where it’s seen, or else it will definitely gain ground and sooner or later, we will defiantly be affected, directly or indirectly. In my country now, there are some part (the North Eastern part of the country) that is under heavy attack by some terrorist group (Boko Haram) and I have come to know that some of us in the Southern part of country seems to be so relaxed about the reality that someone is suffering somewhere and gradually its spreading little by little. We really need to know that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.
“When a higher moral is at stake.”
This calls for respect for the highest Authority in existence. There are periods when one needs to recognize that there is higher power which exists and is in control of the all other powers in the world. The laws of the government is actually to be obeyed, but when it contradicts the higher power (of God; of service to humanity), then it needs to be questioned. If you believe in something firmly, if you believe in it truly, if you believe it in your heart, you are willing to die for it.
I have seen cases when this legal power have been questioned; in the lives of the early apostles, “Peter asked the elders, choose which one is better, who deserves obedience, man or God.” Daniel in the days of King Darius was faithful to his prayer to God almighty, irrespective of the fact that there is a decree that no one prays to any other god; Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego could not bow down to the image of Nebechadnezzar; these were all aware that a higher moral is at stake. No lie can live forever, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice, these they too know and was conscious of.
“But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.”
This knowledge is for the brave and for them who long for life after death, the Bible said of Jesus who entrusted his life to God who is able to sustain him. If we keep to mind that our life does not end here and we choose to live righteously, a time will come when even the dead in Christ will rise and it will be to glory.
“In every battle for freedom there are martyrs whose lives are forfeited and whose sacrifice endorses the promise of liberty. “
This is very true. Every freedom has a price, but the challenge is normally who pays the price, and I have come know that most lasting freedom normally required a shedding of blood, Jesus had to shed his blood for the freedom of the world, and I see that that suit has always been followed from that period. The Bible said, without the shedding of blood, there will be no forgiveness of sin. And I add in my own for every freedom, be it for an individual or society, the full price must be paid.
“I would do in private that which I knew my public responsibility demanded.”
Secret actions are normally the most important preparation of all, our actions in secret are usually rewarded in public. Actions done in secrete tells the true story of who someone really is. In public, people do things to impress while in private, he expresses him/herself. Only those with great deal of self discipline can actually maintain their integrity when no one is looking and I want to belong to this group.
“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
FEAR has actually stopped a lot of people from being who they are meant to be, and from even trying on what they can do. Various fears have affected in life, the fear of uncertainty, the fear of the unknown, the fear of starting afresh, the fear of failing, I have suffered from these fear in various levels of my life, though I am still not totally free from all of it, but I have gained mastery of my life in some significant areas. As I grow in knowledge; I gain mastery over most of my fears, and I know that confidence and fear are two opposite sides of a coin, I will try and try again without the fear of failing, knowing that if I can fail, I can always rise again and mostly each day, I just have to impact into the life of another, that what really matters in the end.
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 book was actually easy to understand and follow, it was captivating and challenging. I have a great respect for the Martin Luther King Jr. he was a man of an extra ordinary spirit. He belongs to the group of great minds.
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 was 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.
I Have a Dream
This speech by MLK Jr. was mind captivating for me. I have seen most leaders of our time trying to login to the spirit of MLK Jr. using this phrase, “I have a Dream.” They are mostly trying to win the affection of people and their support, but I can feel there is more to this speech than just trying to use it get attention. He had a dream… he did not know when it will come true, but he know that evil will not always remain in the land; that there is an end to wickedness. His dream gave him a vision and plan; his dream governed his life activities, his dream led to actions in hope, even at the end when he could not see what he seems to have fought for, he know that one day his dream will come true.
MLK Jr. know it was not about him, that he happened to be present when it’s happening and he is just part of the action; that was he not born, freedom would have still come anyway, (that was the work of the creator). Sometimes we feel it’s about us, “like if it’s not me, nothing will ever happen.”
God owns the earth and its content and I have come to discover that he is more concerned about the earth than we are, he can always fashion a system to save his people. So let no man boast, who have a thing, because no one have a thing that is not given to him from above; be it power, skills or money. I have come to learn that even my life is a gift for the service of others and when the end comes, I wish people could say of me, “at least he tried.” I have learned that it’s not how much I have but how much I do for others that count. God help me to be useful for others.
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
Long Walk to Freedom
Assessment by Paul Young Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
“Long Walk to Freedom” is actually a concise documentary of a struggle for self-emancipation and freedom, a record of all the trouble one sees in his way to being a free man and in also trying to help others gain their freedom too. “Long Walk to Freedom” seems to be a self-documentary made by Mandela himself, all the statement there are personally based and almost self-referential.
I see the author presenting in this great book, his personal life and personal view of things in life. The book contains the life of a great man, a man I have made my mentor and from this book I come to realize that all men are born but some choose their destiny and follow their ways. The book contained a record of his reactions to the injustice in his life and his community; he saw it, hated and could not keep quite, he spoke out against injustice and marginalization, even when it cost him the most vital component of human existence; losing touch with his family. The book was about his entire life, I saw his strength and weakness; mistakes and triumphs; he presented in here, his fears and courage.
The volume of the book was quite high, but in summary, I will say that Long Walk to Freedom is a content of a man’s struggle to liberate himself and his people, during which so many mistakes were made, so many prices paid, so many lives lost, so many decision taken and so many battled fought. There were so many decision and compromises but one thing I see clearly here was the goal was clear and the definition of the nature of the freedom wanted was also clear.
Freedom for one should be freedom for all and until we are all free, we are still not free, the oppressed and the oppressor are almost in the same category, the prisoner and the jailer are all in the same category too. I also discovered that no one is burn to hate others; we all learn as we grow what is passed unto us, we all have in our nature to love; no matter how hardened we look, there is a place in us which can only be filled by love.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. One always need men of like mind to succeed
In this world, one need not to walk alone, and I have notice that God is constantly making a helper at it each stage of our life, either to help by positively encouraging or to criticize and create avenue for checkup. We need someone to walk with it, someone who will understands and is ready to bear, and someone who have same zeal too. So no need being so proud that you reject help on the way, it’s meant to be so, so when you feel down like you will at some point in life, look for helper, there are meant to be and to help at such moments.
ii. Along the journey we meet so many people, some stay for a while, other longer
In the life of Nelson, I come to notice that where ever he goes, he makes new friends, and leaves and goes to another zone and same thing happens, some of these friends stay longer and have more influence in his life than others, some contributed more than others. So upon running a check in my own life, I discovered that the same thing has happened in my life, I have had short term friends, and instantaneous friends, but also have had long term friends. This understanding tells me that life is a journey and one ought to be open minded for everything that is happening in one’s life.
iii. Someone hardly see the direction of the movement when he is part of the crowd
Sometimes it is so important that one withdraws from the crowd to really get a clear picture of what is actually happening. Sometimes Jesus will tell his disciples ‘let us go to a lonely place where we can be alone’. When engulfed in the midst of the action, you can hardly tell who throw the blow. I noticed this in the life of Mandela when made his trips around the world seeking support for the ANC, he was able to understand the situation of his is people.
iv. Decision should not be taken out of pride or out of embarrassment but out of pure strategy.
This is another truth. So many things happens in our day, of which we ought to be careful the reactions we show, but if we have no pre-plans, we will definitely be pushed to only react on the detection of the events. Sometimes in trying to protect our pride and other times out of frustrations, we make nasty decision which turns to hunt us later. I am a victim of what am saying now, out confusion I have made some decisions, which were not the best, and now am actually wishing I had not made that decision, not really regretting, but if given the chance, I could make better decision.
v. There is no easy walk to freedom
No matter which way one takes; from freeing one’s self, to gaining freedom a whole community, from gaining freedom from a bad habit, to empowering another person, no one is easy. It always involve so many prices to be paid, a lot of discipline and sacrifices, self-denial even endangering one’s life some of the times. So for a freedom fighter of any capacity, one first need to understand that there is no easy walk to freedom. But just as it is rightly started in the book “Penalties do not deter men when their conscience is aroused”, victory is always there are the end of the tunnel. And most importantly every leader should know that with freedom comes responsibility.
vi. Hope really sustains one spirit even in the mist of terrible tribulation.
“Hope,” the Bible says does not disappoint. Hope gives power, hope enables patience and endurance, knowing that one day it’s going to be ok, believing that even this too shall pass. There is proverb in my language that states that “hunger with hope does not kill” and over time I have seen it been confirmed in the life of people and in my life too. The Bible said that there are 3 most important things in life, “Hope, Faith and LOVE”. Am hopeful that soon my life will be where I envisioned it many some years ago.
vii. As leaders, one must sometimes take actions that are unpopular or whose results will not be known for years to come.
And this the test of a true leader, doing things because they are right and beneficial to the subject, not because they will draw the attention of the press. Only few of our people can actually be true in secret not minding the fact that their action will not be notice. They live by a conscience open to Him who is able to reward secret actions. Even though there is no guarantee that one will eat of the fruit he planted when alive, one still need to plant. Some die in the attempt to help others, without see the end of the struggle, others see the end, but whatever the case is, a leader should just be a leader. This is what I am working on, to be true to 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?
Knowing what you ought to know and seeing that the road you wish to walk have been walked before and that men have done what you are attempting to do, makes things easier and the journey seems faster. Life is not exactly as we see it, and knowing that we are not free until the hate in the heart of the oppressed for the oppressor is liberated, and the oppressor knowing also that the jailer is also a prisoner; helps in taking care of some issues in life.
Personally I keep discovering some truths about life, we might not all operate at the hill top for public recognition, but right from where we are, we can make life better for ourselves and others around us. From the book I noticed that some people can make themselves in the slaves even when they have the capacity to be free. In my country, things currently seems tough, but I also noticed that all the most vital needs of man are not given by the government, they are naturally free, one just need to take care of himself and with time thing can get to be like we desired them to be. But all I see are people complaining and seeing what others should have done; what the government should have done, never noticing what they should have done in their situations to better their lives.
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.
“Having the natural ability and having the self-discipline and patience to build it.”
This is the problem most of us have in the struggle and zeal to contribute to the life of others. So many people want to be leaders, but they never followed faithfully so they can actually know what it means to be followers. We are all burn with great abilities but developing it to full potentials entails having to learn some lessons and this is never easy. Here is where most of us get stocked; paying the price required for greatness.
“It is foolish attempting to fight the pride of an angry lion.”
Sometimes it better to apply wisdom, know the situation on ground before acting, most times it is better to be safe than to be right. Knowing that everything cools with time, one can actually allow the situation to settle down first before taking any action he intends to take, if need still be.
“To men, freedom in their own land is the pinnacle of the ambitions from which noting can turn men of conviction aside:”
Everyone wants to be free to express oneself and be restrained from certain rights and privileges which one thinks is due him can be actually disheartening. Seeking this freedom can be the utmost desire of such one. I have felt tied down before, I needed to be able to do my things my way, bearing the consequences and knowing that was my action. And I discovered that at this moment, all I dreamt was what I wanted and nothing more.
“There are victories whose glory lies only in the fact that they are known to those who win them.”
This is actually the best of victory one can seek to win, not minding if others are there or not. This is true winning. It clears one’s conscience. Even when finally noticed, it is seen as great humility and most of the times, God that rewards what is done in secret usually rewards in public such actions. Truth about a matter might take sometimes to come out, but truth can never be hidden, so are such victories won in secret. So sometimes we ought to find consolation in being true to our self, even if no one knows of it.
“Strong conviction is the secret of surviving deprivation. Your spirit can be full even when your stomach is empty.”
Yes this is true. Knowing that you are in the side of right keeps your spirit high. There are situations which come to a man and the only surviving ability is the knowledge that there will definitely be a way out and that there is going to be an end to wickedness. While one waits for these to happens, solutions unravel themselves.
“Any house in which a man is free is a castle when compared to even the plushest prison.”
I have felt the joy of feeling at home. Home, I come to discover it’s not where your parents live but where ever you are able to feel the connectedness that join our souls together. It might not be in a mansion, but it will give the needed comfort a home gives. Someone told me that home is where the heart is. I actually come to agree with him on that.
“After climbing the great hill, one only discovers that there are many more hills to climb.”
This is a point I confirmed from mountain top; I saw how high the mountain was as I was at the foot of the mountain, but when I reached the top, it was under my foot. Immediately one achieves great accomplishment, the joy of that accomplishment suddenly disappears and a desire for another accomplishment starts right away. So if one must find joy in life, attach it to the process and not the result, to the journey and not the destination.
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 book was a life history of a great man, also explicit enough to understand.
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 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.
Every day, I come to know that true freedom involves helping others to be free, true salvation entails helping others to be saved, true wisdom entails enlightening others. Only one in generation sees this, sometimes I feel like I have wasted my life already, but sometimes I come to ask myself, “where do I start from?” Recently I am planning to go back to the village where I come from; imagine that at this era, there are some places in this world where education is still a thing of scorn, my plan is to have the ability to make my impact in the life of these people before my time is up here.
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? 5
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
The Conscious Act of Creation
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Permit me to say that this is one book I have read with both great zeal and enthusiasm but with least understanding. Though at first the title caught me off feet, but in going through the book, I discovered it was not exactly what I was thinking of it. I see the author revealing deep secrete within a large scope of reality, there were revelations which were not just ordinary for a common man. The book was actually meant for people who have yearnings for higher level of knowledge, people who are willing and ready to move into another dimension (discovering some meaning to life within the 11 Dimension). My zeal to know beyond the ordinary was what kept me reading the book.
The authors did quite great work in their explanations and experiments, bringing feeling to reason, melding religion and science together and revealing the deep things of emotions and spirituality in a data form. In this book, the authors revealed the existence beyond the physical world and I see them pointing out the fact that, outside there, life exist in much more spectrum than what we can actually feel, and upon diving into the vacuum; into the realm of the spirit; (practice, which can be learned consciously) someone can actually get more meaning into life, and then live it to the full. No wonder the Bible said we do not live by what we see.
The “Physics” nature of the book actually made it somewhat hard for easy comprehension of a common man, but to some extent; I was able to grab some significant insight from the book. The idea of imprinting intentions into devices was actually amazing to me, and I was able to see the experimentation in this book that it is actually possible upon practice to bring into our visible reality, the thought of the mind, through conscious practice.
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 Biobodysuit Metaphor
Here we are reminded of the composition of the human life, that we are spirits having a physical experience. And that we are made up of four different layers from which we function to fulfill our mission here on earth. What got my attention is how limited we operate in these layers at the moment, with just the sense organs we have, we can only function in just a little fraction of this reality. Actually most of us are presently only cognitively aware of the outer layer of our bio-bodysuits and the outer layer of the world that surrounds us. Though some individuals are cognitively aware of the unseen bands in the spectrum of reality and can operate from there. It can be called the spiritual realm or the superconscious state. And this is the state I wish to operate from. From here I see that it can occur via intentional and diligent practice of self-management techniques, or through proper spiritual exercise for the religious ones.
ii. Knowledge by Identity
This is the idea that a higher or more broadened consciousness cannot be understood in terms of and by remaining, at a lower or narrower consciousness. One cannot know what is the content of another station or channel without turning to it. We cannot remain separate and detached if we want to understand. This is confirmed when the Bible says a carnal mind cannot understand the things of the Spirit. No wonder God have to become man to able to save man and St. Paul said “I become all things to all men in order that I might bring them to salvation.”
iii. Self-management
The concept of self-management deals with conditioning of bio-bodysuit (the human self) in the state in which it has the ability to receive the clear massage from the higher self and perform at its optimum. The various processes that can be used to attain this state as stated here include Yoga, QiGong, and HeartMath.
Sometimes I have tried doing Yoga, but not so consistently. Sometimes I have engaged in meditation, but still did not feel different afterwards. I just saw the reason why most of us could not properly access that domain.
We are seldom quite enough at the outermost layer in order to reliably sense the information signals present at the more subtle levels – they are buried down in the noise.
We have not yet developed a sufficiently coherent structural organization at these inner levels to allow large amplitude signals to exist and be sustained in the vacuum domains.
Perhaps most important of all is that our mindsets are such that we believe the four dimensions of space-time are all that exists and, therefore, we have built a cognitive jail for ourselves with walls so high that it is almost impossible to tunnel through them and break free of this confining mindset. My challenge is actually with the first two, and I am just hoping to gain the strength needed to access the realm beyond the physical soon.
iv. Conditioned Space
I was likening this idea to the reason why we have specific place for worship. When we have a specific belief about a particular place, being there makes the mind align to the desired expectation. Like in the Catholic Church, we have what we call the Chapel or Blessed Sacrament, even the atmosphere in this room most of the times, seems to be different from what we have outside of it, we believe “this is the presence of the Lord” and so it is. To an ordinary Catholic, who have not grown to know that God is actually everywhere, he waits until he is in this place before he makes his special prayer and then can feel assured that God will hear him. I sensed this idea with what is recorded about St. Peter, when the sick was laid at the road side that his shadow might fall on them to be healed. If his shadow could heal, then this conditioned space would have been the scientific explanation, since the people already have believed that Peter could heal.
v. The blindness of nature
It’s all about believing. Most times nature waits for us to write into it, the meaning of things and that it becomes. God asked Adam to name His creatures and whatever Adam called anything, that was the name it bears. I noticed that nothing has any meaning except that which we attached to it. That is why different people behave differently under the same condition.
vi. Just like it is stated in the book; “It has been shown on countless occasions that administering a simple sugar pill or injecting water can alleviate symptoms or even cure disease, as long as the patients (and doctors) believe they could be getting a real drug.”
There was this time a scorpion stung my father and he, instead of calling it scorpion, called it ant and it only hurt him like an ant sting, and he told me, “when you call an ant a scorpion, it behaves like scorpion, but when you call a scorpion an ant, same thing follows.” From that I notice it’s a perception things, it’s all about mindset.
vii. “It can be seen that belief fuels expectations and expectations, in turn, marshal intention at both unconscious and conscious levels to fulfill expectations.”
It is all by believing, knowing that it can happen and allowing it to happen and it happens.
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 truth is that I did not extensively exhaust this book, more is yet to be done by me. The book is not actually the kind that should be rushed, it is full of graphs, equations, formulas and for a non-physics person, it might be so tedious a task reading through.
I can still use the book for further studies in life, but for the purpose of my studies here, this is how far I can go on the book. I apologize for not sticking to the IIGL assessment format, it is due to the nature of the book. And using the words of the authors, I will say that although I don’t fully understand them, I now have some new tools with which to probe the deeper structures of the universe and a new adventure is underway for me (and humanity). Thanks to the authors for their great work.
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.
“We have grown quite a bit since we first invested a part of our spirit-selves in the bio-bodysuits of the mammalian ape. However, we still have a very long way to grow before we reach home.”
Yes, I have been able to understand some facts from this book and as it applies, based on how far I have gone, but I still clearly see how far I have to go in the self-realization.
“What we see here is that we are the product of the process and we are built by the process.”
Somehow I have noticed that over time now, my language and understanding of events around is usually taking a particular pattern, I am gradually become what I read and acting as such too, my ideas and contributions is taking same suit.
“By directed intention, we engage in activities outside of ourselves and, by the quality of our actions there, have the possibility of building a better bio-bodysuit (a major experience in spirit creation) and developing higher consciousness – both of which greatly enrich the human family.
I want to grow to the state of maintaining my intention in a specific direction, and also sustaining a particular thought till I see result. This can help both me and the world around me since we are all part of each other.
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?
See Question 3 response.
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.
The experiments from chapter three to chapter eight of the book would actually be helpful if conducted in laboratories or carried out through any possible way available. But reading the experiments theoretically was actually hectic task for me; even though it was actually interesting to know that intentions could be consciously imprinted in physical device. This implies that with proper training on how to maintain our inner balance and focusing on a particular intention can increase our results measure on a daily basis.
Some of what is said here has been said by great authors in different forms; like “focus on what you want and not on what you do not want;” “give all your energy to what you want.”
On the placebo effect issue, a friend had told me that it is all about believing, and the law of attraction tells us that our subconscious works on what it hears us say, without judging if it is true of false, right or wrong, but on what it hears us say about our self. That is why we were advice to focus on riches, good health, abundance, and then we will see it coming our way. When I read God at the Speed of light by T.Lee Baumann, it made it clear to me that there is more to what we see than our five senses can actually comprehend, same is made clear here that the energy of the universe yet unfelt and unused, is far greater than what we have and can ever feel.
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? 5
B. How helpful were the contents? 6
C. How easy was it to understand? 4
D. Would you recommend it to others? 5
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 5
Mind Into Matter
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Having read through this book, I can see the author, Dr. Fred Alen Wolf explaining the connection between the world we see and the world that we do not see. He did a great job bridging the line between the spirit world; the world we see in the eyes of our mind and the physical world, the world we see with our physical eyes.
Most of the times our eyes are only focused on what we can see, feel or tough, the “out there” mentality, and this mentality greatly affect our effectiveness in the world we live in. A complete man is made up of the in “in here” and the “out there”, and we need to understand this.
In the word of the author I say; “Without this recognition of one’s spiritual nature, one’s soul, the journey of life is not only a frightening one to take, it becomes heartless and strangely meaningless. With the recognition of this spiritual nature, however, the journey becomes heartfelt and beautiful to behold. This beholding not only occurs “out there,” using the light we can see with our eyes, but “in here,” using the light we can see with our mind’s eyes-our imaginary realm search lights.”
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Life and consciousness are still mysteries
This is a great point to note, many people have tried to explain the components of life and living, but to me, I have not really seen any man who have given full description to what life or to what living is all about. Though they try in their work, but I still see it limited to only their level of understanding. It is obvious that there is more to life than what we see here and the only person who can really tell all about life and living is its source; God.
ii. The “thinking” and “feeling” personality
Humanity seems to be made up of these two personalities. I have met people who are just rational group of humanity and the logical group. I was actually the feeling type, my actions were mostly based on feeling, and my statements usually comes with “I feel that…” Not until recently that I begin to consider the views of the thinking-logical group, knowing that mine is not the absolute, but from person no matter how and who they are, the fullness actually dwells and radiate towards others.
iii. The script: “out there and in here”
The script is what I call God’s manual for his creation. There is a song I wrote; “He made them in Twos.” This song is my idea of the dual nature in God’s creation. There seems to be a two elements in every of God’s creation; there is up and there is down, for one to appreciate richness, there have to be poverty first, for one to know that there is an “out there,” there have to be an “in here.” There is soul and there the body, all these still act as one, serving one purpose.
iv. The “Aura”
In life, I have learnt that I should try as much as I can to create a radiation that is pleasant to others, a radiation that after we are gone from here, can still speak for us. This is our aura, in this book, it was described as an aroma, speeches, but I think it goes down to the memories we create. Whenever and wherever ever our name is mentioned, what do people think or feel about is the aura. If people think about us after we might have gone from this life as someone they still wish to have around, the aura we left is sensible.
This point actually took me back to the time I was in level, I had to write my obituary; what I will like to be red at my funeral, I know that my aura will life after me, but I will do my best to leave the best of me behind when I might have gone.
v. The observer and the observation/observed
The act of observation involve a merger of two ways of seeing; the classical world of perception and the atomic world of quantum events. I have also come to know that there are two side of every coin, two ways of every behavior of everyone. I have sensed these two features expressing themselves in me most of the time. With this I know how to bear when I see the expression of this traits in the life of other people.
vi. The mind (imaginary) and matter (real) co-existing
The idea of mind into matter is actually for the wise, for people whose mind has been modified from all form of biasness; knowing that no one thing stands and survives alone, whether physical or spiritual, there is a serious interconnection.
In the words of the author, “Beauty and resistance, naturally go together. Like duality, one requires the other. The “self” behaves both consciously and unconsciously”.
vii. Knowing
As man grows, he keeps knowing. So also the universe keeps unfolding. We cannot know all that is and all that will be, this is because all this emanated from a source higher than ourselves, and we can only know just but a few details about a particular thing. Trying to explain the meeting of spirit, soul and body in the form of subatomic particulars to me is just the tip of what can be said based on some little experience that we have had. Over time scholars in various fields, science, religion philosophy have tried bringing to light al they thought about the existence of life, but in its all they have always echoed what the other is saying but some time in a different way from a different light.This is not strange because I see life and existence as from God and the best one can do is to only have a clue about God and will always explain him form their part of view. The issue I usually have is when someone tries to make his own idea and view ultimate, not that his ideas are wrong but I feel there is more to it that what they claim to be the final.
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?
Generally, knowing that all I know now is not all the fact to what I think I should know, helps my daily relationship with others, especially as I have come to understand that their “out there” is what makes my “in here” worthwhile. Knowing that life ends where it began, can actually take my eyes off the futile things of this life and put my hope in the spiritual, on that which last forever, on that higher power that control life and after life alike.
Actually now I can tolerate and appreciate others more, knowing they too matters as much as I do, no one is less important because we all come from the same source and radiate the same light. I can pay attention to the views of others with respect, knowing that, even those views came from a source, and all sources has its source from God.
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 following are some of the quotes that caught my attention:
“It is what the observer chooses to look that determines what he sees.”
This is so true for me, most times we might have already seen what we want to see in our mind before even seeing it with our physical eyes. Sometimes we even listen to someone talk and hear a different things because we already have something we want to hear.
“Still explaining existence in a so much ambiguous; reading meaning into what should just be accepted and lived with.”
I believe the fact that there are things that we should just accept, and learn how to live with them, instead of trying to know why they are the way they are. We know that night follows the day and that the world is guided by seasons and times. So to me what we should strive to do is how to align ourselves to these naturally occurrences instead of trying to change how they are.
“A lifetime is a strange journey, we end up where we began.”
An egg comes from a mother hen which comes from an egg. The day comes after the night which follows the day. Life is actually in a circular form. At the birth, one is helpless, at death too, one is also helpless. The river continues to flow into the ocean which is never full because it outlets its water to the rivers. So I see all these as the wonders of the Creator, to Him belongs all mysteries and knowledge.
“One must surrender to a timeless sense of higher purpose, to a sense that there is a consciousness beyond one’s own grasp of this consciousness.”
I think this is what we ought to do. Let God be God as we yield our life to His infinite purpose and plan for humanity. To Him belongs all wisdom and all His work are perfect. Aligning our life to the purpose of God is the best that I can think of. Since I know that all things flows from him and to him, I just have to get myself align to him. Then will I know what I need to know and see rightly as am supposed to. Even though God has revealed himself in our daily activities, bur our comprehension of him is still very shallow.
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?
To a great extent, the book was clear enough, much as more as it mostly emphasizes some of the points I have read about from other books like God at the speed of light.
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 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.
At first when I started reading this book, it look so mystic to me, I was so scared it would change my belief on some areas of life, even some of my friends who read through the introductory part of the book advised me that this book could have spiritual powers.
Yes I actually discovered at the end that it did have spiritual powers, as it so affirmed my beliefs and show me more light and understanding to the real organization of the world system; no one thing actually stands alone. The spiritual have a physical manifestation and the physical has a spiritual origin, so one complements each other.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Mind Into Matter
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Having read through this book, I can see the author, Dr. Fred Alen Wolf explaining the connection between the world we see and the world that we do not see. He did a great job bridging the line between the spirit world; the world we see in the eyes of our mind and the physical world, the world we see with our physical eyes.
Most of the times our eyes are only focused on what we can see, feel or tough, the “out there” mentality, and this mentality greatly affect our effectiveness in the world we live in. A complete man is made up of the in “in here” and the “out there”, and we need to understand this.
In the word of the author I say; “Without this recognition of one’s spiritual nature, one’s soul, the journey of life is not only a frightening one to take, it becomes heartless and strangely meaningless. With the recognition of this spiritual nature, however, the journey becomes heartfelt and beautiful to behold. This beholding not only occurs “out there,” using the light we can see with our eyes, but “in here,” using the light we can see with our mind’s eyes-our imaginary realm search lights.”
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Life and consciousness are still mysteries
This is a great point to note, many people have tried to explain the components of life and living, but to me, I have not really seen any man who have given full description to what life or to what living is all about. Though they try in their work, but I still see it limited to only their level of understanding. It is obvious that there is more to life than what we see here and the only person who can really tell all about life and living is its source; God.
ii. The “thinking” and “feeling” personality
Humanity seems to be made up of these two personalities. I have met people who are just rational group of humanity and the logical group. I was actually the feeling type, my actions were mostly based on feeling, and my statements usually comes with “I feel that…” Not until recently that I begin to consider the views of the thinking-logical group, knowing that mine is not the absolute, but from person no matter how and who they are, the fullness actually dwells and radiate towards others.
iii. The script: “out there and in here”
The script is what I call God’s manual for his creation. There is a song I wrote; “He made them in Twos.” This song is my idea of the dual nature in God’s creation. There seems to be a two elements in every of God’s creation; there is up and there is down, for one to appreciate richness, there have to be poverty first, for one to know that there is an “out there,” there have to be an “in here.” There is soul and there the body, all these still act as one, serving one purpose.
iv. The “Aura”
In life, I have learnt that I should try as much as I can to create a radiation that is pleasant to others, a radiation that after we are gone from here, can still speak for us. This is our aura, in this book, it was described as an aroma, speeches, but I think it goes down to the memories we create. Whenever and wherever ever our name is mentioned, what do people think or feel about is the aura. If people think about us after we might have gone from this life as someone they still wish to have around, the aura we left is sensible.
This point actually took me back to the time I was in level, I had to write my obituary; what I will like to be red at my funeral, I know that my aura will life after me, but I will do my best to leave the best of me behind when I might have gone.
v. The observer and the observation/observed
The act of observation involve a merger of two ways of seeing; the classical world of perception and the atomic world of quantum events. I have also come to know that there are two side of every coin, two ways of every behavior of everyone. I have sensed these two features expressing themselves in me most of the time. With this I know how to bear when I see the expression of this traits in the life of other people.
vi. The mind (imaginary) and matter (real) co-existing
The idea of mind into matter is actually for the wise, for people whose mind has been modified from all form of biasness; knowing that no one thing stands and survives alone, whether physical or spiritual, there is a serious interconnection.
In the words of the author, “Beauty and resistance, naturally go together. Like duality, one requires the other. The “self” behaves both consciously and unconsciously”.
vii. Knowing
As man grows, he keeps knowing. So also the universe keeps unfolding. We cannot know all that is and all that will be, this is because all this emanated from a source higher than ourselves, and we can only know just but a few details about a particular thing. Trying to explain the meeting of spirit, soul and body in the form of subatomic particulars to me is just the tip of what can be said based on some little experience that we have had. Over time scholars in various fields, science, religion philosophy have tried bringing to light al they thought about the existence of life, but in its all they have always echoed what the other is saying but some time in a different way from a different light.This is not strange because I see life and existence as from God and the best one can do is to only have a clue about God and will always explain him form their part of view. The issue I usually have is when someone tries to make his own idea and view ultimate, not that his ideas are wrong but I feel there is more to it that what they claim to be the final.
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?
Generally, knowing that all I know now is not all the fact to what I think I should know, helps my daily relationship with others, especially as I have come to understand that their “out there” is what makes my “in here” worthwhile. Knowing that life ends where it began, can actually take my eyes off the futile things of this life and put my hope in the spiritual, on that which last forever, on that higher power that control life and after life alike.
Actually now I can tolerate and appreciate others more, knowing they too matters as much as I do, no one is less important because we all come from the same source and radiate the same light. I can pay attention to the views of others with respect, knowing that, even those views came from a source, and all sources has its source from God.
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 following are some of the quotes that caught my attention:
“It is what the observer chooses to look that determines what he sees.”
This is so true for me, most times we might have already seen what we want to see in our mind before even seeing it with our physical eyes. Sometimes we even listen to someone talk and hear a different things because we already have something we want to hear.
“Still explaining existence in a so much ambiguous; reading meaning into what should just be accepted and lived with.”
I believe the fact that there are things that we should just accept, and learn how to live with them, instead of trying to know why they are the way they are. We know that night follows the day and that the world is guided by seasons and times. So to me what we should strive to do is how to align ourselves to these naturally occurrences instead of trying to change how they are.
“A lifetime is a strange journey, we end up where we began.”
An egg comes from a mother hen which comes from an egg. The day comes after the night which follows the day. Life is actually in a circular form. At the birth, one is helpless, at death too, one is also helpless. The river continues to flow into the ocean which is never full because it outlets its water to the rivers. So I see all these as the wonders of the Creator, to Him belongs all mysteries and knowledge.
“One must surrender to a timeless sense of higher purpose, to a sense that there is a consciousness beyond one’s own grasp of this consciousness.”
I think this is what we ought to do. Let God be God as we yield our life to His infinite purpose and plan for humanity. To Him belongs all wisdom and all His work are perfect. Aligning our life to the purpose of God is the best that I can think of. Since I know that all things flows from him and to him, I just have to get myself align to him. Then will I know what I need to know and see rightly as am supposed to. Even though God has revealed himself in our daily activities, bur our comprehension of him is still very shallow.
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?
To a great extent, the book was clear enough, much as more as it mostly emphasizes some of the points I have read about from other books like God at the speed of light.
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 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.
At first when I started reading this book, it look so mystic to me, I was so scared it would change my belief on some areas of life, even some of my friends who read through the introductory part of the book advised me that this book could have spiritual powers.
Yes I actually discovered at the end that it did have spiritual powers, as it so affirmed my beliefs and show me more light and understanding to the real organization of the world system; no one thing actually stands alone. The spiritual have a physical manifestation and the physical has a spiritual origin, so one complements each other.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Emotional Discipline
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Charles C. Manz in this book, “Emotional Discipline” points to the ability that we all have, to give our life the meaning we seek to attached it to. The power to choose how we feel is of great important to know. I see the author re-echoing the point I have been hearing; that events in our life will always have effects in our life as we give them the power to do so.
Charles point out the fact we can separate ourselves from our emotions so as to be able monitor or observe it like being the third person between us and our emotions.
Emotional Discipline like the name simply implies, means that we can actually discipline our emotions, controlling how we feel about certain events in our lives. One can happen yet we see it having different meaning and different effect in people’s life. From that it means that one can actually switch ground on the feeling zone, regulate it and possibly choose to feel different when things happen.
Reading this book, I actually paid attention to my feelings and consciously tried changing it, i.e. deciding to feel different (mostly better). And each time I tried it, I found out that amazingly it worked, I see myself gaining energy and strength to face my next activity, with more positivity and also I see people relating with me in a better way.
Knowing that I can actually choose how I feel means a lot to me, I have chosen to feel good all the times, no matter what. I do hope I can keep to this.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The Process of Emotional Discipline
Know that the idea of disciplining our emotions is a process, relieves me of the task-some nature of it. At first I thought of it as a state (Perfection) but knowing it as a process means one has to keep keeping on, just keep gathering all the ingredients and keep applying the strategies as stated. I see this idea as meaning that one has to just keep regulating his consciousness, most times we will be found feeling otherwise, but upon notice, I can switch back to the desired emotions I actually want. Practicing all the steps and following the process in the book is not a day job, but if I can be disciplined enough to be consistently persistent on them, I will get there; to the point where I can now flow with the rhythm.
ii. Choosing the meaning of your feeling
I have heard people say; “I don’t just feel like doing this” and even when they try to do the did, they mess up. Most often our actions are motivated by feeling, and if someone can make us feel different, our actions then changes. It is of great important that we understand to what extent feeling governs our life, and it we can monitor our feeling and make them work for our favor, our world will be greatly changed for better. When we know what our feeling is doing to us and what changing them can also do to us, our lives will be facing a divine turn.
iii. The Power of Music and Poetry
I am a life testimony of what Music can do in someone’s life. I play Musical Instrument (Guitar) and I can still recall instances which I could not have come out strong but after listening to a piece of music (All I need is you Lord) I received an insight that was the answer that I needed. There are Piece of music which to me have turned to prayer, whenever I listen to them, I see myself connected to the divine and aligned with the universe. Poetry is also another significant part of my motivation. When I read the Poems of George Matheson in his book; “O Love that will not let me go” I have gained great insight to my personality and to the person I ought to be as child of God.
iv. Happiness is a Choice
Knowing that happiness is a choice, one can choice not to be happy or to be happy. This is another great exposition to our effectiveness hear on earth. We need to live our life fulfilled being happy. But most often it seems like our happiness in life are based on the happening around us. Ask someone what will happen for him to be happy and a full list will be given to you; when I get married, when I pass my exams, when I achieve a certain success, and the list keep going. And upon achieving one item on the list, another item becomes so important that without it no happiness, so we are left unhappy as long there are items on the list to be achieved.
From this idea, I see that it is possible for one to be actually happy all his life, if happiness is a choice and if he can make that choice to be happy. I see that it does not mean that at one point in life we will not face challenges or hard moments, but we can see those moments as meaning different things than they do to an ordinary person. And also it is important to note that happiness is not a virtue we seek after, but that which comes to us as we try to make the life of another person better.
v. The power of positive thinking
The power of positive thinking cannot be overemphasized. This is key to life’s stability and focus. Being positive about life is of great importance. And a lot books and tapes, preaching and seminars has been organized on this topic. If we can remain positive about life, according to Romans 8:28; knowing that all things works for our good, as we love God, then life could be more fun for us.
vi. Flow with the Balance
Flowing with the balance is another great secrete that enhances our workability in work places and reduces our stress level. If only we can find joy in what we do, it stops being work for us and can actually be fun, we work with smile and people only wonder with amazement. I can remember those times when I was working and sincerely there was no joy in that work, though I was doing my job well but I hated every little things about it, everything can easily bring me worry, but as times went on, I learn to flow with it, just doing the best I can. I think I have the key now to make fun out of my work.
vii. Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.
Just imagining how lovely it feels to play with my puppy, of which I stand to gain nothing substantial but the real joy of been loved unconditionally. This points me to the kind of love that God has for us, not requiring anything from us, not demanding from us, but He just loved us. I feel the love a mother has for her helpless baby, not for what the baby can offer, but for who she is; a mother. I think if we can love unconditionally not demanding to be loved back, or to be appreciated for loving, in that moment are we truly loving.
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?
Actually it seems like the real magic things is what I keep experiencing; (when the student is ready, the teacher appears). Upon each book I pick to read, there will usually be a test ground for my lesson on the book. While reading this book, I tried to separate myself from my emotions and to study the meaning of my feelings, I found myself doing things I could not have done on an ordinary day. I could confront my fears and challenges knowing there are meant to be solved, and in doing so, I found courage and see what was not ordinarily there manifesting.
While I made decision to flow with the balance, I see myself relating better with my room mates, I could do the dishes and clean the house with smiles and it was fun for me while to them it could be work because they keep dodging this activity.
I know it’s a process. Making the choice to be happy at trying moments has not been perfected in me for now, but I keep telling myself “I can feel better about this”, anytime an odd event happens in my life. This keeps me going and I know if only I can be disciplined enough to keep working on it, things will get better with me.
4. Quotes: are there any statement 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 more you try to avoid suffering the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt.”
I have read from many sources that what we fear mostly befalls us finally, I have also encountered it personally. Most of the times I was so scare I will make mistakes and I see those prophesy being fulfilled. Twice I have feared that I will have an accident, the first time I fell into hot pot of soup and the second I got my toe dislocated. I believe now that it’s better that we confront our fear and face them, then they vanishes before us being afraid of us.
Before compiling this assessment, I had been dodging to pick calls from my elder brother. We agreed that I was going to give him money, but when the money was not forth coming, I was so scared of telling I didn’t have it. I refused picking his calls for about 3 months, but Last week Tuesday, I did pick his call and told him I don’t have that money to give to him and also the reason why I have been dodging his calls all these while. I felt better about myself and somehow he has even stopped calling me. I feel it’s better to face our challenges, solve them and face another and in so doing we grow.
“If only we’d stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.”
Just like the author rightly said, that happiness is like butterfly; pursue it and it keeps eluding you, but let it alone, it can rest right on your head. If we can invest the moment we spend in trying to make ourselves happy in helping another person, we can gain the multiplying effect of happiness. We can always find our happiness in that of others and get the answers to our questions in finding the answers to other people’s questions.
“We listen to guidance everywhere except from within.”
The wise man said that the hardest person to know is oneself. I believe this is true. I know how much it took me to begin to pay attention to myself, to my actions. It’s usually easier to talk about people, but when it becomes personal, we try to dodge out.
This is why I wrote my book, “The Power Within,” that men might look within them and see what great power God has deposited within them.
“To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.”
This is the really where the world contentment lies. The beauty in little things. I was working on my song, the beauty in ashes and while contemplating upon it, I notice that most of the moments when I really find myself in me are those moments which either I am playing with my pet, or just plucking flowers around the foot of the mountain, or just watching the waters as it flows down the stream or watching the sun set across the river. It was fun those days in school. I love the setting sun across the ocean, the rising rays of the sun. Some of my friends have jested me that I so much like stupid things, but that’s really where I found my real joy.
“The breath is always here, right under our noses, you would think just by chance we might have come across its usefulness at one point or another.”
Most of the important things in this life are free; air, water, fire, land to walk on, all these are freely given. But most often if not all the times we do not notice how to just make use of these of this free gift for our good. Not until we have to buy oxygen or when we become dehydrated, then we can really know what free gift our Father has given to us.
Just relaxing and breathing the air, as much as we can seems to be a big task, most times we are too busy. I wish that God will deliver me from over business, where I forget who I am, where I am and what I am, just trying to be what people wants me to be.
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 book was quick understandable.
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 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.
It was actually educating and also entertaining reading through the lines of this book. The several poems included in this book actually helped me put one song titled “Right Within”. I am so glad things are going the way it is now, somehow am making use of every opportunity to learn who I really am, and I believe in understanding of myself; my faults and limitations, my ego can be taken care of and I can love unconditionally.
I am working on compiling all my songs in my blog where may be one day someone can find life in the lyrics of those songs and make use of it. For now I don’t have all the resources to put the songs in tapes but I know somehow if it’s worth the public consumption, the Universe will unveil it soon.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Failing Forward
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The idea of failing forward is built in the ability to rise back up after hitting the bottom. Like the wise man said, “life is not in never failing but in the ability to rise up after each failure.” The Scripture said that the righteous man fall seven times, but rises eight times. The book’s main idea was actually built on perception; from which view point one sees what happens in his life and what meaning he gives each events in his life. When one sees failure as something so awful, he dreads it, he tries to dodge it, he covers his mistakes, and he blames others. But when he sees as part of the process, he prepares for it, accepts it, takes responsibilities and bounces back after every failure until success is achieved.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The new definition of failure and success
Life generally is all about how we see it. Tony Robbins says life is a metaphor, it’s about how we see it, and that it becomes for us. If one can read a different meaning from a situations in his life, his feeling about the situation will be different from what the situation is. I have read several books and from them I have learnt that life is full of events but the meaning what read into them is what becomes the effect they have on us.
If we understand that failure is not in failing but in quitting, then we can also understand that success also is not in never-failing but in never-quitting.
ii. A cycle you don’t want to ride
(Fear – inaction – inexperience – inability); this is a terrible circle to find oneself in, everyone who really need to make it work in life need find a way of breaking out of this circle, from anywhere, at any point in which one need to break it is necessary to do so. It be by overcoming fear, or taking some actions to overcome some inactions, or finding a way to gain experience. But one need to break out of this cycle. Breaking out of this cycle might mean, starting from taking action, (just do it). To conquer fear, you have to feel the fear and take action anyway.
iii. It all start with a mess up
No failure in life just happens, and no success in life just happens, it all start with a little mess up or a little make up as the case may be. But just as the scripture said, never neglect the days of little beginning. So how ever it is, whatever it is, just start, no matter how little, just get start, a little step in the right direction can take you there, it might only take longer time than suppose, but definitely with little progress every day, you will get there. “This is what I have learnt”. Also I recall the saying a small leak at the bottom of the bucket, get the bucket empty as the one just kicked over. So the need for carefulness.
iv. Ninety percent of all those who fail are not actually defeated. They simply quit.
This is a point worth taking note of. I don’t have to quit, I will keep trying, I might change plans, change my goals, but so far as my purpose keeps me on, I know I will get there. Though now, it rough, (getting personal here) but am so certain that it’s all factor of time, and if I keep going like I am now, sooner or longer I will get there.
v. No matter what happens, failure is an inside job
Yes it is an inside job. When one has won from inside, definitely the success will show outside no matter what happens. So also it goes that whenever one has failed from inside, he will show it outside in no distant time. My elder brother who was sick of stroke, told me one evening that he is now ‘tired and wanted to go’. I know exactly what he was talking about, and in three days’ time, he was gone (dead). But I have seen men who have suffered more serious stroke issues than his that are still living till now. So I discovered since he was already tired from inside, external motivation could not help out his situation.
vi. Purpose – find one
This is the driving force that keeps us going, keeps us overcoming and keeps us bouncing back after every failing. Purpose is the key and since I discovered my purpose; to add value and create a world that is better than I met it, my values changed and the things that matters to me. For man who is living without purpose or whose purpose is worth a little, he can easily quit or give up in the face of any adversity.
vii. The benefit of adversity
I have learnt in many things about my life that in the days of adversity, that is where the true value lies. Naturally it is in the day of one’s trouble that he knows who his true friends are, and it is also at that point of life that he also knows his true ability. One knows his elastic limit when stretch beyond his normal. So it is of no need being afraid of adversity. Even God has told us that adversity will come, but promise to be with us when it comes. He knows what one will be like after coming out adversity alive, it’s like gold, after passing through the purification fire. And it is of importance to know that a lot of failure goes into 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?
Every day in every way, am getting better and better. I know that things doesn’t have to be necessarily easier but if I can become better, I can make things better around me. I know that if there are things I have done much so far, its having failed in many things. I took time on reading this book to count the many ventures I have tried and failed, and there were much, but the good things is that I did not feel bad about the failings, but I was more proud of the trials and I know if I could try again, I would probably succeed. And also know I meant well when I was trying those ventures, because they were worth much. The truth is that I have taken the route of the all the great men I have read about in my studies here, and those I have met in live too and my mind is try all I can and all that is possible in the achievement of what I want to do and who I want to be. May be one day my I will hit stars aiming for the sun.
4. Quotes; are there any statement which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“It’s all in how you look at.”
If you can change the way you see failure, you gain strength to keep running the race. Perspective is the key and I have discovered that life depends on it for us to go through here.
“Every event weather good or bad is one small step in the process of living.”
Sometimes we value the result more than the process, but I have discovered that the process is sometimes more important than the result. And in that process, every event ought to be cherished and valued.
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
I have noticed that there is no good time to quit, no good time to give up. If there is still breath, there could still be a chance to make a change and succeed. May be not as big as dreamed of, but one can still live a worthy life.
“You’re more likely to act yourself into feeling than feel yourself into action.”
Sometimes I have failed to do somethings because I didn’t feel like, but sometimes I did realized that If I didn’t start, I would get the feeling I am looking for. In the typing of this assessment, I was formally not getting the feeling I need to put it right, but I know if I don’t start, I won’t finish. So I started.
“Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the nest challenge. It’s okay to fail. If you’re not failing, you are not growing.”
I have stop being ashamed of my mistakes, and it has made me more courageous of in my actions, not being afraid or anxious, because I already know, “even in this event am in now, there might be a mistake and most especially it’s normal to make mistake in daring”. I also pay attention to my mistakes not to keep repeating them. And somehow, gradually I am becoming a better person.
“You certainly can’t control the length of your life – but you can control its width and depth.”
I agree to this, we might be able to determine how long we‘ll live here, but at least we can choose what we do with the little time we have and how we can make the best out of it. We can choose our friends, and we can give meaning to events that happened to us. We can discipline our emotions and feelings and make the best of what is here.
“Take the risk “
Risk is for winners and I have noticed that risk takers are not mediocre. Somehow I have noticed that this days I no longer enjoy the statement; “there is no risk involved.” I have known that life is risky; and I believe that no risk no gain. So I have to try, I am always praying for ideas, I pray for seeds not fruits, no more looking for cheap route or miracle. I know that God is all I need, but I also know that I have him already. So whatever the idea that I will get now, no matter how risky, I am no-longer afraid to dare again. Worst case scenario I will fail, then I can try again, may be succeed this time.
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 book was quick understandable.
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 in the book and there were quite helpful. It revealed to me my weakness and the reasons for most of my actions.
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.
I know that there are a lot of things I did not do correctly in my journey till here. I used to be so ashamed of my flops and errors but I have known now that that’s no victors’ way. I have learnt to take responsibilities for my actions and the two times I showed that courage; of accepting that I was responsible for an event, instead of causing more havoc like I presumed, the situation actually took care of itself. It surprised me at first but I discovered it ought to be so. I know if it ought to be, it ought to be me. So I will keep trying and looking for ideas to develop. I know that in our world today there are a lot of challenges that need ideas that will take care of them, and if I can come up with ideas on how to solve one of this major problem, it will be worth the troubles.
It is obvious to me now that it doesn’t matter how many times I have failed, and if I can succeed just once, that’s all that matters. So I will keep trying my best, no matter how little, I will keep moving forward no matter how slow, but I won’t remain stagnant.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
The God Code
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author in this wonderful book; The God Code, conveyed the idea of our oneness and the unique nature we all have as one and as it differs us from other form of lives. The author made it clear that there is more that unites us than that which separate us. Though through generation past, man have been struggling to overcome the gap that they see between themselves and others of their kind, which has led to killing and violence among humanity. In that too, he made it clear that there is more good in us than evil, in the words of the author; “On the most fundamental level, my sense is that we are a kind, compassionate, and caring species, as demonstrated by the man on the board. At the same time, out of necessity, we are also a species of warriors and survivors. When driven to extremes, we also have the power, capacity and will to override our fundamental nature and become violent, to protect and survive.” Our violent nature can be triggered by circumstances, either real or perceived, that we believe threaten us as individuals, families, communities, or nations.
In life we have different opinion about certain things, but as I have come to discover from this book and others that I have read that we are only a part of life and our views are also only a part of the whole idea. The author bridged the gap that seemed to have existed between spirituality and technology, and showed how it all have the same end point; whether we call Him God, or Infinite intelligence, or Supreme power, one thing clears it at the end; we are talking about the same person.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Surviving the learning process; being able to balance our power with wisdom
I have to come to the realization that everything we are in this life and all that we do, are in the direction of living to our full potential and fulfilling the reason for our being created. Life is a journey and no one knows everything even till death. But as we grow we try many things hoping to that we are in line with nature’s design, making use of every opportunity available to us. I love the idea of balancing our power with wisdom, not just doing things any how because we have the power to. It is of a great wisdom to know when and how we are to apply the power we have, meaning that “just because we can does not mean that we should.”
ii. Knowing our common source and our unique component.
Knowing that we are all the same or that we all have something in common should be the main principle that binds us together. Instead of trying to find out our differences, I think we should just try to find out our sameness. And for the many times I tried this, I have felt a great deal of peace and much connection towards my fellow person. I have learned that looking from a distance, we are just “one human race.”
iii. Though we are made from God, but we are not equal to God.
I think this is where we ought to fully make use of the wisdom which we gain as we exercise our power as highest species. Sometimes we just look at ourselves as super (of all things) and tend to abuse that power. There is this love I have for little creatures like earth warm and millipedes and such of their kinds; when I see a fellow just smash them with their foot, it gives me some pain, and they will tell me, ‘it’s just an earth warm’. Though we come we come from God, it is important that we know that our power is not supreme and also that our power if not used to better our lives, might not be useful to us and others around us.
iv. We are part of all we see, and the expression of something even greater.
There was this period I was trying to find out if possess any ability of so to say, I said to myself ‘I know that I am more than what I see’. The idea that I am part of a bigger plan is actually encouraging to me. It makes look up for help when am down, to turn to higher power for guidance when I don’t know which direction to follow and to believe that with God as my source, I will grow to conform to his status one day.
v. The unique difference between us and other forms of life
It is all boiling down to the point of us seeing the connection that exists between us, enabling us to appreciate each other and acknowledge the special nature of God in man. Knowing that as man, we are unique from all the other creations, we appreciate better the handwork of God and value ourselves for our true worth.
vi. The force that is everywhere all the time and responds to human emotion
God is omnipresence, filling everything with his presence, his nature and his wisdom. I have come to appreciate this force by paying some attentions to what I am not, for there is more that I am not than those I am. I know that if the world population is about 100%, I am just so little a fraction of it and it means that in others there have been deposited a great of the factors that must help me to survive attain my destiny as well. So I come obey others, love others, deal with others, all that I do in this life is either for others, with others, from others and I believe that it all shows the great wisdom of God, helping us to appreciate others for who they are; the image of God.
vii. Beyond our differences
Knowing that there is more that makes us the same than that which divides us, we will come to appreciate the connections that exist between us and is all around us. For one, God made them all. This ideas of looking beyond our differences, stands to be the hope of the world peace that we seek today. I hope we will discover this soon.
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?
That common knowledge that we are one goes a long way to heal the troubles in our world today. I perceived that the major course of our fight in the world today is the idea that we are different from the other person, and that our perspective of the world is the only right way, science thinks its way is the only right way to understanding our universe while religion thinks its way is the best and only truth. But from the lesson I learned from this book, I discovered that we are only a part of the great fact; our truth is only a part of the great truth, our thought is only a part of the great deal, and if we will come to assume our view to be the only right way, we must be making a mistake. I have learnt that every idea counts, wherever it is coming from everything makes up the great deal and we are all part of one another.
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.
“From the perspective of life mirroring consciousness, our upright posture may also be viewed as a metaphor for our ability to “stand tall” and “rise above” the trials and challenges of the earth beneath our feet.”
I buy to the idea of this quote. God in his wisdom has made us the way we are, given us dominion over all that creeps in the earth, over all that flies in the air and even those that swims in the water. Our posture is part of that great wisdom in God’s creation of man.
“By simply being honest in our conversations, we often speak precisely the right words, in precisely the right moment, and that we are heard by others in ways that we may never imagine.”
It is true that by just being honest, we don’t struggle to communicate, surprisingly we get listened to, responded to in an amazing way also. I have tried it and it worked, easing me the stress of stammering before the words come out. Though honesty is hard a virtue, but dishonesty is a great deal of hard work, and leading to doom as well.
“The convergence of so many conditions today, each of which stands alone as a threat to our future, makes this the perfect moment to discover that our sameness is greater than our differences.”
Now is the time to discover that we are one, to look from God’s point of view, knowing that we are just human race. The havoc that our focus on our differences have caused us cannot be quantified; when we pay attention to our tribes, nation, continent, race, color, language and so on, we forget that we are on affected by the same sun, and are in one globe as well.
“Although our family by blood is small, together we have found that our extended family of love is greater than we have ever imagined.”
How I wish we will all understand this point and also appreciate it by allowing it work for us. We are one.
“As blood unites the most distant relatives through the knowledge of their heritage, the message in our cells unites us in the knowledge that we each carry the same history and the same signature of the same creator. With that message, we are assured that, in addition to sharing our planet, our past and our future, we are intimately enmeshed within the choices of those around us, the only family that we know.”
I just love this idea, there are all pointing out to the fact that we are one, connected to each other.
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?
To a great extent, the book was simple enough to understand and the ideas posed in the book agreed to my school of thought. The only issue I had was comprehending those Hebrew letters and attaching numbers to them. But by understanding the bases of the letters and the numbers attached, I was able to derive much meaning from them.
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 was no exercise in the book apart from personal reflection and contemplations.
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.
None.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with Truth
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author in this book tried his best to convey to us, his personal experience in life, as it patens to what he believe is the truth and the way that a man is suppose to live his life. He was so sincere in his report that he did not hide any part of his life, (he exposed both the part he was proud of and the parts that he was not so much proud of). It made me understand that even from his words that we are hardly born a saint.
After trying all he could in the journey of life, he made his conclusion that to attain perfect purity one has to become absolutely passion-free in thought, speech, action; to arise above the opposing currents of love and hatred, attachment and repulsion. And this is what Truth is all about. Truth has to be in words, intention and action, and the author to a great extent pursued this Truth. He clarified the fact that Truth is divine, and the search of it should be the main essence of our living. He also made known the difficulty experience in the attainment of this triple purity, (that is, being truth in words, actions and intentions). From the book, the author revealed his integrity in what he believe, and I actually admired his courage, (not that I agreed with the idea of not eating meat) but I sincerely love the integrity he showed, when his believe is questioned. He searched to know what he believed and why he believes. He was not that so much a religious addict, but he loved the Truth, he believe in God, and in whatever he did, his believe in God was revealed.
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 Neglect of Youthful Age are Normally Irreparable
A wise man said that youthful age is a Blunder, adulthood is a Struggle, and old age is a Regret. This is true because while one burns with the youthful passions uncontrolled, he tend to commit many irreversible actions, either out of lustful passion or youthful ego, and with the passing of years, he discovers that his lifetime is now shorter, and there are so many responsibility to catch up with, he begins to struggle to catch up with time as an adult, and when in his old age he could not realize fulfillment, he regret his youthful waste of time. Only someone who is fortunate to receive childhood proper guidance can possibly escape such life.
ii. Numerous examples have convinced me that God ultimately saves him whose motive is pure.
This has proved true in my own personal experience while growing up. Though I cannot really boast of my effort in living the kind of life I lived, but I always thank God for his salvation all those time when it was as if I had no way of escaping the immoral temptation around me. Not less than five times can remember occasions which my friends (girls) was so seductive but somehow grace was available to spare me of those moments. Using the words of the authors, “as we know that a man often succumbs to temptation, however much he may resist it, we also know that providence often intercedes and saves him in spite of himself.” This saving power here makes it clear to me that the idea made in another part of the book is true that “it is God who justifies, not of work lest any man boast, also that the heart’s earnest and pure desire is always fulfilled.
iii. The good seed sown in childhood was not sown in vain.
Just like youthful mistakes are irreparable, youthful investments are also rewarded greatly by the infinite intelligence. The scripture says “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The author recounted the importance of such training from an old servant in his family who helped him with a tool (Ramanama), with which he overcame his fear of spirit and ghosts. Even when he had grown, he still made use of Ramanama, this took me back to the lessons I only was able to capture properly just because I started them from my childhood. Thanks to my mother.
iv. We all have a torn in the flesh, a weakness of some sort.
From this point I got reminded of the fact that it’s only by growth can we become perfect, from learning from mistakes and failures and avoiding some habits that are inconsistent with our values in life. I remembered the life of the great leader Nelson Mandela, while I was reading his autobiography; he showed us his abilities and his flops too, letting us know that perfection is a gift from God, not from our actions. Here, Gandhi also had some areas of his lives which he was not so proud of, but the lesson I got from this is that he did not let it put him down, once he came to his senses, he repent and focus on the type of person he should be.
v. His Confession of God.
Though at first he seemed not so much believe in religion or in God, but his experiences in life has led him to that place where he know God beyond the roots of religion, having being saved in all times of trials, when helpers fail and comforts flee, he found that help arrives somehow, from where know not (that would be God). This was the period when knew the true meaning of worship and prayers, beyond lip-homage; as springing from the heart. I have been to such places where I feel God’s deliverance personally that I can say in the words of Job, “I know that my redeemer liveth.” I wish everyone encounter God this way too.
vi. “Now that I have come, I must finish the three years.”
This statement was an inner voice of a man who has made up his mind to finish the task he has embarked on. It was when he got to London for his study, and things was not as glamorous as he fore saw it, but that determination was finish the task was appealing to me. It reminds of a song; “I cannot give up now, am too far from where I started from”. This is the quality of the leader I want to become. It follows the sage maxim that nothing once begun should be abandoned, unless it is proved to be morally wrong.
vii. Service which is rendered without Joy helps neither the servant nor the served.
This is true. Even God has promised not forget our labor of love. I agree that when it come to work or rendering services, in the spirit of Truth, one has to be willing, and from a personal conviction, carryout our service to God and to humanity. This is why it is not wise to force one to do certain job, for when it is not willingly done, the joy in the service is denied.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you create a better world? If so, how?
Knowing that we are the same in some manner; (in some of the mistakes I have made in life, some of the challenges I have faced) with these great men of old, gives me the courage to continue, knowing that if they finally achieved their dreams, I can. Watching the life of Gandhi, I see nothing so special as a natural gift than his firm determination to live out his believe in the Truth which he seeks. These believe kept life on track and in consistence with things that pertains to the Truth he seeks.
He said one ought to know what he believes in and why he believes in such. But stern adherence in religion thereby avoiding the God of that religion is what brings commotion in our world today. I cannot really pick out Gandhi’s religion. But his search for the Ahimsa (the God, The Truth) keeps him away from the love of religion and they by connect him to all humanity.
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.
“A clean confession, combined with a promise never to commit the sin again, when offered before one who has the right to receive it, is the purest type of repentance.”
I believe this is true, for this kind of confession comes from a contrite heart which has felt the remorse of the offence committed. And I hope my relationship with God can reach that stage where I start being sincere and open in relating to him as a father.
“Of the things that sustain him through trials man has not inkling, much less knowledge, at the time. If an unbeliever, he will attribute his safety to chance, if a believer, he will say God saved him. He will conclude, as well he may, that his religious study or spiritual discipline was at the back of the state of grace within him, but in the hour of deliverance, he does not know whether his spiritual discipline or something else saves him.”
“Finally, this is better, than one do his own task as he may, even though he fail, than take tasks not his own, though they seem good. To die performing duty is no ill: but who seeks other roads shall wander still.”
This is what we call operating within your ministry. We are all here on earth for a reason, to fulfill a special task for the creator, and if one did not discover the reason why he is here, he struggles, trying to fit in, square pegs sometimes in a round hole.
“All become one in the face of the common danger. They forgot their differences and began to think of one and only God. Musalmans, Hindus, Christians and all… at last the sky cleared, the sun made its appearance and the captain said that the storm had blown over. People’s faces beamed with gladness, and with the disappearance of danger disappeared also the name of God from their lips. Eating and drinking, singing and merry-making again become the order of the day.”
And this how human nature is, we only tend to turn to God only in the days of adversity, May God deliver me from this life style, Amen.
“I think it is wrong to expect certainties in this world, where all else but God that is Truth is an uncertainty. All that appears and happens about and around us is uncertain, transient. But there is a Supreme Being hidden therein as a Certainty and one would be blessed if one could catch a glimpse of that Certainty and hitch one’s wagon to it.”
And I also believe that if one can trust God who in his certainty, great are the rewards. The scripture said that blessed is the man who trust in God, for he shall be like a tree planted by the river side, bearing its fruit in due season.
“Man and his deed are two distinct things. Whereas a good deed calls forth approbation and wicked deed disapprobation, the doer of the deed, whether good and wicked, always deserves respect or pity as the case may be. Hate the sin and not the sinner is a precept which, though easy enough to understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why poison of hatred spreads in the world.”
This statements are so true and touching especially as I see it all in action around me every day.
“A mind consciously unclean cannot be cleansed by fasting. Modifications in diet have no effect on it. The concupiscence of the mind cannot be rooted out except by intense self-examination, surrender to God and lastly grace.”
Though fasting is necessary for cleansing of mind since it is so connected to the body, but I see the author pointing to something greater than just an avoidance of food, say offering God gift of thanksgiving when our heart is impure. Obedience is better than sacrifices he will always 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?
It is not really a case of not understanding or disagreeing, but not eating meat, or drinking milk, is it really a bad thing per say?
There are also certain terms in the text which I am still searching for their meaning. Words like; Shravana, Ramayana, Bhagavat, Balasundaram, Zarathustra, Brahmacharya; though I feel that some of them are religious inclined.
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 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.
So great was the belief of Gandhi in himself and in his God. He sought the Truth with all his life, (his job, family, and community). He was bent on making things right and fighting for he believes is good and right for his people. I so much admired his stern courage in holding up what he believe, he also taught his family what he believed and why he believed in not eating meat. Whether it was on his own believe that his family (wife and children) build their beliefs in or upon their understanding on why he believe, I can’t really say, but I also respect the courage with the wife choose death instead of living on meat. While she was sick and was being advised about eating beef tee for her to be strong for injection, she said “I do not want to recover by means of beef tee.” I also noticed that sometimes our passion to do good, could overcome our vows in life. Gandhi fall victims of this fact too, such that he who refused all things meat eating and milk in the past now for the sake of Satyagraha fight, he wanted to be alive, though when he got well, in his words he never forget his action. I have seen many of us disappoint ourselves in this aspect many times. Thing holding up to our vows is what I call integrity and currently am typing a book I titled “Your Integrity.”
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? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
This Child will be Great
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf conveyed the fulfillment of prophecy made at her infant age and also the great efforts inputted for the achievement of such destiny. In this memoir, she completely outlined the bridge between predestination and presupposition “what is meant to be must be and whatever a man sows, that he shall reap.” It is true that there was a prophesy about how great the child was to be, but in the contents of the book, she also clearly showed how much effort she put to become who she is, she paid the full price for success before succeeding; she stood for the truth in spite of the danger, she was eager to grow and advance her carrier, she overcame her fear of failure and death; and I don’t think if she had not paid those prices, she would have been what she is. In her statement, she said “I guess the debate is still on over whether leaders are born or made. I’m frankly not sure how one develops the skills necessary to lead and lead well. Leadership requires stamina. It requires a whole lot of acceptance, the ability to remain committed to your cause and to have the courage of your convictions. It requires understanding the sacrifices that have to be made and the willingness to make those sacrifices again and again and again.”
She also outlined the price for true leadership, which she exemplified by her life. She showed how important it is sometimes to associate with those which you are leading. This association will help understand what it is they are going through; to feel their pain and feel their hurt, her prison experiences really contributed to the understanding of the plight of the masses of the country which are in prison, many who are usually innocently accused. She even said “Even going to prison was, I believe, a great lesson in leadership. Going to prison in Liberia did not make me angry or bitter; it made me incredibly remorseful and sad.”
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. To understand a nation’s future, one had to first understand its past.
This is the important of history, and I believe it applied to all things in life, also in relationships. Sometimes it is important and necessary to look at the kind of life your partner have lived to avoid surprises, though one must not dwell upon such issues in relationship. So in other things in life, it is important that once in a while, we consider w here we are coming from, to be able to appreciate where we are today and enable us to reach where we want to be. When we consider the past, we are able to carve out the reasons for some actions and are able to bear with certain limitations.
ii. The little things that held big significance
I just like this phrase, for in life it is those little things that hold the prospect for life, like the wise man said, “most important things in life are for free.” The real beauty in life I have come to discover lies in the common, but mostly neglected stuffs. Nobody pays attention to the slow passing breeze and its messages; to the slow flowing river and its serenity; to the setting sun and its beauty; to the song of the bees in the budding flowers; and these is where the real beauty of life lies. Even in the business and everyday life, it’s those small expenses, those little mistakes that really cost issues. It’s that simple smile that gives life across to others, those little hugs that leaves the lasting memories. It is those little things that held the big significance in life.
iii. They all went to prison
Checking the biographies I have read of great men so far; MLK, Ghandi, Mandella, and Ellen now, I discovered one thing common to them, They all went to prison. It is like in prison their mentality usually changes. And considering the lives of other great men who have become great presidents and prime ministers (like Obasanjo of Nigeria and Joseph of the Bible history). But I finally got the answer from the words of Ellen Johnson; “Even going to prison was, I believe, a great lesson in leadership. Going to prison in Liberia did not make me angry or bitter; it made me incredibly remorseful and sad.”
iv. Be still and know that I am God.
The Lord us; “be still and know.” Wayne Dyer gave an emphasis on these four words, how powerful they are in bringing us the intervention of God in the face of challenges. In all the troubles Ellen faced, her frankness and courageousness brought her a way of being still and knowing that God is God, and is really working to saving her life. Being still and knowing gave her a stillness that overpowered the anger and rage in the heart of the angry kings. Of course even she wondered what was sustaining her even when others are being killed and in her words she said; “What saved my life that time and all the terrible times before? There were so many times Doe could have killed me.”
v. The stress that follows each success
Then her sister said “I kept thinking She’s finally made it. Now what?” The wise proverb says, unease lies the head that wears the crown. I have overtime notice upon each success or promotion in life, that with great power comes great responsibility. And so when one fights so hard to succeed in his course, and finally does, there seems to be this – AHA – now what? Some one prays so hard to gain admission into the university and gains admission; he prays to graduate; then he graduate and then prays to make life ends after graduation, and it goes on. And to them that kept their happiness after gaining admission, or after graduation, these ones are never happy in life, because after one success comes another challenge, and they keep postponing their happiness.
So I have decided that the right time to be happy is now, right now.
vi. How her mother died (the death of the righteous)
King David of the Bible prayed “Oh Lord let me die the death of the righteous.” The death of her mother caught my attention in that that was the very way my Aunty and my mother died. After witnessing the death of my aunty, my mother said, “I want to die lie like in that way”. And after one Sunday Mass, my mother who was sound and healthy was as if she knew what lies ahead and started making some sought of preparation, and that night after dinner, she went to bed and later on came outside, sat down, and that was it. She passed on. I was so calm about her death though I feel the loss so much but I was not troubled about her soul’s where about. I actually want to die peacefully like that too, after that I would have finished my work here.
vii. The Price of Leadership: Being able to “take it” is part of the price of leadership
This was her confession: “In effect, to be a great leader is to sacrifice oneself, because if you 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. 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”. But the trouble today is that there are only few of the leaders who are interested in paying the price for leadership, they mostly seek their belly and pocket. I hope IIGL will raise for us these value minded leaders. Nigeria now needs them.
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?
Knowing the common challenges that these great leaders all went through, I can see that it is not strange that today am facing some of them. I feel privilege most of the times. Going through her life stories, I see that if Ellen can fulfill her child hood prophesy, I can. She was not born with any additional advantages, it was her personal decision, and her not being comfortable with limitations gained her future dreams. She made mistakes in life like everyone else; I was surprise that in one year, she had two children, but that was not the end for her, she went far more than being stuck to her mistakes.
Personally I know that even now, this is not the end for me. At least I know that I am not where I really want to be, both in knowledge and finance, but over these years I have been consistent in directing my thoughts to my dreams and as the days unfold, my vision become clearer and are gradually manifesting day by day. I just have to keep on keeping on, for I am now convinced that am in the right direction.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please and comment on them?
“When push comes to shove and at the end of the day, depend on yourself. No one else is guaranteed to be there – no one.”
This quote sound great to me, and it reminded me that if it ought to be, its up to me. No one can really achieve my goals for me; it’s my goals and my dreams. So the idea of assigning blames on others for my misfortune is not really right. Though I can employ external help to succeed but the choice is personal, and it’s too expectation on others that brings about the word disappointment, but when we understand that no one is guaranteed to be there, we can refocus to the Power Within us to carry us through.
“Too often people, in their eagerness to stand and shout “follow me” neglect to consider the downside.”
When we only consider the good returns from being the head; the leader and neglecting the sacrifices, the result becomes what is going on in most of our countries and societies; a neglect of the masses’ needs and exploitation and exhortations. It is important to know that leadership is Work, service, sacrifice and responsibility, not just to be hailed and carried around. But unfortunately from generations past, we have hardly had these kind of leaders always.
“This can’t be the end for me, I thought. I have to get out of this. I have to do something.”
This has been my thought most of the times, and still now. I am not comfortable where I am, I have got to do something. Plans are on ground already for me to get out of the rat race which I have found myself overtime, thank God for grace and ideas. Though I am still thinking on what to really do to be where I want to be, because obviously I am not there yet. The picture is clear and I know as I keep on searching and thinking, God is not so wicked to withhold from me the way out. What he have done for others, he will do for me too.
“We cannot move on if we keep looking back.”
In as much as we need the past to get to the future, but we cannot get to the future, if we keep on dwelling on the past. The painful thing about dwelling on the past is that we hardly make use of the lesson of the past, in stead, we regret, blame (had I know and if only). It’s like someone that keeps uprooting his seedling to see how it is germinating. There are many times I have lived in if only, and anytime that statement comes out of my mouth, I notice the pain that come with it; if only am still 18; if only I had a rich Dad; if only I am not married; if only I did not sign that documents. But I have to face the future, for it holds more for me. There is this book I am reading now, (You Can if You Think You Can) I have cautioned to replace if only with next time and that is what I am doing now; Next time I will do it better. Ellen Johnson said; “We cannot change history—we have to accept it for what it is and stop the finger-pointing and the blame. And we must move ahead into the future together”.
Time and time again humanity has failed to appreciate the deep anger and resentment, the very real and very dangerous pain that comes from being told you are inferior.
Sometimes in the family and society when one has been labeled inferior, a failure and any of the sought; they try mostly to counter back with radical behaviors which mostly are harmful to themselves and the society. Mostly they believe such labels about them to be true of what they truly are, and then they try to fulfill the prophesies. If such label is not broken in such life, their future is usually hampered. Painfully our society is full of such labels today; we label others weak, poor, inferior and all sought of names.
But it is important that we break out and know that though there are labels, we are only what we accept of ourselves.
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 book was quite clear with ease comprehension and I also agree to her idea of leadership and the people’s redemption. But sometimes I think; how can I really effect change at national scale, considering the factors surrounding me now; education, finance and others. So sometimes I just conclude that there are areas in life which have passed me already. For instance, I had wanted to be a soldier, but I could not obtain my educational qualification in time, (by the time I obtained the educational qualification, I had passed the entrance age).But I know there are so many things I can still do today while the sun shines, and I am so determined to explore all my content before my night falls.
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 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.
The rat trap story
“I told the story of the rat trap in the house, in which a farmer sets a trap for a rat that has been stealing his rice. But the rat is too smart to be trapped; instead one day the farmer’s wife accidentally steps into the trap and injures her foot. Gangrene sets in, and the farmer has to kill his chicken to make soup to try to save her. She dies nonetheless, and the farmer has to kill his cow for the feast for her funeral.”
This story truly touched me, for this is what is going on around us, from federal to local community level; from the government to individual life. It’s like trying to kill a housefly with a hammer on someone’s head, most of the times it gets away and what a casualty caused. Wisdom is profitable to direct and guide and I think in the course of our activities it is important that we employ wisdom to direct our actions to avoid causing more dangers to ourselves and our community while trying to do good.
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. 8
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? 9
30 Lies about Money
Assessment by Paul Nwakuma Young (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Peter Koenig in this book revealed deep philosophical concepts about our lives and some of the deep lies that we are usually introduced to from childhood, to which we’ve believed and accepted as our reality. We tend to live our lives based on these lies that we grow up chasing the wind, basing our happiness and sense of security on external values; considering ourselves successful only to the extent to which we are more or better than others. The author did his best on the explaining some of these lies that we have lived with all this while. Actually I now know how much of my life is based on false hope and how much time has been wasted delaying my happiness till something happens.
Money: as it stands is affecting everything on our planet and have been given a role which many of us have greatly misunderstood. We have given it much power to control our reasoning and our feelings. In each of the unfolding of the lies about money and even about our lives, there have been this “aha – no wonder,” there seems to be a scale dropping from my eyes; some loads going off my shoulders. I had learnt that money can do all things; I believed it, until I see a man frustrated with money. I had believed that money is peace, happiness, comfort, security; these too I had believed and with this belief I spend my time trying to get this money at all cost, until I begin to see people with so much money not being able to sleep in the night; having so much trouble than they can handle, so where is the peace; I come to see the possessors of great money not being able to walk the street alone for fear, so where is the security that money bring?
It is true that money is important, but I have learnt from the author that aligning to the universe is the ultimate thing to seek after. No wonder Jesus told them (tells us); “seek ye first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all the other things shall be given to you.” The author was able to state that with proper understanding of money, great deal of liberty is brought to our mind, when we discover that our happiness, security, comfort, peace of mind are not based on the money we have but on our Relationships in life; how we relate with other people; how we relate with nature, how we relate with ourselves, and understanding how money is used to enhance these relationships is what is important, (not making money the base of our relationship), then can we truly find ourselves. And when this relationship have been properly established, we can properly acclaimed to ourselves; with or without money, we are happy; with or without money, we are at peace; with or without money, we are secured; with or without money, we are free; and this is the liberation that I seek.
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 lie that Money is freedom
Though it seems to be a general believe that money bring freedom, but upon close examination, it is clear that freedom does not come with money; for the more we seek after money in the pursuit of freedom, we tend to tie ourselves into things and situations that money cannot save us from. I have seen people who believe in freedom with money, I have believed it too, until I got myself tied to knots that even when I got the money, I was more confused than when I didn’t have it. In the words of the author it is clearer that people who design their lives to earn lots of money for the attainment of future freedom and choice – and continue doing this forever – are never free. Freedom is a state of present, not future existence. It is available to everyone at any and every moment, in any circumstances, with or without money. You are free now – or not at all.
ii. The lie that Money is security
This is a lie that I wish more of our leaders today realize. I wish that they may come to understand how much of prison they have built around themselves. You see a prominent man whose fence wall is taller than then prison fences and he can hardly move alone without tugs (almost same as the prisoners who are always under watch). Then I wonder how he really enjoy his money, when he cannot move freely on the street, he can move out for road walk, he cannot eat an open restaurant, and I now wonder, where is his security?
iii. Giving for the purpose of receiving
These lies that when we give we receive, has made most of us to live our life under manipulation. I remember in year 2008 when our preacher told us that we are going to do a donation and expect God to give us back 10 times in return. All I had was N500 and I gave it all counting on God to be owning me 10 times more. It never came back not 1 time, or may be it came in another way, but my eyes was fixed on N5000.
The author said it is right to be generous but not manipulative, and I here also understand what makes most church givers get disappointed in giving, because we are being told that you cannot receive if you don’t give and to the measure you give, so shall you recieve, but I think it is better learn in the author’s approach; “What more could you actually possibly need, than what you need? Here the universe is generous, at every instant, but you will be most actively conscious of this when you are in touch with your authentic self, dong the things you really want! Within this generosity the universe also has its seasons, spring – opening and blossoming, summer – ripening and giving its scent, autumn – giving its fruits and withdrawing. Winter – closing and germinating. The art for us, I suggest, is to develop similar sensitivity to timing and circumstances so that we likewise give, as we withhold, as we contain and save, appropriately.”
iii. The lie that you need a certain minimum amount of money to be happy
This actually looks like being true, but not until you have gotten that certain minimum account of money and still unhappy. I have discovered that human wants are insatiable. The more they get the more they want to get, and keeps on till one only seeks to break his own records. Happiness is far from that, now I am actually learning to be happy with or without money. St. Paul said, he has learnt to be content both in full and in lack.
iv. The Lie that Your pensions and savings will guarantee you a peaceful old-age
The might look like true, but not definitely in Nigeria, and even other countries where government are true to their words, one don’t have to postpone his peacefulness of mind. And the author rightfully said it; “there is salvation, thankfully. And that is that your peaceful old age will not be and never was dependent on your pension or money to start with. Your peace is likely to depend on three things: Your Inner state of mind – Your physical health – Your social relationships. You can start giving these your attention now. And now and now and now continuing on day by day into old age, right through to your last breath. And if you have some income to spare, the best investment could be to spend it to further these things now, and now and now, rather than put it in a remote fund, managed by remote people, for a remote promise of a future that will never be! There is no reason not to enjoy your money in old age, but your source of peace it will never be.
v. Living in abundance
It sounds great to live in abundance, and we have been taught to seek and pray for abundance, but here the author made it clear that the idea of abundance has to be taken from both side, both the pleasant and the unpleasant. And I actually subscribe to the idea of things getting better with every moment.
vi. Living the state of imperfection, struggling to be perfect, living in scarcity hoping for plenty.
This idea sounds better for me and in the words of the author; “In the state of scarcity we avoid extremes of unpleasantness – if also sacrificing the extremes of pleasantness but have it all in measured control. We can survive to a certain degree for a very long time, on hope of improvement. This is the state in which most of us live out our daily lives and out of which our accepted economic theories forming the basis for current practice – as well as our political, legal, educational and all our other institutional systems – are constructed.”
vii. We give money the power to become “Things” in our lives.
We give money power over us to become what we want it to be for us, and not only money, other things assume the power we give to them. But the reality there is in the paradox that in the process of running after money, you lose precisely the quality that you were looking to obtain money for. So that in the very chase after money as a means of exchange, you stop exchanging. In the chase after money for freedom, you lose your freedom. In looking to money for security, you lose your security. In running after money to have power, you lose your power… and so forth. The chase after money is, in effect, nothing less and nothing more than an expression of a loss of connection to precisely the respective quality in the core of your being.
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?
These ideas awaken my consciousness to the lies that have held me bound for so long. And in helping me realign my life to the universe and its provisions. Knowing what money is what its not helps me to determine how my life should go. There is no need delaying ones happiness until something happens. Now is my time to be happiness with or without money. I have to feel secure with or without money. And these consciousness keeps me going and in making my everyday decisions not counting on something to happen first for me to be happy.
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.
“It is closer to the truth to say that: people who are genuinely rich are rich with any amount of money and people who are poor unfortunately poor with any amount of money – a person’s happiness is independent of the quantity of money he or she owns or earns.”
This is really true and I wish this consciousness crystalize in me as I continue in my journey here. I know that money is needful, but I need to properly understand that what money is needed for is more important. And sometimes without money they are achievable. It is right to say that with or without money, you exist.
“The irony of the belief in the lie of “money is security” is that to the degree you subscribe to it – and your circumstances may not be as extreme as portrayed – you are likely to be living your life in a security prison of your own construction. This is of course not an expression of security, rather the reverse – insecurity.”
And it is important to me and to all to understand this fact and to really begin to feel free with or without money. But the tragedy that I have discovered here is that many who have built this personal prison can hardly escape from it now; for fear of living without money has gained deep into them. But to some of us who have not gotten there yet, may be because we have not had the opportunity of having that kind of money to build such prison. And we better not build tall fences, else we can make longer table to accommodate everyone.
“Even if the financial results of enterprises that provide the best products and services are arbitrary and unpredictable – surprisingly maybe, their sustainability is not. They will surely sustain.”
And this is what count; at the end what stand the test of time is what matters. Though it might take time and a lot of stress, but genuine substances are what we are looking for and that is what our nations need.
“Success is a miserable teacher. It leads intelligent people to believe they cannot lose. And it is an unreliable guide to the future.”
I have learned most of my valuable lessons in life from my mistakes and the times which I failed, I have also had most revaluation of my life from the moments of my sober reflection. no wonder the scripture admonished us to pay attention more to funerals than in partying. I remember those days when we were in the university and some of our brethren will come to testify to God’s goodness in their life, how they all made their papers with Bs and As. Then I wondered, we that failed one or two courses, does it mean that God is not good to us?
Whoever believe that with money you can buy everything, has obviously never had any
And he also who believe that money isn’t everything definitely has not been without it for long. (Robert Kiosaky). The truth is that we normally assume certain power on money or on some certain things in our lives until we come to realize that they are all means, not an end in themselves. The wisdom here is it know that money or other values in our lives are all means of exchange not the exchange per say. He who have not had it before thinks having it is all that is needed; but he who have had all of it, knows that there is more to live than having it.
You become free the moment you recognize the legitimacy of your own reason
This is true, because no one can step on me, except I first let myself down. Our reason is the most important thing of all, and this calls for inward looking rather than outward. Most times we look for things external to validate ourselves and count ourselves successful to the extent that we are better than others. In one of my carton movies the nice dog said; “A miserable being finds more miserable being, then he is happy,” this is a normal human behavior but rather unfortunate indeed.
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 book was an eye opener for me. Some great deal of revelation was actually there for as most especially as how long I have been postponing my happiness waiting for something to happen first, and finally when it happens, the happiness seems not to be there still. And if this should continue, then when will I ever be happy then?
The most valuable lesson I learned from this book is that “I can be happy, comfortable, secured and have peace of mind, with or without money.” And now is that time to be happy, now and now or never.
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 was 1 exercise; the author asked me to write what money is for me. I did and later, on reading through the book, my eyes were opened to how much I have lived with the normal lies. I counted money to comfort and security and many more.
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.
None.
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? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Going Deeper
Assessment by Paul Dominic Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
This is a great book, revealing secretes, unveiling hidden points of views, explaining great mysteries and creating great awareness. The author in this book explained points starting from infinity to infinity, from life before on earth to life after here. He did great in explaining who we are; how we got here; why we behave the way we do; what we are made up of and most especially how we are one. He explained the interconnectivity and entanglement between all things; humans and human, human and other animals, animate and inanimate beings. If only we can appreciate our oneness more than we try to separate, then the great crises we see today would have lessen. Who am I? This is the question that I have sought for answers for long time ago. And the author did a great job is defining our identity; separate from what we do and what we mostly think we are. He pointed out how we are really greater than what we mostly think ourselves to be. He also pointed how we are evolving with every increase in awareness and enlightenment.
The author explained the difference between belief and knowledge. Beliefs, though good and needful in our journey, have greatly limited people from what they could know and be. Knowledge supersedes belief, but religion has greatly embraced belief in one thing or another and in so doing have done more evil than good because of what it has believed. If we can grow from the level of believing in God to the level of knowing God, then we can begin to see things from different light. This change of view point is what this book is all about for me. The shift in awareness is what greatly ought to seek. The author also portrayed plants and inanimate things as having the ability to talk. At first I did not get how it could be but as I gained enlightenment into who are, I then understand how, and remember the many times I have felt my oneness with these objects as well. The whole message is that we are one; Me in them, and them in me. And with my appreciation of this oneness in life, my fear about others dies and I am empowered to work for the good of everything.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The effects of Belief
Belief as we know it is very powerful and has to ability to bring to reality what is believed; be it positive or negative. From child hood we have always been told what to believe, and as we grow we tend to cling so tight to them whether right or wrong. These beliefs sometimes become a limiting factor that holds us down, beliefs like we can’t; it has not been done this way before; and the likes. But our freedom comes when we grow from just belief to knowing. Knowing that it can be done makes one to try; knowing that you can still win, makes one to keep trying till you succeed.
ii. The voices in my head, my sub-personality
This is a new concept I just learned. I have always wondered what usually leads to my change in emotions after some events happened; at first I feel awful about an event but after some considerations and pondering, I tend to feel different. At first I might feel hurt or cheated, but when I come to consider other factors like looking at the other person’s viewpoint, or when I intentionally refused to feel hurt i.e. being in charge of my own feelings, then my feelings automatically changes. These voices are different me at different times working as one me for my own good, directing how I feel about others and quickening my actions, defending my right and protecting my interest.
iii. The concept of entanglement
The concept of entanglement is something I have always tried to understand overtime. I have always asked why when thinking of someone or talking about someone, the person is also thinking of you. So many times it has happened to me, that I am composing a text message to send to someone and then she calls, other times I will call someone and she will tell me she is just trying to call me. But from the author’s explanation, I got the light on how we are connected. Entanglement is lesson we ought to fully comprehend; this makes us to understand how we are one, the part of me in you and you in me. It might seem as if we are entangled only to the ones we love, but if we come to accept the fact that we are connected to everything around us, it might make life better.
iv. The balance that already exists
It will be important to understand that when the world was formed, it was perfect, everything existing in pairs, opposite and equal; Male and female; up and down, tall and short, joy and sadness and so on. Our understanding of this balancing factor is what we need. The Bible said everything in its extreme is bad. Though it might be silly to accept that some measure of sadness is needed to keep life going, but experience have actually taught me that it is needful to feel hurt because some of the precious lessons I have learnt in life was during those gloomy days. Job asked his wife, “we have accepted good from the Lord, why should we not accept evil also?”
v. The snake swallowing its tail
The circle of life; the animal eats grass, and then turns to manure which the grass uses, energy just changing form. When someone acts in a way that affects another, indirectly he is affected himself. This is a lesson that we leaders ought to learn, when I know that my action as much as it affects another affects me too, then I will mindful of my behavior.
vi. A shift in consciousness
This is what IIGL has been doing to me, every day seems better, every book brings with it a new way of looking at things. And things become clearer with a change in view point. “Going deeper” actually took me deeper this time and I don’t think am going down this mountain the way I climbed. I have seen the confessions of most men who have undergone a shift of consciousness, both in the real and in the Bible days, and those moments when their consciousness changed; they usually call a moment of change. Jacob after having a glimpse of Heaven made the Lord his God, no more the God of his grandfather or his father.
vii. The ordered nature of everything
A wise man said nothing just happens, and I believe him. Though we make life choices, but I know that even our choices are guided by a divine force. It plays like the egg and chicken paradox, but I do know that when He made the world it was perfect. Everything has its time and happens when due. Though this where the issue of presupposition and predestination comes but whatever happens, I have come to believe that whatever will be, will be.
viii. Who am I?
This is the question I have been asking people to find out what answer they will give. Some attributed their identity to job, some to their name, some to their possession. But I have always wondered what if you loss the job, will you cease to exist? Thank God better answers come to me from this book. I now know that I am not what I do, or what I have, but I am incredibly blessed to bear conscious witness to creation. Whatever this means but at least I can detach my identity from what I do and have.
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?
These have been incredibly useful in the relationship with those around me; at least I have been less judgmental, and my criticisms have reduced also. Knowing that nothing just happens is a great lesson, and at those moments when I feel awful, I now concentrate on the lesson it has to offer than just concentrating on the lesson. I know that we are one and that what happens one happens to all. I have stopped concentrating on my belief and I now focus on knowing more about the things I should know.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please and comment on them?
“Nothing breeds arrogance more than ignorance.”
I have carefully paid attention to some people’s character and come to realize that those who argue a lot knows only a little about the subject. With increase in knowledge comes an increase in humility; the more one knows the more he discovers that he ought to know, but the ignorant feels he knows it all and then brags.
“The older must die to make way for the new, that’s what it means to be born again.”
A shift in consciousness is a growth in awareness in which one knows better than before. And to him who feels he knows enough, teaching him is like pouring water into a filled cup. One must let go of his old stuffs for new inputs to be made, but the tragedy of holding so tightly to old beliefs is what deprives one of new revelation, and that is what we are suffering today.
“Nothing is exactly the only thing that is as it seems.”
And this is why it is so important to view from different points. Comparing viewpoints clears doubts and aids enlightenment to a particular subject. At times, most of the times we feel we are the only one who sees correctly, while all others are wrong; like when we take our belief to true or our religion to be the real one, taking all the others to be fake, but I saw a man who after reading the Bible, Koran, Torah, and offers a better say about religion; saying we are one and there is only one God.
“Trading the pain of the journey for the reward of the top.”
Sometimes we keep enduring the pains that are immediate with hope that things will get better. But most times such hopes are full of illusion, because those futures most times never come. It is better to enjoy your life as you live, one day at a time, instead of being the bee so focused on returning to the hive that it skips all the flowers on the way up.
“When you want to communicate, words don’t always do the thing.”
I actually have noticed that they are moments in life that words. Don’t really pass the message as silence does. At that moment the heart does the communication, heart to heart, it’s such a perfect moment. These moments usually occur when true lovers met, and it is as if time has stopped moving, words are not needed at this moments.
“Knowing is a powerful tool; however it comes with a price. To reach the rung of knowing, one must let go of the rung of belief.”
It is good to believe but it is better to know him in whom you believe. Belief is powerful and can create equivalent result as believed; it can also limit one’s potential if it is negative. St. Paul sought to Christ and the power of his resurrection, and I know that at this time of seeking to know Christ, he had believed.
“No telescope no matter how powerful can reveal what they seek if it is pointed in the wrong direction.”
This is the same as saying that no wrong direction ever leads to the correct destination. When someone uses the wrong approach in trying to get a desired saying, claiming that the end justifies the means, he forgets that they are no right way of doing the wrong thing.
“There is always a part of you that can’t, just as there is always a part of you that can. It’s up to you to pick the appropriate part in any situation.”
This calls for self mastery, know all the sub-personalities and when to summon them to action. I feel there are things we can do on our own, and there are things we might need to employ the services of our other-selves residence in other people, knowing that as you live in me, I live in you too.
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?
At first I did not understand the concept of the talking tree, rock, and dog, but as I explore deeper in the lessons of oneness, I gained better comprehension on how it we are connected. The concept of re-incarnation and the different densities of life is another point I am still trying to understand.
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 were no exercises. There were only those moments when it was needful to examine myself to drive in the message from 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.
Going deeper was actually a going deeper for me. This is one book I will never forget in life because most of the questions I have been asking, I have their answers from this book, from how children get their character, to the idea of entanglement; why when am thinking of someone, he is thinking of me too. It also showed who I am and healed me from the hatred and sentiments I have been having on governmental leaders. The lessons I got from this book went a long way to enlightening the several lessons I usually get from other books. If I am to say, I will like that this book be made compulsory for all IIGL for I see from this book a point showing we are the hope of this planet even as it moves to the next density.
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
You Just Don’t Understand
Assessment by Nwakuma Dominic Paul (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author greatly explored the different gender-world that exists. Being a man or a woman goes a long way to determining our attitudes in life. Our values and view of things are also mostly determined by our gender. The male expect things their ways which is sometimes absurd to the female; and the female too expect that things be done female-like. This different world of the males and the females usually comes with different understandings of the happenings around us; Say a word to a woman and she gets her meaning of what is intended, say the same word to a man and he comes with his own different understanding of the same word. Author Deborah Tannen did a great work in explaining how everyone could mean well in their intention, and how understanding the other person’s point of view can help in maintaining our relationship. What makes a woman comfortable can be so bored to man and vice versa, but if we can understand what a thing means to the other, we can learn to respect other’s feelings and take each other on their own terms rather than applying the standard of one group to the behavior of the other.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Status and Connection
This point actually shined good light on the reason behind most of the actions I see around between men and women. I was able to understand the speech pattern of men and women around. It was good to understand that when men speak or interact with others, they try to show off their ability, their acquisition or attainment; you see a minister of the gospel still emphasizing that the title of (Dr. or Prof.) be added when he is being addressed. This book made me understand why sometimes, we go to the extent of lying about what we have done or who we are just to feel important. These behaviors are inbuilt from the way we are usually treated from childhood, it does not always mean that one is bad or good, but an understanding of the fact that is who we are is what is important.
ii. Symmetry and Asymmetry
This idea is still on what motivates the behaviors in the gender group (men and women); in as much as men try to show off in the their behavior, it is explained in this book the effort that women do in trying to be equal and feel among. While men try to show off, women try to connect to the other person’s feeling. While men just want to have their way, women ponder what will be the feeling of the other person.
iii. Interdependence
This is the way it ought to be seen in relationships; interdependence. The claiming of rights and showing that ‘my’ way is better is what causes trouble at homes. The male gender should appreciate the female gender because one person needs the other; both parties rely on each other, so neither should be one-up or one-down. The women and the men ought to understand that they are dependent on each other. Their differing goals are complementary, although neither understands the reasons for the other’s behavior. According to the author, we would all do well to distrust our automatic responses to what others say, especially if our responses are negative. Instead, we should try to see things from the other person’s perspective. Once they know that men and women often have different assumptions about the world and about ways of talking, people are very creative about figuring out how this rift is affecting their own relationships.
iii. How Boys and Girls grow
It is true that boys and girls grow up in a different world, but we think we are in the same one, so we judge each other’s behavior by the standards of our own. Each one thinks he or she is simply expecting the other to be a good person, but their definition of a good person varies because of the differing expectations for a good girl or a good boy. If we can understand that this world is can accommodate everyone just is they are, we too can try our best to allow others to be just who they are instead of trying to change them to be who we are.
iv. It All Depends
It is very evidence that same behavior can have very different meanings to different people. Men and women tend to attach different meaning to what they hear, so if in our conversation, we are able to take to cognizance what the other person might be reading out of what we are saying, we can limit our judgment, thereby reducing some of the tensions that usually rises in our relationship. Words like risk, threat, love, danger, can mean different things to the understanding of men and women, so it depends on who we are talking to.
v. Cumulative Frustration
This was the idea that got me thinking, for some of us that introvert, we normally won’t cry out when we are hurt but get to express our feeling later when we can no longer contain them. And at that moment, such expression usually causes more havoc than its cause. I have discovered that it is usually better to express how you feel when you ought to, instead of pilling-up hurtful feelings.
vi. “Things happen, but it is whom it happens to that determines the meaning of the event. What means an adventure to one may mean threat to another.”
In this case we are considering gender, male and female and most of the times we need to try and consider what our action might mean to the other person before trying to enforce our view point as a standard.
vii. “The biggest mistake is believing there is one right way to listen, to talk, to have a conversation- or a relationship.”
And this is what happens when we begin to think that only our way is the correct, right way of doing things. It would be really nice that we grow to the extent that we can begin to consider the other person’s point of view. For we are only a little percentage of the whole world population.
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 main thing is to understand and know that man and woman are from different world and can see one thing in different ways. This book has helped me to learn how to take a second thought before assuming the meaning and implication of what my wife says. Though sometimes I look at things from the men side of view and expect things to be done my way, but on the other side, I have learnt that men behave differently from women and that one thing may mean different things to both. I have learnt that it must not be my way and that the other person is not always wrong, if only we can both understanding the other person’s motive, and bear when misunderstood, life can be better. Like the author rightly said: “if you understand gender differences in what I call conversational style, you may not be able to prevent disagreements from arising, but you stand a better chance of preventing them from spiraling out of control. When sincere attempts to communicate end in stalemate, and a beloved partner seems irrational and obstinate, the different languages men and women speak can shake the foundation of our lives. Understanding the other’s ways of talking is a giant leap across the communication gap between women and men, and a giant step toward opening lines of communication.”
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 is nothing inherently wrong with automatic behavior. If we did not do most things automatically, it would take massive concentration and energy to do anything. But by becoming aware of our ways of talking and how effective they are, we can override our automatic impulses and adapt our habitual styles when they are not serving us well.”
In as much as we are ourselves, we ought also to learn from outside ourselves the meaning of life. Always taking an adversative stance can result in avoiding situations one might really enjoy. And always accommodating can result in accepting situations one would really rather avoid. So I can say that it is necessary to learn and keep learning as much as we have the opportunity.
“We can’t both stand on the same spot without one of us standing on the other’s foot. If no one steps aside, someone will get stepped on. You and I are not the same person, so some of our wants will be different and conflict is inevitable. Because we can’t both get our way, we may find ourselves in a power struggle.”
This ought to be the perfect understanding for a survivability of a relationship”.
“No doubt, many people can be helped by learning to be more sensitive or more assertive. But few people are helped by being told they are doing everything all wrong. And there may be little wrong with what people are doing, even if they are winding up in arguments. The problem may be that each partner is operating within a different system, speaking a different gender.”
So the bottom line is taking into consideration the other person’s perspective as important too.
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 book was really interesting especially as it deals with most of the issues I was dealing with in trying to enjoy my marriage. It was easy to understand.
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 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.
This book, “You Just Don’t Understand” is relationship therapy since the make and ruin of any relationship depends on the conversational approach, and the meanings read from what is being said. It is important that we understand the intention of someone we talking to; for most of the times, those intentions are good, but inappropriate representations could ruin a good intention. It is true that sometimes we have different interpretation of same thing, but when we misinterpret other people’s statements based on the light with which we see, it can lead to frustration. It is important we learn that habitual ways of talking are hard to change, learning to respect other’s ways of talking may be a bit easier. Men should accept that many women regard exchanging details about personal lives as a basic ingredient of intimacy, and women should accept that many men do not share this view. Mutual acceptance will at least prevent the pain of being told you are doing something wrong when you are only doing things your way. It is true that we all have our places, male and female; though who formed the discrimination, I don’t know, but it is important that we respect the boundary and the differences not to relegate or demote the other gender or to envy or desire the other but to appreciate and recognize our strength and weaknesses consecutively.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
The Monk that Sold his Ferrari
Assessment by Nwakuma Dominic Paul (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The monk that sold his Ferrari is actually a life manual for those who want to live a life of meaning, everyone who actually needs more meaning into his life rather than just achievements ought to make the lessons in the book a daily practice. The book is a Fable of a man who has seen different phases of his life. The whole lessons from this book are contained in one little story:
“You are sitting in the middle of a magnificent, lush, green garden. This garden is filled with the most spectacular flowers you have ever seen. The environment is supremely tranquil and silent. Savor the sensual delights of this garden and feel as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy this natural oasis. As you look around you see that in the center of this magical garden stands a towering, red lighthouse, six stories high. Suddenly, the silence of the garden is disturbed by a loud creaking as the door at the base of the lighthouse opens. Out stumbles a nine-foot-tall, nine-hundred-pound Japanese sumo wrestler who casually wanders into the center of the garden. As this sumo wrestler starts to move around the garden, he finds a shiny gold stopwatch which someone had left behind many years earlier. He slips it on, and falls to the ground with an enormous thud. The sumo wrestler is rendered unconscious and lies there, silent and still. Just when you think he has taken his last breath, the wrestler awakens, perhaps stirred by the fragrance of some fresh yellow roses blooming nearby. Energized, the wrestler jumps swiftly to his feet and intuitively looks to his left. He is startled at what he sees. Through the bushes at the very edge of the garden he observes a long winding path covered by millions of sparkling diamonds. Something seems to instruct the wrestler to take the path, and to his credit, he does. This path leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss.”
This story as explained holds all the significant elements of our life, from our mind, which was shown as a garden in which we cultivate daily; to the activities which we carryout everyday of our life. The author explained deep life principles that make a worthy life style and worthy life too. The book was actually a summation of the entire lesson I have been trying to learn so.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The beauty in the most ordinary of things.
So many don’t have the eyes to see this, we spend out life looking for a miracle while our lives daily are full of miracles. We are always focused on activities and event, accomplishments and earnings that we loss the really value of life. Most times, we are just the bee so focused on returning to the hive that it skips all the flowers on the way up. Learning to breath is so important to our health, but we hard give it a thought, we fail to enjoy the sun shine; admire the beauty of the dark night; the coolness of the rainfall; all these are free life enriching activities for the free minds to enjoy.
ii. Power of Simplicity
Life is awesome when taken simple; because the real important things in this life are actually free. However, we make our life so complicated when we begin to look for complicated stuffs. The book illustrated to a great depth the importance of simplicity and though I have been trying to simplify my life by getting off excesses, knowing that the power of simplicity can actually take me some level higher. “One must never live in the thick of thin things. Focus only on your priorities, those activities that are truly meaningful. Your life will be uncluttered, rewarding and exceptionally peaceful.” All it takes are small steps in the direction of our dreams.
iii. Your outer world reflects the state of your inner world.
This is the idea that has deeply helped me deal with taking responsibility for my actions. Since I got to know that how things appear outside my world is a reflection of my inner world, I stopped assigning blames and started taking responsibilities for my actions. But there is still one thing that borders me; though I try to keep my cool and maintain my peace, it seems like am still affected by my relationship, sometimes I want to detach my feeling from whatever is happening, but I have not mastered this detachment. Carl Jung once said that “your vision will become clear only when you can look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens. How can you care for others if you cannot even care for yourself? How can you do good if you don’t even feel good? I can’t love you if I cannot love myself. It is only when you have mastered the art of loving yourself that you can truly love others. 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.”
iv. Never forget that there is power in silence and stillness.
The Power of Silence and Stillness is one power I have been trying acquire since I know of its benefits. The bible said, be still and know. I have learnt that there is a different between being still and doing nothing. The power of silence is a chapter in one of the books I am writing, (In the days of my loneliness), and from experience I have usually gain the composure I need to face my challenges from my moment of silence. The power of silence and the ability to be still is what a matured mind need.
v. “The Garden is the Mind”
Our mind is the garden in the story. And thinking about it, I come to agree that the mind is the center of our being, the engine that drives our life. Upon this notice, it is important then that we take care of it as the most important thing in our life. The Bible commands that we guide our heart with all diligence, for out of it comes the issues of life. It is obvious that weeds are not planted, they grow on their own, so if our mind is not guided well, then it can be taken over by weeds, the mind need to be taken care of; fed well, nurtured well, guided against intruders, weeds, poisons and other dangerous hazards. It is important that I pay conscious attention to the affairs of my mind, and feed it well with positive thinking and believes to the best that can be.
vi. The need to be healed from within
Considering the situations of my life now, this is really what I need; an inner peace. So many things seem wrong now; my business is not as it seems, my health is not in good shape either, I seem to be seeing only wrong things in my relationship with my wife and others too. But I have read it over and over again that my outer world only reflects my inner world. So I came to accept that if my inner world can be proper align to the will of the universe all these errors can be fixed. At least my view can be made better, I can be able to see the best in the present situations and experience it also. This inner healing is what I need now. Oh God, grant me your inner peace.
vii. There is tremendous power in a ritual.
Repetition is the key to mastery. In this book, it was greatly explained; the power of ritual in building habit, which is essential in building character. Ritual is an ingredient in the building of discipline. I like the definition of discipline according to Brian Tracy; the ability to do something you ought to do, whether you like it or not, whether you feel like doing it or not. In ritual it comes to become a tradition, a way of life, either of a people or a person. Am working at building this habit in some major area of my life. What sets highly actualized people apart from those who never live inspired lives is that they do those things that less developed people don’t like doing – even though they might not like doing them either.
viii. The Purpose of life is a life of purpose.
It is good to be reminded that we are all here for a purpose; to serve. Jesus said, I come to serve, not to be served. And he lived his life in service to life and to humanity. Most of the great men I have read about, Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, and many more all died in service to humanity, but sometimes I have my mind occupied in just what I can get rather than what can give. The book said “when all is said and done, no matter what you have achieved, no matter how many summer homes you own, no matter how many cars sit in your driveway, the quality of your life will come down to the quality of your contribution. “According to William Blake; everything that lives, lives not alone, not for itself.”
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?
Most of the useful lessons I have learnt so far with all the books that I have been studying has been; working daily in building a greater me. Being able to focus my look inward instead of blame casting, made me take responsibilities of creating a better world around me. Though I have known of the importance of taking time off to reflect, now I am beginning to cool off and regain my stamina. My day is being examined at the end thereof to enable me better face the days ahead. I got a better view of my mission here; to serve, and am trying every day to live a life of service. Building self-discipline is the most important thing I need right now, for in this is based all the successes I need; in service, in expression, in daily living too.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book, which really got your attention? If so, please and comment on them?
“I have had dreams and I have had nightmares. I overcame the nightmares because of my dreams.”
It is as good as saying that I have had goals and I have had challenges; and I overcome my challenges because of my goals. Goals are the reason I wake up every day, my goals are the reason I have not given up; goals are the reason I am still in IIGL, the goals are the reason I keep searching and researching for answers. In addition, with the achievement of one goal, I gain more strength to move on. I wonder why some people still leave their life to chance, but if you don’t even know where you are going, how will you ever know when you get there? You will never be able to hit a target that you cannot see.
“Quick-fixes do not work. All lasting inner change requires time and effort. Persistence is the mother of personal change.”
This complies to the universal law of gestation; everything takes time to grow. That gestation period is what most people try to dodge. Most times we lack the patient to wait; to take care of our dreams until it come true. I agree that inner change requires time and effort to achieve it.
“One must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind him to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and a mystery.”
The ability to stop and smell the flowers, enjoy the sunlight and watch the stars sometimes seems to be an absurd thing to many who think they are too busy for common things. They don’t seem to understand that life is actually made up of those small common things. It is with the neglect of those little things that they compound problems for themselves and finally end up in a rat race. Life at every moment is actually a miracle if one cares to enjoy the little things that nature has already provided for us.
“There are no mistakes in life, only lessons. 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.”
I fully agree to this statement. I have learned that everything happens for a reason, every event has a purpose and every setback its lesson. I have realized that failure, whether of the personal, professional or even spiritual kind, is essential to personal expansion. It brings inner growth and a whole host of psychic rewards. Never regret your past. Rather, embrace it as the teacher that it is. Never regret what has happened in the past; There is a purpose for everything that has ever happened to you, and everything that will happen to you. The only problem I see is that most times we are engulfed with circumstance that we hardly look out for the lesson it has to offer us. It is true that there is a bright side to the darkest circumstance – if you have the courage to look for it.
“There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. The only limits on your life are those that you set yourself.”
It is just like someone who is striving to overtake all of the vehicles in the drive way; he will keep running for with each achievement calls for more achievement; there will always be a car ahead of him. Therefore, I agree that the only competition worth embarking is with myself, trying every day to be better than I am. With this mentality, I can have my peace and maintain serenity in my world. I agree to this advice; “As you try to be a better you, do not be concerned with the judgment of others as long as you know what you are doing is right. You can do whatever you want to do as long as it is correct according to your conscience and your heart. Never do anything because you have to. The only reason to do something is because you want to and because you know it is the right thing for you to do. If you want to improve your life and live with all that you deserve you must run your own race. It doesn’t matter what other people say about you. What is important is what you say to yourself.
“Never put off happiness for the sake of achievement.”
And what is the need in achievement, more if it only creates anxiety for someone, instead of peace. Many think that more is better, but actually there is not peace in more is better, for if you keep searching for more, you can never rest, for there will never be any sort of satisfaction. Like the sages in this book, all of their wisdom was based on the ageless principle that ‘one must live a life of moderation and do nothing to extremes.’ Those who put off happiness for the sake of achievement lack a key ingredient to a meaningful, enlightened life: the freedom to see the forest beyond the trees, the freedom to choose what is right over what seems pressing.”
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 book was easy enough to understand, since it actually a concise compilation of all the various lessons I have been reading on other books. There were just some of these other ideas that I have been finding it difficult to practice every day. These ideas include perfect meditation, persistence on a task till I see the result, inner composure to live above worry. It is not like I don’t believe in the possibility of practicing these principles but I have been so scattered inwardly some of the times, and gaining the self-discipline needed have been a tug of war. Nevertheless, to everyday, am getting better, for at least today I know what area of my life to work on.
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?
The exercises in the book are not really the ones that need to be rushed during the period of reading this book. There are life span exercises and those are the principles on which the book is based. I have started working on some of the exercises, like walking with my post card and my affirmations; commencing my daily exercises and practicing silence (taking time to reset).
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.
This is one of the richest and simplest books I have ever read. Its lessons are so practical and life applying. It seems to encompass most of the individual lessons and answers to some of the question I have been asking. It covers of all of life essence for those who seek higher level of living. I agree with the book when it says that “life is all about choices; One’s destiny unfolds according to the choices one makes”. In addition, this book rightly states that every answer to every problem you have ever faced is in print.
An event that appears to be a tragedy to one might reveal the seeds of unlimited opportunity to another. What really separates people who are habitually upbeat and optimistic from those who are consistently miserable is how the circumstances of life are interpreted and processed. “We might not be able to control the weather or the traffic or the moods of all those around us. But, we most certainly can control our attitude towards these events. No matter what happens to you in your life, you alone have the capacity to choose your response to it. When you form the habit of searching for the positive in every circumstance, your life will move into its highest dimensions. This is one of the greatest of all the natural laws.” Thanks to Robin S. Sharma (the author).
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 Holographic Universe
Assessment by Dominic Paul Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Thanks for Michael Talbot for his concise/extensive insight in the illusions of reality. His main idea was letting us know that we are more than what we see; that there is more to life than we feel and see here. He mainly led us to the higher level of existence; the levels where science has failed to acknowledge or give attention.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Everything in the universe is a part of the whole
In the words of the author; Despite the apparent separateness of things at the explicate level, everything is a seamless extension of everything else, and ultimately even the implicated and explicate orders blend into each other. I believe that gradually we are all gaining consciousness to the fact we are all from the same source and are returning to that source. We have more in common than what seems to separate us.
ii. The power of imagination
I have noticed that Life can either be lived or imagined, but both have the same effect on how we feel. Overtime I have been reading about the power of imagination, and how it can be used to bring into existence what we actually want. We believe that the earth was created from nothing but the spoken words of God, and I see how well he (God) was describing what he wanted to see (considering the Genesis account of creation). So I see that if the picture can be clear enough in our imagination, it will be easy to manifest what so ever it is we really want.
iii. The placebo effects
I have read of placebo effect on several books; what it is and its work, but here the author did extensively explain the working pattern of the process. From this I discover that it is not the drugs taken that actually heals but our belief that it can heal. This in other words is what faith is all about and this is how miracle takes place, with our mind we creates the solutions we are looking for and just witness the manifestation of those solutions given any opportunity or when we are in the right environment.
iv. Two different ways of trying to explain the same thing
I have noticed different sights of the same view; a lot of people looking at the same thing and seeing different things. This is how science and religion (or spirituality) has been each giving meaning to the occurrences around us, each in its own way. It is true that each sees or thinks it sees things, but it is based on their standing point. So from this I can assume that there is no absoluteness to each sight, only that one sees based his own standing point. So it is necessary to consider another’s view point and it will also be wise not throw away a fact just because we do not understand it.
v. The mind and the body
Extensive explanation is done in showing how the mind and the body is the same; one (the body) just being a physical expression of the content of the other (the mind). This somehow answers the question that have been there for long; the egg and the chicken, which one comes first? We can now see that both are the same; one just being an expression of the other, each expressing itself in the other.
vi. What is there and what is believed to be out there
This is the mind in action. There have been situations in which we have created monsters with our mind, and come to feel their power. Wake out in the middle of the night and in the darkness of the night it seems that all around is ghost and with that belief one begins to nurture fear and cannot move out of his room. Even when he comes out he begins to see scary images around, but when everywhere is brightened, he discovered that there was actually nothing where he thought. What is important to note is that our system or body does not differentiate between what is and what is believed to be. So we need to believe that there is good out there for us and in believing we bring those good to ourselves.
vii. The purpose of life is to learn
I suppose this means continuous growth. It is said that “when a man stops learning, he starts dying.” So everyone who decides he will no longer learn definitely have no reason to still be alive. Almost everything in life is updating and everyone who remains static gets decayed in this information age. There are always new styles of doing everything now, so learning is necessary for survival.
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?
Actually there several ideas that are gaining clarification upon paying attention to the ideas I see in this book; how everything is one. There have been some little statements which when literally taken makes more sense than the meaning which we usually try to attach to them. Like when we simply say WE ARE ONE, or WE ARE Gods; from this book, it points to the Source from which come and to which we flow and in which we are. Or when we say that God is the same yesterday, today and forever; bringing eternity; the past, present and future in a single moment. When we say Christ is The Priest, The Alter, the Lamb of sacrifice, it points to the experimenter being the same with his experiment.
These knowledge or awareness gives liberation and adds value into everyday ventures, knowing that we don’t just exist, but we are part of something greater than we can see, we are part of the whole and understanding the relationship between our mind and our body, between what we imagine and what is actually there and how these runs our everyday life; life tends to be more fuller.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please and comment on them?
“The brain cannot always distinguish between what is out there and what it believes to be out there.”
This is the same point that I was told in the law of attraction; the universe doesn’t judge whether we want it or not, it just read the presence of it in our mind and brings it to us. This should make us careful of the things we think. We should just choose the best, and believe in it and our brain will create the necessary hormones to bring it to us.
“It should not surprise us that images in the mind can ultimately manifest as realities in the physical body.”
This is the idea on the power of imagination above. If we can make the images as clear enough as God did in this His creation, it will marvels us the wonderful we can bring to play. The work here is the discipline to hold that picture long enough in our mind for the manifestation of what we actually desire.
“The mind and body continually interact and are closely inter-woven to be treated as independent entities.”
If we can actually understand that the outcome of the content of the mind is what the body feels, then we can properly take care of it. The Bible said “guide your heart with all diligence, for out of it, flows the issues of life”. So we can stop treating the mind as if it’s different entity from our body. With our body we feed the mind, and with the body we get the result of the mind product; for as without, so within.
“Simple everyday belief can also have a powerful effect on the body.”
Daily believing that everything is working out for our good is a powerful way to live our life. It can help overcome everyday challenges and set one in the part of success.
“There are many higher plains and to get back to God, to reach the plane where his spirit resides, you have to drop your garment each time until your spirit is truly free.”
With every increase in our awareness level, we actually understand the weight of ignorance. As we move closer to light, we tend to clearly see ourselves and move to higher plane. As we learn to adjust to the life of the pure spirit, there ought to be signs that we are growing and we see this by what event means to us now compared to our former life.
“I don’t believe that any goes, but there are a lot of worlds out there that we don’t understand.”
Having paid to attention to a lot of things around, I come to understand really that there is more to learn, there are still a lot of planes to climb. But knowing that I am part of the whole is consoling, even as I wander on my return home. I will keep growing having in the mind the words of the author. There is at present little doubt in my mind that our current understanding of the universe, of the nature of reality and particularly of human beings is superficial incorrect and incomplete.
We are so used to responding to what we think is out there, that we don’t always see what really is there.”
This has happened to me a lot of times and to many people that I know. Some times when I come to read, I discover that what I read is not what is written down on the paper but what I supposed should have been there. Sometimes we look and instead of seeing who is there, another person’s image is what appears to us. I believe this is what happens when an event occurs in our lives too; instead of just see what happened as it happen, we begin to read meaning into it and there by pilling a lot of confusion in our head.
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?
There were ideas which I should say is above my current comprehension; some philosophical meanings which I only have to accept and agree with even though I do not understand them. There were terms which were my first time of coming across them and their meaning too. Things like Psycho-kinesis as it relate to miracle and the issue of apparition.
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 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.
The book talked about oneness and wholeness of all things. It is easy for us to feel our separateness from all things based on the level of our awareness and there is something I have been pondering about the concept of eternity; where we come from and where we are going and where we are now; how it’s all part of that eternity. It seems to me that this phase of our life is a refining stage, preparing us for the eternity ahead. And referencing this book, “there are many higher planes and sometimes we are allowed glimpses of the higher planes – each one is lighter and brighter than the one before. And we are not yet mature enough or in enough control of our emotions, attitudes and beliefs to deal with the monster our psyches would create for ourselves there.” In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught his disciple this prayer and in it ran the line Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. This is to say that this world is a preparatory grown for the future unfolding, we are just here to learn how to live in the world to come.
I believe that the idea of spirituality is more beneficial than the idea of religion, for we converge in the spiritual, no matter the religion. And from what I have been reading every religion points to the oneness of our souls. I have even started to see the links of all things even from the books I have been reading; somehow there are always a connection between the books, if not in the same idea being portrayed in the books, it will be the sameness of terms used in one then another; like in my levels six books, I have the Holographic universe talking about oneness of all things and us being greater than we seem; then the monk that sold his Ferrari delivering the same ideas as The Leader who had no title, then the Parallel world having similar to Holographic universe. In the poem, “Oh Love that will not let me go;” we are all under the cloud. And still very important point to note here is in line with the statement of the book; “In a universe in which the consciousness of a physicist affects the reality of a subatomic particle, the attitude of a doctor affect whether or not a placebo works, the mind of an experimenter affects the way a machine operates, and the imagined can spill over into physical reality, we can no longer pretend that we are separate from that which we are studying.” In my church prayers, I remember Christ being referred to as The Alter, The Priest, and The Lamb of sacrifice; pointing that the experiment is not really different from the experimenter.
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? 10
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? 9
The Leader Who Have No Title
Assessment by Dominic Paul Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The book simply says “You don’t have to have a title to be a leader.” This leadership starts with leading oneself. Not necessary leading others – which is inevitable anyway, because people will definitely be drawn to the light wherever it is. Leading without title is the base of a real successful life – a life lived based on Truth, Rightness, Value and Discipline. When someone leads without title, he does good because it is good not to manipulate; he pays the price for success even if it involves the hard way; he lives with the end in mind, to leave the world a better place than we meet it.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The Multiplier: Effect Small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results.
This is great to know. It doesn’t have to be much at a time; but consistency is the key. This is a great lesson I have learnt. And the good thing is that it applies to almost every area of our life.
ii. Takking the high road even when it was the hardest path to take.
This is what I have learned from Leadership Without Title to be. It means doing what is right because it is right, not that you seek to be noticed or praised, but doing the good for good’s sake. Leading without Title is for the great minds, who seeks no praise but derive their joy from the result of the good job they do. The discipline for taking the high road even when it hardest path to take is what I seek as I make my way to fulfilling my destiny.
iii. Anyone can be successful. Few choose to be.
So it is in all areas of life. The Bible said many are called but few are chosen. Life’s success has a price, and I have discovered that everyone wants to succeed, everyone wants to be happy, but only a few want to do the needful, only a few wants to pay the price. Only a few want to take the high road even when it is the hardest path to take. Success I have learned is easy and simple but then it is practice with consistency with much discipline. Success is created through the performance of a few small daily disciplines that stack up over time to produce achievements far beyond anything you could have ever planned for. Leaders are those individuals who do the things that failures aren’t willing to do—even though they might not like doing them either.
iv. Being ready to pass on the message to someone who is ready to listen
Passing on the light is what will ensure that our world stays out of darkness in the years to come. We live in a world where values are dying, in my country for instance, the educational value of reading is gone; currently someone has to pay just N400 for each paper to pass his final year examination (WAEC) and I weep for the future of our educational system, since there is no need for our kids to read anymore to pass. I wonder how we will get engineers and doctors and teachers in the years to come.
To as many who are ready to learn what I have learnt, I promise to help them in the areas that I can to achieve inner peace.
v. The difference between being alive and knowing how to live.
This is a point which I wish to glue as the main idea of my action each day. Knowing that I am here for a purpose and discovering that purpose is my goal. Knowing how to live involves the following points which I got from the book:
If you want to win, you need to help others win.
Give away that which you most wish to receive.
Always do more than you are paid to do.
You can say whatever you want so long as you say it with respect.”
Be good to people because it’s the right thing to do; not as in doing it to manipulate them into feeling obliged to give you what you want.
Things often have to fall apart before they can be rebuilt in a much better way.
These are relationship tips which helps us, (ME) get a full rich living and life here.
vi. Don’t lose yourself on the way to the top.
This is the unfortunate thing I have notice happening to mostly the rich and famous in our world today. They sell their most valuables for perishables; they sell their freedom for money and positions; they sell their relationships for fame, they sell their health for wealth, they sell self-esteem for riches. And one funny and sad thing is that when they got to the top, they now begin to look for those things which they lost on the way to the top and by now it is usually late and never gotten again.
vii. “The 10 human regrets.”
And at the end, when time is up, we come to face to face to reality. And I so wish that by this time like St. Paul, I would say “I have run the race, I have won the price, all that is left now the crown of glory which Christ my savior will give to those who love him”. I want to try everything my heart longs for today, and succeed if I may or fall if I will, but at least I would have tried.
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?
Just like Anthony Robbins said, “Everyday in every way, I keep getting better and better”. By thinking about the ideas in this book, I noticed that my lifestyle is gradually changing; my conversation keeps improving and my thought keep getting focused on those things that I want. One serious improvement I have noticed in my life is thinking about my thoughts. “Blake” in the book made a promise to “Tommy” that he will pass on to others the great lesson he was about to learn, and he has passed it to me now. I have made the same promise to pass what I have learnt from the book and am learning from IIGL to anyone who is ready to listen. At least if am finally able to help one life attain its best before I am gone from here, I would die gladly.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please and comment on them?
“Worrying about things beyond your control is a pretty good formula for illness.
Help me Lord to change the things that I can, and the grace to accept the things that I can’t change. No need to worry about the past or the future, all we have is now and I have discovered that all that is always left about now is to be happy if we choose to be. We always have enough reason to be happy in the now.
“Within the covers of a single book are ideas that, if acted upon, have the power to re-script every part of your life.”
To those who want to grow, they search the content of the written down instructions of life. And this is one of the great gifts that IIGL offers to me, the materials to read and be transformed.
“Getting lost along your path is a part of finding the path you’re meant to be on. Sometimes we need to get off track before we can develop the clarity to be on track.”
I need this consciousness all the time to save me the trauma of not achieving my goals sometimes. With this consciousness, I gain the courage to try again and again if need be; knowing that failing is a necessary part of success.
“If everyone would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world will be clean.”
If I can do my part superbly well and with everyone in the team doing the same, then a superb result is guaranteed. But I discovered the issue we normally have is waiting for another to theirs while we leave ours undone.
“It’s a great day to be alive, Just consider the alternative if you don’t believe me.”
This idea helps me to be grateful for everyday I come into. Every day is a gift which not everyone has. And if am alive today it means there is still a little time for me to do good to someone before I go.
“Too many of us wish we had more time, yet we waste the time we have.”
This is what happen because we fail to appreciate the present; for the fear of the future or the pains of the past. It makes us take our eyes of the joy and the gifts of the moments until the present becomes the past and we begin to wish we had done better. It also shows itself in the way we take the people we love the most for granted. Until we lose them. Then we take long, silent walks and pray for a second chance to treat them the way they deserved to have been treated.
“The interesting thing about reflecting on your death is that it reawakens you to what’s truest about life.”
Thinking about our death is good; this I have come to notice. The Bible said it is better to attain Funeral than attain Party, for in so doing we come to think about the reality of life. Life is beautiful, and this we appreciate, only when we remember that we will not remain here forever. Some dread the issue of dying but it is when we remember that we die that come to live well.
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 book seem to be a follow up on “The Monk that Sold his Ferrari,” the message was so rich and enticing that someone who seeks real growth knows it is the key to a real fulfilling life. It was easy to understand and I totally agree with all the ideas in the book.
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 were no exercise per say, the kind of exercise in the book are life exercises, not just to be done during the span of reading the book for this assessment but for life. Like it is said in the book, those who want to get well just take the pills and stop while those want to keep well don’t have to wait for pills, they do the needful for each day.
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.
At the end of the book there was an instruction to help spread the lessons I have learned and get connected to the online movement of the Leaders Who Had no Title. I went online and registered promising my time to help lead without title, making my life better and everyone else I meet along this path. This book is great indeed, just like The Monk that Sold his Ferrari. I love the book and I want to tell you that I read it in excitement of who I am becoming, especially as it helped me flush away the hurtful feelings of my past, enabling me to enjoy my present activities anticipating that the future holds great things for all of us.
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 Winning Attitude
Assessment by Dominic Paul Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
This book is three books in one volume, perfectly combined in a perfect order. The first is The Winning Attitude. Here it is explained how our Attitude is everything; the nucleus of every success. Here it is properly explained who we first need to be. It starts from having the right attitude, the right perspective. Our attitude is what makes the different between failures and successful people. Same thing happens to different people and it is differently interpretation based on their attitude and perception. Having Positive Attitude is the key to success no matter what happens in the world of uncertainties.
Then, Developing the Leaders Around you. This book was mainly pointed to the idea that we can’t do it alone so we need to develop others around us. Becoming a leader entails leading oneself on a daily bases and making all those around to become leaders of themselves and of others too.
The third is Becoming a Person of Influence; which concept is based on Mentorship. First it started with who you have to become either as the result of someone who has influenced your life and also how another person takes this life from you or become someone of importance; then passing the same life onto others. Who we have to become start with having the right attitude about everything in life; then after that we have become then we can now develop others around us, knowing that you can’t do it alone and that the fire doesn’t have die with you, that is if you actually caught it.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. The difference between obstacle and opportunity? Our attitude toward it.
And this is why we ought to train ourselves to be positively inclined all the time so we can be able to see opportunities from any obstacles. We ought to be able to see the opened door when one of our doors closes. But sometimes we are so keened on the closed door that we cannot see the opened door.
ii. When we carry “limburger cheese” in our attitudes, the whole world smells bad.
This is so true when we have character flaw. It is said that someone who is not trust worthy can hardly trust another person. So with this knowledge, one can pay attention to himself when everything around begins to irritate. According to John Maxwell in Winning with People, “When Tom has problem with everyone, Tom is usually the problem.”
iii. Continually adjust your perspective.
Knowing that nothing remains constant in life, it is very important that one learns to adjust his perspective as we journey. What is truth today might not hold tomorrow, everything in life evolves apart from the life’s principals/foundational truth that remain the same for all ages. We ought to grow with the changing world and with different cultural values around us; for there are many parts of life that we have not seen or say we do not know. So we have to be open to new idea every now and then.
iv. Fine a way to get your vision seen, implemented and contributed to by others.
This is for leaders who have to leave legacies. Leading just for the moment is not enough, leading involves first leading yourselves, then leading others and enabling them to lead in the way they have been led. I experienced this aspect of leadership when I was the Organizing Committee Chairman of our Chaplaincy while I was in school. After two years I handled the lead of affairs in the chaplaincy, the hard aspect of the whole thing was getting someone who can perfectly replace me. Luckily I had a friend whom I was couching in the line and he took over. I also helped him to get someone like him whom he handed over to.
v. Leaders are thermostat not a thermometer
This simply means that leaders determine what happens; they don’t react to it. They make the decision, they don’t follow. Leaders should be responsible for changing the mindset of his subjects, they should be able to Create a worthy goals, map out a plan and motivate followers to follow in achieving such goals.
vi. Murphy’s Law and Maxwell law compared
Murphy’s Law – Nothing is as easy as it looks; everything takes longer than your expect; and if anything can go wrong, it will and at the worst possible moment.
Maxwell’s Law – Nothing is as hard as it looks; everything is more rewarding than you expect; and it anything can go right it will and at the best possible moment.
The cup could either be half full or half empty, depending on the attitude of the seer. So consciously we ought to choose the best in our world, as there is always a positive way of saying or looking at anything. Let’s grow our PMA.
vii. When we crash, it comes from a wrong reaction not the turbulence.
This is just like the lessons I learnt from James Allen (As a Man Thinketh); Circumstances doesn’t make a man, it reveals him. It means it is not what happens that is really important but our reaction to it. I should consciously know now that it is not what I have lost, but what I have left that count.
viii. There is a law of life which will, in time, return good for good.
I like this law; it means no good deed will go unrewarded. My knowledge of this law should keep me going, knowing that in time my good deeds shall be rewarded. I think this law works together with the law of sowing and reaping. The Bible says God cannot be mocked, whatever a man sows that shall he reap also.
ix. For a flower to blossom, you need the right soil as well as the right seed.
This saying is so true that in claiming benefits and promises of God for our lives, all the conditions has to be met – the right soil and the right seed. God’s readiness to bless us and our readiness to be blessed; the teacher’s readiness to teach and the student’s readiness to learn all have to be met. Someone told me it is usually so difficult to help up a man who does not want to stand up. This reminds me the definition of success; opportunity meeting with preparation.
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?
Character flaw is cancerous to life success, sabotaging every effort we make to progress. So from the lessons above, it is clear to me that the first place to check if problems arises is within me and also check myself first for the solution. It calls for thorough check as to why am not comfortable with some certain things and people. To continually adjust my perspective could give me a better view of many situations.
4. Quotes: are there brief quotes from the book which really got your attention? If so, please and comment on them?
“Many times we have been the guilty of viewing on future challenges as the sunset of life rather than the sunrise of a bright new opportunity.”
This is the attitude challenges, if our attitude is negative; we will always see the problem in any occurrence. But when we have modified our attitude, even when it is obvious that the situation is ugly, we can still find a way to look up and see sun shine again.
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Everyone wants to be valued and shown respect. I have started giving what I want to get from others and I have seen it return to me. When I greet those I want them to greet me, I see them greet me back; I smile at someone and I see him smile back. I show someone that I value her and her attitude towards me is magnificent. When people know or think you care for them, their responds is usually great. I think this is the law of reciprocal.
“It is not possible to succeed without suffering. If you are successful and have not suffered, someone has suffered for you and if you are suffering without succeeding, perhaps someone may succeed after you. But there is not success without suffering.”
I know that there is a price for every success story; someone has to pay it at some time in life. There is a tree in our place which takes so much long years to attain maturity age, so it is believe that anyone who plants this tree never eats from its fruit. My father planted it and up till now the tree has not produced a single fruit and my father has been dead since 2006. But we the children hope to enjoy the fruits of that tree. If I plant mine now, it’s either I eat of its fruit at old age or my offspring enjoys it, but somehow someone must plant it and also someone must eat of it. So it is with every suffering we suffer now someone will benefit from it and whatever we are enjoying now, someone paid for it. There are some things am suffering now that my kids must come to enjoy and am okay with it, because there are some things also which am suffering now, just because my parents did not suffer for me.
“The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”
He, who risks nothing, does nothing, goes nowhere and is usually nothing. We have been taught to learn how to manage risks instead of avoiding risk. Life itself is full of risk, there is risk in everything we do in life from eating food to sleeping and it is really stupid to try avoiding risk. High achievers are high risk takers and it is riskier not to take risk.
“Nothing is more difficult to accomplish than changing outward action without changing inward feeling.”
There is a law that states; as within so without. So it wise to focus the light of change within, stop looking outside, for the core values we need in life lies within. Happiness, peace and joy; real lasting values in life are all found within and the things we see outsides are all an expressions of the situations within us.
“Others can stop you temporarily, but you are the only one who can do it permanently.”
This follows the idea right above, the real success and failure happens right inside. If someone have succeeded right from inside, no amount of obstacle will prevent him from succeeding and if someone have failed inside, no amount of motivation can make him succeed.
“Many intelligent adults behave like the circus elephant; they are restrained in thoughts, action and result. They never move further than the boundaries of self-imposed limitations.”
This is like the mindset stuff I wrote about in The Power Within. When at childhood we are meant to believe that there are limits to which we cannot go, we grow with that limited mind and live our life in consonant with that believe. It then regulate what we do, it determine the nature of risks we take. And if at first we are meant to believe that there is no limit to what we can become, then we grow to put all our potential to use and great is the outcome.
“A person can pay now and play later, or he can play now and pay later… either way he is going to pay.”
This is an important lesson I have learnt; either way I am going to pay, pay now or later, it’s my choice. Each choice I make has its reward and consequence. So knowing should help me pay now and play later; sow now and reap later, for that is better and wiser.
“Nothing intimidates us more than constant exposure to failure; nothing motivates us more than constant exposure to success.”
I think this why we are advised to count our blessings. When we focus on our success, I believe it motivates us more to keep trying. In life we fall and rise even from tender age, and even as we start taking risks in life we keep succeeding and failing but what matters most is what we focus our attention on, what we remembers about ourselves, the success or the failures.
“We do not conquer through brilliance, we conquer by continuing.”
There is a saying that it is through persistence that the river cracks through a rock not by its strength. So it necessary that I keep persisting, keep going and trying and if the law stands true for others I am sure that one day it shall come to me too; someday, somehow.
“Any time things appear to be getting better you have overlooked something.”
I understand from this that there is never a perfect situation, but only a perfect attitude toward our situations in life. For that which someone is seeking, another already has and is still not contented, and the problem that overwhelms someone else, another has dealt with victoriously. So it our attitude that makes things seems to be going well for us, for at every moment there is always a challenge to tackle, for everyone.
“The answer to a question depends on a great deal on how you ask it.”
The tone of voice in communication usually means more than the words used in such communication. A lot of us don’t understand this yet and it has caused commotion in relationships, even in mine. Just that that recently I begin responding not just reacting to what she said and not how she says it. It makes me having to think before responding to whatever is said so that I don’t just fuel someone’s fire.
“We cannot cause the wind to blow the way we want, but we can adjust our sails so they will take us where we want to go.”
Just like saying we cannot control our circumstances all of the times but we can control our attitude toward such circumstances and make the best from it. Life has ups and downs but what we do in our ups and downs is left to us. It all depends on our attitude.
“A winner is big enough to admit his mistake, smart enough to profit from them and strong enough to correct them.”
Being able to admit mistake is a sign of maturity, both in mind and character. Knowing that everyone who tries to do it right is bound to make mistake along the line; it means to say that mistake is part of the process, but mistake profits those who make use of it. Those who learn from it and never allow the same mistake to repeat twice.
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?
Understanding the book was easy enough as the lessons were life practical lessons for everyday living.
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?
The kinds of exercise contained in the book are personal check, helping to assess our attitude and what has been the motivating factor behind our actions. I performed the exercises as possible as I can it was helpful as it revealed some the character flaws I have had for quite some time now.
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.
The book being three different books in one volume actually gave me a tough time assessing. I didn’t know if to assess them differently or to combine the assessment, then I choose the former. But the books were actually beneficial as I did apply the lesson on my leadership roles, both at work place and in the church which I occupy some leadership positions.
Learning how to manage relationships is one
Nothing for now.
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
Parallel Worlds
Assessment by Dominic Paul Nwakuma (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The Parallel Worlds is a book, rich and full of scientific revelations. The book contain various struggles by different scientists for knowledge about ideas for which they feel they fully understand, only to come to end of their quest and discover that they are only part of what they are trying to explore; meaning they can never fully comprehend that which is not revealed to them by the originator or the creator. Various scientists and astronomers tried greatly to dig deep into origin, meaning and the future of our universe, but what is astonishing is that as one tries to make his own revelations, another arises after him, only to question and reveal the flaws in the previous revelations. This keeps going on until at a point when they begin to acknowledge a Personality which is source of all things. Though they understand this at different stages of their life, some at their death bed, but they all certainly agree that there is a Source which outside the circle watches what goes on here. The author points to the fact that there exists so many realities, so many other worlds out there, and he tried to explain how these worlds form and their relations to each other including our universe. Finally and most important he state how our universe is the most valid; as we are here, he states how we ought to be mindful of our actions here for it affects the next.
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 is to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
i. Our Purpose Here
According to the book the essence of our being here is to work and love. Work keeps our engine running and love connects us back to our source, we really need to understand this and thereby simplify our life. We have to work for the good of working and in this we tend to put our best in the doing of the work not in the outcome, and by the “law” reap the fruits of such work; this understanding the key to inner peace that we seek on our everyday pursuit.
ii. The Law of Averages
Everyone keeps revealing their own level of Knowledge about things they are ignorant about, here is such proposition about the universe. Rees comment in the book states “If there are many universes, each governed by a different set of numbers, there will be one where there is a particular set of numbers suitable for life. We are in that one”. To him this law is irrefutable so the idea of the universe having a creator or coming to be as a result of someone mindset is off point. But one question I will like to ask him is same as the one asked by some of the individuals found in the book; if this law exist and is real, who formed this law and who upholds it?
iii. Accident or Grand Design
This is one major problem I have seen with science; trying to proof everything using scientific method and also failing to understand that there are some things beyond its scope. Mysteries exist and they can’t full be comprehended within our five senses and this book contains so many an efforts of people trying to explain things they don’t understand. One of humanity’s greatest question; is there a grand designer of the universe? Which is the true path to truth, reason and revelation? These are the questions that science has been trying to answer but the more they try, the more they stray.
iv. The Copernican and Anthropic Principle
This principle seems to be powerfully true about our beloved universe, only that I see to it that they don’t stand alone; they don’t exist independent of the other, no one can discard the essence and the importance of the other. Almost the same issue with Science and Religion; both trying to claim authenticity and supremacy; in my own view both are part of each other and none really exists in the absence of the other. So they ought to appreciate each other, learn from each other and understand that there a reason why they both exist side by side.
v. The Quest for knowledge
I noticed the enthusiasm with which these scientists were trying to discover things which to me I feel is beyond human compression; the origin of the world and the more they discover the more they discover that they do not know. One answer always leads to another question and this continuous endlessly. Everyone struggling to understand but no one seems to know. (The world is full of parameters from which these equations are formed; the big question is who formed these parameters?). I feel there are things which we have to just believe to get better understanding about them instead of trying to know; like St. Augustine on the issue of the Trinity.
vi. Leaving the world better than we meet it
The idea of leaving the world better than we meet it is the major assignment we all have to be tackling. This assignment can be achieved through various means, from personal effort; trying to become a better person, making others feel better about life, making the environment better all these can guarantee us a better world ahead.
vii. Symmetry
Perfect Symmetry is the perfect orderliness of a thing; it is the state of wholeness of something. According to the book the universe before the big bang was in a state of perfect symmetry, but there could not be any life in this state. Life and growth came about from the breaking of this symmetry and as it seems that what getting out of order, it was actually turning into something great. This reminds of the statement of Jesus; “unless a wheat grain falls and dies, it remains a single grain but if it dies it yields much fruits. It also brings to my mind the importance of breaking out of the comfort zone; for no one ever becomes great staying in the comfort zone. Risk, setting of goals, planning and venturing are all part of breaking of the symmetry and this is the part to greatness.
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 the ideas I got in the book, it shines some light on my quests for knowledge about how things are and why there are so. Before now, and as a religious being, I have been introduced to the ideas of mysteries and revelations. I know that there are ideas which we cannot know why they are so; but we can only accept their reality as fate; why is the pain of death so grievous, no matter how much death we see; the mysteries of Trinity was the one St. Augustine sought to unravel, only to come to the realization that he is only a small hole trying to bear within it the content of an ocean. So I feel it will be better if we belief to know than trying to know before we belief.
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.
“What does not kill us makes us stronger.”
Using the way Friedrich Nietzsche put it in the book; our painful transition from type 0 to type 1 will sure be a trial by fire, with a number of harrowing close calls. If we can emerge from this challenge successfully, we will be stronger; in the same way that hammering molten steel serves to temper it. This is how life is.
“It is okay to ask those questions, but one should not expect to get a wiser answer from a physicist.”
Question like the meaning of life, the origin of the universe, where was God before the universe and so many other mysterious questions, seems to be such questions that these scientists have been trying to find answers to but now confesses their inability to in unraveling such mysteries.
“Instead of blaming fate, I think we should accept ourselves as we are and try to fulfill what every dream are within our capability.”
I think this is a true statement. There is no need trying to change what we cannot, so it will be good if we just accept ourselves as we are, stop casting blames and then work in improving situations that are within our control. There is wisdom in this.
“The secret of nature is symmetry, but much of the texture of the world is due to mechanisms of symmetry breaking.”
Symmetry breaking can be considered as the refining states of life; none is ever easy. The burnt brings to life new, fresh plant, the refining fire gives gold its precious identity and according to the book symmetry breaking brought about the big bang.
“It is not advisable to harm your clones.”
If you take a gun and point it at the clone in front of you, you might reconsider pulling the trigger, because the clone behind you is pointing a gun at you as well. It is said that what goes around comes around. In our world most times we seems to forget that one happens to one happens to all and then we feel unaffected by the predicament of others whether we caused it or they caused it. I think it will be nice to know that when we hurt others, we hurt ourselves too, whether we know it or not.
“The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.”
This is the paradox of life, and this was what those scientist mentioned in the book was facing. The more they discover, the more they noticed that they need to discover. And this thing with knowledge; the real learned know that there is much that they need to know, but the ignorant boast that they know all.
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?
To some extent, the book contains many scientific terms which to a lay man are very disturbing, but I tried to grasp the theme of their massage. For someone who was not there at the beginning of time to explain what happened at the beginning of time, most of their statements were based on assumptions. The idea of revealing the future of the
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 were no exercises in 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.
In as much as there many universes or so many parallel worlds out there for which we might be in, the most important of all is where we find ourselves now; which is here. So it brings to my mind the ideas of the times around us; the past, present and future. These could be the universes around us, we can either be caught up in the past that we ruin the present and then the future, or we can also be afraid about the future that we can hardly live in the Now. But the present is the most precious of all of these times, of all these universes. Now is all we have, Now is our moment. In the Now lies the ticket to the future, so we have to value it as our best, take it seriously and invest in it.
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? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 7.5
Comments:
Feel free to share any additional comments about the book or about the ratings.
It will be useful and nice if we can accept some things beyond our understanding, even though as conscious beings we ought to strive to know better the things around us. I see that every one of the scientist mentioned in this book was at a time, all in the task of either improving upon other scientist’s work or proving their work otherwise. Some came up with new theories and assumptions but at the end they usually come to a point where they understand that they can only understand that which is revealed to them. The bible said that the secret things belong to God and that which is revealed, to the Sons of men.
The search for knowledge I see is an undertaking which human has taken and this has kept him alive and active. It is like man is actually created to solve problem and this problem solving has become his goal, his growth, and his essence and if at any time his problem ceases to exist, then the man has no need to be there anymore. The doctor exists because there is sickness. They say that they are fighting to eradicate sickness but the day they succeed in eradicating sickness, and then their existence is of no use. The police exist because there is crime. Teachers exist because there is illiteracy, manufacturers exists because there are needs to be met. So I see the scientists in this book searching and keep searching without fully comprehending and I believe that the day they succeeds in knowing all that is to be known, then their essence ceases to be.