As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Stephen Alechenu (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author is trying to convey is the law and power of good personal thought. That is to say the thoughts you have sustained over a long period of time would mould the personality you would become. In other words, that which makes the seed to become a tree is embedded in the seed. The atmosphere, soil and water are only helps.
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. I must be positive in my thoughts. I cannot afford to be negative in the way I see the world through my thoughts. I have these lines of poetry to buttress this string of thoughts.
Print your thoughts on the sand of time
As it echoes through every clime
The peoples of the earth shall march
On the echoes of your voice
Like medallions they shall wear
The thread of every echo
-Stephen Alechenu ABA-
The above is an extract from my collected poems. It means whatever you say stays
ii. For health and prosperity, I must sustain a kind of thought.
It is almost unbelievable that of the earth’s over seven billion people, a minute few dwells consistently on riches, wealth, health, power, pleasure, merriment and all the good things of live such that they constantly think, dream, live, act, talk and ultimately attract these things to themselves. Such are the Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Adolf Hitler, Dangote, Rockefellers and me of this world. A majority dwells on ill health, pain, penury, lack and the likes.
iii. I should dare to think new thoughts.
We must always thrive to think new thoughts. Most especially those ones inconceivable by others. I remember when I was a younger person; I had to drive from Lagos to Otukpo because of a political upheaval in Lagos as at then. A journey of nearly a thousand kilometers. I was told I was too young and it can never be done. But I saw the victory before everyone did. I did embark and finished that trip with no mishap.
iv. I should act on my thought.
For the fact that a thought had clung to your heart for a long time meant it is practicable. I followed my thoughts up with action when I took that trip. Always act on your good thoughts.
v. That thoughts and purpose are related. Show me a man with a purpose in life and I will show you one who has maintained a thought pattern relevant to achieving that purpose.
vi. My thought pattern is key to my achievements. Anything I want to become in this life is tied to what am thinking and how am thinking it.
vii. I learned that visions and dreams are important to the continuity of this life. Every vision and dream has thoughts as its manure. Thus a lofty thought can only birth lofty visions and dreams vice versa.
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 make a difference in the world and my differences are my strengths and I just have to be positively odd to be number one. I don’t have to change so people will like me. I promise to be myself and the right people will love the real 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.
There are eight profound statements I discovered James Allen made in this piece of work, there could be others, but I find these ones insightful. Below is the list:
“As the plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them.”
I find this statement profound because it summarizes the beginning and end of our character and being. You are the well that everything about you springs from.
“Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruit; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.”
Meaning you are a product of your thought. The thought patterns you sustain will ultimate translate into you.
“Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this that man is the master of thought, the molder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.”
Meaning your thoughts birth your actions. Your actions translate to your character. Your character becomes your habits and your habits will ultimately transform your destiny. Nothing in life is an accident; all are as a result of one form of thought or the other emanating from a person or the other.
“Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.” Circumstances outside of yourself may want to determine a path for you, but the moment you realize that you a creative power and can direct how things should be, you can redirect the circumstances to work for you.
“The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchastened desires, and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives it own.”
This is the law of attraction; a man eventually marries the kind of woman he has been dreaming about, a woman purchases a particular clothe she had admired and held in her heart, students actually got admissions into universities of their choice.
“Man is manacled only by himself; thought and action are the jailors of Fate–they imprison, being base; they are also the angels of Freedom–they liberate, being noble.”
Wao! By implication, where are living in abject poverty and penury because you had held that thought for a long time. With due respect to anyone who is struggling with finances,
“The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set.”
Do not be lazy toward your dream. Stand up, gather a team if need be. Sell the dream to them and work toward achieving it.
“A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.”
This is so true in every way. Inventors have created machines to beat gravitation, ride on water and so on. These are ways of not choosing the circumstances but shaping it.
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?
As far as I know, there is nothing in the book that I do not understand, nor is there any that is unclear to me. I have not found any Idea that I disagree with yet. I am not saying entirely that I may not find that in the future. A new form of revelation and conviction may redirect my understanding of things that maybe contrast with the present thought. Of course this is what learning is all about.
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 I feel there are many exercises for the reader to complete, even though they were not expressly stated. I completed only one of such exercise: the effects of thought on health and body. It might surprise you that a feverish condition can be wished away by mere thought. Before now I thought it was coincidences and wish full thinking. But that fact has been buttressed by this book. In so many ways, it was helpful. At least I went to work and of course, the sense of achievement and well being.
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. I learned that your thoughts translate to your actions. Your actions birth your character. Your character becomes your habits. Your habits would ultimately become your destiny. By implication, your thoughts become you, hence one must careful about what he or she harbors inside him/herself.
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? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Stephen Alechenu (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author is trying to convey in this book is belief in the self. Before you can trust others, you must first of all trust in yourself and your abilities.
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. I should be myself and think out of the box. I have observed that, one must not follow the path created by others.
One needs to make his own tracks. If not how will one leave his/her prints on the sand of time? I remember when I was in the university, my roommates and class mates loved reading in the class rooms at night, but I did not because I observed that the class rooms were a distractions to me since there were so many activities in the class. Hence when all had left for class at 8pm, I would settle in and would read till 3am. This I did till I graduated.
ii. I should not join the bandwagon.
Meaning on every matter I must have my own opinion. Even if I must consider others’ opinion, I must be aware that theirs was a superior argument. I don’t usually accept things people say because am worried about hurting them or it’s the fad to do whatever they are saying. I would turn it around severally in my heart before accepting it. I remember when the cell phone came to Nigeria; I acquired it after two years of circulation. I felt the telecom companies were taking advantage of the masses. A SIM card went for more than twenty five thousand naira (N25, 000.00). But when I finally decided to buy, it went for two hundred naira (N200.00). You can do the arithmetic. I had a lot to gain.
iii. I should try new ideas regardless of what others think.
When you try new ideas and you succeeded, you will stand out. Your peers would hold and treat you with awe.
iv. I should break out of the status quo.
Doing as everybody did is a sick way of life. Times are changing and one has to change with the times. Why would you want to continue living your life based on a pattern that suited the past? When I was in the university, I wanted to contest the presidency of my association. I was told that position was for indigenous students or students from far northern Nigeria. I told them I didn’t care. I contested and I won. The truth of the matter was, I believed if I contested, I would win. I did.
v. I should bond with like minds.
“Birds of the same feather flock together,” says the adage. You are more productive when you bond with people of your kind. Since I joined Purple Silver Art and Association of Nigerian Authors, my writing skills have improved.
vi. Impart working new ideas into willing followers.
For you to become a true leader, you must have the ability to replicate yourself as many times as possible. Cultures and customs of people move from one generation to the next because of impartation I love teaching a lot. I have done that at formal and informal level. Right now I am imparting in a few younger folks on how to e a writer, especially writing poems.
vii. Have a mentor and mentor others.
It is important to look up to someone whom you must emulate. You must also mentor someone. Being mentored by someone closely or from afar goes a long way in shaping your destiny. The most important thing to sift the person’s character and emulate the ones most appealing to you.
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 or lessons will help me in a practical way through practice and interaction with people. I shall make a difference in the world and my differences are my strengths and thought patterns. I just have to be positively odd to be number one. I don’t have to change so people will like me. I promise to be myself and the right people will love the real 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.
“Why is it so hard to be like the rest of the flock?”
Sometimes you would wonder why you are different from others. It could be as a result of the fact that you are a mediocre or an excellent person. You must be sure of which you are and make amends.
“If you must study, then study food, and how to get it. This flying business is all very well, but you can’t eat a glide, you know. Don’t you forget that the reason you fly is to eat.”
Life is beyond just eating, living is beyond just being alive. One must be known for something. One must stand for something.
“It wasn’t long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out at sea, hungry, happy, learning.”
Its worthy of note that, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull became who he is because he spent time alone with himself and discovered a new him. He was unhindered. I know this because I am a writer and I know how being alone can help in creativity.
“The subject was speed, and in a week’s practice he learned more about speed than the fastest gull alive.”
Practice makes perfect. Once again it has been proven that the more you do something for an extended period of time, you will be near perfect in it, and you could actually write text books on it.
“How much more there is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!” we can be free from the norm, the status quo and other dream killing rules put there by whom we don’t know. There is more to this life than the monotony created by our forebears.
“What he had once hoped for the Flock, he now gained for himself alone; he learned to fly, and was not sorry for the price that he had paid. Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are the reasons that a gull’s life is so short, and with these gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed.”
Do not be sorry about doing what makes you happy. Your happiness is not dependent on how someone else feels. Be free and embark on the journey of self discovery.
“New sights, new thoughts, new questions.”
There is no way you will have these three things in your heart that you would not conquer new grounds. These are the things that birth inventors, transformers, world changers and great political leaders. This is a sublime thinking pattern that liberates your mind from the fences created by your immediate environment.
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?
As far as I know, there is nothing in the book that I do not understand, nor is there any that is unclear to me. I have not found any Idea that I disagree with yet. I am not saying entirely that I may not find that in the future. A new form of revelation and conviction may redirect my understanding of things that maybe contrast with the present thought. Of course this is what learning is all about.
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 book contains exercises for me to complete, the ones I have carried out so far are helpful. But I am yet to complete all of them- since they are a lifelong exercise that I cannot exhaust in a life time.
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, there is. Yes there is the place of personal development through ambition. The idea of self leadership was exemplified through Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. I also observed that restraint, listening and generosity are traits we must all have.
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? 7
B. How helpful were the contents? 7
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Psycho-Cybernetics
Assessment by Stephen Alechenu (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
To develop an adequate and realistic Self-image; To use our Creative Mechanism to bring success and happiness in achieving particular goals to improve our personal lives and of humanity; If we say we are created in the image of God, then it is left to us to will what we want.
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. Individuality
That I am unique in my own right. I am an entity with my own individuality. When I was growing up, I was finding it difficult to mingle with my peers because I was small in size. I kept away from them. But I observed later long time that I was smarter than they. I began to use my new found I to my advantage. I also noted that I h my own personality-a force to be reckoned with.
ii. That no machine has been designed to act and perform like the human brain and never will man achieve that fit as far as the human race is concerned.
This only exemplifies the power, the limitless possibilities, of man and his thoughts. It also tells us that man can think ahead and blend with the occurring circumstances; machine can only be programmed to do that. Hence when a new problem arises; that not envisaged by the programmer, disaster may occur. The personal application here is the realization that the computer I revere so much can only do lesser than my brain, it’s amazing.
iii. That I am the cause of my unhappiness
Since I kept reliving the picture that w the source o the unhappiness. I remember when I h my first heartbreak, even after a long time, I was still feeling the pain because I gave it essence by thinking about the incident. Sometimes condemning myself or feeling guilty; hating the other person or throwing blame. But I have just changed
.
iv. That live is a choice.
However we want to live life is left entirely to us. This is true because I chose the neighborhood and the house where I am living presently; I choose my friends and the clothes I wear and so forth.
v. That the physical environment cannot guarantee my happiness.
But happiness emanates from the inside. It is from what you do. I agree because, material things for me are just helps. But each time I wrote piece of poem n other literary works, my spirit would rise; I would feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s purely internal.
vi. Goals
That I have a goal and understand a situation are not enough, but I must have the will and the courage to act toward my goals , for only by actions can goals, desires and beliefs be translated into realities. I remember when I wanted to publish my book “Live to laugh Another Day”, it w a mere idea and thought until I translated thee to action. After then, I had a sense of fulfillment.
vii. Success and Failure
That success and failure are seeds imbedded in the character and personality of people; these seeds we nurse every now and then. One of these can become dominant if it’s nursed long enough. Hence you have them as dominant and recessive. for example, one time you discovered you hated one thing or someone, another time you are in love with them, that happens to me when I was younger.
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 would help me in a practical way by daily practice and interaction with my environment. My approach to life and attitude to people just changed some as a result o this reading.
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 important to note that there are as many quotes as there are many pages, but the following are profound in their rendering:
“Self-image, the individual’s mental and spiritual concept or “picture” of himself, was the real key to personality and behavior.’ To put this in another way as the Bible says; “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Meaning, you are only what you think you are. If only our thoughts about ourselves could be loftier than what we are use to thinking, our lives cumulatively (humanity) would have been better than how it is now.
“Wittingly or unwittingly you developed your self-image by your creative experiencing in the past. You can change it by the same method.”
This is a point to note because, one same process is use to build and sustain both low and high self-image: thoughts. Thus if we can continually sustain a positive self image through our thought pattern, we will leave a more fulfilled and victorious lives.
“There is within each one of us a life instinct, which is forever working toward health, happiness, and all that makes for more life for the individual. This life instinct works for you through what I call the Creative Mechanism, or when used correctly the “Success Mechanism built into each human being. The secret is this: To really live, that is to find life.”
Meaning we must strive to attain the said life through action. We must attempt to steer the ors of our boats because of the Creative Mechanism given to us.
“Reasonably satisfying, you must have an adequate and realistic self image that you can live with. You must find yourself acceptable to you. You must have a wholesome self-esteem. You must have a self that you can trust and believe in. You must have a self that you are not ashamed to be, and one that you can feel free to express creatively, rather than to hide or cover up. You must have a self that corresponds to reality so that you can function effectively in a real world. You must know yourself both your strengths and your weaknesses and be honest with yourself concerning both. Your self-image must be a reasonable approximation of you, being neither more than you are, nor less than you are.”
Hence we must come to terms with ourselves. No one will be your fan like you. Accept who you are then concentrate on your strength.
“Once a scientist attacks a problem which he knows to have an answer, his entire attitude is changed. He is already some fifty per cent of his way toward that answer.”
Thus this means that every problem has an answer. The hunger, war, bad governance and evil leadership etc have answers; but the fact that we haven’t found solutions to this menace means someone or a group of persons are benefiting from the misnomer.
“Every human being has been literally engineered for success by his Creator. Every human being has access to a power greater than himself.”
This just buttressed my own saying that every human being is designed to be great and successful; that he is a failure meant he never tried to be successful.
“Ideas Are Changed, Not by Will, But by Other Ideas.”
This is very true. To alter a sustained thought pattern, a mentality or an idea, a more superior idea must be brought to the fore.
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?
In as much as I can’t say I completely agree with whatever the author has said, I can’t expressly say that I have a leverage for any disagreement.
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 book contains exercises for me to complete, the ones I have carried out so far are helpful. But I am yet to complete all of them- since they are lifelong exercises that you cannot exhaust in a life time. One of such is the novel awareness of my personality. I have a high sense of self-esteem and confidence emanating from the inside just because my world view has been altered; my attitude to people and approach to life has been heightened. My creative faculty too has been tinged. It’s awesome!
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 didn’t expect that the book would have contained everything on all fields, but as far as the subject matter is concerned, I can’t say there is something left unsaid. I am satisfied with what I have read so far.
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? 9
Success through a Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Stephen Alechenu (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
I have found up to three main ideas the authors are trying to convey;
(a) That desire is the key to having and becoming anything.
(b) That to succeed in a particular area of life, I must apply a previously unapplied universal law.
(c) You are more apt to succeed if you do what comes naturally.
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 idea of reading the Bible as the first step to success is overwhelming; the authors gave biblical passages to buttress his claim.
This has encouraged me in devoting more time to bible reading and I have gained insight and foresight about things. I even have some hindsight into why things are the way they are. For me, the bible is a self help book full of instructions-and it has cause inside of me the desirable positive action. Each time I read the bible, deep inside of me, I know that a being greater than myself is at work inside me.
ii. The authors give us methods and steps to reading and benefiting from bibliographies and other books.
I have actually read and benefited from many book with related subjects. Through this I was able to fish out the common denominator between heroes and villains as in why they behaved in particular ways. I did observe that with these references, you would be exposed to a variety of books that would broaden your horizon. You must agree with me that to be a leader, you must be a reader.
iii. I am the most important person living.
This is the most profound of all the ideas. I am unique, special, just me and there is none on earth created like me. I stood naked in front of my mirror and tried to study my physical feature carefully and lovingly and gave thought to the power within; I cannot but concluded that of the over seven billion people on earth, there is just only me. From that moment I became a new person. I became a bundle of confidence careful not to hurt anyone with the new found secret.
iv. One idea very important and worthy to take not of is the fact that I should develop a magnificent obsession to help others.
The awesome thing is that I don’t have to be rich or powerful to have this magnificent obsession. But through this I can become great, rich and powerful. For example, I am a writer; I have published a collection of poems and I have given over 200 copies out for free. Selling them would have brought me a fortune, but the satisfaction I got was more than money. It also increased my influence around the literary cycle and people generally.
v. The idea of clearing the cobwebs from my thinking is very important to me.
This is because when your head is clouded with many thought irrelevant to the matter at hand, failure will most likely be your lot. I remember when I was planning to launch my collection of poems; I had paid the publisher and collect the book, I had made monetary advances for venue, I raise a team I would work with, I had given the book reviewer a copy for the review. Everything was set. This was an opportunity for me to launch myself unto the world. Then all of a sudden I began to allow dangerous cobwebs to becloud my thinking; thoughts like-will people honor my invitation? Will the book be approved, will I make money from the launch…. Up until this moment, I didn’t launch the book because of the cobwebs I allowed in my thinking. I permitted the fear of the unknown to take prominence over the realities, possibilities and opportunities before me.
vi. The idea of asking myself questions is stimulating.
We don’t ask questions even when the need abound. The worst of it is that we don’t ask ourselves any question even when we are wrong or totally out of course. If we can apply the “why” word in our everyday dealings, we would have had less room for conflict. Even though I am guilty of this, I try as much as possible to ask myself questions. I had sat down in retrospect and have observed that some of my relationship that has gone awry can’t always be blamed on other people; I had a good part to play in it. The bottom line is that I have learnt my lessons and thriving better.
vii. Another idea is the fact that to become an expert achiever in any human activity, takes practice.
Many of us want to become experts in many things but lack the courage to put our backs to practice. I am practicing many things, even new styles of writing. I have practiced and come close to perfecting a special stew with a unique blend of taste. Many testified to the taste of my stew. Most times I slept late and woke up late, but now I am learning how to wake up at 4.30am even when I slept at 2am. For me this difficult, but I am practicing.
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 can only benefit from these ideas by applying them honestly and with diligence. I will also do great by adopting the ideas workable in my clime. You must agree with me that applying these ideas successfully with yourself and others depends largely on whether the existing belief system can be unlearned, how you are willing to go and the level at which you understood the book. Thus the literacy level of the learners matters.
4. Quotes: are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? if so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
There are many quotes here in this book but writing them all down and making comments on them could make this assessment voluminous and mind-numbing. Hence I chose a few I thought are profound.
“Attract don’t repel wealth its common place to hear people say, ‘these rich people’. By saying that, they have excluded themselves from the circle of the wealthy. In as much as they want to be rich in the physical, subconsciously, they have said ‘we are not part of them.”
This is most common among men of little minds. This quote is important to me because it has buttressed one of my age-long thoughts that if that person can achieve it, I can too-given time. Except I have tried hard enough or it is not my passion. Secondly, That one can actually become poverty stricken when he or she repels wealth.
“Add something more.”
This means if I would strive a little bit more, I could achieve nirvana. I think this is important because, sitting down and not doing anything about a situation or following the status-quo will not get anything done, thus one need to do something different from the norm to be great. Nelson Mandela did it, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi it, Martin Luther King Jr. did it and I can do it.
“A man who seizes upon his problems as opportunities in disguise and scrutinizes them for the good element that is going to be there, is the man who understands the very core of PMA.”
This is looking for an opportunity in every adversity. The authors are saying quit being cast down and wearing a sad mask; peruse through the matter and see if an opportunity(s) won’t be staring you in the face. I noticed that I lose out to dire situations anytime I am at my wits end and at my lowest ebb and giving up that all is lost. But anytime I met the same situation or a more challenging one, and entertained no fear, opportunities arise and solutions are made bare.
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 truth of the matter is that, it will be impossible to expressly say I understood all that I have read. In as much as this is not out of lack of understanding, it could be as a result of not making a full comprehension of what I have read. I don’t disagree with any ideas of the authors yet because they all made sense in a way. I will only disagree when any of the ideas are impracticable.
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 book contains exercises for me to complete, the ones I have carried out so far are helpful. But I yet to complete all of them- since are a lifelong exercise that you cannot exhaust in a life time.
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.
Mine is a question: why is this subject “Success Through a Mental Attitude” not taught in our schools. Can it be taught?
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? 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
Keys to Success
Assessment by Stephen Alechenu (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Ithink the main idea the author is trying to convey in the book is that to attain personal achievement, one must have faith in the infinite consciousness, be in total control of his/her emotions and use natural principles and the elements to their advantage.
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 value of wealth
That the value of the wealth that comes with success is that it carries with it the lessons you have learned in acquiring it. I think this is correct because the experience gained on your quest for wealth is as important as the wealth itself. This is why many millionaires and billionaires who had experienced bankruptcy before had a way of bouncing back in no time. This is because the lessons learnt in the course of creating the wealth that had disappeared is still remembered; and would come handy in order to create another wealth.
ii. The pursuit of opportunity
That the pursuit of opportunity will give any person or nations strength. Opportunities abound everywhere, but it won’t drop on your lap unless you pursue it. This is true of every individual, every family and every nation. All forms of development, even spiritual were acquired as a result of the pursuit of opportunity. Personally, I know what I know now and am where I am because of the pursuit of academic opportunity.
iii. Use to others
I must not forget that I should have obsession desire to make myself useful to others. The love for others must be a craving. The lack of love for other is why we have wars, vengeance, corruption, crimes like murder, arson and the entire sort. I always thrive to love others because that will be the only way I can be useful to others. I have in one time the other benefited from the love of others; I have been fed and accommodated by strangers. I have been given transport fares when stranded. a case came to mind; while boarding a vehicle from Aba to Port Harcourt, someone picked my wallet and I was left with nothing. It was a total stranger who paid my fare.
iv. Sincerity of purpose
That we must give sincerity of purpose a place in everything we do. In other word, there must be a serious sense of mission toward the things we do. This is important because it is the mentality that leads to excellence, success and result. I remember when my publishers gave me a deadline concerning my publication. The deadline was January 1st.
in order to deliver before or that day, I had to cancel every plan for Christmas. I didn’t travel, I didn’t socialize; I was writing even on Christmas day. It was so because I was endued with a sense of purpose.
v. We must respect and nurture the enthusiasm others have.
The author himself tells of how the enthusiasm of his stepmother was what gave him a head start in life. I remember when I was younger; my late uncle had told me he believed I could be academically successful if I worked harder. he told me to be a successful career person; I must pass my Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) which he believed I was capable of. This was an era when every right thinking secondary school student dreaded SSCE. But when I heard this, I was energized. I was infected by that enthusiasm. It becomes the fuel I needed and I approached SSCE with a new mentality.
vi. One must develop the mentality of going the extra mile beyond
What one is paid for. The world would have been a better place if we all can go the extra mile for one another. This very day I am writing this particular line, my director general, who is the overall boss in my office, gave me a gift because I went the extra mile. He asked that I passed information to the rest of the staff notifying them of a meeting. A part from the notice on the notice board, I still went ahead to send a bulk SMS to all the staff so that those on leave and off duty could be aware. He was happy about this and in appreciation; he bought the CD plate of a popular pastor for me.
vii. Decision making
In this fast moving world, one must reach a decision quickly and definitely in order to attain popularity and success. Prompt and decisive decisions are important because it gives room to quick action and timely solutions to issues. In times of wars, epidemics, all forms of accidents, making timely decisions is a matter of life or death. I remember in my university days when there was serious religious crisis in my school, I was in the theater watching a show when we began to hear songs of war from the distance. Some persons left quickly, but my friends and I delayed for a while. That delay nearly cost us physical molestation because some religious fanatics armed with sticks stormed the premises of the theatre and began to beat people up. We escaped with a hairs breath.
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 lessons will help me in a practical way by applying them every day of my life. it doesn’t matter how long it takes to perfect them.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“If you know what you want from life, if you are determined to get it to the point that it becomes an obsession, and you back that obsession with continuous effort and sound planning, then you have awakened and developed definiteness of purpose. This is true because “the only thing over which you have complete right of control at all times is your mental attitude. You can’t go far in life if you are not in control of your mental attitude. to be in control of your environment and the events in your life, you must be in sync with your mental attitude.”
I feel is this important because it is the deciding factor between success and failure, between progress and stagnation, between solvency and bankruptcy. with your positive mental attitude in place, there is nothing that can stop you from achieving your goals.
“People seldom profit by having money unless they earn it.”
This is profound. it can only be profit when it is earned. Money earned is easily reinvested for more earnings. But money given and most especially, the one stolen can become a burden because it will encourage laziness, take away your humanity and puts you in a position of indebtedness to life. I greet that everyone one of us is indebted to life in one way other, but when you took from it wrongly, there is no resting place for you.
“Our real wealth is intangible power of thought.”
Yes of course. Our real wealth is not in the physical possession that we have, it is in the pool of thought that we have. Many are still living below themselves because they are not aware of the enormous power trapped in their thoughts.
“Faith is the master gate through which we gain full and free access to that tremendous power (God). Thus it is advisable that we walk by faith, not by sight. it must be noted that the prosperity of an individual, a family or nation is largely based on the faith they have in god and themselves.”
I feel this is important because I know that a people who don’t have faith in anything can’t go far. If for example have had faith in god concerning certain matter and awesome results have been my lot.
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?
Not as if they don’t exist, but for now I can’t see such a thing.
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 book contains exercises for me to complete, the ones I have carried out so far are helpful. I am yet to complete all of them since they are a lifelong exercises that you cannot exhaust in the possible future.
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.
Nothing.
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? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Assessment by Stephen Alechenu (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
I feel there are many ideas the author is trying to convey, but the most prominent;
The principles and paths to a lasting success through human relationships.
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. .Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
I have come to understand that humans don’t like being criticized because we hardly want to own up to our mistakes. Rather we preferred being petted even though we are wrong. When someone complained about our actions we say he or she nags a lot. I said this because I was always fighting over this when I was younger. I will never accept I was wrong because I felt criticism and complains was demeaning. I would usually avoid such a person for a long time.
ii. Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.
Note that everybody wants to feel important even though some knew that they don’t deserve to feel that way. But because that air is inherent un man, even criminals do feel important. Thus when you make someone feel important, first it creates a common level playing field for all concerned. Secondly, you won’t be forgotten easily when you make someone feel important. In my relationship with others, I have learnt to create an atmosphere of importance around my friends. And I must say, it was sincere. This has endeared me to them. Never will I demean or make a man feel beneath himself. As little as a mere compliment can go a long way in brightening someone’s gloomy day. Personally I have had my own share of being made important. For example during my diploma days when we were given a group assignment, a lady in my group told me I was very efficient simply because I provided everything-answers and material resources when needed. Throughout that week I had my head in the clouds.
iii. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
The ability to admit a wrong is healing and relieving. I feel this is important because, it has delivered me from self judgment and removed my name from peoples’ black books. I have hurt many and many have hurt me, but whatever it is, no need to feel superior when you are at fault. I had .
iv. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
If we learn how to make light a mistake someone had made, we would have gone a long way in helping someone manage a dire situation. Once I had an uncle, he is late now. He had a way of making you feel at ease anytime you felt you had committed the most grievous crime. I had had an accident with his car when I was younger. I came to the house all broken and sad. When he returned that night he was told of my “heinous” crime. He asked where I was and he was told. He came to into my room, where I was all sobered up. He told me to come out and eat something. He asked if I was harmed in anyway. I answered in the negative. He told me it was just a car; it could be replaced. But he added that if I had died in the accident, I won’t be replaceable. I felt as if a huge load had been taken off my shoulders. He just made it go away. But he didn’t leave without telling me to be careful next time.
v. Do not promise anything that you cannot deliver.
Most times I don’t usually conform to this rule. This is because I thought I was pleasing the hearer. It is more honorable to keep your mouth shut and the hearer is hurt than to promise and fail. I have made promises and failed. I have been promised and never gained from those promises. Nevertheless, I have kept many promises and persons have kept their own side of 4heir promises too. Bottom line, we must endeavor to keep to every word of promise pronounced.
vi. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
This is true. This would help in building self esteem in someone losing his face. It can also boost morale. This is also true because if u did not, how do you get approval and support when it’s your turn to express your ideas and desires. Your ability to be sympathetic to others’ ideas and desires will ultimately pedestal yours in many good ways.
vii. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
Yes I agree. Arguments can lead to quarrels and enmity. To prevent these twin evils, avoid arguments. Severally, I have averted these by not engaging in argument even though I knew I was right. But allowed the other person to rant in error.
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 or lessons will help me by putting them into practice and hoping that they will yield result at every given point in time. I am also to note that the expected change will not come overnight, but not giving up and being positive would
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“All men have fears, but the brave put down their fears and go forward, sometimes to death, but always to victory.”
Fear has crippled many a daring ideas in the past, even at this moment. Clearly, it has been proven that a majority of those who dared met success. Some met their death too-and this too made their deaths honorable. I have relatives and close friends who had gone ahead to invest in seemingly risky businesses and succeeded by way of immense financial gain.
“The reason why rivers and seas receive the homage of a hundred mountain streams is that they keep below them.”
This particular quote encourages us to be humble. I feel this is important because, disunity and chaos are what you find in our everyday living. Humility is not found in our language anymore nor is it found in our gestures. But like the sea and rivers, we can attract people to ourselves by being genuinely humble.
“The sun can make you take off your coat more quickly than the wind.”
This means when you tried to forcefully make people do things, you would definitely meet resistance but when u are calm with them, empathize and see things their way, they will yield easily.
“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” I have learned through this piece of work that the more often I called a person’s name during a conversation, the more interested that person was in the subject matter and the more he/she was interest in me. I have read about this from many books but I haven’t practiced it until now.
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 understand everything I have read and they are clear. In fact, this piece of work opened my eyes to other area of thought streams. My approach to life and attitude to people have been improved.
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 many exercises for the readers to complete. I can’t even complete these exercises in a life time. I have already started and they are really helpful. For example, I argue less now and I speak to people from the angle of their interests. People are more willing to open up when you apply this method. Some may even want to sympathize with you. For me, this is a new thing.
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 truth of the matter is that I have not totally recovered from the overwhelming effect of the new knowledge I did acquire from reading this great book. I think the book did not discuss the fact that because of the discrepancies in our cultures and values, the principles can’t be universal. For example where I come from, it’s disrespectful for younger people to call an elder by his or her name no matter the circumstance. Generally, it was great read with immense live applications. Am enjoying myself as result of these applications.
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? 9.5
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9