Balogun Emmanuel Olamide – Assessments – International Institute for Global Leadership

As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, and your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desires, as great as your dominant aspiration: in the words of Stanton Kirkham Davis: “You may be keeping accounts, and presently you shall walk out of the door that for so long has seemed to you the barrier of your ideals, and shall find yourself before an audience-the pen still behind your ear, the ink stains on your fingers and then and there shall pour out the torrent of your inspiration. You may be driving sheep, and you shall wander to the city-bucolic and open-mouthed; shall wonder under the intrepid guidance of the spirit into the studio of the master, and after a time he shall say, I have nothing more to teach you. And now you have become the master, who did so recently dream of great things while driving sheep. You shall lay down the saw and the plane to take upon yourself the regeneration of the world.”

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. Effort and Results.

In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength or the efforts is the measure of the result. Chance is not. Vision, Gifts, Power, Material, Intellectual, and Spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort; they are thoughts completed, objects accomplished, visions realized.

ii. Chance

They do not see the trials and failures and struggles which these men have voluntarily encountered in order to gain their experience; have no knowledge of the sacrifices the have made of the undaunted efforts they have put forth, of the faith they have exercised, that they might overcome the apparently insurmountable and realize the vision of their heart. They do not know the darkness and the heartaches; they only see the light and joy, and call it “luck,”. They do not see the long and arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal, and call it “good fortune,” do not understand the process, but only perceive the result, and call it chance.

iii. Vision

The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart—this you will build your life by, this you will become. The Holy bible says “the Vision is yet for an appointed time, though it tarries, wait for it! For it shall surely come to pass.” Vision is the mirror to a man’s life and destiny. Columbus cherished a vision or another world, and he discovered it; Copernicus fostered the vision of a multiplicity of worlds and a wider universe, and he revealed it, Buddha beheld the vision of a spiritual world of stainless beauty and perfect peace, and he entered into it. To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to, achieve. Gifts: the Holy bible also says “the gifts of a man will make room for him”. Since we all are endowed with gifting’s from heaven and as given to make life comfortable, we have a weapon to take our lives and destiny into any level envisioned. Here is a youth hard pressed by poverty and labor; confined long hours in an unhealthy workshop; unschooled, and lacking all the arts of refinement. But the dreams of better things, he thinks of intelligence, or refinement, of grace and beauty. Years later we see this youth as a full-grown man. We find him a master of certain forces of the mind, which he wields with worldwide influence and almost unequalled power. In his hands he holds the cords of gigantic responsibilities; he speaks, and lo, lives are changed; men and women hang upon his words and remold their characters, and sun-like, he has realized the Vision of his youth. He becomes one with his ideals.

iv. Power

Before a man can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. He may not, in order to succeed, give up all animosity and selfishness, by any means; but a portion of it must, at least, be sacrificed. A man whose first thought is bestial indulgence could neither think clearly nor plan methodically; he could not find and develop his latent resources, and would fail in any undertaken. Not having commenced to manfully control his thoughts, he is not in a position to control affairs and to adopt serious responsibilities. He is not fit to act independently and stand alone. But he is limited only by the thoughts, which he chooses.

v. Material

In this book, composer, sculpture, painter, poet, prophet, sage, these are the makers of the after-world, the architects of heaven. The world is beautiful because they have lived; without them laboring humanity would perish. As the saying goes, he who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it. Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

vi. Intellectual

A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts. Before a can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice, and a man’s worldly success will be in the measure that he sacrifices his confused animal thoughts, and fixes his mind on the development of his plans, and the strengthening of his resolution and self-reliance. And the higher he lifts his thoughts, the more manly, upright, and righteous he becomes, the greater will be his success, the more blessed and enduring will be his achievements.

vii. Spiritual

Spiritual achievements are the consummation of holy aspiration. He who lives constantly in the conception of noble and lofty thoughts, who dwells upon all that is pure and unselfish, will, as surely as the sun reaches its zenith and the moon it’s full, become wise and noble in character, and rise into a position of influence and blessedness. All achievement, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thoughts, are governed by the same law and are of the same method; the only difference lies in the object of attainment.

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?

Humanity cannot forget its dreamers; it cannot let their ideals fade and die; it lives in them; it knows them as they realities which it shall one day see and know. As illustrative as the truth could be, man is the causer (though nearly always is unconsciously) of his circumstances, and that, whilst aiming at a good end, he is continually frustrating its accomplishments by encouraging thoughts and desires which cannot possibly harmonize with that end. Such cases could be multiplied and varied almost indefinitely, but this is not necessary, as the reader can, if he so resolves, trace the action of the laws of thought in his own mind and life, and until this is done, mere external facts cannot serve as a ground of reasoning. Law, not confusion, is the dominating principle in the universe; justice, not injustice, is the soul and substance of life; and righteousness, not corruption, is the molding and moving force in the spiritual government of the world. Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. People imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habits, and habit solidifies into circumstances. Nature helps every man to the gratification of the thoughts, which he most encourages, and opportunity are presented which will most speedily bring to the surface both the good and evil thoughts. Let a man cease from these sinful thoughts, and all the world will soften towards him, and be ready to help him; let him put away his weakly and sickly thoughts, and lo, opportunities will spring up on every hand to aid his strong resolves; let him encourage good thoughts, and no hard fate shall bind him down to wretchedness, and shame. The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors, which at every succeeding moment it presents to you, are the exquisite adjusted pictures of your ever-moving thoughts.

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 thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of luck, of fortune, and chance. Seeing a man grow rich, they say, “How lucky he is!” observing another becoming intellectual, they exclaim, “How highly favored he is!” And nothing the saintly character and wide influence of another, they remark, “How chance aids him at every turn!”

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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 presentation is very clear. But there were no pictures in the entire book to adequately explain some of the situations in the passage. My comment is generally on the reason why there were no pictures on all parts of the book to fully portray the story line more.

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? 6
It could pass also for a thriller indeed in the way certain situations were drawn out.
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

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

The Author according to John H. Livingstone is the man who inspired the best-selling novel with a character “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull” died on Sunday at the Pompano Beach (Fla.) Airport soon after completing his last plane ride. The memoir titled Des Moines, Iowa, July 2 stipulate how to undertake flight lessons and the effect of jet lag for some people who are undergoing stage freight, as confronting the kind of interference experienced by different students in the novel. This is found critical, as it influences the nature of certain individuals and their reactions to life encounters and how they handle such paramount life issues or challenges.

Focus: when someone is focused, he comfortably handles any challenge whatsoever. He/she can be adequately said to be in command of things as they present themselves. I happen to be a young youth who sold bread on the streets of Kaduna just to be able to provide for my immediate needs. This has helped me a lot in the way I view money, and because I was faithful doing it, it has enabled me to be faithful in handling money and resources very effectively as a grown up.Honesty: I have grown to develop this virtue as a young man. Since I became an adult I have found that honesty is the best policy. The passage from this book helps us to learn how not to be dishonest in the affairs of private and public interest. I happen to be the last among my siblings and for the sake of posterity I have nurtured this attribute in life that has become a way of life for me because my future lies in my hands, and consequently, it shows in my rapport with my mates and my elder ones. Diligence: the Holy bible says “the diligent hand shall bear rule”. This is a vital attribute for anyone who seeks to make an impact in life. Diligence is the ability to constantly approach life as a hard worker. This simply means not being careless, but readily being in a position to serve at all times regardless of oppositions that comes on the way. Perseverance: this attribute is so important in life. It is to be able to approach anything without procrastinating. Perseverance is a virtue that is critical in the face of rejection, envy, snitches, molestation, harassment, or other limiting hurdles that seek to stop us from achieving that which we have set to accomplish. It is the attitude that says we must continue no matter what. Responsibility: it is clear to us in the Holy Scripture that we should take the shield of Faith by which we can quench the fiery dates of the enemy. This is to have the ability to face present challenges with enough stamina and strength, so as to conquer the devices of the evil one. Purity: this means having a right sense of spirituality in handling life issues whenever the challenge comes. We are poised to be full of the God given attribute of been sanctified, and glorified in allowing God to take charge of our situations. With purity we have the heavenly force to help us fight against any machinations from hell.

vii. Vision

This is so important for a man who knows where he is going without being distracted or cajoled. This brings about consistency, and purpose towards a better future for the individual as he moves along unhindered.

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?

As an adult, I have come to realize that “life is in phases and men are in sizes.” We must be ready to face life at the level we find ourselves at the moment. The more we grow, the more we are face with life’s issues which is for our edification par time. It is a fact that we are meant for life in this pattern as enumerated below: 0 to 9, 10 to 18, 19 to 35, 36-50, 51 to 70, 71 to 85, 86-100, 101 to 120 these classification is very clear in the way we are faced with financial, social, spiritual, moral, academic, marital, health, career, and developmental issues of life. The story in this novel also clearly state how much our battles in life are without prejudice or been racist.

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 quotation that drew my attention was when he mentioned: “Jonathan Livingston Seagull! Stand to Center!” the elders words sounded in a voice of highest ceremony. “Stand to center” meant only great shame of great honor. Stand to center for honor way the way the gulls’ foremost leaders were marked. “Stand to center for shame in the sight of your fellow gulls!” His response was: but in want no honors, I have no wish to be leader. I want only to share what I’ve found to show those horizons out ahead for us 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?

The novel is one I find to be straight forward in its total presentation of the many sided aspects of any individual wishing to succeed and to make a mark for himself and to affect others positively. I am neither a critic nor a reviewer. It has been carefully written and packaged to address the life and times of the characters in the play and how they each turned out 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?

This book in its entirety spells out the nitty gritty of events that happens in the years as captured in 1970’s as against the relevant features of today. There is no place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader. It was made in a prose type for and it’s clearly published as an interesting novel to read by any age group concerned.

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 presentation is very clear but there were no pictures in the entire book to adequately explain some of the situations in the passage. Could I classify it as a fiction, prose, dissertation, thriller, novel or any other kind of description for the unsuspecting reader? I would have drawn more light, if pages of the novel were clearly expressed in pictorial forms. The author made a good job portraying the relationships between each character to suite his presentation effectively, but however couldn’t place pictorial guides to any of the story lines in the novel. My comment is generally on the reason why there were no pictures on all parts of the book to fully portray the story line more.

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? 6
It could pass also for a thriller indeed in the way certain situations were drawn out. Most at time the readers are forced to have a dictionary to understand the meaning of some words, since English is not their primary language as it were.
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
It was quite a novel to read since there were not too long gibberish that would keep the reader mystified. It is clear, readable, opinionated, instigative, analytical, and fit for the adult mind.
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

Awaken the Giant Within
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives. Controlled focus is like a laser beam that can cut through anything that seems to be stopping you. When we focus consistently on improvement in any area, we develop unique distinctions on how to make that area better. One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular. In fact, I believe most people fail in life simply because they major in minor things. I believe that one of life’s major lessons is learning to understand what makes us do what we do. What shapes human behavior? The answers to this question provide critical keys to shaping your own destiny. My entire life has been continually driven by a singular, compelling focus: What makes the difference in the quality of people’s lives? How is it that so often people from such humble beginnings and devastating backgrounds manage in spite of it all to create lives that inspire us? Conversely, why do many of those born into privileged environments, with every resource for success at their fingertips, end up fat, frustrated, and often chemically addicted? What makes some people’s lives an example and others’ a warning? What is the secret that creates passionate, happy, and grateful lives in many, while for others the refrain might be, “Is that all there is? My own magnificent obsession began with some simple questions: How can I take immediate control of my life? What can I do today that can make a difference—that could help me and others to shape our destinies? How can I expand, learn, grow, and share that knowledge with others in a meaningful and enjoyable way?” At a very early age, I developed a belief that we’re all here to contribute something unique, that deep within each of us lays a special gift. You see, I truly believe we all have a sleeping giant within us. Each of us has a talent, a gift, our own bit of genius just waiting to be tapped. It might be a talent for art or music. It might be a special way of relating to the ones you love. It might be a genius for selling or innovating or reaching out in your business or your career. I choose to believe that our Creator doesn’t play favorites, that we’ve all been created unique, but with equal opportunities for experiencing life to the fullest. I decided many years ago that the most important way I could spend my life would be to invest it in something that would outlast it. I decided that somehow I must contribute in some way that would live on long after I was gone. Today, I have the incredible privilege of sharing my ideas and feelings with literally millions of people through my books, tapes, and television shows. I’ve personally worked with over a quarter of a million people in the last few years alone. I’ve assisted members of Congress, CEOs, presidents of companies and countries, managers and mothers, salespeople, accountants, lawyers, doctors, psychiatrists, counselors, and professional athletes. I’ve worked with phobic, the clinically depressed, people with multiple personalities, and those who thought they had no personality. Now I have the unique good fortune of sharing the best of what I’ve learned with you, and for that opportunity I am truly grateful and excited.

i. Emotional Mastery

Mastering this lesson alone will take you most of the way toward mastering the other four! Think about it. Why do you want to lose weight? Is it just to have less fat on your body? Or is it because of the way you think you’d feel if you freed yourself of those unwanted pounds, giving yourself more energy and vitality, making yourself feel more attractive to others, and boosting your confidence and self-esteem to the stratosphere? Virtually everything we do is to change the way we feel yet most of us have little or no training in how to do this quickly and effectively. It’s amazing how often we use the intelligence at our command to work ourselves into unresourceful emotional states, forgetting about the multitude of innate talents each of us already possesses. Too many of us leave ourselves at the mercy of outside events over which we may have no control, failing to take charge of our emotions; over which we have all the control and relying instead on short-term quick fixes. How else can we explain the fact that, while less than 5 percent of the world’s population lives in the United States, we consume more than 50 percent of the world’s cocaine? Or that our national defense budget, which currently runs in the billions, is equaled by what we spend on alcohol consumption? Or that 15 million Americans are diagnosed every year as clinically depressed, and more than $500 million worth of prescriptions are written for the antidepressant drug Prozac? In this book, you will discover what makes you do what you do, and the triggers for the emotions you experience most often. You will then be given a step-by-step plan to show you how to identify which emotions are empowering, which are disempowering, and how to use both kinds to your best advantage so that your emotions become not a hindrance, but instead a powerful tool in helping you achieve your highest potential.

ii. Physical Mastery

Is it worth it to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of, yet not have the physical health to be able to enjoy it? Do you wake up every morning feeling energized, powerful, and ready to take on a new day? Or do you wake up feeling as tired as the night before, riddled with aches, and resentful at having to start all over again? Will your current lifestyle make you a statistic? One of every two Americans dies of coronary disease; one of three dies of cancer. To borrow a phrase from the seventeenth-century physician Thomas Moffett, we are “digging our graves with our teeth” as we cram our bodies with high-fat, nutritionally empty foods, poison our systems with cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, and sit passively in front of the Television set.

iii. Relationship Mastery

Other than mastering your own emotions and physical health, there is nothing I can think of that is more important than learning to master your relationships: romantic, family, business, and social. After all who wants to learn, grow, and become successful and happy all by themselves? The third master lesson in this book will reveal the secrets to enable you to create quality relationships; first with yourself, then with others. You will begin by discovering what you value most highly, what your expectations are, the rules by which you play the game of life, and how it all relates to the other players. Then, as you achieve mastery of this all-important skill, you will learn how to connect with people at the deepest level and be rewarded with something we all want to experience: a sense of contribution, of knowing that we have made a difference in other people’s lives. I’ve found that, for me, the greatest resource is a relationship because it opens the doors to every resource I need. Mastery of this lesson will give you unlimited resources for growing and contributing.

iv. Financial Mastery

By the time they reach the age of sixty-five, most Americans are either dead broke—or dead! That’s hardly what most people envision for themselves as they look ahead to the golden age of retirement. Yet without the conviction that you deserve financial well-being, backed up by a workable game plan, how can you turn your treasured scenario into reality? This fourth master lesson will teach you how to go beyond the goal of mere survival in your autumn years of life, and even now, for that matter. Because we have the good fortune to live in a capitalist society, each of us has the capability to carry out our dreams. Yet most of us experience financial pressure on an ongoing basis, and we fantasize that having more money would relieve that pressure. This is a grand cultural delusion let me assure you that the more money you have, the more pressure you’re likely to feel. The key is not the mere pursuit of wealth, but changing your beliefs and attitudes about it so you see it as a means for contribution, not the end-all and be-all for happiness. To forge a financial destiny of abundance, you will first learn how to change what causes scarcity in your life, and then how to experience on a consistent basis the values, beliefs, and emotions that are essential to experiencing wealth and holding on to it and expanding it. Then you’ll define your goals and shape your dreams with an eye toward achieving the highest possible level of well-being, filling you with peace of mind and freeing you to look forward with excitement to all the possibilities that life has to offer.

v. Time Mastery Masterpieces take time.

Yet how many of us really know how to use it? I’m not talking about time management; I’m talking about actually taking time and distorting it, manipulating it so that it becomes your ally rather than your enemy. The fifth master lesson in this book will teach you, first, how short-term evaluations can lead to long-term pain. You will learn how to make a real decision and how to manage your desire for instantaneous gratification, thus allowing your ideas, your creations; even your own potential, the time to reach full fruition. Next you’ll learn how to design the necessary maps and strategies for following up on your decision, making it a reality with the willingness to take massive action, the patience to experience “lag time,” and the flexibility to change your approach as often as needed. Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year—and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!

vi. Change Your Strategy.

In order to keep your commitment, you need the best strategies for achieving results. One of my core beliefs is that if you set a higher standard, and you can get yourself to believe, then you certainly can figure out the strategies. You simply will find a way. Ultimately, that’s what this whole book is about. It shows you strategies for getting the job done, and I’ll tell you now that the best strategy in almost any case is to find a role-model, someone who’s already getting the results you want, and then tap into their knowledge. Learn what they’re doing, what their core beliefs are, and how they think. Not only will this make you more effective, it will also save you a huge amount of time because you won’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can fine-tune it, reshape it, and perhaps even make it better.

vii. Change Your Limiting Beliefs

If you raise your standards but don’t really believe you can meet them, you’ve already sabotaged yourself. You won’t even try; you’ll be lacking that sense of certainty that allows you to tap the deepest capacity that’s within you even as you read this. Our beliefs are like unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what’s possible and what’s impossible, what we can and cannot do. They shape every action, every thought, and every feeling that we experience. As a result, changing our belief systems is central to making any real and lasting change in our lives. We must develop a sense of certainty that we can and will meet the new standards before we actually do. Without taking control of your belief systems, you can raise your standards as much as you like, but you’ll never have the conviction to back them up. How much do you think Gandhi would have accomplished had he not believed with every fiber of his being in the power of nonviolent opposition? It was the congruence of his beliefs which gave him access to his inner resources and enabled him to meet challenges which would have swayed a less committed man. Empowering beliefs; this sense of certainty; is the force behind any great success throughout history.

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?

Raise Your Standards! Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. When people ask me what really changed my life eight years ago, I tell them that absolutely the most important thing was changing what I demanded of myself. I wrote down all the things I would no longer accept in my life, all the things I would no longer tolerate, and all the things that I aspired to becoming. Think of the far-reaching consequences set in motion by men and women who raised their standards and acted in accordance with them, deciding they would tolerate no less. History chronicles the inspiring examples of people like Leonardo da Vinci, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Albeit Einstein, Cesar Chavez, Soichiro Honda, and many others who took the magnificently powerful step of raising their standards. The same power that was available to them is available to you, if you have the courage to claim it. Changing an organization, a company, a country—or a world—begins with the simple step of changing yourself.

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.

None in particular.

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

None in particular

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 in particular.

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.

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? 6
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 7
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Every living thing has a built-in guidance system or goal striving device, put there by its creator to help it achieve all its goals- which is, in broad terms- to “live.” In the simpler forms of life the goal “to live” simply means physical survival for both the individual and the species. The built-in mechanism in animals is limited to finding food and shelter, avoiding or overcoming enemies and hazards, and procreation to insure the survival of the species. Man’s built-in “success mechanism” also is much broader in scope than an animal’s. the success mechanism in man can help him get answers to problems, invent, write poetry, run a business, sell merchandise, explore new horizon in science, or achieve more peace of mind, develop better personality, or achieve success in any other activity which is intimately tied in to his “living” or makes for a fuller life. Man on the other hand, has something animal’s haven’t-Creative imagination. Thus man of all creatures is more than a creature, he is also a creator. With his imagination he can formulate a variety of goals. Man alone can direct his success mechanism by the use of imagination or imagining ability. “Imagination rules the world” said Napoleon. “Imagination of all man’s faculties is the most God-like,” said Glenn Clark. “You can imagine your future,” says Henry J. Kaiser, who attributes much of his success in business to the constructive, positive use of creative imagination.

i. Experiencing is the secret

For perhaps the first time in his life the patient experiences acceptance as a human being; he “feels” that his self has some worth and dignity and he comes to accept himself, and to conceive of his “self” in new terms.

ii. The secret to using this book to change your life

You can acquire information from reading a book. This book has been designed not merely to be read but to be experienced. Acquiring information itself is passive. Experiencing is active. When you “experience,” something happens inside your nervous system and your mid-brains. New “engrams” and “neural” patterns are recorded in the gray matter of your brain. This book has been designed to force you literally to “experience.” Tailor-made, prefabricated “case histories” have been kept intentionally to a minimum. Instead you are asked to furnish your own “case histories” by exercising imagination and memory. Reserve judgment for 21 days: reserve judgment and go on practicing for a minimum of 21 days. It usually requires a minimum of about 21days to effect any perceptible change in a mental image. Following plastic surgery it takes about 21days for the average patient to get used to his new face. During these 21 days do not argue intellectually with the ideas presented, do not debate with yourself as to whether they will work or not. I am only asking that you reserve critical judgment and analytical argument for 21 days so that you will give yourself a fair chance to prove or disprove their validity in your own life.

iii. What is Success? Noah Webster defined success as “the satisfactory accomplishment of a goal sought for.”

Creative striving for a goal that is important to you as a result of your own deep-felt needs, aspirations and talents (and not the symbols which the “Joneses” expect you to display) brings happiness as well as success because you will be functioning as you were meant to function.

iv. Man is by nature a goal-striving being.

And because man is “built that way” he is not happy unless he is functioning as he was made to function as a goal striver. Thus true success and true happiness not only go together but each enhances the other. Self-image- the Real secret: It is the common denominator; the determining factor in all our case histories, the failures as well as the successes.

v. The secret is this: To really “live,” that is to find life reasonably satisfying, you must have an adequate and realistic self-image that you can live with.

You must find yourself accept able to “you.” You must have whole some 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 effective l in a real world. You must know yourself. Both your strengths and your weaknesses and be honest with yourself concerning both. Yourself- image must be a reasonable approximation of “you,” “being neither more than you are, nor less than you are.

vi. New Scientific insights into subconscious mind

The new science of “Cybernetics” has furnished us with convincing proof that the so-called “subconscious mind” is not a “mind” at all, but a mechanism; a goal-striving “servo-mechanism” consisting of the brain and nervous system, which is used by, and directed by mind. Like any other servo-mechanism, our Creative Mechanism makes use of stored information, or “memory.” In solving current problems and responding to current situations.

vii. How your success Mechanism works

In his book The Computer and the Brain, Dr. John von Newmann says that the human brain possesses the attributes of both the analogue and the digital computer. The word “Cybernetics” comes from a Greek word which means literally “the steer man.” Servo-mechanisms are so constructed that they automatically “steer” their way to a goal, target, or “answer.”

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?

Realizing that our actions, feelings and behavior are the result of our own images and beliefs gives us the lever that psychology has always needed for changing personality. It opens a new Psychologic door to gaining skill, success, and happiness. Mental pictures offer us an opportunity to “practice” new traits and attitudes, which otherwise we could not do. This is possible because again your nervous system cannot tell the difference between an actual experience and one that is vividly imagined.

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.

None in particular.

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?

Making the Most of Your Life by John J .B. Morgan and Ewing T. Webb. Copyright, 1932 by John J. B. Morgan and Ewing T. Webb. Reprinted by permission of Doubleday and Company, Inc.

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 that I know of

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.

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? 6
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

The book was very interesting in its entirety, and forms a basis for fiction based reading. The book could pass also for a thriller indeed in the way certain situations were drawn out. Most at time the readers are forced to have a dictionary to understand the meaning of some words, since English is not their primary language as it were. It was quite a novel to read since there were not too long gibberish that would keep the reader mystified. It is clear, readable, opinionated, instigative, analytical and fit for the adult mind. I will surely recommend this book to any individual who also wants to become a global leader, the kind who will be seen as a voice to his generation and the world at large.

Success though a Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Many books of inspiration are written to motivate the reader to direct his thoughts, control his emotions and ordain his destiny. And they often help the reader to comprehend the truths of the bible. This is true, for example, in such a non-fiction best seller as the Power of Positive Thinking. In this book, Norman Vincent Peale endeavor to motivate the reader to better himself. To do so, he quotes directly from the Good book in which such people do believe. Some of the quotations Dr. Peale uses (and which it would be wise to memorize) are: As he thinketh in his heart, so is he. If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief! According to your faith be it unto your Faith without works is dead. What things so-ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. If God be for us, who can be against us? Ask and I shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. You have just seen several mental cobwebs as we have pointed them out to you. Some of these are Negative: a) feelings, b) emotions c) passions d) habits e) beliefs f) prejudices. Seeing only the mote in the other fellow’s eye. Arguments and mis-understanding due to semantic difficulties. False conclusions resulting from false premises. All-inclusive, restrictive words or expressions as basic or minor premises. The idea that necessity forces dishonesty. Unclean thoughts and habits. Fear that it is sacrilegious to use the power of your mind. So see there are many varieties of cobwebs-some small, some large, some weak, some strong. Yet if you make an additional listing of your own, and then examine the strands of each cobweb closely, you will find that they are all spun by NMA. When you think about it for a while, you will see that the strongest cobweb spun by NMA is the cobweb of inertia. Inertia causes you to do nothing; or, if you are moving in the wrong direction, keeps you from resisting or stopping. You go on and on. The man with PMA may not know the facts or have the know-how. He may not understand. Yet he recognizes the basic premise that truth is truth and is not false regardless of his lack of knowledge or understanding. He therefore endeavors to keep an open mind and to learn. He must base his conclusions on what he does know, yet be prepared to change them when he becomes more enlightened.

Thoughts to steer by

i. You are what you think.

Your thoughts are evaluated by whether your attitude is positive or negative. Take a look at yourself. Are you a good person? Evil? Healthy? Psychosomatically ill? Wealthy? Poor? If you are, then You have good thoughts. Your thoughts are evil. Your thoughts are of good health. Your thinking makes you so your thoughts are of riches. Your thoughts are of poverty. 2). Negative: feelings, emotions, passions-prejudices, belief, habits: you clear these mental cobwebs by turning your talisman from NMA to PMA.3). You can clear the mental cobwebs of negative passions, emotions, feelings, tendencies, prejudices, beliefs and habits by flipping your invisible talisman from NMA to PMA. You will learn how as you respond to what you read in Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude. 4). When you are faced with a problem that involves a misunderstanding with other persons, you must first start with yourself.5). Frog legs thought him logic. When you reason by inference, be certain that your major and minor premises are correct. 6). Such all-inclusive, restrictive words as: always- only- never- nothing- every- everyone- no one- can’t- impossible should be eliminated as premises in reasoning until you are certain that they are correct. 7). Necessity is the word. Does necessity motivate you to high achievement through your personal honesty and integrity, or does necessity motivate you to try to get result through deception or dishonesty? 8). A teen-age problem child: you may know one but don’t give up hope. He may not become a saint. But someday be may make his world and your world a better world to live in.9). Direct your thoughts; control your emotions; and ordain your destiny! 10). Learn to separate “facts” from fictions. Then learn the difference between important facts and un-important facts. Direct your thoughts with PMA to control your emotions and to ordain your destiny: when you make the discoveries that are awaiting you, they can bring you: Physical, mental and moral health, happiness, and wealth;

ii. Success in your chosen field of endeavor

iii. A means to effect, use, control, harmonize with power known and unknown.

And dare to investigate all non-physical forces lying outside the realm of known physical processes-forces which you can use when you learn how to apply them. And this will not be so difficult for you- no more difficult than turning on a television set for the first time Day by day in every way, I am getting better and better: you will note we use the word “self-suggestion” as being synonymous with the term “conscious auto suggestion” used by Emile Coue.

iv. McCall remembered that when he was a boy his father bad benefited from a great discovery found in a book of his day.

A discovery that every man, woman and child can effectively employ when he finds it for himself. Like Bill McCall and his father, you too can properly employ the power of conscious autosuggestion.

v. When deaths door is about to open

There are about 450,000 children born out of wedlock in the United States each year, and over a million and a half teenagers enter penal institutions for car thefts and other crimes. These personal tragedies could in many instances be avoided if: a). a parent learned how to employ suggestion properly, and b). if their sons and daughters were taught how to effectively use spiritual self-suggestion. Through the proper use of suggestion, these young people could be motivated to develop inviolable moral standards through their own conscious autosuggestion. And they would know how to neutralize or repel the undesirable suggestion of their associates in an intelligent manner. Hidden persuaders.

vi. You can do it if you believe you can- that he had memorized from the PMA Science of Success course.

That helped to rescue him when he was at deaths door. Now the books we read and the thoughts we think affect our subconscious minds. But there are also unseen forces that likewise have powerful effects even though they are subliminal-below the realm of consciousness. Orville and Wilbur Wright succeeded in flying because they added something more! Many inventors came exceedingly close to inventing the airplane before the Wright brothers. The Wright brothers used the same principles that were employed by the others. But they added- something more. They created a new combination. So they succeeded where all others failed. The something more was rather simple. They attached movable flaps of a particular design to the edges of the wings so the pilot could control them and maintain the planes equilibrium. These flaps were the forerunners of the modern aileron. Why did the Supreme Court decide that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone? Many persons claim to have invented the telephone before Alexander Graham Bell. Amongst those who held prior patents were Gray, Edison, Dolbear, McDonough, Vanderweyde, and Reis.

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?

Realizing that our actions, feelings and behavior are the result of our own images and beliefs gives us the lever that psychology has always needed for changing personality. It opens a new Psychological door to gaining skill, success, and happiness. Mental pictures offer us an opportunity to “practice” new traits and attitudes, which otherwise we could not do. This is possible because again; your nervous system cannot tell the difference between an actual experience and one that is vividly imagined.

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.

None in particular.

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

None in particular

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 in particular.

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 could pass also for a thriller indeed in the way certain situations were drawn out. Most at time the readers are forced to have a dictionary to understand the meaning of some words, since English is not their primary language as it were.

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? 6
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

How to Win Friends and Influence People
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

How to Win Friends and Influence People was first published in 1937 in an edition of only five thousand copies. Neither Dale Carnegie nor the publishers, Simon and Schuster, anticipated more than this modest sale. To their amazement, the book became an overnight sensation, and edition after edition rolled off the presses to keep up with the increasing public demand. Now to Win Friends and Influence People took its place in publishing history as one of the all-time international best-sellers. Dale Carnegie used to say that it was easier to make a million dollars than to put a phrase into the English language. How to Win Friends and Influence People became such a phrase, quoted, paraphrased, parodied, used in innumerable contexts from political cartoon to novels. The book itself was translated into almost every known written language. Dale Carnegie wrote as he spoke, in an intensively exuberant, colloquial, conversational manner. In preparation for this book, I read everything that I could find on the subject-everything from newspaper columns, magazine articles, records of the family courts, the writings of the old philosophers and the new psychologists. In addition, I hired a trained researcher to spend one and a half years in various libraries reading everything I had missed, plowing through erudite tomes on psychology, poring over hundreds of magazine articles, searching through countless biographies, trying to ascertain how the great leaders of all ages had dealt with people. We read their biographies; We read the life stories of all great leaders from Julius Caesar to Thomas Edison. Keeping such a record will inspire you to greater efforts; and how fascinating these entries will be when you chance upon them some evening years from now!

i. “If You Want To Gather Honey, Don’t Kick Over the Beehive.”

On May 7, 1931, the most sensational manhunt New York City had ever known had come to its climax. After weeks of search, “Two Gun” Crowley – the killer, the gunman who didn’t smoke or drink – was at bay, trapped in his sweetheart’s apartment on West End Avenue. One hundred and fifty policemen and detectives laid siege to his top floor hide way. Nothing like it ever been seen before on the sidewalks of New York. When Crowley was captured, Police Commissioner E. P. Mulrooney declared that the two-gun desperado was one of the most dangerous criminals ever encountered in the history of New York.

ii. The Big Secret Of Dealing With People There is only one way under high heaven to get anybody to do anything.

Did you ever stop to think of that? Yes, just one way. And that is by making the other person want to do it. Remember, there is no other way. Of course, you can make someone want to give you his watch by sticking a revolver in his ribs. You can make your employees give you cooperation – until your back is turned – by threatening to fire them. You can make a child do what you want it to do by a whip or a threat. But these crude methods have sharply undesirable repercussions. The only way I can get you to do anything is by giving you what you want. What do you want? Sigmund Freud said that everything you and I do springs from two motives: the sex urge and the desire to be great. John Dewey, one of America’s most profound philosophers, phrased it a bit differently. Dr. Dewey said that the deepest urge in human nature is “the desire to be important.” Remember that phrase: “The desire to be important.” It is significant. You are going to hear a lot about it in this book.

iii. “He Who Can Do This Has The Whole World With Him. He Who Cannot Walks A Lonely Way.”

I often went fishing up in Maine during the summer. Personally I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn’t bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or a grasshopper in front of the fish and said: “Wouldn’t you like to have that. When someone asked him how he managed to stay in power after the other wartime leaders – Wilson, Orlando and Clemenceau had been forgotten, he replied that if his staying on top might be attributed to any one thing, it would be to his having learned that it was necessary to bait the hook to suit the fish. Why talk about what we want?

iv. A Simple Way To Make A Good First Impression At a dinner party.

In New York, one of the guests, a woman who had inherited money, was eager to make a pleasing impression on everyone. She had squandered a modest fortune on sables, diamonds and pearls. But she hadn’t done anything whatever about her face. It radiated sourness and selfishness. She didn’t realize what everyone knows: namely, that the expression one wears on one’s face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one’s back. Charles Schwab told me his smile had been worth a million dollars. And he was probably understating the truth. For Schwab’s personality, his charm, his ability to make people like him, were almost wholly responsible for his extraordinary success; and one of the most delightful factors in his personality was his captivating smile. Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, “I like you, You make me happy.

v. If You Don’t Do This, You Are Headed For Trouble Back in 1898, a tragic thing happened in Rockland County, New York.

A child had died, and on this particular day the neighbors were preparing to go to the funeral. Jim Farley went out to the barn to hitch up his horse. The ground was covered with snow, the air was cold and snappy; the horse hadn’t been exercised for days; and as he was led out to the watering trough, he wheeled playfully, kicked both his heels high in the air, and killed Jim Farley. So the little village of Stony Point had two funerals that week instead of one. Jim Farley left behind him a widow and three boys, and a few hundred dollars in insurance. His oldest boy, Jim, was ten, and he went to work in a brickyard, wheeling sand and pouring it into the molds and turning the brick on edge to be dried by the sun. He never saw the inside of a high school; but before he was forty-six years of age, four colleges had honored him with degrees and he had become chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Postmaster General of the United States.

vi. An Easy Way To Become A Good Conversationalist.

Some time ago, I attended a bridge party. I don’t play bridge – and there was a woman there who didn’t play bridge either. She had discovered that I had once been Lowell Thomas’ manager before he went on the radio and that I had traveled in Europe a great deal while helping him prepare the illustrated travel talks he was then delivering. So she said: “Oh, Mr. Carnegie, I do want you to tell me about all the wonderful places you have visited and the sights you have seen.”

vii. How To Interest People Everyone who was ever a guest of Theodore Roosevelt was astonished at the range and diversity of his knowledge.

Whether his visitor was a cowboy or a Rough Rider, a New York politician or a diplomat, Roosevelt knew what to say. And how was it done? The answer was simple. Whenever Roosevelt expected a visitor, he sat up late the night before, reading upon the subject in which he knew his guest was particularly interested. At that time, I happened to be excited about boats, and the visitor discussed the subject in a way that seemed to me particularly interesting.

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?

It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it. For example, two people may be in the same place, doing the same thing; both may have about an equal amount of money and prestige – and yet one may be miserable and the other happy. Why? Because of a different mental attitude. I have seen just as many happy faces among the poor peasants toiling with their primitive tools in the devastating heat of the tropics as I have seen in air-conditioned offices in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.

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.

None in particular

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

None in particular

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 in particular.

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.

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? 6
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

Creating your Path through Leadership
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

This book is a chronicle of all the participants in the family of IIGL from their various stories about the encounters they’ve had prior to their connection with IIGL, and also how they have been able to become successful in their various field of endeavors. The main thrust of this Edited IIGL Book is to express and pin-point all that these individuals have come to be effective in discharging their assignments and how to be impactful. Creating your path through Leadership is a breakdown of stories from present or past accomplishment of IIGL members.

i. Jonathan Livingston Seagull: his book is very impactful on the subject of motivation and inspiration.

Thanks to the rich depth of understanding that proves to be powerful for readers and listeners world over.

ii. Dale Carnegie: his book on how to win friends can change the total perception of readers who seek to become more attracted and connected to people for every background.

His book is phenomenal from start to finish and it comprises of easy to read chapters form beginning to the end.

iii. Napoleon Hills: is the author of “Keys to Success.”

A book that has made so much impact in the lives of many readers across the globe. His work is beneficial to students, workers, industry leaders, government officials, marketers, athletes, and many more.

iv. Napoleon Hills: his book on Success through Positive Mental Attitude.

It has been very useful in the field of research, academia, sports, journalism, and several other areas where decisions are taken for the common benefit of all the readers across all divides.

v. Maxwell Maltz: this author wrote the book PsychoCybernetics which has been useful to all readers world over.

Its main approach is to allow for creating a new way to get more living out of life. Help to escape life dull, monotonous routine; make you look younger, feel healthier, and be more successful.

vi. Brian Tracy: the book Maximum Achievement has dominated the world of business, academia, politics, religion, and professional groups that seek to perform better and more valuable.

James Allen: his book titled As a Man Thinketh has sold out many copies all around the world and has been very useful in areas of life where success needs to be achieved.

vii. Anthony Robbins: his book titled Awaken the Giant Within.

It has become a source of motivation, inspiration, direction, and value to readers and reviewers. Its focus is on how to take immediate control of your mental, emotional, physical, and financial destiny. It has sold many copies in every part of the world.

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?

Reading has become a delightful hobby for me as a person. And taking cognizance of the various perspectives of authors has been a source of strength, power, discipline, value upon which I place tremendous importance.

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.

Creating your path through Leadership directs my attention to the profound statement by Anthony Robbins from his book Awaken the Giant Within.

“Number 1 best seller for all readers of all categories.”

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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 find it contrary to other person’s belief that the books which were introduced to me on Level one have changed my life. They all provide necessary points on how to go about relationships, networking, mental maturity, spiritual upliftment, academic success, discipline, emotional intelligence, and lots more. I am indebted to IIGL for such an avenue to acquire knowledge and practice the information shared in the books. I know as I advance, I will never be the same again. My gratitude to all who have made it possible for me to become someone better than I used to be. God bless you tremendously and increase your rational minds towards our desires to be Global Leaders serving from our home, community, nation, and globally.
The presentation is very clear. But there were no pictures in the entire book to adequately explain some of the situations in the passage. My comment is generally on the reason why there were no pictures on all parts of the book to fully portray the story line more.

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? 6
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

Keys to Success
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Therefore, do not allow self-imposed limitations and restrictions to block the flow of infinite intelligence. As such light passing through a prism is broken up into its component rays, so infinite intelligence, passing through your mind, is broken up into a variety of forms. The belief that you cannot succeed, that you are not worthy, that others stand in your way, which some things cannot be done: each of these will act as an imperfection in the prism of your mind, distorting and scattering the power of infinite intelligence. And if you close the window of your mind to the power of infinite intelligence through disbelief, you will never experience its benefits. Clear your mind of all negative thoughts of want, poverty, fear, ill health, and disharmony, and then take these three steps to build your faith: Express a definite desire for the achievement of a purpose and relate it to one of more of the basic human motives. Start acting on that plan, putting every conscious effort behind it.Create a definite and specific plan for attaining that desire. The more you act on faith in infinite intelligence, the more your mind will open to its power. And the more you see that power working in your life, the easier it will be for you to act on faith. The process is a wonderful cycle. A final word, if you make your prayers and expression of gratitude and thanksgiving for the blessings you already have, instead of requests for things you do not have, you will obtain results much faster.

Building your desire for success into a burning obsession and embacking on your definite major purpose are the cornerstones of your efforts to gain emotional control. Each strengthens the other, and progress with one will mean progress everywhere.

i. Alertness of Interest

You must be able to fix your interest on any person, place, or thing and hold it there for as long as the situation requires. If you cannot, the other aspects of your attractive personality will be useless. You can pay other people no greater complements than to concentrate your attention on them when they want it. Listening well is an even greater accomplishment than speaking well.

ii. Versatility

No matter how much you know about the field of your endeavor, unless you can display a general interest in the world at large, no one is going to find you attractive. You and your associates may thrive on speaking for hours without end about the work you are doing, but you will be as unwelcome as a dentist among other people in a candy shop. Keep yourself acquainted with the issues of the day, and maintain a few pursuits other than your business. They will broaden your character and deepen your knowledge of yourself as well. If you understand yourself, you will be better able to understand others, and they will appreciate you more for it.

iii. Fondness of People

Just as a dog can sense those who do or do not like dogs, people recognize very quickly whether they are dealing with someone who likes other people. They resent those people with a natural dislike for their fellows, and they are attracted to those who possess genuine enthusiasm. Impatience with others is a visible expression of selfishness and lack of self-discipline. So, too, is a constant display of defeatism. You do no any favors by harping on your recent misfortune or your feelings of aimlessness.

iv. Humility

Arrogance, vanity, and egotism are never found in someone with an attractive personality. Don’t mistake humility for timidity; true humility is a recognition that even the greatest folk are, in the scheme of human existence, only fragments of the whole. Recognize that the blessings you have are a gift to be used for the common good, not topics for every conversation. If you struggle with this issue, turn to your alert interest in others to keep you focused on topics other than yourself. As your faith grows, so will your recognition of the importance of the greater world and its value. People who are strong in faith are always humble of heart, and these qualities are always mush desired.

v. Effective Showmanship

This is the result of the proper blend of many aspects of an attractive personality; facial expression, tone of voice, appropriate word choice, effective speech, emotional control, courtesy, versatility, mental attitude, sense of humor, and tactfulness. Together they allow you to gain favorable attention whenever necessary. Showmanship does not imply grandstanding, clowning around, wisecracking, or gossiping. These qualities certainly grand attention, but they are tiresome and often dangerous. Effective, positive use of the traits which combine to form good showmanship will serve you well whether you are dealing with one person or a thousand.

vi. A Good Handshake

This is a simple skill, really, but it is invaluable at first impression and every time a contact is renewed. Make your grasp firm and friendly, not crushing. You want to establish enthusiasm and cooperation, not competition. A limp handshake will display disdain or weakness. Coordinate your handshake with a greeting, and grip the other persons hand for emphasis on key phrases. Maintain your grip as long as you speak your greeting in order to strengthen the impression you are making.

vii. Personal Magnatism

This last trait is a polite way to describe sexual energy. Of all the aspects of an attractive personality, this is the only one which is innate and cannot truly be developed by personal effort. You have what you are born with, and you cannot increase it, but you can use it. Clearly all aspects of an attractive personality rely upon and augment one another. Some-like a good handshake-can be learned quickly, others require habitual efforts on your part. Never make the mistake of thinking that you have done all the work you can do towards generating an attractive personality. Its standards-like its rewards-are always improving.

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

When your mind is always focused on doing the best job possible, you are forced to look at every situation thoroughly. No doubt something will have to be done that is out of the ordinary. Part of our service is getting this thing accomplished, and that means putting personal initiative to work. There are people who go through life rendering extra service yet wind up in the poorhouse. They are honest and dependable, adjectives for traits that give others the chance to cheat and exploit them, and they never do a thing about it because they lack personal initiative. It’s one thing to cast your bread upon the waters; it’s another to pretend not to notice when it just comes back wet and soggy. You must use personal initiative to see that your efforts are expended in the right areas. Investigate to make sure that the people you work for are honest and trustworthy, that they aren’t about to go belly-up and be unable to pay you. And if you find yourself deceived, find yourself someone else to work for. Personal initiative is not simply for the benefit of others. Andrew Carnegie once told, “There are two types of people who never amount to anything. There are those who never do anything except what they are told to do. And there are those who cannot even do what they are told to do. The people who get ahead do the things that should be done without being told. And they don’t stop there. They go the extra mile and do much more that is expected of them.” Personal initiative is absolutely necessary if you are going to realize your goal. It will bring you advancement, attention, and opportunity.

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.

None that I can think of.

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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.

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? 6
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

Maximum Achievement
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Brian Tracy is one of the world’s leading authorities on success and personal achievement, addressing more than 100,000 men and women each year in public and private seminars. In this book, he gives you a powerful, proven system-based on twenty-five years of research and practice-that you can apply immediately to get better result in every area of your life. You learn ideas, concepts, and methods used by high-achieving people in every field everywhere. You learn how to unlock your individual potential for personal greatness. You will immediately become more positive, persuasive, and powerfully focused in everything you do. Many of the more than one Million graduates of the seminar program upon which this book is based have dramatically increased their income and improved their lives in every respect. Step by step blue print for success and achievement presented in these pages include proven principles, drawn from psychology, religion, philosophy, business, economics, politics, history, and meta-physics. These ideas are combined in a fast-moving, informative series of steps that will lead you to greater success than you ever imagined possible- they can raise your self-esteem, improve personal performance, and give you complete control over every aspect of your personal and professional life. In this treasure chest, he gives us an encyclopedia of inner wealth more knowledge based, action-oriented, and relevant to today’s global achiever than any other source you can tap. More than a self-help book, this is an owner’s manual for high-performance winners. You will learn how to unlock the great untapped reserves of potential that lie deep within you. By practicing the exercises that accompany each chapter, you’ll get results out of all proportion to the effort you put in. You will propel your whole life onto a highroad of success, achievement and greater happiness than perhaps you’ve ever known. This book is a reply to the thousands of graduates who have asked to present these concepts in written form. The system you will learn in the pages that follow is the same system taught in the Phoenix Seminar on the Psychology of Achievement. It is a complete and comprehensive approach to the business of living well, of living a life characterized by happiness, harmony, health and true prosperity. So, I want you to know, in advance, that I will believe it, whatever it is. I know that when you begin practicing these principles in your life, you will experience successes you may never have dreamed possible before, and the more you use these ideas, the better they will work for you. Your future will become limited only by your imagination!

The Seven Ingredients of Success! Anything that you could ever want more of, or any factor that you would consider important to your happiness, can be placed in one of seven categories. These Seven Ingredients of Success are Consistent with everything ever written or discovered on success and happiness. They characterize the life and accomplishments of all high-performing men and women. They include everything you could ever want.

i. Peace of Mind

The first of these: seven ingredients of success, and easily the most important, is peace of mind. It is the highest human good. Achieving inner peace must be a central organizing principle: of your life. It must become the overarching goal to which all your other goals are subservient. In fact, you are only successful as a person to the degree to which you can achieve your own happiness, your own contentment, your own sense: of personal well-being-in short, your own peace of mind.

ii. Health and Energy

The second ingredient of success is health and energy. Just as peace of mind is your normal and natural mental state, health and energy is your normal and natural physical state. If you achieve all kinds of things in the material world, but you lose your health or your peace of mind, you get little or no pleasure from your other accomplishments.

iii. Loving Relationships

The third ingredient of success is loving relationships. These are relationships with the people you love and care about, and the people who love and care about you. They are the real measure of how well you are doing as a human being. Most of your happiness and unhappiness in life comes from your relationships with others, and it is your relationships with others that make you truly human. Only when you have your relationships under control and functioning harmoniously can you rum your thoughts toward the self-expression and self-actualization that enable you to fulfill your true potential.

iv. Financial Freedom

The fourth ingredient of success is financial freedom. To be financially free means that you have enough money so that you don’t worry about it continually, as most people do. It is not money that lies at the root of all evil; it is lack of money. Achieving your own financial freedom is one of the most important goals and responsibilities of your life. It is far too important to be left to chance. When you decide exactly what you want your financial picture to look like, you will be able to use this system to achieve your goals faster than you might have imagined possible. It all starts with your defining your financial future clearly and then making a plan to realize it. Everything will follow from that, as you’ll learn later in this book.

v. Worthy Goals and Ideals

The fifth ingredient of success is worthy goals and ideals. Perhaps your deepest subconscious drive, according to Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, is the need for meaning and purpose in life. To be truly happy, you need a clear sense of direction. You need a commitment to something bigger and more important than yourself. You need to feel that your life stands for something, that you are somehow making a valuable contribution to your world.

vi. Self-Knowledge and Self-Awareness

The sixth ingredient of success is self-knowledge and self-awareness. Throughout all of history, self-knowledge has gone hand in hand with inner happiness and outer achievement. The phrase “Man, know thyself” goes all the way back to ancient Greece. To perform at your best, you need to know who you are and why you think and feel the way you do. You need to understand the forces and influences that have shaped your character from earliest childhood. You need to know why you react and respond the way you do to the people and situations around you. It is only when you understand and accept yourself that you can begin moving forward in the other areas of your life.

vii. Personal Fulfillment

The seventh ingredient of success is a sense of personal fulfillment. This is a feeling that you are becoming everything that you are capable of becoming. It is the sure knowledge that you are moving toward the realization of your full potential as a human being. Psychologist Abraham Maslow called this “self-actualization.” He said it was the primary characteristic of the healthiest, happiest and most successful men and women in our society.

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?

Raise Your Standards! Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. Your outer world corresponds to your inner world. What happens to you depends to a great degree on what is happening inside you. Your external experience is a reflection of your internal thought patterns. Over time, you create in your life the mental equivalent of your innermost convictions about yourself and what is possible for you. As I read story after story of famous men and women, as I reflected upon their biographies and autobiographies, I was struck by the common thread that ran through all of them. They all seemed to have, or to develop, an unshakable belief in their ability to overcome all obstacles and reach some great height. Successful people are those who have learned how to operate their conscious and subconscious minds in harmony, enabling them to get the things they want far faster and with much less effort. This discovery changed the focus of my efforts and the direction of my life.

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

None that I can think of.

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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.

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? 6
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

Goals
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

This book is for ambitious people who want to get ahead faster. If this is the way you think and feel, you are the person for whom this book is written. The ideas contained in the pages ahead will save you years of hard work in achieving the goals that are most important to you.Haven spoken to more than 2000 times before audiences of as many as 23,000 people, in 24 countries. Seminars and talks have varied in length from five minutes to five days. In every case, I have focused on sharing the best ideas I could find on the particular subject with that audience at that moment. After countless talks on various themes, if I was only given five minutes to speak to you, and I could only convey one thought that would help you to be more successful, I would tell you to “write down your goals, make plans to achieve them, and work on your plans every single day.” This advice, if you followed it, would be of more help to you than anything else you could ever learn. Many university graduates have told me that this simple concept has been more valuable to them than four years of study. This idea has changed my life, and the lives of millions of other people. It will change yours as well. This book contains the distilled essence of all that I have learned in the areas of success, achievement and goal attainment. By following the steps explained in the pages ahead, you will move to the front of the line in life. For my children, this book is meant to be a road map and a guide to help you get from wherever you are to wherever you want to go. For my friends and readers of this book, my reason for writing it is to give you a proven system that you can use to move onto the fast track in your own life. Welcome! A great new adventure is about to begin.

My personal mission statement has not changed in years. It is: “To help people achieve their goals faster than they ever would in the absence of my help.”

i. Unlock your Potentials.

Success is goals and all else is commentary. All successful people are intensely goal oriented. They know what they want and they are focused single mindedly on achieving it, every single day. Perhaps the greatest discovery in human history is the power of your mind to create the aspects of your life. Everything you see around you in the man-made world began as a thought or an idea in the mind of a single person before it was translated into reality. Everything in your life started as a thought, a wish, a hope or a dream, either in your mind, or in the mind of someone else. Your thoughts are creative. Your thoughts form and shape your world and everything that happens to you. The great summary statement of all religions, philosophies, metaphysics, psychology and success is this: “You become what you think about most of the time.” Your outer world ultimately becomes a reflection of your inner world, and mirrors back to you what you think about. Whatever you think about continuously emerges in your reality.

ii. Take Charge of Your Life

“A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with – a man is what he makes of himself.” By Alexander Graham Bell One of your most important goals, if you want to be truly happy and successful, is to free yourself from negative emotions, and fortunately, this can be done, if you learn how. For example, a person is laid off from a job due to a change in the economy and declining sales in the company. However, the individual is angry with his boss for this decision and justifies his anger by describing all the reasons why his being laid off was unfair. He can even get himself so incensed that he decides to sue, or get even in some way. As long as he continues to justify his negative feelings toward his boss and the company, his negative emotions control him and absorb much of his life and thinking. It is only when you free yourself from negative emotions, by taking complete responsibility that you can begin to set and achieve goals in every area of your life. It is only when you are free, mentally and emotionally, that you can begin to channel your energies and enthusiasms in a forward direction. This is why, without the acceptance of complete personal responsibility, no progress is possible. On the other hand, once you accept total responsibility for your life, there are no limits on what you can be, do and have.

iii. Create Your Own Future

“You will become large as your controlling desire; or as great as your dominant aspiration.” James Allen; Dr. Edward Banfield of Harvard concluded, after more than 50 years of research, that “long-time perspective” was the most important determinant of financial and personal success in life. Banfield defined long-time perspective as the “ability to think several years into the future while making decisions in the present.” This is one of the most important discoveries ever made. Just think! The further you think into the future, the better decisions you will make in the present to assure that that future becomes a reality.1. Imagine that there is a solution to every problem, a way to overcome every limitation, and no limit on your achieving every goal you can set for yourself. What would you do differently? Practice “back from the future thinking.” Project forward five years and look back to the present. What would have to have happened for your world to be ideal? Imagine your financial life were perfect in every way. How much would you be earning? How much would you be worth? What steps could you take, starting today, to make these goals a reality? Imagine your family and personal life was perfect. What would it look like? What should you start doing more of, or less of, starting today? Plan your perfect calendar. Design your year from January to December as if you had no limitations. What would you change, starting today? Imagine that your levels of health and fitness were perfect in every way. What could you do, starting today, to make your vision for yourself into a reality?

iv. Clarify Your Values

“One universe made up of all that is: and one God in it all and one principle of being, and one law, the reason shared by all thinking creatures, and one truth.” One of the most important characteristics of leaders, and top people in every area of life, is that they know who they are, what they believe in and what they stand for. Average people are usually confused about their goals, values and ideals, and as a result, they go back and forth and accomplish very little. Men and women who become leaders, on the other hand, with the same or even fewer abilities and opportunities, go onto accomplish great things in whatever they attempt. Once you accept complete responsibility for your life, and for everything that happens to you, and then create an ideal picture of your perfect future and clarify your values, you are now ready to begin setting clear, specific goals in every area of your life. You are now on the launching ramp and ready to take off toward the stars.

v. Determine Your True Goals

“Realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.” If you examined your work, you would find that 20% of what you do accounts for 80% of the value of all the things you do. In my Advanced Coaching Programs, we teach our clients to identify those 20% of activities that contribute the very most value and then do twice as many of them.

vi. Decide Upon Your Major Definite Purpose

Since you become what you think about most of the time, a major definite purpose gives you a focus for every waking moment. “Whenever you find something getting done, you find a monomaniac with a mission.” The more you think about your major definite purpose, and how to achieve it, the more you activate the Law of Attraction in your life. You begin to attract to you people, opportunities, ideas and resources that help you to move more rapidly toward your goal, and move your goal more rapidly toward you.

vii. Analyze Your Belief

“The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible.” Perhaps the most important of all mental laws is the Law of Belief. This law says that, whatever you believe, with conviction, becomes your reality. You do not believe what you see; you see what you already believe. You actually view your world through a lens of beliefs, attitudes, prejudices and preconceived notions. “You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.”

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?

Raise Your Standards! Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. “Your problem is to bridge the gap between where you are now and the goals you intend to reach.” Once you have decided upon your values, vision, mission, purpose and goals, the next step is for you to analyze your starting point. Exactly where you are today and how are you doing, in each of the important areas of your life, especially as they relate to your 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.

None that I can think of.

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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.

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? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 5
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

Goal Mapping
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Wow, this book has been very insightful. The easy to read book has truly exposed how to achieve long awaited success in every aspect of life namely: family, business, career, academics, politics, religion, relationships, and more via the use of easy step guidelines. Clear statements from the introduction have made it easier to understand what the writer is trying to convey in the book. These are as follows: “Although, I had a dream, which often motivate me to leave, but the fear of the unknown, kept me. I stayed in the job for four years and six months because I needed a steady income. My goal for personal development is coupled with a burning desire to impact positively in the lives of people. In April 2014, I resigned my position as an Operations Supervisor and proceeded to Kanthari – International Institute for Social Entrepreneurship, Kerala, India to participate in their world class Seven months Leadership Program. My philosophy of life has been, the more you put into what you do, the more you get the best out of it – and serving or empowering people is no exception to this rule. Empowering people increases knowledge and confidence, this in turn increases curiosity, leading to further development. In my purpose driven urge to learn more and become a better leader and strategist, I have had the inspiration to empower young people since my University days. This passion was further ignited by the intensive social entrepreneurship and leadership studies at International Institute for Global Leadership, www.global-leadership.com where I first read the book Goal Mapping by Brian Maynein 2006. I am excited beyond words to be on the right part of making my dream a reality. Through the goals I had mapped for myself, I have grown into a confident, thoughtful, and respected leader in my community and in my personal life. Things changed since I learned and started creating my Goal Map, the new skills learnt really helped me in coaching and teaching which made me feels good. In 2017, I became a certified Goal Mapping facilitator; thanks to the creator and author of Goal Mapping, Brian Mayne, my dream was fuelled for success. Goal Mapping is not just about mapping Personal, Health, Family, Career, Financial, Spiritual, Recreation, and Community goals and achieving them. It is about lifting lives, empowering and inspiring.”

i. Dream

What do I want? This is a critical way of beginning the journey into achieving goals be it daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. it all begins with having a dream. Everything begins in the mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask “What if?” Think big. Do not let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a “dreamer.” Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Fan the flames.

ii. Order

What is my Priority? Often times, individuals will say that, their goals are equal in terms of priority and really important. Well, I cannot disagree with them because we all have priorities based on how important our goals are. For me, there are particular goals that are important depending on how I placed my goals, and there are some goals that when achieved they automatically help you towards achieving the others. Typical examples of goals are: Obtain a bachelor degree, Land your dream job, Save up some money for vacation, Buy your own house Lose 10 pounds of weight in one month, Read a book every month, Take 5 online courses in 2 monthsWhy You Need to Figure Out your Top Priorities in Life? Have you ever struggle to figure out what your priorities are? Or do you have a clear idea of your top priorities in life but you can’t seem to manage them all? Our ability to make an impact with our lives and the lives of others often depends on what we decide to prioritize. Once you are clear on your goals, you will be able to make better informed and quicker decisions that will guide your life choices.

iii. Draw

What does it look like? After completing step 2 by placing your goals in the boxes, now I want to engage you in the third step which is to draw. This step is a stage where you will turn your left –brain written statements into right: brain visual imagery. Now is time to power – up your goals by turning your written words into pictures. We all have two sides to our brain. The left-brain thinks in words while the right-brain thinks in pictures, and it is important to use both to powerfully command our subconscious mind. The major pathway to your subconscious is through your right brain and your right brain thinks in pictures. Drawing pictures that represent your goals activates your right brain and powerfully connects your goals to your subconscious. Your drawing can be in any form or a symbol, nobody else even needs to understand what your drawing means. The same applies to me; I find it difficult to draw, as I have the feeling that I am not an artist. Words like I can’t draw, I am not in the fine art class. The truth is that, however your goal mapping is, it doesn’t necessarily have to be fine art. We can achieve what we want using symbols or other forms of image that will best describe what we want.

iv. Why

Why do I want it? Every goal we set whether it is career, relationships, health and fitness, finances, personal growth, spiritual life and education are in essence a thought. Identifying and attaching strong emotions to our goal thoughts makes them much more powerful, both consciously and subconsciously. When you have one or two reasons for accomplishing a goal, you will have a small amount of motivation. But if you have forty or fifty reasons for achieving a particular goal, you will be so motivated and determined to succeed against all odds; that nothing and no one will stand in your way. Before creating a personal Goal Map, search deeply beyond your logical ‘needs’ and identify your passionate, positive, desires. I have learnt over the years that, the stronger I associate my goals with emotional reasons, the greater the power of connection with my subconscious and the more daily motivation and inspiration I will experience. This can also be applied to you.

v. When

When do I want it? For a goal to be specific and definite, it should have an achievable timeline or date. Fixing achievable date for your goal signifies that you believe in yourself and it enables you to prioritize actions. All of our goals may have slightly different achievable dates, so I will like to encourage you to focus on your main goal as you have already categorize it as your priority. Working with both sides of your brain, both logic and intuition, to identify a date that feels right.

vi. How

How will I achieve it? This is the step where you begin to ask yourself what are the three main actions you can take or things that you can do, that will help you move towards your goal. It is also the step to focus on how you will achieve your goals. What are the major actions you will need to take that will move you along a path towards the achievement of your Main Goal?Are there new skills or talents that you will need to develop? Are there new qualifications or teaching that you will need to gain?Are there new resources or income that you need to secure?

vii. Who

Whose help will I require? Relationships are everything. To achieve anything of consequence, you will need the help of lots of people. The more and better relationships you develop, the faster you will achieve your goals and the better they will be part of your life. Who are the key people in your personal and professional network? Who will they be? What can you do to gain their help and cooperation? Whoever you have identified, write their names in the boxes on your left – brain template opposite the action or what you would like their help on.

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 blend of teaches, group and individual exercises and open discussions give participants the feel of what it takes to map and achieve a goal. Goal Mapping passes the message down to the grassroots level. Everyone is assigned personal responsibility for building an extraordinary life and businesses.

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.

Of all the quotes in this book, my favorite is the one which says:

“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” David Brinkley

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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, these exercises were put in the guide the direction of the reader towards better understanding of the matter.

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 presentation is very clear. But also, there were pictures in the entire book to adequately explain some of the situations in the passage. My comment is generally on the reason why there would be pictures on all parts of the book to fully portray the story line more.

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? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

As you go through this analysis, you may be thinking this approach seems idealistic. You may be wondering if Quadrant II managers ever work in Quadrant I. I admit it is idealistic. This book is not about the habits of highly ineffective people; it’s about habits of highly effective people. And to be highly effective is an ideal to work toward. Of course you’ll need to spend time in Quadrant I. Even the best-laid plans in Quadrant II sometimes aren’t realized. But Quadrant I can be significantly reduced into more manageable proportions so that you’re not always into the stressful crisis atmosphere that negatively affects your judgment as well as your health. Undoubtedly it will take considerable patience and persistence, and you may not be able to take a Quadrant II approach to all or even most of these items at this time. But if you can begin to make some headway on a few of them and help create more of a Quadrant II mind-set in other people as well as yourself, then downstream there will be quantum improvements in performance. Again, I acknowledge that in a family setting or a small business setting, such delegation may not be possible. But this does not preclude a Quadrant II mind-set which would produce interesting and creative ways within your Circle of Influence to reduce the size of Quadrant I crises through the exercise of Quadrant II initiative.

i. Habit 1: Be Proactive

Principles of Personal Vision: First, For a full day, listen to your language and to the language of the people around you. How often do you use and hear reactive phrases such as “If only, I can’t, or I have to.” Next, Identify an experience you might encounter in the near future where, based on past experience, you would probably behave reactively. Review the situation in the context of your Circle of Influence. How could you respond proactively? Take several moments and create the experience vividly in your mind, picturing yourself lf responding in a proactive manner. Remind yourself of the gap between stimulus and response. Make a commitment to yourself to exercise your freedom to choose. Third, Select a problem from your work or personal life that is frustrating to you. Determine whether it is a direct, indirect, or no control problem. Identify the first step you can take in your Circle of Influence to solve it and then take that step. Finally, Try the 30-day test of proactivity. Be aware of the change in your Circle of Influence.

ii. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind.

To Begin with the End in Mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it’s leaning against the wrong wall. It is possible to be busy; very busy; without being very effective. People often find themselves achieving victories that are empty, successes that have come at the expense of things they suddenly realize were far more valuable to them. People from every walk of life: doctors, academicians, actors, politicians, business professionals, athletes, and plumbers often struggle to achieve a higher income, more recognition or a certain degree of professional competence, only to find that their drive to achieve their goal blinded them to the things that really mattered most and now are gone.

iii. Habit 3: Put First Things First

Principles of Personal Management: a. Identify a Quadrant II activity you know has been neglected in your life one that, if done well, would have a significant impact in your life, either personally or professionally. Write it down and commit to implement it. b. Draw a Time Management Matrix and try to estimate what percentage of your time you spend in each quadrant. Then log your time for three days in 15-minute intervals. How accurate was your estimate? Are you satisfied with the way you spend your time? What do you need to change? c. Make a list of responsibilities you could delegate and the people you could delegate to or train to be responsible in these areas. Determine what is needed to start the process of delegation or training. d. Organize your next week. Start by writing down your roles and goals for the week, then transfer the goals to a specific action plan. At the end of the week, evaluate how well your plan translated your deep values and purposes into your daily life and the degree of integrity you were able to maintain to those values and purposes. e.Commit yourself to start organizing on a weekly basis and set up a regular time to do it. f. Either convert your current planning tool into a fourth generation tool or secure such a tool. g. Go through “A Quadrant II Day at the Office” (Appendix B) for a more in-depth understanding of the impact of a Quadrant II paradigm.

iv. Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Principles of Interpersonal Leadership First, Think about an upcoming interaction wherein you will be attempting to reach an agreement or negotiate a solution. Commit to maintain a balance between courage and consideration. Next, Make a list of obstacles that keep you from applying the win-win paradigm more frequently. Determine what could be done within your Circle of Influence to eliminate some of those obstacles. Third, Select a specific relationship where you would like to develop a Win-Win Agreement. Try to put yourself in the other person’s place, and write down explicitly how you think that person sees the solution. Then list, from your own perspective, what results would constitute a win for you. Approach the other person and ask if he or she would be willing to communicate until you reach a point of agreement and mutually beneficial solution. Then, Identify three key relationships in your life. Give some indication of what you feel the balance is in each of the Emotional Bank Accounts. Write down some specific ways you could make deposits in each account. Fifth, Deeply consider your own scripting. Is it win-lose? How does that scripting affect your interactions with other people? Can you identify the main source of that script? Determine whether or not those scripts serve well in your current reality. Finally, Try to identify a model of win-win thinking who, even in hard situations, really seeks mutual benefit. Determine now to more closely watch and learn from this person’s example.

v. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood

Habit 5 is powerful because it is right in the middle of your Circle of Influence. Many factors in interdependent situations are in your Circle of Concern — problems, disagreements, circumstances, other people’s behavior. And if you focus your energies out there, you deplete them with little positive results. But you can always seek first to understand. That’s something that’s within your control. And as you do that, as you focus on your Circle of Influence, you really, deeply understand other people. You have accurate information to work with, you get to the heart of matters quickly, you build Emotional Bank Accounts, and you give people the psychological air they need so you can work together effectively.

vi. Habit 6: Synergize

First, Think about a person who typically sees things differently than you do. Consider ways in which those differences might be used as stepping-stones to Third Alternative solutions. Perhaps you could seek out his or her views on a current project or problem, valuing the different views you are likely to hear. Next, Make a list of people who irritate you. Do they represent different views that could lead to synergy if you had greater intrinsic security and valued the differences? Third, Identify a situation in which you desire greater teamwork and synergy. What conditions would need to exist to support synergy? What can you do to create those conditions? Finally, The next time you have a disagreement or confrontation with someone; attempt to understand the concerns underlying that person’s position. Address those concerns in a creative and mutually beneficial way.

vii. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

First, Make a list of activities that would help you keep in good physical shape, that would fit your life-style and that you could enjoy over time. Second, Select one of the activities and list it as a goal in your personal role area for the coming week. At the end of the week evaluate your performance. If you didn’t make your goal, was it because you subordinated it to a genuinely higher value? Or did you fail to act with integrity to your values. Next, Make a similar list of renewing activities in your spiritual and mental dimensions. In your social-emotional area, list relationships you would like to improve or specific circumstances in which Public Victory would bring greater effectiveness. Select one item in each area to list as a goal for the week. Implement and evaluate. Finally, Commit to write down specific “sharpen the saw” activities in all four dimensions every week, to do them, and to evaluate your performance and results.

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

“Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things. I am tempted to think.there are no little things.” Bruce Barton

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 can be no friendship without confidence and no confidence without integrity.” Samuel Johnson

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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.

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? 4
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? 5

Leadership for Dummies
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

I’ve organized this book into six parts to make the material easier to understand and access by keeping related material together. Each part is broken down into chapters, and the table of contents gives you details on each chapter. Regardless of how you work your way through Leadership for dummies, I’m sure that you’ll become the great leader you aspire to be. I’m enthusiastic about helping people to become great leaders so if you’ve any specific questions or comments, please feel free to visit my website at www.marwel-co.com. You don’t have to read this book from cover to cover as you can get most benefit from it by going though it in the order and at a pace that’s right for you. I organize the contents of this book to enable you to take the lead. You can take a structured, sequential approach or read the chapters in any order; immediately diving into a section to find out what you need to know to deal with a situation or problem you’re experiencing.

i. Leadership is common sense; but unfortunately not always common practice.

With the right information gleaned from my experience of working closely with thousands of managers, and some practice and thought on your part, leading can become as natural as riding a bike (even if you do experience a few wobbles along the way)!

ii. Introducing Leadership: So you think you were born to be a leader?

The chapters in this part help you to acquire an understanding of leadership and start to lay the foundations for you becoming the great leader you aspire to be. I introduce you to common language used in practicing leadership and in management literature, and guide you to see the key differences between leading and managing. You can use these chapters to work on clarifying your expectations of yourself and others as leaders.

iii. Leading yourself: Before we start on the leadership training, I hope you’re not feeling too nervous.

You start to work on developing your leadership ability by initially focusing on leading yourself, and you find techniques on how to learn more about leadership from your experiences. I invite you to spend time on clarifying the values that are most important to you and how these guide your behavior in leading people. I introduce you to some dilemmas that you may experience when you step up to a new leadership position and you find out how to handle them.

iv. Leading others: The trouble is that they all want to be leaders.
If raising people’s commitment and optimizing their performance is your major interest, then this is the main part for you. In these chapters you find out about the importance of purposeful work, and I explain how you can really engage people so that they want to follow you and do their job to the best of their ability. You discover how you can become an engaging leader and modify your leadership style to suit different situations. You find out how to handle people who aren’t achieving your standards, and coach good performers towards gaining exceptional results.

v. Leading people through Change: “OK; Here’s the business plan. Nigel takes charge of marketing, Tristram sales, Keith accounts and Psycho makes sure clients pay on time.”

You find out how to successfully lead and implement changes in your workplace in these chapters. You dive deep into uncovering workplace culture, and discover how to transform culture in your team, department or organization. From revealing people’s objections to change to finding out about the power of storytelling to reinforce a new culture, this part provides many tips on how to prevent and overcome the typical problems experienced in introducing change into a workplace.

vi. Leading different types of Team: “If you want to be part of our leadership team, you’ve got to be able to do this.”

Want to know how to lead different types of teams? How to make your senior leadership team a great role model for the rest of your organization? Step straight into this part. Discover the characteristics that separate great teams from good teams, and how to lead project teams, virtual teams, permanent and temporary teams.

vii. The Part of Tens: “It’s just one meeting after another.”

These short chapters are packed with tips on good leadership practice. You can find inspiration here on how to take the lead, lead yourself and lead others.

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

Leadership in a work setting is all about engaging people and gaining their commitment to making a highly valued contribution to improving the performance and success of their organization, and enables them to gain a real sense of fulfillment through doing so. Among the topics covered in this book are:
How leading and managing people are different.
How to gain the commitment of people who work for and with you.
Why you have to start with leading yourself.
How to succeed in leading people through change.
How to increase your influence in your organization.
How to challenge people whose behavior or performance doesn’t meet
your standards.
How to lead different types of teams.
How to build a great senior leadership team.

I do my best to explain these things, and much more, clearly and concisely. Now that you have an insight into the content of this book, I hope you’re raring to go!
Like everyone you work with, you have the potential to be a great leader by having a positive influence on the way people around you think, feel and act. I’m sure that you’ve already demonstrated leadership ability if you take time to think about it. Complete the following exercise and recognize that you’ve already been a leader. One of the dangers of not being aware of your own tendencies and biases is that you can end up adopting inappropriate approaches to leading people based upon whether you do or don’t believe that people are generally trustworthy

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.

None that I can think of

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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 presentation is very clear, and there were pictures in the entire book to adequately explain some of the situations in the passage. My comment is generally on the reason why there were pictures on all parts of the book to fully portray the story line more.

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 was the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 5
D. Would you recommend it to other? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

Unlimited Power
Assessment by: Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

When I wrote this book, my original goal was to provide a text book for Human Development- a book that would be packed with the best and the latest in human change technology. I wanted to arm you with the skills and strategy that would enable you to change anything you wanted to change, and to do it faster that you’d ever dreamed of before. I wanted to create an opportunity for you in a very concrete way to immediately increase the quality of your life experience. I wanted to create a work you would come back to again and again and always find something useful for your life. However, I wanted to give you something that was complete, something you could use in each area. I hope you find this book to be all these things for you. Only a small percentage of people really live the life of their dreams. Why? It takes an effort. It takes consistent action.
What if there was a way to take action that accelerated the learning process? The way to do this is through modeling, a way to reproduce precisely the excellence of others. What do they do that set them apart from others who only dream of success? Let’s discover…

i. Passion

All of these people have discovered a reason, energizing, almost obsessive purpose that drives them to do, to grow, and to be more! Gives them the fuel that powers their success train and causes them to tap their true potential. It is passion that causes a Pete Rose to continuously dive headfirst into second base as if he were a rookie playing his major-league game. Its passion that sets the action of a Lee Iacocca apart from so many others. Its passion that drives the computer Scientist through years of dedication to create the kind of breakthroughs that have put men and women in outer space and brought them back. Its passion that causes men to stay up late, and get up early. Its passion that people want in their relationship. Passion gives life power and juice and meaning. There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it’s the aspiration of an athlete, or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessman. We’ll discover how to unleash this inner force through the power of goals in Chapter 11.

ii. Belief

Every religious book on the planet talks about the powers and effect of faith and belief on mankind. People who succeed on a major scale differ greatly in their belief from those who fail. Our belief are what we are and what we can be precisely determine what we will be. If we belief in magic, we’ll live a magical life. If we belief our lives is defined by narrow limit, we have suddenly made those limit real. What we belief to be true, what we belief is possible, becomes what is true, becomes what’s possible. Many people are passionate, but because of their limiting beliefs about whom they are and what they can do, they never take the actions that could make their dreams a reality. People who succeed know what they want and belief that they can get it. We’ll learn about what beliefs are and how to use them in Chapter 4 and 5. Passion and beliefs help to provide the fuel, the propulsion towards excellence. But propulsion is not enough. If it were, it would be enough to fuel a rocket and send it flying blindly towards the heavens. Besides that power, we need a path, an intelligent sense of logical progression. To succeed in hitting our target, we need.

iii. Strategy

A strategy is a way of organizing resources. When Steven Spielberg decided to be a film maker, he mapped out a course that would lead to the world he will conquer. He figured out what he wanted to learn, whom he needed to know, and what he needed to do. He had passion, and he had belief, but he also had the strategy that made those things work to their greatest potential. One must use those resources in the most effective way. A strategy is recognition that the best talents and ambitions also need to find the right avenue. You can open a door by breaking it down, or you can find a key that opens it intact. We’ll learn about strategies that produces excellence in Chapters 7 and 8

iv. Clarity of Values

When we think of the things that makes America great, we think of things like patriotism, and pride, a sense of tolerance, and a love of freedom. These things are value, the fundamental, ethical, moral, and practical judgment we make about what’s important, what really matters. Values are specific belief systems we have about what is right and wrong for our lives. They’re the judgment we make about what makes life worth living. Many people do not have an idea 0f what is important to them. Often individuals do things that afterwards they are unhappy with themselves about simply because they are not clear about what they unconsciously belief is right for them and others. When we look at great successes, they are almost always people with clear fundamental sense about what really matters. An understanding of values is one of the most rewarding and challenging keys to achieving excellence.

v. Energy

People of excellence take opportunity and shape them. They live as if obsessed with the wondrous opportunities of each day and the recognition that the one thing no one has enough of its time. There are many people in this world who have a passion they belief in. they know the strategy that would ensure it, and their values are aligned but they just don’t have the physical vitality to take action on what they know. Great success is inseparable from the physical, intellectual, and spiritual energy that allows us to make the most of what we have.

vi. Bonding Power
Nearly all successful people have in common an extraordinary ability to bond with others, the ability to connect with and develop rapport with people from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs. Sure, there’s the occasional mad genius spends all his time in a lonely warren, he will succeed on one level but fail on many others. The great successes- the Kennedy’s, the Kings, the Reagans, the Gandhi’s; all have the ability to form bonds that unites them to millions of others. The greatest success is not on the stage of the world. It is the deepest recesses of your own heart. Deep down, everyone needs to form lasting, loving bonds with others. Without that any success, any excellence, is hallowed indeed.

vii. Mastery of Communication

This is the essence of what this book is about. The way we communicate with others and the way we communicate with ourselves ultimately determine the quality of our lives. People who succeed are those who have learnt how to take any challenge that life gives them and communicate that experience to themselves in a way that causes them to successfully change things. People who fail take the adversity of life and accept them as limitation. The people who shape our lives and our cultures are also masters of communication to others. What they have in common is an ability to communicate a vision or a quest or a joy or a mission. Mastery of communicate is what makes a great parent, or a great artist or a great politician or a great teacher.

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?

Raise Your Standards! Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. In every man’s and woman’s life there comes a time of ultimate challenge; a time when every resource we have is tested. A time when life seems unfair. A time when our faith, our values, our patience, our compassion, our ability to persist, are all pushed to our limits and beyond. Some people use such test as opportunity to become better people- others allow these experiences of life to destroy 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.

None that I can think of

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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.

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 was the contents? 6
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to other? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

Nonviolent Communication
Assessment by Olamide Emmanuel Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Nonviolence is not a strategy that can be used today and discarded tomorrow; nonviolence is not something that makes you meek or a pushover; nonviolence is about inculcating positive attitudes to replace the negative attitudes that dominate us. Everything that we do is conditioned by selfish motives—what’s in it for me. More so in an overwhelmingly materialistic society that thrives on rugged individualism. None of these negative concepts are conducive to building a homogenous family, community, society or a nation.

Nonviolence means allowing the positive within you to emerge. Be dominated by love, respect, understanding, appreciation, compassion and concern for others rather than the self-centered and selfish, greedy, hateful, prejudiced, suspicious and aggressive attitudes that dominate our thinking. We often hear people say: This world is ruthless and if you want to survive you must become ruthless too. I humbly disagree with this contention. This world is what we have made of it. If it is ruthless today it is because we have made it ruthless by our attitudes. If we change ourselves we can change the world and changing ourselves begins with changing our language and methods of communication. I highly recommend reading this book, and applying the Nonviolent Communication process it teaches. It is a significant first step towards changing our communication and creating a compassionate world. While studying the factors that affect our ability to stay compassionate, I was struck by the crucial role of language and our use of words. I have since identified a specific approach to communicating; speaking and listening that leads us to give from the heart, connecting us with ourselves and with each other in a way that allows our natural compassion to flourish. I call this approach Nonviolent Communication, using the term nonviolence as Gandhi used it to refer to our natural state of compassion when violence has subsided from the heart.

i. For Money

Money is a major form of extrinsic reward in our society. Choices prompted by a desire for reward are costly: they deprive us of the joy in life that comes with actions grounded in the clear intention to contribute to a human need. Money is not a “need” as we define it in NVC; it is one of countless strategies that may be selected to address a need.

ii. For Approval

Like money, approval from others is a form of extrinsic reward. Our culture has educated us to hunger for reward. We attended schools that used extrinsic means to motivate us to study; we grew up in homes where we were rewarded for being good little boys and girls, and punished when our caretakers judged us to be otherwise. Thus, as adults we easily trick ourselves into believing that life consists of doing things for reward; we are addicted to getting a smile, a pat on the back, and people’s verbal judgments that we are a “good person,” “good parent,” “good citizen,” “good worker,” “good friend,” etc. We do things to get people to like us, and avoid things that may lead them to dislike or punish us. I find it tragic that we work so hard to buy love and assume that we must deny ourselves and do for others in order to be liked. In fact, when we do things solely in the spirit of enhancing life, we will find others appreciating us. Their appreciation, however, is only a feedback mechanism confirming that our efforts had the intended effect? The recognition that we have chosen to use our power to serve life and have done so successfully brings us the genuine joy of celebrating ourselves in a way that approval from others can never offer.

iii. To Escape Punishment

Some of us pay income tax primarily to avoid punishment. As a consequence we are likely to approach that yearly ritual with a degree of resentment. I recall, however, in my childhood how differently my father and grandfather felt about paying taxes. They had immigrated from Russia to the United States, and were desirous of supporting a government they believed were protecting people in a way that the czar had not. Imagining the many people whose welfare was being served by their tax money, they felt earnest pleasure as they sent their checks to the U.S. government.

iv. To Avoid Shame

There may be some tasks we choose to do just to avoid shame. We know that if we don’t do them, we’ll end up suffering severe self-judgment, hearing our own voice telling us how there is something wrong or stupid about us. If we do something stimulated solely by the urge to avoid shame, we will generally end up detesting it.

v. To Avoid Guilt

In other instances, we may think, “If I don’t do this, people will be disappointed in me.” We are afraid we’ll end up feeling guilty for failing to fulfill other people’s expectations of us. There is a world of difference between doing something for others in order to avoid guilt and doing it out of a clear awareness of our own need to contribute to the happiness of other human beings. The first is a world filled with misery; the second is a world filled with play.

vi. Out of Duty

When we use language which denies choice, e.g. words such as “should,” “have to,” “ought,” “must,” “can’t,” “supposed to,” etc., our behaviors arise out of a vague sense of guilt, duty, or obligation. I consider this to be the most socially dangerous and personally unfortunate of all the ways we act when we’re cut off from our needs.

vii. To be Conscious of Actions

In Chapter 2 we saw how the concept of “Amtssprache” allowed Adolf Eichmann and his colleagues to send tens of thousands of people to their deaths without feeling emotionally affected or personally responsible. When we speak a language that denies choice, we forfeit the life in ourselves for a robot-like mentality that disconnects us from our own core. After examining the list of items you have generated, you may decide to stop doing certain things in the same spirit that I chose to forego clinical reports. As radical as it may seem, it is possible to do things only out of play. I believe that to the degree that we engage moment by moment in the playfulness of enriching life—motivated solely by the desire for its enrichment— to that degree are we being compassionate with ourselves.

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

Raise Your Standards! Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. The most crucial application of NVC may be in the way we treat ourselves. When we make mistakes, we can use the process of NVC mourning and self-forgiveness to show us where we can grow instead of getting caught up in moralistic self-judgments. By assessing our behaviors in terms of our own unmet needs, the impetus for change comes not out of shame, guilt, anger or depression, but out of the genuine desire to contribute to our own and others’ Well-being. We also cultivate self-compassion by consciously choosing in daily life to act only in service to our own needs and values rather than out of duty, for extrinsic rewards, or to avoid guilt, shame, and punishment. If we review the joyless acts to which we currently subject ourselves and make the translation from “have to” to “choose to,” we will discover more play and integrity in our 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.
None that I can think of.

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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.

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 was the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to other? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

Money and the Law of Attraction
Assessment by Olamide Balogun (Nigeria)

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

Each and every component that makes up your life experience is drawn to you by the powerful Law of Attraction’s response to the thoughts you think and the story you tell about your life. Your money and financial assets; your body’s state of wellness, clarity, flexibility, size, and shape; your work environment, how you are treated, work satisfaction, and rewards. Indeed, the very happiness of your life experience in general is all happening because of the story that you tell. If you will let your dominant intention be to revise and improve the content of the story you tell every day of your life, it is our absolute promise to you that your life will become that ever-improving story. For by the powerful Law of Attraction, it must be!

The Eternal Laws of the Universe are consistent and reliable and steadily hold, always, the promise of expansion and joy. The fact that the Law of Attraction remains constant and stable throughout the Universe was a big factor in your confidence as you came into your new physical environment, for you knew that the feedback of life would help you to remember and gain your footing. You remembered that the basis of everything is vibration and that the Law of Attraction responds to those vibrations and, in essence, organizes them, bringing things of like vibrations together while holding those not of like vibrations apart. And so, you were not concerned about not being able to articulate that knowledge right away or to explain it to those around you who had seemingly forgotten everything they knew about it, because you knew that the consistency of this powerful Law would, soon enough, show itself to you through the examples of your own life.

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.

Attracting money and manifesting abundance

While money is not absolutely essential to your experience, to most people money and freedom are synonymous. And since an intense awareness of your right to be free is at the very core of that which you are, it then follows that your relationship with money is one of the most important subjects of your life experience. Whether you’re one who’s been working to achieve financial abundance for many years or you’re a youngster just starting down that path, the journey to financial Well-Being does not have to be a long one from where you are.

First I’ll find vibrational balance

The things that you have and the things that you do are all meant to enhance your state of being. In other words, it‘s all about how you feel, and how you feel is all about coming into alignment with who-you-really-are. When you tend to your alignment first, then the things you gather and the actions you perform only enhance your good feeling state of being. But if you do not find that vibrational balance first, and attempt to make yourself feel better by bringing more things into your experience, or participating in more activities, in order to try to make yourself feel better, you just get further out of balance.

iii. Neither money nor poverty makes joy

Jerry: Abraham, there‘s a saying that money doesn‘t make for a happiness. But on the other hand, I have noticed that poverty doesn’t make for happiness either. But still it’s obvious that money isn’t the path to happiness. So, if the idea of achieving something does bring us happiness, does that mean that the achievement is an appropriate goal for us to set? And how does a person maintain his or her feeling of happiness when reaching one’s goal is taking a lot of their time and energy.

Abraham: You‘re right, money is not the path to happiness, and, as you‘ve observed, poverty certainly is not the path to happiness either. Instead, use your ability to focus your thoughts and words toward things that cause you to feel better and better, and once you’ve deliberately achieved a state of happiness, not only will wonderful actions be inspired, but wonderful results must follow.

What if our money loses value?

Jerry: Abraham, in the past our money was primarily coins, metal that had a value in and of itself, like the 20 dollar gold piece – the gold itself was worth 20 dollars, and the silver in the silver dollar had value. In other words, the paper and coins are essentially valueless or our value in that way.

Abraham: You’ve hit upon something very essential here, regarding the subject of money, because you’re right, many of you are recognizing that the dollars today just are not worth what they were at one time.

Can we succeed without talent?

Jerry: Abraham, what bearing does talent or skill or ability have on bringing abundance or money into our lives?

Abraham: Very little. Those are all action aspects for the most part, and your action is responsible but for a miniscule part of what comes to you. Your thoughts and words (words are thoughts articulated) are the reason that your life unfolds as it does.

Jerry: So then would you say that people with no salable skill or talent could still receive all the financial abundance they want in their lives?

Abraham: Absolutely. Unless in comparing themselves to others and concluding that they have no salable skill or talent they feel diminished and therefore defeat their own experience with their own negative expectation.

Can we get something without giving?

It’s our desire to help you to understand what is really at the heart of that self-created struggle. We want to help you to begin from a different premise, and understand the Laws at the basis of all things. A new understanding of the Laws of the Universe and a willingness to begin telling a different story will give you different results. And those different results will then give you different beliefs, or knowledge. You are the one; you are the only one who can evaluate your effectiveness. No one else has the ability to discern where you stand relative to where you want to be. And no one else can decide where you should be.

vii. Living abundantly is not magic

As we explain from our perspective the abundant nature of your Universe, and the potential for abundance that’s always available to you, we understand that our knowledge does not become your knowledge only because you hear us say it. If you asked you to trust what we say or just try to understand, you cannot just adopt our understanding as your own, for its only your own life experience that brings knowledge to you.

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?

Raise Your Standards! Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. Whether you’re focused upon the lack of money or the lack of time, you’re still focused upon the lack of something you want, and therefore holding yourself in resistance to the things you really want. Whether your negative emotion is because of your feeling of shortage of time, or whether it’s because of your feeling of shortage of money, you’re still feeling negative emotion, and you’re still in the state of resistance, and therefore you’re holding away what you really want. As you feel that you do not have enough time to do all of the things that you need or want to do, your attention to lack negatively impacts you much more than you realize. You have to begin telling a different story.

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.

None that I can think of.

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 am neither a critic nor a reviewer.

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 place where exercises were given to be carried out by the reader.

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.

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

How interesting was it to read? 7
B. How helpful were the contents? 6
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